20 Steps to Screenwriting Success #2
11.
Develop an Original Voice:
All good writing has a distinct voice: your scent, your soul, the abstract elixir of your core. And as a screenwriter, voice is the way you describe the action, it’s your style and word choice, it’s the pulse of the page, it’s rhythm, and just as important, it’s also the decisions you make to grab the reader’s attention and connect with the audience. A good original screenplay with a unique, memorable voice is hard to come by, and finding ways to bring your voice to the page is key, because you don’t always sell your script, but you do sell you.
All good writing has a distinct voice: your scent, your soul, the abstract elixir of your core. And as a screenwriter, voice is the way you describe the action, it’s your style and word choice, it’s the pulse of the page, it’s rhythm, and just as important, it’s also the decisions you make to grab the reader’s attention and connect with the audience. A good original screenplay with a unique, memorable voice is hard to come by, and finding ways to bring your voice to the page is key, because you don’t always sell your script, but you do sell you.
12.
Master Screenplay Form:
Screenwriting is essentially filmmaking on paper. But this visual storytelling has an incredibly specific form, and if you ignore that form, you will no doubt destroy your screenplay. You must write in present tense - only what the audience can see and hear. You must be clear, concise, and creative in your execution of the page. Both in description and dialogue, script economy is the screenwriter’s steadfast ally. You must avoid directing on the page; and instead, describe the shot. Applying the art of white space is also an asset.
Screenwriting is essentially filmmaking on paper. But this visual storytelling has an incredibly specific form, and if you ignore that form, you will no doubt destroy your screenplay. You must write in present tense - only what the audience can see and hear. You must be clear, concise, and creative in your execution of the page. Both in description and dialogue, script economy is the screenwriter’s steadfast ally. You must avoid directing on the page; and instead, describe the shot. Applying the art of white space is also an asset.
13.
Understand Film Genres:
When it comes to most genres, people rarely go to the movies to be surprised. They know the action hero will survive, that the girl will get the guy, and the villains will get their just deserts. In reality, however, love hurts and sometimes the bad guys win, but in the movies, love is a holy elixir and the hero saves the day. Screenwriting is almost never about reinventing the wheel. The key to writing a sellable script is to understand genres (and sub-genres) and meet the expectations of its audience.
When it comes to most genres, people rarely go to the movies to be surprised. They know the action hero will survive, that the girl will get the guy, and the villains will get their just deserts. In reality, however, love hurts and sometimes the bad guys win, but in the movies, love is a holy elixir and the hero saves the day. Screenwriting is almost never about reinventing the wheel. The key to writing a sellable script is to understand genres (and sub-genres) and meet the expectations of its audience.
14.
Connect With Your Audience:
If the audience isn’t invested with the story, if it doesn’t care about the characters, if it’s not intimately involved, discovering, anticipating, predicting, and reaching conclusions... well, then you’re in big trouble. Remember, as a screenwriter, you’re selling to an audience. They’re your everything. You write for them - so they can laugh, cry, hope, and fear. But don’t force-feed; your audience is smart. Never just tell the story. Show it, and let them add up two plus two, because when you do, they love you for it.
If the audience isn’t invested with the story, if it doesn’t care about the characters, if it’s not intimately involved, discovering, anticipating, predicting, and reaching conclusions... well, then you’re in big trouble. Remember, as a screenwriter, you’re selling to an audience. They’re your everything. You write for them - so they can laugh, cry, hope, and fear. But don’t force-feed; your audience is smart. Never just tell the story. Show it, and let them add up two plus two, because when you do, they love you for it.
15.
Write Successful Scenes:
The scene is essential to movie making. After all, a film is just a bunch of scenes strung together to create a comprehensive whole. And the trick to great scene writing begins with asking questions, doing scene exercises, learning scene types, and juxtaposing those types. Start scenes at the last possible moment and get out early. Creative brevity in a screenplay is a necessity, so writing scenes that are clear and concise, while always moving the story forward and/or revealing character while still engaging the reader is key.
The scene is essential to movie making. After all, a film is just a bunch of scenes strung together to create a comprehensive whole. And the trick to great scene writing begins with asking questions, doing scene exercises, learning scene types, and juxtaposing those types. Start scenes at the last possible moment and get out early. Creative brevity in a screenplay is a necessity, so writing scenes that are clear and concise, while always moving the story forward and/or revealing character while still engaging the reader is key.
16.
Deliver Dynamic Dialogue:
Screenplay dialogue has a rhythm, and therefore is easily spoken. It’s brief, moving rapidly, verbal exchanges volleying back and forth between characters, shifting power from one side to the other, until somebody scores the point. It’s full of conflict, lots of it. And rarely do characters say exactly what they mean: dialogue is all about subtext. And when faced with the need for exposition, utilize the visual medium. And avoid the temptation of voice over unless its use compliments the story to improve the script.
Screenplay dialogue has a rhythm, and therefore is easily spoken. It’s brief, moving rapidly, verbal exchanges volleying back and forth between characters, shifting power from one side to the other, until somebody scores the point. It’s full of conflict, lots of it. And rarely do characters say exactly what they mean: dialogue is all about subtext. And when faced with the need for exposition, utilize the visual medium. And avoid the temptation of voice over unless its use compliments the story to improve the script.
17.
Develop True Grit:
Dedication. Determination. Fortitude. Pick your noun of choice, because if you want to be a screenwriter, it's the only way you'll survive. Screenwriting is a "nose to the grindstone" business, but if you follow a writing schedule while striving to incorporate The Three C’s and the Writer’s Triangle, you will persevere. Your courage and endurance to fight through the adversity of writing a screenplay will only make you stronger. And then all you have to do is do it again, and again, and again... and eventually (in ten years) you will have overnight success.
Dedication. Determination. Fortitude. Pick your noun of choice, because if you want to be a screenwriter, it's the only way you'll survive. Screenwriting is a "nose to the grindstone" business, but if you follow a writing schedule while striving to incorporate The Three C’s and the Writer’s Triangle, you will persevere. Your courage and endurance to fight through the adversity of writing a screenplay will only make you stronger. And then all you have to do is do it again, and again, and again... and eventually (in ten years) you will have overnight success.
18.
Embrace That Writing Is Rewriting:
A first time writer can construct a quality screenplay. Jon Favreau did it when he penned Swingers; Diablo Cody did it with Juno. But they are the exception. To put it a different way, Lance Armstrong didn’t win the Tour de France the first time he got on a bike. Writing is a lifestyle, not a diet. You write, you rewrite, and you rewrite some more. You should never love your screenplay simply because it exists. The final product is only good because you busted your butt, draft after draft after draft. All writing is rewriting. Period.
A first time writer can construct a quality screenplay. Jon Favreau did it when he penned Swingers; Diablo Cody did it with Juno. But they are the exception. To put it a different way, Lance Armstrong didn’t win the Tour de France the first time he got on a bike. Writing is a lifestyle, not a diet. You write, you rewrite, and you rewrite some more. You should never love your screenplay simply because it exists. The final product is only good because you busted your butt, draft after draft after draft. All writing is rewriting. Period.
19.
Get Critical Feedback:
So you finished your screenplay, and now it’s the agonizing process of waiting for feedback. Without feedback, you’re lost. And forget about sending that script to Mom or Dad. You need brutally honest feedback… from other writers. Why? Because they’re swimming in the same shit as you are, and generally, they care. So, what’s the solution? Create a writer’s group. Six members is ideal, both men and women. If you meet once a month, you’ll present new material twice a year: that’s two features! Not too shabby.
So you finished your screenplay, and now it’s the agonizing process of waiting for feedback. Without feedback, you’re lost. And forget about sending that script to Mom or Dad. You need brutally honest feedback… from other writers. Why? Because they’re swimming in the same shit as you are, and generally, they care. So, what’s the solution? Create a writer’s group. Six members is ideal, both men and women. If you meet once a month, you’ll present new material twice a year: that’s two features! Not too shabby.
20.
Network, Network, Network:
“It’s not what you know, but who you know.” And when it comes to Hollywood, the cliché is verifiable: it's all about relationships. So how do you go about building a network? Join a writer’s group, and if you can’t find one locally in your area, start one yourself. Working on independent films is another great way to build relationships – doing freebie jobs on student and low-budget projects. And you never know who you’re going to meet or where, so always be ready to pitch: your screenplay and yourself....
“It’s not what you know, but who you know.” And when it comes to Hollywood, the cliché is verifiable: it's all about relationships. So how do you go about building a network? Join a writer’s group, and if you can’t find one locally in your area, start one yourself. Working on independent films is another great way to build relationships – doing freebie jobs on student and low-budget projects. And you never know who you’re going to meet or where, so always be ready to pitch: your screenplay and yourself....
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