Screenwriting Blog

Screenwriting for everyone. That’s the dream and our north star at SoCreate, so I was so encouraged to hear Disney writer Ricky Roxburgh’s prediction about the future of the screenwriting industry during a recent interview. “I think there’s going to be more opportunities for unique voices to come out and tell some stories that are a little different, a little stranger, a little sillier and a little more odd,” Ricky said. Ricky currently writes for Disney Television Animation, dreaming up stories for Rapunzel in “Tangled: The Series” and the new “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse.” The sky’s the limit in animation ... Continue reading

One of the best ways to learn about the craft of screenwriting, including its structure, rhythm, and devices, is by reading screenplays – lots of them. As screenwriter Bryan Young pointed out in a previous interview, you wouldn’t try to build a house without blueprints, and you wouldn’t try to draw up blueprints without looking at how professionals do it first. Screenplays are the blueprint for any film, so they can teach you a lot about making something work on screen. Below, we’re building a library of great screenplays of various genres, so you can bookmark this page and return to it when you’re ready for ... Continue reading

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The motto is paying dividends (literally!) for screenwriter Kaylord J. Hill, who we’re proud to announce as SoCreate’s Screenwriter Stimulus winner. For the grand prize, we’re paying Kaylord $4,000 over four weeks this December to help support him while he writes a feature-length screenplay in 30 days. The best part? He’s taking you along for the ride with twice-weekly vlogs so you can see his progress, challenges, and successes. We first met Kaylord in 2019 when he applied to win SoCreate’s “So, Write Your Bills Away” Sweepstakes. Entrants could earn bonus ... Continue reading

Why do you see so many different screenwriting credits on screen? Sometimes you see “Screenplay by screenwriter & screenwriter,” and other times, it’s “screenwriter and screenwriter.” What does “Story By” mean? Is there any difference between “Screenplay By,” “Written By,” and “Screen Story By?” The Writers Guild of America has rules for all-things credits, which are meant to protect creatives. Stick with me as I delve into the sometimes-confusing methods of determining screenwriting credits. "&" vs. "And" - The ampersand (&) is reserved for use when referring to a writing team. The writing team is credited as ... Continue reading

Internships can be a great way to gain experience and get your foot in the door of the film and television industry. Being able to say that you interned at well-known companies can be an impressive experience to have on your resume and show that you’re willing to start from the ground level and work your way up! Today I’m talking about the various kinds of internships screenwriters should be looking for and how someone can go about finding a screenwriting internship that helps them on their career path. If you’re going to school for screenwriting and looking for an internship to gain experience ... Continue reading

“The second act of a movie is really challenging. I compare it to marriage,” Ross Brown began. Okay, you’ve got my attention, Ross! I love a good metaphor, and veteran TV writer, director, and producer Ross Brown (“Step by Step,” “The Cosby Show,” “National Lampoon’s Vacation”) has a few great ones up his sleeve. He is the director of the MFA program at Antioch University, after all, so he knows a thing or two about teaching the art of screenwriting in ways students can grasp. So, as his student for this interview, I asked him what so many of you ask us, how do I get through second act problems in my screenplay ... Continue reading

Screenwriting doesn't just magically happen in a vacuum; it requires a dedicated writer who has all the tools they need to produce a finished script. What types of tools does a screenwriter need? I'm glad you asked! Today I'm talking about the screenwriting tools every writer should have on hand, based on my personal writing experience! Screenwriting Software: All writers today need good screenwriting software! Screenwriting software can help relieve you of many formatting worries and allow you to just get down to the business of writing. Not all screenwriting software is created equal, so you'll need to figure ... Continue reading

Veteran TV writer and producer Ross Brown worked on some of the U.S.’s most beloved 80s and 90s sitcoms, including “Step by Step,” “The Facts of Life,” “Who’s the Boss,” and “The Cosby Show,” so he was required to come up with new ideas for his storylines nearly every day. We wanted to know: How do full-time creatives do it? His answer surprised me, and considering the frequency of his writing, you should have no problem using this technique to drum up enough ideas of your own to get started on your next screenplay. “My biggest technique for new ideas is when I feel something emotional in ... Continue reading

Internship Alert! There are SO many more remote opportunities for film industry internships than ever before. Are you looking for internships this fall? If you can earn college credit, there may be an opportunity here for you. SoCreate is not affiliated with the following internship opportunities. Please direct all questions to the email address provided for each internship listing. Do you want to list an internship opportunity? Comment below with your listing and we'll add it to our page with the next update! Continue reading

Cool Hand Luke, November 1, 1967 - “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Have you heard, or maybe even used, that famous quote? You have writers Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson to thank for “Cool Hand Luke,” a 1960s prison drama film that debuted on this day in history. The pair earned an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay since the film was based on Pearce’s novel, which he sold to Warner Bros. Pearce didn’t have any screenwriting experience though, so Warner Bros. also brought on Pierson to help write the screenplay. The story is based on Pearce’s real experience on a chain ... Continue reading