“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.” ― Octavia E. Butler
Extra! Extra! Daily Content for Screenwriters
Written by: Christine B.
March 17, 2022
The best thing you could be doing as a screenwriter is writing, the second best thing is reading. While a Google search on different writing related questions like ‘how not to start a scene’ could result in over a dozen search results that may or my not be written by actual published screenwriters, sometimes its best to leave it to the professionals. So here are 5 screenwriting websites to read daily with some of the best content, sources, and time-tested authorities to help you develop as a screenwriter.
Script Magazine
Script Mag has an abundance of articles covering every aspect of the industry- Screenwriting, filmmaking, career advice, interviews, and more. Script Mag has been a source for screenwriters since 1989. While their archives might not go back to that early beginning, there are a lot of articles to read through, with more being published each week. Plus they share stellar interviews with editors, producers, and indie creators from ‘House of Gucci’ screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna to ‘King Richard’ screenwriter Zach Baylin.
The Black List
There’s no need to overcomplicate things when it comes to the Black List: they’re a blog solely created to celebrate the art and craft of screenwriting, film history, and everything in between. To that end, their blog features interviews, in depth film studies, and a section called “writers’ workspaces” that take you to the physical workspaces of famous screenwriters like S.W.A.T. writer Aaron Rahsaan Thomas. It’s an intimate look into the lives of real screenwriters that can reveal some handy organization tips as well.
Script Lab
Script lab has a very active blog with over 400 pages of archived content, so you’ll never run out of material. While their blog covers the basics, it’s their Script Library that takes the cake. At absolutely no cost, you can read the direct scripts to hundreds of shows and movies, and these aren’t just any screenplays, they’re taken from the cream of the crop- read the direct lines from Euphoria, Encant, the Office, and so many others. Their site also has a tab entirely devoted to different screenwriting competitions that is constantly being updated, it’s a great spot to monitor to find a competition you might have a script for.
Go Into the Story
Writer’s Digest named this blog the “best of the best” scriptwriting website and it’s easy to see why- Writer interviews with some of the best in the business, script analysis that’s so in depth it takes a whole series of articles, and a section for Reader Questions that goes all the way back to 2008. Articles are uploaded daily so there is plenty of content to keep you busy. There’s plenty of content to read and learn from, and if you really have time to spare, they offer a screenwriting masterclass as well.
TIGHT5
The best for last: TIGHT5 is an online community for diverse storytelling by equally diverse people. The community enlightens, helps, and empowers people of color to explore their creativity by telling stories. Their screenwriting articles cover the writing process, quick tips, tools of the trade and, my personal favorite, news on upcoming screenwriting competitions. But it’s not all screenwriting, there’s content for writing in different forms that will help any type of writer. New articles are released weekly.
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