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New To Writing

LAParker92

LAParker92

It seems as if my head may explode with ideas for film, but I can never get it down on paper the way I want it. Obviously, I'm pretty new to writing, so I really just want some words of advice from experienced writers on how to start writing a film. Basically, right now, I just have various sheets of paper that are full of notes and scribbles for my idea. I just can't get a grasp on turning it into a storyline.

Much thanks,
Alex
 
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What books have you read on screenwriting?

Check out books on the subject by Syd Field, David Trottier's "The Screen Writer's Bible," Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat" books, and there are plenty of others.

If you are serious about writing dramatic narratives, I would STRONGLY recommend a book by Lajos Egri called "The Art of Dramatic Writing." Although it was written in the 1940's and concentrates mainly on play writing, his advice is every bit as relevant to the craft of screenwriting. A strong and clear examination of what the fundamentals are of telling a good story.

What screenplays have you read?

-Charles
 
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No problem, Alex.

And don't fall into the trap of thinking you don't need to study the craft hard. Only geniuses can squeak by that way.

A good screenplay is 95% blood, sweat and tears and devotion to craft, and only 5% creative pixie dust, imo.

Ciao!
 
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Yeah, alot of work is in front of you. This website helped me alot when I first started:

http://www.filmscriptwriting.com/

Read it? Good.

Now write an outline for your story. Plot points. Possible themes (not essential, but may help you stay true to your initial vision). Character backgrounds/motives/lessons. An ending/s. Conflict ideas.

Join TriggerStreet and read and review other writers' scripts there. Reading the format is half of the learning the craft.

Begin writing your first draft. Allow yourself to write crap. It's your first script, and it will feel great when you totally rework it later, and realise how far you've come. Don't afraid to just write the images in your head. Worry about dialogue later, if you can't pound out good dialogue first time. If you need to practive/improve your descriptive/action paragraphs, pound out a short story or two. That can be great practice for descriptive writing.

I recommend you pick up Movie Magic Screenwriter or Final Draft, or just use scribd/celtx or some other free screenwriting app. They will save you hundreds of pages and hours in editing and re-writing.

Good luck matey!

Here are some recommended reads:

Thelma & Louise
Hurt Locker
Pulp Fiction
Die Hard
Schindlers List
Little Miss Sunshine
Sideways

They offer a good cross-section of genre, structure and style. to get you on your way to writing a producable script.

I also recommend "Writing Movies" by The Gotham Writers Workshop. Excellent book, clearly written and informative.
 
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Do you have any formatting software? It will take a lot of the guesswork out of where to put things. Sometimes it's a fun exercise to just write whatever. I took a scene from my actual life and started writing it in screenplay format just to keep the juices flowing.

Free software here if you don't already have it:

http://www.celtx.com/
 
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I've been using Celtx for quite a while. I'm still not educated on how to set up the script and such, but I'm learning. The program is wonderful though, it's everything you need and free. I've actually been working on little things and reading screenplays to try and make it click in my mind.
 
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From a beginner to a beginner: My advice, is atypical but it works for me. I started writing my feature film in April. I now have over 12,000 words, and a solid plot that I'm very satisfied with. All I need to do is finish up dialogue and a few small things and I'll be finished with the script.

First, screw all that technical crap. You can add or revise that later.
What is most important, is that you write as it comes to you. If you suddenly wake up at 2:00 am with a great idea, don't dismiss it and say "oh, I'll add that in tomorrow." GET ON YOUR COMPUTER THAT INSTANT AND WRITE IT DOWN.

Second, do your research. It's best to write about things you have interest in. If you don't already know a lot about something, then suck up as much information as you can. Google and Wikipedia are your friends. EVEN IF YOU DON'T PLAN ON STAYING 100% REALISTIC, FIGURE OUT WHAT IS REALISTIC FIRST, THEN WRITE FANTASY. You don't want to give a James Bond-type character a flying car trying to out-think creative bunches when they already exist in the real world.

On organization, well I started with a general idea idea for my story and then I filled it in with scenes as I went at random. Then I played "connect the plot". From there, I developed characters, backgrounds, organizations. You need to know everything about your film and the characters in it, even the things that don't make it to the script or screen. Your story may take place TODAY, but your character is going to be impacted by what happened in their life YESTERDAY. As the screenwriter, you have the sole responsibility of having that knowledge.

Finally, THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF WRITING; PUT YOUR HEART IN IT. IF THIS IS JUST A SMALL HOBBY OR A DREAM THAT'S ALL IT WILL EVER BE. YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT YOUR ALL IF YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING.

In my personal experience, writing requires a LOT of sleepless nights. I figured out how dedicated I was to writing my feature when I woke up one day and my script had misspelled words everywhere. (I'm an extremely big language buff so this is rare.) I realized that it was a result of sleep deprivation in an extreme form.
Now I'm used to it. Sometimes I physically cannot sleep until I finish writing what's on my mind.

Hope that helps.
 
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