Any Storyline Suggestions

A

andrew16938

HI,
Im sort of having writers block on my first script. anyone one have a good topic or anything to start off. any suggestions welcome thanks.
 
Hi Andrew!

I don't have any story suggestions off the top of my head to help you get started, but since you are likely looking to make a short (at first) here is a handy quick reference to help you with story structure.

It was written specifically for 5-minute shorts. Hope it helps you keep your story in order. :cool:

Dan Harmon's Use the 5 mins, 37.5 seconds at a time article.

:)
 
andrew16938 said:
HI,
Im sort of having writers block on my first script. anyone one have a good topic or anything to start off. any suggestions welcome thanks.
Click to expand...
Man invites 1000 friends to join indie film forum.
 
Andrew,

The old sage saying is "write what you know". That means understanding your own passions and writing about them.

My Godson is a ten year old with a passion for skateboarding, so I wrote a story about he and his buds going skateboarding into an area he was forbidden to go and getting into trouble with his bud's, but using their skateboards to go and find help (Police and ambulance) to rescue his buddies. Since they live in a great area to shoot (Prescott, AZ) and I have a good friend in the Sheriff's dept. the story became a slam dunk.

It's just hard getting his Dad (my best friend) to pay for the shoot. That's the tough part.

"Write what you know" and then develop it into a "cheap" shoot by using your imagination, and maybe some of your Uncle's money.

WC
 
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write what you know...

WriteumCowboy said:
Andrew,

The old sage saying is "write what you know". That means understanding your own passions and writing about them.

My Godson is a ten year old with a passion for skateboarding, so I wrote a story about he and his buds going skateboarding into an area he was forbidden to go and getting into trouble with his bud's, but using his skateboards to go and find help (Police and ambulance) to rescue his buddies. Since they live in a great area to shoot (Prescott, AZ) and I have a good friend in the Sheriff's dept. the story became a slam dunk.

It's just hard getting his Dad (my best friend) to pay for the shoot. That's the tough part.

"Write what you know" and then develop it into a "cheap" shoot by using your imagination, and maybe some of your Uncle's money.

WC
Click to expand...

I was going to say something very similar... What are your hobbies? Your pastimes? Which one do you enjoy the most?

Pick one.

Now make notes of all the strange things that might have happened to you or people you know while performing this hobby or pastime.

If you don't have any strange things that have happened -- make some up or MAGNIFY some things that did happen by asking yourself, "What if THIS OR THAT had happened while I was doing (pastime/hobby).

To use WC's example of skateboarding...

Let's say you and some friends were skateboarding and a dog came out of nowhere and almost attacked you...

Change the dog into any of the following...

BANKROBBER
DRUG DEALER
ALIEN
HIT MAN
etc.
etc.
etc.

Get the idea?

Writing the story around something (hobby/pastime/subject matter that interests you) that you do, will hopefully add a little passion to the mix...

filmy
 
This is what you do... Think of a joke you know and shoot the joke...
I tell this joke sometimes and I'm going to put it in a short.. well the short WILL be the joke...

What Genre are you thinking of?

Horror? Well then take a nursery rhyme and add a horror tone to it... Like little bunny foo foo hopping through the forest... well there's a killer that wistles that song but the whisteling stops as it get's to the part, "bopping them on the head".. but that's then the killer goes WHAMMO with a hammer right on the victem's head...

Make a commercial for something...

Like a song... make a music video..

Blah

Blah

Blllllllaaaaaaahhhhhhh..................................



Well? What are you going to do?
 
Do you consider yourself a writer? A director? A filmmaker? If you're a director or filmmaker, why write your own script? There are plenty of talented screenwriters out there who are willing to share their scripts, particularly their shorts, for nothing more than a screen credit. If you're a writer, you should know that story ideas are a dime a dozen. It's all in the execution.

If you're committed to writing it yourself, write something you're passionate about, a story you'd like to see on film. Start with a premise or a character or a bit of dialogue and see what you come up with. Listen to people on the street. You never know when you'll hear something that sticks with you and could germinate into a story. Write it organically. You can always fix it later.
 
thanks all the suggestions helped. i think im going to right a horror story or something but add cootdogs idea and put a freaky nursery rhyme everytime the killer strikes. i dont know something like that.
 
Hi Bird & welcome, Write 'em. With the other board collapsing badly, it doesn't surprise me that you'd be looking for a little productive chat elsewhere.

I'd agree with write em about the old addage of write for what you know, with one caveat; write the movie you really want to see! The flip side is to write about something you want to learn about, and make the research aspect part of the personal journey.
 
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