Specs that sold in 2012
SCRIPT Magazine has published my article analyzing the common elements of screenplays that sold in 2012. One of the key things that...
read moreSCRIPT Magazine has published my article analyzing the common elements of screenplays that sold in 2012. One of the key things that...
read moreBlake Snyder’s ten “genres” and fifty “subgenres” in his Save the Cat books are my single favorite tool...
read moreI’m teaching my first class at UCLA Extension Writers Program this fall, on adapting true stories into feature screenplays. It...
read moreLoglines describe a movie (or series) idea in a quick sentence or two that provide enough of an idea of what it’s about to...
read moreA very cool new website called “Spec Scout” tracks the status of currently unproduced screenplays in the Hollywood...
read moreA few years ago, screenwriter Craig Mazin wrote a blog post voicing his skepticism about “script consultants” —...
read moreThe movie that first made me think of “screenwriting” as a future career pursuit was The World According to Garp, adapted...
read moreMy January 9 webinar for The Writers Store on “What Makes a Great Scene” is now available online through their store,...
read moreScript Magazine online published my article about ARGO’s use of creative license today. Here’s how it begins: Having...
read moreI recently got to see the L.A. production of THE BOOK OF MORMON musical. I felt I basically knew the story from listening to the...
read moreOn a plane ride a few days ago, I settled in to watch two of the funniest human beings on the planet (Will Farrell and Zach...
read moreI’ll be leading a conversation about the script of the upcoming David O. Russell film Silver Linings Playbook for the...
read moreLately I’ve been brainstorming what to write for my next feature script. And I’ve been looking for questions to...
read moreI’ll be returning to my home state during election week (apparently the most important one in the union that week!) to do a...
read moreBen Fountain’s new novel Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk was recently named a (top five) finalist for the National Book...
read moreThe webinar I taught for The Writers Store on “Finding the ‘Story’ in True Stories” is now available from...
read moreYes, it’s true that a writer might only get the opening pages of their script read — and that it will likely be put down right...
read moreMy April 3 Writers Store webinar on “What Makes a Great TV Idea: Learn What Hollywood Looks for in an TV Idea and Pilot...
read moreI’m a Los Angeles Lakers fan. As I’ve followed the team over the past few years, I’ve noticed certain elements need to be...
read moreWhen I work with writers giving feedback and guidance on their material and career paths, I often end up giving advice about how to...
read moreI will be presenting workshops on “Creating Series Ideas for Television” and “What Makes a Great Scene” at the...
read moreI created a “beat sheet” for Bridesmaids for the folks at Save the Cat — it’s now up on their website.
Which of Blake Snyder’s genres and subgenres do you think this hugely successful comedy fits? Take a look to find out…
read moreI guess I’ve become a fan of acronyms. First, it was “CURE”: what I think we as writers should aim for with every...
read moreFor those of you who use the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet (which I highly recommend, and use in my script consulting), I recently came...
read moreI realize now, after about ten years making my living as a Los Angeles-based screenwriter, that there is really only one kind of movie...
read more