Hi Reader, Hope your week is going well! Today, let’s talk about worldbuilding. This is one of the most exciting parts of writing genre stories - especially if you love fantasy, sci-fi, or horror. It’s the part where you get to invent, and come up with the rules of the world, the dangers hiding inside it, the history behind it, the systems that run it, the creatures, the politics, the technology, the mythology - all the things that make a story world feel rich and alive. And it’s also one of...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Last week, I talked about how character contradiction can make your screenplay characters richer, more layered, and more human. But I realized I didn't cover the other side of it: how writers get it wrong. And that's so important, because contradiction is a great tool, but only when it feels intentional. Done well, it adds depth. Done badly, it creates confusion. Honestly, I’ve seen this go wrong in a lot of scripts (and movies). A writer knows they want a character to feel...
24 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the kinds of characters that really stay with us. You know the ones. The characters who feel bigger than the story they’re in. The ones who surprise us, but never in a way that feels fake. They reveal new layers, and each new layer makes them more interesting instead of less. And usually, when you really stop and look at those characters, one thing stands out - they’re full of contradiction. They may be brave in one area of life and totally...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, One of the most common things I hear from writers is: “I know my script needs help… I’m just not sure what kind.” And honestly, that makes sense. “Help” can mean a lot of things. Sometimes you need someone to help you figure out what the story actually is. Sometimes you’re deep in the draft and need help scene by scene. And sometimes you’ve finished the script, but it still isn’t landing the way you hoped - and now you need to figure out why. Those are all very different problems....
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, Let’s talk about something that can quietly make or break your script: character backstory. I'm not talking about the flashy stuff. Or the big twist. Or even the trailer moment. I’m talking about the life your character had before page one. Recently, I provided coverage on a few scripts, and one issue kept showing up again and again: the characters felt like they had no real personal history. They existed in the moment, sure. They said lines, made choices, moved through scenes. But...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, This past week reminded me of something I think every writer needs to hear: You cannot grow in a vacuum. As much as writing is a solitary process, the truth is that we need other people’s stories if we want to get better at telling our own. Over the last few days, I had the chance to do two very different things: act in someone else’s series pilot, and provide extensive coverage on someone else’s feature screenplay Two totally different projects. Different tone, different genre,...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, Let’s talk about one of the biggest story problems I see in screenplays: plot-driven storytelling vs. character-driven storytelling. This is one of those things that can make the difference between a script that feels alive and one that feels like it’s just being pushed from scene to scene. And if you’ve ever watched a movie and thought: “Why would they do that?”“Why are they still there?”“Why does this feel like it’s happening to the character instead of because of them?” …then...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, On the heels of my last newsletter (where I spoke about risk in storytelling), I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why some movies connect… and why others just don’t. Not just in terms of box office or streaming numbers. I mean on a deeper level - the level where audiences either lean in and say, “I’m in”, or quietly check out. That’s what got me thinking about two recent movies: Netflix’s War Machine and the theatrical release, The Bride! On paper, both had what it takes to...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Let’s talk about risk in storytelling. Because “taking risks” is one of those phrases everyone loves to say… but not everyone means the same thing when they say it. These days, “risk” often gets confused with one thing: shock value. A twist for the sake of a twist. Subversion just to be subversive.A left turn just to prove the writer is “bold” or "defying conventions".A moment designed to make people gasp - and then immediately forget it happened. That’s not real risk. That’s a...
2 months ago • 3 min read