Screenwriting How-To Articles

Heather Hale explores today's writer's life and where writers go to find a sense of community.

Barri Evins shares advice for screenwriters on the "new normal" in Hollywood, featuring a roundup of pros from across the industry giving you the inside scoop to plan for the future.

Susan Kouguell interviews Kabir Akhtar, director of "Never Have I Ever," sharing his experiences working with Mindy Kaling and helping to tell the story of a first generation Indian American teenager, a story he relates to personally.

Host Gray Jones interviews veteran TV & feature writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, executive producer of "Elementary," and developer/EP of "The Dresden Files" and "Andromeda."

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with the multi-talented, Jamie Bernadette about her latest movie "Dead By Dawn" (2020). As a Producer, Jamie tells us what gets her involved with certain scripts and what writers should avoid doing with their screenplays.

Learning how to write a screenplay is one thing, but demystifying how to become a paid screenwriter is another. Geoffrey D. Calhoun shares five essential qualities and habits needed to for screenwriting career success.

Barri Evins shares insights for screenwriters on the "new normal" in Hollywood, interviewing industry pros to get an inside perspective, from how and what they’re working on, to what you should know to plan for the future.

Host Gray Jones interviews multiple Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated comedy writer Dan O'Shannon, Executive Producer of "Cheers," "Frasier," and "Modern Family," and author of the book, "What Are You Laughing At?"

Ashley Scott Meyers interviews filmmaker and director of "Jessica Jones," Neasa Hardiman, about how she started in the film industry, and her sic-fi horror movie, "Sea Fever" (2019).

Somedays, the words flow. Others, not so much. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares writing productivity tips to help you create a successful writing routine.

Screenwriters have been adapting historical stories for years, but Spencer Striker, PhD is using a new medium to bring history to life—a fully animated, interactive, narrative-driven digital book series.

Who better to write a Mets story than a writer/director who is a die-hard Mets fan. Joe Benedetto discusses getting the writing gig and the adaptation process of AMAZIN'.

Host Gray Jones catches up with Keto Shimizu, co-showrunner and EP for DC's "Legends of Tomorrow," and who formerly wrote for "Arrow," "Being Human," and "The Cape."

Exploring the legends of film history inspires many screenwriters. In Understanding Screenwriting, Tom Stempel talks about, well, generations, reviewing books on the Mankiewicz brothers, as well as recent television shows.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker David Wall about his latest movie "Gold Dust" (2020), an Adventure/Comedy which he was a Writer, Director and Actor on, and who are the best people to send your scripts to.

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman reveals the most important element of character evolution in the final lesson of the "30 Days of Character Development" series. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it.

Human beings respond to stories precisely because they provide hope—that causes can be won; that issues can be successfully resolved; that people can endure and triumph. Ray Morton shares advice on creating story concepts during times of crisis.

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman provides more tips for character development with examples of movie openings and character introductions to inspire, and tips for writing authentic dialogue.

Randy Rudder interviews John Lee Hancock on writing, directing, streaming platforms, and the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the film industry.

Host Gray Jones interviews Michael Narducci, showrunner and EP for "The Originals," co-EP for The Crossing, and writer and producer for "The Vampire Diaries."

Stories are only as interesting as the characters in them. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares advice on using character evolution to create powerful story structure whether you're an outliner or a pantser.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Filmmaker Scott Teems about his new film "The Quarry" (2020), a Crime/Thriller feature starring Michael Shannon, and how a chance encounter in L.A. helped launch his career.

Great storytelling involves characters that captivate the reader. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares tips for connecting your characters to the story's theme and using their choices to establish an effective setup and payoff.

The lockdown doesn't mean you're locked out of Hollywood. Bob Saenz shares advice on getting your script read and how to advance your writing career.

From her interviews with more than 50 legendary comedy screenwriters, author Paula Finn offers the top five takeaways to make your comedy great.

Rebecca Norris interviews the creators of the web series "The Right Swipe" (Official Selection - Austin Film Festival, Stareable Fest, NYC Webfest) about modern dating, their production journey, their path to distribution, and writing for people of marginalized identity.

Host Gray Jones interviews Arika Lisanne Mittman, EP of "Paradise Lost" on Spectrum Originals, and "Timeless." She also wrote and produced on "Elementary" and "Dexter.

Supporting characters "support" the protagonist, the theme and the overall story. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares advice on how to create supporting characters who serve your story.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with film director Lorcan Finnegan about how he transitioned from directing commercials into making feature films. They also go into detail about his latest movie Vivarium (2019). The mind-bending horror/mystery movie stars Imogen Poots and Jesse Eisenberg.

Professional screenwriter Paul Guyot pushes past all the misguided advice swirling around the internet to help aspiring professionals understand what it takes to be a working screenwriter. Ask him anything!

Developing our characters to their fullest requires deep exploration of character motivations. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares tips on pushing characters out of their comfort zones, discovering their potential for revenge, fear and power.

Cheryl Laughlin speaks with Andy Lambert, TV commercial director based in the UK, about his ridiculously funny, award-winning The MUTE Series and how writing within constraints can be quite freeing.

Hollywood wants "the same, but different" not only in the story ideas you pitch, but also in the characters you create. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares advice on avoiding cliché characters and actions.

Host Gray Jones returns to the Skype format due to the Coronavirus quarantine, but you're sure to love his interview with Sarah Watson, creator of "The Bold Type" and executive producer on "Parenthood"!

With the country deep into the COVID-19 lockdown, Heather Hale shares advice and links to emergency artist grants, free screenplay download resources and extended free-trial codes for streaming shows.

Director/Writer/Cinematographer Benjamin Kasulke, director of "Banana Split" (2018), goes into detail about landing that job and also talks about working as a Cinematographer on acclaimed indie films such as "Safety Not Guaranteed" (2012), produced by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, with a cast including Aubrey Plaza and Jake Johnson.

Unlike parents, who name their children before ever meeting them, writers can name a character after they've explored their psyches. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares tips on naming your characters.

Antagonists toss road blocks in front of our protagonists. They're the most important source of story conflict. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman offers writing exercises to help elevate your antagonists and add more conflict to your stories.

Tom Stempel talks about time, Romanian-style, in "The Whistlers," and other kinds in "On Chesil Beach," and the times we are living in.

Exploring the inner mind of your characters is an essential step in character development. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares advice on understanding the psyche of your characters to help you add conflict to your stories with a new writing exercise.

Selling a screenplay requires an understanding of industry lingo and contract terms. Christine Conradt takes you through the steps of everything you need to know about selling your script..

A character's inner wound not only grounds the story, but also provides valuable information for creating plot points full of conflicts to push your character. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman explores ways to identify your character's inner wounds.

Episode 092 of the TV Writer Podcast, sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv, features Bob Goodman, winner of two Daytime Emmy Awards, creator of "The Zeta Project," and EP of "Elementary."

Great movies have great characters. The best way to learn how to write a screenplay is to read screenplays written by professionals. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman shares an extensive list of resources to find screenplays online to help you develop compelling characters.

This week's guest is Jon Adler, co-writer and producer of the thriller Dead Sound (2018), which is based on a horrific true story he and his friends endured. He goes into detail about the real-life events and how they made that vision into a movie

Diving deep into your characters' backstories not only helps you create roles actors want to play, but also creates more opportunities for interesting plot points and conflict. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman gives you 30 days of lessons on developing your characters.

Writers can whip a screenplay off quickly, or take years, mulling over the rewrites. Ray Morton helps writers answer the question to know when it’s time to stop writing.

With the country on lockdown, kids are being homeschooled, people are working from home, and writers are hoping to get words on the page. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman starts 30 days of screenwriting homeschooling with tips for developing your characters.

Given how long it can take to write a new screenplay, shouldn't a writer have a method to decide on the best possible movie ideas that merit development?

Entertainment attorney Christopher Schiller touches on a little noted and often overlooked clause in nearly every contract, the force majeure clause, that has suddenly received much more attention given current events.