Pearson's Index to Articles on the Internet

William Martell. Martell does his usual probing analysis of the film "Die Hard," along with the most entertaining history of how the movie got to be made. Real insight into the clockworks of the Hollywood movie machine, but the best part is Martell's analysis of what makes an action movie tick.

Adaptations
Adaptive Behavior

Terry Rossio. Witty and insightful column on doing adaptations. Also threads in a riff about getting your script in on time. Or not.

Agents
Getting An Agent

Daniel Petrie Jr. Guest Wordplay (Terry Rossio) column. Delightfully entertaining and informative article on the subject. Gives verbatim responses from Agents who appeared at a Hollywood symposium. Extremely worthwhile, honest advice.

What You Always Wanted to Know About an Agent but were Afraid to Ask.

Wendy Moon. From a column on Hollywoodnet. The hard facts about breaking into the Castle of Hollywood. Also a cornucopia of other articles on this page. Good visit. Recommended

Animation
Animated Features

Terry Rossio. Whimsical Multiple choice self-test, which sugar coats good hard facts about the animated feature business in Jollywood.

Audience
The Audience is Listening.

Terry Rossio. Highly readable column by the always entertaining Terry Rossio. He details one of the most important, and often overlooked principles of screenplay writing--the writer's sense of his or her audience, how to understand, please, excite, and not offend or patronize people who lay down their bucks at the box-office.

Basic Structure
Anatomy of a Screenplay

David Siegel. Siegel boils the art of the screenplay down to "Premise, People, and Plot." He has a website on which he promotes his paradigm of the "Nine-Act Structure." Enthusiastic and genuine, but the concepts still tend to feel like a retread of Syd Field. Siegel's website, for its design and energy, is a recommended stop on your tour of the Web.

What a Plot Is

Bill Johnson (Lawrence Booth, Ed.). Solid, accessible attempt to define the essential nature of a story. Of particular interest is Johnson's take on what an audience desires of a story. A Must-Read.

Deemer's Idea of Structure

Charles Deemer. Short article on laying out basic structure of a story idea by the well-known internet Guru. Deemer's website, although heavily commercial, is well worth a visit.

Perceiving the Foundations of Storytelling

Bill Johnson. Seven page essay detailing 15 principles Johnson suggests are necessary for a screenwriter to understand.

The Task

Terry Rossio. " Task" is a four-letter word you OUGHT to use, according Rossio. He's right, and he deftly distinguishes (with examples) the differences between Hero's Goal and Hero's Task.

Screenwriting Vs. Playwriting

Richard Toscan. Potpourri of articles from this unique site. Toscan is allied with Amazon books. The site is a maze, and if you want to get the full benefit, you have to visit it.

Becoming a Screenwriter
You Don't Have to Live in Hollywood to Sell Your First Script

Andrea Leigh Wolf. Wolf should know. She did it. And she's on her 34th screenplay as of this writing.

Memo From the Trenches

Frank Darabont (Shawshank Redemption). Essay on the essence of being a screenwriter and director. This is what Oz is like, Dorothy.

Throw In The Towel

Terry Rossio. Rossio tells it like it is, but you feel good at the end, like you do after a two hour session with your Rolf specialist, after a 12K, after a day at the beach with your three preschoolers and their six little friends, or after diving into Lake Muskoka in April. Yeah!

Beginnings
Five Types of Openings

Michael Hauge. Concise column from Hauge's site which describes, in summary form, five types of openings for features.

The First Ten Pages

New York Screenwriters Monthly. A cautionary tale for beginning writers, and other denizens of the movie world.

The Biz
Lost Angels

Fade In Magazine. "The burdens of success can burn out even the brightest young stars." Having it tough in Tinseltown.

Career Information
3 Steps to a Feature Film Sale

Terry Rossio. Rossio writes a letter to his friend Steve, and shares it with us. Down-to-earth, practical, and as usual laced with Rossio's engaging ironic wit.

I Love L.A.

Terry Rossio. Do you have to move to L.A. to be successful? An anecdotal feast on the topic with just the right soupçon of wisdom.

Character

Name-Dropping

Terry Rossio. The best article on the net about naming characters. Must read.

A Great Villain With a Great Plan

William Martell (Hard Evidence) as interviewed by Eric Lilleor. The good gritty from Martell on to create powerful believable bad guys. Specific examples. Practical tips.

Impressive Failure

Terry Rossio. How heroes and failure work together in stories. Appealing anecdote about Superman.

Classical References
Aristotle's Poetics

Aristotle, 350 BC. The famous Greek's codifying of the art of storytelling. Academic in its tone, but brimming with clarity and careful thought about fundamental principles that still have application today. Quote by one screenwriter, "There are three types of people in the world, those who take Aristotle too seriously, those who don't take him seriously enough, and those who don't take him at all." Find out which type you are.

So What Is The Good For Plato?

Bernard Suzanne. Excerpt from an online site on Plato. Somewhat dense for those of us who are not philosophers, but offers insight into the eternal question of what virtue is and why a human being should strive for it.

Joseph Campbell Tribute Page

David Siegel. Thumbnail of an interview with the great mythologist conducted by Bill Moyer. Score: Campbell 10, Moyer 0.

Joseph Campbell: Hero With a Thousand Faces

David Siegel. Short summary of Campbell's thesis on the commonality of heroes. For those who prefer to discover what Campbell is all about in the time it takes to sip a cappuccino.

Copyright
Steal This Column

Terry Rossio. When your paranoiac alter ego takes possession of you and you're plagued by fears that someone may "steal your script," here's the remedy--for both the real and unreal fears. Practical advice about how to protect your work, and an entertaining real life story that underscores the human frailties that cause some people to fail at trying to write. Get your sense of balance here.

Title Search

Terry Rossio. Copyright information re screenplay titles, plus mini lesson on the importance of care in naming your script.

Endings

The Big Finish

Terry Rossio. Rossio wrestles the Angel of Movie Endings.

Format and Page Style
Points for Style

Terry Rossio. Rossio puts on his Strunk and White hat and nails screenplay style with one nuts and bolts column. So stop agonizing over format and start writing. A must-read

The New Spec Style

David Trottier. Purchasing info for a good no-nonsense book on what you need to do to please the reader with the style of your spec.

Screenforge formatting program

A shareware formatting application by Apotheosis Productions, compatible with various versions of word processing applications, including Macintosh.

Screenwright

Shareware for Word Perfect 6.1 (Windows) screenplay formatting.

CYS: Screenplay Formatting

Genres

CYS: 14 Basic Movie Genres - Commentary and Examples

Gurus
Charles Deemer, Michael Hauge, Bill Johnson, Robert McKee, Dr. Linda Seger, John Truby

The Hook

The First Ten Pages

New York Screenwriters Monthly. A cautionary tale for beginning writers, and other denizens of the movie world.

Strange Attractor

Wordplay column by Terry Rossio. Rossio's theory of the essential ingredient in a good concept. Good writer with an interesting take on this topic. Inspirational.

Internet
Wordplay Index to Columns

An index to the first 37 of Terry Rossio's Wordplay Columns. Visit his internet site. A mini treasure chest of whimsy, wit, and down-to-earth tips on the screenplay trade. Honest, inspirational, practical-best columns about screenwriting on the internet, bar none.

Capsule Bio and Introduction to Dr. Linda Seger

Dr. Seger's website is worth visiting. One of my favorite writers on the art of the screenplay. I'd be a bigger fan if she moved on from the outmoded concept of Three-Act-Structure. Her books are recommended reading.

Low budget scripts:
Writing Low-budget scripts

This copyrighted document has been made available by its author, Colin Brunton, and by the Canadian Film Centre. Good "crib sheet" with compact and humorous, but practical, suggestions about writing for producers who have limited funds

Megahits
Write the Blockbuster

Richard Michaels does a very thorough examination of what it takes to write a megahit. Recommended.

Plot
Advancing A Complex Plot Along a Story Line

Bill Johnson. A Review of LA Confidential. Excellent review of how the writers of the film handle the plot intricacies of the story. A must-read.

Premise

The Idea Is King

David Trottier.

Premise-- Foundation of Storytelling

Bill Johnson. Thorough study of what a premise is and how to develop it.

Queries
Breaking the Ice

Terry Rossio. Delightful Rossio aria on the metaphorical "social ranking" of query letters.

Writing the Query Letter

Succinct advice on the do's and don'ts from Screenwriters Network.

Reading Scripts
Reading Scripts

Nina Jacobson. Refreshingly candid guest Wordplay column by Nina Jacobson who is (at the moment of writing) Executive Vice President of Production for Walt Disney/Hollywood Pictures. Jacobsen gives us a look from the other side of that desk piled high with scripts

Readers' Checklists

Terry Rossio. Story about an actual reader's checklist for submitted scripts. An O. Henry ending and cause for pause when getting your masterpiece ready to send.

Selling
Hard Bargain

Terry Rossio. Delightful, but practical, whimsy in which Rossio harpoons a few of the sharks in the Hollywood negotiating pool. A Must Read, if only for the vicarious satisfaction.

The Spec Script

Andrea Leigh Wolf. Spec scripts have their own special status, style, and formatting, and Wolf sets out do's and don'ts. Includes a nice riff about the beginning of your script, the first 10 pages.

Sex and Romance
Sex Sells. A Hot Script

Terry Rossio. Wordplay column. The inimitable Terry Rossio shines with this article on how to deal with sex in your script. Lots of examples. Highlight of the article is a hilarious but germane telling of a coupling with his girlfriend at 18. (Try not to read this column. I dare you.)

Writing Romantic Comedy (Part I)

Interview with Billy Mernit. Examines how Romantic Comedies have to be combined with another form, or written with a twist to succeed in today's market. References to Pretty Woman (which Mernit describes as "A love poem to the credit card.") Chasing Amy and others.

Structure
CYS Screenplay Structure - A Quick Reference

Teaching Screenwriting
Michael Hauge Interview

Christopher Wehner. An interview with author and teacher Michael Hauge, in which Hauge addresses the issue of whether or not one needs to be a screenwriter to teach screenwriting. Also touches on the complement of characters needed in a screenplay.

Theme
Deep Thoughts About Theme

Terry Rossio. Practical ideas about how to make theme a driving force in your screenplay. Complete with a long list of aphorisms and thought-provoking thematic statements.

Tips & Tricks of the Trade
Movies Every Screenwriter Should See

Screenplay Tips

Richard Toscan. Apart from the suggestion to use the outmoded 3-Act structure, some quick tips that are worth thinking about.

Treatments
Proper Treatment.

Terry Rossio. Crib sheet on how to try to do what is impossible to do-write the story of your film in seven pages. Execs be warned: This could be deflationary to your ego.

Visuals
Visual vs verbal

Richard Toscan. Toscan compares the visual beginning of Antonioni's The Passenger with the beginning of Ariel Dorfman's stage play Death and the Maiden.

Writer's Block
Writer's Block Page

Lisa Cohen. Rx articles for those who stare, but can't start. Lisa Cohen is a Vancouver writer who has written a book on the subject, and has some innovative ideas about how to solve the problem.

Writers' Modus Operandi
The Secret to My Lack of Success.

Richard Jeffries (Scarecrow). Wordplay Guest Column. Jeffries diffident title belies the volume of his work and his commitment to excellence. Article is a tasty h'ors d'oeuvre sideboard of tips on life, work, health and studio savvy. Recommended.

Ross, Gary (Pleasantville)

Allen White interview. Trenchant, thought-provoking insights about heart and blood writing issues. Talks about dangers of writing according to formula, but also gives true compass readings on how to make your own creativity and unique insights and voice work for you. Good sense approach to Act Structure. You'll wish the article were longer.

This site updated
November 21, 2008

Pearson's Index

Pearson's Index to Articles on the Internet

The index is intended to be an at-the-elbow reference for screen and television writers, and offers the following features:

Structured categories, such as: Action, Agents, Basic structure, Career information, Character, Copyright, Format and page style, Low budget scripts, Pitching, Premise, Selling, Sex and Romance, Theme, Tips and Tricks of the trade, Writer's Block, and Writers' modus operandi (mostly interviews with successful writers).

Capsule descriptions of each article, so you know what to expect before going to the article to read it.

Clickable links so you can conveniently get to the article, which appears in a new page for ease of navigation and saving to your own disk, without losing your place in the index.

As time goes by, websites move or revamp their format. Please forgive any broken links you find. We'll do our best to track them down. If you happen to know the whereabouts of any of these AWOL links, please let
us know. The first part of our spam foiler email address is createyourscreenplay, to which you add@rogers.com

HOLLYWOOD SCREENPLAY
FORMATTING MADE EASY

Do all your own formatting
without buying expensive
software.

Get started in less than
twenty minutes.

Clear, step-by-step instructions.

Learn how to register your
screenplay FAST with the
Writers Guild of America
BY EMAIL!

****

Looking for something specific?

(italics indicate CYS copyrighted
service or product)

About Barry
Articles about Writing
Bonding Character
Building Your Story
Contact
FAQs
Free-For-All Links
Genres
Get Started on Your Screenplay
Production Company Contacts
Screenplay Craft
Screenwriting Books
Writer's Coach
Writing the First Ten Pages

Pearson's Index
to articles on the Internet
is an at-the-elbow reference for
screen and television writers.
Categories include:
• Action
• Agents
• Basic structure
• Career information
• Character
• Copyright
• Format and page
.. style
• Low budget scripts
• Pitching
• Premise
• Selling
• Sex and Romance
• Theme
• Tips and Tricks of
.. the trade
• Writer's Block and
• Writers' modus operandi
.. (mostly interviews with
.. successful writers). .

With capsule descriptions
and clickable links.

Create Your Screenplay
site updated
November 2, 2008

Also check out our screenplay formatting program.

Final Draft is one of the best at $169.00.

The CYS Templater is really good at $11.95.

Comes with a money-back guarantee, and perpetual e-mail support.
CYS Templater (sample)

For those who aren't spelling whizzes,
grammar geniuses, or formatting fanatics, there's--
Screenplay Correct

This site updated
November 18, 2008

Pearson's Index

Pearson's Index to Articles on the Internet

The index is intended to be an at-the-elbow reference for screen and television writers, and offers the following features:

Capsule descriptions of each article, so you know what to expect before going to the article to read it.

Clickable links so you can conveniently get to the article, which appears in a new page for ease of navigation and saving to your own disk, without losing your place in the index.

HOLLYWOOD SCREENPLAY
FORMATTING MADE EASY

Do all your own formatting
without buying expensive
software.

Get started in less than
twenty minutes.

Clear, step-by-step instructions.

Learn how to register your
screenplay FAST with the
Writers Guild of America
BY EMAIL!

****

Looking for something specific?

(italics indicate CYS copyrighted
service or product)

Pearson's Index
to articles on the Internet
is an at-the-elbow reference for
screen and television writers.
Categories include:
• Action
• Agents
• Basic structure
• Career information
• Character
• Copyright
• Format and page
.. style
• Low budget scripts
• Pitching
• Premise
• Selling
• Sex and Romance
• Theme
• Tips and Tricks of
.. the trade
• Writer's Block and
• Writers' modus operandi
.. (mostly interviews with
.. successful writers). .

With capsule descriptions
and clickable links.

Create Your Screenplay
site updated
November 2, 2008

Also check out our screenplay formatting program.

Final Draft is one of the best at $169.00.

The CYS Templater is really good at $11.95.

Comes with a money-back guarantee, and perpetual e-mail support.
CYS Templater (sample)

For those who aren't spelling whizzes,
grammar geniuses, or formatting fanatics, there's--
Screenplay Correct

This site updated
November 18, 2008

Pearson's Index

Pearson's Index to Articles on the Internet

The index is intended to be an at-the-elbow reference for screen and television writers, and offers the following features:

Capsule descriptions of each article, so you know what to expect before going to the article to read it.

Clickable links so you can conveniently get to the article, which appears in a new page for ease of navigation and saving to your own disk, without losing your place in the index.

HOLLYWOOD SCREENPLAY
FORMATTING MADE EASY

Do all your own formatting
without buying expensive
software.

Get started in less than
twenty minutes.

Clear, step-by-step instructions.

Learn how to register your
screenplay FAST with the
Writers Guild of America
BY EMAIL!

****

Looking for something specific?

(italics indicate CYS copyrighted
service or product)

Pearson's Index
to articles on the Internet
is an at-the-elbow reference for
screen and television writers.
Categories include:
• Action
• Agents
• Basic structure
• Career information
• Character
• Copyright
• Format and page
.. style
• Low budget scripts
• Pitching
• Premise
• Selling
• Sex and Romance
• Theme
• Tips and Tricks of
.. the trade
• Writer's Block and
• Writers' modus operandi
.. (mostly interviews with
.. successful writers). .

With capsule descriptions
and clickable links.

Create Your Screenplay
site updated
November 2, 2008

Also check out our screenplay formatting program.

Final Draft is one of the best at $169.00.

The CYS Templater is really good at $11.95.

Comes with a money-back guarantee, and perpetual e-mail support.
CYS Templater (sample)

For those who aren't spelling whizzes,
grammar geniuses, or formatting fanatics, there's--
Screenplay Correct

This site updated
November 18, 2008

Pearson's Index

Pearson's Index to Articles on the Internet

The index is intended to be an at-the-elbow reference for screen and television writers, and offers the following features:

Capsule descriptions of each article, so you know what to expect before going to the article to read it.

Clickable links so you can conveniently get to the article, which appears in a new page for ease of navigation and saving to your own disk, without losing your place in the index.

HOLLYWOOD SCREENPLAY
FORMATTING MADE EASY

Do all your own formatting
without buying expensive
software.

Get started in less than
twenty minutes.

Clear, step-by-step instructions.

Learn how to register your
screenplay FAST with the
Writers Guild of America
BY EMAIL!

****

Looking for something specific?

(italics indicate CYS copyrighted
service or product)

Pearson's Index
to articles on the Internet
is an at-the-elbow reference for
screen and television writers.
Categories include:
• Action
• Agents
• Basic structure
• Career information
• Character
• Copyright
• Format and page
.. style
• Low budget scripts
• Pitching
• Premise
• Selling
• Sex and Romance
• Theme
• Tips and Tricks of
.. the trade
• Writer's Block and
• Writers' modus operandi
.. (mostly interviews with
.. successful writers). .

With capsule descriptions
and clickable links.

Create Your Screenplay
site updated
November 2, 2008

Also check out our screenplay formatting program.

Final Draft is one of the best at $169.00.

The CYS Templater is really good at $11.95.

Comes with a money-back guarantee, and perpetual e-mail support.
CYS Templater (sample)

For those who aren't spelling whizzes,
grammar geniuses, or formatting fanatics, there's--
Screenplay Correct

Home...... Screenplay craft........Screenplay Coaching .........Screenwriting books .....Articles