Writers Reveal Their Favorite Online Resources

Trying to sort through the overabundance of storytelling information out there? You've come to the right place. We interviewed some top entertainment industry professionals and asked them how they stay up to date on the latest in creative news and how they keep their craft in tip-top shape when they're not working on their screenplays. Get ready to bookmark your heart out with these hot tips from the pros, from online courses to trade publications podcasts to obscure but oh-so-valuable blogs.

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Danny Manus

Pro #1 hails from Hollywood, where he helps writers sharpen their spec scripts for primetime. Danny Manus owns No BullScript Consulting. He offers everything from story brainstorming help to script editing. The former development executive has a unique point of view from the business side of things, and he works directly with creatives who want to write a film script that sells. You can find him on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more about his company at NoBullScript.net.

“Read the trades every day,” he told us. “There’s so much information both on the business side and on the craft side.”

Specifically, Manus recommends Deadline, The Wrap, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, IndieWire, and Screen International.

Manus also turns to social media to stay in the know, participating in some community groups explicitly geared toward career writers.

“I’m in a bunch of Facebook Groups,” he said. “There’s a great one that I’m in that’s a little bit more higher level, called The Inside Pitch.”

Bryan Young

The second professional screenwriter we interviewed was the prolific Bryan Young. In addition to screenwriting, Young earns a living writing super cool stuff for HowStuffWorks.com, SciFi.com, StarWars.com, slashfilm.com, and more. He’s also written and directed features, shorts, commercials, and award-winning documentaries. Did we mention that he also hosts two podcasts and has several books to his name? Phew! This guy does not stop … except, perhaps, to check out some of his favorite online resources for creatives. His picks?

“One of the best places is Robert McKee’s Twitter feed. He posts regular screenwriting videos about the structure and the craft of storytelling,” he said and continued with “Drew’s Script-O-Rama, and Drew’s Script-O-Rama is just this archive of film scripts.”

Young explained in an earlier interview how he uses Drew’s Script-O-Rama as a mini-film school education when it comes to story and character development, and you can, too.

Ricky Roxburgh

Successful screenwriter #3 is animated. No, really! Ricky Roxburgh served as the sole staff writer for a time at Disney Animation Television’s Emmy Award-winning cartoon, “Mickey Mouse Shorts.” He’s also done other television writing on shows such as “Monsters at Work,” “Big Hero 6: The Series,” and “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure.” He wrote the animated feature “Saving Santa,” and his next animated feature, “Ozi,” is set to premiere in 2022, starring Laura Dern, Amandla Stenberg, and Donald Sutherland. When he (somehow) finds time outside of writing and life to stay up to date with what's happening in the film industry, he looks to Twitter, podcasts, and a website that you just might miss if you’re not looking hard enough.

“Chris McQuarrie, his Twitter is great,” Roxburgh began. “Every now and then, I’ll listen to the Scriptnotes podcast with John August and Craig Mazin,” and “Terry Rossio has a website that’s really hard to find, but it’s called Word Player, and it’s got these columns that are like, muah!”

So, there you have it. Now you know where the professional writers go to brush up their skills and keep a pulse on the industry. Keep in mind that part of the art of screenwriting, or any creative endeavor for that matter, is understanding what everyone else is doing so that your work is a standout. Finding your own online resources to tap consistently is part of the gig. We've rounded up a list of online screenwriting courses here, where you can get a film school education without the university price.

“You really have to be open and take everything in before you can start giving things out,” Manus concluded.

Did we miss anything? Tweet us @SoCreate.it with some of your favorite resources, and we’ll share them in an upcoming blog.

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