:: The Secret To Writing Good Dialogue
:: Handguns: 7 Screenplay Do’s and Dont’s

Script Perfection

:: How to Make Yourself Write When You Really Don’t Want To
:: The Tamale Principle

Pitching & Selling

:: Are You Bringing Something Original to the Table?
:: Pass

Best of the Rest

:: Interview: Stephanie Shannon (2013 Nicholl Winner, 2013 Black List)
:: New Jupiter Ascending Trailer
:: Aronofsky’s Noah and All Its Many Controversies
:: After 2008 Writers Strike, Writers Still Rail
_______________________________

With thanks to Cameron Pattison.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by David Trottier

The following 3 keys are guaranteed to unlock the door to instant failure and free you to flop like a floundering fish on the floor.

1. Just say no

Why didn’t you think of this before? Stop writing. It’s as simple as that. Wait for huge blocks of time to open up, and refuse to write until they do. Now that’s commitment! Don’t touch that keyboard until your Muse flies down from Mount Parnassus to reveal the 101 master plots. Failure comes to those who wait.

And don’t listen to barkers like that Trottier fellow who tells you to make realistic writing goals and make time to achieve them. “Writing is its own reward,” he says. What kind of bull crap is that? Remember, success comes one day at a time, but failure is an all-or-nothing deal. You can have it right now by not acting right now. Insist on your story unfolding immediately to you at this instant, or find relief with a TV remote. With any luck, you’ll be unconscious before those pesky desires to reach your God-given potential begin to bother you.

Failure comes to those who wait.

2. Listen to those voices

You know which ones. “You’ll never amount to anything,” and “This is the biggest waste of time since Dole ran for president.” And don’t forget to repeat this next one ten times before you fall asleep each night: “I’ll never be Hemingway.” And you never will! Affirm that. Of course, Hemingway will never be you, but that’s beside the point. Face your fears and back off.

When you are tempted to write, seize this thought: “My work is worthless until it is absolutely perfect, and since it can’t ever be perfect, I am the most wretched creature to ever pick up a pencil. My writing is an embarrassment to the free world.” Pay no attention to those who talk about developing your craft or listening to Joseph Conrad’s “inner voice that knows.” What inner voice? That’s just the result of a half digested Whopper rotting in your gut. “Have it your way” and take a nap from the joy of creation.

Face your fears and back off.

3. Submit before you’re ready

How can you possibly know when your script or manuscript is ready to be submitted to a potential buyer? It’s never ready. Send that unfinished work out now so that it will be rejected, proving that “those voices” mentioned earlier are right on the mark. Why waste time striving for excellence when you can fail with grace, knowing full well that it wasn’t your best work that was rejected anyway.

And don’t waste time with a marketing plan or research. Just find some names in a directory or book and mail off some half-baked query letters. The rejection slips will give you the perfect excuse to end the writing madness once and for all. Remember, the road to Heaven is paved with a helluva lot of effort. You don’t need the pain.

Most importantly, clear your mind and medicate. Here, have a beer… and some donut holes. Don’t you feel better with writing out of your life? Now, shuffle up to that remote and sit down. There, there; everything is going to be just fine. Nighty night.

-David Trottier

David Trottier has sold or optioned ten screenplays (three produced) and helped hundreds of writers break into the writing business.

He is an award-winning teacher and in-demand script consultant, author of The Screenwriter’s Bible, and friendly host of keepwriting.com.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

:: Great Character: Hans Gruber (“Die Hard”)
:: The 10 Best Screenplays I Read This Year!
:: Amateur Friday – The Jaguar’s Fang

Script Perfection

:: 30 Screenwriting Sites You Should Follow
:: Why the 9-to-5 Day Is So Tough on Creative Workers
:: Jack Kerouac’s 30 Points to Write and Live By
:: Scriptnotes, 123: Scriptnotes Holiday Spectacular
:: 52 Book Reviews: The Best of 2013
:: Writing Goals: 2014 — The Only Way Out Is Through

Best of the Rest

:: A Filmmaker’s Motivation A – Z
:: David O. Russell on ‘American Hustle’
:: Eye on the Oscars: Writers on Writers
:: Wolf of Wall St screenwriter Terence Winter
:: ‘Batman-Superman’: Chris Terrio to Write
:: Scriptshadow’s Ten Worst and Ten Best Movies Of The Year
_______________________________

With thanks to Cameron Pattison.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

:: Christmas Screenplay Review – It’s A Wonderful Life
:: Read 24 of the Best Screenplays from 2013
:: Amateur Friday – A Lot of Blood

Script Perfection

:: It’s Just a Game
:: How To Keep Yourself Motivated When You’re Not Feeling It
:: Great Acceptations

Pitching & Selling

:: Spec Script Market Analysis: Genre
:: Should I Write a Big Budget Spec Script or Not?

Best of the Rest

:: Saving Mr. Banks Screenwriter Kelly Marcel
:: Chris Morgan Revising ‘Fast & Furious 7′ Script
:: Movie and TV Review – The Return(ed) of the King
:: MetroGnome Remixes Breaking Bad Theme Song, And It Is Awesome
_______________________________

With thanks to Cameron Pattison.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

by Signe Olynyk

After months of little progress, I tried this wondrous thing called the internet. I googled. Meat freezer. Slaughterhouse. Trapped in cooler. Words that I hoped would trigger some sort of creative anything. As I searched, I came across an abandoned, slaughterhouse near Edson, Alberta that was for sale. After contacting the woman who owned it, I asked if I could come for a visit.

When I got there, I then asked if she would lock me in her freezer, and NOT LET ME OUT – until the script was done.

Admittedly, this does sound somewhat… extreme. Looking back, the expression on her face (part fear, part confusion, mixed with a whole lot of ‘are you friggin kidding’) was understandable. But anyone who knows me also understands how obsession, and the quest for authenticity in one’s craft often removes the ability to reason.

After spending five days locked in the freezer, I emerged with a completed script. A year later, we were in production on the feature film, ‘Below Zero’, filming in the same location I wrote it, with stars Edward Furlong (Green Hornet, American History X, Terminator II), horror icon, Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, Weird Science), and Kristin Booth (Young People Fucking, The Kennedys).

I then asked if she would lock me in her freezer… until the script was done.

I’ll write another time about how we did THAT. But for now, let’s get back to that solution I promised you. How do you get past your own creative ice block? Where do you find inspiration in your own life?

I’m not saying you have to lock yourself in the freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse to write a great script. But you do have to be willing to do what it takes. Inspiration is a luxury, and we should all cling to it when the muse strikes, like the welcome friend she is.

Most of the time, we have to create our own inspiration. To my workaholic mind, that generally means making a ‘to do list’ and racing around to accomplish a whole bunch of things to ‘inspire’ inspiration. But the opposite is generally true. What we really need to do… is often, nothing.

Inspiration is a luxury.

‘Nothing’ means just experiencing the laughter of our children, and the company of good friends and family. Finding it in the movies, books, and tv shows we love. Taking walks and ‘nature moments’ where we simply breathe and appreciate the world we live in. Getting rest and taking vacations, so we are capable of even being inspired.

I haven’t decided what I am going to write next, but having myself locked up in a freezer seemed to be the only way I could overcome my own writer’s block. Perhaps my next script will be about some guy, trapped in Club Med. That sounds so… inspiring.

-Signe Olynyk 

Signe Olynyk is a Writer / Producer, who also is founder of the Great American PitchFest Screenwriting Conference, held annually in Los Angeles, CA.

Signe is also behind the Great British PitchFest, held in partnership with the London Screenwriters’ Festival in the UK. You can check out her movie, Below Zero.

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

:: Psychopath – The Ultimate Antagonist
:: Screenwriting Structure & Writing Style
:: Unconventional Strategies and Tactics For Screenwriting Success
:: What Makes a Good Inciting Incident?
:: To the Wonder: Review
:: Great Scene: “Heat
:: 10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Rosemary’s Baby
:: The Business of Screenwriting
:: Amateur Script: Monster Mash
:: Screenplay Review: Pain and Gain

Script Perfection

:: Writing: How To Actually Sit Down And Do It?
:: Scriptcat’s 3 Screenwriting Tips
:: TV Writers Podcast – Beau Willimon – House Of Cards
:: Scriptnotes Podcast 85: Another Time and Place
:: Finding Character Motivation, Conflict and Compassion
:: Chris Roessner – 2012 Black List
:: Breaking Down Breaking Bad
:: Always Be Learning for Screenwriting Success
:: David S. Goyer on Multitasking

Pitching & Selling

:: Legally Speaking, It Depends: They Stole My Movie Idea!
:: April 2013 Pitch Market Scorecard
:: Spec Script Sales
:: What’s Currently Happening in the World of Pilots
:: Webshow: I Wrote It, Now What Do I Do With It

Best of the Rest

:: Montage of Back-To-The-Camera Shots in Movies
:: 21 Min Oblivion Featurette Shows How Its Post-Apocalyptic Earth Came To Be
:: Screenwriting News: April 8 to 14
:: The Place Beyond the Pines Review
:: Movie review – Upstream Color
:: Game of Thrones Showrunner on Jamie Lannister’s Evolution
:: The Guardian Film Show podcast
:: ‘Man of Steel’ video: General Zod Wants You To Turn In Superman
:: Tom Cruise Joins Top Gun-With-Aliens
:: New AMC Show: “Blade Runner meets Battlestar Galactica”
:: Michael Arndt on Writing Star Wars
:: ‘Man of Tai Chi’ Directed by Keanu Reeves
:: You’ll Probably Never Upload Your Mind Into a Computer
:: Karl Gajdusek and ‘Oblivion’
:: Films That Changed Your Life
:: The Wachowskis’ ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Begins Filming
_______________________________

With thanks to Jamie Campbell.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

:: How to Write a Screenplay in 9 (Not So Easy) Steps
:: Creating a Screenplay Narrative in the Absolute Present Tense
:: Scene Writing from A to Z to A-List Actor
:: Great Scene – Fight Club
:: Evil Dead (2013) Screenplay Review
:: Screenplay Review – Oblivion
:: 10 Screenwriting Lessons You Can Learn From Forrest Gump
:: Amateur Friday Screenplay Review
:: A Story Idea Each Day For a Month

Script Perfection

:: Discovery of a Character
:: Scriptnotes Podcast Transcript Ep 82
:: Scriptnotes Podcast Ep 83
:: Screenwriting Resources
:: Screenwriting Tip #1214
:: Conquering Self-Doubt, Anxiety, Procrastination, Fear + Perfection
:: The Smoking Gun, Part 1
:: 10 Most Expensive Screenplays Ever
:: Long-Term Motivation for Building Your Screenwriting Career
:: This Thing I’m Doing to Stay Focused
:: 50 Best TV Dramas of All Time

Pitching & Selling

:: Don’t Write a Drama Spec
:: Why You Should Write a Short Film Screenplay
:: Write, Direct, Repeat: Get Set
:: David Guggenheim Black List 2010-12
:: David Guggenheim Black List 2012 – Interview

Best of the Rest

:: Can Bad Visual Effects Ruin a Film Like ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’?
:: Ashleigh Powell – Interview – Black List 2012 – Part 6
:: Mel Gibson Announces Passion of the Christ Sequel: ‘Easter’
:: Mercifully Short Review: Warm Bodies
:: The Loneliness Epidemic
:: Ken Levine: I Will Be Taking Over HBO’s ‘GIRLS’
:: Jurassic Park 3D: Revisited
:: Justin Long in Funny or Die’s ‘iSteve’ Biopic Teaser Trailer
:: Jules Verne Brings Hollywood Down Under
:: ‘Trance’: Danny Boyle Talks Time-Shifting Art Heist Thriller
:: Marvel’s Full Phase Two Preview for Thor, Ant-Man, Guardians
:: Nicolas Winding Refn ‘Only God Forgives’ trailer
:: Mesmerizing IMAX Featurette for ‘Oblivion’
:: Video Interview – The Place Beyond the Pines
:: Can Ethan Hawke Survive Criminal Christmas in ‘The Purge’ Trailer?
:: Chuck Norris Deployed to Guam
:: RIP: Roger Ebert dies at age 70
_______________________________

With thanks to Jamie Campbell.

Enjoy!

Karel

Jamie Campbell

Jamie Campbell is an author, screenwriter, and television addict.

Jamie is proud to be an Editor for The Story Department.

Her latest series Project Integrate is out now.

jamiecampbell.com.au

Here’s my weekly selection from the blogosphere. Feel free to recommend anything or give your feedback in the Questions and Comments below.

And don’t forget you can subscribe to our posts so you don’t miss any of this, ever.

• Just in: Roman Polanski arrested in Switzerland on 31yr old warrant.
• Something for those who don’t hold the MacGuffin in high esteem.
  
• The difference between treatment and outline? Scott Meyers explains
  
• The line between negotiation and exploitation? Alex Epstein on rights.
  
• Scarlett: ‘What’s my motivation here?’ Woody: ‘Your salary’.
• Great writing: emotion exploding out of a few simple lines.
  
• Soderbergh’s Informant: based on a true story, Kottke found out.
• Aronofsky plans movie based on Securitas heist. I want to see it.
  
• Save money and a trip to the cinema. Cody’s ‘Body’ on MyPDFscripts.
  
• I once met with Greenaway. Cool guy, mean artist. Not a filmmaker.
• Soderbergh was in Sydney last week. What was he doing here?
  
• Thompson’s much quoted piece on the Toronto ’09 “blood bath”.
• Did the Toronto Film Fest wrap-up worry you? Here’s more.

COMING SOON to the Story Department:

• Structural breakdown of THE UNTOUCHABLES
• Paul Gulino: Screenwriting, the Deadline Approach.
• The Fastest Pass: Improve your script in less than an hour.

Enjoy!

Karel

Karel FG Segers

Karel Segers wrote his first produced screenplay at age 17. Today he is a story analyst with experience in acquisition, development and production. He has trained students worldwide, and worked with half a dozen Academy Award nominees. Karel speaks more European languages than he has fingers on his left hand, which he is still trying to find a use for in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The languages, not the fingers.

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