Life and Times of a struggling screenwriter.

Adapting Novels.

So my brother has this book. It is an older book and sometimes he writes screenplays. Mostly he does it as a hobby, not necessarily for trying to do it as a career like me. But he writes good though.

He has been wanting to collaborate on something for awhile and we have thrown ideas back and forth. This book is a western about gangs in Missouri during the 1880's. It is a good book, IMO. It has everything. mystery, love, intrigue, just like a good 'ol western should be.

Since I have never adapted a book and I figure it is an art within itself, I just think its gonna be tough.

First off;we need permission. But we will write it anyway and then ask permission and then we have something to show. For now, I am reading it and writing out notes because I am in the middle of another project anyway. So I can't dedicate full time on adapting just yet. So my brother will have the duties of taking notes too and we'll go back and forth for now, and maybe for the next year just trying to get the meat of the story out of the book.

The good thing is that the book is just under 300 pages. Or maybe it isn't a good thing.

If anyone knows a good site, or has any valuable advice on adapting, please let me know.

Thanks.

Sep 3, 2007 3:55 AM | Link | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Report Content

Into the minds of stickmen.

Why do I write?

I've asked myself this many times. Because writing has to be the hardest thing in the world. I don't get paid for it, and yet I get up every morning before work and write.

I don't write for fun, it isn't always fun. It can be a daunting task. I struggle, I want to quit at times. Writing is an isolated thing. You and you alone. These aren't complaints, just reality of writing. You become your own worst critic. Sometimes I feel I'm just not good enough. You pound the keys into submission and look at what you've done and tell yourself you're awful. You can't do it.

You could go on and on in the negatives about yourself, it happens as a writer.

To answer my question I had to go back to childhood. I remember I always wrote something as far back as I could remember at all. At five years old, I would draw stickmen and write what they are saying, what they were doing. Getting into their minds...of stickmen. That was my first taste of writing. But why? Was I really born with this gift?

No one, except my mother wrote at all. She use to write for a newspaper. She had a column about everyday things in life. She also writes poems and still does to this day. Perhaps, this was passed on to me. I have three brothers, in which neither one of them writes. Well...writes stories, or poems, anything of that nature.

The stickmen thing became a starting point on which I would never turn back. I, in way, relate to Stephen king in that he began just writing stories as a child. If you have read Stephen King's book on writing he just tells you his life story from the time he was a kid. It is a fascinating read.

But I always wrote nothing on an emotional level. I think it wasn't until I seen the movie E.T. at age ten that writing really changed my life. There was something about this movie, it had these emotions that tied itself to me. In that week, I saw E.T. twice. I believe that is when I wanted to write visually instead of prose, or novel type stuff. It had such an impact on me that week. I went home and wrote a story about a snowman who journeys to another place he's never seen. I know what you're thinking, that's "Frosty The Snowman!" No...it wasn't. This was about someone who became a snowman year after year in the same place and wanted to see Alaska, where other snowmen before traveled. But to get there he had to go through trials and meets people along the way. It was like Alaska was calling him. Here is the funny part, I used this goal for the snowman without even realizing, that was my dream to see Alaska. I still to this day have that dream. And I still have this story tacked up beside my computer to remind me that writing is my dream and know matter how hard it gets and the struggles, that I didn't grab writing, writing grabbed me.

If we fast forward a bit to High School, I had an english teacher who is a kind of a hero to me. She encouraged me and helped me in my writing. Told me to never give up or quit. I mostly wrote short stories and always tried to write very visually. What I didn't know is that it was nurturing me to write screenplays. At the time I still wanted to write them but just didn't seem to grasp that I could have learned. Just didn't...

It wasn't until years later that someone told me I shouldn't be writing short stories and that those short stories should be screenplays. That I had such a visual connection. I'm not sure how many short stories I have written over the years, too many to count, but I found a some that I have turned into screenplays.

I didn't start writing screenplays until about four years ago. Don't know why it took me so long to get to that point. It took someone else showing me the way. But that's what life is...a journey. And along the way you meet people who point you in the right direction.

So why do I write? Because I got into the minds of stickmen.

Aug 23, 2007 2:01 AM | Link | Comments (0) | Add Comment | Report Content

Pitching your idea...but how when you live far, far away from Hollywood?

I've never pitched an idea. I have lots of ideas as, I'm sure we all do. Some of them I'll probably never get around to writing into screenplays. I can't fly out to L.A. but would still like the opportunity to be able to pitch some of the ideas I have.

So how can I accomplish this? Pitchfests are always going on in Hollywood. And its hard to just call up a movie company, unless they know you, or related or have written something they've bought.

So how would I break into just pitching an idea to someone? Anyone have some advice?

Aug 14, 2007 8:10 AM | Link | Comments (2) | Add Comment | Report Content

The flow and pace of your script.

This took me some time to get down while learning to write screenplays. Too fast? too slow? So basically I watched alot of movies and read as many screenplays along with the movie to see what they cut out to pace the story better.

One of my favorite movies is a Western. "The Outlaw Josey Wales"

If you wanna learn pacing I recommend this movie. I also bought the screenplay. Things were changed, especially dialogue was shortened. If you you have ever watched it you'll know what I mean. It is short, witty and too the point.

Another one is a movie that isn't my favorite. You don't have to look or read your favorite movies to learn about pacing or anything. Get bad movies too.

Anyway..."Garden State" It isn't a favorite but it has some quirky humor and character's and dialogue is not bad. But I also bought the script for that one. (I have alot of scripts I've bought) Anyway, there was a a ton cut out to get more into the story and help it pace better.

If you love that two page dialogue scene, it probably has to go. You must find what doesn't serve the story. No matter how much you love it. If you love it it's because you fell in love with it too much.

You have to find the right balance, where you learn as much as we need to and get out of the scene with the right flow that flows into the next scene.

This is what I am wrestling with now as I write my next screenplay. Although, I'm not as worried right now because of it being teh first draft. I just want to get it done. Then I can go back over it.

All for now.

Just let it flow :)

Aug 4, 2007 1:55 PM | Link | Comments (1) | Add Comment | Report Content

The beauty of writing out your story before you write the Script..

When it comes to just writing out your idea it is fun. You start breathing life into something that was in your head on paper, or your computer.

Quinten Tarentino says he buys a notebook and free hands it all in it until he gets the main idea out. Basically, that is what I do. I write it out on paper. Then I take it and rewrite it on the computer. I do this for a week or two. In fact I think of the ending, middle and beginning and fill in the blanks.

There really is no rule of doing this. That is what's so free about it. All of this story in you flows out. Until you have the main part of your story. Then tweak a little and fill in a little. Thinking of a few lines, descriptions and so on along the way. Yes, sometimes it is frustrating but is the funnest of writing out before you outline then write the script. Or however you may do it.

It usually takes me 8 to ten weeks of going from the idea and scribbling out things, writing out the Acts of the story to outlining then script. Sometimes more than that up to three months. I have read that if you were writing for Hollywood, you would only get three months to hand in a first draft. Yikes!

Also sometimes I will write a treatment. (Which is alot harder than writing the Script) But the reason I do it is to hit all the main highs of the story of what I am getting across.

Then put away my screenplay for a while and start on other ideas I have. Come back to it and rewrite.

So that is how I do it. Everyone does it differently which is cool. No rules.

Jul 24, 2007 11:38 AM | Link | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Report Content

The dreaded 'writers block' How do you overcome it?

Every once in while I go through this terrible experience where my mind just goes blank.

I look at the screen and the cursor stares back, blinking, waiting for something to do. It is something I don't understand. How can this happen? I read alot. I think alot. I try and talk it out. But there it is...nothingness.

It happens to everyone, I am sure of that.

I have found ways.

1. Just simply take a walk and clear my mind. Then things come to me.

2. Go people watching by hanging out at the park, or grocery, or wherever you like to go.

3. Open a newspaper.

4. Take a break for a few days. (I always find myself going right back to writing. Its in my blood)

5. Take a nap.

what are some of the ways you work out this problem?

Jul 20, 2007 11:13 AM | Link | Comments (4) | Add Comment | Report Content

Running in circles of the process.

Ever went through weeks of just trying to nail structure and find you got nowhere at all and have really written anything?

No? Come on...I have. Recently I got into that bad habit. I read too much on all these structures trying to find something different or a new way of writing the screenplay. Well all it did was confuse me and forget what I was doing and where I was headed within my story in the first place. And then that is what hit me...just write the story and quit running around in circles.

I don't know about you but, writing is hard. One of the hardest to do in the world, I believe. I may be wrong. It may come easier for you than me. I have so many things in my head when I start a new project that I can't make it become totally quiet. So what I don't need is trying to figure out structure on every one I write and start filling my mind with too much junk. If I have a solid story I really don't need to think that much about getting it right it should fall into place.

I believe its my mind's excuse for not writing. Sometimes I don't feel like writing. So I procrastinate and I begin thinking about way too much of schematics. Like for example;Where should the inciting incident be? Should the second act start here? Plot point 1, plot point 2, revelation and so on.

If these things are taken care of before the fact then you shouldn't be thinking about them. That is my point. It should already be established before you write one page of the screenplay. You shouldn't be stuck when writing the first draft.

So process your process before you start running in circles in the middle of your screenplay. And don't start at that moment to try a new kind of structure, it will only delay all your work you have been doing in the first place.

Jul 17, 2007 10:08 AM | Link | Comments (3) | Add Comment | Report Content