This article explores academic and industry perspectives on the use of dialect, slang, and historical language in screenwriting. It offers a chronological overview of major screenwriting manuals' treatment of dialect and slang (or lack thereof) 1946-2020. It then presents survey data of 53 currently-practicing screenwriters' views on working with…

This study focuses on interviews with fifteen writers of real person fiction -- a type of fanfiction -- about British boy band One Direction. Most interviewees began writing these romantic, often sexually explicit, stories between the ages of 12 and 16. Results indicate that many writers learned how to write about sex by reading other explicit One…

Recurring expressions and idiolectal speech patterns are often used by the scriptwriters of sitcoms to portray the personality of some of the characters. These expressions, which in many cases end up becoming popular, are so significant that they need be kept in the translated versions of these series. A corpus-based script analysis method that…

The authors discuss their participant observation study with the 10-year-old boy and 8-year-old girl who collaborated on making digital videos at home. Major themes that emerged from this research include appropriation of popular culture texts, parody, gender play, and managing self-representations. These themes highlight the benefits of video…

The authors suggest using scripting as a strategy to mentor and enhance author's voice in writing. Through gradual release, students use authentic literature as a model for writing with voice. The authors also propose possible extensions for independent practice, integration across content areas, and tips for evaluation.

An independent television screenwriter gives practical suggestions on writing and becoming a professional screenwriter. (PD)

Offers advice from a playwright on how to use a play's stage directions. States that stage directions (1) are one playwriting technique for eliminating unnecessary words, (2) are strong suggestions from the playwright, and (3) often reveal character traits. Discusses script analysis. (PA)

Outlines a possible syllabus for training educational scriptwriters under the following headings: objectives, audience analysis, message planning, media semiology, format variables, production constraints, and tricks of the trade. (BD)

The writer's role in making motion pictures was evaluated from the days of silent movies to present cinema. (RK)

Cut! That's a take! An author's experience with a screenplay provides insights for young filmmakers. (Editor)

There is a fundamental division of purpose between scholarship and television. Academics deal in nuances, qualifications, and subtle distinctions, while film makers seek broad strokes, drama, and simple, vivid ideas. By accepting that difference, the two can cooperate to make good television that is good history. (MLW)

Chosen for their literary quality and because they reflect the historical periods in which they were written, the 23 one-act dramas in this anthology represent the work of American female playwrights. The plays range from the realistic dramas produced in the "Little Theatres" of New York City at the turn of the century to current off-Broadway…

Most performer-writers accept the writing process simply as a means to an end: the shared performance event with a live audience. While writer-performers regard a script as more important than the performance, a solo performance is, however, a showcase of the artist's talent, and creating one's own text offers the performer artistic control. Some…

Seven of the articles in this journal contain first-person descriptions of the procedures and methods used by outstanding American playwrights in creating their individual plays. The playwrights explain their own writing habits, working conditions, and revision processes in an effort to clarify the elements that contribute to the unusual…

A behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood's film industry reveals the roles and functions of its agents, directors, stars, writers, producers, and technicians. Economy is the dominant motivational factor affecting everyone connected with Hollywood; actors, scripts, and film production specialists are evaluated entirely in dollars. Coping with this…