How to Learn Screenwriting of your Own

How to Learn Screenwriting of your Own


The overwhelming majority of everything written about screenwriting gives scant attention to something that is incredibly important to successful professionals - genre.

Screenplays all share some things: they need a great protagonist whose inner journey is linked inextricably with the well structured narrative. Most books and articles on screenwriting talk a great deal about structure and rather less intelligently about character.

The problem is that how these things are expressed varies enormously from one genre to another. Comedies are not action movies are not thrillers are not dramas and so on.  Most material you will read about screenwriting makes the implicit assumption that you are writing a drama. To be able to understand and understand dramatic writing is indeed critical but drama is differently expressed in different genres.

SO

My advice is to make the decision right up front which genre you are drawn to and then to focus on and study the hell out of that genre.  To really and truly deeply understand even one genre is hard.  To master the tone of that genre is hard and it bleeds into everything - characterization and dialogue for example: the kinds of dialogue and (for example) witty asides that are appropriate for an action movie are out of place in an action thriller even though the genres appear closely related.  If you really do a deep dive into a genre you will discover something that few know - the things that people remember about a movie of a given genre are the things that are the selling point of the genre, but people remember little or nothing about the more subtle and just as necessary elements of the genre that are necessary to set up those moments. The scene in Sixth Sense when the kid is in the tent terrified works as it does not just because to it is a vulnerable child in a scary situation, it is because of the very clever setup of the character of this particular child. And all of this is genre specific. To learn a genre is not just to learn the big strokes that everyone can recognize and that characterize the genre, (the action sequence, the kiss...etc etc) it is to learn the small things about the genre that go unnoticed but are every bit as essential to the genre for they are the necessary seasoning that makes the dish work.

Another reason to deeply study a genre is that audiences these days have seen an enormous amount of film (or TV) and whilst they are not analysts of genre and couldn't tell you what constitutes the elements of a genre they can certainly recognize an unsure hand. The history of the genre and their viewing means that the audience has unconscious expectations that you ignore at your peril. If you are not in control of your genre then these audience expectations will run away and you will lose control of your audience.

Finally, movies are marketed by genre. If your movie can't be marketed by genre the script won't be sold and the movie won't be made.

HENCE

Pick a genre and study the hell out of it.  That means everything in your genre.  Know your genre's history and watch every new film that comes out in your genre. Your work doesn't have to be new but it must feel fresh.

By all means study general screenwriting works but make sure you always translate the general ideas of such works into your genre.


PS  on reading scripts

Be aware that scripts come in many varieties and serve different purposes and when you go to sites or buy books of scripts or download screenplays you have to understand what you are getting.
The script of a film goes through a long journey. Let's look at 2 such scripts to see how misleading the advice 'just read lots of produced scripts' can be.

i) a script written on spec and sold to a studio
This script has to work 'on the page.'
ii) a script that transcribes the movie that was made from the script.

These scripts can be incredibly different. To understand just how different read different versions of 'The Alien.'

The problem with reading scripts that transcribe movies is that film can take visual shortcuts that a reading script can't. So if you think you can get away with scripts written like movies on screen you can be seriously misled.

Funnily enough, the converse can be true. Some writers write dialogue that is catnip for actors, producers and studios. The dialogue explodes off the page. It's virtues are obvious.  And yet somehow whilst these movies are always made they are never as successful as one might have hoped. Mysteriously, the charms of these reading scripts don't translate to film.

So by all means read scripts, just be very aware of the provenance of the script you are reading.

You can learn on your own.  First, download and read some produced screenplays. They're easy to find.

Now create or find a great story. Not a screenplay, a story. For now, forget structure and just come up with a compelling story in a genre you like. This is the hardest part of screenwriting, yet requires no knowledge of the craft.

Now read a book but keep this in mind: The basics of screenwriting are well known and covered in all of them. So, in order to differentiate them, the publisher's demand a revolutionary sounding approach that seems like it will make the process easier.  It won't.  It's there to sell books and will do more harm than good.

My personal favorite is "Story Sense" by Paul Lucey if you can find it. The "Screenwriter's Bible" is another good choice.

Try to write a draft.  Use Final Draft if you can, one of the free online alternatives if you can't.

You may well discover that your story goal is not yet strong enough to power you through to a powerful climax but, whether you finish or not, read the book again. This is when it will be most helpful as the formerly abstract ideas will somehow feel like they were written with your screenplay in mind.  You should also read "How Not to Write a Screenplay."

Write another draft.  If you have talent -- yes, you need some -- your work will improve rapidly.  Good luck.

Here's what you REALLY need to do

• First and foremost, read some produced scripts.  You can go to Welcome to eScriptsHub! for a good database.  I created it and receive no kickbacks from views or anything.  These selections offer you PDF versions (mostly) of actual scripts.  They aren't transcripts, which are poison for learning.  Keep in mind that you need to remember that earlier scripts (written in 60s and 70s) aren't really representative of contemporary scripts.  But overall, read as many produced scripts as you can.  Especially those of your favorite influential movies. 
• Watch movies.  If you have concepts that adhere to a certain genre, watch a lot of movies in that genre.  It's not about stealing from them.  It's about learning from them.  What works and what doesn't.  Generally speaking, 1 minute of screen time equals 1 script page.  This isn't always true by any means, however, it'll give you an idea of pacing.  See what happens in the first 10 minutes of a great movie and realize that great things need to happen within the first 10 pages of a script to engage a reader/audience.
• Buy Final Draft.   Yeah, I know.  There are cheaper options like Celtx, etc.  Yada yada.  The industry norm is Final Draft.  Plain and simple.  And when/if you get a chance to write for them as I and others have, you realize that yes, Final Draft is the industry norm.  So just go buy it.  Ask for it for Christmas.  Save up for it.  Put it on a credit card.  Whatever it takes, just get it.  Because why learn on another software program other than what a majority of Hollywood uses and relies on?  If you REALLY want to be a professional screenwriter, why not write on the very software that you'll be asked to use in the long run? 
• Write, write, write.  And first off, don't write short movies.  Writing a 10, 20, or 30 page script to "warm up" does you NO good!  Short films are a dime a dozen and most of them suck because it takes a lot of money, time, and talent combined to create the likes that you see at the Oscars or at Sundance.  Write feature length scripts (90-115 pages). And yes, you need to write more than one.  Hey, I've been there.  You finish your first script and you think you're the next Matt Damon/Ben Affleck with Good Will Hunting.  I had those fantasies too.  It's bulls*** and a waste of time.  And those two actors had been in the business for years before that success.  Your first script WILL BE your worst.  Plain and simple.  You need to write at least three before you really get a feel for things and attain that marquee script.  And then you need to write more. Every meeting I had for my marquee script Doomsday Order (Disney, Warner Brothers, Universal, Dreamworks, and Sony) back in 2006 led to the same first follow-up question: "What else do you have?"  You NEED to have a stacked deck.  You'll burn bridges having no answer for that question.  It screams amateur.  You need at least three marquee, high concept scripts (in whatever genre... but just make sure it's not a Western or Fantasy) before you take anything out wide.  Please, TRUST ME on that.  I speak from experience. 
• Choose wisely.  If you think your little quirky comedy or drama is going to get you into the big leagues, "the show", you're kidding yourself. The stories you read about as far as "Little Miss Sunshine" garnering a six figure deal for the writer for their "first script" are bulls***.  Yes, they made six figures for a quirky drama, however, that writer struggled in the industry for a number of years writing scripts before that.  Michael Arndt was Matthew Broderick's assistant for years in the 90s before "Little Miss Sunshine" dropped in 2006.  You MUST choose your projects wisely.  You have to create a hybrid of what you want and like to write with what the powers that be are looking for. If you like small and quirky, and don't have the contacts and capital to make it yourself, then you need to inject "small and quirky" into an action thriller or high concept comedy.  Or perhaps a high concept horror flick.  Please, write for the big boys/girls. Indie cinema is f***ing hard.  Unless you feel you HAVE to go that route and make your own films, shoot for something bigger.  TRUST me.  You'll have plenty of time for those personal projects once you get a couple of hits under your belt (if you defy the odds). 
• Move to Los Angeles.  I'm sorry.  It's true.  Don't believe those stories of success for those that never resided in the Hollywood.  They are anomalies.  Would you bet your life on lottery odds?  No.  So don't with your career aspirations and dreams.  Sure, you can get noticed in this digital age through contests, film festivals, etc.  But in the end, you need to be there.  That may sound hypocritical from a screenwriter that has seen all of his success come after living in Wisconsin of all places, however, I lived in L.A. for seven years, many of which I worked at a major studio making major contacts, playing basketball with a major star, and learning the general guidelines and expectations of the film industry while working as a script reader, etc.  Networking is key.  It doesn't solve all problems, but it gives you validity in the end.  Nab a job somewhere within the industry.  I got a security job just to get behind the walls of a major studio.  I worked my way up to a studio liaison position working with major productions.  I then worked my way into a script reader/story analyst position in development at Sony, which became my true education for screenwriting.  If you REALLY want this, move out there.  Honestly.  You can get noticed elsewhere, but not living in Los Angeles at one time or another with great experience within brings down your odds of succeeding ten fold. 

This is a lot to intake.  You've likely done your research and have been pulled in so many directions and perhaps been overwhelmed by all of the information out there. 

Allow me to demystify the art and craft of screenwriting for you.  Just do the above, learn your own way, and write some movies that you want to see, as well as others.  Cinema is about engaging an audience.  You want to make them laugh when they need to laugh, cry when they need to cry, cheer when they need to cheer, scream when they need to scream, and be thrilled when they need to be thrilled.  That's it. 

You can spend hours and hours and days and days and months and months and years and years trying to be the best copycat of others that you can be but you'll NEVER be that.  You can only strive to be the best YOU that you can be. 

There are guidelines.  There are expectations.  But the theories, formulas, and secrets to success that so many offer and dictate are bulls***.  They sell books, that's it. 

You likely love movies.  That's enough.  Beyond the general guidelines and expectations that you can learn from the above, that's all you need. 

Think visually.  Engage an audience early.  Make sure you embrace the "less is more" approach by keeping scenes, dialogue, and scene descriptions short, sweet, and to the point.  Study movies and you'll see that most successful ones adhere to that. 

All in all, great screenwriting is about introducing some interesting characters, chasing them up a tree, setting it on fire, conjuring a lightning storm, and throwing rocks at them as they struggle to survive (or not).  That's storytelling at its best.  That's conflict.  Tell me one film that DOESN'T have that beyond anomalies like My Dinner with Andre and overrated or unique films like that.

And now what I want you to do is go and do the above.  And furthermore, understand that screenwriting is a f***ing grind.  It's not easy.  You'll know if it is for you or not down the road if you do the above. 

And please, watch and listen to this over, and over, and over, and over.