I think it's 100% necessary to read screenplays to become a better writer. Lord knows you're not getting anywhere writing your scripts in Microsoft Word. So here are 6 awesome screenplays that you can read that will totally make you a better writer:
6) Juno by Diablo Cody
She made it to the top of the black list with this sucker, jumpstarted a writing career AND got an academy award. It's a fantastic script that illustrates how important the voice of the writer is. It's unique and a fun read that should be studied by the aspiring writer of any age.
Also, its' a damn good movie.
5) 500 Days of Summer by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber
Again, this script really nails a unique voice these writers have become known for. A few years back I had the chance to read one of their unproduced scripts like Underage (which sold for a boat) and it was quite good as well. There is plenty of white space on these pages and the characters really do bounce to life with their excellent dialogue. So don't delay, read this one today!
4) Changeling by J. Michael Straczynski
J Michael has been around for a little bit, but this breakthrough script is killer on the feels. I think this is the first script I ever teared up in whilst reading a scene that ENDED UP BEING CUT FROM THE FREAKING PICTURE (spoiler page 134-135). I still look back fondly on this script and highly recommend it as a learning device to how to really write an excellent spec over 120 pages.
3) Toy Story - by many people
Aside from being a wonderful film that bridged traditional animation with CGI, Toy Story is a perfectly structured story. Paul Gulino talks a lot about this script in his most excellent book (that comes HIGHLY recommended, believe you me) and I think that when you step back and take a look at it, you'll see too why this script is a masterwork of storytelling.
2) Lethal Weapon by Shane Black
There's a reason why this script is legendary. A young Shane Black in his early 20's has made a career out of writing fun screenplays and has a niche for making huge sales in the spec market. There's a reason for this. It wasn't because he was "lucky" or because he had a great connection. It's because at the end of the day, the man understands story, character and structure. If you don't believe, read the script that started it all.
1) The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan and David S. Goyer
This movie is amazing. The script is pretty much exactly the same as the film, so it's a good one to follow along with as well. This film is definitely the high point in the most recent Batman trilogy and there are many reasons for that. Reasons like great casting, great directing, great music and amazing performances across the board. At the end of the day though, it comes right back to the script. And this script rocks. You'll devour it. You will not be able to stop turning pages. Oh my yes. It's genius.
That's all for now. Read these and be on your way to writing great films.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
"Don't be a racehorse. Be a work horse."
I honestly do not know who said this and I'm not sure if it's even a quote, and furthermore I'm far too tired to open a new tab and google it, but I did HEAR it recently and it made me think alot about my writing.
{A.D.D. MOMENT: do you like how many times I used the word "and" in the above sentence? I'm like Cormac Mccarthy up in here!}
After receiving some tough love from my writing group, I did have a moment that made me wonder where I was with my writing. I've been writing from a wee age, started doing screenplays late in high school, all through college and continuing on from there. In total, I'd say I've been "looking" at screenplays for about 10 years, writing ideas since I was in 2nd grade, but actually really learning structure, story, character and emotion for about 7 years now. I've completed about 5-6 screenplays. I came close to having a manager years ago, but it didn't work out. 2009-2012 was somewhat dry once potential representation was dropped, but I have been determined ever since to get back into the game and see this through.
It's tough as writer's when you hear stories about big spec sales going to guys and gals in their really early 20s, but I ask you: Where are those films?
Yes. Films.
It's great when you sell something and it's great when you get signed, but dang, if your end game isn't to get a movie made, you need to seriously question why you write screenplays of all things.
I don't think we'll ever see a day where scripts are on people's shelves and enjoyed like stories are. I have immense respect for S. Craig Zahler who topped the black list a few years back with his screenplay The Brigands of Rattleborge writing books as well as screenplays. The man is a busy writer and it's great that he writes in all different fields (including metal, though I haven't heard his band).
Anyway, the title of this post was don't be a racehorse, be a work horse.
What I'm trying to say is don't rush into a career. Don't rush your screenplays for coverage, don't send out first drafts and do as magician's do: "Show the trick when it's ready." Life is pretty long so you should be patient with the unfolding of your writing and your writing career. Be like a work horse and trot. That way you'll conserve energy and work hard and break the walls down in your own time.
Peace,
Chuck Brown
{A.D.D. MOMENT: do you like how many times I used the word "and" in the above sentence? I'm like Cormac Mccarthy up in here!}
After receiving some tough love from my writing group, I did have a moment that made me wonder where I was with my writing. I've been writing from a wee age, started doing screenplays late in high school, all through college and continuing on from there. In total, I'd say I've been "looking" at screenplays for about 10 years, writing ideas since I was in 2nd grade, but actually really learning structure, story, character and emotion for about 7 years now. I've completed about 5-6 screenplays. I came close to having a manager years ago, but it didn't work out. 2009-2012 was somewhat dry once potential representation was dropped, but I have been determined ever since to get back into the game and see this through.
It's tough as writer's when you hear stories about big spec sales going to guys and gals in their really early 20s, but I ask you: Where are those films?
Yes. Films.
It's great when you sell something and it's great when you get signed, but dang, if your end game isn't to get a movie made, you need to seriously question why you write screenplays of all things.
I don't think we'll ever see a day where scripts are on people's shelves and enjoyed like stories are. I have immense respect for S. Craig Zahler who topped the black list a few years back with his screenplay The Brigands of Rattleborge writing books as well as screenplays. The man is a busy writer and it's great that he writes in all different fields (including metal, though I haven't heard his band).
Anyway, the title of this post was don't be a racehorse, be a work horse.
What I'm trying to say is don't rush into a career. Don't rush your screenplays for coverage, don't send out first drafts and do as magician's do: "Show the trick when it's ready." Life is pretty long so you should be patient with the unfolding of your writing and your writing career. Be like a work horse and trot. That way you'll conserve energy and work hard and break the walls down in your own time.
Peace,
Chuck Brown
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Step 1 to being a better writer? Learning to take criticism.
Oye vay.
After a year of less than inspired writing, I sent out my first act of a script I'm working on to a writer's group that I am in. I thought myself untouchable.
Lo, I needed a good @$$ kicking.
The first review was negative and harsh. Didn't even bother to read the logline or the following 13 pages. Just gave up. Okay fine. Try to find the silver lining. Next review, lots of notes, lots of bad things. Okay....Third review, page by page breakdown of what was liked and not liked with (I felt) more reactions leading to disliking.
So in a panic, I removed the pages thinking "I write $#!^. I gotta hide this now!" Later reflections would prove that my bigger fear was not that I was the worst writer ever, but that I had sent the same pages out to a "very difficult to get into Writing Program" and to see notes this harsh told me I probably had no chance of getting into said fellowship.
One person then wrote minutes later not to give up and that everyone was just trying to help. He was right for sure and I was in the wrong for removing the pages.
So, why did I panic?
1) I wasn't ready to take criticism on a project I thought was done, but knew in my heart it wasn't.
Alas, this was a huge mistake. I was quite gung-ho, ready to go, ready to submit, but the draft itself wasn't done. Now I had re-read these pages so many times in the last few months that I suppose I was shocked to find so many things that weren't clicking with other people. Things that had made perfect sense to me and to me made the movie look excellent were not apart of the same initial vision others had when they read the script! I thought my writing was more universal in vision than it actually was. This is good as now I have a lot of good ideas how to look back and change things.
2) I wasn't ready for how other people envision my vision.
One note I've seen repeated (paraphrasing) was "I didn't get this" or "I couldn't picture that." In my head and in my mind, I couldn't picture things any other way then what was on the page. Foolishness! I was going for more metaphorical descriptions (mostly bad idea) then just blatantly saying what was there. Now I have a better idea of universality in writing.
3) I wasn't ready for criticism PERIOD.
2012 was one of the worst years I've had in recent memory full of depression, self-loathing and NOT WRITING. I hadn't had anyone peer review my scripts in what had been about 2 years (minus one reader's notes one year ago) and I had forgotten what it was like to receive criticism. People are inherently good and not out to get others. To see through the initial complaints and to say "what are they REALLY trying to tell me" is the best way to approach criticism. Not running away and trying to hide work.
I think as writer's we are naturally very very VERY protective of our writing. It's as if I'm saying "this is my heart and this is my soul. This is a part of me I don't share with the world. Come. Take a dump on it." This isn't the right way to approach it, but
4) I took it far too personally.
And why shouldn't I? I wrote it Blog Damnit and I put so many hours of my free time and sick days and vacation days and time I could've spent playing Grandia into this! Why are people so mean!? Why does it hurrrrttt...?
shut up.
Good gravy you sound like a teenage girl! Toughen up young Padawan, for it only gets harder from here. Great works should be taken to the litmus test and they SHOULD be up for being critiqued.
And if the film was made as the script is, good gravy the Rotten Tomatoes that would've been thrown...
So that's just some thoughts for the day.
TL;DR (Too long; Didn't read) Don't be afraid to take criticism from others as more often than not, they just want to help you make the best damn script possible. Don't take it personal, look for what they're REALLY trying to be critical about and use the negative (if there is any) to FUEL you to write more.
After a year of less than inspired writing, I sent out my first act of a script I'm working on to a writer's group that I am in. I thought myself untouchable.
Lo, I needed a good @$$ kicking.
The first review was negative and harsh. Didn't even bother to read the logline or the following 13 pages. Just gave up. Okay fine. Try to find the silver lining. Next review, lots of notes, lots of bad things. Okay....Third review, page by page breakdown of what was liked and not liked with (I felt) more reactions leading to disliking.
So in a panic, I removed the pages thinking "I write $#!^. I gotta hide this now!" Later reflections would prove that my bigger fear was not that I was the worst writer ever, but that I had sent the same pages out to a "very difficult to get into Writing Program" and to see notes this harsh told me I probably had no chance of getting into said fellowship.
One person then wrote minutes later not to give up and that everyone was just trying to help. He was right for sure and I was in the wrong for removing the pages.
So, why did I panic?
1) I wasn't ready to take criticism on a project I thought was done, but knew in my heart it wasn't.
Alas, this was a huge mistake. I was quite gung-ho, ready to go, ready to submit, but the draft itself wasn't done. Now I had re-read these pages so many times in the last few months that I suppose I was shocked to find so many things that weren't clicking with other people. Things that had made perfect sense to me and to me made the movie look excellent were not apart of the same initial vision others had when they read the script! I thought my writing was more universal in vision than it actually was. This is good as now I have a lot of good ideas how to look back and change things.
2) I wasn't ready for how other people envision my vision.
One note I've seen repeated (paraphrasing) was "I didn't get this" or "I couldn't picture that." In my head and in my mind, I couldn't picture things any other way then what was on the page. Foolishness! I was going for more metaphorical descriptions (mostly bad idea) then just blatantly saying what was there. Now I have a better idea of universality in writing.
3) I wasn't ready for criticism PERIOD.
2012 was one of the worst years I've had in recent memory full of depression, self-loathing and NOT WRITING. I hadn't had anyone peer review my scripts in what had been about 2 years (minus one reader's notes one year ago) and I had forgotten what it was like to receive criticism. People are inherently good and not out to get others. To see through the initial complaints and to say "what are they REALLY trying to tell me" is the best way to approach criticism. Not running away and trying to hide work.
I think as writer's we are naturally very very VERY protective of our writing. It's as if I'm saying "this is my heart and this is my soul. This is a part of me I don't share with the world. Come. Take a dump on it." This isn't the right way to approach it, but
4) I took it far too personally.
And why shouldn't I? I wrote it Blog Damnit and I put so many hours of my free time and sick days and vacation days and time I could've spent playing Grandia into this! Why are people so mean!? Why does it hurrrrttt...?
shut up.
Good gravy you sound like a teenage girl! Toughen up young Padawan, for it only gets harder from here. Great works should be taken to the litmus test and they SHOULD be up for being critiqued.
And if the film was made as the script is, good gravy the Rotten Tomatoes that would've been thrown...
So that's just some thoughts for the day.
TL;DR (Too long; Didn't read) Don't be afraid to take criticism from others as more often than not, they just want to help you make the best damn script possible. Don't take it personal, look for what they're REALLY trying to be critical about and use the negative (if there is any) to FUEL you to write more.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Welcome to the blog-o-shere
Shalom,
I come here when I'm having trouble writing. I will review scripts of movies that are free to be read as often as I can. I'll also be writing public thoughts and reflections about various occurrences with my writing.
I'm writing this stuff for me to learn. If you learn something too, then wtf (Welp, That's Fantastic).
More in the future,
Shko (don't ya know)
I come here when I'm having trouble writing. I will review scripts of movies that are free to be read as often as I can. I'll also be writing public thoughts and reflections about various occurrences with my writing.
I'm writing this stuff for me to learn. If you learn something too, then wtf (Welp, That's Fantastic).
More in the future,
Shko (don't ya know)
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