Was thinking, why does it just have to be about what we do badly.

So, I don’t think anyone ever stops to give themselves a pat on the back, so here goes.

I definitely wouldn’t consider myself to be the best writer around. I do believe I'm very competent though.

I think my greatest strength is being about to write scripts that people want to make and can make. For a while I just thought it was luck, but I think the numbers are starting to speak for themselves.

I’ve only ever written 20 shorts in my very short time on SS, less than 2 years at this point. From those 20, 8 have been filmed and 5 are still under active options.

I'm very thankful to the SS community and Don for making that possible.

Why don't you write a feature, Warren? Or do you have them?

I have written two and I'm about 10-20 pages away from finishing my third one.

Are they here, on the site?

The first thing I ever wrote was a feature, it's on here. It's really bad and I guess it was more a learning experience. I have polished it as much as I ever plan to. The second one I haven't put on SS but it is on my website with my first feature. I'm quite happy with it but it's not the most original story. James and Brandon from SS have both read it and given me some feedback.

Quoted from Warren Was thinking, why does it just have to be about what we do badly.

It's tough to crow about ones self in an area subjective as writing.  What some love, others hate. But I'll participate.

For me: dialogue is my greatest strength.

I think my greatest strength is action lines/descriptions. I've worked on them for a long while now. I used to be super descriptive to the point where it would leave little-to-no room for the director to hop in and give his or her own spin on things. I've learned that less is more and to only describe what is necessary to the story, and leave the nitty-gritty details to whomever wants to film it.

Quoted from eldave1 For me: dialogue is my greatest strength.

Teach me your ways, Master.

Quoted from Warren Was thinking, why does it just have to be about what we do badly.

Much as I agree with the idea of this post, there is an answer (mostly) to your question: you don't actually learn anything from focusing on what you're good at.

As for the thread's question: plotting, creating a story. I can't put characters or dialogue inside of it, but I'll get you a damn story. Lol.

Quoted from Zombie Sean I used to be super descriptive to the point where it would leave little-to-no room for the director to hop in and give his or her own spin on things.

Have you ever had a feature filmed, Sean? Take my advice: put every bit of detail into the script that you want to be in the finished product. If you don't, I guarantee you that it won't be put in the film.

This is a really tough one. That is why I really value feedback on this site, while others pay hundreds of dollars/ pounds on script coverage.
I like to think that I write interesting unusual stories. I've learnt this past year that I really enjoy writing these unusual stories, and would love to do that for a living rather than a boring 9 to 5.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Have you ever had a feature filmed, Sean? Take my advice: put every bit of detail into the script that you want to be in the finished product. If you don't, I guarantee you that it won't be put in the film.

I have not! But I will take this as word of advice. Now, how much detail is TOO much detail?

Quoted from Zombie Sean I have not! But I will take this as word of advice. Now, how much detail is TOO much detail?

Depends on how much they like the story.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Much as I agree with the idea of this post, there is an answer (mostly) to your question: you don't actually learn anything from focusing on what you're good at.

- I appreciate that this is a common held opinion, much like how negative criticism of your work is valued far more than positive criticism but I'm not so sure. I think you can learn a lot from identifying what you are good at and playing to those strengths. The same way you improve your weak areas by identifying them.

Quoted from Colkurtz8 I think you can learn a lot from identifying what you are good at and playing to those strengths. Just like how you can improve your weak areas by identifying them.

It's true that playing to your strengths is a good thing, overall, but if that's all you ever do, it can be your downfall. For example: overall, I love Tarantino. However, he is somebody who has focused solely (and even doubled down on) his strengths and not tried to improve his weaknesses. As such, his newer stuff has grown stale (and, at times, become downright unwatchable) and if you go back and look at his old stuff, it's not not aging well, in my opinion. Much as I love a good portion of his films, the only one that I believe is actually aging well is Kill Bill Vol. 2, and it's aging very well.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde It's true that playing to your strengths is a good thing, overall, but if that's all you ever do, it can be your downfall.

- Yep, as I suggested, it behooves one to explore both avenues, the good and the bad.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde For example: overall, I love Tarantino. However, he is somebody who has focused solely (and even doubled down on) his strengths and not tried to improve his weaknesses. As such, his newer stuff has grown stale (and, at times, become downright unwatchable) and if you go back and look at his old stuff, it's not not aging well, in my opinion. Much as I love a good portion of his films, the only one that I believe is actually aging well is Kill Bill Vol. 2, and it's aging very well.

- I can't agree with this as Pulp Fiction is my favourite film of all time. I think Death Proof is by far his worst and preferred The Hateful Eight to Django Unchained. Kill Bill Vol. 2 is great though. Just curious, what elements do you think have aged badly with his earlier films?

Quoted from Colkurtz8 - I can't agree with this as Pulp Fiction is my favourite film of all time. I think Death Proof is by far his worst and preferred The Hateful Eight to Django Unchained. Kill Bill Vol. 2 is great though. Just curious, what elements do you think have aged badly with his earlier films?

Mine, as well. I think The Hateful Eight is his worst, overall, although it's close with Vol. 1 and Death Proof.

Tarantino's writing used to be special and something to look forward to. We don't live in that world anymore. When you strip that away, what do you legitimately have? Reservoir Dogs is almost nothing without its dialogue, Pulp Fiction feels bloated without its dialogue, Jackie Brown is one I never personally liked (although I appreciate it) and doesn't suffer from that problem, Vol. 1 is bloated and horribly paced, Vol. 2 is almost perfectly paced, Death Proof took a Tales From the Crypt-style episode and expanded it to feature-length and every film after that is bloated with dialogue (more and more, with each movie) where the overall quality of the dialogue -- and script, itself -- goes down.

Quoted from eldave1 It's tough to crow about ones self in an area subjective as writing.  What some love, others hate. But I'll participate. For me: dialogue is my greatest strength.

Agree with both of those statements.

I expected the answers would be subjective. I was just interested to know what people thought their strengths were, regardless of what anyone else thought.

I though some wouldn’t agree with this type of question and was hoping to liven up a relatively quiet board as it seems most of the voting has been done and we still have 2 days left.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Much as I agree with the idea of this post, there is an answer (mostly) to your question: you don't actually learn anything from focusing on what you're good at.

I didn’t think this would be a learning exercise. The question was asked out of interest and to get a bit of a discussion going. It was also an opportunity to blow your own horn if you wanted to :)

I do however agree that if you can identify your strengths and play to them that’s a good thing.

My biggest strength? I would say that what started out as a lack of knowledge when it comes to English, I was basically forced to write very lean in order to make fewer mistakes. It evolved into a lean writing style that I still use. I'm always told my scripts read fast and are easy reads. That is actually a big plus. Even better is that it now comes naturally to me to write that way.

I also think I'm pretty decent with coming up with ideas and I can write a feature in a couple of weeks if I feel like it. Now, if just these positives could get together with my negatives and come together in some happy medium, it would be great. Lol.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Reservoir Dogs is almost nothing without its dialogue, Pulp Fiction feels bloated without its dialogue,

- Its true that he has always been revered for his dialogue but I feel he doesn't get the credit he deserves for his directorial chops, visual aesthetic, shot composition. Besides the great dialogue in both those films, still his two best I reckon, it has ingenious plotting, amazing set pieces and memorable characters which have entered film lexicon, instantly recognizable and iconic. Not including his first, never released, feature, Reservoir Dogs is essentially his debut film and wow, what a debut.

I love Jackie Brown and wouldn't be a big fan of Kill Bill Vol. 1 either. I remember going into Inglourious Basterds with trepidation after not liking the film's trailer or his previous effort Death Proof and leaving with a smile on my face, the man was back. However, I do concede that he suffers from over writing, a lack of a editor at times and may risk disappearing up his own hole. Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight are examples of this. Still, I think there is a lot more to his films than sharp dialogue and hype.  

Anyway, we're gone off course, lets hand the thread back to its original topic: Self-congratulation ;)

Quoted from Warren Agree with both of those statements. I expected the answers would be subjective. I was just interested to know what people thought their strengths were, regardless of what anyone else thought. I though some wouldn’t agree with this type of question and was hoping to liven up a relatively quiet board as it seems most of the voting has been done and we still have 2 days left.

It is an interesting discussion - made me think.

Quoted from Colkurtz8 - I can't agree with this as Pulp Fiction is my favourite film of all time. I think Death Proof is by far his worst and preferred The Hateful Eight to Django Unchained. Kill Bill Vol. 2 is great though. Just curious, what elements do you think have aged badly with his earlier films?

Agree with you - you have to look at a writer's body of work. Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained - all real solid IMO. That's 4 great films - in the pantheon as far as I am concerned even though there were a few stinkers.

Quoted from eldave1 Agree with you - you have to look at a writer's body of work. Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained - all real solid IMO. That's 4 great films - in the pantheon as far as I am concerned even though there were a few stinkers.

I'd swap out Django and Dogs for KB2 and Jackie Brown, personally. Especially which, while Django has a great 40-minute sequence, it suffers mightily from the loss of Sally Menke.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde I'd swap out Django and Dogs for KB2 and Jackie Brown, personally. Especially which, while Django has a great 40-minute sequence, it suffers mightily from the loss of Sally Menke.

Not a fan of Kill Bill - just wasn't my thing. Did like Jackie Brown

Quoted from eldave1 Not a fan of Kill Bill - just wasn't my thing. Did like Jackie Brown

No on Vol. 2? I can certainly understand that.

Kill Bill 1 and 2 are in my all time top ten.  ;D

QT is my favorite director, although, I wasn't a huge fan of django and h8ful.

Another one in my top ten is NBK, which was written by QT. At least the original screenplay. Politics aside, I really really like Stone.

Quoted from eldave1 Not a fan of Kill Bill - just wasn't my thing. Did like Jackie Brown

Jackie Brown was cool. I do think he is overrated. It would have been interesting to see the films he would have made if he wasn't hailed as a wunderkid.

My greatest strength is my life experience.

Quoted from DustinBowcot My greatest strength is my life experience.

That's one thing I find very interesting about screenwriting. We all bring our different life experiences to it, and an infinitely wide range of stories to tell.