Story. Screenplay. Sale.
Until Mystery Man disappeared in 2010, he was a regular contributor to The Story Department. His very last public article was published here and it is still ranking as the most popular post on the site.
I should clarify that this is from one of my TriggerStreet script reviews, and thus, it’s the top ten mistakes one specific writer made in his unproduced spec. (And this is not to embarrass him, either. He’s a good writer with a promising future.) But my biggest pet peeve in the world is a sloppy spec. … Read more
It’s certainly no secret. I believe that all the screenplays we write today must be flawless in terms of formatting and grammar simply because of the competition. Everything counts. And in my review of Mickey Lee’s great new story, The Other Side, which you really should read if you get the chance, I did a little bird-walking on … Read more
I want to say a word on trusting the reader. An inevitable sign of growth in a new writer – and we all go through this arc – is in the area of trusting the reader. Newbies who haven’t developed the discipline of trusting the reader tend to over-explain simple things in the action lines or … Read more
In the midst of my absence last month, I managed to squeeze in some time to read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. It was only 1000 pages of very fine print – no problem! I had been meaning to read the book for years. I once knew a certain female executive whose passion for work knew … Read more
Let me get on my Project Gutenberg soapbox. One of the most under-appreciated opportunities for aspiring screenwriters is Project Gutenberg. As many of you know very well, most assignment jobs screenwriters pick-up are adaptations of known works. I truly believe that before you ever step onto the world stage with your writings, you should already have lots … Read more