I always write the story in my head and then on paper. But I never really write a TREATMENT, I just use what I have and better it through drafts. Not exactly the best way but suits me and hey ITS WORKED for me.

I have a START, MIDDLE, END. Or ACT 1, ACT 2, ACT 3.

Hmmm, tough question...

With Goonies, I knew the middle part first then the start and the end last! Yeah, middle>start>end, that's right.

I'd already 'seen' the main part of the script, it was sooo clear in my mind, but my characters were the clearest and the rest just kind of happened over the course of a year.

I don't like to write by hand much, partly due to the fact I ache and two, because I can't read back my own writing easily, but having said that, I did carry a notebook everywhere with me and jotted down thoughts and spidergrams etc wherever I got inspired...got some of my best ideas down that way...!

Write in any order you want to, but always keep in mind what it is you are trying to acheive, as the end never really ends for a writer, I still don't feel like mine is 'finished' - is it ever?!!! - LOL!

That really depends on what I'm writing.  When I wrote 'The Burnout,' I had already written six or seven stories based on the main character, Whitey.  All these stories were the prequels to The Burnout.

'Suicide' was actually written as a monologue.  I never developed any characters for it, just the method to kill myself (I was never was suicidal in writing this).  If was pretty much off the cuff.

The next piece I'll be submitting here, 'The Orange Menace,' was written thte same way.  It's off the cuff based on a very simple idea.

In all these cases, the television is on and I'm usually eating something.  I don't believe in locking myself away from the world.


Phil

Neither do I.  The world is important.  I listen to AM radio every day.

I can't outline in a movie script. I found that it really slows me down and restricts me. The only time i do that is in a television series, where outlining really moves the process along.

Yeah, outlines for me just get in the way, you know.

I usually get an idea, sit on it for a while, and while I'm sitting on it I'm picturing how I could open the script, and what kinds of stuff would happen. That way, when I finally get a lot of free time, I can just sit down and get right to work. I'll usually at least hash out an intro and a few more scenes before I stop and decide where to go next.

With American Dream, I started with a loose brainstorm of the idea. I drew on a piece of paper the brainstorm web they teach you in elementary school, you know? I webbed out the climaxes and characters' relationships. I pinned that brainstorm to a wall and just elaborated and filled stuff in between those ideas. It worked for me because I finished the first draft without feeling like I missed something. With my other scripts before that, I just wrote a synopsis of the story. But then I would get bored with working on it and the inspiration wouldn't be there.

I don't stay at my desk the entire time, either. I write new ideas for a twist or a climax in class or anywhere I'm near a pen and paper.

I usually start with the end. I don't write the end, I just know where I'm going to end up, so I plot out Act 3 first. With that in mind, I sketch out what Acts 1 & 2 will probably do. From there I usually write it on the fly, always knowing where I'm going.

I usually draw out at least my six main plots (Catalyst, Big Event, Pinch, Crisis, Climax, Resolution) at the very least so I get my act structure intact.

To get good ideas for your shows' / movies, watch programmes of that genre. If you wanna write wicca, watch Charmed, Buffy etc. Drama, watch hour - long dramas Like DH (Desperate Housewives), genneral Hospital.

Sci-Fi, any1 like Doctor Who? There's a new series on our local channel here in thre UK, BBC 1. Tis good.

That's how you get good ideas. You watch them and pick up good stuff, and you can see where they went wrong, and try not to make the same mistakes.

I watch Charmed all of the time, and picked up a few good ideas for my series. I'm currently writing all eps myself, 24 to do! I'm currently shelling the 3rd episode, and working on ideas for the second series, so, if you have ideas, please throw them at me.

Danny

Films inspire me but I don't take no ideas from them, it's hurts your film/series if you're being compared instead of being thought of as original.

I've tried many methods to keep the inspiration to finish a story still there. But most of the times, I get bored with writing everything in my head down, and I lose the inspiration to finish. I know it's a sign of weakness not to finish a project but I think the problem is writing the story all out in an outline or treatment so then I don't want to rewrite it in a script. So, with this new idea, I didn't do any prewriting with the thought that in the rewrites I would get a handle on characters, structure, and a more exciting plot. The advantage having something written first and then perfect it later. Using that thought, I wrote half the first act in one, short, sitting. And I didn't get bored. I was just wondering how much prewriting you do for a story and why you think it's better than another option. Maybe I can make the process easier for me.

Quoted from Impulse I know it's a sign of weakness not to finish a project.

No.  It's a sign of weakness not to start.  Once you begin, it is simply "unfinished".  And it remains that way until you are done.  Whenever that might be.

As to your larger question, my backlog of "unfinished" projects will attest to the fact that I am the wrong guy to ask

I start with a basic idea that I think sounds fun or interesting. Then I figure out who the main character is and start with his story.

I usually plan out the six basic plot points of catalyst, big event, pinch, crisis, climax, and resolution at the very least. From there, I don't often do much else before starting to write since doing those six points usually stimulates my brain enough to go through the story. I usually write to the end of a scene and decide where to go from there.

I don't often write a treatment because it is easier to write the entire scene because my treatments usually end up with so-and-so says this and so-and-so says that. That's just me.

Subplots usually get developed while writing, unless I feel plotting them out as well, but again, only using the basic plot points. One subplot got developed during the writing because I needed something else to happen during the story, and I eventually tied it in to the main plot.

As for unfinished, I don't have a huge number of those because I don't start writing before I get my plot points figured out. If I don't know where I'm going, I'm not likely to get there.

That's me.

What I do is move onto something fun, go back once you have the inspiration. It took me 3 years but I finally finished my first full length script earlier this year. Only 15 more partial ones to go and I'm complete.