If you’re a fan of such films as Big Fish or The Corpse Bride, you may have noticed the name John August in the credits. John is the writer responsible for the fantastic screenplays of those two films as well as many others. Recently he also directed The Nines, featuring Ryan Reynolds which has received great reviews thus far. Amazingly John also has time to write regularly on JohnAugust.com, a personal blog featuring as you might expect, a lot of very useful information for budding screenwriters.

Why does this blog interest me so much?
I’ve been writing/re-writing a screenplay with a cousin of mine over the last couple years. Because of this I spend a lot of time researching screenwriting, looking for ways to improve, things I shouldn’t do, things I should do and so on. When I recently stumbled onto John’s blog, the first post I read talked about how to properly introduce characters into your script. I found it to be immensely useful and ever since reading that article, I’ve had JohnAugust.com in my list of daily reads.

What if I’m not a screenwriter?
That’s quite alright! There’s plenty to read on John’s blog for the casual reader as well. John writes about projects he’s currently working on, answers reader’s questions and even writes about what he learned from playing the game World of Warcraft. Though he’s given up the game (with some regrets) you might be surprised to learn there was a period of time in his life where he was rather addicted to it. I found it interesting to learn that even though John has certainly reached a level of celebrity, he’s still a guy who likes to play video games. Perhaps that’s what makes his blog so endearing. Despite that level of celebrity status, he’s still a guy you can relate to.

To help you get started with John’s blog, here’s a few posts I found interesting.

• Seven things I learned from World of Warcraft - As I mentioned previously, John writers about his experiences with WoW. After finally giving up World of Warcraft, John wrote a couple movies, directed another and even had a kid! I’d have to say the decision was probably a wise one to part ways with the game.
• Does anyone actually use long division? - As someone who loathes math, this post really cracked me up. If it were possible to live without math, I’d be all for it. So how often do you use it?
• How I got my agent - John talks about the consequences which led him to hiring an agent. He also briefly discusses the misconception that you absolutely need an agent.

Whether you’re an aspiring writer looking for tips from an accomplished veteran or simply think you may enjoy a glimpse into the life of someone working in the film industry, JohnAugust.com is a blog that will satisfy.

Categories: Movies, Personal, Reviews, Writing & Books