Quoted from B.C. I like a massive dick...

You were right, BC...

Well, when I wrote my first script I was giving myself a huge pat on the back. Shoot, I was already practicing my academy award acceptance speech in front of the mirror. Let me tell you it was a moving speech that would have brought Spielberg to his feet.

So, I handed the thing over to someone who knew their stuff and he sent it back to me with some good constructive criticism. He basically said the premise had very good potential, but my dialogue was weak. The plot worked fairly well, but his main concern was for my lead character. She was borderline sociopath. He had a good list of suggestions for improvement.

The problem was me. I thought he had ripped my academy award winning script to shreds. At the time, I couldn't separate myself enough from the script to recognize the good advice I was being given.

I didn't look at what he said again for some time and when I did, I saw all the good things he said and how helpful his suggestions were. Of course, I'm much better about that now. I can share other writings more easily and listen objectively to what I'm being told.

I've learned a lot on how to improve my writing since then.  

I have no problem with ideas for scripts, they pop into my head every few days but the problem is turning them into something decent.  Time is short and when I get it I spend an age writing a few pages.  I've accepted this now though and simply wont write unless I'm in the mood.  Trying to force the story out is a waste of time for me.  I write a messy outline and jump in.

I think just having an idea isn't the be all and end all.  Fleshing it out with characters and a believable story takes time and effort.  Leaving an idea to stew is also something I do a lot of.

I'm getting better at finishing projects before moving to the next though.

Very hard indeed. I actually find myself going back over previous work I’ve written because of new ideas and the like I’ve read which I believe could improve my work. With so much information at our disposable, it’s easy to look too much into certain things which in turn, leads to affecting how you write if that makes sense.

I write a scene, love it. Then go and read a script, see what the author did and think “Oh, that’s a lot better” I’m going to change that scene. In essence I get nothing done because I keep repeating the same scene over and over again until it becomes a jumbled mess.

I also think that after reading screenwriting books, SS reviews and lots of scripts that I’ve began to over think things which makes it even more difficult to hold onto a single idea and truly believe in it.

I ask myself questions:

Is this a good idea?

Do the characters act believable? Are they likeable?

When is the inciting incident?

How has my protag changed over the piece?

Have I given enough/not enough info/exposition?

Does it read clear or confusing?

And the list of questions could go on…

Like I say, I over think when I should just get down and write but like Basket…

It’s easy to feel like a dick when you have commitments and family to think of, but all you want to do is write.

So no, screenwriting isn’t hard! It’s easy peasy.

Screenwriting is easy. Crafting a script that really works...that would really make a good film, and which reads easy...that's what's hard.

Scriptshadow goes over 3 or 4 pro scripts a week, and I generally give them at least a partial read. The big difference between those pro scripts and the ones found here is readability. It's so easy to read a pro script. Even the better written ones here can be a chore to get through. But that's why we practice.

The hardest thing about screenwriting for me is time. Or lack of time, more accurately. I work full time, long hours. My way of relaxing is writing. Actually my real way of relaxing is kicking back with a beer and watching sport or a movie or TV. But I feel that I should dedicate some of my free time to doing something create that makes me feel worthwhile and stops me being a slob. So I push myself. I make time when I should be sleeping.  

What I feel guilty about is I have a family, a house to maintain, responsibilities etc etc. Same as everyone else.  I sometimes put my writing before that, and It makes me feel like a massive dick. Is it worth it? I ask myself this occasionally.

But I love it. And I'm selfish.


Screenwriting is hard.... BUT COPY AND PASTE IS REALLY EASY  


Thanks Basket Case apparently we share the same lives

Mark

I found the first draft writing is a breeze once you've got a solid treatment. Unfortunately, a good treatment can take weeks or even months. I've got what I think are solid premises but I've been stuck on the treatment stage for two months now.

I used to just shoot from the hip. No outline. No BS just write. But I found that you tend to meander and often get stuck somewhere around page 63. So it's better to get the idea first, bang out a solid 60 point outline and then write. Easier said than done.