Today's Pep Talk for the Newbie Writer

Don't fall into the trap.  Don't so bogged down in the training, trying to massage your ego to get ready to write. Just write.

All right on the count of three pick up your typewriter, computer, or good old fashioned pen and notepad. One....two....three....WRITE!

#KeepWriting


- DW

The Struggle is Never Ending

Dear Newbies,


I fell victim to the nothingness. I drowned faster than Bastian in the Never Ending Story into the depths of languid, luxurious moments couch potatodom. It felt so good to do nothing.  It was the highlight of my day...to return home from work after 8 hours at a desk, then sitting in 1+ hours of Atlanta traffic, to come home and do absolutely nothing! I even had a daily routine for it.  I would peel off the day, literally and figuratively, by changing into some long-awaited, sincerely anticipated sweat pants. This was followed by stuffing my face, then relaxing on the sofa while web surfing until it was time to go to bed. I loved it so much.  I still do. Being a couch potato felt so good.

But all good things must come to an end. Why? I felt like my original ambitions, were slipping further and further away. I don't want a pile of unfinished works. It is now beyond want, it is a need. My words need to be given life on the screen. I have to finish a script.  If I want to be a screenwriter, rule number one is to keep writing.

I know it. I preach it. I believe it.

Even with all the tutorials, tips, and best practices I have found to make the screenwriting process easier, it still goes to show that this process is a beast. Eventually, it leaves its mark. I fell victim to it and maybe this is the first of many times I struggle with this...maybe not. All I know is that I will always come back to writing, no matter what. That is my never-ending story.

What separates the true screenwriters and the want-to-be ones is the ability to get back on the horse or in this case, resurrect it.

So here I am admitting my short-comings and learning from them. Just like Bastian, it took a friend to help me dig myself out of woe-some routine. Thanks for being my Atrayu, @BellaWrites1.

Below I have included the encouraging video she sent me of Ava Duvernay that really got me moving forward again.  I hope it inspires you too.


#KeepWriting

-DW

All the Writing Before You Write....

So I have gotten advice from various sources on the pre-writing phase and everyone recognizes that you have to do something.  From alternate blogs, to screenwriting books, to Screencraft tweets to Film Courage videos....the verdict is all the same. Don't just start writing on a page. If you do, you will eventually go mad when your story goes awry.

For Blake Snyder's Cat People, it is all about a beat sheet that gets flushed out further in the form of a board full of notecards separated by your act breaks. Upon being placed in order on notecard, the story begins to take shape on the page.

For the Syd Field field-of-workbook dreamers, it is all about paradigm and structure. This camp of thought is also based on the Act breaks of old English theatre. But it focuses on the paradigm models at its core before the writing takes place.

What are some core parts in your process for creating a script? Do you like Blake, Syd or someone elses pre-writing process best?

Lazarus Has Not Risen

Lazarus Has Not Risen...but He Ain't Dead Either!

Oh my gosh, I am so upset. I thought I was nearly done with my screenplay for Lazarus and when I printed it to do a read through I got all excited because last week when I checked it and it was around 85 pages. I did some revisions on my computer and it dropped down to 75 pages. I wanted to print it off to make editing it easier after my initial read through. I quickly scanned through the settings and realized that my pages had shrunk down to meek 49 pages. I am missing 25 pages worth of work.

I can't believe it! I am literally crushed right now. I just knew I was nearly done. I'm dumbfounded. I am reading the script again right now to see if in fact some pages mysteriously dropped out during the saving process or was the program giving me false hope in the print preview. It is possible I bumped one of the settings last week to make the script longer by accident, such as the skip a page between scenes function or choosing how many lines to skip between each scene, but I just can't say anything for sure right now.

 I did have an issue with saving last week. My internet connection kept timing out so the script kept saying it could not save, so I never shut down the program to keep my writing active. It is possible that is where the pages mysteriously disappeared to.

Lessons Learned:

1) When using Celtx check the word count to gauge your progress. Don't get excited until you have 2000+ words if you are writing a feature screenplay.

2) When you get ready print, make sure to check the settings to make sure everything looks right. I have used this program several times before when completing my shorts for school and have never encountered any problems before.

3) Save from cloud based screenwriting sites, by copying and pasting your work in Microsoft Word, when you suspect a system issue or a slow internet connection. Though once saved, they are saved for the life of your account, sometime the problem may be locking the information initially into your cloud.

The Silver Lining: 

 I have a full story within the 49 pages. Some parts are bare bones but the story is there. I can see what needs to be developed and what is spot on. I think my A story could use a little more development, the B story is very strongly developed. My A story is more sci-fi thriller, while the B story is a love story.

For those of you who have never watched my video blog, Lazarus is a sci-fi thriller centering around a widowed scientist who aims to finish her husband's research to expand the human life cycle, but the results of the Lazarus project turn deadly when a young mysterious boy enters her life.

I am going back to my index cards to see what happened. You may enter a set-back of your own so remember to just keep writing when the inevitable hiccup happens to you.

#KeepWriting



-DW

Girls Season 1 Episode 1 Beat Sheet

Hi Newbies!

I started a new project. It is currently untitled. I don't know if I am going to video blog about it yet but I will be posting about the development process starting with some research. The project I have in development will be similar to HBO Girls but with a twist.


Check out this beat sheet of the series premier below if you want to get a feel for the structure of the narrative, episodic program starring Lena Dunham. Check out her IMDB.

Let me know if you agree or disagree with my breakdown in this BS2 and then check out some others here:

Girls Season 1 Episode 1 Beat Sheet

Opening Image – Hannah eats diner with her parents in an upscale restaurant with 3 entrees in front of her.

Set-up –Bankrolled by her parents, Hannah depends on her parents to fund her lifestyle

Theme Stated: With only her friends in her corner, can Hannah transition into financial and emotional maturation in the big city?

Catalyst – Hanna’s parents cut her off.

Debate – She debates with her parents about the economy? Can she face this challenge of being jobless & moneyless? Does she have what it takes to make it on her own in New York?

B Story – the “love story” of Marnie and Hannah begins, best friends and confidants. Shoshanna’s cousin arrives from London and Shoshanna is totally smitten with the fabulousness of her cousin.

Break Into Two (Choosing Act Two) – Hannah forced into her journey decides to ask her internship provider to hire her.

The Promise of the Premise – Internship provider tells Hannah she can keep interning or get out. He is a total dick when Hannah mentions her book. Hannah takes takes the loss gracefully.

Midpoint – Hannah visits Adam. Everything seems great. Hannah remains upbeat.  Hannah gets the support she wants from Adam, who had been dodging her.

Bad Guys Close In – Inner doubt, fear, and disappoint overcome Hannah when she leaves Adam and he utters the hated phrase " I'll text you"

All is Lost –Hannah realizes she has about 7 days worth of funds to stay in New York. She is sad because she has to leave or find a job quick.

Dark Night of the Soul – Hannah hits bottom, and wallows in opium. Why hast thou forsaken me parents? internship? New York?

Break Into Three (Choosing Act Three) – Mourning the loss of her New York City dream, she gets contrasting advice from Marnie and Jessa. Hannah decides to try again with her parents.

Finale –Hannah goes back to her home while Jessa and Marnie fight over Hannah and who gives the best advice. Jessa reveals that she is pregnant.

Hannah makes her parents read her book. High-as-a-kite Hannah, passes out on the floor and her parents argue about is now the best time to cut her off. It appears her father may cave. She falls asleep with a smile. She wakes to find herself alone and that her parents left her a mere 20 dollars, the same as the maid--which she also takes.

Final Image – Hannah skips across a busy street in wide-open New York, signifying a new world.

#KeepWriting

-DW

My Favorite Playlist for Writing: The Smooth Life MIx

Do you ever need some extra motivation to keep you writing? Maybe you are feeling sleepy? Distracted? Down in the dumps?

Try some music!

The mellow yet complex playlist below boast electro-beats and subtle soothing lyricist create a cocoon of creativity that envelops you in. I listen to this thing like four hours straight when writing. I hope you enjoy it. Is there any particular song or playlist that keeps you in the writing zone? Shoot it over, and you may see your track on the playlist!


"The Smooth Life Mix" is private on SoundCloud so you must have the link to access it.  I hope you enjoy it!

https://soundcloud.com/c-danielle-wilcox/sets/the-smooth-life-mix/s-dhlZV

A Freebie from The University of Southern California Film School

So if you can't afford USC Film School you can still feel like you are there if you give this podcast a listen. Starting in 2007 the podcast has interviews from some of the most influential writers, directors and producers of the last century.


I decided to listen to them while at work. I take a note here or there when something really clicks but I feel like if I want to be a serious filmmaker I need to surround my self with the language and the tools of a filmmaker, learning from those who have paved the road before me is just one of the ways I walk my path towards filmmaking success.

Check them all out by clicking here.

Here are my personal notes from the Mark Fergus 2007 USC Interview. His works include “Children of Men” and “IronMan. Check out his full IMDB page here and  keep in mind I typed these while listening......

HOW HE GOT HIS START:

·       being HBO script analyst training helped him become a better full time screenwriter

·       found niche by tackling projects no one else would

·       Writing spec script at Showtime focusing on what he thought everyone else wanted to buy, but when he focused on the script he wanted to make to please himself & writing partner

·       found writing partner Hawk Otsby; but they live in separate locations but it works for them

COLLABORATION:

·       Collaborators should make you think beyond where you are and should make your ideas get better

·       You have to be open to letting people challenge your ideas and be able to look at them in a different way

·       Also if you agree that any of their ideas make it better, when you incorporate them, you give them a stake in the project. They believe in you and the project more

WRITING PARTNER:

·       Take turns doing outline, first draft, second draft, etc.

·       Collaboration worked so well that they decided to be represented together

·       Likes the surprise of seeing what they come up with separately and are able to fix each other’s mistakes

SCREENWRITING:

·       Biggest revelation, non-verbal is more important than what is verbally happening in your script

·       Trust your gut, it can deliver better than your brain when writing

·       Director, Jon Favreau liked working with  Fergus and Otsby so much he hand-picked them to write on Iron Man

·       You must finish what you started.  Deadline and pressure is screenwriter’s best friend.

·       Collaboration opportunities can be opportunities to move your script forward

·       Put your morals and passions into your writing. Unique viewpoints encouraged though the voices of minorities and women are often not heard.

·       People need to believe your story to go on a journey with your script

·       Big Franchise Sci-fi movies have producers that live, breath and eat the background for comic book characters. Use these experts to help script stay true to these comic book characters. They will protect their characters

·       “Everything you take away empowers everything you have left behind”

·       The common denominator of being productive in the business is being driven and wanting to make the best movie ever made.

·       If you believe in the work, the writing will come. Don’t write for the market place or what is cool.  The timeline for movies is 18 months so what ever is in will be out of style by the time it comes out.

PITCHING:

·       Less is best but be Concise. 4 minutes should be all you need to pitch

Twitter, a Newbie Screenwriter's Best Friend: Check out the Top 25 Accounts to Follow

Twitter, a Newbie Screenwriter's Best Friend: Check out the Top 25 Accounts to Follow

I mentioned twitter in my last vlog video " Screenwriters Unite" and I wanted to expand upon it.  I cam upon this great list as a result of one of the accounts I follow on twitter.

Check out this list of the Top 25 Accounts for Screenwriters that +ScreenCraft posted. A lot of the resources I mentioned in the video made the list but there are even more resources than I could have imagined across the internet. What other resources from twitter would you add to the list?

I will keep posting them on the blog. Don't forget to follow me @danie11ewi1cox and the full 25 Accounts is in the link below:


http://screencraft.org/2013/10/24/top-25-twitter-accounts-screenwriters-follow/

Screenwriting With The Newbie Ep.3: Compelling Characters

The newest episode of #SWTN is available now! Check in with me and my journey as I create my first feature film.  Plus, pick up tips on how to start your brand new adventure in writing for film.



Share your thoughts, comments, and feedback with me as well. This is a discussion. I want to hear back from you. What is your favorite part of #SWTN Ep.3?



Some notes I took from this episode....



I think I am learning to be more comfortable as a public speaker and learning to be more comfortable in front of the camera. This is good because if I do end up having scripts sold, or movies made, then I will have to do my fair share of interviews so not only has vlogging become an extension in my writing process but it has also become an exercise in oration.