If your kneejerk reaction to that title is “none,” you’re not alone. Whether out of fear of being replaced, having their work devalued, or just a general distaste for the technology, many writers are vocally against the use of AI in any creative capacity. Many, but not all. In my capacity as a reader for the Black List, I’ve read a few hundred scripts and thought I had seen just about every way in which a script could go wrong, until very recently. There have been two scripts

ADHD and Screenwriting. It’s not just my go-to answer when someone asks “tell me about yourself,” but it’s also, I suspect, a fairly common combination. Like most disorders of the mind, ADHD isn’t just one set of symptoms, but a buffet of both debilitating and beneficial tendencies that’s different for everybody. For me, my ADHD presents as a rapid slideshow of ideas — each more exciting than the last — but before my focus can fully latch onto one, my interest has already shi

I have many writer friends and colleagues who have gotten a lot of notes on their projects. Often, they’ll complain about the notes they’ve been given for one reason or another. A common complaint is that the reader just didn’t like or understand their material. This certainly can happen. Feedback is subjective. Even the most professional reader will sometimes allow personal taste and biases to leak into their evaluations. But I believe there’s a bigger, more foundational mis

I’ve been giving notes on scripts professionally since 2013. While the majority of that time has been spent writing feedback for studios or production companies, it’s the times where I’m able to give notes directly to writers that make me the happiest. Critically reading a script is a serotonin-releasing activity for me. A draft is a puzzle to be solved, and finding a solution to fix a story problem is a major rush. I imagine it’s what a doctor feels when they figure out what

Things are bad. At least, that's how it seems. The entertainment business appears to be shrinking into its shell, presenting a tougher...

It seems like the days are gone where a brilliant script from an unknown writer can break through and earn a six-figure deal. We’re still...

For the past 14 months, I’ve been off Instagram. Recently, I’ve reflected on how the past year has felt without this particular piece of...

Recently, I uploaded a feature outline I’d been puzzling over to ChatGPT and asked it to generate a logline, synopsis, and breakdown of...

Continuing my tradition from last year, I'm reflecting on the thirty-two books I read this year and spotlighting my top five favorites....

WRITE. EVERY. DAY. NO EXCUSES!!! This all-caps mantra was one I believed in and sought to execute for many years. After all, it was a...

Most newbie writers take their first steps on their career path brimming with optimism and ready to distill their experiences and...

Parents often express a willingness to die for their children. Most people would do anything for their partner and will bend over...

Have you ever had a friend tell you a boring story that you wished would just end? Now imagine that the story lasted two hours and you...

I believe that most people inherently want to help. Our capacity for cooperation is a key reason why our ancestors didn’t club each other...

For over ten years I’ve worked as a story analyst for companies like Netflix, Disney, and the Black List. I’ve read over 1000 screenplays...

Throughout my twenties, I was heavily immersed in the worlds of productivity and daily optimization. I was a devoted disciple of the...

As writers, we tend to be a bit obsessive over our work. We cover our walls in notecarded story beats. We hop out of the shower to...

They say variety is the spice of life. It can take something bland or lackluster and elevate it to something amazing. In the writing...

One of the most common pieces of advice new writers get is “write what you know.” If you used to be a mechanic, write a story about an...

When I moved to Los Angeles, I gave myself a deadline. If I didn’t “make it” in ten years, I would give up and do something else. I hit...