A blog about screenwriting and things that are useful for screenwriters.
Inneresting
Sometimes the leftovers are the best part of the meal. Yes, on their own you can have yourself a microwaved portion of the same meal for several days, but because you can get creative. Just like how Monica Gellar invented the Moist Maker sandwich out of food from Thanksgiving dinner,
John talks about how to define those moments when the writing isn’t happening when you need it to.
Scriptnotes Recap
For those who don't know, I am John's assistant first and foremost. My role as the producer of Scriptnotes falls under the umbrella of my assistant duties. It's basically two full-time jobs smushed into one, but – and I mean this objectively – it's
Inneresting
The blog Sketchplanations does a pretty concise job describing this week's topic. What happens when stress and anger become contagious? The 30 Rock episode "Chain Reaction of Mental Anguish" shapes its story around the same concept. Liz needs somebody to unload her problems on since she&
Inneresting
We're looking at the family tree of narratives stretching from two different stories about an unnatural creation of life. Dr. Frankenstein defied medical science and the forces of nature to turn dead flesh into a living being. As a result, the Doctor is punished and his creation acts
Inneresting
Generic epithets can be hurtful, but a real cutting insult feels like a scalpel, delicately wielded with an intimate knowledge of what's just under the skin. Take the recent example where Joyce Carol Oates reads Elon Musk to filth: So curious that such a wealthy man never posts
Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at how dysfunctional families are portrayed across genres, and how they use specificity to articulate the universal condition of having a weird relationship with your folks. Our
Featured Friday
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at one of the simple genres tailor-made for cinema: the chase movie. By putting their heroes on the run from relentless antagonists, these screenplays lean into the
Inneresting
Characters make choices throughout a story, then deal with the consequences of those new actions. But what if they were allowed to choose differently? This is different from the structure of The Muppet Christmas Carol, which allows the protagonist to see the impact of their past choices in an effort
Useful Things for Writers
The why of their lie Everybody who pretends to be someone they’re not has a reason. As people, we may not agree with their reason. As writers, understanding their justification and method for splitting their identity helps keep the burden of living a double life believable (or at least
Some writers and gurus would tell you not to write dream sequences. That they lack stakes, never actually feel like real dreams, or just that they waste the audience's time. You might even hear the argument that nobody wants to listen to somebody else's dreams: On
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at movies about dreams – how their un-reality can be a cinematic window into a character’s subconsciousness, and allow writers to imagine things we’ve never seen
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at screenplays whose plots revolve around, include, or take place on Halloween night. Is it niche? You betcha. But these movies are so much fun that it’
Do you ship it? Character-driven fiction involves managing relationships. Not just romantic relationships, but the dynamic between any two characters who share space in a story. When you’re writing, defining those fictional relationships helps give a sense of where two characters are at in the story, and what feels
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at the many blood-draining Vampire stories to see how a sub-genre can continually reinvent itself in order to stay immortal. Our collection includes: * Blade by David S.
In Episode 649 of Scriptnotes, John talks with Simon Rich (Miracle Workers, American Pickle) about what makes a strong comedic premise, and how the format changes the focus. What’s funny in a three-minute SNL sketch often doesn't translate to a 100-minute feature. This week, let’s go
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra was at work writing a second volume of the stories of Don Quixote when a curious thing happened: A different author published a second volume. Cervantes then made the effort to use his own sequel to criticize the unauthorized volume, yet in doing so made some
Weekend Read, our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week. This week, we look at characters who fixate on others to the point of obsession, and how stalkers can illuminate the darker sides of human nature. Our collection includes: * Ingrid Goes
In an episode of Tim Harford's podcast Cautionary Tales, Tim narrates the biography of William McGonagall, aka The Worst Poet in the World. But the focus of the story isn't on the quality of his writing, but the ferocity with which he pursued it and promoted
Every two characters in a story have some kind of relationship. It doesn’t mean they’re best friends or arch rivals. Being a complete stranger to someone describes a relationship. But what if you could be a stranger to yourself? Severance has a core premise where the employees of
Comfort viewing wasn't invented during COVID lockdown, but since that moment it's become a larger talking point. What makes a comfort watch, and how do we talk about it? Kathryn VanArendonk looks at the relationship between prestige TV and comfort TV, pointing out how the latter
