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Elaine Loh Talks “Stringer”
As part of our continuing series showcasing up and coming screenwriters, Creative Screenwriting Magazine spoke with Elaine Loh. Elaine was just named a Top 25 Writer to Watch in 2019 by the International Screenwriters’...
“The Story Is Not True, But The Feelings Are” TV Writer Liz Feldman
Known for her TV writing work on 2 Broke Girls and One Big Happy, Liz Feldman was ready to create her own TV show. She started developing story ideas based on her life experiences and what mattered most. Although death is very much a part of...
Unconventional Roles for Women Aren’t Just Empowering...
Unconventional Roles for Women Aren't Just Empowering, They're Game Changers
It’s a shame the wonderful coming-of-age comedy Booksmart has not done well at the box office. Expectations were high for the clever story about two...
Table Read My Screenplay Winner Releases Short Film
Felix Morgan, Winner of the 2016 Table Read My Screenplay Competition, Releases Short Film with Louis Norton Selzer After meeting in 2016 at the Table Read My Screenplay - London showcase, Felix Morgan and Louis Norton Selzer struck up a...
Comedy Screenwriting Craft: Using Metaphors
One of my favorite plays (and films and TV shows, for that matter) was Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, in which a pair of mismatched friends, one divorced and one soon-to-be, decide to room together. On the surface, Oscar Madison and Felix Unger...
Where Does The Legal Battle Between the ATA and the WGA Leave Producers?
With the ATA (Association of Talent Agents) and the WGA (Writers Guild of America) deep in a legal battle for the foreseeable future, where does that leave producers? Here are some practical tools to help producers connect with writers and navigate...
When Social Media Meets Research, How Do You Know What To Believe?
When there’s a “wow” moment at an awards show or when a new movie trailer drops online, people around the world grab their phones and race to social media to voice their opinions. Even more people jump on just to read the...
10 Simple Rules for the Best Life Ever
When he first visited the asylum for the mentally disabled, Jean Vanier was overwhelmed by the filth and overcrowding.
It was inhuman. The year was 1964 and Vanier, a French-Canadian philosopher/theologian who had served in the Navy, was...
What Are We Really Selling?
Early in my career, I learned one of the shrewdest questions an entrepreneur can ask themselves, "What are we really selling?" For example: You are not selling grass seed. You are selling a greener lawn.You are not selling boilers....
First Impressions: The Length and Look of Your Pilot or Screenplay
It was a long day. I had just finished 9 client meetings back-to-back. I had a bunch of emails that I still needed to answer, and, just as importantly, a screenplay I needed to read that night for a meeting the next day. All, for the record, great...
Top Industry Reps’ Advice for Breaking into Screenwriting
The other day, as I was clicking through computer folders, I found something I forgot I had: A treasure trove of screenwriting career advice, on topics ranging from screenwriting career mistakes to the importance of living in Los Angeles, straight...
Screenwriting Craft: Creating a Proactive Protagonist
I sometimes joke that if someone were sitting next to me regularly during my client meetings at the Akasha Cafe in Culver City, they’d think I have one note in particular that I REALLY like to give. And that note, said in many different ways,...
The 5 Traits of Successful Writers
Writers want success, but how do you define it? Is it writing enough to pay your bills? Is it writing to find an audience, regardless if you make enough money or not? Maybe you want to be famous or win an Emmy or Oscar. Any writer would probably...
Why Screenwriters Should Write With A Producer’s Cap On
Screenwriters need to think strategically about what they’re writing and why they’re writing it. Are you writing for yourself, a screenwriting contest, or are you looking to position your work in the marketplace? Charles Borg spoke with...
Good Will To All
The other day, a student challenged me with this statement and question: “Conventional wisdom suggests that there must be a clear goal and an antagonist, but I don't buy it. I've seen many movies where there appears to be neither a...
Web Series: Development, Revenues and Contracts
QUESTION FOR FILMTVLAW.COM:About how much money can a web series make? I need a contract with my production partner, something simple to split up the show 50/50, but I’m not sure how money gets paid for a web series. Can you help us sort this...
How To Turn Your Logline Into A Pitch
Many writers struggle with coming up with that perfect logline for their project - let alone writing one, and then it's time to take that and turn it into a pitch. Well, it can all become pretty intimidating rather quickly! Luckily for you, our...
Tracking Your Screenplay Submissions: From Contests to Execs
With the deadlines for The Nicholl, AFF and the TV network fellowships happening pretty much NOW, this seems like as good a time as any to do some much-needed housekeeping and get your submission tracking in order. With that in mind…For many...
What Do Typos in Your Screenplay Say About You?
Script readers or people who read screenplays professionally are quite often screenwriters themselves. They are looking for reasons to shuttle your screenplay into the pass pile. Excessive typos are a common reason for them to do so. So why do...
Take Your Screenwriting Power Back
When it comes to who wields the most power in Hollywood, it seems screenwriters fall near the bottom rung. Let’s be honest: we’re beholden to the gatekeepers, whether they’re script analysts, producers, or studio execs, who will...
