Spike Scarberry

Spike is a veteran of the Hollywood development landscape, having worked for an agency, a prod co, and a TV network. He enjoys long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and dynamic storytelling.

Wisdom of a Black Belt

Wisdom of a Black Belt

I learned something that day. Genuinely. And it's a lesson I want you all to apply to your writing, too.

# Read # The Creative Mind
7 min read

Shoot the Moon

Shoot the Moon

... and dammit if I wasn't completely blown away. By the time I turned the final page, I'd quasi fallen in love with the freaking thing.‌

# Read
8 min read

Yes, Page Count Still Matters

Yes, Page Count Still Matters

Think like a salesman ... if you have a product you need to sell, which would you rather have? More potential buyers? Or fewer?

# Read # Style & Substance # The Business of Art
8 min read

Get Back on the Mat Anyway, Part 2

Get Back on the Mat Anyway, Part 2

Stop focusing on all the things you haven't done, and start focusing on the things you have.

# Read # The Creative Mind
10 min read

Find the Right Reader

Find the Right Reader

The point is—you will never find anything where everyone agrees. It's literally impossible. And Hollywood is no different.

# Read # The Business of Art
7 min read

Literally Write What You Know (Figuratively)

Literally Write What You Know (Figuratively)

That’s what “write what you know” really means. It means you should take a feeling, or a unique experience you’ve lived through—something that is quintessentially you—and put it on the page.

# Read # The Creative Mind
3 min read

Do You Read the Whole Thing?

Do You Read the Whole Thing?

Every single script I recommended my bosses read officially had my stamp of approval on it. And how bad do you think it would make me look if I wasted some of their precious time with a mediocre piece of material?

# Read # The Business of Art # Style & Substance
7 min read

What Readers Really Think

What Readers Really Think

Everything that follows is what they actually said, whether you like it or not.

# Read # The Business of Art
7 min read

The All-Purpose Guide to Hollywood Assistant-ing- Part 1

The All-Purpose Guide to Hollywood Assistant-ing- Part 1

I was a Hollywood assistant for almost ten years ... let’s go ahead and get the basic stuff out of the way.

# Read # The Business of Art
6 min read

Conflict: The Lifeblood of Your Story

Conflict: The Lifeblood of Your Story

Make no mistake, narratives are very much like a car. They need to be constructed in a specific way in order for them to go anywhere.

# Read # Style & Substance
6 min read

Your Most Critical Act

Your Most Critical Act

Shaky beginnings lead to problems down the road every time without fail.

# Read # Style & Substance
6 min read

NEVER, EVER DO THIS: Gentle Advice for Eager Writers (Part 3)

NEVER, EVER DO THIS: Gentle Advice for Eager Writers (Part 3)

Five more tips on how to not annoy your reader shall be yours. But listen well, because I'm only going to say this once ...

# Read # Style & Substance
7 min read

Get Back on the Mat

Get Back on the Mat

It’s scary to walk on the mat for the first time against an opponent taller and larger than you. And it’s scary to show people a story you’ve been obsessed with for weeks, months, and years on end.

# Read # The Creative Mind
6 min read

Things I Wish I Knew

Things I Wish I Knew

Clearly there is a knowledge gap out there … there’s something that a hell of a lot of writers out there need to know, and they don’t know it right now.

# Read # Style & Substance # The Business of Art
7 min read

Simp for the Reader

Simp for the Reader

Unless you’re writing only for you, you need to keep the audience in mind. Especially if that audience is the gatekeeper to all your hopes and dreams.

# Read # Style & Substance # The Creative Mind
8 min read
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