Script Strategy

How to Handle Rejection as a Screenwriter Staying Resilient, Professional, and Creative When the Industry Says “No” Rejection is inevitable.  Scripts will be passed on. Coverage will be brutal. Contests will ghost you. Even when you do everything “right,” the answer might still be no — or maybe you hear nothing — or worse, you … Read more

7 Tips for Writing a Horror Screenplay That Truly Terrifies How to Write a Horror Script That Gets Under the Skin Writing a horror screenplay is not just telling a story — it’s conjuring fear, tension, dread, and release. But crafting an effective horror script is more than just slamming doors, jump scares, and blood-soaked … Read more

Do Screenwriting Books Actually Help? An Honest Look  Screenwriting how-tos such as Save the Cat, Story by Robert McKee, or John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story are staples on the shelves of emerging writers. You might even see them on the shelves of the rare professional as well! But this ubiquity raises an important question: … Read more

How to Write a Memorable Scene  In every truly great film, there will be at least one–but hopefully more than one!–scene that lodges itself in the audience’s memory.   The horse’s head in the bed. Marvin’s head exploding. Ash getting strangled by his own severed  hand. Leo crawling down the stairs to the Lamborghini. Zuul living … Read more

Logline Examples from Famous Films: 10 Films in 25 Words or Less NB: this post is co-written by ChatGPT, who evidently writes terrible loglines! Let’s give Chatty some feedback and commentary.  A Logline is NOT a Summary First things first, Chatty wanted to call a logline a “summary” and, true to form, that’s what it … Read more

How to Find Time to Write Your Screenplay: A Practical Guide for Busy Writers It’s notoriously difficult for writers to find time to write. Your day job, family, social life, and obviously the hellscape of social media all conspire to relegate your writing project to the bottom of basically any to-do.  So how is it … Read more

Lovers on the Run: Five Tales of Passion, Crime, and the Cinematic Road to Ruin Few cinematic archetypes are as enduring or seductive as the lovers-on-the-run narrative. At once romantic and anarchic, these stories blend passion with violence, idealism with nihilism. Whether seeking freedom, justice, or to fulfill an obsession with each other, these couples … Read more

Ten Essential Tips for First-Time Screenwriters Embarking on the journey of writing your first screenplay is both thrilling and daunting.  The blank page can be intimidating. The world you can see so clearly in your mind doesn’t appear nearly as cleanly on the page. There are loads of common traps: weak protagonists, overwritten dialogue, poor … Read more

How an Independent Movie Might Use the Hero’s Journey as a Template Sprawling narratives such as Star Wars, The Matrix, or The Lord of the Rings track a protagonist as they leave the comfort of the familiar, venture into unknown territory, undergo trials, and return transformed.  Nevertheless, the Hero’s Journey isn’t reserved only for studio … Read more