Justin Kownacki

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Storytelling

7 Tips TV Writers Can Learn from “House of the Dragon” Episode 1

The pilot episode of House of the Dragon is a great example of how to make a complex story with many characters easy to understand.

By Justin, 7 months ago
Michael K Williams as Omar and Wendell Pierce as Bunk in The Wire
Storytelling

Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs Omar in “The Wire”

When Bunk confronts Omar on The Wire, their argument is the perfect example of a scene that works on all 3 storytelling levels.

By Justin, 2 yearsSeptember 11, 2021 ago
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Battany star as Wanda Maximoff and Vision in Marvel's WandaVision on Disney+
Storytelling

WandaVision’s Biggest Question Gets Deep: Who Are We, Really?

From a philosophy perspective, the most important part of WandaVision is what the series makes us question about ourselves.

By Justin, 2 yearsMarch 19, 2021 ago
Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) play chess for the U.S. Open Championship in Las Vegas in episode 3 of The Queen's Gambit
Storytelling

Why The Queen’s Gambit Is Such Smart Visual Storytelling

How specific writing, filming, and editing choices turned this story about chess and addiction into a masterclass in visual storytelling.

By Justin, 2 yearsDecember 1, 2020 ago
The season one cast of the Starz series Black Sails
Storytelling

Black Sails: How to Write Compelling Character Arcs

The ensemble cast of Black Sails proves that writing complex characters in pursuit of opposing goals creates highly compelling storytelling.

By Justin, 2 yearsOctober 30, 2020 ago
William Zabka stars as Johnny Lawrence in the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai, a TV sequel to The Karate Kid movie franchise
Storytelling

Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Internal Conflict

Cobra Kai’s pilot episode shows why every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story… and why he’s also his own worst enemy.

By Justin, 3 yearsSeptember 8, 2020 ago
Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker movie poster
Storytelling

The Mystery Box Is Broken, and Here’s How to Fix It

From Lost to Game of Thrones to The Rise of Skywalker, the “mystery box” style of storytelling is coming up short. Here’s why — and how to fix it.

By Justin, 3 yearsApril 5, 2020 ago
Daenerys emerges victorious with her dragon behind her
Storytelling

Game of Thrones’s Biggest Surprise of All Was… a Satisfying Ending?

The final episode of Game of Thrones leaves no one entirely happy… and that’s exactly the way it should be.

By Justin, 4 yearsMay 20, 2019 ago
Jon Snow (Kit Harrington), Grey Worm of the Unsullied (Jacob Anderson), Ser Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) and their army enter the destroyed King's Landing in HBO's Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode "The Bells"
Storytelling

How “The Bells” Ruins Several Major Character Arcs in Game of Thrones

In the penultimate Game of Thrones episode “The Bells,” the show explores the ugly side of war, power, and consequences — but is it good storytelling?

By Justin, 4 yearsMay 13, 2019 ago
Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) and Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) watch the armies prepare for the Battle of Winterfell in "The Long Night" on HBO's Game of Thrones
Storytelling

Why Game of Thrones’ Battle of Winterfell Is Such Disappointing Storytelling

In “The Long Night,” Game of Thrones — a story built on unpredictability, mystery, and sacrifice — has now completely diverged from what made it great.

By Justin, 4 yearsApril 29, 2019 ago

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Popular Posts

  • • What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
  • • This Storytelling Flaw Ruined the New Star Wars Trilogy
  • • Why Does Every Marvel Movie Tell the Same Story?
  • • Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Conflict
  • • How Iron Man Created the Formula for Every Marvel Movie

Latest Posts

  • • Worldbuilding and Exposition: 6 Writing Tips from Dune
  • • Writing a Perfect Scene: Bunk vs. Omar in The Wire
  • • Screenwriting Lessons from ALIENS
  • • The Story Problem at the Heart of the Snyder Cut
  • • WandaVision's Biggest Question Gets Deep
  • • Why The Queen's Gambit Is Such Smart Storytelling

Frequent Topics

  • • DC
  • • Game of Thrones
  • • Marvel
  • • Star Wars

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