Raiders of the Lost Art: An Argument for Dialogue-Driven Set Pieces
... well-rendered and delivered dialogue can surprise and turn a story on its head in ways that action scenes only very rarely can ...
The Three Things All of 2023’s Best Screenplays Have in Common
It is a shining example of how a film can be distinguished just as much by what its script doesn’t reveal as what it does.
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?
Wait! Don't Trash that Script
As William Goldman said about Hollywood, “Nobody knows anything.” Learn all you can but trust your instincts.
Want to Tell Better Stories? Watch Foreign Films
Foreign films generally assume the audience is savvier, capable of putting two and two together without having to shove things down their throat.
Fix Your Script First
When somebody finally gives you a chance and decides to read what you’ve got, it’s up to your writing to keep them engaged—not you.
Acting Exercises Writers Can Use to Flesh Out Their Characters
If you consider creating and developing characters to be your writing Achilles' heel, you've come to the right place.
Whatever Happened to the Political Thriller?
But since 2012, there have been precious few political thrillers popping up on the big screen. Why? It’s not like there aren’t stories ripe for the picking ...
Editing Advice From a Dyslexic, Independent, and Dysfunctional Self-Publishing Author
... you're sure the editor hates your words, your soul, your children, and even your dogs. Revel in this misery. It's why you became a pen monkey.
Fish: And Why It’s Not So Easy To Write What You Know
Because, yes, there is merit to writing what you know—but when you’re in the middle of something, you absolutely do not know it. It isn’t over yet.
Film's Best Franchise? Star Wars? Nope, It's Mission: Impossible
It’s not CGI. We buy it because seeing is believing.
How To Use Participant Observation To Write Better Stories
—the moment you become part of a community’s story, it will forever be part of you.
New York. What a Character.
They say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. What they don't tell you is that once you do make it here, you'll never want to make it anywhere else.
