I've got a GREAT movie idea; but don't know how to start!

And it’s no wonder; we see the end result of screenplays all the time on TV, at the movie theater and when we rent a DVD, but very few people have actually READ a screenplay. And frankly that is where every aspiring screenwriter should begin; by reading.

The best way to go about this is to visit a website like www.dailyscript.com or www.simplyscipts.com and download the scripts for a couple of mainstream movies. Then read them from cover to cover.

Now go to your local video store and rent the DVD of the scripts you just read. With script in hand, put the disc in to play and STUDY the first 10-15 minutes of the film. Actively compare it to the script. Pay particular attention to the opening image that sets the story in motion or signals ground zero for the storyline.

The next thing you should really examine is the way the script moves the action from scene to scene. NOTICE the slug lines (INT: APARTMENT - DAY) and the often ‘brief’ descriptive text that follows it. Pay attention to the DIALOGUE as it’s delivered by the actors - and as it’s written. How much direction is in the text and how much seems to be the result of collaboration between actors and the director? And finally, pay attention to PACING - how quickly the film & script move the action along as they ‘set up’ the story and the main character’s quest.

The more screenplays you read the more comfortable you will find yourself with the strict formatting structure once you sit down to put you own great idea to paper.

Good luck with it - and let me know when you’ve completed your script. I’d love to read your work!

Your world is ALIVE with story possibilities!

WELCOME TO THE NEW YEAR.... and another year of Screenwriting Tips from Wordsmythe.ca.

Let's start at the beginning for those just joining us.One of the most frequently asked questions at my public seminars is “Where do I get my story ideas?” as if there is some magical place or supermarket where more experienced writers find good story ideas on a shelf. Well, I have a secret for you…. the supermarket for stories is called LIFE.

I am honestly not being flip in my response - but challenging you to start looking around you at life itself. Your world is ALIVE with story possibilities…. you just need to train yourself to begin to see them. And that training begins with the actual writing.

Check out this link to see how one writer began to see the possibilities around her. http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

As you struggle to harness the creative energy that compelled you to begin the process of writing - you change it and channel it to where you want it to go. You move from asking yourself what IF or HOW come….. to something far more concrete. You move to I DID, or they DID, or your hero did…. Something - which started a journey for the both of you. And now you just have to see it through to the end.

And as you write and make choices for your characters based on who you think they are - you grow as a person, as a craftsperson and as an imaginative being. You grow to trust the intuitive side of your brain (right) to come up with answers for where the road map side (left) says you have to turn next to keep the momentum of the story moving forward. And as you see more of your inner world of story - you begin to see more of the story possibilities for the outer world too. Each feeds the other, in turn.

The second most frequent question that I hear is, “What makes a good story?” And again, not intending any kind of humor at all - I answer, YOU make a good story. Anything at all can BE a story ! But it is the choices the writer makes in telling the story that give it depth, and humanity and emotion. You, the writer, will determine how much of your own passion and wit and personality you will RISK pouring into your characters and their lives. The more you risk, the greater your chances for outstanding success. Great stories are not created by writers who are afraid to venture into the darkest corners of their (or their characters) psyches. You can’t expect your audience to FEEL big emotions if you aren’t willing to feel them as you WRITE.

As an exercise, watch a movie or read a book that makes you uncomfortable emotionally; not just antsy - but really uncomfortable. Once you’ve finished watching the film all the way through…. Ask yourself why you were so uncomfortable. Try to imagine how the writer felt as she/ he created the scenes that made you squirm the most.

We tell stories for any number of reasons, but the best stories MOVE people to FEEL things. The best stories seduce the viewer / or reader into identifying completely with the world of the main character - their hopes, their dreams and their calamities. You can’t create that unless you LIVE IT as you write.

Check out these LINKS to my own 'story' that I wrote and started shooting right on my own kitchen table over Christmas. There has never been a better time to be a screenwriting. Just start writing now!! AND ENJOY....

The School of Practical Wizardry on You Tube: my tiny mini-series

Chapter ONE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbNz_T7bR38
Chapter TWO - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jM4CnLSafA
Chapter THREE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEkAoooUZU0

See you in 2 weeks for more screenwriting advice. And I hope this helps you make the leap to writing!!

HAPPLY HOLIDAYS - Some LINKS you might enjoy !

My Xmas, Hanukkah & Solstice present to you ALL !!! Some of these sites are GREAT.... some merely interesting. Enjoy and happy reading over the holidays!!


Complications Ensue (Screenwriting) : http://complicationsensue.blogspot.com/

Urban Muse : http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/

The Artful Writer (Screenwriting): http://artfulwriter.com/

Quips & Tips: http://theadventurouswriter.com/blogwriting/

Angela Booth: http://www.angelabooth.biz/

Writers on the Rise: http://writersontherise.wordpress.com/

What's it Like? (Screenwriting TV): http://www.lisaklink.com/blog1/

Renegade Writers: http://therenegadewriter.com/

Ken Levine (Screenwriting): http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/

Words on the Page: http://www.freelancedom.com/

Tightrope Walker (Screenwriting TV): http://tightropegirl.livejournal.com/

Query Shark: http://queryshark.blogspot.com/

Nathan Bransford: http://blog.nathanbransford.com/

Janet Reid Lit Agent: http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/

JOHN AUGUST: http://johnaugust.com/

Kung Fu Monkey (Screenwriting Biz): http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/

Jane Espenson (Screenwriting TV): http://janeespenson.com/

SIX SENTENCES: http://sixsentences.blogspot.com/

Inky Girl: http://www.inkygirl.com/

Write for your Life: http://writeforyourlife.net/

Writer Unboxed: http://writerunboxed.com/

Scriptwriter's Network: http://www.scriptwritersnetwork.org/swn/

Screenwriting Goldmine: http://www.screenwritinggoldmine.com/blog

Unknown Screenwriter Blog: http://www.blogcatalog.com/blog/the-unknown-screenwriter

Websites for Writers: http://www.websitesforwriters.net/submit-a-site

Cinema Autopsy: http://blog.cinemaautopsy.com/