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5 Screenwriters You Need to Know

By Jameson Brown · September 25, 2014

Along with basic writing tips to keep us all in line and writing each and every day, understanding how professional screenwriters work is helpful. Does this mean copy them? Absolutely not. It means examine what they have done and how they have done it. What is their style? Do they write dialogue driven scripts? Or do they focus heavily on action and mannerisms? Researching a group of selected screenwriters can only help find your own style and craft. Just make sure you don’t romanticize their work to the point of muddling your own voice.

 

5. P.T. Anderson

One of the masters (apologies for that one), Paul Thomas Anderson displays profound knowledge of screenplay complexity and intricacy. The “tangled web” model has existed before and after him, but what enables his writing to surface to the top is the detailed characters and the depth of the problems they face. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=c4AZ6TPSKXo

Video Credit

 

3. Billy Wilder

A man with more experience than anyone on this list, Wilder began his writing journey as a journalist, but eventually switched to writing for the screen. With a hell of a canon, Some Like It Hot has always been a favorite of mine since it combined Wilder’s writing, direction and Lemmon’s hilarious performance. 

 

2. Martin McDonagh

A talented playwright, McDonagh infuses blistering dark comedy into his screenplays, while also incorporating themes of salvation and optimism. He is specifically good at deconstructing his characters and then rebuilding them again by the final pages. 

 

1. Nic Pizzolatto

One of the most talented writers to date, Pizzolatto has elevated “rabbit hole writing” to a new level. His “cat and mouse” style includes misdirection and illusions that lead audiences on routes they think are correct. True Detective: Season 2 will be a test to see if this style of writing can withstand a change in environment, as Louisiana was the bolstering character in Season 1.