Book Reviews · 1 min
News from the bookshop
Although we don't have a book review for you today, there's some excellent news for those who were tempted by Jack's review of WRITING DRAMA. If…
The Journal
Vol. 17 · 1,240 entries
26 August 2026
Quote of the day
Take what’s useful, argue with the rest.
Vol. 17
Stuff · 1 min
Join the Frenzy!
Tomorrow, the annual Script Frenzy kicks off for thousands of screenwriters around the world who will jointly contribute millions of pages to the screenplay universe. Are…
News · 7 min
7 Lessons from Mamet
You've probably seen the memo to the writing staff of the now defunct show, The Unit, by David Mamet. I've had a closer look at the memo…
MM on Monday · 11 min
Secondary Headings
What kind of photos does one use for an article about Secondary Headings? How about some imaginative (photoshop’d) locations thanks to Worth1000? Because if locations like…
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 28 Mar
:: David Mamet's memo to writers of The Unit. :: Interview with A Nightmare on Elm Street's Eric Heisserer. :: Put lumps in those throats! Getting your viewers emotionally…
News · 2 min
Dang! It’s Purple?!?
I woke up this morning and the site had a purple look and feel to it! It's not an early April Fool's joke, just proof that…
Story & Structure · 5 min
Character Change vs. Revelation
Joe Forrest looks at an important difference between characters. On the one hand there are those who change over the course of a story and then those…
Book Reviews · 5 min
The Art of Plotting
“The Art of Plotting: Add Emotion, Suspense, and Depth to your Screenplay” by Linda J. Cowgill. Back Stage Books. New York, New York. 2008. 192 pages.…
News · 1 min
Scripped.com and Zhura.com merge
The CEO's of and Scripped.com and Zhura.com have just announced the merger of their companies in an email to their members. Both have provided online script formatting services…
Story & Structure · 8 min
Everyone Is Special (in OZ).
Apart from the odd tweet, I have been relatively quiet lately. Quietly brooding, listening and watching. But that little odd tweet now strikes back, in a…
MM on Monday · 10 min
Ten Format Mistakes
I should clarify that this is from one of my TriggerStreet script reviews, and thus, it's the top ten mistakes one specific writer made in his unproduced…
Best of the Web · 1 min
Best o/t Web 21 Mar 10
:: Subtitles don't fly in America. :: Following up on a script submission, the protocol. :: Cut out the 'hello how are you,' caller ID in screenplays. :: Consider your…
News · 1 min
Better Things to Come
TheStoryDepartment.com.au may show some less than convenient quirks this weekend. Lee and I are flying our trusted server over to a faster and more reliable…
Pitching & Selling · 6 min
Marketing The Epic Story
Every screenwriter has a blockbuster story that is going to make them millions and catapult them in to the 'A' list in one fell swoop. Yet,…
Stuff · 1 min
Your screenwriting software of choice?
Gone are the days when you only had to choose between The Beatles and The Stones, i.e. between Final Draft or MM Screenwriter. Thank God for…