People & News

The Buzz
Why does everyone rave about the Nashville Screenwriters Conference? Just think music, great food and stellar guests—and every year it gets better!

People
Writer-director Kyle Rankin thought Project Greenlight would be his ticket to the big time, but then he discovered his work was just starting.

People
Anthony Jaswinski tells tales of his dozen thrilling years as a writer-for-hire in the industry.

Anatomy of a Spec Sale
Longing for a good thriller, creative executive Marc Haimes decided to try his hand at writing one. The result was Hidden and a new career as a screenwriter.

Why I Write
Comedian-turned-writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait is serious about perfecting his craft, and his latest effort, World’s Greatest Dad, proves he’s more than just a stand-up guy.

Legal Brief
So you've finally gotten a manager. You're all set, right? Not so fast. Make sure you address these seven questions as you enter into

Luckily Quentin Tarantino didn’t learn any lessons the hard way on his nearly immaculate film Reservoir Dogs because the first-time writer-director was smart enough to chop out any redundant scenes that got in the way of his narrative’s strong momentum.

Last Words
A group of Jewish-American soldiers hunt Nazis during World War II in Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino.

Now Playing

(500) Days of Summer
When two screenwriters combined their tales of heart-wrenching breakups they wound up creating a top-notch romantic comedy.
BY PETER CLINES

Adam
A mild obsession with Asperger’s syndrome turned into a heartfelt romance for writer-director Max Mayer.
BY PETER CLINES

Away We Go
Having a baby was just part of the inspiration for married novelists David Eggers and Vendela Vida to sit down and write a quirky comedy about pregnancy and parenthood.

BY PETER CLINES

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
It took three screenwriters and five years to bring a “real American hero” to the big screen.
BY DAVID MICHAEL WHARTON

The Hurt Locker
Journalist Mark Boal shows audiences a new side of combat in his first produced screenplay as he takes us inside The Hurt Locker.
BY ADAM STOVALL

Humpday
Writer-director Lynn Shelton takes a story of two old friends reconnecting and uses it to question ideas of sexual boundaries, marriage and ultimately friendship.
BY ADAM STOVALL

I Hate Valentine’s Day
Nia Vardalos does it all—writing, acting and directing—in her return to the big screen after a long hiatus during which she did nothing but, well, write.
BY DANNY MUNSO

I Love You, Beth Cooper
Larry Doyle takes us down the long and twisted path of adapting his own novel into a screenplay.
BY ADAM STOVALL

In the Loop
A large team of writers collaborates so much on a comedy that by the end of the process few can remember which lines and ideas they actually contributed.
BY PETER DEBRUGE

Julie & Julia
Writer-director Nora Ephron wasn’t inspired by the story of food blogger Julie Powell until it was paralleled with the story of Powell’s inspiration: Julia Child.
BY PETER CLINES

Orphan
Writer-director David Leslie Johnson started out learning at the feet of a screenwriting giant before putting his own unique spin on a horror standard.
BY PETER CLINES

The Time-Traveler's Wife
The co-writer of The Last Mimzy got a second chance at a time travel movie—with first-class results.

BY PETER CLINES

Columns

Agent's Hot Sheet
I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet
With the recent merger of rival agencies WMA and Endeavor, the landscape of Hollywood has irrevocably changed. We explain whether it’s good news or bad (and for whom) and what this all means to the emerging writer.

BY JIM CIRILE

Our Craft
The Six Stages to the Eureka Moment

That instant of inspiration is usually a lengthy process.
BY KARL IGLESIAS