February 27, 2017 (Originally published)
NEVER STOP WRITING!!! Set deadlines for yourself and don't let yourself get away with excuses. There are lots of ways to get into the habit of writing. Here are some ideas that have helped me through the years (WARNING -- I CURSE BELOW!!! *Please don't be too offended): 1.) Morning journal -- Before starting work every day I open up a hard-bound leather journal and write at least one page about what happened the day before. This is a place to air your hopes and dreams, express frustrations or just practice writing descriptive sentences. If I have nothing to day (so very rare), I might go to a coffee shop, observe everyone there for a while, and then choose one person -- then I write the most descriptive, imaginative few paragraphs about them ever. This sometimes leads to really well-drawn characters that serve as the launching point to entire stories. It's a great way to hone your skills and practice, practice, practice. 2.) Angry journal -- Shit happens. If you have trouble writing general, "so this happened yesterday" diary entries, keep an angry journal instead. This journal is just for when you are really pissed off and need to vent. If you can make a habit of writing these moments down, it can launch you into writing when you are less upset because your journal has become your sounding board. Reading your own history of frustration can also spark ideas for stories, too! 3.) Dream journal -- Have weird dreams? Keep a journal by your bed and don't be afraid to write them down the moment you wake up! These will serve as inspiration and starting points for years to come (mine did). 4.) Don't break the chain -- This is a Writer's Store method. Take a grid of 365 ordered, numbered squares and write every day, crossing out one square per day. If you write every day, you won't break the chain between squares. Give yourself a big prize at the end -- like a 90 minute massage or a new TV. You don't have to write tons of pages every day -- just write whatever you've decided to challenge yourself with. Could be a paragraph, a page or an observation. 4.) Take on free-lance work, even if it's just simple copy editing. If you get used to writing under a deadline, you'll learn how to be a more effective writer. 5.) Never be perfect! Many writers experience writer's block. The trick is to realize that whatever you write is going to suck the first time you vomit it out. Embrace that. Get it on the page, step away, let yourself breathe, then come back to it with fresh eyes. It's always easier to rewrite than it is to write. What methods work for you?
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April 24, 2017 (Originally published)
So… Legion M’s past few weeks have been wonderful and exciting, and well… busy! We opened COLOSSAL and organized meetups all over the country and put together SWAG bags and signed posters and, and… and! And… one thing I did NOT do was keep my promise to write this blog weekly. Every time I thought, “I should really take some time to write that blog,” ten other things popped up that had to be done “right now.” For those of you waiting for my weekly writing advice, I’m sorry it’s been a few weeks! MEA CULPA! With my head hung low in shame, I will now try to impart on you what I myself am practicing today… WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. Sometimes I struggle to find a fresh, original story without ever realizing I might be living one. Take, for example, a conversation I had with Legion M investor Audrey at our San Diego meetup yesterday (hope you don’t mind being my example today, Audrey). Audrey coaches rowing at the oldest women’s rowing club in the world (125 years and counting). How the club started and what it’s become over the last century and a quarter is a fascinating story of struggle, women’s rights and women in sports. There’s potentially a fascinating story there. When Audrey told me she wanted to exercise her writing muscle, we talked about what she was interested in (genre), what great movies have been made recently (HIDDEN FIGURES was mentioned) and how to find things to write about. The more she told me about her personal story, the more I realized she doesn’t have to look too far to find something she can really sink her teeth into. Allison Schroeder, the screenwriter of HIDDEN FIGURES who was nominated for an Oscar this year, grew up near Cape Canaveral where she interned at NASA as a teenager (see this LA Times article for more on her incredible background). It wasn’t until she wrote what she knew that she found a high level of success as a writer. If you want to write, but aren’t sure where to start, writing what you know can be the launchpad for success. Think about what you’ve experienced in your life and how you might apply that to a fresh and “unique to you” story: · Use the people you’ve met as the basis for character and dialogue. · Bring the feelings you’ve experienced and how they’ve developed over time into the story to create emotion and character arcs. · Look for ideas around you to help shape your idea. · No idea what to write? Research things that really, truly interest you and find the kernel of story that will become your launchpad in that research. Writing what you know will help your writing become more authentic. Take the week to think about what you know. Tell me if you find your launchpad! Good luck! p.s. I wrote this blog entry practicing the "write what you know" technique. It was really helpful! February 27, 2017 (Originally published)
Good Monday Morning! After a crazy Oscar night, I went to bed thinking about how gracious and graceful the producers of La La Land and Moonlight were about the Best Picture snafu. It got me thinking... Why do I like to work with certain writers over others? It's a simple answer: Professionalism. What makes a writer a "professional?" Different entertainment execs will tell you different nuances of the same thing, but here are some important elements: 1.) Grace Under Fire: In this industry, writers must take an unending amount of notes and criticism. It's all part of the collaborative creative process, and those that take notes well tend to work more. Executives, producers and directors all have their own singular vision about how a script should read, a plot should develop or a character should arc. Studios and networks have specific needs -- to satisfy a particular audience, to keep standards and practices at bay, to service the talent, etc. The best writers can take all the notes thrown at them and incorporate them into one coherent whole with grace. I like working with writers who can thread this needle because they are easy to work with, creative when cornered, and are terrific problem solvers -- making them even more creative and original than the average bear. 2.) Treat Writing Like a Job: A writer's job in this industry is to be deliver. Deliver, deliver, deliver. In addition to being collaborative, smart, well-researched and creative, the best writers deliver on-time with organized and polished work. They add value to the process and work just as hard as everyone else in the room. That means you've got to be ready to answer any question about your material, find ways to solve production problems through the script (that set piece is too expensive -- be ready with an interesting alternative), and rewrite dialogue or scenes on a whim just to prove to the director that his vision can (or can't) work. 3.) Always Be Working: Just because a writer isn't currently getting paid for a writing assignment doesn't mean they can relax by binge-watching the entire series of LOST for weeks at a time. Good writers are always writing. They are always looking for the next best idea, writing a spec script, working on a pitch, acquiring underlying material, doing research, meeting with other creatives, taking networking and biz dev meetings, etc. Writers that rely solely on their previous work and their agents/managers to get them jobs don't do very well because they aren't advocating for their own career. Writers who constantly deliver new material to their reps, make calls on their own behalf, let their network know they have a new idea, offer to help out friends when needed (yes, you can put together a table read for them), and show up, show up, show up -- to meeting after meeting -- will land jobs before others who don't pound the pavement. Writing is a job -- treat it like one... Punch in. 4.) Be Nice: Assholes may get work once or twice if they're really talented and have something the industry really wants, but the industry won't come back to them over and over for work. Writers who are nice, fun and have a sense of humor get more work than jerks. Writers who are nice retire as writers. Writers who are jerks don't. 5.) Learn About Producing and Directing (even if you don't want to do those jobs): Writers who understand the cost of a scene and can write for a particular budget level have a higher value than those who don't. Nothing is worse than saying to a writer, "This is a $2 million movie," and then get a script delivered for a $20 million movie. The most powerful writers in TV - the showrunners -- are the lead producers for their TV show. They are in the CEO position of the production and have to understand everything from creative to production to legal. They speak the languages of all departments, and can solve any problem. As a writer developing a script on assignment, this his is a particularly valuable skill and will serve your career well. 6.) Say Thanks: If someone takes a meeting with you, even if it doesn't go well, FOLLOW UP and say THANKS! Even if they HATED your pitch or were rude, you will get more flies with sugar. I know execs who will revisit writers whose meetings were terrible if the writer's follow-up is professional and respectful, or even fun! One writer had an awful meeting with an exec (he had an off day) and the exec was upset over the wasted time, so the writer sent an apology with a Matchbox Delorean asking for a Back-to-the-Future do-over. He got it. Go do some good writing today! There are three excellent ways to get an agent or manager:
1.) The best way is to enter screenplay competitions, do well and get on finalist lists. If you are top 10 or even top 20-30, you might start getting calls for reads. Many breaking writers submit 1-4 scripts a year to these competitions, and those that do well get repped pretty readily. 2.) Another option is to enter live pitch competitions (with real execs -- make sure it's legit) and knock your pitch out of the park. Because you're there in person, it's harder for the development exec or assistant to deny your script -- give a great pitch (assuming it's the type of material they'd be looking for), and you'll likely get asked to submit the script. 3.) Finally, get to know the assistants on the desks of agents or managers. They are the gatekeepers and are often keen to find the "next big writer," so they are more likely to read your script, give feedback, even give you good coverage. If you have good coverage from a reputable agency (especially one of the big ones), you can attach that to your script as "validation" when submitting elsewhere. The best way to meet these assistants? If you're in LA or NY, become an assistant for a year, or go out and be social, or join groups like Women in Film, ISA, Jr. HRTS, etc. If you're not local, join these groups online and be helpful (don't ask for anything at first). Once people get to know you and like you, you'll get opportunities to ask for a read. You can also go to local film festivals, volunteer to be a PA on the set of a local movie, TV series or commercial, go to comic cons and classes -- you never know who you'll meet! If you are asked to sign submission release forms, readily agree. Most won't accept your submission without one. Hope this helps! Nothing screams “amateur” or “unprofessional” more than a script that has the wrong font or the wrong format.
There is a standard industry format that all screenplays must follow. Below are some quick tips: 1.) If you’re serious about being a writer, I can’t stress this enough: Invest in FINAL DRAFT software (https://www.finaldraft.com). This software will do most of your formatting for you. It is widely accepted and used in the industry, and you can also export .fdx to .pdf and other industry tools (like budgeting, scheduling and production). The software is a HUGE time-saver and WORTH THE MONEY (yes, even at $250). Your scripts will always look professional, and you’ll be viewed as a more serious writer if you’re submitting in what has become THE industry standard software. This software is almost foolproof. 2.) Here is a fun example and scripted example of standard industry format that also explains some rules of script formatting: https://www.oscars.org/sites/oscars/files/scriptsample.pdf. 3.) If you don't have time to read the 12 page script above, or if Final Draft simply isn’t in your budget/you’re not sure you’re ready to invest, here are the absolute basics of industry standard script formatting: Font: Courier Type: 12 Points Margins: Top: 1”, Bottom/Right: from .25-1”, Left: 1.5” (to allow for binding – which for scripts is almost always 3 hole punched and secured by brads). Page Numbers: Except for the title page and first page (where there are no page numbers), all page numbers should be top right with a number followed by a period. Scene/Dialogue/Action: Rather than trying to explain this fairly involved concept of scene headings, etc., take a look at the above script example and this terrific online resource by written by Joe Mefford of Final Draft and Dave Trottier, best-selling author of The Screenwriterʼs Bible and columnist for Script Magazine: https://www.finaldraft.com/mm_media/mm_pdf/How_to_Format_a_Screenplay.pdf. This resource also gives you examples of how professionally produced scripts look. Title Page: Name of your script in Courier, 12 point font in all caps 1/3 of the way down, then a double return, then “By” then a double return then your name with just the first letters of each name capitalized. You can include your contact information (or your reps' contact information) on the lower right corner (although some formatting resources say the lower left corner). Unless you're in production or development and need to keep track of revisions, avoid putting a date on your script. 4.) Act Breaks: The discussion about act breaks falls outside of this post, but you must learn proper act breaks for different types of scripts: feature films are almost always 3 acts (and you never define which act you're in), while TV shows vary by length and (sometimes) by network. The standard for a one-hour drama is 4 acts (but can be as many as 6, and I've even been asked to write in 7 acts), while the standard for a half-hour sitcom is 3 acts (including the opening and tag). Some TV Scripts define where the act breaks are, especially for comedy, others do not. Take a look at this for more information: https://blcklst.com/help/tv_script_standards.pdf and read books and articles about how to structure your script (which is different than formatting). If you Google screenwriting, the top 10 best books come up, plus several online resources... read those. If you don't use Final Draft, please share your screenplay formatting hacks below! Remember, first impressions are everything. If an agent, manager or exec opens your script and finds that it's not properly formatted, chances are excellent that they won't get past the first few pages, no matter how amazing your idea. Take the time to learn this important element of screenwriting professionalism. If you’re a faithful user of Final Draft (FD) but have been waiting to upgrade until it got better (like I don’t know, real-time collaboration and importing of other file formats), you are not alone! With other competitors like Fade In (collaboration, file importing, 1/4 of FD's price), Writer Duet (collaboration, file importing, monthly subscription, three free screenplays), Celtx (formerly free – now monthly/annual subscription), and Movie Magic’sScreenwriter (used by legendary screenwriter Paul Haggis). The thing that FD did so well? Templates! If you write strictly for TV and needed to write a spec for a specific show to try to get hired on in that writer’s room, chances are FD had the template you needed. There are so many templates that I can’t possible list them all. FD used to come with a certain number pre-loaded and you could always go download more from their site. With this upgrade, there are no more pre-loaded TV templates. You click on the little “download more templates” link and you can get the link to download the TV templates. The templates for scripts haven’t changed. FD still includes the obsolete Cole and Haag, and 135 story structure. They are helpful if you’re interested in the progression of the screenplay format. Script templates now includes Spanish, French, and German, three different Dramatists Guild templates, and an index card template. Still have just the four templates for graphic novels (Dark Horse, Generic, and Image) and plot outline. FD has text templates as well: manuscript, novel, outline, query letter (I have used this one a couple of times), text, and treatment (I have also used this one, handy). There is also the “My Templates) where, I assume, you can save your favorite/frequently used templates. I haven’t tried that feature yet. What else did FD do with this update? They added real-time collaboration! Still no file import, maybe next update… The folks at FD have also made the window cleaner as well as brighter. The shortcuts are now button form. (Can you tell? I upgraded from FD9!!) You have a button for feedback, title page, and collaboration just to name a few. Is it worth the $99.99? I don’t know yet. I just upgraded and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t do it when it was $79.99. (<- FYI, that’s the everyday price of Fade In and their upgrades are free. Not that I’m saying one is better than the other…) Final Draft is still industry standard, however, I do know that more people are going over to other options, especially new writers who just don’t have the extra for the huge price tag on FD. I hope this has been informative in your decision to get Final Draft 11 or to go with a less costly software for formatting. It really is a must if you plan on getting into screenwriting. Nope, not lines that you stand in for logs. Sorry people in cold places! Some writers are great at loglines, others... not so much. When I went to Full Sail we used the attached worksheet. I've attached my first logline for "Sandbox" as well. I can tell you that was not how I was taught to do a logline as an undergrad. I learned from someone who'd actually sold things. I guess we should start with what is a logline? Loglines are those 2 sentence blurbs that are on the info screen. It's what makes you say, "Hm, that sounds ah-MAZ-ing" or "That sounds like shit, keep flipping!" It's the hook and that's how you get someone to read your script. (Do not submit a script with the logline on the cover unless it's requested!) Here's one logline for a sci-fi series I've adapted from a few shorts that I wrote called "The Brigid Chronicles." A Volmari time traveler, at the direction of the Order, puts timelines right; not just for earth but other planets and due to her travels, she happens to inspire the Celtic to create a Goddess in her likeness. And for "Sandbox." As the war in Iraq becomes deadlier, Army SGT Winter Ashcroft copes with the death of her fiancé in Afghanistan, being away from her daughter for the first time, as well as a sadistic section sergeant, all while teaching her soldiers how to survive on the battlefield. (This is loosely based on the FSU model. I'm not a fan but this has also gotten material requests. I don't even use this when I pitch live. We'll go over pitching in another post!) Which one would hook you? I'm in the "not great at loglines" category. When you're writing a logline, find things that are similar to your story that have been produced. Take a look at the structure and what elements of the story that are used in the logline. Do you know how Star Trek was pitched? "Wagon Train in space!" Well... okay. That's not a logline, that's a comp (or comparison) which has nothing to do with a logline. It sets up the tone of your script. "Sandbox" is "M*A*S*H" meets "China Beach" in the desert of Iraq. "The Brigid Chronicles" is "Doctor Who" meets "Quantuum Leap" and "Sliders." <-- They set the tone, not tell about the script. I felt it important to differentiate between comps and loglines before we move on. The Full Sail model is 55 words and one long run-on sentence. Make sure it's active and present not passive or past tense. Does it have to be 55 words? No. Can you get the reader to pick up your script in 15 or 20, or *gasp* 10? By all means do so! Dr. Format says "Write the TV Guide logline for your story!" He uses Who, What, Why, & Who. I'll use "Sandbox" as an example. Who is your central character? SGT Winter Ashcroft What is his/her main goal? To survive a war zone and get home uninjured, both physically and mentally. (This goal should drive the story.) Why is the goal important to the character? She has a young daughter that she needs to get home to. Who is trying to stop her from achieving that goal? The war and SFC Grundhoffer. As the war in Iraq becomes deadlier, Army SGT Winter Ashcroft copes with the death of her fiancé in Afghanistan, being away from her daughter for the first time, as well as a sadistic section sergeant, all while teaching her soldiers how to survive on the battlefield. (Does this fit the TV Guide model? I think it does and adds a little more.) However you do your logline... what matters is that it hooks the reader. Don't do run-on sentences and keep it present and active. Have fun crafting your loglines! If you have any questions, feel free to give me a shout! I hope this has been a little bit helpful.
If you've been around screenwriters for longer than a day, you'll have heard the terms Spec and Shooting. So, what the heck is the difference? Speculative (or Spec) scripts are what we all write in the hopes that some studio will buy it and make us rich, or at least make us comfortable for a few months. Shooting scripts are what are used on set. I've attached one so you can see the differences. The scenes are numbered and there are camera shots added in. These won't be in a Spec script. I've not really done a shooting script but I've read a ton of them as I am sure a lot of you have. There are a plethora out there on the interwebs. The first script I ever wrote I put in camera angles and my instructor was like, "No. Take all of those out." Roger. It's tough when you're like "But I know that if there's this wide shot here and we pan and zoom in, then it would be so awesome!" If you've ever thought that, you need to go down to the local college and sign up for directing classes if they have them, because you might have a director hiding inside your noggin. And no, I'm not saying writers can't be directors, I'm saying be comfortable with one before you tackle the other.
Wait... aren't they the same thing just different screen sizes? You would think but... WRONG! Writing for film all you have to worry about is your three act structure. (If you're not sure what that is... we'll discuss that in another post and include pictures and whatnot.) Writing for TV means act breaks and three act structures within each of these separate little shorts... if you've already written a bunch of short films you're already on your way to writing for television. Crafty TV Writing by Alex Epstein. Good book. We had to have it for my MFA but I'd already read it for my undergrad honors project. Highly recommend it if you think you may want to write for TV. Writing for TV, once you're staffed on a show means a little more creative control (or so I am told) in camera angles. I'll get back to you on that when I get staffed on a show! So, what do I mean by act breaks? Take your favorite TV show (it could be 1/2 hour comedy or 1 hr drama). When the show goes to commercial... that's an act break. The scene preceding the act break is an "act out," "hook," or (my fav) "cliffhanger" to get the viewer to come back after they flip the channel to skip the commercials. Don't argue. I know that more and more shows are gearing toward streaming but you will always have ABC, CBS, & NBC. CW & FOX may eventually see the light, but that's another discussion all together! Netflix and the no-commercial version of Hulu may not have act breaks in their script and that's okay. If you know you're going to pitch and shop your script to a premium outlet (HBO, Showtime, Netflix, etc) don't worry about act breaks. "Homeland" doesn't have any. But if you want your show on the big networks, act breaks! When you're writing, don't forget... each scene has its own beginning, middle, and end. Complete with small story arcs. What does the protagonist want at the start? How are they going to get it? Do they get it by the end? This is really important to keep in mind when you're writing with act breaks! Writing for film is easier (for the most part)! You get your idea, you know where you want to go, hopefully you have the ending, and then all you have to do is let your characters take you there. You have significantly more pages to do it in. Features run anywhere from 90 - 120 pages. A lot depends on genre. Comedies are generally 90 pages, while meatier things like "The Bourne Supremacy" are longer (121 pages). I just finished an action script (Candace Glass) and I'll tell you, it was rough to fill in. It was the first time I had come at a script with the ending in place. I had to round out a relationship I'd hinted at and a meet the family kind of thing, setting it up to hopefully be franchise or lead in for a TV show. (Why is it we come back to TV? A lot of writers like TV because it offers a steady paycheck.) I've included 3 scripts... The "Castle" script landed me on the Emmy Foundations finalist list for an internship. I was also working on the full episode to have as a Spec sample when the show was cancelled. Didn't get the internship, but I wanted you guys to know that I'm really a screenwriter and not someone that says I'm a screenwriter. The AMC show "The Killing" is now on Netflix. I want you to take a look at a script with act breaks. And then there's the Chinatown script. Well, because it's "Chinatown" and what other reason do we need?!? Thanks for stopping by and write on!
This one... it bugs me. Flashbacks can be advantageous. I've used them. Sometimes you have to use them to help move a story along. And to make matters worse... there are several "acceptable" ways to write them. I've found that if you have one, stick with that one because consistency counts when you're shooting for professionalism!
Here's an excerpt from The Screenwriter's Bible by David Trottier (I won't lie, every screenwriter (unless you're Paul Haggis) should have this. The action paragraph is unformatted.): Method 1 (The Montage Label) FLASHBACK - TRAIN ACCIDENT David sees the train coming and jumps on the train tracks. He laughs; he's playing chicken with the train. With the train nearly upon him he tries to leap from the tracks, but his foot catches on a rail tie. BACK TO PRESENT DAY Method 2 (This method draws attention to the fact that it's a flashback.) FLASHBACK - EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT Method 3 EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT - FLASHBACK or EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT (FLASHBACK) Remember... you must somehow end the flashback. So, if you use Method 2 or 3 try END OF FLASHBACK (or END FLASHBACK) flush to the right margin. In Final Draft I use Transition to get it to the right spot. Any questions, let me know! |
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These posts were from the Writers Room in the Legion M Forum. "Screenwriting 101" is written by Nikki Ackerman. Don't know what Legion M is? It's the world's first fan-owned entertainment company. Want to know more? Visit Legion M at legionm.com Archives
January 2021
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