by Max Adams
Five Instant Logline Fixes Five Instant Logline Fixes THE BAD NEWS: If you’re making these 5 mistakes, you’re not ready for prime time. THE GOOD NEWS: Correcting these 5 mistakes will rocket your logline quality up so fast NASA might ask to read your script. 1: ...
by Max Adams
Save It For The Director Save It For the Director I see advice online sometimes to screenwriters, “Don’t do that, that’s the director’s job.” Most recently, I saw it about putting music in a script. Other times I see it about defining...
by Max Adams
Five Instant Action Fixes Five Instant Action Fixes THE BAD NEWS: If you’re making these 5 mistakes writing screenplays, you’re not ready for prime time. THE GOOD NEWS: Correcting these 5 mistakes will rocket your script quality up so fast NASA might ask to read...
by Max Adams
Writing Above the Line WRITING ABOVE THE LINE — Invariably, at the end of any interview, the interviewer will pause and then say, “What advice would you give newer writers trying to break in?” This used to seem like an impossibly broad question. Seriously? You want me...
by Max Adams
Character Hacks CHARACTER HACKS — I was talking to my Gotham students. They’re in a screenwriting 101 class. The first foray into screenwriting. And it’s my job, working with them in that first class, to work with them on structure. Hard. Concept too....
by Max Adams
Saving Face SAVING FACE — This is not my usual “cool find” but I want to put it out there because we are coming up on pitching classes and Zoom meetings. People say odd things about me, like “Max doesn’t age.” That is not true. (Dear...
by Max Adams
Withholding, It Is Not Just For Breakfast Any More… CHARACTERS WITHHOLD — I was talking to my Gotham students about an upcoming assignment. The assignment is a character bio written by the lead character for a writing class. (Okay. Look. I know not every...
by Max Adams
Movie Moments MOVIE MOMENTS — I saw this post from Vivashwan Chudhary on LinkedIn talking about “a simple way of testing whether your film idea will work or not.” He was talking about a writer who pitched him an idea, but “didn’t want to waste time...
by Max Adams
Three Reasons Someone Might Not Read Your Screenplay 3 Reasons Someone Might Not Read Your Screenplay…. . NUMBER 1: You Have No Idea In Hell Whom You Are Talking To – And You Don’t Try To Find Out Before Shooting Off Your Mouth. A. LOT. This happened to me a...
by Max Adams
Free Book Chapter! FREE BOOK CHAPTER! Ooh la la! That is right. You get a free chapter, Pitching a Spec Script, from The New Screenwriter’s Survival Guide just for filling out that form. Yay! The catch? You go on the mailing list. But if you hate it you...
by Max Adams
Friends With Benefits! FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS! [not those benefits, fresh!] REFER A FRIEND! — GET 20% OFF — Know a screenwriter who hasn’t taken Max classes but you know they’d love and benefit from them? Refer them and you both get 20% off your next...
by Max Adams
The Voice Class || NOVEMBER 3 THE VOICE CLASS || SIX WEEK MASTER CLASS COURSE: A Six Week Online Master Screenwriting CourseStudying with Max AdamsCourse Dates: 01.06.26 || 11.03.26Course Fee: $475Course Location: ONLINE The Voice Class is a six week online master...
by Max Adams
Apply Now Oh nos! A writing sample! Yes. Sorry. I feel your pain. But listen. You don’t have to be Aaron Sorkin here. I just need to know where your writing is and that you can format a scene sequence. You can format a scene sequence, right? Be brave. Do it!...
by Max Adams
The Last Chance Last Call Voice Class Deal HAPPY HALLOWEEN — In honor of my favorite favorite holiday and also because I have some slots open still in the November 4 Voice Class (which you should take, you animals, what are you thinking leaving those seats...
by Max Adams
THE VOICE CLASS 2 || Jan 5 THE VOICE CLASS 2 || SIX WEEK MASTER CLASS COURSE: A Six Week Online Master Screenwriting CourseStudying with Max AdamsCourse Dates: 03.10.26 || 01.05.27Course Fee: $475 Course Location: ONLINE The Voice Class 2 is a follow up master class...
by Max Adams
The Writer’s Press Kit The Writer’s Press Kit This is one from a while back but it still applies because I have been trying to build a press section for AFW and it is hard going. Seriously. It’s like trying to pick axe stone. Because nobody has a press...
by Max Adams
june 2025 hashtag competition! THE GREAT JUNE 2025 HASHTAG COMPETITION! YAY! WHAT YOU WIN: Mastering Story Momentum, the newest of the four currently available online screenwriting master class video courses from author & award winning screenwriter Max Adams....
by Max Adams
NEW VIDEO COURSE! MASTERING STORY MOMENTUM! MASTERING STORY MOMENTUM! YAY! THAT. IS. A. WRAP! The new video online master screenwriting class Mastering Story Momentum is done! Loaded! Ready for viewing! (This one fought me some during editing, okay, fought me a lot,...
by Max Adams
Summer Screenplay Consult Special! SUMMER SCREENPLAY CONSULT SPECIAL EXTENDED! I still have an open consult slot in July and two open consult slots in August which is good news for you I am extending the summer consult special yay! Book a summer consult calendar slot...
by Max Adams
New Six Week Master Class! The Voice Class! THE VOICE CLASS! YAY! I have been threatening to launch a new six week online master class for a while now and it is here! Yay! The Voice Class is an accelerated screenwriting master class studying online with author &...
by Max Adams
THE ALL ACCESS VIDEO MASTER CLASS PASS! THE ALL ACCESS VIDEO MASTER PASS! YAY! The Video All Access Master Pass gives bearers one year access to all AFW video courses released and/or available during the Master Pass membership year. That includes available video...
by Max Adams
NEW VIDEO COURSE! CHARACTER WRITING! CHARACTER WRITING! YAY! THAT. IS. A. WRAP. YAY! The new video online master screenwriting class Character Writing is here! Yay! Yay! Yay! Character Writing, the online master screenwriting class from TheAFW and yours truly is here,...
by Max Adams
Subscription To After Party EASY ACCESS PAYPAL SUBSCRIPTION PAGE FOR — THE AFTER PARTY — The After Party is a private online screenwriting group comprised of 5150 Workshop members and alumni, Left Door alumni, and AFW students and course alumni. It is housed in the...
by Max Adams
The After Party! NOT ANOTHER SCREENWRITING GROUP! Yes. It is totally another screenwriting group. This one is kind of cool though so read on! THE AFTER PARTY — Is a private online screenwriting group comprised of 5150 Workshop members and alumni, Left Door alumni, and...
by Max Adams
VISUAL WRITING COMPETITION! IT’S A WRITING COMPETITION! Enter Your Best Character Introduction (we’re talking screenplays here, not prose) for a Chance to Win a Visual Writing Video Master Screenwriting Class from TheAFW and author and award winning...
by Max Adams
New Video Course! VISUAL WRITING! VISUAL WRITING! YAY! So you know I’ve been working on these video classes since, well maybe since before Jesus was born I do not know I am losing track of time here at this point but a long long long long time. Ahh! But! The new video...
by Max Adams
GAME OVER! Game Over! . I had to kill the Dino game. Sorry about that, Dino fans. Things just got out of hand around here when the Dino game was getting 3,000 visits a day while main site material was not, and we hit the top Google search return for the Dino game,...
by Max Adams
The New Screenwriter’s Survival Guide The New Screenwriter’s Survival Guide — by Max Adams THE NEW SCREENWRITER’S SURIVIVAL GUIDE is the follow up edition to THE SCREENWRITER’S SURIVAL GUIDE by author & award winning screenwriter Max Adams....
by Terry Rossio
The Impetus to Produce Guest Post from Screenwriter Terry Rossio A friend completed a historical drama and was brainstorming with me on ways to get the material out there and read by the right people. I introduced her to Terry Rossio, who knows a hell of a lot...
by Max Adams
Lucky Number 13 Lucky Number 13 When a writer hires me to review material, it’s important to note, the writer is not paying for a “read.” I can read a script in an hour. Two hours if the script is too long. [Too long means 200 pages. Um. Everybody hates...