Go Into The Story

Movie Analysis: “The Martian” — Characters

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

Rod Serling on Writing: Part 9

Part 9 of a 16-part series featuring the master storyteller on video. Ever since I launched Go Into The Story, I have regularly gone down the Internet’s rabbit hole in search of unique video clips featuring renowned writers. In 2010, I hit the Mother Lode: A series of

Great Scene: “American Beauty”

Today’s great scene comes courtesy of writer Alan Ball and the fantastic dark satire he wrote American Beauty (1999). This is a hauntingly beautiful moment and drives home how even the most mundane events — such as a plastic bag caught up in the wind — can translate into powerful drama.

Daily Dialogue — October 14, 2015

WITCH KING: Fool, no man can kill me. Die, now. EOWYN: I am no man. — Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), screenplay by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Peter Jackson, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien The Daily Dialogue theme for the week:

Part 2: If you are a beginning screenwriter…

Recently I received an email from someone who wants to begin the process of learning the craft of screenwriting. I started my response with the advice to use this blog as a free resource. After all, there are over 13,000 posts in the archives… Then it dawned on me:

Spec Script Deal: “Ascension”

Twentieth Century Fox acquires science fiction spec script “Ascension” written by Shannon Triplett. From Deadline: It’s a big sci-fi action disaster tentpole that follows a scientist who must save the world after gravity is erased from the Earth’s atmosphere. So to the people spouting the conventional wisdom

Movie Analysis: “The Martian” — Plot

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

Rod Serling on Writing: Part 8

Part 8 of a 16 part series featuring the master storyteller on video. Ever since I launched Go Into The Story, I have regularly gone down the Internet’s rabbit hole in search of unique video clips featuring renowned writers. In 2010, I hit the Mother Lode: A series of

Screenwriting 101: Robert Mark Kamen

“If you’ve got craft, you got game. If you got game, you can write your way in and out of anything. Writing is the best gig in the whole business, as far as I’m concerned. It’s the only job where you don’t have to wait for

Daily Dialogue — October 13, 2015

Chris: You don’t really like wearin’ that stuff, do you, Dad? Daniel: [as Daniel] Well, some of it’s comfortable. No! It’s a pain in the padded ass! — Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), written by: Randi M. Singer and Leslie Dixon The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Cross Dressing.

Ticket Giveaway: “The Psychology of Story-Telling” with Lindsay Doran

She’s known as “The Script Whisperer” and unlike so-called screenwriting gurus, Lindsay Doran has the street cred to back it up. To wit: Back by Popular Demand! On October 29 at 7:30 pm at the Writers Guild Theater, Lindsay Doran may change everything you think you know

Part 1: If you are a beginning screenwriter…

Recently I received an email from someone who wants to begin the process of learning the craft of screenwriting. I started my response with the advice to use this blog as a free resource. After all, there are over 13,000 posts in the archives… Then it dawned on me:

Movie Analysis: “The Martian”

Another in our bi-weekly series in which we analyze movies currently in release. Why? To quote the writing mantra I coined over 5 years ago: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages. You will note which one comes first. Here are my reflections from that post about the importance of

Rod Serling on Writing: Part 7

Part 7 of a 16 part series featuring the master storyteller on video. Ever since I launched Go Into The Story, I have regularly gone down the Internet’s rabbit hole in search of unique video clips featuring renowned writers. In 2010, I hit the Mother Lode: A series of

On Writing

“Interesting things happening to interesting people is basically the only rule of screenwriting.” — Brian Duffield

Daily Dialogue — October 12, 2015

JERRY: (Disgusted) Dirty old man! JOE: What happened? JERRY: I just got pinched in the elevator. JOE: Now you know how the other half lives. JERRY: Look at that! I’m not even pretty. JOE: They don’t care, just as long as you’re wearing a skirt. It’s

Go Into The Story Script Reading & Analysis: Nightcrawler

This week, we have been reading, analyzing, and discussing the script and movie Nightcrawler, written and directed by Dan Gilroy. IMDb Plot Summary: When Louis Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to

Interview: Ben Jacoby

Here is an interview I did with Ben Jacoby. This has a particularly unique hook in that I have an email thread with Ben dating back to July 30, 2013. Every several months, Ben would contact me with the latest development in his writing life, so in effect the emails

Screenwriting News (October 5-October 11, 2015)

Matt Charman writing YA drama thriller “Wilderness” to Fox 2000. Aaron Guzikowski writing remake of 1973 movie Papillon for Red Granite Pictures. Sylvia Jahshan writing Untitled Terrell Project for Foxy Roxy Productions. Matt King sells drama thriller spec script “Boomtown” to Focus Features. Miriam Kruishoop adapting 2003 documentary “Hood Girls”

Spec Script Deal: “Boomtown”

Focus Features acquires drama thriller spec script “Boomtown” written by Matt King. From Deadline: Story of a slick corporate investigator with a closely guarded secret who discovers a sinister criminal conspiracy in North Dakota oil boom country. It is the first script deal for King. He is repped by Paradigm

Interviews (Video): Aaron Sorkin (“Steve Jobs”)

A series of interviews with Aaron Sorkin, screenwriter of the movie Jobs: And a couple more interviews with Sorkin:

Daily Dialogue — October 11, 2015

After the final dogfight, Iceman points at Maverick. Iceman: You. You’re still dangerous. (smiles) You can be my wingman anytime. — Top Gun (1986), screenplay by Jim Cash & Jack Epps Jr., magazine article by Ehud Yonay The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Rivalry. Trivia: The F-14 pilot

Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Cross Dressing

The Daily Dialogue theme for next week: Cross Dressing. Victoria: Men have Adam’s apples. Toddy: So do some women. Victoria: Name one. Toddy: Nana Lanu. Victoria: Nana Lanu, who’s she? Toddy: The last woman I slept with. Victoria: When was that? Toddy: The night before the morning I

Interview (Part 6): Ben Jacoby

This week I’m featuring an interview I did with Ben Jacoby. This has a particularly unique hook in that I have an email thread with Ben dating back to July 30, 2013. Every several months, Ben would contact me with the latest development in his writing life, so in

Saturday Hot Links

Time for the 207th installment of Saturday Hot Links. NYFF: How the Coen Brothers Added Their Own Special Touch to Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks’ Historic ‘Bridge of Spies’. Oscars: 81 Countries Submit for Best Foreign Language Film. Over 70 New Sales Companies Heading to AFM. The Dangers When Financiers