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Discover why 90% of screenplay sales hinge on two crucial elements - and it's not what most writers think. Professional screenwriter Tom Vaughan exposes the industry's best-kept structural secrets, including the game-changing 8-sequence method that outperforms traditional 3-act structure. Learn why the story-vs-plot distinction separates amateur scripts from professional ones, and discover how proper structure actually unleashes creativity instead of constraining it.

Tom Vaughan has written screenplays professionally for 28 years and taught the subject for 22.

He has written for, among others, Phoenix Pictures, TNT, MTV Films, Castle Rock Entertainment, ABC, NBC, CBS, Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures, Disney, and others. He has also developed screenplays for Matthew McConaughey, Nicolas Cage, Barry Sonnenfeld, Chow-Yun Fat, Ruben Fleischer, David Gordon Green, and many more.

WINCHESTER, the film he co-wrote starring Helen Mirren and Sarah Snook, about the infamous Winchester Mystery House, opened nationwide in 2018 and his eighth film, THE HAUNTING OF THE QUEEN MARY was released in 2023.

One of his big life goals was to teach screenwriting at my beloved alma mater, The University of Houston.

Which he now does.

Check out the video of this interview on our new YouTube Channel.

Useful links:

Michael Arndt's incredible screenwriting videos

Trailer to Tom's recent film, WINCHESTER

Interview with playwright Edward Albee - Tom's teacher

In our season two finale, we speak to screenwriter Justin Kremer, who made history as the first writer to be signed via The Black List website just six weeks after its launch. Six weeks later, he landed on the annual Black List for his historical political biopic McCarthy, which chronicles the rise and fall of 1950s Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. The script explores McCarthy's tenure as the most visible face of Cold War-era fears about communist subversion in America, culminating in the televised Army-McCarthy hearings of spring 1954, where the senator's claims of communist infiltration in the U.S. Army ultimately led to his downfall.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin Kremer on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, Letterbox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠d and X

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

Wall Street Journal Article

Interview w/The Bitter Script Reader

Black List Blog - Go Into The Story Interview

Deadline Article on First Website Discovery

This week on Blacklisted, we sit down with screenwriter Shea Mayo to dive into the bloody good journey of their spec script Crush on You - a love letter to '80s slasher films and ‘90s teen horror that caught Hollywood's attention and landed on the prestigious Black List in 2020.

Mayo breaks down how she channeled the iconic terror of Nightmare on Elm Street and other genre classics into a fresh, contemporary horror story.

Whether you're a screenwriter looking to break through, a horror fan curious about the genre's evolution, or just want to know what it takes to get Sydney Sweeney's attention, this episode delivers the goods. Plus, we'll discuss why the '80s slasher aesthetic continues to captivate modern audiences and how to write horror that bleeds off the page.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shea Mayo⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Today we're talking with Colin Bannon, a screenwriter who's made the prestigious Black List a record seven times with his genre-bending thrillers and survival horror scripts. We're diving into his breakthrough screenplay "The Interventionist," which landed on the 2018 Black List and follows a drug-addicted interventionist trying to help his own daughter, only to discover something far more sinister than addiction lurking beneath the surface.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Colin Bannon⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

'Long Lost' - Short Story Sale

'Don't Look' - Short Story Sale

TriStar Lands 'Ultra' - Survival Thriller Spec

Netflix wins 'First Ascent'

Multi-hyphenate talent Leah McKendrick joins us to dive deep into her romantic comedy screenplay Voicemails for Isabelle, which earned a coveted spot on the 2019 Black List. Now McKendrick is bringing her vision to life as the film's director, with Netflix set to release the project featuring Nick Robinson and Zoey Deutch in the leading roles.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leah McKendrick on ⁠⁠X⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

Original Director (as discussed) - Deadline

Netflix Announcement - Leah now at the helm - Deadline

Universal Monster Movie - Deadline

Voicemails for Isabelle - Scriptshadow Review

Leah McKendrick - Scriptshadow Interview

Scrambled Interview - Script Magazine

In the sixth episode of season two, we're joined by writer David Lee Williams (or is it Hawk?) to discuss his ⁠2022 Black List⁠ script Clementine — a high-octane thriller with the real-time propulsion of Run Lola Run, fueled by the visceral maternal energy of J.Lo's The Mother.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠David L Williams⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠X⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

'Forever Purge' Director to Helm Thriller 'Clementine'

Deadline Article on Director Attachment

Scriptshadow - 'Clementine' Review and Interview

Go Into The Story - David L Williams Interview w/Scott Myers

In the fifth episode of season two, we're joined by actor, writer and human rights activist, Alyssa Ross to talk about her Michael Phelps biopic, Resurfaced, which featured on the 2022 Black List.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Alyssa Ross⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on ⁠X⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

TV Pilot Trailer - The Humanitarians

Alyssa's Website

Mentioned Article about Resurfaced on SwimSwam

In our fourth episode of season two, we're joined by spec king, Dan Kunka to discuss his ⁠2014 Black List⁠ script, Yellowstone Falls - a 52-page script with minimal dialogue and few human characters.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where a catastrophic event has stripped the humanity from most survivors, leaving them as mutated threats. At its core, it's the story of a mother wolf who becomes separated from her mate when their pack flees to safety. Now alone, she must defend her cubs from an oncoming swarm of these dehumanized creatures.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dan Kunka⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on ⁠X⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠BlueSky⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

Deadline - QED buys 'Yellowstone Falls'

Deadline - 'Lift' Spec Sale

Final Draft - Spec Spotlight: Lift

Creative Screenwriting - Interview

In the third episode of season two, we're joined by former journalist Anna Klassen (Newsweek, The Daily Beast, BuzzFeed) to discuss her 2017 Black List script When Lightning Strikes — a coming-of-age story exploring the early life of J.K. Rowling, the novelist who conjured the magical world of Harry Potter.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna Klassen ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ and BlueSky

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠⁠

Visit ⁠⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

Final Draft - How Anna Klassen Turned Competition Wins into a Thriving Career

Canvas Rebel - Meet Anna Klassen

The Cosmophage - Anna Klassen

The Script Lab - Interview

Into The Script - Taking The Industry By Storm: An Interview with Screenwriter Anna Klassen

Shoutout LA - Meet Anna Klassen | Screenwriter

In our second episode of season two, we welcome Travis Braun to the podcast to discuss his 2022 Black List script, Dying For You. Travis made Black List history in December 2024, by becoming the first writer to top the list twice - and if that wasn't enough, he did it in successive years! Well done, TB.

Guest: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Travis Braun⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

Host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Chris Hill⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BlueSky⁠

Visit ⁠storyandplot.com/blacklisted⁠ for a 10% discount on Tom Vaughan's fantastic screenwriting courses.

Useful links:

Deadline - Travis Braun and Black List make history

Deadline - 'One Night Only' sells to Universal

Deadline - 'Bad Boy' package taken to EFM