Scriptwriting Archives - Writer's Digest https://cms.writersdigest.com/tag/scriptwriting Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 Adapting Wicked From Stage to Screen (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/adapting-wicked-from-stage-to-screen-from-script Mon, 15 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/api/preview?id=47014&secret=cM2XMtKpK3Lj&nonce=b53756fda5 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, dive into our wide-ranging interview with Wicked and Wicked: For Good co-screenwriter Dana Fox, and more.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, dive into our wide-ranging interview with Wicked and Wicked: For Good co-screenwriter Dana Fox. Plus, celebrate the movie-going experience with Writer’s Digest’s editor Michael Woodson, catch up on our latest film reviews, learn why the Horror genre is taking the box office by storm, and much more.

Interview with Wicked and Wicked: For Good Co-Writer and Executive Producer Dana Fox

In this wide-ranging interview, Dana Fox discusses collaboration, the challenges and joys of adapting from source material, and creating emotional authenticity and thematic depth. 

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SELLING YOUR SCREENPLAY: Ep. 539 – From Lawyer To Writer with Vincent Scarsella

Vincent Scarsella talks about his latest produced movie, topics include how aspects of his life feed into his writing, and more.

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Studio Executives are Failing Film Lovers

Making merger deals seems more important than celebrating the history of the cinematic experience and the community it creates.

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Dead Man’s Wire Review

When the System Screws You, Take It to Live TV with a Shotgun

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Tell Me about Yourself, but Make It Scary

If it scares you, chances are it just might scare us, too.

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Avatar: Fire and Ash Review

Avatar: Fire and Ash not only visually and narratively immerses us in the world of Pandora again, it fully services the fans expectations.

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The Secret Agent Review

A Memory That Refuses To Stay Quiet

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Sirāt Review

Hypnotic Descent Into Noise, Sand, and Moral Confusion

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Writing a Family Friendly Script Bundle

Eight OnDemand webinars that provide instruction and advice for screenwriters interested in crafting a screenplay for the whole family to enjoy.

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]]> From Book to Screen: Adapting Hamnet with Author and Co-Screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/from-book-to-screen-adapting-hamnet-with-author-and-co-screenwriter-maggie-ofarrell-from-script Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/api/preview?id=46897&secret=cM2XMtKpK3Lj&nonce=ccb4887c00 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, Hamnet author and co-screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell discusses her inspiration for writing the story, and more.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, Hamnet author and co-screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell discusses her inspiration for writing the story, adapting her own book, and her collaboration with filmmaker Chloé Zhao. Plus, read up on our latest film and TV reviews, and interviews with Sorry, Baby filmmaker Eva Victor, The Secret Agent filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filhoand more!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Review

A Holy Mystery Wrapped in Sin, Secrets, and Spectacle

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Script University December 2025 Courses and Live Events

Check out this month’s course offerings led by Script University’s industry experts!

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The Discernment of Filmmaking: Kleber Mendonça Filho Discusses The Secret Agent

Kleber Mendonça Filho discusses his writing process, how he went from film critic to filmmaker and his love for American cinema.

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The Story Tone and the Photographic Tone with Eternity Cinematographer Ruairí O’Brien

Eternity cinematographer Ruairí O’Brien discusses the importance of the script’s tone and visual style.

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From Book to Screen: Adapting Hamnet with Author and Co-Screenwriter Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O’Farrell discusses her inspiration for writing ‘Hamnet,’ her collaborative process with co-writer and director Chloé Zhao, and the necessity of making interior emotions exterior.

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The Mastermind Review

A Portrait of a Thief Who Steals Everything but Purpose

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It’s All About the Emotionality: A Conversation with 31 Candles Filmmaker Jonah Feingold

Jonah Feingold discusses his film 31 Candles, highlighting the semi-autobiographical elements, the importance of vulnerability in storytelling, and the influence of his Instagram self-portraits on the film’s aesthetic.

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UNDERSTANDING SCREENWITING: Some Newbies, Both Movies and TV

The movies are Jay Kelly and Nouvelle Vague, and the TV stuff includes “The Rainmaker,” “9-1-1,” “9-1-1 Nashville,” and “I Love LA.”

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Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Review

There are so many nonsensical occurrences in the story that there are laughs where there should be scares.

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Blue Moon Review

When Wit and Melancholy Collide in a Bar in 1943

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Rebellion from the Tragedy: A Conversation with Sorry, Baby Filmmaker Eva Victor

Eva Victor discusses their non-linear writing process, rewriting process, and the emotional impact the film had on them creatively and personally.

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]]> The Polyphonic Nature of a Strong Story (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/the-polyphonic-nature-of-a-strong-story-from-script Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/api/preview?id=46321&secret=cM2XMtKpK3Lj&nonce=c89a75adbe In this week’s round up from Script magazine, Sentimental Value screenwriters Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt discuss what makes the story universal and polyphonic.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, Sentimental Value screenwriters Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt discuss what makes the story universal and polyphonic. Plus, read our recent film reviews, get an exclusive look at a chapter from screenwriter Phil Stark’s new book, and more!

Ballad of a Small Player Review

A hypnotic, hollow fable about gambling, ghosts, and the cost of losing yourself.

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Script University November 2025 Courses and Live Events

Check out this month’s course offerings led by Script University’s industry experts!

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Sentimental Value Review

When Art Becomes the Only Language Left Between a Family

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How the Development Process is Like Making a Statue of a Dog

What does sculpting a dog statue and screenplay development have in common?

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UNDERSTANDING SCREENWRITING: Welcome Grovellers.

Here are three possible nominees: One Battle After Another, A House of Dynamite, and Blue Moon.

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Predator: Badlands Review

Dan Trachtenberg has breathed new life into the franchise, bringing strong writing and visuals and his own flair for capitalizing on the Predator’s strengths and weaknesses.

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The Polyphonic Nature of a Strong Story: Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt Discuss Sentimental Value

Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt believe in the transcendent nature of art and recently spoke with Script about what makes a story universal and why ‘Sentimental Value’ is polyphonic.

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A House of Dynamite – Review

Bigelow lights the fuse but never sets off the explosion.

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Tools & Techniques on How to Write or Adapt a Novel for Screenwriters

Have you ever wondered whether the story you’ve been itching to share with the world should be a novel or a screenplay?

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]]> Tackling Primal Fear Through Writing (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/tackling-primal-fear-through-writing-from-script Mon, 13 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=45636&preview=1 In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, Beast of War filmmaker discusses combining genres and making monster movies.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, Beast of War filmmaker discusses combining genres and making monster movies. Plus, screenwriter Luke Matheny gives us an inside look adapting Charlotte’s Web, The Woman in Cabin 10 filmmaker Simon Stone discusses adapting Ruth Ware’s novel, read our latest film reviews, and more!

Tackling Primal Fear Through Writing: Kiah Roache-Turner Talks Making Beast of War

Filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner discusses being inspired by true events, building a life-like shark, making monster movies, and more.

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UNDERSTANDING SCREENWRITING: Music, Music, Music, Music

Get ready to hum along; this month’s tuneful films are Highest 2 Lowest, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, Freakier Friday.

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No Other Choice Review

Park Chan-wook Turns Unemployment Into a Blood Sport in No Other Choice

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Writer Luke Matheny on Tackling Intimidation and Timeless Themes in Weaving a New “Charlotte’s Web“

Luke Matheny untangles what it’s like to take on a beloved work and how writing for children provides the freedom to explore deeper themes.

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It Was Just an Accident Review

Some films rattle you with their artistry. Others shake you because of what they stand for. Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just an Accident somehow does both at once, delivering one of the most blistering, humane, and darkly funny films of the year.

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Showing the Full Range of Humanity: Q&A with Greg Cope White on Netflix’s “Boots“

Greg Cope White discusses adapting his book “The Pink Marine,” the collaborative spirit in the writers’ room, his mentorship under Norman Lear, and more!

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The Director of The Woman in Cabin 10 Talks Hitchcock and Finding Your North Star

The Woman in Cabin 10 filmmaker Simon Stone discusses adapting Ruth Ware’s novel, being inspired by Hitchcock, and finding your north star.

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]]> The Power of Consistency (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/the-power-of-consistency-from-script Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=45500&preview=1 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, Jeanne Bowerman dives into the importance of consistency, and more.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, Jeanne Bowerman dives into the importance of consistency, meet indie filmmakers Katie Weinstein and Michael Feder on they’re building a filmmaking community outside of the box, listen to the latest Reckless Creatives podcast with special guests Jillian Smith and Reagan Yorke—two GenZ’ers taking the industry by storm, read our highlights from the 63rd New York Film Festival, and more!

Balls of Steel™: The Power of Consistency

The magical knock never comes. The pages remain blank. They wait for mythical inspiration. How long are you going to wait?

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TRUE INDIE: Interview with Filmmakers Katie Weinstein and Michael Feder of Raw Daisies on Connecting Directly with Audiences in an Age of AI

Raw Daisies connect directly with their audiences, sidestepping the traditional middlemen, while forming a close-knit film community in an age of distance and division.

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Script University October 2025 Courses and Live Events

Check out this month’s course offerings led by Script University’s industry experts!

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Highlights from the 2025 New York Film Festival

Behind the Scenes Writing of After the Hunt and Anemone

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Reckless Creatives Podcast: S&Q Films: You Don’t Get to Tell Me ‘No’

For all the filmmakers out there making excuses for not breaking in, jump into the minds of women who have a drive like none other.

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Write a Killer Horror Script Bundle

Create thrilling horror stories filled with suspense and unexpected plot twists. Dare to be the next horror master!

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]]> Highest 2 Lowest: A Kurosawa Remix (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/highest-2-lowest-a-kurosawa-remix-from-script Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=45363&preview=1 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, Bryan Young dissects how Spike Lee put his own personal spin in adapting Kurosawa’s film High and Low.

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]]> In this week’s round up from Script magazine, Bryan Young dissects how Spike Lee put his own personal spin in adapting Kurosawa’s film High and Low. Plus, read interviews with Shane Black about his latest heist film Play Dirty, get insight to how Noah Hawley took big swings in bringing “Alien: Earth” to TV, and more!

INDIE SPOTLIGHT: Interview with Go On Filmmaker Landon Ashworth

Landon Ashworth discusses his filmmaking journey, making bold career decisions, his personal connection to his film, his writing process, and more.

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Highest 2 Lowest: A Kurosawa Remix

For screenwriters looking to adapt older source material, this might be a much more effective way to approach adaptations.

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“Alien: Earth”’s Noah Hawley on Big Swings in Elevated Sci-Fi

Noah Hawley shares the inspiration behind such swings and how to ground a story, even in an elevated universe.

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Breaking & Entering: Shane Black’s Play Dirty Spins the Classic Heist Movie to New Heights

Shane Black reveals his passion for adapting a famed antihero, secrets for stories and characters that captivate, and the films that sparked his love of movies.

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]]> Why Do I Want to Tell THIS Story? (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/why-do-i-want-to-tell-this-story-from-script Mon, 22 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=45151&preview=1 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, learn how to make your script more impactful by knowing why you want to write your specific idea, and more.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, learn how to make your script more impactful by knowing why you want to write your specific idea, read interviews with Jordan Peele’s HIM director and co-writer Justin Tipping, Netflix’s Black Rabbit director Ben Semanoff, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey screenwriter Seth Reiss, and so much more.

SELLING YOUR SCREENPLAY: Ep. 537 – Gigi Levangie on Working with the Producers of SAW

Ashley Scott Meyers talks with screenwriter and author Gigi Levangie.

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Why Do I Want to Tell THIS Story?

If you can figure out WHY you want to write this specific idea right now, you go a long way to making your script more impactful and better.

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Focused on Sin and Redemption Before the Hays Code: The Screenwriting Career of Alice D.G. Miller

Dr. Rosanne Welch celebrates the female screenwriters who came before us with this month’s spotlight on trailblazer screenwriter Alice D.G. Miller.

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How Can I Step More Fully Into My Writer’s Identity?

Writing coach and Called to Write founder Jenna Avery responds to a reader about more fully inhabiting one’s identity as a writer.

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Interview with “Black Rabbit” Director Ben Semanoff

Director Ben Semanoff discusses being inspired by the shows themes, tonal consistency, how his previous jobs inspire his work as a director, and more.

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A Beautiful and Simplistic Idea: A Conversation with A Big Bold Beautiful Journey Screenwriter Seth Reiss

Seth Reiss highlights the inspiration from his personal heartbreak, his collaborative process with Kogonada, balancing drama and comedy, and emphasizes the importance of emotional depth and more.

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The Psychology of What It Takes to Be the Greatest: A Conversation with HIM Director and Co-writer Justin Tipping

Justin Tipping discusses his personal connection to the material, blending horror and sports drama, and working side-by-side with the GOAT that is Jordan Peele.

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]]> Outlines, Outlines, Outlines (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/outlines-outlines-outlines-from-script Mon, 15 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=45019&preview=1 In this week’s round up from Script magazine, learn how to fast track your writing by creating a solid outline.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, learn how to fast track your writing by creating a solid outline. Plus, dive into interviews with The Baltimorons filmmakers Jay Duplass and Michael Strassner, Chaperone writer-director Zoë Eisenberg, plug into the latest Reckless Creatives Podcast, and more.

Outlines, Outlines, Outlines

Outlines are your opportunity to have all the ideas, the good ones, the bad ones, the entirely stupid ones.

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Script University September 2025 Courses and Live Events

Check out this month’s course offerings led by Script University’s industry experts!

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Habitat for Humanity: Zoë Eisenberg Talks Island Community in Chaperone

Zoë Eisenberg discusses her writing process, creating a messy female protagonist, casting and more.

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INDIE SPOTLIGHT: Interview with The Baltimorons Filmmakers Jay Duplass and Michael Strassner

Jay Duplass and Michael Strassner discuss the challenges of making independent films, the importance of ‘Yes, and…’ in their creative process as filmmakers, and more.

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Reckless Creatives Podcast: Storytelling 360 Founder, Zack Gutin, on the Power of the Writing Community

Zack Gutin talks about the value of the writing community, his founding of the incredible new screenwriting event, Storytelling 360, and more!

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Build a Better Outline (And A Much Better Script)

This live webinar, led by Tim Schildberger, will explore why an outline matters so much, what risks you take by not diving into one, and offer helpful tips and advice.

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How-To Videos Limited Series Bundle

This limited series bundle contains hours of helpful how-to videos covering all aspects of screenwriting, from development to crafting standout loglines and foolproof query letters.

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]]> How ‘Honey Don’t!’ Economizes Storytelling and Trusts Its Audience (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/how-honey-dont-economizes-storytelling-and-trusts-its-audience-from-script Mon, 01 Sep 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=44662&preview=1 In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, learn how the film Honey Don’t is both economical in its storytelling and carries sharp dialogue.

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, learn how the latest film from Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke, Honey Don’t, is both economical in its storytelling and carries sharp dialogue. Plus, learn how to approach genres outside of your wheelhouse, when to let go of a passion project, and more!

Structure & Style in Franchise Cinema: The ‘90s Hits That Shaped Us

What makes everything old new again, why we keep going back, and how we can learn from it all as writers to keep it recognizable but fresh.

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Highlights from the 2025 Locarno Film Festival

Locarno78, Red Carpet, Pardo d’Oro – Sho Miyake, Grand Prize of the Festival and City of Locarno, Tabi to Hibi, 16.08.2025

Susan Kouguell shares her top highlights from the 2025 Locarno Film Festival.

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How Honey Don’t! Economizes Storytelling and Trusts Its Audience

4232_D013_00977_R Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O’Donahue in writer/director Ethan Coen’s HONEY DON’T!, a Focus Features release. Credit: Karen Kuehn / © 2025 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

Astonishingly economical, even when it feels like it could be meandering, and has dialogue sharper than a tack that never feels like it’s talking down to the audience.

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Giving Fair Notes on a Draft When the Genre Really Isn’t Your Jam

How do you approach the material with enough objectivity to give it a fair review?

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Telluride Film Festival Report – The Storm Before the Calm?

Who knows what the Telluride Film Festival has to offer? One thing that will never change – great filmmakers will be making great films.

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Breaking & Entering: Stuck On You – The Passion Project Pitfall

Clinging to a screenplay that won’t let go? Your passion project may be holding you back. Barri Evins reveals how to get unstuck, get creative and get writing!

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]]> Scratch Offs in Screenwriting (From Script) https://www.writersdigest.com/scratch-offs-in-screenwriting-from-script Mon, 11 Aug 2025 16:00:00 +0000 https://www.writersdigest.com/?p=43904&preview=1 In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, screenwriter Larry Postel offers his professional insight on how to navigate an “offer too good to be true."

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]]> In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, screenwriter Larry Postel offers his professional insight on how to navigate an “offer too good to be true,” plus check out the anticipated Fall/Winter slate of movies and television, and dive into Tom Stempel’s latest takes on the last wave of summer films.

2025 Fall/Winter Film and Television Preview

STRANGER THINGS. (L to R) Finn Wolfhard as Mike Wheeler, Caleb McLaughlin as Lucas Sinclair, Natalia Dyer as Nancy Wheeler, Joe Keery as Steve Harrington, Charlie Heaton as Jonathan Byers, and Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson in STRANGER THINGS. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2025

It’s that time of year again. New movies are on the horizon and a plethora of television shows are set to debut or revisit us.

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Scratch Offs in Screenwriting

Larry Postel has seen his share of screenwriting job offers that sounded too good to be true. Here are some to be aware of and how to protect yourself.

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UNDERSTANDING SCREENWRITING: Love and Cars

The films are: Materialists, F1: The Movie, Elio, and Sorry, Baby.

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The Writers Store’s Writing the 1-Hour TV Drama Bundle

This carefully curated bundle of 10 digital products includes OnDemand Webinars on writing a 1-Hour TV Drama, led by experienced instructors and screenwriters.

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