...and only just begun to grope my way through the riches...  

New to screenwriting, but been writing fiction for about 5 years.  Writing a film can't be any more difficult than writing a novel...can it?

Looking forward to talking with y'all

Well, I don't think that writing a script is easier than writing a novel. It is much more difficult just because of the way it has to be written. A book is basically a bunch of paragraphs in my point of view.

A spec script is where you describe things thouroughly (don't think I spelt that right.) and keep dialogue flowing between characters.

A shooting script has all of the camera angles, but I would advise you not to write those.

Well, after a crappy introduction for the semi-noob I say... Welcome Hecate...

Writing a novel and writing a script are two different things. You can't really compare them, other than the fact that they are both made up of words.

Novels, in my opinion, are much easier to writer than screenplays. I'm working on a novel right now and while the page count doesn't grow as fast as a screenplay, it is much easier to tell my story as a novel than a film. I have no limits in a novel. But in a screenplay, you can't describe things certain ways and you have to keep it fewer than 120 pages and a bunch of other junk.

Anyway, welcome to the boards! Read others and leave good comments and you'll start out good.

-Chris

Thanks James

Quoted from James Fields A book is basically a bunch of paragraphs in my point of view.

Haha....*chews furniture*...that's like saying a film is a bunch of shots!

Welcome Hecate, you found a really great place to learn.

Quoted from Hecate New to screenwriting, but been writing fiction for about 5 years.  Writing a film can't be any more difficult than writing a novel...can it?

Those 5 years of experience will surely help, but screenwriting is very different from other writing forms. Learning the craft can make you go nuts be a very demanding challenge.

Something you'll find helpfull: http://www.scriptsecrets.net/articles/sight.htm

Enjoy your stay.

Quoted from Hecate Writing a film can't be any more difficult than writing a novel...can it?

They are both hard -- only in different ways.  As James kind of hinted at (...a book is basically a bunch of paragraphs...?) I suspect the biggest challenge you will probably face is brevity.

The screenplay demands concise descriptions bordering on the terse -- the flowery language of long fiction must be abandoned, for the most part.  You can still "play" with the language -- there is room for your own "voice" -- but you will find that screenwriting and story writing are two distinct disciplines.

There is plenty of information around here to help you out though -- and plenty of good scripts, too -- so welcome, and good luck.

Quoted from Hecate New to screenwriting, but been writing fiction for about 5 years.  Writing a film can't be any more difficult than writing a novel...can it?

I'd say their about the same. The only difference is that a book probably just takes longer. And novels tend to be more about describing things (mood, scenery, emotions, etc) When screenwriting to me is more about keeping things short and sweet and more driven by the dialogue. I love writing dialogue rather than describing scenery and emotion, which is why I love screenwriting. But basically they are both very different, so hope you're not planning on approaching screenwriting as if it were a book, because it's totally different. But good luck.

Wow thanks for the welcome everyone!  Interesting comments on novel-versus-screenwriting...I always have a problem with underwriting when it comes to prose fiction, so I'm hoping that the necessary brevity of a screenplay will be more of an advantage than disadvantage!

I'm not entirely a film virgin - I've completed an outline for a screenplay but haven't yet taken the leap into dialogue.  Oh and long ago, in a galaxy far, far away I was a film studies graduate.  I fell out of love with movies for a few years, but now they're exerting their siren call once more....

Looking forward to learning from you all

Welcome, from a fellow Brit

I'd say your novel writing will stand you in good stead when it comes to screenwriting, but there's still a hell of a lot to learn. Screenwriting can be very mechanical in terms of prose, but the trick is to inject life into your scripts with your choice of verbiage while still adhering to the rules. You have to be very concise with your descriptions and learn to say a lot with very few words.

Head over to the screenwriting class section of this forum and check out the links in the sticky thread. Loads of good reference material there.

Read as many scripts as you can, both produced and unproduced. Be wary of shooting scripts because you can pick up habits that are frowned upon in a spec. Check out some of the better unproduced specs on this site for examples of spec format conventions.

Quoted from Martin Read as many scripts as you can, both produced and unproduced. Be wary of shooting scripts because you can pick up habits that are frowned upon in a spec. Check out some of the better unproduced specs on this site for examples of spec format conventions.

Good advice - I've noticed this with some scripts I've read - camera directions all over the place!  I assumed this was because they were by writer/directors...

just a quick hello. . . erm hello.
blimey theres a lot of brits joining lately.
hope to read one of your screenplays when you post one, seems like you have a strong background and good potential. . . no pressure. lol

I've spent some time trying to "convert" one of my screenplays into a novel before, and I've learned that they are two totally different worlds with their own conventions in language. I've worked for a long time on the brevity of screenwriting that I find it difficult to unleash and do whatever for a novel.

I was reading once where The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant were going to be made into a movie, and someone asked the author of the books, Stephen Donaldson, if he would write the screenplays. He said he wouldn't because screenplays weren't really his thing. If you look at Stephen King, this guy has delved into both worlds. I've read his novels and seen his movies. The guy can write novels, but his movies are occasionally a chore to watch. Most of their screenworthiness is the result of the filmmakers more than his screenplays.

Changing gears will be a journey for you, and you'll have to want to do it to succeed. Fortunately, if you've been writing fiction, you'll hopefully have one thing down already. You already know that it is not necessary to write "we see" to tell your readers what they see.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement

Quoted from George Willson Changing gears will be a journey for you, and you'll have to want to do it to succeed.

Yes I'm beginning to discover that!  I enjoy writing dialogue and I enjoy the minimalism of screenplays...but there's a lot more to it than that; getting the structure right seems to be key.  

Stephen King is an interesting case.  He writes great characters and pithy dialogue and he's great at setting up an intriguing mystery, but he can get very baggy structurally (The Stand for example).  It's interesting that some of the best adaptations of his work have come from a novella (Shawshank) and - I think - a short story (Stand by Me).

Quoted from Hecate Stephen King is an interesting case.  He writes great characters and pithy dialogue and he's great at setting up an intriguing mystery, but he can get very baggy structurally (The Stand for example).  It's interesting that some of the best adaptations of his work have come from a novella (Shawshank) and - I think - a short story (Stand by Me).

Probably because he wasn't trying to squeeze everything he could out of the 1000 page novel. Actually some of his straight screenplays aren't bad, but his adaptations of his own work are usually hideous. He did his own adaptation of The Shining because he disliked Kubrick's, but guess which one everyone has still seen and which one everyone hasn't...

Quoted from George Willson He did his own adaptation of The Shining because he disliked Kubrick's, but guess which one everyone has still seen and which one everyone hasn't...

I've seen it!  It's not that bad in a TV-movie-ish kinda way, but of course not a patch on the Kubrick version.  The ending is quite different - I think that's where he took exception to Kubrick's adaptation.