Writing
All writing is thinking. Regardless of the medium, the writer must inform himself completely. Inadequate thinking equates to bad writing. But asking lots and lots and lots of questions will lead to at least some very solid answers. Simply put, great thinking creates great writing.
But you must also trust in yourself. Often the most difficult thing, especially for the beginning screenwriter, is to trust and to discover that you have stories to tell - lots of them.
THE TRIANGLE
We can all imagine a triangle: three lines, three points, three angles. And the image of a triangle is a great way to think about the writing process. There are always three parts: the writer, the material, and the audience.
But often writers are guilty of a linear execution of their work. When a writer is only concerned with the material, there is always the potential for fatal flaws in the storytelling to occur.
Imagine drawing a horizontal line between the writer and the subject, or story material. The relationship is very direct, and intense, and simple, but very often the final product is written to only one person: the writer him/herself.
In order to avoid this, we must think about writing as a triangle: the writer at one angle, the story material at another, and the audience at the final angle.
There are always three parts. The writer must consider his/her relationship with the material and the audience as well as explore how the material will affect his/her audience. Simply put, the writer writes for an audience; therefore, the decisions he/she makes when presenting the story are influenced by how he/she wants the audience to feel.
Does the writer want the audience to be surprised by the unexpected, or smart by allowing them to connect the dots? Sometimes the writer wants the audience to discover along with the character, sometimes we learn before the character, and sometimes we are the last to find out.
It’s impossible to make reasonable decisions if the writer is not focused on the complete triangle: writer, material, and audience.
We can all imagine a triangle: three lines, three points, three angles. And the image of a triangle is a great way to think about the writing process. There are always three parts: the writer, the material, and the audience.
Read more: The Triangle
All good screenwriting incorporates the Three C’s whenever possible: CLEAR, CONCISE, and CREATIVE. And it is important to apply the Three C's to all aspects of the screenplay, action, and dialogue.
Read more: The Three C's
KILLING YOUR BABIES
It sounds horrible: “Kill your babies!” But please understand that I am not advocating the genocide of newborn infants.
Your babies are your ideas. You gave birth to them. They’re yours. And sometimes it’s extremely difficult to let go of those fun, fresh, and fantastic thoughts.
But if I instructed you to “Kill your ideas!” the point doesn’t hit home quite the same way. So “Kill your babies!” it is.
And you must be vicious. You must be lethal. You must have no mercy. If the pen is truly mightier than the sword, use it to snuff out any idea that you’re keeping around for the wrong reasons or forcing into the script just because you like it.
But how do you know when to kill or not to kill? This is a very difficult question, and the best way I have been able to illustrate is through the just as frustrating 100% RULE.
The rule is simple: you must be 100% confident with your script decisions all the time, every time.
When it comes to screenwriting 99% just doesn’t cut it, because if you’re only almost sure - even 99% confident - that your great, new idea is going to work, than that means some of your audience - even just 1% - won’t believe it.
If you aren’t completely sold yourself, you should never expect your audience to buy what you’re selling.
But don’t be premature with your attacks either. Just because you don’t have complete confidence that one of your babies is going to work, start asking questions to see if you can solve any lingering problems or concerns. Use the CHARACTER and STORY QUESTIONNAIRES. Put your characters in SCENE EXERCISES. See what you discover. But whatever you do, find the answer, because just hoping that your ‘baby’ is going to be self sufficient is simply never enough.
And remember, you can always kill that baby for this script, file it away, and pull it out again for another story for another time. Nothing truly dies.
There comes a time in the creation of your script when you're going to have to cut out some of your favorite ideas. It's a tough job, but one fo the most vital in the process.
Read more: 100 Percent Rule
A few years ago, Richard Stayton, the editor in chief of Written By magazine, and I had a screening of A History of Violence for our students at Glendale College, and the screenwriter, Josh Olson, came in for a Q&A after the film. The questions were the standard “Who inspires you?”, “How do you research?”, “Do you write for specific actors?”, and of course the always expected, “How do I get an agent?” Olson’s answers were for the most part standard and forgettable. To be honest, I couldn’t even begin to tell any details of what was discussed, expect for one thing, and maybe the most important lesson learned.
Read more: Rewriting
“As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more.”– Jules Renard
Imagine drawing a simple square on a chalkboard. That square represents the sum of what you know and what you hope to know – your Box of Knowledge. Each question you have, answered or unanswered, occupies a space in that box. Questions you're seeking answers to occupy negative space, and answered questions occupy solid space. Obviously, some people know more, some less, and therefore, each individual's box is a different size. The real key, however, is not in its size, but in its state: "Is it expanding, shrinking, nearly empty, or completely full?"
Read more: Your Box of Knowledge
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