Ok so I have this "Little Blue Book" that has literally become part of me.  Anywhere I go... it goes.  I write any idea that comes into my head (pertaining to my story, otherwise it would be a BIG BLUE BOOK).  I've heard that index cards are a good way to outline your script before diving into actually writing.  Should I move all these notes to index cards?  Maybe there is a better way?  I started writing a screenplay last year, got up to page 40, then BLANK.  It's still in limbo.  I'll get back to it, but I dont want to make the same mistakes again.  I just started writing it, with no outline, no notes.  Again, I'm in love with what I have come up this time around, and I don't want to mess up.  So ANY advice would be great!

Thanks,

Invest in a dry erase board or a corkboard... Tac it up on your wall in front of/over your Computer screen or stand it beside your desk.  Mix and match and pour your ideas onto it.

Some of the best screenplay names I've ever come up with have come from this method.  Some of the best characters I've written for have come from that method.  I also carry a little HP mini everywhere I go.  When I got an idea it goes into it.

You should definitely outline your script with index cards. When I started on my first script I thought if my story was good enough it should just flow from my imagination.

Wrong!

Some people are good enough to write this way and it could take many years to develop that skill, but if you're just starting out then index cards are the way to go.

The cards are also more than just your notes jotted down on them. They are a break up of your script into scenes. I sometimes write out a scene list on the computer first and keep adding or subtracting until I am happy. Then I write them down on the index cards and start the outline process. (On a side note, I rarely start on the cards until I have created all my character biographies and spent time on a synopsis of the story.)

I do my cards a little different. I give each scene a title and write in a few sentences covering the scene. I sometimes even fill up the whole card with information. During the outline process all those sentences start to form a story right there on the board, before I even type the words FADE IN. Here is an example of an index card from an outline I just finished working on today:

"A father's duty"
     The Bishop house as seen from the street. The silence is
broken by the soft pop of gunshots from inside the house. The
windows light up from the unseen muzzle flashes. A long,
uncomfortable silence follows.

I then lay the cards out by Act. This is where you will first start getting glimpses of what is going to work and what isn't. You will find scenes that need moved around or that simply don't belong. You will find where the holes are at and where scenes need to be added.

Don't get discouraged if your first few tries end in failure or if you get lost in the process. It is something you have to get used to and train yourself in. Be patient and you will be just fine.

Believe in the process. It works.

:)

Oh JC that was the advice I was looking for!! Thank you so much. Getting to work on it as we speak!!