flying wrestler
thoughts on screenwriting from writer-producer erik bork
3 Stories per Episode
I recently watched an interview with Friends co-creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman (I think it was here). In it, Crane commented on how they...
The War of Art
The happiest and most free I ever felt as a writer was with some of my earliest scripts. They were the work of a beginner and didn’t go anywhere but I enjoyed them.
Intention and Obstacle
Aaron Sorkin says he "worships at the altar of Intention and Obstacle." What does that mean? In his Masterclass he defines it as: "Somebody wants...
Double Mumbo Jumbo
Double Mumbo Jumbo is a term in the original Save the Cat book. Blake Snyder used it to caution against including two different types of unrelated...
Insert shots
When we write action and description in a script, we’re telling the reader what the viewer would see, hear and clearly understand from that.
Nothing else.
What Good Stories Need
Five years ago this week my book was released. I'm proud to say it's been translated into Complex and Simplified Chinese and Russian. (See the...
I’m Making a Movie!
UPDATE - November 25, 2023: Excited to report that we successfully wrapped principal photography on October 27. I couldn't be happier with the work...
Workplace stakes
"Will Michael Jordan agree to sign a shoe deal with Nike, so their basketball division can survive?" This is essentially the main dramatic question...
Theme Stated
What is your story really about? I know it's about certain characters and plot events. But what's it examining, behind all that, which could...
Barbie’s World Building
SPOILER ALERT: This post reveals some elements of the plot of Barbie. Greta Gerwig's Barbie movie has a lot of wonderful elements. I think most can...
Why “Flying Wrestler”?
The movie that first made me think of "screenwriting" as a future career pursuit was The World According to Garp, adapted by Steve Tesich from...
Cutting Script Pages
What do you do if your script comes in significantly longer than the guideline length for the medium you’re writing in? How do you approach the task of cutting pages?