My incredibly smart and hilarious co-worker @mikewtrapp.bsky.social told me about a #screenwriting notion he called epicycle problem-solving. It’s a brilliant analogy for the issues writers run into when they’re solving story problems. It’s also a great reminder to simplify story. #Scriptsky 1/x

Big City Greens aired our 100th episode today. It’s a remarkable success story for a show that isn’t based on IP and lacks big name talent. So how did it catch on? The answers are things folks in the #ScriptSky & #Screenwriting communities can learn from… 1/x www.youtube.com/watch?v=pms3...

Big City Greens 100th FULL EPI...

I hate writing when it’s hard and love writing when it’s easy. So I’ve spent a lot of time figuring out how to make #writing easier. Here’s a on the 6 things I do to overcome writer’s block and increase creative productivity. #WritingCommunity #Screenwriting #ScriptSky #Writersky #Authors 1/x

Agree. Aspiring writers often skip this step cuz specs rarely get used as samples, but I learned a ton writing a bad Office spec and a good HIMYM spec when I was getting started. And you’re likely to struggle in a writers’ room if you’ve never practiced writing someone else’s voice. #Scriptsky

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yqutuxxntd6525kmml5o4hb7/post/3lmfhsn2czc2e

Just because a script hits every beat of Save the Cat or follows the Dan Harmon story circle perfectly, doesn’t make it automatically good. Audiences don’t watch shows/movies and talk about structure; they talk about characters, jokes, tone, world, surprises, excitement. #Scriptsky #Screenwriting

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:cia42uvaqmxzxglr7okrtzga/post/3llyscnermk2m

10 years ago, I tried to write an hour-long drama. My manager sent me a memo on how to write drama that David Mamet wrote to his writing staff. The memo wasn’t quite enough to save my lousy script, but it did teach me some helpful QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IN EVERY SCENE. 1/x #Scriptsky #Screenwriting

Last week I did a #Screenwriting #Scriptsky thread about STORY. Implicit in the thread was that protagonists should be active in pursuit of their want. But I don’t think that’s a hard and fast rule, so I wanted to do one about ACTIVE and PASSIVE PROTAGONISTS… 1/x

Thanks to all the folks who reposted my last #Scriptsky #Screenwriting thread. Very much appreciated! I thought I’d do another one about STORY. This one takes what I learned on The Office (and a bunch of other shows I’ve worked on) and combines it with how we break story on Big City Greens… 1/x

I’ve heard from a couple lit agents that they’re interested in my book, but they want me to get a bigger platform to promote it before they’ll take it out to publishers. That’s why I joined Bluesky. I’ll post excerpts from time to time, so give me a follow if you’re interested. #Scriptsky #Filmsky

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ody7edhmnrloxaix3xsfzchf/post/3ljxz32sm4k2n

When I worked on The Office, Greg Daniels had a list of questions he asked of every story. Some were show-specific (eg “Are we saying something truthful if exaggerated about office life?”), but many are applicable to any script. Here’s a little thread on them… 1/X #Scriptsky #Screenwriting

Just worked with a writing coaching client, and applied some of Aristotle's Poetics to a half hour comedy pilot, and we gained useful, actionable insights. Very old school and very cool.

Worried you have a story problem? Try pitching your idea to another person. The act of summarizing your whole story out loud seems to shine a light on issues. Often, by the time I’m done pitching, I’ve diagnosed the problem and have a solve. #Scriptsky #Scriptwriting #WritingCommunity

I set out to write 5 comedy sketches yesterday. And I did write 5 comedy sketches yesterday.

Not sure if they are the most brilliant, or the funniest, but I like them and I’m really glad with everything happening this week I was able to do it.

1/x Lemme take these one at a time. First, if I’m selling a show, I’m probably pitching it - not trying to sell a spec pilot. People sell spec pilots, but it’s far rarer. Why? Because execs want to be a part of the development process and scripts feel finished. #Scriptsky #screenwriting

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:dovk22bv3srvwnywwj4nv3kj/post/3lgbyhljfhk2r