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Celebratory, Cautionary, Tragic, and Cynical types are not only Hollywood’s basic narrative structures, but the primary methods used to communicate…
A popular impression is that people with schizophrenia can’t live normal, full lives and function day-to-day. I’m proof that you…
During the screenwriting boom of the 1990s, dozens upon dozens of spec scripts were sold for millions and never produced.
Out of the hundreds of bachelors and masters programs in the U.S. and Canada, we’ve chosen 40 schools that best…
Many novice screenwriters claim that somehow a network or producer got a hold of their pitch and stole it. Make…
Why is “winning the hand of the princess” so often an integral part of hero films? What are the meanings…
One eighth of a page: equal ink, but not equal time on the screen. A veteran assistant director on how…
The script for Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally... shows how a clever writer can flip genre conventions to create…
What are the best ways to introduce characters' names to the audience? Here are seven answers to this seemingly simple,…
Q: Is there some way to ensure that I receive a “written by” or “screenplay by” credit when the client
Whether a member of an alien tribe, a US Marine or an intern for a fashion icon, each of your…
"Theme" is a term that gets tossed around a great deal in the film world. So what do we mean…
On October 4, 2016, the Austin Film Festival releases the book On Story—Screenwriters and Filmmakers on Their Iconic Films.
Story-breaking a script is quite often a miserable arduous process. Ease the pain by asking these 11 questions to keep…
The famous screenwriters that write Hollywood’s most popular movies weren’t gifted immediate success when they embarked on their screenwriting careers.
MovieMaker and Austin Film Festival's 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2016 possess original voices, keen storytelling sensibilities and buzzy futures.
As an aspiring screenwriter you should constantly be reading screenplays written by the best in the business, and learning their…
If I had to name the single most significant factor as to why a screenplay does or doesn’t get picked…
Not too long ago, I used to have a big problem whenever I didn’t write something — anything — for…
Learn to establish your movie's multiple characters quickly and convincingly.
Truth be told, I hate outlining because I only feel like a writer when I am actually writing, lost in…
Love him or hate him, Quentin Tarantino has already left an indelible mark on the history of cinema. Here are…
Cut the fat. That means cutting your script as much as you can to make it the leanest of “meats”…
"Spec scripts" or "spec screenplays," of course, refer to scripts written under the speculation that they will be sold.