⏳ Exactly 2 weeks left to join the Draft Accelerator! Secure your spot in this exclusive 8-week screenwriting cohort. Get your draft DONE. Don't miss out ➡ bit.ly/draftaccelerator

What does your perfect writing day look like?

Perspective gives stories meaning beyond the plot mechanics. As You Like It and Twelfth Night both center around female characters crossdressing as male. But in one story it’s liberating and the other it’s constricting. Perspective.

Don't forget that you're screenwriting. Writing for the screen. Lead with images. Here's how: 1/14

As you're receiving notes on your work, the more you can refine and articulate the problem that's occurring in your readers, the closer you are to solving it. Specific = Actionable 1/3

Every screenwriter's process is unique. That's why Draft Accelerator offers personalized support to nurture your distinct voice and perspective. Join a cohort that understands and elevates your script. Details here: bit.ly/draftaccelerator

Every screenwriter's journey is unique. That's why Draft Accelerator offers personalized support to nurture your distinct voice and perspective. Join a cohort that understands and elevates your script. Details here: bit.ly/draftaccelerator

Every noun in your script is an opportunity to be specific with story and theme. revolver > gun soggy eggs > breakfast la-z-boy > recliner > chair Jimbo's Bao House > southern/chinese fusion joint > restaurant

Want to elevate your screenwriting? Learn to love dilemmas. Here's what I mean: 1/22

If you’re feeling insecure about your writing (or anything) the best way to deal with it is... ...by getting on with it anyway. Insecurity thrives on inaction. Don't let it.

Next Upcoming Workshop: DRAFT ACCELERATOR An 8-week journey to transform your screenplay ideas into a complete first draft. Limited to a small, supportive group of 6. Just 4 spots left! Don't just draft, finish. Learn more ➡ bit.ly/draftaccelerator

How do you define a "perfect" film? (Definitions AND examples are welcome!)

Screenwriters! In moderation, it’s okay to use the present participle aka “-ing” verbs. It can reveal an action that was already happening before a character (or reader) sees it. Example: She whips around. He’s holding a gun.

On subtitled foreign languages: If a line is in a language foreign to what the script is in, and it's subtitled, write the line in the script's language and say (subtitled). If it's not subtitled, write it in the foreign language.

When sending a script out for a read here's a useful phrase: "If I haven't heard from you by X weeks, do you mind if I gently follow-up?" Most say "sure" and others throw out a different number for X, but it helps manage expectations on both ends.

Writing horror? Pay attention to the space in which things are happening. Location is a huge determinant of comfort. Think of you feel in your home vs at a friend's home vs at a stranger's home. What space is the horror taking place in?

Taking meetings on your artistic work? Vulnerability is a good thing. Don't be out of control, but owning your emotions and connecting them to your work helps people understand your artistic insight.

My go to for scene description is two specific details, and a crystallizing phrase. INT. LIVING ROOM Stained couch cushions. Days old pizza boxes. A slob's heaven. 1/3

Trying to outwit your audience with your ending? Don't overthink it. In the prologue, we're told Romeo & Juliet both die. It shifts the focus to the how, rather than the what. Steal from the best.

Regarding exposition, sometimes having your character negate assumptions can help hide it. Here's how: 1/5

Are screenplays blueprints for production? Yes. But they're also more than that. Prospective homeowners don't look at blueprints. They go to open houses.

A while ago, I asked a bunch of writers about their favorite aspects of their home office setup. Here are my 7 favorite:

Good feedback builds up the script. It doesn't tear down the writer.

Reactions are symptoms. Critiques are diagnosis. Pitches are treatments. Good notes encompass all three.

Getting a little lost in the details of your scene? Here's a mini-thread that might help: 1/10

Stuck in a rut? Try changing up how you measure your writing time. If you count pages, try counting minutes instead. If you count minutes, count pages.

When writing, it’s okay to write what’s obvious. What’s right in front of you. Too often we try to be clever and it just comes off as confusing. The Grand Canyon was made by the path of least resistance.

Using CUT TO: isn’t about formatting rules. It’s about whether you want the reader to “see” the cut. (Like in 2001’s bone/spaceship cut, or Lawrence of Arabia’s matchstick/desert cut.)

Feeling blocked on your latest script? Here's a thread of 10 random tips that can help get you unstuck: 1/12

Spoiler Alert: Nobody’s first drafts are great drafts. Pros are amateurs that kept writing.

Getting a little lost in the details of your scene? Here's a mini-thread that might help: 1/10

Specificity is a screenwriter's best friend. "He walks into the bar, holding a gun." could be "He saunters into the saloon, six-shooter raised." or 'He stalks into the nightclub, silenced pistol up."

Celebrate your wins. But more importantly, celebrate your losses. In this business, there's likely to be a lot more of them and it's important to highlight your decision to stay in the game.

Why is this scene here? If you don't have a reason, examine it. If you have multiple reasons, definitely examine it.

Feeling blocked on your latest script? Here's a thread of 10 random tips that can help get you unstuck: 1/12

Veer away from tropes at your own peril. There's a reason they became tropes, and you could be moving away from a story beat that the audience is going to want, even if they've seen it before. Make your specifics fresh, and you'll fine.

Screenwriting uses a non-visual medium (static text) to describe a visual one (moving images). It's like saying "Hey, look at this painting!" then playing a song. The wild thing is that if you do it well, it actually works.

The world doesn't need content. The world needs art.