FROM THE DESK OF
Amy Suto
Hello! 👋 I’m Amy Suto, a published author and digital nomad. Subscribe to my newsletter here!
5 Things You Forgot About Rough Drafts
Working screenwriters tend to have several screenplays in the pipeline at once, all at different levels of completion. This way, they can bounce around between all the stages of the writing process without getting fatigued, and always have an answer for the dreaded question, 'what else do you got?' But balancing a pipeline of different projects -- and actually completing them -- takes time. When you start off, chances are you'll just focus on one screenplay at a time. And sometimes, it's easy to forget about the messiness that is the rough draft.
The Doomed Love Trope (And Why It's Awesome)
You've seen it before.Two starstruck lovers fall into such a perfect, idealized form of true love that their passion for each other could burn out the sun if it was one kilowatt brighter. These two youngsters resemble all of our romantic hopes and dreams, and we want them to overcome every obstacle in their path in order to be together.But, of course, their love is doomed due to timing.
3 Reasons Why Screenplays are Like Lattes
Welcome to AmySuto.com! You may also know this website by its alternate name, "Gratuitous Photos of Delicious Caffeinated Beverages."Now, you may be asking "Amy, how on earth are you able to craft an extended metaphor around lattes and screenplays?" And to that I laugh and exclaim, "silly readers! I'm a writer! I make extended metaphors for a living!"Anyways.Here are four reasons why screenplays are like lattes:
10 Ways to Prepare for National Novel Writing Month
Greetings, traveler! Chances are, you're reading this because you've decided to embark on the highly dangerous, highly caffeinated thirty-day whirlwind known as National Novel Writing Month. The goal? To write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November. You may not even have an idea for a novel in this point in time. But never fear! This guide exists to divulge the secrets behind a successful month of noveling. Let the adventure begin!
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.
