| The new screenwriter tends to have a | | | | 3. Read yours again: OUT LOUD. |
| love affair with is/her "baby." He's | | | | |
| married to every word and nuance he's | | | | Isaac Asimov: "Either it sounds right |
| carefully scripted onto each page. | | | | or it doesn't sound right." |
| Often, it reads more like a novel than a | | | | |
| screenplay and usually it needs a | | | | You might be amazed at how you'll spot |
| serious rewrite. It's time to get a | | | | those things you know need a little |
| divorce. | | | | extra attention. They're those things |
| | | | that seem "odd" or don't feel "right" to |
| You must not be afraid to hack, chisel | | | | you when you read it out loud. You might |
| or cut-out ANYTHING that does not serve | | | | find yourself thinking that certain |
| to push the story forward. Sooner or | | | | characters say and do things that don't |
| later, you'll write a scene that is just | | | | seem to "fit" their backstory. You |
| plain good. You're in love again and all | | | | likely find this especially true of |
| is right with the world. Finally, you | | | | dialogue. Circle these dialogue passages |
| conclude that it doesn't serve the story | | | | so you can come back to them later. |
| as it should. You must get a divorce and | | | | |
| hack it out of the script. | | | | 4. Act it out. |
| | | | |
| Remember: not every story is movie | | | | This is also an opportunity to get |
| material. Not every story is as | | | | actor friends to read your script. If |
| fascinating on the screen as it is in | | | | scenes are awkward or don't come across |
| our heads. This is especially true of | | | | as you intended, they need work. Stage a |
| biographical stories. As interesting as | | | | reading of the script. Make sure all of |
| someone's true-life experiences are, | | | | the actors get a list of the characters |
| they rarely translate well to the | | | | they will portray and have someone |
| screen. However, it often makes an | | | | assigned to all of the lesser, |
| excellent bestselling | | | | incidental characters. Don't prep them! |
| book. | | | | Let the actor get the information about |
| | | | the character only from the script. If |
| In screenwriting, you only have TWO | | | | he doesn't get it, neither will an |
| TOOLS to work with in a screenplay: | | | | agent, reader or producer; and you need |
| | | | to go back the set-up the character so |
| DIALOGUE: that characters say | | | | he DOES get it. During the reading, mark |
| ACTION: a visual description of what is | | | | scenes that don't work or have the |
| seen on the movie screen | | | | intended impact and come back to |
| | | | them later. |
| This does NOT include: | | | | |
| | | | 5. Read it through out loud again, but |
| * Anything anyone "knows" (i.e. "Ed | | | | only the ACTION DESCRIPTION. |
| heard about Jennifer's problem at | | | | |
| school.") | | | | Movies are a visual medium. If your |
| * Anything that cannot be photographed | | | | story isn't visual, maybe it shouldn't |
| (i.e. "Mary loves chocolate ice cream.") | | | | be a movie. Did you get lost? Are things |
| * Anything the audience "knows" (i.e. | | | | vague? Are the scenes not visual? Can |
| "This is the same woman we saw earlier | | | | you tell what's going by the visual |
| at the bar.") | | | | clues? Mark those scenes and come back |
| * Any background information (i.e. | | | | and flush them out a little more. |
| "John is Tom's best friend.") | | | | |
| * Any action description that uses | | | | 6. One more time out loud, but this |
| '-ing' words. (i.e. "Sue is reading the | | | | time only the DIALOGUE. |
| newspaper." should be "Sue reads the | | | | |
| newspaper.") | | | | Do characters seem to drone on and on? |
| | | | Can't tell WHAT they're talking about? |
| Here's a common sense approach to | | | | Do they talk about things not essential |
| self-analysis of your own screenplay: | | | | to the scene? Mark these scenes and come |
| | | | back and rewrite them later. |
| 1. Read some FIRST-RATE scripts! | | | | |
| | | | Rule of Thumb: Scenes and dialogue |
| You need outstanding examples of | | | | should start at the point where, if you |
| well-written screenplays against which | | | | cut out the start of the scene, what |
| you can compare your work objectively. I | | | | follows doesn't make sense any more. |
| recommend you read at least three, | | | | This also applies to movies. Many |
| preferably nine, screenplays. Here's the | | | | screenplays really start around pages |
| catch: You MUST read them ALL in the | | | | 30-50, which means the writer spent way |
| same week. Agents and development | | | | too much time setting up the story. How |
| executives read 35-50 a week on their | | | | do you tell? As you read, it suddenly |
| own time so I know you can read at least | | | | seems as though you've started a "movie |
| three. Don't look at a single page of | | | | in a movie" and you like it better than |
| your script until you've finished | | | | the one you started. Time to get |
| reading the scripts you downloaded. Read | | | | divorced. Unsure? Write a second script |
| one (or more) in each of the following | | | | and see which version you like best. |
| categories: | | | | |
| | | | Writing is Rewriting |
| * One in the same genre as yours, | | | | |
| * One that's been made into an | | | | Ernest Hemingway: "Don't get |
| OSCAR-winning or nominated movie, and | | | | discouraged because there's a lot of |
| * One that's an all-time favorite movie | | | | mechanical work to writing...I rewrote |
| of yours. | | | | the first part of Farewell to Arms at |
| | | | least fifty times." |
| 2. Now: read your script. | | | | |
| | | | Paddy Chayefsky: "I'm not a great |
| It might seem a little different now, | | | | writer, I'm a great rewriter." |
| but that's GOOD. You're becoming a | | | | |
| little more objective. | | | | Good advice from two guys who ought to |
| | | | know. |