Premise vs. Plot: Great Idea, Bad Screenplay You might have a killer premise, but this does not guarantee a compelling script. You need plot, as well, for that. Now a great idea with a bad script is probably rarer than it seems. Good premises are hard to create, so there is actually a very high … Read more
The Secret World of Screenplay Ghostwriting The story behind most screenplays often involves a web of uncredited writers, “fixers,” script doctors, and quiet contributors. Welcome to the world of screenwriting ghostwriting: an industry secret hiding in plain sight. In this post, we’ll explore just how common ghostwriting is in Hollywood and beyond, the different types … Read more
Three Overrated Films That People Love – and How to Fix Them This isn’t about fun-terrible films like The Room or Plan 9 from Outer Space. This is about films that had great potential and squandered it, which is a far graver sin than being hilariously and undeniably crap from the get go. These are … Read more
Five Screenwriting Lessons from Julia Ducournau’s Raw Reports of viewers fainting or vomiting during its Toronto screenings dominated headlines. Yet… Raw is so much more than complex, nuanced, and intelligent than a teenage shock-fest. Rather, it is a brilliantly layered, artful, and darkly funny coming-of-age story. Julia Ducournau’s Raw–a searing debut– demonstrates a deft hand: … Read more
Five Screenwriting Lessons from Night of the Living Dead George A. Romero’s 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead had a curious start. There’s little reason to suspect if would become one of the most influential horror films ever made and a staple of midnight television horror (back when such things actually existed). The film … Read more
Why Care About Screenplay Formatting? Two Arguments For and Two Against Screenwriting is often referred to as a fusion of art and craft—a way of shaping story into a form that’s both literary and functional: storytelling meets production planning. Nowhere is this tension more evident than in screenplay formatting. For beginners, formatting can feel at … Read more
5 Simple Formatting Rules That Make Your Screenplay Look Professional If you’re using Final Draft, Scrivener, or WriterDuet, you’re already ahead of the game. Such software tools take care of margins, alignment, and proper indents—essential elements that can make or break your script’s readability. Still, formatting isn’t just about software; it’s about understanding what the … Read more
Reservoir Dogs: How the Opening Scene Tells the Whole Story — and its Lessons for Screenwriters Men in suits chatting about Madonna, tipping culture, and the meaning of a Madonna tune. It seems talky, possibly aimless. Underneath, however, the scene tells us everything we need to know about each character. Let’s explore how the first … Read more
Five Lesser-Known Techniques to Write a Scene OK–we get it. Your protagonist enters the scene with a goal, runs into an obstacle, must face a dilemma, and then makes a decision. That basic framework (GODD) is solid, but it’s also the minimum viable product. To wit: knowing how to play Chopsticks doesn’t make you Glenn … Read more
Eavesdropping 101: Listen in Cafés to Improve Your Screenplay Dialogue Too often we’re told to “write realistic dialogue.” That’s no excuse to transcribe everyday speech verbatim. If you did that, it would sound like shit. Real conversation is rambling, fragmented, repetitive, and often painfully dull. Screenplay dialogue, on the other hand, is compressed and alive … Read more
