In your screenwriting career, the only check you're guaranteed to get on time is the one to exercise or extend an option before it expires.

Assume pretty much every other check is going to be late.

Good screenwriting transfers your confidence and enthusiasm to the reader.

Don't write your action lines like you're asking permission to be there.

Tell the story like it's worth telling.

TREMORS remains one of my favorite creature features.

The screenwriting doesn't try to do too much. It takes a simple premise of 'Jaws on land' and executes it with joy and affection.

It has legitimate tension, fantastic performances, and a terrific sense of humor.

The reveal

So much of what we learn about screenwriting is just becoming consciously aware of what we already know.

It's why good notes and solid advice just 'feel right.”

But we keep learning because once we have it as a conscious thought, it's available to us as a tool when we need it.

I learned screenwriting mostly by breaking down the structure of as many movies as possible.

Timecode on the left | Scene on the right.

This was the early 90s. You were on your own to learn this stuff.

The biggest advantage of it? You see just how SIMPLE the plots are.

Know your goal your goal before you start writing your screenplay.

If you have an idea you love, make sure your goal is aligned. If you have a set goal, ensure your idea aligns with that goal.

If you've just started screenwriting, your goal should be one thing: 👇

Do not write scared. Once you start hearing notes as you write, your screenwriting is doomed.

Instead, know what you want to achieve with each moment and attack it with aggressive intentionality.

Do that, and you won't just find your confidence; you'll find your voice, too.

The only video games I play are Civilization and Fallout. I don't upgrade my console until a new Fallout game requires it.

Then, C. A. Funderburg foolishly asked me to return to The Pink Smoke with the wonderful Stephanie Crawford to discuss the new Amazon series.

open.spotify.com/episode/48PReM…

One of the biggest challenges to screenwriting is maintaining narrative momentum from beginning to end.

Tomorrow, I'll share with 5k+ subscribers the two key elements to ensure you never lose it.

Interested? The link to subscribe is below the replies.👇