Roving reporter and sceptical screenwriter, Tony Cella returns this month with a shocking report into a recent study that's revealed the overuse of a certain phrase. What's worse is the term has a proven relationship between its frequency of use and certain set of unlikable demographics by those who use it. It's a pretty damning report that goes all the way from the bottom to the top. Nobody is safe. If you ever feel yourself about to write this sentence it might be worth stopping, thinking, and asking what it actually says about you. - CJ

A while ago I got into an online slap-fight with the CEO of The Black List, a service that hosts screenplays for a fee, provides a reader critique service, and is a proven resource for Film Industry Professionals to source content. In short I laid into him for taking money and providing critiques that didn’t have a check-list of basic stuff to help writers grow — his claim, over and over, was all art is Subjective and to use any kind of structure to evaluate an art piece didn’t have any justification. I can appreciate Subjectivity in art, especially as a guitarist, because it’s the nuances, the flair that take an otherwise Objectively Competent player into a new realm of achievement.

As many of you will already know, I talk (rant) a lot about the desperation we screenwriters often have to fit in and just how dangerous a mentality that is for artists to have - yet one we are constantly browbeaten with by gurus and service providers. In this article, JC lays it it all out as clear as it can be, and she isn't here to sell you consultancy, pitches, or evaluations either; she's sending the elevator back down having gotten meetings, optioning scripts, and finding work. This is the perfect screenwriting blog post to kick off your new year with a bang - CJ

I hope you had a great Christmas. As we race toward the end of the year and face 2017, it's easy for us to start reflecting on what we've done and start planning what we hope to achieve over the next twelve months. However, we may want to stop and take a moment to change our perspective. I care a lot about this community and I want to do what I can to help everyone maximise not only our potentional but also our fulfilment. Let's make 2017 a great writing year for everybody, regardless of where we might might be in our development or careers - CJ

Stop the presses! It's a hot scoop this week on Script Revolution. Tony Cella has been wearing his detective's hat and, after trawling through various screenwriting communities, has made a shocking discovery. One you simply won't be able to comprehend. Okay, well maybe not. Some of you will have worked this out a long time ago. And before any script consultants react to this hard-hitting news, perhaps take a moment to consider if you are taking yourself and what you read on the Internet a little too seriously - CJ

As someone who writes characters who swear like well... motherfuckers, the thought of not peppering the page with curse words is painful. I'm very much in the same camp as Steven Fry who believes swearing is a beautiful extension of language that can be wielded with wit and intellect. However, only today I learned that Linkin Park had the best selling album of the 20th century because they went against the grain and refused to swear in their lyrics. In his latest blog, 6StringMercenary shares his thoughts, feelings, and influences on the subject - CJ

Stop, collaborate, and listen. JC's back with a new submission. Content that grabs a hold of you tightly. Pro level pro prose daily and nightly. Will she ever stop? No, not this flow. Putting the world to rights with another hard blow. Supreme knowledge that belongs on the mantel. Sit down and read to get the collaboration handle. (I'm more of a Cool Kids kinda guy than V.Ice) Either way, JC has some excellent collaboration stories under her belt so this experienced guide she has kindly provided here is an essential read, especially over a funky beat - CJ

One of the great things about being a screenwriter is keeping your eye open for those oddball stories that, while maybe being a little wacky, are often incredibly life affirming. In this blog from 6String Mercenary (a writer who prefers to keep his identity seperate from his work) he details a story that demanded some digging and turned up a backstory more than fit for the silver screen. I'm sure we've all run into some odd tales out there and it would be great to hear about them in the comments - CJ

It's a little bit of a rant from me today. I've gone through another week of watching hopeful new writers finding themselves shot down by the more jaded members of screenwriting communities. It's the usual spiel too. The claim these bright eyed and bushy tailed amateurs aren't tough enough for the business. I'm so tired of it. The thing is, it's all a distraction and I think we're all falling foul of being in an echo chamber. I say it's high time we break out before we lose our collective minds - CJ

Two words; business & respect. These two words entail a great deal yet can be pinned down by so little. We screenwriters tend to know very little about the former and get very little of the latter. It's partly our own fault, partly the fault of those we deal with, and largely the fault of the hive mind. In this blog, Tony Cella challenges one of the most played out axioms out there, screenwriters are never paid for short scripts. He makes one hell of an argument too, and it's all based on experience - CJ

Look, it's time to listen up. If your script is any reflection of the real world, then your character count should be around 50% female. Passing the Bechdel Test isn't enough - it isn't enough by a long shot. In this blog, J.E Clarke doesn't pull any punches, and corroborates many of the points I've raised previously myself. Representation of women in Hollywood is terrible right now and it's not our role to sit back and accept that, it's our calling to be strong and challenge the status quo - CJ

We are all too familiar with the paralysis that comes with a blank page waiting for us to adorn it with the finest prose we can muster. There is so much for a screenwriter to consider when constructing a scene, yet time and time again we focus too much of our energy into a paranoia over superficialities. We know all that really matters is story, so what's the answer to beat paralysis by analysis? Here Alan Mahenna makes a strong case for putting aside the fear of failure and accepting that writing badly is a huge step forward toward writing well - CJ

Alan Mehanna approached me after the last Script Revolution newsletter, offering to guest blog and giving me a link to the articles on his personal website. What I found was a treasure trove of thought pieces that really resonated with me. This is my favourite so far and puts forward the question that maybe we expect too much sometimes and that expectation turns us cynical. It certainly cause me to stop and thing, and I'm certainly looking forward to more from Alan in the future - CJ

With halloween around the corner, J.E. Clarke couldn't have found a better time to haunt us with this harrowing account of just how unfairly maligned horror is within cinema. I think we all have our favourite horror movies (mine are Tremors & Maximum Overdrive BTW), and maybe it's time we, as an industry, gave them the same level of respect we give to the other genres. If JC can't convince you good horror takes enormous talent with her words here you must be dead on the inside.

When Deen Gill approached me asking if I'd be interested in him blogging about what he's learned writing adaptions, I thought sure, a few pointers would be great. But the man has gone above and beyond and kicked off part 1 of his guide to writing adapations with a hell of a detailed start. This is a must read for any screenwriting considering adapting either their own material or that of another author's. Ultimately this part focuses on where we are in terms of our story craft and how adaptions can either help or hinder us depending on which path we take - CJ

The first ever guest blog here on Script Revolution comes from Simon Mapp, a guy I'm absolutely delighted to have become acquainted with because he is one of those selfless and caring screenwriters prepared to go out of his way to help others. In this list, Simon identifies a whole load of literary journals screenwriters may want to consider submitting to, some charge, some pay, others fall somewhere in between. The fact is we should always consider every avenue open to us and decide if there's an opportunity there that may give us an edge - CJ