The Screenwriter's Life · 5 min
Go With The Flow
My sister recently became a mother. As fascinating as it was watching her wrestling with her new role as provider to this tiny human being, it…
The Journal
Vol. 20 · 1,240 entries
25 October 2026
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 13 May
Story & Structure :: B Story is the Answer :: 10 Possible Reasons Your Script Is Boring :: Script Review: The Wolf Of Wall Street ::…
Logline It! · 3 min
The Judges – Circalit Loglines (18)
In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed the…
Script Perfection · 6 min
The Unrepeatable Truth
I recently met a guy from London who had just left a lucrative job in advertising to pursue a screenwriting career here in L.A. (brave lad…
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 06 May
Story & Structure :: Rom-Com Lessons Learned :: Screenplay Review - Lamb Of God :: Scene Description Spotlight: “Zombieland” :: Several Reasons Why Avengers Kicks Ass…
Logline It! · 4 min
The Judges – Circalit Loglines (17)
https://staging.thestorydepartment.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TheJudgesFlipped600.png In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed…
Video · 1 min
[Video]: Kevin Smith’s Creative Origins
What makes writer-director Kevin Smith tick? In this interview, the creator of Clerks Zack and Miri Make a Porno and talks about the Smith family's genetic…
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Pitching & Selling · 5 min
“The End” – Now what?
Rhonda has just typed “FADE OUT”. Over the moon about her first feature screenplay, soon she will change her Facebook status to “THE END!!”, open a…
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 29 Apr
Story & Structure :: Screenwriter Interview - Kelly Marcel :: Hurt The Characters You Care About" :: The Essence of Comedy Writing :: Character Growth: First…
Movie Reviews · 2 min
Mini-review – Café de Flore
Café de Flore Mercifully Short Review by Jonathan Empson Antoine has it all. (Oh dear: you don’t want to be a character who has it…
Logline It! · 3 min
The Judges – Circalit Loglines (16)
In this section we are publishing the loglines from the participants of the Circalit / Story Department "First Draft Script Contest". Our judges have reviewed the…
Video · 1 min
[Video]: John Cleese on Creativity
The acerbically witty John Cleese, one of the most prolific members of the British cult classic sketch show Monty Python's Flying Circus, discusses the nature of…
Story & Structure · 6 min
Emotional Logic in the Hero’s Journey
I started blogging when I realized the greatest weakness in Australian screenplays was structure. Since then I have studied story structure to the point some people…
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 22 Apr
Story & Structure :: On Flashbacks :: Script Review: Saving Mr. Banks :: The Secret to a Great First 10 Pages :: Little Screen, Big Characters…
The Dept Revisited · 3 min
[The Dept Revisited]: Structuring the Facts
Turning real events into a working screen drama is a hell of a challenge. Whether it be a historical movie, biopic or docu-drama, the smart screenwriter…
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