The Social Network: How to Write a Betrayal
And why the most satisfying revenge in the film is a punch that never lands.
Games Writers Play
Every other Wednesday, I take one scene apart and find the psychological mechanism that makes it work. Then I show you how to steal it. (Plus cat photos, because there's only so much nerd one newsletter can hold.)
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
True Detective (s1): How to Connect the Audience to an Unreadable Character
Two men in a car talking philosophy. That's not a scene — that's a bad podcast. So why can't you look away?
Breaking bad: How to Flip the Script
Or why tropes are an important ingredient for fun.
Obsession: How to Set Up Throughlines
How a four-minute exposition dump plants a betrayal you never see coming, but also expect.
UPDATES & BREAKDOWNS!
Top 3 breakdowns to catch up on, to be specific.
Devil Wears Prada 2: How NOT to Write Your Climax
Looking at "Devil Wears Prada 2", with my "skepticals" on.
The Zone of Interest: How to Terrify the Audience
Using only technical language, charts, and fascism.
Start Here
New here? Let me show you around. Quickly.
Top 5 breakdowns you might have missed
Catch up on some of the readers' favorites — from how to write effective dialogue to setting up exposition
Fight Club: How to Write (Awesome) Voiceover
Diving deep into Fight Club. The Fight Club.