Hey everyone. I have recently been inspired to write a story about the events of 9/11. I have a vague idea of what I want to write but would also enjoy some help on this and get other peoples feelings about the event.

Basically, the idea is about the morning of 9/11. The story follows four different characters: Jeff, a high school student; Susan, wife of Bill, who works in the twin towers; Wilson, called in sick for work at the pentagon; and Mohammed, a tourist in New York, who happens to be muslim.

Those are the characters. The basic story idea is to follow the characters and see what unfolds. I would really appreciate help and input. Since this is a multi-character script.

Hey, what kind of help would you like on this?  Are you just looking for suggestions for plot?

One thing I would like to point out is that people didn't know that it was Al Queda right away, so in case you were going to have some sort of racist thing with Mohammed, you should make sure that it's not because people associate the terrorist attack with him.  If this isn't what you were planning, then don't mind my comment.

I'd certainly be willing to help you develope the script, but I don't think I can be of any help writing it at the moment if that's what you were looking for.

Also, I'm not sure how old you are, but if you need any help with a high school student's perspective, I'm one right now.

Let me know if I can help.

-Pat

The help I'm looking for is with someone adding their perspective of 9/11 into a script. How do you feel about 9/11? And what do you think people's reactions were?

If you can add to the plot, then that's great. This idea is still in brainstorm mode and I am just trying to collect as much research on the topic as I can.

So, any input you can give would be greatly appreciated.

To be honest, if you get the script of the ground all power to you and i willd edicate my time to reading it, but just a piece of advice since this is "an idea in progress" or maybe youve done more work on it. I think the 9/11 events have been televised too much now with World Trade Centre and United 93(i think was the name) and it is such a delicate subject i think it would be hard to treat it. I just think the whole event has now been over done. Thats just a thought. I like the idea though.

For me, this event became a good story background to write an interweaving character script. Since posting I have made a lot of revisions. I hope to make more and gain more information and waht not. Then I'll develop the characters more and more.

As someone who lives in NYC and actually watched the towers come down and lived in the aftermath, I think you're treading on extremely thin ice.  This story is about as delicate as a story about an eight year old being raped by her father....and loving it.


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe As someone who lives in NYC and actually watched the towers come down and lived in the aftermath, I think you're treading on extremely thin ice.  This story is about as delicate as a story about an eight year old being raped by her father....and loving it.Phil

I agree!!

You don't even have to be a native, live in NYC or be a citizen even to feel strongly about this.

It has about as much charm to it as making a movie about a really "nice" Nazi SS officer in WWII. Maybe showing how he was really a victim rather than a bad guy....

I was only 12 when the towers came down, and I was on the other side of the world. The only real effect it had on me was that the TV station didn't air a single episode of The Simpsons for nearly three weeks after it happened. That pissed me off. Sounds insesitive, but I've matured a bit since then and more recent tragedies (a pity that there are so many of them) have affected me a little more.

Pia is right in that you don't have to live in New York or even in America to feel strongly about the story. Just make it good. People won't stand for a script that shits all over the whole thing, nor should they. It needs to be sensetive, realistic and above all, it needs to honor the people that died in the towers, the people who died trying to get people out of the towers and the people who survived the whole darn thing. A good 9/11 story can be told, personally I think World Trade Center proved that.

Phil's right in that it's a delicate subject and than the ice is pretty thin, no matter who's working on it. But it can be done.


Cheers, Chismeister.

I was living in Washington DC at the time of 9/11 and it was a pretty hectic time. Everyone became really friendly and wanted to know what was going on. It was like a reason for people to come together.

I really want to write something about it. I just feel moved to do so (even if that means breaking through the thin ice). Sometimes it's just gotta be done.

Let's not forget the people in the pentagon as well. One of my best buddies was working construction there on that morning. He saw the whole thing. He told me about it a few months ago and that's what sparked my idea.

I agree with Phil and Pia 100%.

But, having said that, I think you need to find a reason why you are so moved by these events and figure out if and how you want to tell a story around it. Remeber, every movie has a message, a theme. You need to find what your theme is and work from there.

The important thing to think about is that if you can tell the same message and story without using 9/11, then you should'nt use those events. What you have to stay clear off, in this particular instance, is a story that feels contrived and inorganic.

Hope this helps.

Quoted from MacDuff I think you need to find a reason why you are so moved by these events and figure out if and how you want to tell a story around it.

And it being cool, interesting or a challenge is not reason enough.  This is a very dramatic/traumatic/heavy subject.  It's not something you can 'easily imagine.'


Phil

I stated my theme in an earlier post. It's the idea of people coming together to help one another out. I didn't exactly spell it out, but it's there. I also want to express the chaotic-ness that took place as well. People being confused and not know what's going on.

I just think this idea is going to go over like a fart in church.  Unless you were there or experienced a very similar situation, you won't be able to express the feeling of fear and confusion.

IIRC, someone else suggested a 9/11 story here.  People said they wouldn't read it.  I get the feeling the same will happen with this script.


Phil

I still think, telling the story and letting it live on is one of the best things we can do.

Quoted from superdrew828 I still think, telling the story and letting it live on is one of the best things we can do.

Telling what story.  Unless you were there and was directly affected, you have no story.  A fictional account of what happened that day is not the best thing to do.

9/11 will live on all by itself.


Phil

I completly disagree with you Phil. There are many great world war 2 films written by writers who hadn't witnessed the war first hand. However,  the thought of another 9/11 movie makes me sick.

Quoted from dogglebe Telling what story.  Unless you were there and was directly affected, you have no story.  A fictional account of what happened that day is not the best thing to do. 9/11 will live on all by itself. Phil

Is it any worse than an American writing a fictionalized account set in African genocide (Blood Diamond)? Or Fictionalized stories set during the Holocaust, by someone who weren't there?

I understand it's a touchy subject for Americans and perhaps especially New Yorkers, but the box office disagrees with your moral objections. People are drawn to movies set during terrible traumatic events, and tasteless as they may be I don't believe you can disqualify someone from telling a story just because they weren't present when it happened. Rf. every new world war II epic.

Not unless feel that way about every tragedy that has ever been exploited for film?

Quoted from Death Monkey Is it any worse than an American writing a fictionalized account set in African genocide (Blood Diamond)? Or Fictionalized stories set during the Holocaust, by someone who weren't there?

Not worse, but different.

9/11 is too fresh in everyone's minds, for starters.  The fact that African genocide and the Holocaust happened outside the USA would also act as a buffer.  Most people here aren't familiar with your examples.  I doubt you'll find anyone here who was even around for the Holocaust.

Not worse, but different.


Phil

Well, Blood Diamond is set in 1999, so I doubt it's about how fresh they are in people's minds. Moreso I think it's widely a nationalist thing. Just like I suspect a lot of Sierra Leonians (sp) think it's tasteless that Hollywood exploits a recent tragedy in their history, so will Americans feel about 9/11 (whereas Sierra Leonians couldn't care less). Because our moral outrage works best with our own tragedies.

World War 2 happend to us and I think that affected us. while we're on the subject of American tragedies, has there been a Columbine movie yet?

Bowling for Columbine.

I remember every teen angst television show having a very special Columbine episode.  Boston Public actually had a reall good story arc with it.


Phil

How about Elephant?

It's not specifically Columbine, but we can fill in the blanks...

Drew,

While I am too swamped in school and my own scripts, I was a student living on Long Island at the time of the attack. If you want to email me with any questions that might help you, feel free. The attack completely changed the course of my life and if it helps you capture the true feelings that were experienced that day, I'm here for you.

Just be forewarned. Your subject matter is an extremely delicate one. If your not up to the task, you might want to hold off on this project.

I personally would argue that it is the writers DUTY to step into the places that we are not supposed to go.

9/11 has had a profound effect on the worlds concsience. It has affected the way Americans view the outside world and even themselves and has changed the way the world views Muslims.

Ultimately, if you are drawn to write about something then I think you should. You should just be prepared to face any backlash.

Like it or not 9/11 was a key moment in history. Ultimately it was used as a springboard to wage war in Iraq, a war that has polarised opinion across the world and resulted in spreading Islamic Fundamentalism across the Middle East.

It has even resulted in us being forced to re-evaluate Democracy, once seen as being a "cure" for Fundamentalism, now President Musharaf is being asked by the US to curtail democratic reforms to check the rise of Political Islam in Pakistan.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films I personally would argue that it is the writers DUTY to step into the places that we are not supposed to go. 9/11 has had a profound effect on the worlds concsience. It has affected the way Americans view the outside world and even themselves and has changed the way the world views Muslims.

Surprised to see this thread again.

I totally agree with you on all of your points above. My concern would be a writer mis-representing ANY disaster that has happened. I've been around this forum for a few years now, and I've seen so many proposals about important events, where the writer has not done any research into the topic, but is using the event because it's either topical or unique or cool (I'm not saying this writer falls into these categories).

What a lot of writers don't understand is the amount of research that goes into creating a script -- especially if they are basing it on an actual event. I believe Paul Haggis spent a lot of time researching the events around the LA riots before writing Crash.

Research includes talking to people who were at the event (if it's post-modern) or reading substantial volumes of historically accurate documents. It's also important to understand both sides of the story. Understanding how the events affected the people you research. All of this adds up to the building blocks needed to have a concrete point of view. As we all know, as soon as we begin writing something, wether it is a comedy, romance, horror or drama, the moment we type FADE IN: we are stating our point of view on the subject; most times through the eyes of our protagonist.

What's the jist of this quickly typed up ramble?

Know the subject. Be an expert. Tell a story.