Ray Morton

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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

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

When you sit down to craft your story, you are the master, but how do you maximize the story's potential? Ray Morton shares five questions to ask before you start writing your screenplay.
How to Write a Screenplay

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

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 …

meet the reader peak tv weak tv
How to Write for Television

MEET THE READER: Peak TV; Weak TV

Screenwriting In the Time of Crisis
How to Write a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: Screenwriting In Times of Crisis

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?

write your screenplay
How to Write a Screenplay

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

How to Fix Your Story
Screenplay Structure and Outlining

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

Resolutions for Writers
Writing Inspiration

MEET THE READER: Some New Year Resolutions for Screenwriters

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?

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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?

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

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

'Love Actually' - Universal Pictures
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Wanted – More Movie Moments

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Generic Thinking - Why Story Genre Matters

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

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

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

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

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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?

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind - Directed by Steven Spielberg.
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Close Encounters of the Writing Kind

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

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Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Importance of Logical Conclusions in Storytelling

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

MEET THE READER: This and That - Observations on Spec Scripts
Screenwriting How-To Articles

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

MEET THE READER: How to Sell a Script (Sort of)
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: How to Sell a Script (Sort of)

MEET THE READER: Problem 'Passengers' by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Problem 'Passengers'

Nicole Kidman stars as Becca Corbett in Rabbit Hole PHOTO: JOJO WHILDEN COURTESY : LIONSGATE
Screenwriting How-To Articles

INTERVIEW : Adapting a Play - Down the 'Rabbit Hole'

MEET THE READER: Why Can't You Be Nice? by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Why Can't You Be Nice?

MEET THE READER: What’s the (Back)Story? by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: What’s the (Back)Story?

movie ideas
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: It’s Got to Be a Movie

MEET THE READER: Film Franchises - Go Ape! by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Film Franchises - Go Ape!

MEET THE READER: 11 Reasons Why I Pass on a Screenplay by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenplay
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: 11 Reasons Why I Pass on a Screenplay

MEET THE READER: Darkness Falls (Soon, I Hope) by Ray Morton | Script Magazine #scriptchat #screenwriting
Screenwriting How-To Articles

MEET THE READER: Darkness Falls (Soon, I Hope)