Read Screenplays from Our Script Vault
Me, John, and the entire Young Screenwriters team have been collecting scripts for a lonnnnnggggg time. And now we want to share this resource with you!
Coffee Class Reference Films & Scripts
In Coffee Class, John will often reference five of his favorite films. To get the most out of each class, check out these films!
Protected: BIG Updates for Summer 2020!
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Barebones Beatsheet Template
There are about a million-and-a-half beatsheet formats out there, some more complex than others. Here is the barebones beatsheet we created for our students.
How to Develop Your Kernel of a Script Idea (A Follow-Along Journey)
How to fall down a rabbit hole of research to build out your kernel of an idea for a script—especially when a ton of research is required.
Screenwriting and Story Books in My Office
This is going to be a continually updated list of my top screenwriting and story books. Specifically, the ones in my office—you'll see them behind my head in our course videos. Note that these links are affiliate links. We make a small commission if you use them!...
Here’s How to Protect Your Script (Do This Before You Submit)
Before you submit any scripts to our Feedback Team (or anywhere else!), please protect your script using one of these two affordable methods.
Special “Thank You” Message and AMA Announcement!
Join us for an Ask Me Anything session at 4pm EST on Wed, April 15 in r/screenwriting on Reddit for a chance to ask Professor John Warren your questions!
We Would Love for You to Stay Inside and Write
In light of everything going on with COVID-19, we have decided to temporarily make our premier screenwriting course—Writing the Short—completely free.
1 – Stories: Why We Tell ‘Em… and Why Some People Suck at It
If you want to be a screenwriter (which I assume you do, if you’re reading this), telling good stories is your first job. It all starts with a story.
2 – Structure: A Necessary Evil
Writing is structure. Screenwriting, maybe more than any other form of writing, is structure. Every single scene must do work.
3 – Elements of Story: Keep ‘Em Simple
What are the Elements of Story? Elements are story-beats—specifically, the story-beats that must happen within the 115 pages of your script.
4 – Protagonist and Antagonist: The Good, the Bad, and the Meh
The point I want to make is this: there is one protagonist. Not two, not three and not half a dozen. One protagonist. Why?
5 – The Objective: What Do You Want? (And No, “Love” Doesn’t Count)
Everyone has an objective. You have one right now. All your friends, everyone you pass on the street, they all have an objective.
6 – Flaw, Resolution, and Inner-Need: You Get What You Need
The protagonist must be flawed. I know, she’s the hero. How can she be flawed? It is important to remember: the protagonist doesn’t not start out a hero.
7 – Mentor and False Mentor: Why Are So Many So Creepy?
Typically, the protagonist meets the mentor in Act One or early Act Two. The mentor’s purpose is to provide guidance for the protagonist.
8 – Normal World, Inciting Incident, and Call to Action: The Story Engine
Normal World, Inciting Incident, and Call to Action are what makes your story “go.” They are the story engine that propels your protagonist into conflict.
9 – Act Two: What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
Act Two is a tightrope. It’s sixty to seventy pages long. Story-action in Act Two revolves around three main things: protagonist, objective, and obstacles.
10 – Preparation: And a Driving Metaphor
The writer should think of the ever-demanding list of obstacles as practice for the protagonist. Act Two is a series of tests. The obstacles increase in their degree of difficulty, saving the worst for last.
11 – Ultimate Test: Fighting the Big Fight
The Ultimate Test is the biggest fight of all. If obstacles have been demanding, this one is impossible. The Ultimate Test is, frequently, a life and death situation.