If you’re a new screenwriter, take a look at these great screenwriting resources when you get the chance – I refer to them often on this site … and with good reason.
Feel free to add additional sites, tools, and other resources you find helpful in the comments section below.
1. Triggerstreet – one of the best online communities of screenwriters
2. Scripped – free screenwriting software online
3. Final Draft – The Hollywood standard for screenwriting software
4. Greenwriter.org – a way to target and approach the producers looking for your screenplay
5. Hollywood Representative Directory …

97 Posts so far
I was just writing the next post for the 12-part series, 12 Steps to Mythic Screenwriting, when I suddenly noticed I had 97 posts currently published at ScriptXRay.com!
Oddly enough, the rate at which I’ve been posting (daily) coincides perfectly with an upcoming vacation I’ve planned – in other words, I will be posting the 100th post here at ScriptXRay the same morning I head out for a week at the beach with K, the family, and friends.
100 tips from 100 posts
I’m thinking that 100th post should be …

I was researching writing quotes for another site of mine when I quickly discovered it was impossible to chose just one! There’s nothing quite as inspiring as the words of wisdom from the great writers themselves – that said, I thought an entire post dedicated to writing quotes was necessary.

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live!” – Thoreau
“The first draft of everything is shit” – Hemingway
“Writing is an act of faith, not a trick of grammar.” – E.B. White
“Writing is the …

While not everyone is lucky enough to sneak onto a studio lot and claim their own production office as Steven Spielberg famously did during his early days at Universal Studios, many of you in the Los Angeles area have the ability of getting close to – or even on – a studio lot.
As a runner in Hollywood, I made the rounds around the studios on a daily basis – and I always felt the magic of the studio when pulling up to the security window and waiting for the officers …

I’ve never been good in school so it was clear early on that I wasn’t going to build a creative career based on my academic achievements. I dabbled with UCLA’s screenwriting program but other than that … I pretty much have no idea what classes, programs, and schools to recommend other than the obvious USC, NYU, UCLA.
I was hoping you could help.
I’m interested, as I’m sure a lot of screenwriters, in learning what schools are out there, which programs to look into, and what classes you found helpful. While I’m …

I can’t recall how many times I’ve read the advice not to direct your screenplay, but I do know that I’ve even written about it before here at ScriptXRay.
It’s a perfectly sound guideline to write by – however, I’ve also been noticing a lot of screenplays coming in that feel safe, tame, and molded … as if forced into a suit and told to conform if they want to fit in with the industry standard. I can’t help but imagine a lot of screenwriters out there are reducing their voice, …

A quick post today …
There are pros and cons to everything – here, I’m focusing on the cons of three particular motives for writing screenplays. While these reasons aren’t evil by any means, they simply tend to be the most attractive, yet misunderstood, motives for beginning screenwriters.
Money
This is probably the most common reason a lot of would-be screenwriters delve into the screenwriting world. With the stories of spec sales spanning anywhere from low six-figures to high six-figures and even up to a staggering million dollars, it’s understandable that a lot of …

This is my favorite step in the mythic screenwriting structure. Whether its because it’s so dependable, it’s found in just about every story told, or because it’s one of the most exciting steps for me personally - I’m not sure.
Subscribe to ScriptXRay via email to stay updated with this 12-step series.
But if one thing is clear, it’s that audiences look forward to the call just as much as they look forward to the climax – though the call is probably a bit more subconscious. The way I see it, the call is an …

The post published before this one generated a swell of interest – both from those who agreed and those who didn’t. You can see who a few reactions to the post here, but it’s the negative feedback I’d like to focus on.
While it’s easy to get discouraged when someone criticizes your work, it’s even more important how you react to it. The negative feedback I received for the last post reminded me of the importance of being able to take criticism and learn from it.
As a screenwriter, it’s crucial that you …

It never fails to astound me to hear a screenwriter admit that they’re too afraid their work will be stolen if they share it with anyone – they usually have a horror story about a friend who wrote their first script, sent it to Hollywood, didn’t hear back, and just a few months later when watching a movie, they realized the jokes and character and even story they created for their script were all flickering on screen.
My first reaction to this can be summed up with this: Urban legend.
Don’t get …

If you noticed I didn’t post last night – thanks for following ScriptXRay! If you didn’t notice, you can follow the daily updates by subscribing via email.
The reason for the missing post last night was a little movie called Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I waited in line with my magic wand iPhone app along with all the other Harry Potter nuts and saw the film first thing at 12:01 – highly recommend you see the film and participate in midnight screenings!

Anyway, the film was fantastic and the characters …