There's a secret weapon in the war for eyeballs and attention - the core fantasy. That ineffable desire that pulls people in and keeps them coming back for more.

Negotiation is a skill you can master even quicker than saving the cat. We’re going to class with three heavyweights of the winning trade - Donald Trump (The Art of the Deal), Chris Voss (Never Split the Difference), and Robert Greene (The 48 Laws of Power).

When you spend years creating villainous organizations—shadowy spy networks, rogue agencies, secret societies—you start to notice something. The most outlandish ideas, the ones that feel like pure sci-fi or paranoid conspiracy, often have real-world precedents.

Great stories don’t just appear out of thin air. They’re designed and built. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed when crafting your screenplay, you’re not alone. Thankfully, some of the greatest minds in storytelling have mapped out frameworks to guide us. 

The squeeze is coming for mid-level scribblers - the workhorse scribes of TV shows who churn out solid, reliable scripts on time and within the budget. In 2025 AI is getting scarily good at matching tone, working within the canon constraints of show bibles, and incorporating creative notes from above. Uh-oh.

The myth of the lone creative genius has always been how we market films, books, and video games: one name, one vision. But are AI tools pushing this marketing myth into an authentic attribution?

When Michael B. Jordan stepped into the director’s chair for Creed 3, he brought more than just his talent as an actor and filmmaker, he brought his lifelong love of anime.

Imagine a quiet evening, the glow of your screen pulling you into another world. You laugh, cry, and cheer for characters who aren’t just on a journey, they take you along for the ride. But have you ever wondered why anime characters feel so relatable, even when they’re battling titanic foes or navigating fantastical worlds?

If you grew up glued to the screen, wide-eyed at the emotional depth, breathtaking visuals, and powerhouse storytelling of anime, guess what? You’ve already been building a creative superpower that can set you apart in the world of filmmaking.

As artificial intelligence reshapes how we create, a question lingers: What happens to those magical moments of flow when the tools we use are so fast, so powerful, that they replace the slower, deliberate processes we once relied on?

The Q&A interrogation framework is a powerful tool for scribblers. It can reveal character backstories, deliver twists, and frame high-stakes action, all while keeping the audience guessing. When done well, it can elevate a story, but when misused, it risks undercutting the tension.

The rise of artificial intelligence is rewriting the rules of creativity. For filmmakers, the impact feels both exhilarating and daunting. With AI-generated scripts, deepfake technology, and automated editing tools, it’s easy to wonder: what role do storytellers have in this brave new world?

Robert Eggers uses research, personal voice, and bold choices to make his work unique and unforgettable. Let’s unpack his scribbler’s toolbox to see what we can gank that will power up our own creative process.

I’m a big fan of the indie game developer Thomas Brush. I enjoyed Pinstripe, a thoughtful and evocative narrative title he created. Though I don’t make games, I find his YouTube channel is filled with wisdom nuggets applicable to the scribbling craft.

The first five pages of a screenplay are your make-or-break moment. This is where you hook your readers, establish your story’s identity, and deliver enough intrigue to make them want more.

The approaching onslaught of AI-generated slop might initially devalue the market for makers, but a scarcity of quality, intentionality, and cultural relevance will generate value for standout scribblers who find ways to stay in the game.

Scribbling is a balancing act between what you show and what you leave out. In prose and screenwriting, the power lies in trusting your audience to connect the dots. This balance takes many forms.

I’ve got a pitch coming up, and it got me thinking about people I’ve worked with who can effortlessly pitch a TV show, making others believe in it so completely it gets bought in the room.

Brilliant scribbling advice from writer/director James Mangold ganked from an awesome YouTube interview.

As a scribbler with ADHD and a lot of projects on my plate, staying focused has been a challenge. I’ve developed a schedule that helps me stay disciplined while allowing room for creativity, flexibility, and fitness.