Screenwriting How-To Articles

Screenwriter Jay Thornton and his six-year-old son, Quentin, review Pixar's "Onward," and examine how to make an audience care about your characters.

What exactly *is* low budget? Does it mean no explosions? Just a small drama? Definitely not science fiction! And no special effects or spaceship battles! But writing for budget is more complicated than that, and a small drama about a family trying to save their farm might be more expensive than a science-fiction screenplay with a giant spaceship battle.

Having evaluated hundreds of scripts and coached hundreds of screenwriters over the years, Dave Trottier shares 20 screenwriting myths that don’t square with reality.

Screenwriters struggle to get their screenplays to stand out from the crowd. ScriptHop cofounder Scott Foster shares how the old "Scenario" magazine inspired and informed their new software platform, designed to empower writers to get their scripts greenlit.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Filmmaker Christian Sesma about his latest Crime/Thriller "Paydirt" (2020) which stars actors Val Kilmer, Murielle Telio and Luke Goss.

For the first time in 36 years, the Central Coast Writers Conference will go virtual. Hosted by Cuesta College, online workshops via Zoom will be Sept. 24-26, 2020, with a diverse group of instructors and information-packed sessions and master classes.

Even professional screenwriters need ways to rev their writing engines. Script found a Twitter screenwriting tip from filmmaker Magda Olchawska, where she shared 12 writing exercises from Aaron Sorkin.

Script digs into our archives to bring you advice on writing from the pros. Scott Z. Burns, writer of "Contagion," "The Report," and co-writer of "The Bourne Ultimatum," takes us back to 2009, sharing his experience writing "The Informant."

Mastering subtext helps you become a writer the industry wants to know, and a writer who gets repped. Barri Evins shares tips for writing subtext to take your screenwriting from a whisper to a roar.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with writer/director Kyle Couch about Drama/Thriller "The Tent" (2020). They discuss the film, his writing process and how he was able to get "The Tent" set up.

Screenwriters believe myths to feel better, to justify their choices, and to convince themselves they are on the right path, even if the evidence sometimes suggest they aren’t. Ray Morton shares some truths to counteract the lies that aspiring screenwriters tell themselves.

Tom Stempel has found some relatively new movies to write about, including "Last Christmas," "The Way Back," "Queen & Slim," and examines how Billy Wilder might have approached "Never Rarely Sometimes Always."

Susan Kouguell interviews writer/director Isabel Sandoval about her film, "Lingua Franca," the themes that are important to her, and advice to emerging writers and filmmakers.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with the well-known filmmaker Eric Bress about his latest credit, the unique thriller Ghosts of War (2020). This is a World War II movie that also serves as a supernatural ghost story.

With the millions of tweets streaming daily, we dig through the noise to find you the best screenwriting tips. Anna Klassen recently shared advice on outlining your screenplay, as well as the mindset needed to succeed.

Introducing "Rated Q Podcast," where Quentin, a six-year-old story aficionado, and his father, professional writer Jay Thornton, escape the drama of this crazy year, and create a fantastic and fun podcast, reviewing family-friendly movies. First up, "Scoob."

Want to get your writing noticed? Aiming to create compelling characters? Looking to engage your reader and move an audience? Barri Evins reveals the secrets of subtext so you can turn up the volume on your screenwriting and become a writer the industry is eager to know.

The best way to learn how to write is to read great stories as well as interviews of successful writers. We scoured Script's archives to share essential writing advice from interviews of pro writers and filmmakers.

Why do movies take so long to make? Let's look at the journey of "Black Wings Has My Angel" from filmmaker, Christopher Peditto, who refused to give up.

Filmmaker Gavin Rothery discusses creating Visual Effects for "Moon," as well as writing and directing his Sci-Fi feature "Archive" (2020), which stars Theo James, Rhona Mitra and Stacy Martin.

Script dug through Twitter and found some great screenwriting tips from Scott Myers of Go Into the Story. Get insights on the power of theme and the importance of a compelling logline.

The hit Netflix series, "The Umbrella Academy" launched season 2 with a bang! Bryan Young discussed the ins and outs of producing a hit streaming show, breaking into screenwriting, and so much more with one of the show's producers, Jason Neese.

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.

Host Gray Jones interviews Michael Jamin, TV comedy writer and showrunner who has written on such shows as "King of the Hill," "Maron," and "Beavis and Butthead," and is currently a consulting producer on "Tacoma FD."

Actor/Filmmaker Oliver Robins discusses his latest movie, a Thriller called "Celebrity Crush" (2019) which he wrote and directed. Robins got his start as a child actor in the hit movie "Poltergeist" (1982) and later directed movies such as "Man Overboard" (2008).

Script scours the time-suck that is Twitter to share screenwriting tips with our readers. William C. Martell nailed it in his tweet about the "rules" of screenwriting.

Who else but Tom Stempel would connect Harley Quinn and Abraham Lincoln in a column about screenwriting? Tom analyzes the characters, directing, and impact of films that create cinematic history.

Script University delivers compelling online courses, to help you succeed in both improving your craft and discovering opportunities for a successful writing career.

This week, host Gray Jones interviews Greta Heinemann, a TV/film writer who grew up on the Bavarian/Austrian border, and overcame language and immigration barriers to break in to Hollywood.

Social media can be a great place to learn. Script shares advice from writing partners Scott Beck and Bryan Woods on writing an opening scene that hits all the marks, sharing a scene written by M. Night Shyamalan.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Novelist Justin Sloan about how an indie author can take a book from idea to sale.

Screenwriters imagine the joy of selling their script, but what happens after you get that big sale? Bob Saenz takes us through the anatomy of screenplay development.

Host Gray Jones interviews Priyanka Mattoo, a writer/filmmaker and former UTA and WME agent who shares how to find a Hollywood mentor during lockdown.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Writer/Director Ben Rood about starting out with short films and production during the COVID-19, Coronavirus Pandemic.

Script scours Twitter for screenwriting tips so you don't have to. A BBC Writer's Room tweet took us down a fabulous rabbit hole of wisdom for writers. Get advice on taking notes, what the differences are in the UK vs US film industries, and breaking into screenwriting.

Whether you are writing a war movie like “1917" or a fantasy film like “Lord Of The Rings” you will need to write epic battle scenes - but how do you do that? Do you leave it to the stuntmen? William C. Martell looks at an epic battle scene from “Game Of Thrones” for the answers.

Host Gray Jones interviews Will Pascoe, showrunner of “Absentia.” Will also wrote for such shows as “The Finder,” “Orphan Black,” “Da Vinci’s Demons,” and “Shut Eye.”

Writer/Director Joshua Caldwell discusses "Infamous" (2020), his latest crime thriller which stars Bella Thorne and Jake Manley. Caldwell also talks about winning an MTV Film Award, the good and bad of Social Media and casting Bella Thorne.

After joining Twitter in 2008, Script has read countless screenwriting tips from professional writers and industry executives. We're launching a new column to share some of the best writing tips we see on Twitter to help you learn more about the screenwriting business and improve your craft. Let's start with story outline.

Dave Trottier, Dr. Format, shares advice on how to format your screenplay to show a Zoom or Skype conversation.

Host Gray Jones interviews Jami O'Brien, creator and showrunner of "N0S4A2" on AMC.

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with the Polish Director Agnieszka Holland about her latest credit, the war-time drama Mr. Jones (2019). This movie stars Vanessa Kirby (The Crown - TV Series, Mission: Impossible - Fallout) and James Norton.

Who else but Tom Stempel would connect Ulysses S. Grant and Jane Russell in a column about screenwriting? Dive into his thoughts on creating interesting characters for actors to play.

How will the future of moviegoing change as we look to the "new normal," post COVID? Paul Peditto analyzes the options movie theaters have to attempt to open back up for film viewing, exploring different articles and opinions circulating in the press.

Host Gray Jones interviews UK show creator / showrunner and practicing doctor Dan Sefton, who is also the co-founder of the independent production company Seven Seas Films.

Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion discuss how making commercials for big brands, such as Nike, led to the transition into feature films. Milott and Murnion have directed several features, most recently "Becky" (2020), the action packed "Bushwick" (2017) and the horror comedy "Cooties" (2014).

Revolution brings evolution in both the world and in a writer's stories. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman encourages writers to get real, be raw, and put power behind your words.

In order to show growth, to evolve, we’ve always needed to change from where we were to where we need to be next. Entertainment attorney, Christopher Schiller, explores how we approach change, how we assess what change is really needed, and where we need to evaluate how to make the required change into a beneficial step forward.

Host Gray Jones interviews writer-producer Steve Harper, who wrote for "God Friended Me," "American Crime," and "Covert Affairs," and created the hit web series "Send Me."

Rebecca Norris reviews Prewrite, a screenwriting app and visual writing tool to help writers stay organized and combat writer's block.