Our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
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
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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
Inneresting
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
Inneresting
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
Inneresting
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
Inneresting
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’
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Make the antagonist’s greatest strength the cause of their downfall Sometimes brute force isn’t enough – there’s no way to train longer, punch harder, or science faster. The hero faces an opponent who feels too strong to overcome. Is there a way to make the antagonist’s power
Inneresting
How many hyphens do you want in your title? We look at when actors write and writers act.