Screenwriting Blog

Some creatives struggle with discipline. We'd rather let the ideas flow to us organically, and work when we're feeling inspired. If this sounds like you, you'll want to hear these inspiring tips from screenwriter and journalist Bryan Young (SyFy.com, HowStuffWorks.com, StarWars.com). He tells us how he stays focused on writing, and reveals an impressive stat when it comes to the writing promise he's been holding himself to for the past several years." My writing discipline, personally, comes from the fact that I write every day no matter what, or I spend time doing something related to my writing every day ... Continue reading

It's the ultimate exercise in screenwriting: Could you write a screenplay in 24 hours? Aspiring screenwriter Ashlee Stormo proves that it's possible in her final "A Day In the Life of An Aspiring Screenwriter" Series video. Watch and see how she completes a script over one sleepless day and night! What's the fastest you've been able to write a first draft? From Ashlee: "Screenwriters, this week, my mom Sherrie and I wrote an entire (very rough) first draft and vlogged it! There were some pros and cons but mostly pros because, as we all know, editing is everything, and we can fix the flawed bits! Would ... Continue reading

As I'm sure you've heard before, writing is rewriting. Whether it's your vomit draft or your 100th revision, there are some simple steps to take to make sure your screenplay is in great shape. “Rewriting can be really challenging because we all want to look at whatever we wrote and say, ‘that is brilliant. I don’t have to change a word!’ And that’s rarely the case,” said Ross Brown, who wrote for hugely popular shows like “Step by Step” and “The Cosby Show.” Now he spends his time teaching other writers how to get their story ideas to the screen as the director of the MFA program at Antioch University ... Continue reading

North by Northwest, July 1, 1959 - “The Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures.” That’s how screenwriter Ernest Lehman described the screenplay for North by Northwest, which debuted on this day in history in Chicago in 1959. It is now considered one of the greatest films of all time. Lehman and Hitchcock worked together on the main elements of the story, one of which was the idea of the hero being mistaken for a fake agent. That idea actually came from an American journalist who had told Hitchcock about spies creating fake agents during World War II. Hitchcock and Lehman bought that idea from the journalist for $10,000. Continue reading

Ahh, wisdom. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to take advice from people who are more experienced than I am, instead of pretending like I know it all. Sometimes, it’s a hard pill to swallow, kind of like this screenwriting advice from script consultant Danny Manus. Manus has gained so much screenwriting wisdom that he can charge for it now through his company No BullScript Consulting, where he takes aspiring writers under his wing and teaches them the tricks of the trade. But for you, today’s advice is free and simple. We asked Manus about some common screenwriter mistakes, and he did not ... Continue reading

Could you write a scene in seven minutes? We hope you’ll try it after watching this video with aspiring screenwriter Ashlee Stormo! Ashlee was inspired by another seven-minute scene challenge by Emily Carmichael for Vanity Fair. Ashlee used YOUR prompts to start things off. See where she ended up in just seven minutes! From Ashlee: “Hey, screenwriters! Thank you for submitting names, genres, and plot points - I randomly drew a few to write a scene in 7 minutes! Would you try this challenge? You might have seen me asking you for a genre, and a character, and a plot point on their Instagram ... Continue reading

What will screenwriters need to know to succeed in the future? Linda Aronson is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, playwright, and screenwriting guru, and she’s been keeping a watchful eye on the storytelling industry. And it’s not just the medium that’s changing rapidly, but also what viewers expect out of a movie or TV show. Yes, filmmakers have all the tools at their disposal to make their own movies, publish their own webisodes, and market their stories without a distribution company. But writers should also be paying attention to these technical elements in their future ... Continue reading

Taking and implementing notes is a skill that every screenwriter must hone. Screenwriting is collaborative, and that goes for the process that happens before, during, and after production. But how do you handle feedback that you don't agree with? Veteran TV writer Ross Brown got very good at receiving notes during his time as a television writer ("Step by Step," "The Cosby Show," and more) and now, he's the one giving notes to his students in the MFA program at Antioch University in Santa Barbara. In an interview with SoCreate, he explained why a note might not always be what it seems ... Continue reading

Ashlee Stormo is an aspiring screenwriter who has graciously let us in on her screenwriting process, from outlining to editing, and this week, from beginning to end. Watch as she documents her journey to complete a script in time for a contest deadline. From Ashlee: "Happy Wednesday, screenwriters! I just finished up another screenplay and vlogged the whole thing, the ups, and downs - let us know what stage you're at in your own project! I read a quote today that is by Mark Twain that you've probably heard, and it says the two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and ... Continue reading

“The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996), an action thriller written by Shane Black, sold for $4 million. “Panic Room” (2002), a thriller written by David Koepp, sold for $4 million. “Déjà Vu” (2006), a science fiction action film written by Terry Rossio and Bill Marsilii, sold for $5 million. Can every screenwriter who sells a screenplay expect to make millions off it? The scripts I previously mentioned that sold for millions are more of a rarity rather than a regular occurrence in the industry. A lot of the high-selling screenplay sales happened in the 1990s or early 2000s, and the landscape of the industry, as well as the ... Continue reading