Quoted from Dreamscale I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned since I first found this site.

  

You should have seen his first script.

Quoted from Michel I improved my style after sevreal years.

You should have seen his first script.

Quoted from James McClung I think a good chunk of what I've learned about screenwriting, I've learned here.

You should have seen his first script.  ("Kiss of the Locust", anyone?)



Point is, this board does what it is supposed to do for people who want to do it

But there is still room for people who don't.  No need to sweat it too much.  It takes all kinds of folks to make a community, and even your own family is bound to have a few people who rub you the wrong way.

I do not worry about it too much, really.  But then, I have a "delete" key haha.

Quoted from bert You should have seen his first script.

BTW, I never saw yours, hey DeleteKey Man! (that's a Superhero's name or what?!)

Michel

Quoted from bert I do not worry about it too much, really.  But then, I have a "delete" key haha.

I'm kinda glad I don't have a delete key. I'm not sure I could overcome the urge to use it too often. For that very reason I also don't own a gun. Everybody's a winner.

Quoted from bert You should have seen his first script.

Can we see these legendary first scripts? Are they still up?

Quoted from James McClung I think a good chunk of what I've learned about screenwriting, I've learned here.

I've learned more here than I did from reading umpteen books on screenwriting and that Story by McKee. I don't think I could have done this anywhere else. So, to all the folks who make it happen, I thank you kindly.

I'd tend to agree that you can get what you want from these boards. There's room for everyone. If you really don't like a script then why comment? I remember reading on here that a lack of comment can send a big message.

Or as that uncle character said in Life Is Beautiful "Silence is the loudest cry".

R

Andrew,

I believe it's really up to each of us what we want to get out of this place. I first became a member in September -05. I started out reading a bunch of features from people that for the most part never visited the forum.

Six months later I joined in a writing "challenge" hosted by Martin. The challenge was to write a script without any dialogue. I learned SO MUCH from that particular exercise that my scripts nowadays still have minimal dialogue.

I started taking more part on the boards...even argued with Don... hopefully he doesn't remember.     More importantly though was that I soon learned who had talent and/or took the craft seriously. I started reading their scripts whenever they were posted. They started reading mine. I learned so much I can't even begin to tell you.  I also read a boat load of produced scripts.  On the more "negative" side, it didn't take me long to realize that the odds of selling a script to Hollywood were pretty slim. Simple math will answer that question. I thought to myself, well, it's the same old thing as with everything else "if you want something done, you got to do it yourself". So what did I do? I decided to make my own films out of my scripts.  

I started looking for likeminded people in my area. Eventually I found a woman who had 20 years experience working in Hollywood. We got along great and formed a production company with another woman. So what am I doing now? I'm trying to get a reality show off the ground. Just so you know, I hate reality shows, but one thing leads to another... We went out to LA last month and met with some actual movers and shakers out there. Who would've thunk? It now looks like our show might happen. The money is there, we just need to iron things out due to some homeland security BS.

We also are in talks with CAA to be our agent!!!!!! Obviously this has nothing to do with my writing, but if I ever write something decent enough, you bet I will insist on them to at least look at something I wrote!  So what's my point here? My point is that you have to take things in your own hands. Reach out, network, don't be afraid to try something different. You never know where it might lead. Be brave. Don't be afraid to fail!! I believe in this 110% as a business person as well. It is better IMO to try and fail 50 times and succeed one time than to be too afraid to fail that you never try anything. I feel almost like a surfer. I'm just riding the waves. I have no idea how things will turn out, but I know I rather surf than sit on the beach watching others trying to stay on top of the waves.

I have over the last few years got to know some great people from here. Nowadays, a lot of the reading and reviewing happens via e-mail between trusted "friends". I've got to know some great people here. Some I've meet in person and others I hope to meet one day. In my mind, this place is amazing, but you have to work at it to get what you want out of it.

If you really want to learn and willing to do almost anything to move ahead, you can. All the tools are here, but it's up to you how to use them...

PS. rendevous...we all have a delete key to our own posts!  

Quoted from Grandma Bear even argued with Don...

Even did with me!

Quoted from Me PS. rendevous...we all have a delete key to our own posts!

Hmm. I should probably use that one more often. Especially after lubrication.

I can see what Andrew means...sort of. But that's the good thing about this site - everyone is entitled to their opinions, whether it be about writing styles, format, genre, etc.
I hope that maybe one of my scripts might be spotted but it's not an obsession. I like the fact that i have an idea and i write it down and something is created from nothing.
I enjoy chatting to other members about other subjects, and the international flavour is very interesting.
Perhaps the big influx of backlog scripts did produce some tension? Possibly. The only thing i want to comment on is the scripts that get posted and someone reviews them and we all know the writer isn't even a member? I think Don puts up 'outside' work to give some variety? Maybe he could enlighten us.
anyway that's all. back to work!!  cheers to all.

I write cause I like to. But that's not the topic. I think if you're really serious, you go live where the action is, or within a two hour drive.

I was hot after a young lady some (lots of) years ago and flew to LA to hang out with her, and she was hanging out with her brother, who just moved there, into a cheap as hell apartment. Her brother wanted to be a writer right out of high school, and had some success after living in LA. Tab Murphy I think his name was. I remember he'd be off every morning to go market himself; himself and his scraggly beard.

As far as SS goes in helping, I agree the tools are here, but you can lead a horse to water...

If you're talking about folks not reading and commenting on scripts to help out other writers, you know, it gets old reading stuff that you know isn't going anywhere as it is and when I get away from my walker and slip into my recliner, put those dentures in a glass, I gotta tell ya' I just want to relax a bit and read something really good.

I think the best advice for those writers wanting to get better is for them to read AS MANY produced scripts (contained here-in SS) and Black List type scripts as they can, so they can see how it's done. Break the script down, watch the movie. Read some books on it. Don't go hacking away at the forest with your plastic picnic knife when a little research and a trip to the store can yield a machete, or better yet, a BINDFORD Nitro-powered Weed Wacker 8870 with the patented 14-inch ultrarip-tipped tree muncher blade.

cloroxmartini has a point. I always wanted to be an actor, but after reading some of the produced scripts here on SS, I wanted to be a writer. Most the people here write for their own reason, but I think that if you really want to write some thing good and succesful, you should study already produced scripts more. I'm reading throught the top 100 list, and I'm learning alot.

P.S- I read some of the Syd Field book, that helps too.

My response to the question brought up in the original post is simply yes and no. I'm serious in the fact that I want to write stuff that people enjoy but on the other hand I know the stuff I write is not something that can easily be put on a Tv or Screen and that has never been my goal either.

This is a writing website that I have been part of for a long time and from day one my goal was to entertain people and from the people who read the stuff I write I get the feeling I accomplished that goal fairly well.

The whole film industry and I don't get along. Things come and go and I usually push them away because you don't have to be paid to be a writer and I just want to be a writer without any strings.

That is how I approached it from day one and I'm not bitter, angry or in competition with anyone for anything.

Hollywood can be a cruel world.  I don't want to live there, I just want too see my name under writer on the big screen in a few years.  I want to sit there and watch the movie I wrote in the theatre.

It has always been my dream. I know I'm not going to make the money right away or anything...  I could careless about the money right now, all I want is my name under the credits as writer.  Then it will be so much easier getting my other scripts through the door.

I've been writing all my life but being deployed overseas, well I got side tracked for awhile.  Now I'm just trying to finish what I started.

SS is a good way for me to get some honest feedback.  Great job with the site Don.

Good thread too.

Ghostwriter 22

SimplyScripts and the good users of it have helped me more than anyone else in my life. I am serious about trying to become a screenwriter and have one of my scripts sold.  This site has taught me basically everything I know about screenwriting today. Because of this site I have had two producers interested in two of my short, although one lost interest and i have no clue what's going on with the second one, I know that it's possible for me to get somewhere.

SS has helped me learn, of coure, sure, I don't really take people's advice when it comes to changing my ideas, because it doens't really matter what others want it matter what the writer wants, to some point, industry controls too much.

I've been writing since I was 12 and have come a long way. I'm not to interested in Hollywood, I'm more of the independent type. I've had about five, six, seven independent filmmakers ask me for my scripts, I aloud them to use my material but plenty have lost interest, which to me pushes me further away from the possiblity of allowing others to make films based on my work.

In fact I plan to film my first feature, produce, direct it myself, and yes write it, no one else can really undestand my work but me, I know what makes it work and what doesn't, and I don't like the idea of some one else completely destroying my vision. Other can say otherwise but that's how I feel.

To Xavier:

From Ed Wood 1994:

Orson Welles: Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams?

To Andrew Allen:

I am not serious about writing professionally.  The idea of seeing your name on the screen as writer of a major motion picture is very exciting, but I know in my heart that that world is not for me.  I love reading scripts, and writing scripts, but I know that I'll never be a professional writer.  I haven't been very active lately.  Mostly posting in the General Section(s)  I'm waiting for my rotation on the Soul Shadows, enjoying the input, then I may just disappear.  

A good friend has convinced me to get back into the art biz and wants me to illustrate his comic book idea, so I've been shaking the rust off.

If any of my posts have added to your dismay about the direction of the site, to you I apologize.

Quoted from Andrew Reading through a lot of the threads and the ability - or not - to take others' views has left me a little jaded of late. We have debates about how worthwhile shorts or features are, and it seems a lot of the point has been missed: we're here to learn and share, no? Everybody has something to bring to the table, I think.

I hear you, Double-A, and I agree completely. I'm no saint myself, I really do try to stay out of those threads you're referring to but...it can be damn hard, you know? But we can't make somebody want to learn (unfortunately) and often that subsequently spirals a discussion into ridicule and pointless back-and-forths (and while that surely can be some fun reading, it just clogs up the board).

The inability to take criticism will always be around but, fortunately, you can spot those writers a mile away. The trick though is to just ignore them (cos it's like Bert said, they will go away eventually and die in peace) and to concentrate your time on the ones who really are here to learn/share/teach.

My main problem is when people posts scripts they themselves call "shit" and "no good", and it seems like the board has been bombarded with that lately. They get two middle fingers from me cos they're pissing on Don and the rest of us.

Quoted from Andrew Has SS lost its abilities to teach /bring the best writing out of people?

I don't think it has - to those who really want it. The others, well, to each its own, I guess.

To answer your original question, yes, I'm very serious about my writing. Am I serious about making it in "Biz"? Sure, but not naively so.

Cheers
Rob