Go Into The Story

Page One: “Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers” (1989)

Written by Michael Jacobs & Dominique Othenin-Girard and Shem Bitterman, characters by John Carpenter and Debra Hill

30 Things About Screenwriting: There are no screenwriting rules

There are guidelines, conventional wisdom, patterns, and principles… but no rules.

Screenwriting 101: Shane Black

“I think about the audience in the sense that I serve as my own audience. I have to please myself that way, if I saw the movie in theater…

Page One: “Hellraiser” (1987)

Written by Clive Barker

30 Things About Screenwriting: Write what they’re buying or sell them your dream

There are many writing paths. Here are two of them.

On Writing

“If you don’t know what to write, ask your story, ‘What are you trying to tell me?’ Ask that and wait. There will be an answer.”

Page One: “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers” (1988)

Screenplay by Alan B. McElroy, story by Dhani Lipsius & Larry Rattner & Benjamin Ruffner and Alan B. McElroy

30 Things About Screenwriting: A spec script will not sell unless it has a strong story concept

If you write a spec script based upon the first story idea that comes into your mind, that script likely won’t sell.

Great Scene: “Young Frankenstein”

One of the most inspired comedic moments in a truly inspired film: The “Puttin’ on the Ritz” bit.

Page One: “Happy Death Day” (2017)

Written by Scott Lobdell

30 Things About Screenwriting: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages.

You can learn pretty much everything you need to know about screenwriting by doing these three things:

Great Scene: “North by Northwest”

It was one of the scenes which inspired Hitchcock to make the movie.

Page One: “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (1982)

A trailer for the movie:

30 Things About Screenwriting: Learn the craft

Being a screenwriter is much more than just writing a script.

The Business of Screenwriting: They will pigeonhole you (and why this can be a good thing)

The co-star of K-9 was a dog named Jerry Lee.

Page One: “Halloween II” (1981)

Written by John Carpenter & Debra Hill

30 Things About Screenwriting: Screenplays are stories, not formulas

“If you go in with formula, you come out with formula.”

Page One: “Grandma” (2015)

Written by Paul Weitz

2024 Austin Film Festival & Writers Conference

I’ll be there moderating panels and participating in roundtables. Hope to see you there!

30 Things About Screenwriting: There is no right way to write

Learn all you can, but ultimately it’s about your Stories and your Creative Self.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Loos & Emerson (1920)

In my ongoing research into screenwriting, I discovered the book “How to Write Photoplays,” written in 1920 by Anita Loos and her husband…

Page One: “Grace of Monaco” (2014)

Written by Arash Amel

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: The Final Close-Up [Part 4]

“The genuine natural bent for photoplay writing is shown only in those who can write well and like to write. Before you attempt to write…

Screenwriting 101: Brad Bird

“To make something really great and different and interesting means taking risks and following these ideas in your head.”

Page One: “The Good Nurse” (2022)

Screenplay by Krysty Wilson-Cairns, based on the book by Charles Graeber