Screenwriting

The Best Writers In The World Use This Process To Structure Their Stories – Corey Mandell

Filmcourage

Published

February 13, 2026

[Watch the video interview on YouTube here]

Film Courage: Do the best writers have a different process than the rest when it comes to story structure?

Corey Mandell, Screenwriter and Screenwriting Instructor: In large part, yes.

I mean, first I think it’s really important to look at this big picture.

The way I look at it is you’re a writer and you have something you want to write.

You’re really excited and at some point you’re going to have to figure out the story and the story structure.

Some writers want to do that right away.

Some writers want to dive in and do a bunch of writing, kind of figure it out as they go along.

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But at some point you’re going to need to figure this out.

The way I look at it is like you’re in this valley.

There’s a mountain and top of the mountain is the promised land.

Top of the mountain is a script that is just pitch perfect story structure.

It never lags.

It’s not episodic.

It’s always escalating.

When people read it, they’re…(Watch the video interview on YouTube here).

About:

Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has written projects for Ridley Scott, Wolfgang Petersen, Harrison Ford, John Travolta, Warner Brothers, Universal, 20th Century Fox, Fox 2000, Fox Family, Working Title, Paramount, Live Planet, Beacon Films, Touchstone, Trilogy, Radiant and Walt Disney Pictures.

Corey teaches screenwriting via private online classes using video conferencing to allow participants to see and hear each other in real time. His highly popular classes draw students from across the US, Europe and Australia.

His students have gone on to sell or option scripts to Warner Brothers, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Disney, Fox, Fox 2000, MGM, Universal, USA Network and Lifetime. Others have gained admission to the USC Graduate Screenwriting Program, the AFI Conservatory Screenwriting Program and Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab.