I cant seem to ever finish my scripts---because I have no idea how to end them. Its almost lke I dont want to---but mostly because I never know how to  reach the point at which they conclude. How do I (stupid question...) finish?

What is it with you and all these tough questions? ;)

Anyway... as I've tried to give you as much imput as I can in previous post, I'll try to give you my two cents here too.

1st -- You have to know your story. you have to know your characters. You have to feel eachone and work towards a goal the entire duration of your screenplay/movie.

2nd -- Know your beginning, middle and end, always! Before you start your work. Or in atleast in a general way. I know myself I like to plan 3 endings and 2 openings to each of my movies, including my many many many shorts. This way you can take one idea, mix it with another and another and come out with something really good or pick up somthing else along the way that'll work too.

3rd -- Decide what your mood is. What is the type of setting? How is this story progressing? Is it a comedy, drama, action, horror, si-fi film? What works best for this type of movie? Ask yourself this.

4th-- Don't hurry it. Take your time. Don't rush into an undesired ending, if your not working on a deadline or pay by scale base. It is always good to let your work sit for awhile and then go back and finish it. You'll have a better outlook on the whole picture.

---------

I can't say 100% dead on how to end your movie. I simply can't, cause I don't know your movie. I can only pass out my basic knowledge of the craft of screenwritting. Again there is no wrong or right way to write your movie. If you want a sad, happy, bloody, funny, ending it's up to you to make it so.

Hope this helps a bit.

Baltis.

I mostly dont usually have an ending because I begin with an idea, and just an idea. SO when you have an idea, you usually know the begining, or the start of the idea. I just dont know how to get the answer to the "idea" and finish my friggin story.

But I'm gonna do what you said and make sure I have a begining, middle. and end before I continue.

Just visulaize the ending and no matter how much your plot changes, keep
working to that ending.

I usually write the beginning and ending way before I even start the script, so when I go the write the insides it just flows nicely and whatever changes throughout the script and effects the ending well it'll change with that

I always know the beginning and ending and have problems in between

Doing the start, middle, end.... allows  the filler is always so much easier then. If you have three major plot points to go with, you can't tell me you're gonna mess everything up.

Add to this, they are the most important plot points in your movie. Trust me, if you have a good start, middle and end, before you have the rest... it's gonna flow.

Yay. I'm gonna do that---but I suppose the middle would be considered the climax of the movie?

also, the movie should have sort of goal, and the movie should end after the climax of this goal, regardless of whether it is achieved or not.

If your goals for each character are higher than their own goals, their achievements might believably end up being above above their own goals, but below your goals for them.  But because they surpassed their own goals, the audience leaves happy, having vicariously witnessed success.

...and when your script is too long, find the most important achievement of the main character, and edit out every scene that does not contribute directly to that achievement.  You'll be left with a script that's too short, but you'll have a very visible framework for further developing the draft.

I actually did that thing where you "outline" the story and---I actually know howit wll go now! Of course, I hate outlining, and wish I could just do without it, but it works...

Outlines proove to be useful at times. If you jot them down on index cards and arrange them to acts 1,2, & 3 you shoudl have no problem filling your movie with enough content from start to finish.

This will also give you time to make any changes along the way.
Add characters.
Take out characters.
Hone and polish dialouge for an upcoming scene.
Add a twist to your 4th pinch and 4th plot point.

It's a great way to do things, but... it can also restrict your mind from thinking beyond this pattern too. So be careful on how far you take your outline and how serious you are about it.

Just a heads up from the local baltster...

You should write your TREATMENT or outline BEFORE you write dialogue or narrative.  

Like the scene seletions in DVDs.  You can briefly name each scene, then elaborate with a few sentences, the important information that takes place in each scene.  Keep a notebook for all your ideas.  Write down the lines you think are funny or important.  Quality work takes times.  Solid story stucture is just as important as your dialogue.  There are many different formulas for story structure, but all successfull films have three acts.  Ive posted the most common ACT structure many times.  The hero's journey.  There is a thread of the same name that outlines the acts for you.  This is what lucas used for starwars, and made the structure popular.  They make you learn this in every class.

When you finish your treatment, filling in the dialogue, speaches ect will be much easier.

If you're in the momentum of a "feel" for your characters, setting, and situation, you can improvise far better writing than if you were following a strict guideline, like an outline and/or a treatment -- both can seriously inhibit the creativity of a writer who is in "the zone."  Most of my scripts -- which won several awards -- were written with only outlines of characters, and discriptions of settings and situations, NOT outcomes.

You are working bass akwards.

"Start with and ending and write like hell to get there" - Don't know who said that.

Your ending is what sums up your theme and without an ending/theme you don't have a story so what is the point?

Try an ending first next time and the sky will open wide.

Thats true, its good to have an ending to sum up the theme, but you make it sound like the theme is less important than its own resolution. Its good to have an ending, but I think a well thought out idea is even more important, because with that, then you can add any ending that seems fit. I might be wrong, but thats just how I see it. I dont understand the quote, either, because thats like saying "at then end of this movie, everyone will die" and THEN make up a way to reach this conclusion---I dont understand. Anyone, explain.

The ending thing is a good idea, but again... only if you are having a dificult time with your movie.

Dreaming up your ending only... could possably change your entire movie all together. Again, making it to where you will simply look for a direct like from A-B-C... try to think your movie out as if it were running on film.

Make it make sense. Make it work.

Again, I'm not saying I'm right and anyone of you are wrong... but however, SAMURI is really asking questions that will help him out and help him understand the craft better.

Try not to get to deep with it all. I was lost with alot of what you guys said back about 5 post ago.. LOL

Anyway, there is no right way to make your movie. Try everything you can to make it work and everyone of these guys idea's are very good and very workable.

If you are trying to get your movie off the ground... try the index card system 1st and foremost.

Balt.

"Start with and ending and write like hell to get there" - Don't know who said that.

Meaning that if you know clearly where you are going it will be easier to get there.

If you are just wandering as you go along you are bound to get lost and the reader will know it.

Sometimes writing down the idea you have on a seperate wordpad helps. That's what i've begin doing for "Spider-man 3" and "Hontubby Weedwahcker Incident" it really helps me remember what i'm trying to achieve.  I hate usuing index cards myself so I usually make a seperate Wordpad just for notes I have gathered for a certain subject so i can go back and write the script from that.

^^^^^^^^^^^^

Also a great idea... however... many like to have and hold their respected ideas in front of them on paper.

I myself, print out every screenplay I've ever written... I've got 4 drafts of each screenplay sitting on my scripting shelf.

Also, I've been to quite a few plays, having lived in new york, and i have noticed that the plays, (not musicals, plays) usually have a imagery sort of prelude, or theme that changes. aka: DEATH OF A SALESMAN begins with curiosity and search for truth, and it ends with the uneasy, unaccceptable, hard to deal with truth.  I've looked over movies, and most of 'em end this way.  THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY, my favorite movie of all time, uses this in the character of tuco.  towards the beginning he's about to be hanged, but saved by "The Man with no Name"  who apprently actually does have a name: Monco, which, curiously enough, is my name.)  and they go off with the money.  and the movie ends with him about to be hanged, and he escapes by himself, and the two go their seperate ways.

I just always wonder how other people get from start to finish with scripts...do you have a general idea of beginning, middle, and end?  Do you outline?  Or do you just have a really cool scene thought up and base a movie around it (not the best idea...)?

Sorry if I ask too many questions---seems like I'm the only one.

-'samurai

I do both, I sometimes start off with just a really cool scene and other times like my hero script I set up an 8 page elaborate storyline to show myself if it'll work

have you posted the script you did the outline for? I'd like to read it

I start with a concept and work from there.
Usually I'll draft an outline and treatment - while writing the first draft.

For me it just depends. Biohazard was just written on the fly, which is how I write all adaptations. I figure that if I don't plan it the only things I'll include are what I remembered from the game/book/whatever, so it's obviously important to the story. For others, like JTD, I spent about a year before I even began writing.

hmm....I plan on writing a scriptment or something to that effect....so I dont screw up.

A rough idea and vision of how it'd all be in the end of things and then write it backwards and forwards and anyway you can from there.

I went at my shorts for W.A.L.S.T.I.B. very, "start-middle-end" however, the wrap around hub to all 3 movies was a motherbitch to figure out and make work within' the context of the stories at hand. It was tough stuff to pull all 3 "walstib" movies together.

Writing is something that is a time effort, you can't make a masterpiece overnight, some can I suppose, but me and many others, LOL, no... not a chance.

I like writing general idea's down on paper and then weeding out the bad ones from the good ones and then trying to fit all them idea's into a movie I'd like to see in theaters.

That's how I write and I'm by no means brilliant or even slightly intellegent... I lift weights and train people for a living, that's what I do... So maybe take the advice of someone who is more in touch with their mental powers than me, LOL ;)

C.K.

good thoughts~

I haven't posted my hero script but with my 8 page outline it was so easy to write act 1, I just zoomed through it with ease and I got a writer who I respect to read the first act as it was and he really liked it. He didn't understand a couple thing because it wasn't a full script or anything but still said it was the beginning to something good

I like it as well but when it comes to my own work i seem to be my own worst enemy or critic and usually that's why I don't post very many screenplays

As in my new series, 2 episodes are done and I haven't posted either

Lately, I seem to use this method:
I usually have an idea about something at a very inconvenient time. I'll let it stew in my head for quite awhile (I'm talking days here). If I can't think of anything else or expand the idea, I'll write it down for another time. If, in my mind, I get excited about the idea and I can expand on it then I'll start writing it down.

Then for a few days I'll add stuff to it and then leave it for bit. I'll go back to it and if it still excites me then I know I have something to work with. I work all day, and I'm on call for after hours and weekends, so my writing is usually done in spurts. There will be a week where I will write non-stop, then another week when it'll be only an hour or so.

I'll finish a draft, take some time off and go back and start making changes. After a few drafts, it'll be ready for showing someone. Then I'll take their review and see if I can make any positive changes to the script.

It can take a couple of months for me to complete a script. As Balt says, I can't write something in week, let alone a day.

If it's a serious project then I'll go into extensive planning.

My upcoming project - "The Silent Treatment" is going into a year of preplaning, character analyzations, treatments, and drafting before I even begin on the first draft.

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.

George's point about the ending is correct.  You do gotta have that.  I think so, anyway.  Otherwise, you are just, like, driving around with no particular destination in mind.

It's the middle that can drive you nuts...

Yeah that middle, it kills great ideas. The beginning and end are easy compared to it..

I must admit, I struggle with pre-writing. I like to formulate the idea completely in my head, may write a short synopsis. Develop ideas for act 1,2,3 (plot points, climax, resolution, starting with a bang etc..) and create my main couple of characters...I then go from there.

If I need a sub-plot or more conflict, I usually add it after the first draft and see if I can tie it in.

...BUT I must admit, since my first full length screenplay, I'm struggling to get through my next one and be happy with it. I completed one shortly after my first and it's sitting after the 1st draft. I think I'll leave it for the time being and continue to concentrate on my next project.

I usually come up with the end of the first act event first. Once I have that, I write act one to get up to it. From there, it's get to the pinch (act two mid-point), then make my way to the crisis (left or right?), then the climax and out.

These little plot points will save your writing. They are my religion. An example of a start of mine is under the Work in Progress thread on "A Thriller I'm Concocting." I laid out the whole plot, and we even discussed fo a few posts. I haven't started it yet because I keep getting off track.

With me, it's not that I get tired of the idea; it's that I have so many that I end up writing two or three things at once. Right now, I am getting a start on Fempiror 4, Vengeance 2 & 3, and this Thriller thing as well as plotting episodes for my Fempiror virutal series, as well as a few episodes for two other virtual series called Guardians and Foster. I'm also working on rewrites on The Soul Keeper and Vengeance 1. Some say writers should write, but maybe I should take a break...nah!

And if that wasn't a paragraph on shameless self-promotion, I don't know what is.

At the same time, Wesley, "borrowing" ideas is almost inevitable and dates back to Shakespeare who "borrowed" the plot for Romeo and Juliet among other things. Only about 6 plots have been identified in the history of writing (I sure wish I coulod remember them right now), so you're bound to hit on one of them.

What's the key? Using what you know and twisting it and crafting it into something new. Alien and Jaws are the same basic movie. Just different situations. Slasher movies all follow exactly the same basic plot...but they are also (mostly) different. Deep Space Nine and Babylon 5? Deep Impact and Armageddon? Halloween and Friday the 13th? Almost every chick flick ever written? You will repeat someone else's formula, but the way you craft it is what makes your creation unique and specal.  

If you like a certain genre, feel free to watch movies and take notes, but also take note that you must craft the old ideas into something new or you're just taking someone else's idea.

You hit the nail on the head there, George. There's lots of ways to to tell a story but you'll usually draw elements from one or more of the following.

Achilles: The fatal flaw
Candide: The innocent abroad
Cinderella: The dream come true
Circe: The chase
Faust: Selling your soul to the devil to bring riches
Orpheus: The gift taken away
Romeo and Juliet: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl etc
Triangles: love triangles

That's 8, I read once that there were 20 but these 8 pretty much cover it for me.

Perhaps it was 6 primary and then several twists on those parimary ones... I also remember something about 20, though. Like I said, I don't remember, but most love storis and chick flicks follow the Romeo and Juliet plot beat for beat. Really it's the subplot and supporting characters that do the unique stuff. West Side Story attributes its entire plot to Romeo and Juliet, and yet it has some originality in it because it updated the plot to a different setting entirely.

And every story's main character should have a flaw of some kind. Achilles' difference was not that he had one, it's that his was physical and he was unable to overcome it. You could apply this fatal flaw to War of the Roses. Both characters were flawed and in the end, both refused to overcome their flaws even though the overcoming would have solved their problems.

So, what if a script follows all 8? I guess you go into a script with the intention of being 100% original and than take shortcuts or maybe they are just so hard to avoid that in fact it's gotta be done.

Can't have a chick flick without girl meeting nice guy and can't have an action hero without the bad guy, also a love interest but Bruce WIllis in Die Hard kind of killed that mold because his love interest was in fact already his wife ha-ha I believe. It's been awhile.

Originality still exists and can still be done. The story is where you find the originality, but you will unlikely be able to escape the classic plot devices. A wise man (named Soloman in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible) once said, "There is nothing new under the sun."

You'd never know with hundreds of remakes and things based on other things... It seems only a couple original films are made a year and the rest are low budget flicks that we never hear of until 5 years later.

I will definitely agree with the level of laziness we see come out of the industry. It seems some producers are afraid to stick out their neck with something that is fresh and go with the tried and true stories that everyone loves. Some people (those non-industry moviegoers who audience only; you know, the people we write for) just want to see the same old predictable story so they KNOW they will love it.

I hear it all the time around here. "Oh, that sounds so good." Or after watching Van Helsing, "That was really good." I smile and nod and move on, because everyone really hates my opinions because on some movies I have tended to go on and on about what all was just horrible about whatever movie (or just horribly predictable). They hate it when after 5 minutes of watching, I can tell th entire plot and how it ends.

I have been commanded by my wife to just enjoy the movies and don't analyze them so everyone else can enjoy them too. Oh, well. I do admit my affinity for James Bond flicks, and I do give them some latitude to enjoy them, but I guess that's kind of clear frm my avatar.

Sometimes a bad movie can be very inspirational.  The movie may not be bad because of the script but other things, like bad acting, bad directing, not enough budget, etc.  Sometimes a story may be told better in a different genre.  An example of this might be writing 'Encino Man' as a drama (minus Paulie Shore's character).  

Don't forget that cheesy 1950's sci-fi flicks were the inspiration for Rocky Horror Picture Show.


Phil

You don't like Encino Man? Come on, I enjoy Pauly Shore for what he was, a 90's legend ha-ha Just kidding he was like the Screech of film, annoying and weird to the naked eye.

I enjoyed Pauly though, he's even got his own t.v. series coming on TBS soon which means somebody else likes him as well.

Paulie Shore is thte cinematic equivilant of scratching your nails on a blackboard.  The fact that he has a television series coming out means nothing.  Paris Hilton has two of them now.


Phil

But Pauly didn't make it here on his looks and sexual abilities alone, unlike somebody else. Pauly probably had to work to get what he has, what has Paris ever done? "Oh That's hot" other than that I'm not sure.

Are you going to fault the man for doing what he had to do to make himself a 90's star if you will? Paris will never actually have a career to retire from, her and Pauly would make the perfect couple though.

Self-promotion? Well, who else are you going to talk about? I like to hear about the processes people go through to get stories done and how they got their ideas. Thanks for the input, everyone. :)

well I'm pre-thinking tension right now. I developed the character's and their storylines first. then I do this I've never heard anyone else do this I write down the scenes and get a general idea of the scenes of course I'll take them out before I submit the script but I think writing the scenes helps. then I write a sypnosis. Then I usually start colliding ideas and have about a day of argument in my head. Then I pick a way I want the story to go and do the catalyst, big event, pinch, etc... Then I write the treatment. I'm about at that point and tomorrow I'm going to start writing. lol. I do alot. I do have about 2 unfinished projects but I'm dedicated to finishing this one!

Writing out the scenes is writing a treatment for the most part. A treatment can work well if you're a little stumped because you can see a short paragraph of the scene and rearrange as needed before actually writing.

Good old recipe cards...great for organizing scenes...though I don't use them.

I write as I think something, it's usually on my computer, on my laptop, in my notebook...whatever is handy. It's usually incoherent to the outside world, if someone stuumbled over my notes, they'd be concerned about me.

That's as much as I do as per my previous post.

pre writing isn't necesscary go with what works best for you

I'm working on a story right now. I've just been writing all ideas I have for it down, and I've been writing summaries of scenes down too. I have maybe the first 5 or 6 scenes and a couple that I'll put in later and I have the basic idea of where the story will go, I just don't know exactly how I'm going to execute it. I'm debating whether I should start writing the first draft or not. I guess, there's no real harm in writing it because first drafts are hardly that great and many things will be changed anyway. I'm actually really excited about this story, although, I have another story to go with it (perhaps I will make it a sequel, a trilogy, or maybe even a prequel/prequel trilogy) and I've been focusing on the backgrounds of the story that's taking place so I can have a basis to rely on. It doesn't really change where the story goes, but I like to imagine what happened before my story just for fun. If you don't like to prewrite that much, than don't. If you prefer to just write the first draft and just work out the kinks later, do it, I'm sure no one will be able to tell the difference. Not everyone works the same way, remember that.

For me I do two things: create a soundtrack for the screenplay, which I use as my guide to keep me in the mindset I want. From there I right an outline. Basically I just write point form, an entire script can take me half an hour to write out a five to ten page outline, start to finish. That's it for the outline. I use it as a base point, any changes I make I make as I write the actual screenplay, so there's elements of format and elements of winging it.

Hi. My name is Shelby and I'm a writeaholic (Group: Hi Shelby)  Wow! It does feel better! Anyways to the point: I have a very active mind and when I start writing a script (I will be 4 or 5 pgs. or about 2 days worth of work into it) I A. Get discouraged and think "This is total crud." and delete it. Or B. My biggest problem: I get another what I will think is a better idea and scrap that project and start anew. I also have problems with keepin it good and long. (about 30 pages was how long one script I wrote and couldnt edit it to get more.) CAN ANYONE PLEASE HELP ME IM A DESPRATE DESPRATE BOY!

P.S.: Should I start drinking so I can forget some ideas ;) :P. Just kidding.

Hi Shelby.
My problem leans more towars, A, although (forutnately or unforunately) I only write a page or so before I decide it's crap (note that I mainly write actual literature, not screenplays.  I'm on this forum because I'm trying to branch out).
I actually think your problem is much less severe.  Having too many ideas is never a disadvantage.  Rather than scrap the original idea, maybe you could mesh your ideas together to crate an even richer plot, turning it from a work-stopper to something helpful.
Regarding the second problem, chances are everyone has that.  The only thing that can change that is experience, although reading over it from the mindset of "is this realistic?  Will viewers understand this?  Is it too succinct?" helps alot.

Force yourself to write it, that's what works or put it away and come back to it. I probably have 20 half complete scripts (Give or take) and each has its own appeal and in my mind would be good if I put the effort into finishing them.

Never scrap anything, you'll end up regretting it later on.

I donīt think itīs bad to delete some of your stuff once you notice it isnīt working.

Sometimes, the "cool idea" you had, suddenly isnīt cool anymore. It can happen. Itīs very difficult to evaluate your own work, because you lack of objectivity. Sometimes it takes a while to notice that the cool idea you had, isnīt that cool really.

I think that even talented writers can have crappy ideas now and then, and learning to recognize them and act accordingly, is part of any writerīs discipline.

I think itīs wise to dump one idea to move to a better one, as long as youīre not moving from one idea to another, forever. If you find this is the case, well, then force yourself to stick to one, and flesh it out.

Do not bother yourself to keep your scipts "good and long", just keep them good. Write exactly what you need to show your idea, no more, no less. Donīt try to force your scripts to make them longer. Maybe youīll have to write some shorts before being able to write a lenght feature.

What usually happens to me is I get to page 40 and get bored with it... I can't stay hooked onto the scripts that I write, but the ideas are very good. The sad thing is I barely get to put out any work because of my job and I spend time with my wife and then when I go to write it is total "WRITERS BLOCK"...

Jobs do tend to get in the way, I had a night shift in a factory these past weeks and have barely written anything. It gives you writers block to be someone elses drone for 8 hours and come home tired and not in the mood plus when you have a family that adds up to less free time.

Do you pre plot or do you just get a general idea of what your script is about and just go, making it all up as you go? I have been just going and with the exception of Assassin ep. 1 I havent been able to finish a script. I am doing an adaption of Bag of Bones and thats going better than anything else I've done so far so i'm wondering, what do you suggest?

I think most people usually put together an outline prior to starting their script, however, I'm one to usually begin with just an idea, start writing and fill things in as I go.  

As I said in a previous post in another thread, if I'm working on a script and stop for the night/morning, before I write anything new the next day, I'll go back and read everything I've already done just to make sure I'm happy with it, and to immerse myself back into the story.

Considering that you're happy with the way your adaptation of "Bag of Bones" is going, I would say that you're better suited to write when you have a well thought out piece to work from.

Go with an outline.


Mike

Mike, do you have any scripts up? I'd be happy to give em a read!

Doing a previous outline is the best method IMO. Each scene of your script must move your story forward; thatīs impossible to do if you donīt know exactly where youīre going.

If you "just write", after you figured whatīs your story about, youīll have to go back and cut a lot of irrelevant stuff.

The more pre-writing, the less re-writing.

I make up the plot first, though I never write it down.  It stays in my head where I can still play with it while I writing.


Phil

I have to have a written outline in front of me before I write one word down of my script.  That way I know where my characters are at the beginning and how they will change at the end.  I even know what important aspects of dialouge to include in certain coversations and how much to build up when a character is about to die or go through a big situation.

But, an outline is just a structure.  My things get changed as I'm writting because I see better ways to show something or I have a new idea that pops in my head.

You should always have a rough outline to guide you.  Something that gives you a general idea of where you are going.  It's like driving.  If you don't have a final destination in mind, why are you even getting into the car in the first place?

Taking that analogy a bit further, consider the outline like a roadmap for your character's journey.  You are not chained to it -- if you come to an interesting side road, by all means explore it and see if it takes you someplace good -- but you should always have a clear idea of where you hope to end up.

Driving around aimlessly, making it up as you go, seldom generates a good story.

Quoted from dogglebe I make up the plot first, though I never write it down.  It stays in my head where I can still play with it while I writing. Phil

I do the same, but I don't think up a plot, I dream up one.  Most of the things I write are dreams I've had.

I've done it a variety of ways. Sometimes I have a general idea of where I'm going and just "drive," as Bert put it. By doing it this way, I am able to watch my plot unfold like watching a movie and force the creative juices to wiggle my way out of corners I'd never get myself into otherwise. Genesis of the Mutation was written this way as well as Vengeance and The Soul Keeper, though those two have undegone extensive revisions since then.

Sometimes I plot out the entire story by scene by scene fixing and tweaking this and that as I go along so I have a bird's eye view of the whole thing before I begin. I don't tend to do this too often, but I did do it for The Initiation of David as well as the episodes I wrote for Guardians. These two methods work well for action plots that drag the character along with them.

Lately, I've actually worked out the individual characters and the plots they will follow throughout the story. This works best for character driven storylines and is what I used for Jagged which follows six characters through six individual and intertwining plots. I also used it for Old Friends to keep everything together, although I like that whole story less and less. More and more, I am preferring this over the other methods because I know what all the characters are doing and it forces me to keep them all active throughout the story.

Overlapping these methods is a decent way to write so your action plots are laid out and your characters are all tracked. As you write, writing from the hip becomes easier, but above all else, read what you write like you're watching it on screen and decide whether what you're writing actually works or if you'd think it would look stupid on screen.

Quoted from Mr.Z If you "just write", after you figured whatīs your story about, youīll have to go back and cut a lot of irrelevant stuff.

This is very true, but I like to write the irrelevant stuff even if it means I'll end up cutting it.  Because the more you write, the more you know your characters.  Even if a lot of scenes get cut, you have the memories of those scenes, and those memories can only help you know your characters.

Quoted from Alan_Holman This is very true, but I like to write the irrelevant stuff even if it means I'll end up cutting it.  Because the more you write, the more you know your characters.

Thatīs also true; I do it but in a different way. I write the "irrelevant stuff" during the outline process. I write every idea I come up with (good, bad, very good, very bad) and then I choose the best ones for my script. So when I reach "cutting time" I have to deal with a 15-20 page outline instead of a 90-120 page script.

A lot of suff gets lost in the creative process but it helps to know my characters.

I don't think "pre-plotting" is absolutely neccesary. Stephen King never does it and, well, enough said. I'd say it's a matter of personal preference.

Personally, I don't care for outlines. I think they take all the fun out of writing and I've never had a problem with rewriting so I'd say they're not for me. I'm always coming up with new ideas so even if I did write an outline, I'd constantly be changing it.

When you write as you go ideas sprout more than when you are really trying hard to think of an idea. That is how it is for me. I can never think when I'm writing ideas down, but when I just write them down as I go it feels more full.

That is my preference.

The big secret behind how I plotted Banana Chan is what follows.  Anything else I've saaid i a cover story.  The year was 1999, and I was 18 years old, and I suddenly found that I had developed a crush on a girl who was 14.  The age difference made me decide against telling her about the crush until she got older.  In the meantime, I got hooked on a radio show called COAST TO COAST A.M., which I listened to as I slept.  They kept talking about Armageddon and Y2K, so I kept having dreams about situations in which it was up to me to rescue that particular girl from situations that involved the end of the world.  Except there was a twist.  In each of the dreams, I'd try to rescue her, but it'd end up that she'd always be the one who saved me.  The situations would develop as such:  I'd see that she's in danger, so I'd try to rescue her, but it turns out that I misinterpreted her situation, and she wasn't actually in danger, so I put myself into danger accidentally, and she'd be the one who saves me ... she'd save me like in the OASIS song Wonderwall which I was addicted to at the time, which had the lyrics, "maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me."  Well anyway, those situations in which she saves me were part of the dreams, but chunks of the other parts are what I mixed together to develop the plot of Banana Chan.

While I don't think it is absolutely necessary to write a long, fleshed out outline before you start a script, I do think you have to atleast have a concept of where you characters will be at the beginning, middle, and end of your script.

Of course, unless your Stephen King.  ;)

Pre-plotting occurs whether you write it down or not. It is doubtful that Stephen King just starts writing one day without any clear concept of where he'll end up. He probably just has the story in his head and writes it down. It's a common enough practice.

The reason you write it down is just so you don't forget what you've come up with. Even when I've written stuff "off the cuff" I still had an idea of where I was headed. I could have written it down in an outline if I wanted, but usually when a story is good enough, I have the whole thing in my head making an outline a waste of time since I'd just end up writing the story complete anyway.

I've been browsing around looking for a new thread, new topic, something fun to read...

So, how about this... Does anyone have a fun, or funny situation as a writer to share with us? like Something amazing happened to you and inspired you to write a script...

It would be interesting to find out what the story behind the story, in details. What inspired your best work? What was behind it? A woman? A man? A picture? A song?

And please name your script so we know what you're talking about.

Ayham

Hmm.  Interesting topic.  I'm guessing this topic is based on what inspired you as a writer to write a certain story/screenplay.  I guess this could be fun.  I'll go through my five.

Mercenary: Soldier of Fortune - The main inspiration of this script was based off of a former Canadian sniper Arron Perry.  He holds the world record for the longest sniper kill at 2,340 meters or 1.5 miles which took place in 2002 in Afghanistan.  He then was discharged from the Canadian military after defiling an al Qaeda dead body.  He then moved to America and became a mercenary for hire.  He currently performs contracted Special Forces work for the United States.

Quake - Pretty much mostly from the video game.  I used some elements from Starship Troopers and Doom, but mostly just an adaptation with my own characters.

Slaughter - My first horror script.  The story was inspired by a film called The Slaughterhouse Massacre which was probably one of the worst films I have ever seen in my life, but the slaughterhouse setting seemd cool.  So I attempted to a crack at it and had a blast with it.

Devil May Cry - Another video game adaption.  I tried to make the script as action oriented as possible to really give the game justice, but it was difficult to keep the story flowing.  Not one of my proudest scripts, but I love the story.  I would love to go back and maybe touch it up or spin off another story from it.

The Booker Man -  My most recent script.  This was based off of pretty much every experience I have encountered in the two years of college I had.  Every single situation in the script is real.  Either via my own experience or a friend's.  I also was inspried to write it to try and even the balance of guys hoping to talk to women.  My brother is very timid when it comes to girls and I always wanted to know why some dudes are petrified of women.  So I tried to dig up as much info I could on female seduction that I possess as sort of a guide for hopeful "pimps" out there.  Haha.

Anyway that's my resume.  I think every script has to have some sort of inspiration, especially original stories.  If you aren't inspired by something that truly touches you emotionally, the story will either be dry as hell or you will never finish writing it.      

haha Guy, that booker man story was excellent! I wonder if your brother read it and hopefully benefited from it! :)

Thanks for sharing man, that was a fun read!

Ayham

Guy, it seems like you and I are the only active members tonight. Anyways, to go back to the Booker Man and the thing with men and women. The problem with us guys is that we think we're always in control, and that all we have to do is walk up to her and talk to her, but all of a sudden we get HIT with that fake smile and the " NO! thanks, I"M BUSY! " ..god I hate that. The truth is, it's women who are in control. If a woman likes you, then she WILL talk to you and will give you the light of day, otherwise there's nothing on earth that will make her have that cup of coffee with you. So smart guys who do NOT like rejection shouldn't approach just any girl. They should wait for that sign, for that hint, for that look or smile they give you, then, and only then approach the girl...and even then, god knows!


A bit off topic here I know. I just had to VENT!

Ayham

The boards are indeed very quiet lately.  Everyone working on their OWE submission, I suspect.

But never one to pass up an opportunity for a cheap plug (and just where is Phil, anyway), my short script Salvage was drawn from a true-life scenario:

http://www.simplyscripts.net/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?b-short/m-1125923556

The WIP thread for that is long-buried, but I dug up the initial posting, which may or may not be of any interest to you whatsoever -- but hey, at least it's on-topic.

Quoted Text As a teenager I used to work on my own car, and spent alot of time picking through junkyards for auto parts.  One day I noticed that the trunk of one of these cars was full of old clothes, shoes, and even a photo album with family pictures.  I thought it was odd that these items had gone unclaimed. As I looked around, it suddenly occurred to me that most of these junked autos (there were hundreds) had ended up here as a result of violent collisions. And many had probably had dead people in them. Like the car I was rummaging through now, for example. It was a nifty, gruesome, tingly feeling. That will be the setting for this story.

It's a good creepy story for Halloween, too.  I don't think anyone has hated it yet haha.

I'm yet to have an inspired story, all my ideas come from my noggin, not experiences, which is a bit of a downer. I spose I need to travel or do something as experience nutrient. Either that or take a whole lot of drugs and experience things i thought i saw...

Bert, does your script Salvage tell a true story? I mean did you really find something interesting, like a dead person or something along those lines?

What did you find in that trunk????

Quoted from Alex J. Cooper I'm yet to have an inspired story, all my ideas come from my noggin, not experiences, which is a bit of a downer. I spose I need to travel or do something as experience nutrient. Either that or take a whole lot of drugs and experience things i thought i saw...

haha Ape!

Come on man, everyone has a certain experience. Or like Gene Hackman said in that movie..uh, I just saw it! the jury movie!..hmm...oh, Jury Duty, when he said " everyone has a dirty little secret "...so what's yours?? I'm sure something happened along the way and prompted you to write about it!  

Quoted from Alex J. Cooper I'm yet to have an inspired story, all my ideas come from my noggin, not experiences, which is a bit of a downer. I spose I need to travel or do something as experience nutrient. Either that or take a whole lot of drugs and experience things i thought i saw...

I have to say the same thing really. I've never really done anything or been anywhere that's truly inspired me to write. Maybe something's inspired me to write a song but scripts, I feel, are a lot more complex and I'd need something pretty big to spark off the inspiration for a story.

All my scripts are created inside my head I'm afraid. I mean, Gravy People? That's the best script I've ever written and it's about a bunch of young adults who, after mixing a secret substance into gravy, enter each others dreams and memories. What kind of inspiration could I get to write something insane like that? Ha ha ha... it's funny because it's true. I love my mind... I get my inspiration from dreaming, I guess.

:)

( seating Parkster on a comfortable chair, putting on my thick medical glasses)

So, Parkster!...lets talk about those dreams!!...Start with your childhood!

haha just kidding bro....So STARLESS started out with a dream?

Ayham

Quoted from Ayham So STARLESS started out with a dream?

Hmmm...

... I guess inspiration, for that sort of script, comes from films... Star Wars is the obvious choice, I guess. Most of it hit me as I thought about a sci-fi in space... it just comes to me. Sometime's I dream about something and think, oh cool, that's a good idea and I go from there.

For one of my other new scripts, The Vent, came to me after watching a Scrubs episode and an X-Files episode. The Vent is a horror, about a guy stuck in a massive maze of ventilation shafts with strange things going on inside with him. On Scrubs, the janitor tells of his time inside a ventilation shaft hallucinating... the same week I watched an early episode of the X-Files where Skully makes her way through a vent... and hey hey, there's the idea for The Vent. It may be weird but it's how idea's pop into my head. I'm sure a lot of other writers get idea's from other films too.

Inspiration is getting harder to find... even harder if you don't try and look for it.  :)

My first attempt on writing happened when I was working as a restaurant manager in Venice Beach, CA. It's a screenplay called " One Man Show "

We had a cute waitress from Spain, Julia, who oneday approached one of the cashiers, Jeff and asked him to marry her for the purpose of obtaining a green card. Jeff is gay.

So I asked her, why Jeff? she said because he's gay, and it's alot safer to live with a gay man rather than a straight man.

A light bulb went on inside my head, nearly blowing it. And I came up with the idea.

A girl from Europe or South America is looking for a gay man to marry and become citizen, and she's willing to pay up to $10,000, plus free apartment for 1 full year.

The character I picked for my story was Paul, a struggling Flamenco guitar player, who just finished producing a Flamenco CD, along with his band, but the CD didn't sell. People nowadays listen to Rap music. So Paul agrees to marry Julia, the only problem is, Paul is NOT gay, but he has to pretend he is!

It's a romantic comedy, but was my first attempt on writing and came out absolutely horrible!!

One of those days I'll get back to it, clean it up and hopefully put it on this site.

Ayham

Quoted from Ayham Bert, does your script Salvage tell a true story?

Haha -- no way, man.  Just the setting -- and that one realization -- and the story grew from there.

"The Farm" was like that, too.  For those that have read it (NOT a plug -- just conversaion on a slow day for the boards) -- that story is set someplace very real.  The windmill (painted as described), Angel's portrait (and where it is hung), the art room, the animal shed -- virtually everything in that script exists in real life -- on a farm in Bristol, Indiana.

Sounds interesting, Bert. You know, I see no problem if people PLUGED their scripts through this thread. Now that we know the story behind the story, it would make the script a much more interesting read. I know I'm getting to Salvage and Booker Man (Guy Jackson) soon!

Ayham

(off to work now, gotta make a living somehow)

You don't have to travel to get inspired to write something. The true nature of a writer is being observant. I get more ideas for stories and characters in one day than I could possibly write, even if I was paid to write ten hours per day.

Just watch people and situations. Listen to what people are saying. Ask yourself questions. Why is he/she doing this or that? What is his/her life like? What drives him/her?

Read/watch the news. I could probably come up with at least ten stories in one day just from the news. This Horror/Milk OWE took me less than two minutes to come up with a story. Sadly I didn't have the time to write it, but it took no time coming up with the story.

Just pay attention to what goes on around you would be my advice.  :)

I agree with Pia on being observant.

Before I wrote "Tattoo", I knew I wanted to write a vampire script, but I didn't have any ideas for making it orignal.

I went to the liquor store to get a pack of smokes, and there in their window was a beautifully-colored poster ad for a new drink (I think it's Vodka, but I'm not sure) but the ad just sort of slapped me in my face. As soon as I saw the ad I got the idea. Tattoos puts ink into the skin... What if someone used vampire-tainted blood instead of ink when doing tattoos? Then I wrote it.   :)

Cindy

Quoted from Parker Inspiration is getting harder to find... even harder if you don't try and look for it.

I'm totally wrong for saying that up above...

Pia is right, inspiration is everywhere. Flick on the TV and it's amazing how much inspiration can come from one TV show, a film, a piece of dialogue or scene, even an advert/commercial.

Inspiration usually comes when I least expect it, however.

Pia, Cindy, thanks for the inputs.

Pia, is there a particular story or event that inspired what you consider to be your best work?

And I totally agree with you guys about being observant. Also being a good listener. Hear what people have to say, how they express their feelings. This beats the best psycology class, much better than the one my psychiatrist recommended!..

Hmm...Bert..Lesbian...uh, no comment!!

Thats some good advice Pia, but if i was to do that successfully i'd need a pad near by at all times because i'm very forgetful, i've forgotten some of the best story ideas...

Most of my stories are either based on something I've seen or something I thought would be cool if... A lot of my earlier works have very, very long stories behind them, but I'll condense. Here's a few.

The Fempiror Chronicles -- very obviously based on the vampire legends and such, but I wanted to make then real, so I pondered how to take them out of the fantasy world and make them realistic giving realistic explanations to not only their characteristics, but explaining some of the stuff that isn't realistic and more fantasy. That shaped the world and the stories.

Vengeance -- I was in a store during Halloween time and saw the faceless mask hood. I thought it would be cool if there was a killer who dressed in that with a black outfit. Faceless people are spooky.

Armor of Belial -- The trailer for the video game Vexx. This cracked Bert up when I linked to it. Imagine my surprise after I wrote the script in its entirety and found one of the game's characters had the same name as one of my script's. Complete coincidence.

Old Friends -- inspired by an ex-girlfriend's actual relationship with her "unofficial" foster sister

A Perfect Plan -- Dial M For Murder + A Tell Tale Heart. Mix with a little paprika and chili powder. Boil for 20 minutes.

Most everything else is just me pondering weird things.

Another thing that is kind of enjoyable as well as filling you with inspiration is simple people watching.  If you are ever on a train just listen to ther peoples conversations, they are usually a goldmine, and you can easily base a character off of them after listening to just one conversation.

-Tyler

Lately I've been having an issue within myself about writing. I've not been either inspired or my mental energy, focus is not there. It's not exactly writer's block but more lack of effort. I'll try to sit down and force myself to write something but I'll end up getting frustrated even though I should try. My mind is just not entirely into writing right now but my heart is. What can I do to assist this lack of effort and should I still try to force myself?

I say yes, absolutely.  Write random scenes, three page shorts, whatever.  Keep writing.

When I get in this state I try to flesh out ideas that I have for stories I plan to write later.  Or if I feel especially uncreative as well then I go over old scripts and proof read them again.  I also review other peoples work when I am having down time.  Sometimes this inspires me again.

Set yourself the goal of writing one page per day. This is an achievable goal that won't set you up for failure. Once your start doing this, you'll find that you'll have days where you'll write even more.  

I'd say yeah, just force yourself to just start writing.  Kinda like how Sean Connery said in Finding Forrester.  Just write....you can always go back and edit later.  He was speaking more in terms of books and short stories, but I think it applies here as well.  Put a couple people in a room and just have them talking to each other.  You'd be surprised where it goes.

I've actually had this problem myself before, and I'm kinda going through it right now.  For me, it's usually brought on by the fact that I can't get as excited or interested in writing other's ideas as I would with my own, but once I get to work on it, things usually start to flow.

Another problem I have is getting an idea, something very basic, and then trying to flesh it out into a full script.  I'll start off kinda stagnant, trying t figure out what I'm doing, but as the writing process goes on, I usually figure out whether it'll be a short or a feature, and I take it from there.  I came up with an idea like this earlier today, and now I'm trying to see what I can do with it cause I think the concept is absolutely hilarious, and given that I may be able to cross genres I might be able to do a feature.

Just write.  There's nothing that says what you come up with has to be shown to anybody.

Another problem is Im trying to avoid writing scripts and instead working on character development for said script. For example, right now Im working on a short film script thats being heavily looked at and rather than going back to write additional scene(s) I want to focus more on character development and story development than the story itself, at least for right now. Is this a good idea?

This might be a dumb question, but I want to see what you guys think. Do you guys think it's better for someone new to screenwriting to start off writing a lot of shorts before getting into a full length script? Or did you guys go right into a full length script your first time?

Eh, I'm asking because, I started writing a feature as my first script and about 15 pages in, as much as I loved the idea, I figured I was in way over my head. I'm still intent on finishing it, but I thought it would be better to get better by writing shorts and getting feedback on those before I go and screw up my feature.

I don't know. What did you guys do for your first couple of scripts and in hindsight, what do you wish you did?

The first thing I ever wrote was a feature.  I had enough material to fill it in and then some.  So much so, that I ended up finding a lot of redundancies when I went back to rewrite it, and I pretty much cut it in half.  Yeah, it was that long.

I don't think it makes much of a difference either way, although you would be able to experiment with things and what not, and probably get better/more feedback from a short since features don't seem to be looked at all too often anymore.

I think when you start out features are more exciting. I know when I first started writing I started on 12 features. I never finished any one of them, because I found structure problems after page 30.

then I wrote shorts for about a year and now I'm almost done with my first feature. I think shorts help you figure out what's important to the story and what's excess fat.

There is no right answer, it depends on the individual.

As Mike said it is easier to get feedback on shorts, features require a considerable sacrifice of time to read all the way through particularly if it is a problematic script.

Writing shorts will develop your ability to write in the correct format, which is important and will also help to develop your ability to think visually.

The vast majority of writers and scripts I come across don't write film scripts, they write stories masquerading as scripts or write streams of consciousness overlaying some images.

If you genuinely want to be a screenwriter I would personally set yourself the task of writing a silent film. Think of a story and tell it only with images. Once you get to a point where you can tell a 20 minute or so story that has depth of charcater without even using a single line of dialogue, then you can be confident of writing a "proper" film script.

For a briliant example check out this film:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210308/

The Storekepper by Gavin Hood. You can find the film on the extras in the Tsotsi DVD.

One thing that writing shorts can't do is prepare you for the task of structuring a feature, read screenwriting books and study film scripts and the films themselves to learn to do this, although bear in mind that in film every rule can be broken, they're not set in stone.

Also analyse exactly what you think is going wrong with your script and tell us. At the moment you are being very vague. The problems are probably easily correctable if you sit back and plan the film properly.

My final bit of advice would be to tell you to relax. You can't ruin a film idea by writing a bad script. It's just a first draft. Writing is really re-writing. You finish a draft and then leave it for two weeks or longer. Read it with a fresh pair of eyes and then note down what's wrong with it and then write a new draft.

Cheers, Rick.

I have a problem with writing features. I always set out to write one, but i become bored with it and it turn it into a short. Writing shorts has definetly helped me improve as a writer, though.

If you write a good detailed treatment you should have very few problems. On shorts or features.

My treatments usually last 9 pages of the basic plot and babble but the good kind. I never post treatments because sometimes they only make sense to me but they work really well for writing.

I started out trying to write features.

My first failure turned out a measly 45 pages.  My second turned out at around 112 pages, but I had to create pointless scenes to fill in gaps.  Not good...

Personally, if you are a complete beginner, then I would start with shorts and learn to tell a story.  After that, you can be ready to move on to bigger and better things.

But like Wes said, a treatment can work wonders.

Well, I've decided to start with trying to write shorts, so I can get some practice just writing different types and maybe have the formatting and proper usage down through people going over what I'm doing write and wrong initially.

Therefore my first short is a working title called Sweet Salvation, which from what I have come up with for a logline thusfar could very well get rewritten later into a feature (which is what I hope to do with some of these shorts).

Here's what I have so far:

An 18 year old man is struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, but the thought of suicide just seems too final and scares him to the point he stops when he nearly attempts to do it.  Instead, he acts like nothing is wrong and goes out to parties with his friends and gets trashed.  Therefore, he has a reputation of being the life of the party.  All of this changes when he meets her...

I have a few scenes thought out, and I wrote the first few lines of one the other night, but I was hoping maybe for some advice and some ideas as to how to make this fit well within the confines of a short without making it go too long and turn into a feature.

Hey Matt,

First of all, go through the "Short" section here and see how other writers structure their scripts.

After reading you logline it seems that you're gonna need scenes that show the following:

- Why he is despressed
- How it affects him
- The suicide attempt (especially why he doesn't go through with it)
- Him keeping up appearances
- Him partying with his friends
- Him meeting her
- How she changes his life (for better or for worse)

To me it does seem like a whole lotta ground to cover in a short. I wouldn't fixate on it being a short from the get go if I was you. Just write. You can (and should) do a rewrite later on in the process, there you can always trim the fat or add more substance.

Anyway, good luck with it.

Cheers
Rob

The best advice I can give you is: Do NOT write a feature concept as a short, unless you know your structure. People tend to do this, and often the result is very uneven. The only good one I can think of right now is Martin's Placebo.

Your story does not sound like a short. It sounds like a character driven feature.

I would work on your logline too if I were you. The one right now doesn't really entice, because I have no idea what the conflict of the story is. You have an internal conflict in his depression, but we need an external one as well. Is it about winning the girl? Some people might go: "great, another introspective teenage suicide story..." from that logline. I have no idea if that's accurate, but you should be able to convince people that your story is DIFFERENT in the logline.

But good luck. The first one is always the hardest.You learn from your mistakes.

Hey everyone, I have been stalling on a script for quite sometime now and I cannot figure out how to turn a simple idea into an original script. :-/ Bascially I just dont have the inspiration nor the motive to begin... but, I would really like to write this story. What do you guys do in these situations? In advance, thanks for all help provided. :)

Inspiration is a funny thing to find. I've had a lot of success with scotch. Lots and lots of scotch.  ;)


Matt.

Finally found my old account lol, and I dont think Scotch would be of any use to me. I only drink tea, water, juice and soda =0 lol

Quoted from jstarbob Hey everyone, I have been stalling on a script for quite sometime now and I cannot figure out how to turn a simple idea into an original script. :-/ Bascially I just dont have the inspiration nor the motive to begin... but, I would really like to write this story. What do you guys do in these situations? In advance, thanks for all help provided. :)

eliminate your contradictions, then you'll be able to move on.

Like what do you mean? I dont think contradictions are a big part of it, its just that I have this idea.... but nothing to back it up. More like an image or a thought I developed. A picture that kind of sums up the story.

Quoted from jstrbb Like what do you mean? I dont think contradictions are a big part of it, its just that I have this idea.... but nothing to back it up. More like an image or a thought I developed. A picture that kind of sums up the story.

you said you don't have inspiration or motive, but you want to write it.

that is contradictory, at least to me.

when you start WRITING, stuff usually begins to flow.

Oh ok I get it.... I think the thing I meant to convey... is that Im lazy to getting to the story. The idea is there. lol Sorry for the confusion.

Quoted from jstrbb Oh ok I get it.... I think the thing I meant to convey... is that Im lazy to getting to the story. The idea is there. lol Sorry for the confusion.

LMAO! you're still making my point. get unlazy.

Just write the story.  It probably isn't going to be perfect on the first run through anyway so no sense in waiting until it's perfect in your head.  That is what rewrites are for.  

If you don't find the inspiration before you write then it will find you as you write.  

Yup. Just let it flow and then polish it up with a re-write. I've wasted a lot of good ideas before because I got lazy.

--Julio

EXT. INNER-CITY STREET - DAY

DIRTY HARRY CALLAHAN crumples up and throws a one-line treatment at a scared writer backed against a storefront door.

CALLAHAN: Ideas are like assholes, punk. Everybody has one, but that doesn't make 'em special.

I take a page from those folks who draw and write sketches around an idea.  If you take the characters you plan to use and throw them in different situations, it's a great way to learn about them, because you;re not controlling their actions as much as you think.  Mcornetto is right about just starting and then letting the work flow.  If it's the idea you want to tool around with, sktching willhelp because you're doing it for yourself to see what happens if you go in this direction.  On some of the projects I've worked on, I've found doing short 10-15 page sketches from different angles of the story very helpful.  

Sorry.  Story.

Now how sad is that?

EBurke.  

There is a little button at the top of your post that says 'modify'.   If you click that button you can edit your post and change sotry to story.  Try it, you'll like it.

Dude, set yourself the goal of writing one page per day. Once the thing starts rolling it will gather its own momentum. Actually, I have no idea if this is true, but try it out and report back to us with your findings.

But seriously, Woody Allen once said something like: 'We can't teach people how to write, but we can inspire them with great art'.

So read great books and watch great movies and maybe you'll get inspired.

Wow, ain't that modern technology something.

Quoted from jstarbob Hey everyone, I have been stalling on a script for quite sometime now and I cannot figure out how to turn a simple idea into an original script. :-/ Bascially I just dont have the inspiration nor the motive to begin... but, I would really like to write this story. What do you guys do in these situations? In advance, thanks for all help provided. :)

Bad thing about those simple ideas; on their own they're great, but what do you do with 'em once they occur to yout?  It's not really so much laziness as it is you just don't have a story to go with it.  And that happens a lot, to everybody, pro or amateur.

Say, for instance, the idea you have is a particular line of dialogue or even a single, yet complete, scene.  Play it in your head.  Then ask yourself what happens next?  What happened before?  BUILD a story around it.  But don't be rigid; allow that initial idea room to grow/change/shrink/bend or else you're just forcing it.  And if you force it, it'll show.

Quoted from Lon Bad thing about those simple ideas; on their own they're great, but what do you do with 'em once they occur to yout?  It's not really so much laziness as it is you just don't have a story to go with it.  And that happens a lot, to everybody, pro or amateur.

I agree. I've had lots of seemingly good ideas that just keep leading to dead ends. Yet, the buggers keep coming back demanding to be developed. On a couple of occasions I've forced myself to flesh out ideas I wasn't that inspired by, just for the sake of writing, and the end result left me feeling flat.

For me, there's a difference between inspiration and an idea. An idea can just be one of a thousand redundant thoughts that go through my mind, but for some reason I think I need to do something with it. I need to be inspired and sometimes that takes the great art of someone else or for something meaningful to happen in my life.

David Lynch as often been quoted as saying. "Ideas are like fish. Some you take home and prepare others you throw back.