A gift for you (if you like to read screenplays)

​The Black List is announced every year about this time, and for the past several years I've shared my top picks with you here. You know, just in case you're looking for something good to read during your holiday down time. 😊

If you're not already familiar, the Black List is an annual list of the industry's favorite (as-yet) unproduced screenplays. Getting familiar with the Black List scripts can give you a sense of current industry preferences and standards, in terms of quality and style.

But all that aside, I really just share these scripts with you because they're good reads. So, here are a few I enjoyed and that I thought might interest you too:

1. ​Alignment, written by Natan Dotan​
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   ​A board member at a booming AI company wrestles with corporate politics and warped incentives as he tries to prevent his colleagues’ willful ignorance from causing a global catastrophe.
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   ​Highly topical, moderate budget, and a fun, fast read... it's pretty easy to see why this script resulted in a splashy spec sale recently. We love big deals for writers, especially these days. 🎉
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2. ​Love of Your Life, written by Julia Cox​
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   ​Maya – a smart, wry nurse – is swept up in an immersive love, one that sets her life on a trajectory she never would have imagined.
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   ​Your mileage may vary, of course, but this screenplay destroyed me. I mean, big, gulping sobs over my coffee kind of destroyed. Any screenplay that can do that is doing something right.
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   And, happily, this was another big spec sale (and bidding war) this year! 🎉
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3. ​Bloody Mingo, written by Jonathan Easley​
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   ​Investigating the crime scene of a potential homicide in the Appalachian mountainside, a deputy encounters a strange mountain community that claims to be haunted by an evil witch that lives in the woods.​
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   The intersection of detective story and spooky scares is one of my favorite places, and this script delivered what I wanted and kept me guessing. It fits nicely in a category with Longlegs, which was released this year, and I'd be perfectly happy seeing Bloody Mingo on a Friday night.

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If these selections aren't your cup of tea (or even if they are), I encourage you to check out the rest of the loglines on this year's Black List. See what catches your eye. If you're so inclined, you can find the screenplays with a quick Google search.

It's a great time to curl up with some good reading!

Until next time,

Naomi

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