Advice for a Newbie
- Thread starter TakeOne
- Start date
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
Usually our own lives, while seemingly dramatic to us, are boring cinematically to others. Film is drama, drama is conflict, a story about a flawed hero desperately wanting to achieve a significant visible goal, with significant obstacles along that path, and with severe ramifications if the goal is not achieved (Rocky wants a shot at the title, a farmboy named Luke must become a Jedi Knight and destroy a death star that threatens a planet, etc). You are likely better off inventing fiction and a fictional character for a story, but that said, it is inevitable that facets of you and your life will become part of the story world and the characters, that is normal, and is a fun part of story creation.
Find a genre you like, that is likely what you will write. (Do you want to write the screenplay? It will take many years to master the craft and write a screenplay good enough to film, unless you have extraordinary innate talent. You could instead have someone else write the script, or find a script on inktip.com, etc., and focus instead on the film production, or directing, etc)
Read some good books on screenwriting, perhaps take a course in the basics (UCLA offers writers extension online courses including introduction to sw).
If you are looking at self-production, indie (independent film), think of a story with a very small cast, one or a few easily accessible locations. Genre can influence marketability.
Find a genre you like, that is likely what you will write. (Do you want to write the screenplay? It will take many years to master the craft and write a screenplay good enough to film, unless you have extraordinary innate talent. You could instead have someone else write the script, or find a script on inktip.com, etc., and focus instead on the film production, or directing, etc)
Read some good books on screenwriting, perhaps take a course in the basics (UCLA offers writers extension online courses including introduction to sw).
If you are looking at self-production, indie (independent film), think of a story with a very small cast, one or a few easily accessible locations. Genre can influence marketability.
Last edited:
Let's start with your writing experience. Have you ever written a script...or have you written many scripts? Give us some info on your writing experience and then we can start to head into the story. What is the ending? What is the ultimate climax of your life's story? Films aren't real life. They represent life but toss out all the boring parts...which is 99% of our daily life.
Chris Adler
Veteran
I find that while nothing I write is ABOUT me, I breathe parts of myself into almost every character. My fears are reflected in the stories, as well as my biases and hopes.
I'd recommend that unless you have experienced some exceptional things that blow people away when you tell them about them (real blown away, not just trying to make you feel special because their your grandpa) you resist writing about yourself directly.
I'd recommend that unless you have experienced some exceptional things that blow people away when you tell them about them (real blown away, not just trying to make you feel special because their your grandpa) you resist writing about yourself directly.
memento515
Active member
1 problem everything related to it
1 problem everything related to it
The biggest secret to screenwriting is to keep everything related to the PROBLEM that the story is about. Even professionals fail at it often.
If you can force yourself to make sure that:
1. your story is about a PROBLEM- something BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD happening that MUST MUST MUST be fixed. If youre really good, you introduce the problem in your FIRST SCENE, like the opening to Drag Me To Hell or the opening to Iron Man 2 (a flawed movie, but the opening was -awesome-)
2. everything in your story is related to this problem- people talking about how to solve it, the problem progressing/getting worse, people trying to solve it and failing, etc.
if you can do these two things you'll have more screenwriting skills than most people.
your bio picture sounds iffy cause its like why should i care about this dude he doesnt have one single problem for me to worry about. Id rather watch (the original) Halloween again cause its about how Michael Meyers is trying to kill his sister or The Wrestler which is about a dude whose problem is that he cant wrestle anymore.
(edit: for the sake of thoroughness Ill add that The Wrestler story problem is more complex and subtle than that. His problem is really that "all he wants to do and be is a wrestler". Its reflected in the subplot of his daughter, who he neglected while he was out- wrestling. This is why BEGINNERS shouldn't write movies like that. Pick a plain and obvious story problem)
1 problem everything related to it
The biggest secret to screenwriting is to keep everything related to the PROBLEM that the story is about. Even professionals fail at it often.
If you can force yourself to make sure that:
1. your story is about a PROBLEM- something BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD happening that MUST MUST MUST be fixed. If youre really good, you introduce the problem in your FIRST SCENE, like the opening to Drag Me To Hell or the opening to Iron Man 2 (a flawed movie, but the opening was -awesome-)
2. everything in your story is related to this problem- people talking about how to solve it, the problem progressing/getting worse, people trying to solve it and failing, etc.
if you can do these two things you'll have more screenwriting skills than most people.
your bio picture sounds iffy cause its like why should i care about this dude he doesnt have one single problem for me to worry about. Id rather watch (the original) Halloween again cause its about how Michael Meyers is trying to kill his sister or The Wrestler which is about a dude whose problem is that he cant wrestle anymore.
(edit: for the sake of thoroughness Ill add that The Wrestler story problem is more complex and subtle than that. His problem is really that "all he wants to do and be is a wrestler". Its reflected in the subplot of his daughter, who he neglected while he was out- wrestling. This is why BEGINNERS shouldn't write movies like that. Pick a plain and obvious story problem)
Last edited:
Randall_Oelerich
Veteran
So true. And I have also heard it said that the story should be about the biggest event (problem, goal, and thus adventure) to happen in the (fictional, invented) life of the protagonist (hero). Not just their worst or best weekend, or year, but the biggest most monumental thing to happen and that will ever happen in their life.
vcassel
Veteran
There are no hard rules that certain plot points have to happen by certain pages, even though plenty of people will try to convince you otherwise. Read every book you can get your hands on about screenwriting, but take them all with a grain of salt. Reading books on writing a screenplay is a great way to avoid writing a screenplay.
vcassel
Veteran
I agree with this guy. If you have a passion to write a screenplay about your life, you might as well do it. The worst that can happen when you're done is realizing you've gained plenty of experience. You'll have to give birth to a few duds anyhow, might as well be an idea you're passionate about.
Last edited:
memento515
Active member
well yeah, these guys are right-you have to find a subject your passionate about, and it takes a few bad scripts to learn anyway.
I haven't much idea how to link a story problem to a biopic- I haven't seen many of them since Ive learned screenwriting. How many people have one large overriding problem that defines their lives? The most interesting people, I gather.
I m guessing Ghandii (at least largely) revolved around the story problem of the British occupation.
I haven't much idea how to link a story problem to a biopic- I haven't seen many of them since Ive learned screenwriting. How many people have one large overriding problem that defines their lives? The most interesting people, I gather.
I m guessing Ghandii (at least largely) revolved around the story problem of the British occupation.
memento515
Active member
Thanks.
I know Boys Don't Cry and The People vs Larry Flynt have a clear problem that defines the story.
I don't remember Ray or Man on the Moon.
also the story problem in Monster is Eileen herself- her aggression, basically.
I know Boys Don't Cry and The People vs Larry Flynt have a clear problem that defines the story.
I don't remember Ray or Man on the Moon.
also the story problem in Monster is Eileen herself- her aggression, basically.
One of the key pieces of advice I always give to first-time writers is to "enjoy the process." Don't get ahead of yourself and think that your first script will be great. It takes years for a writer to mature his style and technique. Enjoy this process and you'll be fine. Hone your craft.
Craig_Tarry
Active member
You should always use your life experiences as a jumping off point. Visualize a scene (doesn’t have to be the first scene) and start asking yourself questions: What happens next? And after that? Now what? The scenes in any movie are really strings of Q and A.
After you have a start, you’ll probably have some characters that are one dimensional, that’s when you add your own life experiences (I hitch hiked in my youth, so a character in one of my shorts comes back to town from 3 years on the road hitchhiking)
It’s like starting a sculpture with a lump of clay – add a little here, take away there – Then, when your characters are formed, let them guide you and then concern yourself with 3 act structure, etc.
Don’t worry about genre till after your story has taken shape. You’ll find that stories that mean the most to you will form your demographic.
