People & News

The Buzz
Longtime literary agent Nancy Nigrosh laments the industry's revolving-door approach to writing feature films.

Breaking In
How Ryan Condal dodged a bean counter's life and wrote his way into his super-hero dreams.

Operation Checkmate: Jessica Postigo lands the assignment for a real-life thriller about the Colombian hostage rescue.

People
Chris Thornton drew inspiration from his own challenges to write Sympathy for Delicious, a drama about a wheelchair-bound DJ that starts shooting this December.

Anatomy of a Spec Sale

Science Fair won the blue ribbon from Disney for Creative Screenwriting fan John Sullivan.

Why I Write
The in-your-face energy of India that Simon Beaufoy discovered during his research for Slumdog Millionaire unleashed the melodramatic writer within him.

Legal Brief

In this new column, L.A. entertainment attorney Chad Fitzgerald explains when you'll need a lawyer and why.

Lost Scenes: The Day the Earth Stood Still

Edmund H. North slowly realized that in order to move forward while writing the original film, he had to wave goodbye to the last remnants of the short story.

Gift Guide

Some holiday seasons you get what you need, especially when gift-givers get clued in with this helpful guide to what's out there for writers.

Product Review

Storyist for Mac gets inside writers' heads.

The Pulse smartpen offers a savvier way to take notes.

Last Words

Opposition stalks openly gay San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk in Milk, by Dustin Lance Black.

Now Playing

Milk
Almost 30 years after Harvey Milk's murder, screenwriter Dustin Lance Black brings the story of San Francisco's first gay elected official to the big screen.

BY PETER DEBRUGE

Doubt
John Patrick Shanley powers through doubts of his own to writer and direct a powerhouse screen version of his Pulitzer-winning play.
BY AMY DAWES

The Wrestler
Screenwriter Robert Siegel, former editor-in-chief of The Onion, writes the role of a lifetime for Mickey Rourke.

BY PETER CLINES

Seven Pounds

A chance encounter with a former rocket scientist propels sitcom writer Grant Nieporte into the feature film circuit.

BY SEAN KENNELLY

Australia

Co-writers Stuart Beattie and Richard Ranagan teamed with Baz Luhrmann to dramatize the greatest and darkest moments in Austalia's history.

BY PETER CLINES

The Day the Earth Stood Still

David Scarpa's take on a classic went through many stages.

BY PETER CLINES

Marley & Me

Scott Frank steps outside his comfort zone to adapt a popular book that may be more about a marriage than a mutt.

BY DANNY MUNSO

Role Models

For the first time, Paul Rudd, David Wain and Ken Marino bring their unique brand of comedic writing to a studio movie.

BY DANNY MUNSO

Synecdoche, New York

Oscar-winner Charlie Kaufman makes his writing-directing debut by doing what he does best—defying mainstream expectations.

BY JEFF GOLDSMITH

The Soloist

Susannah Grant adapts the true-life tale of a gifted but mentally disturbed musician.

BY SEAN KENNELLY

Columns

Agent's Hot Sheet
End of the World as We Know It
As Wall Street burns, can Hollywood survive?

BY JIM CIRILE

Our Craft
It's All About Relationships
What does your hero want from others, and what do they want from him?
BY KARL IGLESIAS

The XX Factor
The Vampire Slayer
Melissa Rosenberg flexes her own powers to adapt cult favorite Twilight for the screen.
BY AMY DAWES

Guest Column
D.I.Y. Diary Part 2
Ian Gurvitz moves into production during his high-risk half-million-dollar adventure into directing and producing with his screenplay L.A. Blues.

BY IAN GURVITZ