The Young Screenwriters Podcast

A few years ago, Alexie and Adam watched Michael Arndt's lecture "Endings: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Great" and it completely changed the way they thought about endings, stakes, and giving stories meaning. Now, they'll discuss they're favorite, most groundbreaking insights from the lecture and give practical tips about how to use it in your own work. Watch the original lecture: ENDINGS:...

How do you share your amazing TV idea with producers or potential collaborators? An amazing pitch deck is the perfect place to start! Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo share step-by-step how to build a pitch deck by looking at: Real-world pitch decks that WORKED (like STRANGER THINGS and ADVENTURE TIME) Essential ingredients for your own pitch deck Step-by-step guide for using our pitch d...

Some ideas are MADE for TV. How do you know if your idea is up to par? Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo talk about how to come up with a strong idea for a TV story by striking a careful balance between: World Characters Plot Grab your coffee and come join us for screenwriting talk! Also, from now until July 20th , we want to share Writing the Pilot with you for 30% off. That means the co...

The first ten pages of your screenplay can hook your readers in for the long haul. They're arguably the most important part of your script for capturing an audience. Professional screenwriters Alexie, Adam, and Theo talk about how to make your first ten pages un-put-down-able by focusing on: A powerful story hook Compelling, complex characters A strong sense of voice Grab your coffee, pick up your...

People love to talk about how there are only a few basic stories, and all other work is a variation of them. THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS is one of the most famous books sharing this theory! Haven't read THE SEVEN BASIC PLOTS by Christopher Booker? No problem! Professional screenwriters Alexie Basil and Adam Schaller share the best and worst takeaways from the famous storytelling classic.  Connect with U...

Summer is coming! Which means that epic summer blockbusters are right around the corner. How do you write something awesome that also goes BOOM?! Join professional screenwriters Alexie Basil and Adam Schaller as they create an outline for an action-packed summer blockbuster film on the spot. They'll get into: Building around exciting set pieces Creating spectacles The balance of objective and stak...

VFX Production Coordinator Esha Sandhu joins Alexie and Theo LIVE to talk about how screenwriters can write the most visually compelling screenplays. We'll cover: VFX breakdown in a script The nuances of writing explosions  Tips for breaking into the VFX industry And more!  Join us for our live Young Screenwriters Podcast recording, and stick around after for an open Q&A and more screenwriting tal...

Breaking down a scene in a project you know is easy mode. What happens when you try to break down a scene without context? Professional screenwriters Alexie and Theo both bring two scenes the other has never seen before: Theo's bringing THE LOBSTER and Alexie's bringing the pilot of GENTLEMAN JACK. They'll table-read them and see if their analyses are spot on or off the mark! How the scenes reveal...

Nicholl Finalist Victoria Male joins Alexie and Theo for a conversation about how to navigate risk-averse Hollywood and sell original ideas by creating your own IP. In addition to chatting about Victoria's success releasing short stories alongside her screenplays, we're going to get into: The current state of Hollywood (what producers are looking for) Strategies for creating your own IP Tips for m...

Low-to-medium budget scripts with incredible character development are a golden ticket for producers... which makes them an excellent target for newer screenwriters! Alexie meet with Kinolime Producer John Schramm and Kinolime Creative Executive Danny Murray to break the beloved film BILLY ELLIOT and talk about: Why producers want strong points of view and voice How characterization is key for low...

This is a special annoucement! We are rebranding the Breaking Story Podcast into THE YOUNG SCREENWRITERS PODCAST! This change comes due to this podcast expanding in scope with interviews, discussion on theory, and talking about things that impact the industry of Screenwriting. Don't worry though, we'll still be breaking and discussing films, tv, games, and other stories that inspire us :) Below ar...

SALTBURN is a masterpiece of deception, manipulation, and class struggle. Professional screenwriters Alexie Basil, Adam Schaller, and Theo Luoma break down the script and take a look at: How to pull off unreliable narrators When objectives are concealed from the audience Manipulating audience expectations Resources: SALTBURN Script Young Screenwriters Courses Young Screenwriters Discord  

Join Alexie and Theo live as they break down the pilot episode of one of their favorite shows of 2023, the Emmy-winning BEEF. Read the Pilot Script: BEEF, Episode 1 Watch the Series Join us on Discord Check out our courses They're going to look at how two beautifully flawed protagonists with overlapping but related flaws kept in each others orbits and constantly raised the stakes for one another. 

We talked about habits--now let's talk about the psychological side. Join Alexie and Theo LIVE to discuss strategies for getting and STAYING motivated in the new year. We'll get into: How writers groups can create accountability Setting achievable goals When to stick with an idea... and when to move on Connect with Us  Join our Discord Community Browse Our Free Courses: https://youngscreenwriters....

Last year, we both tried different habits for hitting our screenwriting goals. Join Alexie and Theo LIVE to discuss which ones actually worked and which ones we're leaving behind in 2023. We'll get into: Healthy habits that worked (and didn't work!) for us last year Strategies for making and hitting big goals Projects we're hoping to accomplish Useful Links Browse Our Free Courses:  https://youngs...

Alexie and Adam talk about the screenwriting adage "Write What You Know," looking at it from both a practical and emotional sense. They discuss how it's one thing to know the details of a story--to understand the world, the actions, the characters--and another to know the heart of a story. Join the Discord Browse Our Free Courses Writing the Feature Sale  

Professional writers Alexie Basil and Theo Luoma break down how the world is established as a character in the pilot of one of their favorite CW shows: THE 100. Join the Discord Browse Our Free Courses The 100 Script

Professional writers Alexie Basil, Adam Schaller, and Theo Luoma share their favorite tips for getting past burnout and writers block. Join the Discord Browse Our Free Courses

Professional screenwriters Adam Schaller and Alexie Basil break down the script for GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY. Watch the live stream Join Writing the Pilot Join Discord

Professional writers Alexie Basil and Theo Luoma share their favorite tips for getting past burnout and writers block. Join Writing the Pilot Join Discord

Professional writers Alexie Basil and Theo Luoma break down the newest season of the hit Netflix show, BLACK MIRROR. They also discuss werewolves, The 100, and why they love CW. ~*~ Don't Miss Our Weekly Thursday Workshops at 5:30pm ET ~*~ Join the Discord Community: https://www.youngscreenwriters.com/di...

Professional writers Alexie Basil and Theo Luoma chat about the benefit of writers groups, giving notes, and taking notes (even bad ones). Join us at 5:30pm ET every Friday for coffee and story analysis! Get pinged before we go live: https://youngscreenwriters.com/coffee...   Join Writing the Pilot Join Discord

Haven't read THE WRITER'S JOURNEY: MYTHIC STRUCTURE FOR WRITERS by Christopher Vogler? No problem! Professional screenwriters Alexie Basil and Adam Schaller share the best and worst takeaways from the famous screenwriting classic.

We read SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder so you don't have to! In this week's episode, Alexie and Adam share the most (and least) helpful lessons from this classic screenwriting book. Discover how to implement fantastic screenwriting advice, such as using irony in loglines, creating a world-changing shift at the midpoint, and utilizing memorable-and-effective strategies for story crafting like Pope in...

Ever struggle to get your screenplay over the finish line? You aren't alone! In this episode of Breaking Story, Adam and Alexie share some of their favorite tips for finishing the first draft of your script (and importantly, getting over the page 60 hump).