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The CoffeeDraft Newsletter: Action for screenwriters, twice a Week

CoffeeDraft TeamDecember 3, 20254 min read

Writing is hard. Sorting your inbox shouldn't be. The CoffeeDraft newsletter delivers one useful idea in every ultra-short email, just twice a week. Read it in two minutes. Benefit from it for your whole life as a writer.

The best advice fits in a single breath. We write emails that way.

What You Get

Two emails a week. Each one teaches exactly one thing.

One concept. One pain point. One hack. That's it. No rambling. No filler. No "but first, let me tell you about my journey." Just the thing that helps, delivered fast.

Every email stands on its own. A complete piece of writing and advice you can read, absorb, and use — whether it's your first issue or your fiftieth. No required reading. No catching up. Just open and learn.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - MORNING
A writer checks their phone between sips. An email notification.
They open it. Scan. Nod.
WRITER
(to themselves)
Huh. That's actually useful.
They pocket the phone. Return to writing.
Total interruption: forty-five seconds.

Tip

If an email takes longer to read than your coffee takes to cool, it's too long. Ours don't.

The Right Rhythm

Twice a week hits the sweet spot. Enough to keep screenwriting on your mind. Not so much that we become noise.

Daily newsletters overwhelm. Monthly newsletters get forgotten. Two emails a week keeps you in the zone — consistent contact with the craft without flooding your inbox.

You stay connected to the work. The ideas accumulate. The momentum builds.

Note

We're not trying to fill your reading list. We're trying to keep your writing sharp.

What We Cover

Screenwriting craft. The Fountain format. Productivity systems that actually work for creative people. The strange art of writing in public spaces. Tools that help you focus.

Some emails teach structure. Others explain a Fountain syntax trick. Some share a GTD technique adapted for writers. Others recommend a café setup or an e-ink workflow.

The thread connecting them: practical help for people who write screenplays.

Screenwriting Craft

How to write dialogue that reveals character. Why your second act sags and how to fix it. What subtext actually means and how to build it into every scene. Conflict that drives pages forward. Structure that holds a story together.

These aren't theory lessons. They're tools you can use in your next writing session.

INT. WRITER'S DESK - NIGHT
A screenplay on screen. Flat dialogue.
The writer opens an email. Reads. Looks back at the scene.
WRITER
(typing)
She wouldn't say that directly.
New dialogue appears. Subtext underneath.
WRITER
That's what she'd actually say.

Fountain Format

Syntax tips that save time. Formatting tricks most writers don't know. How to handle dual dialogue, lyrics, notes, and title pages. Getting the most out of plain text screenwriting.

Fountain is simple, but it has depth. We help you find it.

Tip

One Fountain trick can save you hours over the life of a screenplay. We share those tricks.

GTD for Writers

Getting Things Done, adapted for creative work. Managing multiple projects. Capturing ideas before they disappear. Weekly reviews that keep scripts moving instead of stalling.

Productivity systems usually feel corporate. We translate them for the writing life — where the work is messy, the schedule is your own, and motivation comes and goes.

Café Culture

Why writers flock to coffee shops. How to pick a spot that works for you. The ambient noise sweet spot. Turning public spaces into focus zones.

There's a reason writers have always sought out cafés. We explore what makes it work.

INT. COFFEE SHOP - AFTERNOON
Laptop open. Headphones in. The world reduced to the screen and the hum of strangers.
A writer hits a rhythm. Pages flowing.
WRITER(V.O.)
Home has too much silence. Libraries have too much pressure. This is just right.

E-Ink and Focus Tools

Distraction-free setups that actually work. E-ink devices for writing without eye strain. Apps that help instead of hinder. Building an environment where the words come easier.

The right tools don't write for you. They remove the friction that stops you from writing.

Your environment shapes your output. We help you shape your environment.

Why Short Works

Long newsletters get skimmed or saved for later. Later never comes. They pile up unread, generating guilt instead of value.

Short newsletters get read. Right now. On the train. In line. Between scenes. They deliver value immediately and then disappear, leaving only the lesson behind.

Note

We write each email to be useful in under two minutes. If you have more time, you should be writing your screenplay — not reading about writing.

Benefits for Screenwriters

Consistent craft improvement without time investment. Two minutes, twice a week — that's sixteen minutes a month for a steady stream of techniques, tools, and insights.

Fountain fluency builds over time. Format questions stop slowing you down. You learn tricks that would take years to discover on your own.

Productivity without the guilt. GTD principles that actually fit creative work. Systems that flex around your life instead of demanding you reshape your life around them.

A community in your inbox. Knowing that twice a week, something arrives that's made for people who do what you do. Writers helping writers.

INT. WRITER'S APARTMENT - MORNING
Six months of newsletters. Dozens of small improvements.
The writer looks at their latest draft. Cleaner structure. Sharper dialogue. Scenes that move.
WRITER(V.O.)
When did I get better at this?
They scroll through old emails. Nod slowly.
WRITER(V.O.)
One thing at a time, apparently.

Why Free

Because great advice shouldn't have a paywall. Because we believe in the work. Because a newsletter should earn your attention with value, not extract payment for access.

No premium tiers. No "but the really good stuff costs extra." Everything we send is free, forever.

Tip

We make CoffeeDraft, the screenplay editor. The newsletter supports writers whether they use our tool or not. Rising tides lift all boats.

Subscribe

Join writers who fuel their craft with one useful idea, twice a week. Short. Free. Directly to your inbox.

No spam. No sales pitches. Just the thing that helps.

Sign up and your next issue arrives within the next seconds.

Your screenplay is in you. We just help you get there.

Ready to write your screenplay?

Put these tips into practice with CoffeeDraft.

Launch Editor