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Ray Morton

Ray Morton is a writer and script consultant. His many books, including A Quick Guide to Screenwriting, are available online and in bookstores. Morton analyzes screenplays for production companies, producers, and individual writers. He is available for private consultation and can be reached at ray@raymorton.com. Twitter: RayMorton1

Articles From This Author

TheEnd-MTR-Script
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: “Into the Sunset”

By Ray MortonSep 3, 2021
GirlandGun-pexels-cottonbro
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: A Girl and a Gun and a Few Other Things

By Ray MortonAug 6, 2021
WhereYourScriptTakesYou-Script21
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Where the Script Takes You

By Ray MortonJul 2, 2021
Writing-Advice-Script21
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: "Great Writing Advice from Laura Linney and Steven Spielberg (Sort of)"

By Ray MortonJun 4, 2021
Godzilla-vs-Kong-Warner-Bros
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: "King Kong, Overloaded Scripts, and Popcorn"

By Ray MortonMay 7, 2021
MTR-WritingSynopsis-Script-21
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: "Why I Hate - Really Hate - Writing Synopses"

By Ray MortonApr 2, 2021
Mank-Netflix-Script2021600
Hollywood History

MEET THE READER: The Dream Factory

By Ray MortonMar 5, 2021
a knight's tale
Screenwriting Advice

Meet the Reader: “But it seemed like such a good idea…”

By Ray MortonFeb 5, 2021
Meet the Reader_1:1
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Summing It Up

By Ray MortonJan 1, 2021
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Freebie Jeebies—What Reading Your Script Really Entails

By Ray MortonNov 6, 2020
writing exposition raiders of the lost ark
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: "Either of You Guys Ever Go to Sunday School?" - The Best Exposition Scene Ever Written

By Ray MortonOct 9, 2020
MEET THE READER_ Don't Fool Yourself - Lies Screenwriters Tell Themselves
How to Sell a Script and Build a Screenwriting Career

MEET THE READER: Don't Fool Yourself - Lies Screenwriters Tell Themselves

By Ray MortonSep 4, 2020
5QsBeforeWriting-SCRIPT-600
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: Five Questions to Ask (and Answer) Before You Start Writing

By Ray MortonAug 21, 2020
Ray Morton shares advice on how to write what you know and twist it in a dramatic way to help your odds of crafting a story executives want to read.
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: Write What You Know. Except …

By Ray MortonJul 3, 2020
meet the reader peak tv weak tv
How to Write for Television

MEET THE READER: Peak TV; Weak TV

By Ray MortonJun 5, 2020
Screenwriting In the Time of Crisis
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: Screenwriting In Times of Crisis

By Ray MortonMay 1, 2020
how to know when to stop writing a screenplay
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: How do you know when it’s time to stop writing?

By Ray MortonApr 3, 2020
write your screenplay
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: I Can Write Your Screenplay For You, Wholesale

By Ray MortonMar 6, 2020
How to Fix Your Story
Screenplay Structure and Outlining

MEET THE READER: How to Fix Your Story - Digging in the Wrong Place

By Ray MortonFeb 7, 2020
Resolutions for Writers
Writing Inspiration

MEET THE READER: Some New Year Resolutions for Screenwriters

By Ray MortonJan 3, 2020
write for art or commerce (1)
How to Sell a Script and Build a Screenwriting Career

MEET THE READER: Should I Write for Art? Or Commerce?

By Ray MortonDec 6, 2019
Ray Morton explains the power of using suspense and surprise in dramatic storytelling.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Elements of Dramatic Storytelling - Suspenseful Surprises

By Ray MortonNov 8, 2019
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: A Look Back at the Oscar-Winning Screenplay for Breaking Away

By Ray MortonOct 4, 2019
Ray Morton shares a list of some of the spec-script trends that are going full blast right now to inform you on whether you should jump on the movie trends wagon or stick with original ideas.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Trendy Thinking - Should You Follow the Movie Trends?

By Ray MortonSep 17, 2019
Out of either lack of knowledge, lack of experience, lack of confidence, or (sometimes) laziness, they will take a shortcut to create an effect rather than do the work to create the real thing. Ray Morton highlights some of those screenwriting gimmicks you should avoid.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Into the Sunset - Screenwriting Gimmicks

By Ray MortonAug 2, 2019
Michael Sheen stars as David Frost and Frank Langella as Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon
Screenwriting How-To Articles

Screenwriter Peter Morgan Discusses the Frost/Nixon Showdown in San Clemente

By Ray MortonMay 3, 2019
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Act I — Getting Your Protagonist Off to a Good Start

By Ray MortonApr 5, 2019
Preparations for the 2019 Oscars. Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP. Photo credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: What Makes an Oscar-Worthy Movie? Don’t be a Snob

By Ray MortonMar 1, 2019
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: My Defense of the Three-Act Structure

By Ray MortonFeb 1, 2019
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Indiana Jones and the Curse of Too Much Action

By Ray MortonJan 4, 2019
'Love Actually' - Universal Pictures
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Wanted – More Movie Moments

By Ray MortonDec 7, 2018
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Generic Thinking - Why Story Genre Matters

By Ray MortonNov 7, 2018
The opening scenes of a story set the tone and creates the story's world. The inciting incident sets the story in motion. But one of the most important and least talked about elements of dramatic storytelling is the build.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Storytelling Essentials—The Build

By Ray MortonOct 5, 2018
Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Harris, and Richard H. Kline in Camelot (1967) - Photo courtesy of IMDb
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: My Friend Richard H. Kline - A Look Back at the Legendary Cinematographer

By Ray MortonSep 7, 2018
Script reader, Ray Morton, explains why there are only four elements to screenwriting that make your story a true cinematic experience.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: The (Only) Four Elements of Screenwriting

By Ray MortonAug 3, 2018
Ray Morton warns of the many distractions on the path to being a professional screenwriter and explains the goal that is most important... writing a great script.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Everything But the Script

By Ray MortonJul 6, 2018
As a professional script reader with years of experience, Ray Morton gives advice on five types of movie ideas a screenwriter should avoid.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: 5 Types of Movie Ideas You Shouldn't Bother to Write

By Ray MortonMay 31, 2018
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Order of Operations for Script Revision - Sally Will Call Doug For Tea

By Ray MortonMay 2, 2018
Ray Morton examines the heart of a dramatic story. A story that does not have this form and structure and that does not contain these elements may be a narrative, but it will not be drama.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Drama, Not Twinkies

By Ray MortonApr 6, 2018
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Something to Learn - The Craft of Screenwriting

By Ray MortonMar 2, 2018
Ray Morton's process of screenplay analysis involves examining five key story components. In part two, he discusses the final key components.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: The Six Axes of Screenplay Analysis, Part 2

By Ray MortonFeb 2, 2018
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: The Six Axes of Screenplay Analysis, Part 1

By Ray MortonJan 5, 2018
Audiences like to be surprised, but viewers also come to a movie with very definite preconceptions. Ray Morton gives tips for balancing audience expectations.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: What Do You Expect?

By Ray MortonDec 1, 2017
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: "The End" - Importance of the Right Story Ending

By Ray MortonNov 2, 2017
When sitting down to write a script, some aspiring screenwriters have an aversion to the actual writing part. Ray Morton explains how this aversion manifests on the page.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: If You’re Going to Write a Script, Then You’re Actually Going to Have to Write a Script

By Ray MortonOct 5, 2017
Close Encounters Of The Third Kind - Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Close Encounters of the Writing Kind

By Ray MortonSep 1, 2017
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: The Beaver and the Importance of Deciding (and the Pitfalls of Not)

By Ray MortonAug 4, 2017
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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Importance of Logical Conclusions in Storytelling

By Ray MortonJul 7, 2017
It's the 35th anniversary of an all-time great movies: E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial by Steven Spielberg. Go behind the scenes to see the journey of E.T.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Journey of E.T. - Phoning Home

By Ray MortonJun 2, 2017
MEET THE READER: This and That - Observations on Spec Scripts
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: This and That - Observations on Spec Scripts

By Ray MortonMay 4, 2017