Many thanks to those who have sent in their questions about screenwriting. This is the first batch of your questions and my answers. More to come!
Q: I want to write screenplays, but I
don’t know where to begin. What’s the best way to get started?
A: My best advice would be to spend
some time immersing yourself in studying the art, craft, and process of writing
a screenplay. Read a few how-to books (yes, my book Q & A: The Working
Screenwriter would be one excellent choice!), then read a handful of scripts
that have been produced. (Google search “movie screenplays free” and a lot of
great websites will come up.) Also, watch the movies that were made from these
scripts. Then, re-read some (or all) of these scripts. But just don’t read
them, study them. By this point in time, you should have absorbed enough
information to give you a good push toward starting your first script. Finally,
sit your rear end down in a chair—and write. No, I’m not going to tell you to
write an outline (more on this later), and I’m not going to tell you to write
on a computer, or with pen and pad. Some things you’ll have to figure out
for yourself. Trial and error. Learn from your mistakes. Discover what works
for you and what doesn’t for you.
DO THE WORK. It’s the only way you’ll
truly learn.
Next, you need to slog your way through
the first draft of a script. Any script. Any genre. Just get that first draft
done. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. (As a famous writer once said,
“Don’t get it right, just write.”)
When this draft is completed, give it
to three or four trusted, intelligent friends and get some opinions. Find out
what worked for them and what didn’t.
Did any scenes drag on too long?
Was the dialogue realistic?
Were any of the characters unrealistic or
one-dimensional?
Were they involved in the story?
Armed with this feedback, slog your way
through a rewrite. Again, how you do this is entirely up to you. Figure it out.
Some writers work only on their computer. Some, as I do, always print a clean
copy of their script and attack it with a red pen, then transfer the changes on
the computer version. Maybe this process will work for you and maybe it
won’t—but that’s for you to discover. That’s what screenwriting is all
about—discovery. No two screenwriters have the exact same method. Whatever
works. Don’t get it in your head that you’re writing your first script with the
intent to sell it. The chances of selling any script ain’t high and the chances
of selling the first script you ever write are...well, virtually nil. First
scripts are for learning purposes only. It could take 2, 3, 6, 8, 10 scripts
before you write one that’s saleable. Chances are pretty decent that you’ll
NEVER write a saleable screenplay. Screenwriting is both an art and a craft and
not everyone is equipped to be an artist or a craftsman. I wish I could draw
pictures, but I can’t. I can barely scratch out a decent stick figure. But
that’s life. Problem is, screenwriting has become the new sporting event and
everyone’s jumping onto the field. Everyone’s got a computer, everyone can get
a scriptwriting program, and everyone has seen a movie and said, “I could write
a better movie than that!” Can you?
So, give this screenwriting thing your
best shot—work your rear end off and write, write, write...and see where your
journey takes you.
Q: How long should it take me to write
a feature-length screenplay?
A: Somebody once said, "It takes
as long as it takes—and not a moment longer." For the most part, I’d
agree. But, if you're taking two years to complete just one screenplay, I think
there's a problem. (However, if you've turned out something akin to Gone
with the Wind or Raiders of the Lost Ark, at the end of those two
years, then it was time very well spent!) Also, if you're writing a spec that
nobody is actually waiting to read, then taking your sweet time is fine. But,
if you get an assignment (i.e., work-for-hire) and if a producer gives you a
deadline to meet ("I need the new draft by 5PM tomorrow!"), then the leisurely pace you've
established for yourself will be unacceptable. So, the upshot here is that it’s
good to be able to work quickly and efficiently.
Q: Should I outline my script before
starting the actual screenplay?
A: I’m sure you’ve heard it a bazillion
times before, but I’ll say it again here: It’s like going on a cross-country
trip without a road map. You might—might—end up at the intended destination,
but with the map, you’ll save yourself a lot of gas (not to mention headaches).
Over the last several years, I’ve had
numerous conversations with first-time writers, and many have said, “I’m stuck
on page thirty and don’t know where to go.” I’ll ask them, “You didn’t outline
your script, did you?” Nope, not one of them did. That’s what happens. You get
this great idea, you come up with a solid start, maybe a bit of the second act,
then—BLURP—it just falls apart.
As far as I’m concerned, outlining is
where the real work comes in. It’s where you test-drive the story and determine
if it’ll all work. It’s where you work out all the pivotal details, where you
track characters, where you plot the twists and turns. It’s where you work out
the subplots and get a feel for timing and flow.
So, yeah, I feel outlining is an
integral part of the screenwriting process and I wouldn’t start any script
without some type of semi-detailed outline.
I always hear people say, “But if I
write an outline, it stifles my creativity.” I’m not sure I understand this.
The outline is where you’re supposed to explore your creativity! Go crazy, try
things, see what’s gonna work. Believe me, it’s far less aggravating making
those inevitable storyline changes and reworking those twists and turns in a
20-page outline, than in a 110-page screenplay.
But go ahead, write your script without
the outline, and see if you can get across the finish line with a coherent
story. It’s very possible that you can. However, if you get in the general
vicinity of page 30 and say, “Um, now what do I do now?” you might want to
consider an outline. (Search this blog for “The Outlining
Process.”)
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