PEOPLE & NEWS
The Buzz
Screenwriters Museum Project, theOffice
Anatomy of a Spec Sale
Five years in the making, Shane Salerno fills a void with the sexual thriller, Reckless.
Production Co. Spotlight
Event
A page from the opening of the Writers Guild Foundation Library.
People
Ali Russell, Barry Levy
Breaking In
Sean Dickson, Chrisanna Northrup & Halle Eavelyn
Lost Scenes: Dead Ringers
David Cronenberg and Norm Snider’s spooky tale of twin gynecologists needed a little surgery before it hit the screen.
Why I Write
Susannah Grant: Escape, Exploration, and In Her Shoes
Book Reviews
Ask the Pros: Screenwriting, “I Liked It, Didn’t Love It”, Writing a Great Movie, Screenwriting for the 21st Century, Writing Your Screenplay, Could It Be a Movie?
COMING SOON…
Elizabethtown
In his latest comic drama, Cameron Crowe’s women guide his hero to maturity.
BY JASON DAVIS
A History of Violence
Josh Olson’s adaptation of Dave McKean’s graphic novel kills.
BY JEFF GOLDSMITH
Nine Lives
Rodrigo Garcia delivers one of the fall’s best films with this simple yet powerful anthology of nine lives.
BY JEFF GOLDSMITH
The Squid and the Whale
Noah Baumbach ‘s drama explains inner pain through small, meaningful moments.
BY JEFF GOLDSMITH
Bee Season
Naomi Foner’s adaptation focuses on family drama, divination, and the power of words.
BY JEFF GOLDSMITH
The Greatest Game Ever Played
Mark Frost on golf’s mental warfare and adapting his own novel.
BY SEAN KENNELLY
Proof
Rebecca Miller faced a tough task in adapting a prize-winning play.
BY PETER N. CHUMO
Everything Is Illuminated
Liev Schreiber navigates tonal shifts and personal connections in adapting the celebrated novel.
BY YON MOTSKIN
Stay
David Benioff’s $1.8 million spec plays with reality.
BY JEREMY SMITH
Waiting
Rob McKittrick wrote what he knew and got Clerks in a restaurant.
BY PETER CLINES
The Business of Screenwriting
Seducing the Reader
The storyteller’s job is to make them turn that page.
BY RON SUPPA
Writer Beware!
Whose Life is It, Anyway?
If your script is inspired by a real person, take precautions.
BY STEVE RYFLE
Agent’s Hot Sheet
The Box Office Blues
Has the news of the box office’s demise been greatly exaggerated?
BY JIM CIRILE
Our Craft
Active vs. Passive Dialogue
Great dialogue may be the most difficult to master, but the payoffs can be amazing.
BY KARL IGLESIAS
The Contest Beat
A Mixed Bag
From Scriptapalooza TV to the Gotham Writer’s Workshop to American Accolades—something for everyone.
BY PATRICIA B. SMITH
You’ve Got to Produce
Casting For Character
Casting directors can add a smart and refreshing spin to your script by introducing you to some new faces—or some old faces looking for new opportunities.
BY CATHERINE CLINCH
Spec Scripts & Pitch Sales
BY JAMES P. MERCURIO
The Final Scene
Shopgirl
BY STEVE MARTIN
FEATURES
Steve Martin on Screen writing, Storytelling, and Shopgirl
With the big screen adaptation of his novella Shopgirl heading toward theaters in October, multi-talented writer and comedian Steve Martin offers a glimpse into his writing process and the inspiration for his latest film as Creative Screenwriting has a conversation with a true comedy legend.
BY JOSH SPECTOR
Sibling Rivalry: Final Draft vs. Movie Magic
You use their software, but what do you know about the men behind it?
Inside the minds (and rivalries) of Marc Madnick and Stephen Greenfield.
BY SEAN KENNELLY
Return of the Spec King: Shane Black Is Back—But Does Hollywood Care?
During the 1990s, Shane Black’s scripts exploded a booming spec market that momentarily made screenwriters the most powerful figures in Hollywood. A decade later, the creator of Lethal Weapon returns to write and direct the scaled-back, tonally ambitious Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang. In a very candid interview, Black discusses where he’s been and where he’d like to go.
BY JEREMY SMITH
The End of Innocence: Stand By Me Nineteen Years Later
This tender coming-of-age story touched a generation, yet almost didn’t get made (even with Adrian Lyne directing). Raynold Gideon and Bruce Evans look back on writing this modern classic, including how they dictated their own coverage, maturity via understanding mortality, and why Stephen King didn’t leave the theater after he saw the film.
BY TOM MATTHEWS
“The Most Important Experience of My Career”: Rob Reiner on Stand By Me
The director talks about his writing on the film, Stephen King’s reaction, and how Stand By Me helped him create his own identity.
BY TOM MATTHEWS
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