Story. Screenplay. Sale.
To be a working screenwriter, one needs to write AND sell.
There’s no greater insecurity than the doubts that keep you from selling your creative work. Is it good? Is it great? Or is it useless? Should I show it to anyone? To whom? Is it ready to sell? I have found that as someone’s experience grows, often so does their insecurity about the state of their scripts. Many newbies are overeager to … Read more
This post is about fantastic story ideas, not just any story idea. It is about finding the gems, and not settling for the duds. Tomorrow I will help you assess those ideas. Today we will talk about how and where to find them. I have worked in the creative industries for over 30 years now, and I can tell … Read more
People go to the movies to be entertained. The emerging screenwriter should rule out writing scripts for any other reason than that. Like Spotlight. This film should not have been made. Even with its impressive cast, at the time of writing it only grossed about $40m, which is barely what you would expect the production budget to be. Why Spotlight … Read more
Build it and they will come, right? In other words: just write an amazing screenplay, and producers will start hassling you. Well, not really. And I’m not the only one to disagree with Kevin Costner’s character in Field Of Dreams. We live in the age of noise. Everyone is trying to get your attention. TV … Read more
Earlier this month, Seth Godin published a blog post that resonated with me. A piece so sharp and pertinent, I decided to translate it to screenwriting. (It was originally about Harper Lee) “[Screenwriting Genius X] is a legend and a genius. She’s also the exception that proves the rule, twice. Rule 1 – Screenplay Hope Rule 1: Your … Read more