What's a movie? A few [hopefully] memorable characters, some tension, action and [hopefully] memorable dialogue.
What's a great movie? All [or none] of the above that does one single thing. Connects emotionally with it's audience. Resonates on some basic levels. Tugs on heart strings, disgusts us, uplifts us, angers us, motivates us. Mostly one that in the first few minutes says "I have felt that way in my own life, and I feel that way now. I get it."
As I wrote my first scripts I learned some basic craft. Formatting, structure, dialogue, etc. There were times I thought - this isn't so hard. I've about got this nailed. Now I realize that I didn't even know enough to realize how little I knew.
Sometimes the best way to learn is to fail. I succeeded on some basic levels with my first three scripts. They were well-recieved and garnered a modicum of interest. However, it's on my latest script that I've learned the most, because it is a complete and utter failure.
It's has some great scenes, some excellent dialogue, and some memorable characters, and it sucks - bad. However, because of that suckage of truly epic proportions I have grown as a writer.
I have realized the world of writing is a much bigger place than I first realized, and the little knowledge I have acquired is but a single tile of what's needed to build a truly full mosaic. I kind of hope I keep failing for a bit.
Oh! In case your wondering why I failed, it was because there wasn't a single bit of emotional resonance in the entire script. People might laugh at the scenes, but they sure wouldn't feel for the characters. Someone commented I told half a story with it. They are right. I told the half of the story that dealt with the characters outward circumstances. I totally missed the half that dealt with their inner struggles and feelings. You know- the important half.
It's why I wonder if women writers don't have a built in advantage. Damn them.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
The longest fall is one page thick
My mother is afraid of heights. Won't go near an edge that has a drop further than the front stoop of a hobbit house. I was thinking the other day of the clear bridge that was built a few years ago over the edge of the Grand Canyon. You know the one...you step out over the brink so that the only thing between you and a thousand foot drop is clear glass. It's strong enough to hold both you and the urine leaking out of your pants when you lose control of your bladder, but it doesn't feel like it. Specifically, I was thinking what would it take to convince her to go out there? Just a few steps. The life of her kids? Nah...we're getting old now and have had good lives. That's not nearly enough. Her own life? Probably not, as she would have a heart attack out there anyway. World peace? Maybe, but I have my doubts. The truth is...nothing.
That's exactly the same fear I have when it comes time to take the big step in a rewrite. The step that changes everything. The one where huge amounts of scenes, lovingly crafted and imagined for months, get deleted. Where whole characters have their lives adjusted at the push of a button. Sex change...yep...can do! Kill 'em off...easy! Toss them in the gutter and make their lives hell. That's just a few simple strokes.
You thought you knew what the story was about. You believed you had it nailed. You were sure it was perfect. Truth is, it wasn't ever the right story. This has happened in every screenplay I've written so far. It's pretty goddamn scary. Once started you can never go back. Once you begin to un-weave the tapestry it will never be the same. You do everything you can not to start. Even write in your blog.
But...it's time to step out on the platform. Damn...I hope it holds up.
That's exactly the same fear I have when it comes time to take the big step in a rewrite. The step that changes everything. The one where huge amounts of scenes, lovingly crafted and imagined for months, get deleted. Where whole characters have their lives adjusted at the push of a button. Sex change...yep...can do! Kill 'em off...easy! Toss them in the gutter and make their lives hell. That's just a few simple strokes.
You thought you knew what the story was about. You believed you had it nailed. You were sure it was perfect. Truth is, it wasn't ever the right story. This has happened in every screenplay I've written so far. It's pretty goddamn scary. Once started you can never go back. Once you begin to un-weave the tapestry it will never be the same. You do everything you can not to start. Even write in your blog.
But...it's time to step out on the platform. Damn...I hope it holds up.
Monday, September 14, 2009
I despair
I just received a review of my script from a professional reader. He took it apart scene by scene, character by character, and ripped open the structure and looked under the hood. The result? Needs some work, but very marketable. Marketable is a good word for me. Maybe one of the best. Sure...I'd love to hear someone say he's a great writer. A genius! However, genius only gets you a nice eulogy. Marketable may allow me to leave something for the kids when I'm gone.
So why despair? Because I do want to be better and I just read a script that I know is better than anything I'll ever write. It wasn't a great movie, maybe not even a good movie, but it was great writing. The screenplay was "Sunshine", by Alex Garland ["28 Days Later, "The Beach"]. Compared to his, my writing is big block text written with a wide point crayon and held with two hands.
Just looking at the page is a thing of beauty. It's white space everywhere. It's lean, not a bit of fat that needs to shaved. You would be hard-pressed to find a single word that doesn't belong. Yet, it conveys every nuance of character and scene with just a few words. This bare bones writing is ephemeral, but it allows you to FEEL the characters. Not just know them, understand them, but feel them.
It taught me a great lesson. No matter how many courses you take, books on writing you read, and experts you listen to, the best way to learn is to read. Read a lot.
So why despair? Because I do want to be better and I just read a script that I know is better than anything I'll ever write. It wasn't a great movie, maybe not even a good movie, but it was great writing. The screenplay was "Sunshine", by Alex Garland ["28 Days Later, "The Beach"]. Compared to his, my writing is big block text written with a wide point crayon and held with two hands.
Just looking at the page is a thing of beauty. It's white space everywhere. It's lean, not a bit of fat that needs to shaved. You would be hard-pressed to find a single word that doesn't belong. Yet, it conveys every nuance of character and scene with just a few words. This bare bones writing is ephemeral, but it allows you to FEEL the characters. Not just know them, understand them, but feel them.
It taught me a great lesson. No matter how many courses you take, books on writing you read, and experts you listen to, the best way to learn is to read. Read a lot.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Easy Writer
If you like to write then writing is easy. Nothing much to it. You sit down and tell a story. It's not much different from being in a bar with your friends and telling them the story of something that just happened. You relate the beginning, middle and the end. Just like writing a story.
Sometimes you stumble and trip your way from one scene to another, but most of the time it flows pretty well. Guy walks into a bar. There's your beginning. Guy meets girl. There's the middle. Guy get's slapped by girl. The end. See how easy that was?
So why doesn't everyone do it? Cause rewriting is really hard. Hella hard. I'll show you. This is the process I'm in the middle of right now.
Past:
Six months ago I had a germ of an idea. It percolated, sprouted and became a story with a beginning and an end. At the time I was writing another feature, so that's where it sat.
Three months ago I began the research. Then I outlined, put together a story board, wrote up complete character histories (yes I can tell you where they went to high school 30 years ago).
A month ago, I started writing. Four weeks later - a masterpiece! Well it was a masterpiece till I reread it the next day! Then it was junk -really putrid junk. Still that wasn't so bad. A month of writing. Told you that it was easy.
Three days after finishing it I printed it out. Then went through it line by line, work by word. Looking for better, more descriptive, action words. That took three days. Again easy!
Then I had it read by a half dozen screenwriters including a WGA professional. They all sent me their ideas and thoughts. They tore it apart. Savaged it and spit it back to me in pieces. Now it's up to me to put the jigsaw back together. So here's my plan to do that:
1) Go through every slugline first. Make sure they are correct.
2) Take every single line of dialogue by each individual character and seperate it from the story. Make sure that each character has a unique voice and that it's a consistent voice.
3) Take every single scene and seperate if from the whole. Make sure that every scene has a beginning, middle and an end. Be certain that there is tension in every scene. That every scene moves the theme forward. Assure myself that it is needed and cut everything that's extraneous.
4) Pull out and seperate every bit of dialogue between the five major characters. Look at every exchange between vharacter A and character B. Then A and C. A and D. Do them all. Be certain that the subtext in these conversations conveys feelings, emotions and pasts of these characters as it relates to just those two.
5) Do a line by line outline. In one line, explain every scene. The look at the structure from that outline. See on what page events happen. Be certain the structure is perfect.
6) Do a complete page one rewrite - retyping the entire thing.
7) Resubmit for more reviews. Eight or ten this time.
8) Do a complete page one rewrite.
9) Consider the best forms of assisted suicide if I have to look at it ever again.
10) Start a new script. Why? Cause I have too.
Hemingway wrote, in his usual loquacious manner, " The first draft of anything is shit".
He also said "Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed".
I think he really meant rewriting.
Sometimes you stumble and trip your way from one scene to another, but most of the time it flows pretty well. Guy walks into a bar. There's your beginning. Guy meets girl. There's the middle. Guy get's slapped by girl. The end. See how easy that was?
So why doesn't everyone do it? Cause rewriting is really hard. Hella hard. I'll show you. This is the process I'm in the middle of right now.
Past:
Six months ago I had a germ of an idea. It percolated, sprouted and became a story with a beginning and an end. At the time I was writing another feature, so that's where it sat.
Three months ago I began the research. Then I outlined, put together a story board, wrote up complete character histories (yes I can tell you where they went to high school 30 years ago).
A month ago, I started writing. Four weeks later - a masterpiece! Well it was a masterpiece till I reread it the next day! Then it was junk -really putrid junk. Still that wasn't so bad. A month of writing. Told you that it was easy.
Three days after finishing it I printed it out. Then went through it line by line, work by word. Looking for better, more descriptive, action words. That took three days. Again easy!
Then I had it read by a half dozen screenwriters including a WGA professional. They all sent me their ideas and thoughts. They tore it apart. Savaged it and spit it back to me in pieces. Now it's up to me to put the jigsaw back together. So here's my plan to do that:
1) Go through every slugline first. Make sure they are correct.
2) Take every single line of dialogue by each individual character and seperate it from the story. Make sure that each character has a unique voice and that it's a consistent voice.
3) Take every single scene and seperate if from the whole. Make sure that every scene has a beginning, middle and an end. Be certain that there is tension in every scene. That every scene moves the theme forward. Assure myself that it is needed and cut everything that's extraneous.
4) Pull out and seperate every bit of dialogue between the five major characters. Look at every exchange between vharacter A and character B. Then A and C. A and D. Do them all. Be certain that the subtext in these conversations conveys feelings, emotions and pasts of these characters as it relates to just those two.
5) Do a line by line outline. In one line, explain every scene. The look at the structure from that outline. See on what page events happen. Be certain the structure is perfect.
6) Do a complete page one rewrite - retyping the entire thing.
7) Resubmit for more reviews. Eight or ten this time.
8) Do a complete page one rewrite.
9) Consider the best forms of assisted suicide if I have to look at it ever again.
10) Start a new script. Why? Cause I have too.
Hemingway wrote, in his usual loquacious manner, " The first draft of anything is shit".
He also said "Writing is easy. All you have to do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed".
I think he really meant rewriting.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Most Magical Night of the Year.
No, it's not Christmas (or even Hanukkah). I didn't just arrive to Disneyland or Vegas. I haven't won money, love, or recognition. However, it is one of the most magical nights of the year. Because of two words...
FADE IN
It is those two words that every screenplay writer - neophyte or veteran - writes at the the beginning of every story. For some it only happens once every year or so. For the most prolific, four or five times, but it is the best feeling a storyteller can have.
The pages of notes are set to the side. The agony of the outline behind you. Your characters, right now existing only as 4-6 page of notes, are about to take their first breath. No matter how extensively you have plotted their story, you know they will take you to places you never envisioned. That's what makes it so exciting. Those words start a journey that you take with the characters you fleshed out. It's ending is dependent not just on your actions, but on who they are about to come as well.
Over the next 4-6 weeks I know the following things will be true:
For tonight though...
FADE IN
FADE IN
It is those two words that every screenplay writer - neophyte or veteran - writes at the the beginning of every story. For some it only happens once every year or so. For the most prolific, four or five times, but it is the best feeling a storyteller can have.
The pages of notes are set to the side. The agony of the outline behind you. Your characters, right now existing only as 4-6 page of notes, are about to take their first breath. No matter how extensively you have plotted their story, you know they will take you to places you never envisioned. That's what makes it so exciting. Those words start a journey that you take with the characters you fleshed out. It's ending is dependent not just on your actions, but on who they are about to come as well.
Over the next 4-6 weeks I know the following things will be true:
- There will be at least two places my characters take me I never saw coming.
- I will have two (or at most three) epiphanies. Frankly, these will be better than an orgasm.
- In between those incredible moments of being, there will be dark day after dark day. Times when I know I won't finish. Others when I'll question why, who and what I am writing for.
- I will miss a few appointments or obligations due to being up half the night, because I HAD to get a scene or thought down before it fled.
- I will at some point right the worst two words - FADE OUT.
For tonight though...
FADE IN
Thursday, August 6, 2009
All is well in the writing realm - for now
Tonight I just finished polishing the first draft of my newest - The International Space Station. Uploaded it to the copyright office as well. This is the point where, for a very short while, I am content with it. I have gone through it completely and checked off the basics:
- Three acts all in the right places - check
- Inciting incident where it needs to be - check
- Theme stated - check
- Break into two and three handled correctly - check
- Characters have some life to them - check
- Dialogue isn't on the nose - check
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Sweet Smell of (Very Little) Success
Got about halfway done on the first rewrite of my current script, The International Space Station. For me, this first rewrite consists of fairly simple tightening of dialogue and action lines. The hope is to cut out a lot of excess. Trim, trim, trim.
However, as I was working at his I realized how much less excess there is on this draft than at the same point on the first two scripts. Two more epiphanies followed. One, I was very lucky to gain a modicum of success (in the form of peer recognition) on my very first script. Second, I suck at screenwriting.
The two actually go hand in hand. I had enough affirmation that I know I'm not a total hack, but I am now realizing how lucky I was to get even that. Script by script I learn. As I wrote my first and second I felt I knew what I was doing. I was wrong, but I can now extrapolate how much better my ninth and tenth MIGHT be.
Now that insight led to the logical conclusion that I should take a break and procrastinate (an area I excel in already). While surfing, I downloaded a script that has just won Script of the Month honors on one of the peer sites. It was good! Really good in some areas. I spent an hour or so studying it. Then went and looked at the writers other submissions (12 of them).
My new goal. Beat that guy! I'll be that good in 8 scripts! (or maybe 9...)
However, as I was working at his I realized how much less excess there is on this draft than at the same point on the first two scripts. Two more epiphanies followed. One, I was very lucky to gain a modicum of success (in the form of peer recognition) on my very first script. Second, I suck at screenwriting.
The two actually go hand in hand. I had enough affirmation that I know I'm not a total hack, but I am now realizing how lucky I was to get even that. Script by script I learn. As I wrote my first and second I felt I knew what I was doing. I was wrong, but I can now extrapolate how much better my ninth and tenth MIGHT be.
Now that insight led to the logical conclusion that I should take a break and procrastinate (an area I excel in already). While surfing, I downloaded a script that has just won Script of the Month honors on one of the peer sites. It was good! Really good in some areas. I spent an hour or so studying it. Then went and looked at the writers other submissions (12 of them).
My new goal. Beat that guy! I'll be that good in 8 scripts! (or maybe 9...)
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