#ScriptNotes

@nextlevelscribe.bsky.social

1 week ago

March isn’t for cowards. The dreamers are gone—only the maniacs remain, pounding keys and chasing blood. Bring your busted script to Next‑Level Scribe and make it dangerous enough to survive the wild. Stare down the page at NextLevelScribe.com.

#screenwriters #writers #nextlevelscribe #scriptnotes

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Ümit Ünal

@asyadada.bsky.social

2 weeks ago

#scriptnotes #johnaugust #craigmazin

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

1 month ago

The latest 'Scriptnotes NOTES' is out RIGHT NOW! Wanna hear me talk about #RomCom tropes in response to a convo @johnaugust.bsky.social & @clmazin.bsky.social had on #Scriptnotes waaaay back in 2016? Well, today's your lucky day!

#ScriptSky #screenwriting #gender #FilmSky #writing

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Gregg Mitchell

@greggmitchell.bsky.social

1 month ago

ICYMI: WGAW Written by piece on writer-centric podcasts w/ shout-outs to @wgawest.bsky.social's #3rd&Fairfax, @johnaugust.bsky.social & Craig Mazin's #Scriptnotes, @hilliardguess.bsky.social's #ScreenwritersRantRoom, & more...

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No Film School

@nofilmschool.com.web.brid.gy

1 month ago

John August Tells You What All Stories Need We're big fans of John August over here (and just had him on our podcast). But that doesn't mean we're done learning from him! If you're unfamiliar, the writer behind _Big Fish_ , _Charlie and the Chocolate Factory_ , and _Aladdin_ co-hosts the _Scriptnotes_ podcast with Craig Mazin, and they've just released a book of the same name. I recently listened to August discuss the book on _The Second City_ Podcast, and there was a ton of information in this discussion that can be useful for screenwriters. Have you ever struggled with giving feedback? Or receiving feedback? What about developing character motivation or getting started with a blank page? Let August give you some motivation. Check out the podcast below. - YouTube www.youtube.com ## "You Can Only Write Towards a Thing." Giving notes to another writer is an honor, but it can also be stressful. Sometimes you just don't vibe with a work, but telling someone that is not going to be helpful. August says that negative notes are essentially useless because you can't execute them. If someone tells you a scene or character doesn't work, that's not actionable. You need a clear direction, not just broad criticism. When I was doing professional agency script coverage, it would have never been useful for me to write, "I didn't like this script." I would always clarify what didn't work, and give suggestions for what would fix the element I didn't think was working. You'll need to get comfortable with story basics in order to pinpoint these problems. It might be a structural issue or a problem with character motivation. Maybe you just feel a "bump" on something—keep noodling on what the underlying cause of that bump is. "This is boring," isn't a good note. It's boring to you, but maybe the underlying issue is pacing. Point to that instead. You also need to understand that sometimes a work isn't for you. "Opinions are not facts," August writes in the book. The whole thing is subjective, so as a note-giver, you don't want to lead with opinion. When you react to someone's work, you can be honest about your emotional response. Then separate that from your theory about what caused it. The writer needs both pieces of information, but they need to know which is which. Understanding the note behind the note is a big thing. Notes should point toward a vision of what could work, not at what doesn't. When you're giving notes to someone else or trying to interpret feedback you've received, push for specificity about the destination. What should this scene accomplish? What emotional beat are we aiming for? That's something you can actually write toward. "Describe a future vision of this movie, this scene, whatever, that is successful, and so that you can get there together," August says. If you're in the middle of a notes process, you don't want to be fighting over criticism. Specificity and helpfulness will make these sessions productive. Learn more about how to give effective feedback. _Big Fish_ Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing ## "You Have to Just Become Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable." Here, August references Ashley Nicole Black's advice about the temptation to use AI or other shortcuts to avoid the hard part of writing. (She's written for _Shrinking_ , _Ted Lasso_ , and more.) But the hard part is the point. First drafts feel terrible because you're creating something from nothing. When you're writing, and something isn't working, it can feel like you're wandering in the wilderness. There's no hack for the discomfort. Experienced writers don't suffer less—they've just learned to recognize the feeling as part of the process. Just read any of our interviews with some of today's best working writers. They hate the second act and exposition as much as the rest of us. If you're waiting to feel confident before you start, you'll never start. Push through the discomfort. Get something on the page. ## "Many Screenwriting Books Will Tell You to Focus on What the Characters Want. This is Wrong." August has been writing about this point since 2007. This challenges a common screenwriting principle about character development. August says that obsessing over what a character "wants" versus what they "need" creates a false framework that doesn't actually help you write better scenes. What actually matters is understanding what your character is trying to accomplish in each specific moment and why they think it will get them closer to their goals. To a writer, this advice is more useful than some abstract want/need dichotomy. In 2007, August also pointed out that what a character naturally wants would not always work in a story. I, for instance, like to stay up late watching YouTube instead of fighting crime. So I wouldn't be good in a cop thriller. Instead, August wrote, when you approach a scene, you need to ask, “What needs to happen in this scene?” Or, “What do I need to show the audience?” He wrote, "Yes, the character should be responsible for his or her actions and decisions inside the movie, but you, the writer, are responsible for deciding which moments the audience gets to see." You're almost like an editor instead of a writer, in that case. You're picking moments from their life that serve your story and getting pieces in place for your plot. As you establish what your character wants, make sure to convey this to the audience early. In the podcast, August says, "You need to find some way in those opening few minutes to give us a sense of what vision does this character have for their life? What might they be trying to do to get there? What will success look like for this character? And that's a lot of the struggle." ## "Stakes for a Character Are, 'What Are They Worried About Losing?'" Stakes don't have to be apocalyptic. August's first produced script, _Go_ , isn't about the end of the world. But every character has clear stakes in every moment because he understands what each person stands to lose or gain. Stakes are personal and immediate. They're about relationships, identity, safety, and connection. In comedies, especially, establishing what matters to your characters makes everything funnier because we understand the cost of failure. This connects to why _Die Hard_ works as both an action film and a character study. John McClane is trying to stop terrorists, and there are technically lives at stake, and he is trying to save his wife, but those aren't his only stakes. He's trying to prove something to his wife and to himself about showing up. Those relationship stakes make every action beat matter more. Creating compelling characters means understanding what they stand to lose.

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Mat, not really ‘on’ socials at the moment

@mateverywhere.com

1 month ago

Can confirm @johnaugust.bsky.social, it’s an Orange King. But the kind that anyone would actually want

#scriptnotes

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Nick Wasilieff

@nickwaswriting.com

2 months ago

New reading material for when I trip and fall onto some downtime. Anyone else reading #Scriptnotes, #Scriptsky?

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

2 months ago

SO THRILLED that @teampomonok.bsky.social's new #podcast 'Scriptnotes NOTES' is OUT NOW! I talk about #Scriptnotes Ep 697, the use (& misuse) of "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" & the idea that #screenwriters should recognize their power.
pomonok-entertainment.ghost.io/scriptnotes-...

#ScriptSky #FilmSky

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Pomonok Games @ GDC '26

@teampomonok.bsky.social

2 months ago

'Scriptnotes NOTES' Ep 1 - 'She’s Not "Manic" Just Because She Makes You Insecure' Welcome to Scriptnotes NOTES: the first in a series of Pomonok NOTES podcasts. SNN will be 52 episodes over the next year where host Teresa Jusino will delve into the craft and business of screenwriti...

The 'Scriptnotes NOTES' #podcast is LIVE! Check out Episode 1, titled 'She's Not "Manic" Just Because She Makes You Insecure," where @teresajusino.bsky.social tackles the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope while referencing #Scriptnotes Ep 697.

#ScriptSky #PodcastSky #FilmSky
@johnaugust.bsky.social

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GLOBAL Visibility aéPiot - by aePiot.ro

@globalvisibility.bsky.social

2 months ago

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#SCRIPTNOTES
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Blacklisted

@blcklstd.bsky.social

2 months ago

Best 🚽 📕 ever! @johnaugust.bsky.social @clmazin.bsky.social #scriptsky #scriptnotes

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Lauren Conoscenti

@lconoscenti.bsky.social

3 months ago

The (very!) orange SCRIPTNOTES book rests on a wooden surface. There’s a typewriter on the cover. White text reads: JOHN AUGUST CRAIG MAZIN SCRIPTNOTES A Book About Screenwriting and Things That Are Interesting to Screenwriters

Jumbo thanks to Dana Fox for sending over a copy! Congrats @johnaugust.bsky.social @clmazin.bsky.social & the rest of the #Scriptnotes team 📖🎉

P.S. This is the stocking stuffer your writer pals want this year… #scriptsky

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Anthony Bushman

@anthonybushman.bsky.social

3 months ago

It’s here. It’s orange. And it’s glorious! The greatest ever podcast now in book form. Can’t wait to read it!
@johnaugust.bsky.social @clmazin.bsky.social #scriptnotes #scriptsky

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Anthony Toohey

@anthonytoohey.bsky.social

3 months ago

It’s HERE!! Brilliant 🤘😎🤘

#Scriptnotes @johnaugust.bsky.social @clmazin.bsky.social

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Heidi

@moonheids.bsky.social

3 months ago

The orange cover of a book titled Scriptnotes by John August and Craig Mazin, held up with a lit Christmas tree in the background

Happy #scriptnotes publication day to all who celebrate (and merry early Christmas to me)! @johnaugust.bsky.social @clmazin.bsky.social

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Jon Enge

@jonenge.bsky.social

3 months ago

Me with my new Scriptnotes book

Hey! Look what came in the mail today! I am so excited to have a new way to procrastinate! #Scriptnotes #scriptsky #filmsky @johnaugust.bsky.social

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Richard Stevens

@richardstevens.film

3 months ago

#scriptnotes preorder came today!

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

3 months ago

Image of the title page of the Scriptnotes book autographed by John August and Craig Mazin.

Image of John August and Craig Mazin sitting in chairs on a stage speaking on microphones at the Scriptnotes book launch.

Image of John August, Craig Mazin, Julia Turner, and Ashley Nicole Black on a stage seated in chairs and holding microphones with an image of the Scriptnotes book and the words "Scriptnotes Live!" projected behind them as they laugh and talk during the Scriptnotes book launch.

Image of Teresa Jusino (a smiling Latina with dark hair) holding up her copy of the Scriptnotes book in front of a theater.

Went to the #Scriptnotes Book Launch today! Listened to @johnaugust.bsky.social & @clmazin.bsky.social argue w/ @juliaturner.bsky.social about #film criticism & Ashley Nicole Brown make a point re: education & AI that made me cheer (overly?) loudly. AND I got the book!

#ScriptSky #BookSky #books

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

3 months ago

A day in the life of a woman writer with #ADHD. And #dysthymia. And a period. #PDD #hormones #writing TikTok video by Teresa Jusino (she/her)

To my #ADHD #PDD #writer girlies. This is just how it is sometimes & there's nothing to be done.

BTW, @johnaugust.bsky.social - tell Dana Fox that she made me cry in my car today. For reasons both related & totally UNrelated to her being on #Scriptnotes.

#ScriptSky

www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrdTNhb5/

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Graham Rowat

@growat.bsky.social

3 months ago

I got to discuss recording the Scriptnotes audiobook on this week’s episode of the podcast.
Listen now for some young, sexy, Ed McMahon energy.
Print and audio editions drop December 2nd.
#scriptnotes #podcast #audiobook #narration #screenwriting

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

4 months ago

a woman with glasses says " actually i do " Alt: GIF of America Ferarra in Ugly Betty saying "actually i do"

Lastly, just wanted to remind you both of 'Ugly Betty,' a comedy about a NON-white young woman who worked at a magazine! ❤️

Thanks as always for the awesome conversation! (4/4)

#Scriptnotes #ScriptSky

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Teresa Jusino (she/her)

@teresajusino.bsky.social

4 months ago

Hi @johnaugust.bsky.social! Was listening to #Scriptnotes w/ @abmck.bsky.social & I wanted to THANK HER for what she said re: what it's like for new writers now! It's been my exp for YEARS & it feels a bit gaslighty when folks insist it's all down to script quality & persistence. (1/4) #ScriptSky

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Blacklisted

@blcklstd.bsky.social

4 months ago

@johnaugust.bsky.social orange, or red? 🤷‍♂️ #scriptnotes

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Katherine Arcus

@katherinearcus.bsky.social

5 months ago

ADVICE FOR NAVIGATING THE WRITERS’ ROOM

We’ll start with the #Scriptnotes podcast. Everyone knows Scriptnotes, right?

Hosted by @johnaugust.bsky.social and @clmazin.bsky.social , it focuses primarily on writing for features, but they do occasionally dip into television.

2/?

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Armak for the Resistance ⚜️

@armakproductions.com

5 months ago

I'm announcing 100% tariff on movies that open with a "Stuart special"
#scriptnotes @johnaugust.bsky.social

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Geoffrey D. Calhoun

@screenwriterpod.bsky.social

5 months ago

Ep 288 - Subtext, & Protecting Writers from Scammy “Producers” Geoffrey and Kristy kick off with the 80s classic Monster Squad, then break down a great subtext moment from the new F1 film. They unpack “on-the-nose” dialogue vs character voice, when to cut redundancy, and how to spot predatory “producer” offers. Listener Q&A covers why watching movies improves your craft and whether short action lines beat long descriptive blocks. What You’ll Learn in This Episode • How to spot and write effective subtext in quiet scenes • A quick gut-check to avoid on-the-nose dialogue • When longer action lines help vs hurt • Red flags for scammy “producers” and safer platforms to consider • A simple note-taking method to level up how you watch films Key Moments 00:23 Welcome with Kristy 01:04 Why Monster Squad still lands 03:46 F1 takeaways and a subtext masterclass 07:31 On-the-nose dialogue and finding voice 12:53 The 50 percent “producer” red flag 15:47 Vetting platforms and why Geoffrey trusts InkTip 20:19 Q&A Watching movies to get better 24:14 Q&A Short vs long action lines 29:04 Wins of the week and encouragement About the Guest Kristy Leigh Lussier is a screenwriter and producer with a background in development and story evaluation. She champions character-driven genre projects and mentors emerging writers. About the Host With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level. Resources Mentioned • The Monster Squad 1987 • The Lost Boys 1987 • Shane Black scripts for voice study • F1 film as a subtext case study • InkTip • Coverfly mention and why vetting matters • The Guide for Every Screenwriter Connect with Geoffrey D. Calhoun Website https://thesuccessfulscreenwriter.com/ Instagram @screenwriterpod YouTube The Successful Screenwriter Enjoyed the show? Share with a writer friend, and drop questions for our next live Q&A. #Screenwriting #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter #AmWriting #FilmCommunity #IndieFilm #ScriptNotes #WritingTips #Dialogue #Subtext #Storytelling #WritersLife #MonsterSquad #ShaneBlack #LostBoys #MovieChat #FilmDiscussion #WritingCommunity #ScriptAdvice #OnTheNoseDialogue #ProtectYourWork

📣 New Podcast! "Ep 288 - Subtext, & Protecting Writers from Scammy “Producers”" on @Spreaker #amwriting #dialogue #f1 #indiefilm #monstersquad #protectyourwork #screenwriting #scriptnotes #shaneblack #subtext #thesuccessfulscreenwriter #writerslife

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Bill Watterson

@bill-watterson.bsky.social

5 months ago

I am the 'Bill' whose email about accountability groups for writers was read on this week's episode of the #Scriptnotes podcast. Does this mean I have a career now?

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Ash Lazer

@ashlazer.bsky.social

6 months ago

Ready for an UNO movie!? 👇🏻

#scriptsky cc: @johnaugust.bsky.social #scriptnotes #thestuntlist

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Taylor Coriell

@frecklysoprano1.bsky.social

6 months ago

obsessed with this week’s ep of #scriptnotes as our intrepid hosts learned about 🎶fixed do🎶 and would like to gently offer Faure, Debussy, Bizet, and Gounod as the starter pack of French classical composers (that they’ve def heard in the wild even if they don’t know it)! 🤓 #scriptsky

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Posts tagged #ScriptNotes