Every screenwriting teacher talks about Theme. But do you actually need it? If you’re unfamiliar, THEME generally refers to what the writer is really trying to say: the takeaway, the mission statement, if you will. It’s often a truism or observation about life, like: no good deed goes unpunished, or love will find a way….
March 17th through May 31st 2025 We’ve gotten hundreds of writers read by our management panels, which has resulted in over 80 meetings, writers working with managers on developing new material, writers signed to agencies and management companies, and even a big spec sale — when manager Jake Wagner sold writer Brandon Barker’s script “Nottingham…
Takeaways from the American Film Market ’24 Earlier this month, Las Vegas played host to the fabled American Film Market. This is the annual marketplace where distribution deals are made, foreign sales are negotiated, packages are packaged, and buyers and sellers from all over the world converge to schmooze and hopefully make new relationships. Now…
With Any Coverage for a Screenplay Centering Around a Holiday Yes, any holiday that takes place at any time during the year. From January to December. From Diwali to Ramadan. From Talk Like a Pirate Day to Festivus. If your script centers around a holiday–or, at the very least, a holiday plays a…
There’s a whole hidden infrastructure in Hollywood devoted to tracking and scoring Open Assignments. Come get some. (Note: This article was originally published in 2019, and some of the people mentioned have moved on.) It’s not just about specs. The vast majority of a working screenwriter’s income often comes from assignments. We spoke…
FREE Half-Hour Consultation w/ Every Horror Submission thru October Are you working on a scary good horror/thriller script that you plan on unleashing on the world to wreak havoc, terrorize, and lay waste to us all? Cool! For the entire month of October, we’re giving away FREE half-hour consultations with every horror pilot…
What the heck is “voice”? Do I need it? Can I buy a bag at Costco? Read on… By Jim Cirile You’d probably guess that we read a fair amount of scripts here at CI. But you may not suspect how few of them display one crucial factor to help your writing grab…
So many contests. So little money. by Jim Cirile, Coverage Ink There ya are, struggling along in year 7 or 27 of your noble pursuit of screenwriting, and dammit, the 12-foot-thick armored door to Hollywood still hasn’t opened for you yet. Time to stir things up, throw some linguine against the wall and see what sticks….
Screenwriter Jay Adams’ affordable feature drama TITAN blew us away with its impressive dialogue and strong characterizations. An award-winning writer, Adams’ distinctive storytelling and unique perspective as a Queer creator have earned him critical acclaim and numerous accolades. “With ‘Titan,’” said Adams, “I set out to weave a family drama rich with depth and a…
Twenty years ago, Creative Screenwriting magazine published my article below. I thought it would be fun to revisit it and see what (if anything) has changed in the last two decades. So here’s the original piece, mostly intact. Things which are no longer relevant have been edited out, and I have added new commentary in…