Tom Vaughan (@storyandplot) / X

Tom Vaughan

12.9K posts

Tom Vaughan

@storyandplot

Daily posts on screenwriting. Writer of 8 films, including WINCHESTER + others. I share what I've learned as a pro at storyandplot.com and @UHouston 🐾

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Joined July 2010

Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Oct 11, 2024
FIRST BLOOD has often been misremembered because of its sequels. People forget that the original film is a smart, hard-hitting character piece. An unflinching and unflattering portrait of so many elements of American society. The casting is impeccable, top to bottom. The
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3.7M
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Apr 19, 2024
TREMORS remains one of my favorite creature features. The screenwriting doesn't try to do too much. It takes a simple premise of "Jaws on land" and executes it with joy and affection. It has legitimate tension, fantastic performances, and a terrific sense of humor. The reveal
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428K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Aug 20, 2024
It's over 30 years later, and I am still mad they killed Newt and Hicks in between Aliens and Alien3. How these stories can bury into your being like this is pretty amazing. 😂
266K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Jan 10, 2025
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is one of the great films about the history, culture, and vibe of Los Angeles. I wouldn't change a thing about it. It is a near-perfect movie. The directing, the writing, the performances. The inciting incident doesn't come until minute 30! The inciting
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187K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Mar 1, 2024
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a near-perfect film. The directing, the writing, the performances… It’s also one of my favorite examples of what I call the “Theory Placeholder.” This is a screenwriting device for mysteries where the audience always has just enough information to think
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304K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Apr 26, 2024
It's hard to convey the excitement of seeing SUPERMAN in the theaters in 1979. There had never really been anything like it. A huge blockbuster superhero movie that seemed fully grounded in our world. Even in this clip, Donner voices the same sense of wonder from the crowd that
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267K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Nov 6, 2023
I will take a break from the usual screenwriting tweet to share that I am 22 years sober today. Drinking ended my first go-around in this business. I've learned quite a bit since then. Some hard-earned lessons and some
85K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Apr 21, 2022
I was rejected by at least 30 agents within the three months before I got my first agent at CAA. I have not sold a single script that wasn't rejected by at least 30 other buyers. A significant part of this endeavor is just how many no's you have in you. #screenwriting
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Jun 29, 2023
Early in my screenwriting career, I was insecure, hungover, and a pain to work with. I sobered up & wanted to change my reputation, but didn't know how. Then Craig Mazin gave a talk at the WGA on thriving in development. These are 5 takeaways that helped change how I worked.
342K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
May 7, 2023
With #WGAStrong rightfully in the spotlight this week, I've seen some less-than-sympathetic comments focusing on the lack of originality in our projects. This is a fair criticism of the system, but not the writers. A quick history of how we got here: 🧵
326K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Aug 26, 2023
What do you think we're doing? We're negotiating a contract.
12K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
May 15, 2025
How to interpret some of the most common screenwriting notes:
50K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
Nov 6, 2024
I will take a break from the usual screenwriting tweet to share that I am 23 years sober today. Drinking ended my first go-around in this business, and I tend to think of how I clawed my way back to making a living at this as the major change when
32K
Tom Vaughan
@storyandplot
May 5, 2024
THE FALL GUY "disappointed" at $28m this weekend. This was due to production and marketing costs, which treated the property as a beloved I.P., which it isn't. With that, I thought it'd be worth reviewing again the rise of I.P. and marketing as the focus of the studio business.
173K