Screenwriting How-To Articles

Adaptations have evergreen appeal, both for writers and producers. Adapting a work that’s in the public domain frees writers from copyright issues while offering them a prime way to show off their voice and their skills to an “existing and appreciative” audience. Script contributor Valerie Kalfrin offers a deep dive into what 'Romeo + Juliet' and 'West Side Story' adaptations can teach screenwriters.

Production Designer Angran Li gives Script a peek behind the curtain of being a visual storyteller, how her work impacts story and character, and what kind of stories she's drawn to as a production designer.

In this intimate conversation with David Boxerbaum, a renowned Verve Agent and Partner, he discusses with Script's Editor Sadie Dean his thoughts on the future of the spec market, the working relationship between managers and agents, and he addresses the elephant in the room question “what does an agent really do, and do I need one?” and so much more.

“The Holidays” can certainly be a joyous time for many. The flipside is it can also be a nightmare that happens annually. It’s that time of year when lots of folks may think about the “Ghosts of Christmas” - past, present and future. The Haunted Hangouts Crew is back to tell you what kinds of holiday horrors go through our minds, but with movies.

He wrote the book on directing great TV... literally! This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran TV director Dan Attias, who has worked on such hit shows as 'The Boys,' 'The Walking Dead,' 'Homeland,' 'House,' 'Lost,' 'The Sopranos,' and dozens more.

'Castle Falls' Director and Actor Dolph Lundgren shares with Script's Editor Sadie Dean his emotional connection to his character, working with actor Scott Adkins, finding creative opportunities in the film's location, and so much more.

SCI-FI CIRCUIT returns with what you can learn from both a storytelling and structural standpoint from the new sci-fi film 'Needle in a Timestack'.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Spencer King, a Detroit-based Writer-Director of features such as 'Black Petunia' (2016) and 'Time Now' (2021) starring Claudia Black. Ashley and Spencer talk about 'Time Now' and his development process.

'Ghostbusters: Afterlife' asks how one generation can reckon with the infamous pasts, sins, and victories of those that came before them, something the junior Reitman seems to have been grappling with himself and his father’s legacy. As Script contributor Bryan Young explores a couple of the screenwriting quirks that made the film so enjoyable and worth analyzing, he’ll be diving into spoilers, so be warned.

What if you get a non-writing job in the industry, and then thrive in that job... how do you break in to the entry level in TV writing? Find out this week, as host Gray Jones interviews Script Anatomy instructor Jim Galasso.

'Saved by the Bell' executive producer and showrunner Tracey Wigfield and executive producer Franco Bario share with Script's Editor Sadie Dean about rebooting a 90s classic for the modern audience, implementing important themes into episodes, and what they hope audiences take away from the highly anticipated season two of the beloved comedy.

WGFestival aka “Comic-Con of writing” celebrates writing as a hybrid event this year. The first day involved virtual conversations about the craft of writing and the second day's focus was on two ends of the same spectrum, comedy and drama. Read more about the festival's highlights from Script contributor Sonya Alexander.

As someone who evaluates hundreds of scripts every year for screenwriters and a major screenwriting contest, Script contributor Staton Rabin can see how that “grab your readers quickly” advice is getting misinterpreted, and Staton is here to fix that.

In the grand spirit of NaNoWriMo, what better way to close out the month at Script with an intimate conversation with Gary Goldstein, seasoned screenwriter turned author. Gary shares his writing journey from a publicist at Universal to a working screenwriter, the similarities of navigating storytelling structure for both screenplays and novels, finding a publisher and so much more.

'The Humans' writer-director Stephen Karam speaks with Script contributor Sonya Alexander about adapting his new film from a play, writing characters and themes, and writing dialogue for both film and plays.

'Yellowjackets' Creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson speak with Script's Editor Sadie Dean about their creative collaboration and partnership, scripting music into their work, and putting together their writer's room. Plus, they both share invaluable advice about being in a writing partnership, definitely worth taking note of!

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with actor and filmmaker Ryan Silva. He is the writer/director of the low-budget indie comedy, 'Let Me Be Frank' (2021), based on the true story of Ryan moving to Los Angeles with his girlfriend to pursue their entertainment careers, which leads to an unlikely friendship between him and their apartment manager.

'Boiling Point' Director and Co-Writer Philip Barantini speaks with Script'd Editor Sadie Dean about his previous career as both an actor and head chef, how his short film served as a proof of concept for the feature and he pulls back the curtain on how he pulled off one continuous camera shot.

'King Richard' screenwriter Zach Baylin speaks with Script's Editor Sadie Dean about his emotional connection to the Williams family story, harnessing Richard Williams' voice, and offers practical advice for writing biopics.

'Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn' writer-director Radu Jude speaks with Script's Editor Sadie Dean about shaping the film's story, his collaboration with his cinematographer, and the legacy he hopes to leave behind as a storyteller.

The job of the writer is to engage us on the page with words. Choose each one carefully. Focus on creating “a good read,” a high compliment inside the industry. Keep your eyes on that prize! Avoid these description pitfalls Barri Evins deems “Screenwriting’s Seven Dirty Words.” Plus, a bonus Writer’s Workout to hone your sentences and strengthen your scenes.

In this weeks' "Ask the Coach," Jenna Avery addresses a reader’s question about whether or not to pursue an advanced writing degree.

No more reverse engineering! Former development exec Kelly Edwards lifts the veil, and tells you exactly how to get a 'yes' to your pitch in her new book, The Executive Chair.

Find out how to write the next great holiday movie script in the upcoming webinar FLICK THE HALLS: Writing The Next Holiday Classic with Jon James Miller on Thursday, December 2 at 1:00 pm PDT, only at Script University.

Film history texts often neglect female screenwriters and completely omit the names of women of color such as Alice Burton Russell Micheaux, wife of filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Script contributor Dr. Rosanne Welch rightly so celebrates the female screenwriters who came before us with attainable insight about filmmaker Alice Burton Russell Micheaux.

'Apex' director and co-writer Edward Drake shares with Script about how the story idea came to be for his new film, helming the film, and what kind of stories he's drawn to tell.

'Black Friday' director Casey Tebo shares with Script what attracted him to the screenplay written by Andy Greskoviak, character development, and advice for first-time filmmakers.

Script's Editor Sadie Dean speaks with Reel Works co-founder and Executive Director John C. Williams about the initiatives and programs at the Brooklyn based organization, his passion to foster young and diverse voices, and the importance of preparing these young creatives for the creative industry workforce.

Tom Stempel, the old professor, cannot resist a little compare and contrast, this time with 'No Time to Die', 'The French Dispatch', and 'They’ll Never Believe Me'.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with indie filmmaker Randy Van Dyke about his movie 'Like Dogs' (2021) and how Randy went from being a used car salesman to a filmmaker.

In honor of National Novel Writing Month, Sadie Dean and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman go off road and bring you an interview with author and whistleblower Paula L. Pedene. She shares how she exposed corruption in the VA system, was literally banished to the basement, won a lawsuit, and then wrote all about it.

The explosion in streaming series is great news for writers. Log onto any streaming site and you’ll be inundated with new shows, not just from America but from around the world. There are hundreds of shows in production and an uncountable number more in development. That means there’s an incredible hunger for new writers and new ideas.

Red Notice' writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber shares his love for Hollywood classics and childhood comedy adventure films that inspired his new film, how he approaches writing action scripts, and specific camera gear that helped shape the tone and look of his action-adventure comedy film.

We are constantly told to "pick a lane." But what if our creativity is stifled by only doing one thing? Is it possible to make a living as a multi-hyphenate? This week, host Gray Jones interviews Meg Messmer to find out.

Script's Editor Sadie Dean interviews 'Queens' creator and writer Zahir McGhee about the origin story for his new hit TV show, his writing journey and shares his daily thoughts and hopes on the future of television.

For those of you who have pondered those questions and more, what you are really asking is, “How does the Hollywood Development Process work?” What are the steps?

This week we're chillin' with Hillin, Producer Daemon Hillin that is. Daemon Hillin talks about his new movie 'Apache Junction' (2021), a western which stars Scout Taylor-Compton, Trace Adkins, Thomas Jane, and Stuart Townsend.

Script's Editor Sadie Dean interviews writer-director Blerta Basholli about tackling a true story based on a remarkable woman and finding and capturing emotional resonance through character development.

Jeff Vlaming is a 30-year veteran television writer and producer, with an almost uninterrupted string of hit shows. His advice? Break every rule.

Script's Editor Sadie Dean interviews 'Ida Red' writer-director John Swab about writing the titular character Ida for actress Melissa Leo, capturing her essence, what films and filmmakers inspired him to take the reigns as a writer-director and what's next in the creative pipeline.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with filmmaker Matt Patterson. Topics include how he found the script of 'Apartment 413' through the Inktip website, then produced and directed that movie.

Script's Editor Sadie Dean speaks with writer-director Evan Jackson Leong about writing 'Snakehead', immersing himself in the community of NYC's Chinatown, character development and so much more!

Script contributor Sonya Alexander interviews award-winning writer-producer Michael R. Perry about his involvement on 'Paranormal Activity 2', his writing career, and much more!

Script contributor Terri Coduri Viani interviews Diane Bell on yoga revelations, her journey from hesitant writer to creative coach, and why women need to feel safe to create.

Script contributor Nanea Taylor speaks one-on-one with screenwriter David Hal Chester about his writing journey, the characters he's drawn to write about, and much more!

Script's Editor Sadie Dean speaks with 'The Souvenir Part II' writer-director Joanna about tapping into her younger self and voice from a life lived in the 80s, casting the Swinton's, and why she became a filmmaker.

This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with Writer/Director/Content Creator Logan Burdick.   They talk about the new Rom-Com he wrote, 'It Takes Three' (2021). That movie stars Mikey Madison and Jared Gilman.

Reckless Creatives podcast co-hosts Sadie Dean and Jeanne Veillette Bowerman share how they handle rejection and offer honest, Real Talk™ solutions of how to turn the sting of disappointment into motivation.

Script contributor Nanea Taylor speaks with up-and-coming Horror screenwriter Lisa Jay about writing to direct, why Lisa is personally drawn to writing in the horror genre, and the importance of her characters.