How to Craft a Great Logline
A logline is the brief, one-line overview of a story used to explain the overarching narrative in as few words as possible. These are used in the industry by producers and executives trying to find their next project, but also in the normal world, to give audiences a...
John's Classic Films List | Screenwriting Resource
One of the best ways to learn about screenwriting is to read screenplays and watch films. What better way to learn the history of film than by watching the many classics that created the trends and tropes we know today? Knowing the history is important for the...
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!
Hayao Miyazaki's Story Design in SPIRITED AWAY
We all want to create multifaceted and complex characters in our screenplays, but how do you turn the thread of a character into a living, breathing person on the page?
How Hayao Miyazaki Writes a Character Arc
We all want to create multifaceted and complex characters in our screenplays, but how do you turn the thread of a character into a living, breathing person on the page?
How Christopher Nolan Keeps You Invested in INCEPTION
Explore how Christopher Nolan extracts a complex narrative through a core character dynamic and ever-increasing stakes in INCEPTION.
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!
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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.