The foreword

Stop Writing! encourages the writer to dissect multiple facets of story, character, and world-building before writing “Fade In.” Don’t write a word until you go through this must-read book. David’s concepts will change how you write.

Damn. Hollywood’s best-kept secret just got out. For years, David Cornue was my unfair advantage. I’ve never come across a better coach for writers.

This book belongs next to Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! and Robert McKee’s Story. David advances story development with tools unlike any I’ve seen, built on rare insight into the writer’s mindset. It transforms how you think about writing.

The most important thing to solve in writing a successful story is the structure. David Cornue’s advice and techniques for achieving it are excellent.

I coach actors, and I’m telling every one of them to read this book. Acting is storytelling. John Wooden gave coaches his Pyramid of Success. David has built the pyramid for story, and it’s a stroke of genius.

A must-read not just for screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights, but for producers, executives, and agents as well. David is the trusted guide every storyteller needs.

I wrote and produced television series for twenty-five years, and penned three novels. Then I read David’s groundbreaking book, and it opened my eyes to a new and better creative approach. You can teach old dogs new tricks.

I created software for your stories. Cornue’s book is software for your mind. Read it first, then come to the blank page. I promise it won’t be blank for long.

STOP WRITING! belongs on every writer’s desk. David’s advice is precise without being prescriptive. He gives tools, not doctrine.

Stop Writing is the ultimate road map to sort out all the crazy roads your brain goes down when sitting down to write. Damn, I wish I’d had it for all the bumpy back roads I traveled to finish my own projects. David Cornue is not just a prolific and gifted writer, he’s created a brilliant ‘how to’ guide, so you can be too.

David has a way of explaining complicated concepts in a way that makes them understandable and actionable. He is one of the few early readers I trust to give me feedback. His advice is always supportive, on point, and elevates every script I send to him.

In the brilliantly imagined book, ‘Stop Writing!’ David Cornue has attended to every detail a writer needs to break through in episodic and feature film. From the format of the essential one-sheet, to the beats of a tremendous story, to the art of capturing dynamic dialogue, this book is both practical and inviting. Thank you, David, for your commitment and guidance.

STOP WRITING! is a graduate level education in writing — only cheaper and more useful. Smart, practical, personal — like having a trusted mentor within arm’s reach.

Should be required reading for anyone trying to write—or trying to write better. David Cornue has created a brilliant toolbox that changed my entire process. I’ll return to this gold mine for years.