Best on how to get started as a writer.

skettalee

skettalee

Well-known member
This is my problem:

Im a graphic designer, music production, video editor and motion graphics and special effects artists. I want to start really creating my own professional projects that I get people along with to help, but I am not sure 100% how to write a good screenplay and layout and plan for executing something. I got 100000 stories in my head and written, i just want to learn to do a great structure. This is all gonna be self stuff that I get people to help with...

With that being said.... Is there a great book that most of you would suggest as a end all solution to get myself started in a great direction fast? I hate to read but im willing to do it so something thats a great read as well!

Thanks in advance!
 
Story by Robert McKee. That is the only book that I would bother to recommend, and it is an incredible book. Books on structure are alright, but it doesn't take much to learn structure at all, plus most screenwriting programs will handle that for you.

Read Story, look at a couple of screenplays to see how it's formatted and structured, then get to writing.
 
mrWr0ng said:
Story by Robert McKee. That is the only book that I would bother to recommend, and it is an incredible book. Books on structure are alright, but it doesn't take much to learn structure at all, plus most screenwriting programs will handle that for you.
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What? Structure is the hardest thing to do. How can you possible say structure is easy? We're talking full length features right?

You're right about the book though. It's a good one.
 
McKee and Syd Field are the classics. I read those and many more.
Read at least one of these two.
Then, there is one book that really stands above all other additions to this crazy pile of screenwriting books:
It's "Save The Cat" by Blake Snyder.
Blake is not just another Screenwriting Guru. He sold several scripts to major studios and his work actually got produced.
So he knows what he's talking about.
It's well written and he also makes you sit down and write right away.

I have to say it again: It's a great book!

Good luck!
 
mrWr0ng said:
Books on structure are alright, but it doesn't take much to learn structure at all, plus most screenwriting programs will handle that for you.
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Excuse me, but how can a software handle story structure? :) Maybe you mean screenplay text format?
 
skettalee said:
I hate to read but...
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DING DING DING DING DING!!! Time out!!!

...uh...what was that you said, aspiring screenwriter? You want to write and yet you hate to....

Oh the humanity...

Are you *sure*? Really really really *sure*, that you, non-reader, want to try your hand at WRITING?

Think, my friend....think...

:huh:

Ok...having thoroughly (and good-naturedly, I hope) raked you over the coals for that, I'll add the following:

McKee's "Story" is the gold standard conceptually-oriented screenwriting book in my (and, obviously, many others') opinion. Syd Field's "Screenplay" is arguably one of the best books on structure and screenplay "mechanics", if you will. If you read only these two books you'd have your bases covered at least in a sort of "starter kit" way.

But again, as a "hate to reader", you're taking on a *very* difficult task with two strikes and a blind eye against you from the git-go. In order to learn the craft well you'll need to read a lot. Like, a freakin' sh*tload, my friend. Not just books, but other people's screenplays. LOTS of books and LOTS of screenplays. And then, you'll need to write, A LOT, and read what you've written. OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Then rinse, repeat, ad (nearly) infinitum.

Or, alternatively...

You could consider the option of collaborating with someone who is already an accomplished screenwriter (or at least a good writer/storyteller), and knock around some of those 100,000 ideas of yours with him or her. If you've got some good ones, you could still make a great contribution to a screenplay without all the writerly "heavy lifting" if that's not your cup of tea. Your writing partner could be someone you know or meet in person, or it could be someone anywhere in the world who you collaborate with online.

In fact, if you'd like, I'd be most happy to look at some of your ideas. If you'd like to write up a few of them in summary "pitch" style, I'd be more than happy to read and comment on them for you. If something seems like a good fit for my contribution as a co-writer, then I could take a shot at working with you on it, with credit shared accordingly. Consider yourself invited.

My email address can be found in my profile here.

My $.02, offered most respectfully...
 
Thanks

Thanks

I am going to contact you ted!

Thanks for all the feedback and I went ahead and purchased Story. Cant wait to get it and start doing my training!

I know I hate to read but I know stories alot but i really just want to learn to write for myself mostly. and have a plan laid out when i shoot stuff like short films or music videos.
 
I think one of the first records of written speech was Sumerian. It says something like:

"Everybody writes. Noone reads."

:laugh:
 
karapetkov said:
Excuse me, but how can a software handle story structure? :) Maybe you mean screenplay text format?
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The formatting & structure of the screenplay, yes.

"Story" does a great job dealing with story structure, plot curve, act structure, etc. That's the important stuff.

Something like Final Draft, Movie Magic or even Celtx will do a fine job handling the screenplay structure, I'd say all you really need to "know" about that aspect comes from using a program and having looked at a couple of features to see how the dialogue is laid out, how short the sentences and paragraphs are, etc.
 
mrWr0ng said:
The formatting & structure of the screenplay, yes.

"Story" does a great job dealing with story structure, plot curve, act structure, etc. That's the important stuff.

Something like Final Draft, Movie Magic or even Celtx will do a fine job handling the screenplay structure, I'd say all you really need to "know" about that aspect comes from using a program and having looked at a couple of features to see how the dialog is laid out, how short the sentences and paragraphs are, etc.
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I think this is a different thing, man. These features just help you organize structure and ideas you already have in your head. They can't invent or fix them for you.

Screenplay structure is a tough thing, IMHO.
 
karapetkov said:
I think this is a different thing, man. These features just help you organize structure and ideas you already have in your head. They can't invent or fix them for you.

Screenplay structure is a tough thing, IMHO.
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99% of writers agree. Structure might be the hardest thing. That's one of the many reasons a short is so much easier than a feature.
 
mrWr0ng said:
Something like Final Draft, Movie Magic or even Celtx will do a fine job handling the screenplay structure
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This is format, not structure. Structure refers to story structure. Format is how the dialogue, scene headings and other elements are arranged on the page.
 
Your story has a structure, your screenplay has a structure. They are not exclusive to each other - all rectangles are squares, not all squares are rectangles. Your screenplay is a story, but not all stories are screenplays.

The single most important thing is your story structure. That's it. You have to figure out an idea that fills up 90-120 pages of script, but a script isn't a normal bit of prose. It's an outline. It's very barebones.

Learning the difference between a novel and a screenplay isn't very hard. You can look at a novel and a screenplay and pretty quickly and easily discern the difference in styles. Really, it isn't hard.

However, learning to navigate a story arc for 90-120 pages IS difficult. But this is different than your screenplay structure. This, however, will only come from writing, from seeing exactly how many pages your idea fills up and then seeing how far you have to go (or how much you have to delete).

I'm not going to debate on the semantics of specific words. That's retarded. We're all saying the same thing. Read up on the importance of story, story arc, plot curves, act structure, and then read a couple of screenplays to see how that is represented in a screenplay format, then go make your own.
 
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- read a book or two on structure - it's a good starting point- they all say the same thing - they just coin their own terms to make it appear unique. Keep in mind that most of these authors had marginal success (if any) as writers and make their $$ off of selling books and not screenplays. IMDB Robert McKee or Syd Field.
- read LOTS of scripts of existing movies. very important. get a feel for pacing, dialog, style. Read fiction. I'm not sure how one could be a good writer without enjoying reading.
- spend time making a story outline, beatsheet or whatever - get your story straight before "fade in" - story is hard. the more time you spend here the better your screenplay will be. Use recipe cards if you like. Don't waste your money on "story software" - Try to write once and a while with a pen and paper even if it's just your ideas. I'm sure we all spend enough time in front of our computers - it's nice to jsut sit and write with a pen and a Moleskine.
- write, write, write - even when you reach "fade out" you are still only half of the way there. writing is rewriting.
- get lots of feedback - including people other than your family or friends
- There are tons of services, books, seminars, extra software etc. that don't really do anything except take advantage of those desperately trying to make it. Once you learn the basics - STORY, WRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE, REWRITE - other than formating software, you shouldn't need anything else.
- There are no RULES and no formulas. Just write a great script and try to enjoy the process a long the way.

Taking a class can be helpful (UCLA extension) or join a writers group to get feedback. unbiased feedback is an important part of the learning process.

my 1 cent.

NK
 
brianluce said:
99% of writers agree. Structure might be the hardest thing. That's one of the many reasons a short is so much easier than a feature.
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I cannot agree with that completely. In a short, you have a lot less time to express everything well enough for the audience.
 
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