Iceberg! Iceberg!
My Mom, God love her! She is my idol! A stock market genius! The most tasteful, brilliant, and insightful person I’ve ever known, and the one person whose opinion I really trust. But she can’t pitch a movie to save her coupons. One of the...
What’s Coming Up…
The jet lag is over! I am back in my own time zone — rested, tan, fit… and looking at the calender. We are very excited here at STC! Industries (home of “stories that resonate…”) about all the new things coming your way soon. In addition...
Watch Your Words
As screenwriters, the power of words becomes second nature. Because every word counts, picking just the right ones is our job; we know their over-use or under-use can make or break our scripts and pitches. Whenever I send in a new script, I always do...
Wow! What a Weekend!
I am getting ready to come back to the States, but wanted to thank everyone who made our first UK seminar such a great success. Thanks to our sponsors Moviescope Magazine, The Central School of Speech and Drama, the one-and-only Jonathan Hall, and Jaci Stephen...
Save the Cat! Goes to the UK
I have arrived safely in London, and really look forward to my weekend seminar. I have been preparing for it for several weeks now with something special that I am eager to spring on my class. And I can’t wait to see their reaction. This is my...
Something’s Happening Here
Our latest LA Beats workshop just wrapped up late yesterday afternoon, and I gotta say: There’s a centrifugal force going on in these things that is starting to build in all new ways. We’ve had such creativity come out of the Beats Weekends lately. I don’t...
High Concept Rules
2009 has seen a boom at the box office. And it’s been a lesson for anyone interested in what “high concept” means. The movies that have done well satisfy everything we imply by this term. Take a look at the $100 million+ hits (all except...
Rinaldi’s Act One
We’ve just received this email from screenwriter Mike Rinaldi: Blake and all you Cats who check the News section here, I have to share with you my excitement. I’ve been accepted into the exclusive Act One Summer Writing Program! I’m one of 30 students selected...
Why Clear Story Structure = Clear Thinking
One thing I hear from audiences I get to speak to, from writers in class or in email from readers who are having a light-bulb moment from reading my books, is how learning story structure has changed their lives. And I couldn’t be happier — or...
My Weekend with the RWA
It’s a tough job. But somebody has to do it. Saturday found me in Orange County, California, in the company of the Romance Writers of America OC chapter. Just me and 100+ amazing writers who are experts in love AND storytelling. Talk about a good time!...
