Learning to be “Good in a Room” (part 1)

  “Let’s talk about something important…coffee’s for closers only.” Alec Baldwin’s character in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross “During my time as a studio executive at MGM, I had over three thousand pitch meetings where writers, directors, stars, and producers would try to persuade me to buy their ideas. Most of the time, ideas are pitched [...]

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Starting Your Screenplay (Tip #6)

“My psychological state when I start a screenplay is always the same. It’s a mix of fear, anxiety and insecurity.” Akiva Goldsman, Oscar winner (A Beautiful Mind) “Who is your hero, what does he want, and what stands in his way?” Paddy Chayefsky (Network) Three-time Oscar winner How do you start your story? Something must [...]

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Screenwriting & Structure (tip #5)

“Structure is the most important element in the screenplay. It is the force that holds everything together.”   Syd Field Today is the first day of spring and that signals a change. (Not so much here in Iowa, because the forecast is we’ll get 2-6 inches of snow tomorrow.) If you’ve been thinking about writing [...]

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Where Do Ideas Come From? (A+B=C)

“All the good ideas I ever had came to me while I was milking a cow.” Grant Wood (Iowa painter, American Gothic) “The way to have a great idea is to have lots of ideas.” Linus Pauling 1901-1994 Nobel Prize Winning American Scientist Where do creative ideas come from? Katie Couric once asked Jerry Seinfeld [...]

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Can Screenwriting Be Taught?

“I wrote screenplays as a way to get into production. I wrote six or seven before I sold one.” Lawrence Kasden screenwriter, Raiders of the Lost Ark There is an age-old question; Can writing be taught? Don’t be silly, of course it can. When it comes to most things in life we expect that we [...]

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Screenwriting, Infomercials & Gurus

“So many gurus and so few good writers. Where are all these lessons going?” Larry Gelbart (Tootsie) Here’s the straight story. There are many screenwriting gurus out there and I thought I’d warn you about them. Actually, I just need to warn you about your addiction to them. Back in November I was doing a [...]

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Everything I Learned in Film School (tip #1)

Here’s everything I learned in film school (and in screenwriting workshops and books)…boiled down to one word. But before I get to that one word let me say that I went to film school so long ago that Orson Welles was in my class. Okay, not that long ago, but back when films schools only [...]

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The Juno-Iowa Connection

  Yesterday the Oscar nominations were announced and Diablo Cody and her script Juno were nominated for best original screenplay and the film was also nominated for best picture.  I recently pointed out her Iowa connection as having graduated from the University of Iowa. If you’re not familiar with the creative talent that has come [...]

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