This is the 12th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts.
Tip: Obituaries.
When it comes down to it, people live extraordinary lives. And obituaries summarize those lives in nice, neat packages. For some examples, go here.
So if you’re stuck for story ideas? Hit the obits.
Today’s story: Treasure Washes Up on Venezuela’s Shore, Bringing Gold and Hope to a Village.
The most extraordinary moment in the young fisherman’s life began in the most mundane…
A week-long analysis of this Oscar-nominated screenplay. Download. Read. Discuss.
Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:
Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways
Today: Plot.
In every scene, something happens. A plot point is a scene or group of scenes in which something major happens, an event that impacts the narrative causing it to turn in a new direction.
A relevant anecdote. Years ago, I was on the phone…
For 100s more Screenwriting 101 posts, go here.
Screenplay by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, novel by Fannie Flagg
Here’s a trailer for the movie:
My mother’s favorite movie. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It’s wonderful.
Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.
For more Page One posts, go here.
You may follow the daily conversation on Twitter as I cross-post there: @GoIntoTheStory.
This is the 12th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts.
Initially, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit to be generating story ideas. This week, I’ll give you some tips on how to come up with stories.
Tip: Look at Craigslist.
DreamWorks bought this pitch based on Craigslist ads.
There is this musical based on Craigslist ads.
There was this TV movie based on a Craigslist story.
Now something…
A week-long analysis of this Oscar-nominated screenplay. Download. Read. Discuss.
Reading scripts. Absolutely critical to learn the craft of screenwriting. The focus of this bi-weekly series is a deep structural and thematic analysis of each script we read. Our daily schedule:
Monday: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown
Tuesday: Plot
Wednesday: Characters
Thursday: Themes
Friday: Dialogue
Saturday: Takeaways
Today: Scene-By-Scene Breakdown.
Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:
After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene…
“Dreaming and writing are Adam and Eve of the same process. Long before one ever writes a story…one works a story. You have ideas; and they stay there in your barely conscious mind; and you work them over. You masticate them like a puppy with a Christmas slipper until — finally — out comes a story. A significant part of that birthing process is informed by the dreaming. So the dreaming and the writing: elements of the same manufacture.
— Harlan Ellison
Via AdviceToWriters
For 100s more On Writing posts, go here.
written by Victor Miller
The movie version of the opening:
Some significant changes from script to screen, most notably a shift from day to night. That combined with the creepy shaky cam and accompanying “hee-hee-hee, haw-haw-haw” echoing whispers establishes the horror tone right off the bat. It also goes right into the heart of one of slasher movies’ most common tropes: Have sex? You die.
Download the script here.
FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!
Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. …
A series featuring reflections on writing from the famed writer’s memoir.
I had not read Stephen King’s memoir On Writing for several years when it occurred to me to do so again. While at it, why not share reflections from the renowned writer in a weekly Sunday series at Go Into The Story?
King is a prolific author. Fair to say that is an understatement. One need only glance at a roster of his written works to determine that. If any contemporary writer has earned the right to reflect on the craft, it would be King. However, that is not…
This is the 12th year in a row I’ve run this series in April. Why a story idea each day for the month? Several reasons which I’ll work my through during this series of posts.
Initially, I provided a daily explanation about why you should make it a habit to be generating story ideas. This week, I’ll give you some tips on how to come up with stories.
Tip: Halliwell’s Film Guide.
This is based on the anecdote I heard about Woody Guthrie. Having written 4,000 songs in his life, he was asked how he came up with so many…
