It’s both exciting and terrifying to start a new screenplay — whether it’s your first, second, third, or beyond. The excitement takes hold because you’ve had this idea playing in your head for a while and you’re finally committed to getting that idea...

If you’ve done your research about screenwriting, you’ve likely read a lot of rules that many say can’t and shouldn’t be broken.

Most screenwriters focus heavily on their original spec scripts (screenplays written under speculation that they will be sold) — and rightfully so. We get into screenwriting because we have cinematic stories we want to tell. However, a majority of sc...

We are currently living through a new Golden Age of television, which, over the last twenty-five years, has expanded from the major network television platform (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox) to the addition of cable television (HBO, Showtime, AMC, FX, etc....

You don’t always need outright inspiration as a screenwriter. Sometimes you just need ignition — a spark that fires up your creative juices to get them flowing from your mind to your fingers, and through your fingers to the keys. Whether you’re stuck...

Screenwriting is about more than just plot—it’s about voice. And nowhere does a screenwriter’s voice shine more clearly than in their characters’ dialogue. The best known screenwriters are highly regarded for their dialogue. When you hear dialogue wr...

It’s easy to fall into the many screenwriting traps that most screenwriters face during those first few screenplays. We learn best by making mistakes, and then learning from those mistakes. It’s the natural process of any learning curve — especially ...

Every screenwriter hits a wall at some point. Sometimes it’s after your third script. Sometimes it’s a dozen screenplays in. But there are key screenwriting challenges that can help beginners avoid hitting those walls — even before you get to a more ...

Sometimes we lose our passion — the fire burning inside that pushes us through adverse and difficult times during our screenwriting journeys. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner learning the ins and outs of writing a screenplay, an experienced scr...