THE SCRIBBLERS TOOLBOX
“A collection of tips, tools, observations, and ephemera for like-minded scribblers. Peruse, share, or disregard at your leisure.”
Jesse Alexander
AI designed a movie for me.
For shizz and giggles, I downloaded my Lettrboxd data and uploaded my watchlist to ChatGPT. I asked the LLM, “Using this list, what is a concept for an original screenplay based on the genres I gravitate toward?” It claims the result combines my love for sci-fi, action, noir, and complex narratives with a bit of dark humor and visual flair. What do you think?
Starting Your Creative Project
Starting a new project can feel like standing at the base of a mountain. Whether you're developing a game, crafting a TV series, or planning a film, those first steps often determine your entire journey.
Re: Developing a New TV Series
When diving into development of a new concept for a TV series, I like reflecting on what’s worked for me in the past. I've compiled some elements I often consider and figured I’d share.
Visiting Creative Crossroads with my AI Therapist
When a recent pitch didn't sell, I found myself at a familiar crossroads. Creative careers can be loaded with dips, reversals, and moments of reckoning. So, while walking through the neighborhood, I dictated some context and asked Sam Altman’s baby how I might reframe and recommit.
Wants and Desires
Character desires, and the juicy roadblocks that stand in their way are the heart of storytelling.
All Killer! No Filler!
Every line, every carefully chosen word uttered by your characters, is an opportunity to push your narrative forward, reveal character details, and sneak in some thematic goodness.
Heroes with Heart
I saw the amazing new Wild Robot flick. It’s filled with amazing art, heart, and excellent filmmaking. It reminded me of another cinematic combo of machine and fowl -- Bastion and Ganymede from Overwatch.
Reaction Shots
The sublime art of making your audience feel through the power of a well-timed eyebrow raise or a subtle lip quiver.
Evolution or Extinction?
New tools can feel like a threat not just to our livelihoods but to our identity and childhood aspirations. Many of us have built careers, reputations, and connections around how things used to be, and the thought of that being disrupted -- sucks.
Emotion Trumps Logic
Characters who consistently act rationally aren’t just rare. They’re hard to believe. They don’t resonate because, in reality, decisions are influenced by emotions, past experiences, and instinct.
Chekov’s Gun
The legendary playwright Anton Chekhov said, "If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired."
Character Introductions
There’s an art to crafting character intros that'll make your audience sit up and say, "Whoa, who's that?" You've got precious few seconds to make your characters unforgettable.
Online Arenas: Where My Wallet Weeps but Humanity Thrives
If my wife ever finds out how much money I’ve spent on Call of Duty skins, she’s gonna be as annoyed as I was when I found out how much my son had spent on Fortnite skins. Oof. That said, there is more happening here than wallet-draining and family tsuris enhancement. The global generation that will inherit the earth is connecting cross-planet and collaborating via games as a service.
Adapting Iconic Worlds
A school of thought believes adapting a beloved IP without prior knowledge or connection to the material or even the genre is a positive. Maybe that works. Sometimes. Once. Has it ever?
Establishing Point of View
Make your audience forget they're staring at a screen and believe they're in your character's head, heart, and even their nightmares.
NVO & MRU vs. TL;DR
In the post-attention span era, scribbling pages that lower the barrier of entry and get folks turning pages is more important than ever.
A Scribbler’s Take on AI Creativity and Productivity
Over the past year and a half, I’ve been experimenting with ChatGPT, Claude, MidJourney, Gemini, Eleven Labs, and others. They’ve become an essential part of my strategy.
Every Aspiring Screenwriter Should Befriend a Future Agent
As I prep my son for his first year at film school, I’m reflecting on my own screenwriting career path. It’s a story of surprise connections, enduring friendships, and relentless scribbling.
Scribbling Trailer Tales
Use the eight-sequence structure to craft a compelling trailer for your movie that sets audience expectations.
Finding the Fifth Element
The secret to scribbling genre tales that resonate is finding love, empathy, and relatable human connection.