Years ago, I wrote my first screenplay, and it sold to a local company. I’d re-create it, but it was probably really bad. It was my first success as a writer.
Years later, I’ve learned a lot. In the last year or so, I’ve written lots of ideas, including many ideas for screenplays. I probably have enough ideas that if I sold every one of them (and they got filmed) I’d be doing okay, living up in New England, and probably thinking about going out on my boat today.
What things should you keep in mind as you try writing the movie?
It’s about a guy… I’ve learned the hard way that unless it’s a “buddy” film, it’s going to be about a guy. Supporting characters are supporting characters.
The Guy must be a strong character who drives the story. Your story is about a guy who wants something badly, and will move heaven and earth to try to get it. Then you have to deny it to him for most of the movie. Your movie CANNOT be about a passive character.
White pages. Everyone argues about how much in a paragraph is too much. 2 sentences? 3? 4? I’ve heard both 3 and 4. Suffice it to say that if you’ve got 5 or six sentences per descriptive, it’s too much. Dr. K says that 1/3D=3X – cut one third of your dialog in a section, and you’ll get a script that’s three times as powerful.
Broken sentences. Learn to write descriptives with incomplete sentences. What’s the most common phrase among sports fans? “He’s driving up the middle, He shoots, he scores!” Except that’s terrible screen writing. Try this: “He drives. Shoots. Scores. Crowd stands, cheers.” Put one sentence per line (vertical stacking) and your script has more power, a faster read, more likely to get the infamous “recommend” that so few scripts get.
Don’t be an English major. What do you need? Verbs, nouns, conjunctions. There you go. “Mike stands. Turns. Draws a .38 snubnose.” NEVER “Mike casually stands. He reaches behind him in a surreptitious move, then whips out a gleaming blue snubnose .38, leveling it with merciless anger at the whoever.” Words like “really” should only be found in dialog. (”really?”)
Enter late, leave early. Unless it’s crucial to the scene, never never never “He walks into the room and sits at the table. ‘Thanks for coming in.’” Instead, show the disapproving whoever seated at the table with whomever asking uncomfortable questions. “So, you killed and ate them both?”
Exposition only when you MUST. Is it crucial that your audience know how the bad guy got started being a bad guy? Is it crucial to know their motivation? No? Then leave it out. And when you get the novel rights for the script, THEN put it in! Do I need to know why someone is a killer? He’s the bad guy! I don’t care! “I was hoping you could tell me why I’m doing this?” “You don’t know? You’re a homicidal maniac!” “Oh! That explains it!” Actual dialog from a T script! Do you know what TV series? Heh! I know! And I don’t even own a TV!
This one’s an extra. I learned this the hard way, and everyone’s right when they tell you this. Never let anyone, see your first draft! You will be forever explaining to EVERYONE this is the “vomit draft”, and NOBODY will understand it’s not staying like this! And it will color the way they see your work! Let them see it when it’s ready!
Conclusion
Writing your screenplay is rewarding. I’ve enjoyed working on them. It’s such a GREAT feeling to finish up a script! Keep these simple rules in mind (print this out if you have to, and put it in your office) and your scripts will have far less problems!
