FROM THE DESK OF
Amy Suto
Hello! 👋 I’m Amy Suto, a published author and freelance memoir ghostwriter. Subscribe to my newsletter & writing job board here!
5 Storytelling Lessons We Can Learn From Rian Johnson
Hey Amy, was this blog post partially created out of you wanting to tell people that you saw LOOPER before it was even out in theaters? Why yes, yes it is. That, and writer/director Rian Johnson's films make all of my top ten movie lists. If I were stranded on a deserted island, I'd bring his high school noir film Brick with me. If I had three hours left to live, you can bet I'd be watching his feel-good con man love story adventure, The Brother's Bloom. What's that you say? There's been a nuclear war and I'm only allowed to save five movies from the impending destruction? Looper, consider yourself saved.
Pre-Writing Checklist: 6 Things To Do Before Starting Your Screenplay
I've learned some very important lessons from my overseas travel, but one message actually applies to screenwriting: always prepare yourself for the journey ahead. Writing a script, is, in essence, a journey. Don't be that guy who gets stopped at the border because you forgot your passport and who drinks the water the moment his boot hits Mexicano soil.
Dispatches from Mexico
There's nothing like international travel to remind you how much you value your limbs.
The 5 Basics of Creativity for Writers
Here are the five things writers should know about creativity.
6 Reasons Why Earlier TV Seasons Are The Strongest
When Nikita got renewed, I died of happiness. This high-octane spy thriller is filled with Alias-like twists and turns and movie-quality combat, and the characters are layered and nuanced. I love the first and second season with obsessive tendencies. However, gun to my head I would still say that the first season has stronger storytelling.
9 Creative Approaches to Screenwriting
Over the past year, I've been studying the science behind creativity and how it works while conducting a study of my own. Because when you think about it, being creative is one of the fundamental skills required for screenwriters to be wildly successful. The execs aren't gonna fed ex you buckets of cash unless you've some kind of genius who can pitch and write things they've never seen before.
Non-Official Resume
Eventually I'm going to make a "video resume," which will basically be a 60-minute long montage of me doing awesome things like skydiving and winning a game of extreme shuffleboard.
7 Essential Habits for Writers
So "caffeine dependency" didn't make this list, but it's an important part of my creative process. Caffeine's great for productivity! Especially in latte form! Or any form, really!
5 Books You Should Read This Month
I spend more time reading book reviews than actual books because I have no time to read so-so novels. But the result? I find fantastic reads. Here are some books I've read and loved recently.
Writers and Schizophrenia: What New Studies Reveal About the Writer's Psyche
So today's blog post is just another reminder of how us creative types are... um... different. As in, we might be predisposed to getting a mild form of schizophrenia.
Novels vs. Screenplays and Why Writers Should Try Writing a Novel
You should write a novel.I know, I know, you're a screenwriter. You're a movie person. Why write anything that doesn't have a chance of appearing on the big screen?Here's why: you can learn quite a bit from studying different mediums. (This goes for novelists, too!) There's power in crosstraining. That's why professional football players do ballet and yoga in their offseason.
8 Tips for a Successful Writing Marathon
In the novel writing community, word sprints and word wars are common practice, especially during National Novel Writing Month month of November. On forums and Twitter, novelists set word count goals and race other writers to that goal. One word war I participated in had a goal of 7,000 words within 24 hours.
Writing About Guns: 7 Screenplay Do's and Dont's
I'm an action/thriller writer with an emphasis on the spy and assassin subgenres, so most of my scripts have guns. Scratch that: ALL of my scripts have guns. That's why my research brought me to the largest indoor gun range in the country, where I got to learn all about firearms from one of the experts in the industry.
4 Ways to Distance Yourself From Your Story
One rampant problem common amongst amateur writers is that they cannot take criticism. They are so close to their work, they cannot bear hearing anything but praise for what they've written, even if it isn't the truth.This tendency isn't completely their fault. The problem with writing as a career is that everything we write is a reflection of who we are.
5 Lessons Screenwriters Can Learn from The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games is set to have the highest grossing opening weekend of all time for a non-sequel movie. What makes the story work? What can we learn from this smash hit?
The "Will They Won't They" Plot Device: Is it Overused?
The "Will They Won't They Get Together Romance" is possibly one of the most annoying-- yet extremely addicting if used effectively- plot device on television today.
