Nothing about storytelling is as controversial as the 3-act structure. Talk to some people, and you'd think God gave Moses the basic 3-act structure on top of Mount Sinai alongside the Ten Commandments. Other people act as if 3-act structure was created by the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the entire human race would be better off without it.
What is 3-act structure? It's simply a shorthand for industry professionals to have a conversion about the structure of a story. Specifically, Hollywood is use to breaking stories into three acts as follows:
Act One: The first 25% of your story.
Act Two: The next 50% of your story.
Act Three: The final 25% of your story.
What’s a second-act sag? It’s when everything bogs down at the halfway point of your story. What's a slow first-act? It's when your story takes too much time to get going. What's a disappointing third act? It's when the end of your movie fails to live up to the expectations set in the first and second acts. This is the language of story, an easy way of breaking story down—especially when dealing with people in the industry whose livelihood depends on movies but who don't actually write stories.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
So You Want to Write Screenplays... But Do You Read Them?
This is one of the most often overlooked aspects of learning to write screenplays. Do you read screenplays? Every year around Oscar time, studios typically release the screenplays for films they want to see nominated. These are free and anyone can download them.
What's interesting is how often a great movie can have a terrible screenplay. Although, I must say, I've never seen a great screenplay translate into terrible movie, but I'm sure it happens.
The fine folks over at CraftyScreenwriting have put together a list of links where you can download screenplays. Please note these may be production drafts, not spec scripts. Unless you're already contracted with a studio to write a screenplay, you don't need to know how to write a production script. Your goal is to write a spec script—something that catches the attention of Hollywood.
Find screenplays for your favorite films here: http://www.craftyscreenwriting.com/download.html
-The Illiterate Writer
What's interesting is how often a great movie can have a terrible screenplay. Although, I must say, I've never seen a great screenplay translate into terrible movie, but I'm sure it happens.
The fine folks over at CraftyScreenwriting have put together a list of links where you can download screenplays. Please note these may be production drafts, not spec scripts. Unless you're already contracted with a studio to write a screenplay, you don't need to know how to write a production script. Your goal is to write a spec script—something that catches the attention of Hollywood.
Find screenplays for your favorite films here: http://www.craftyscreenwriting.com/download.html
-The Illiterate Writer
How Not to be a Noob
Unlike me, Stephanie Palmer over at Good In A Room knows what she's talking about. She's a Hollywood pro. So when she posts a list of things NOT to say in a meeting, memorize that list.
http://goodinaroom.com/blog/13-phrases-that-make-you-sound-like-a-hollywood-rookie/
-The Illiterate Writer
http://goodinaroom.com/blog/13-phrases-that-make-you-sound-like-a-hollywood-rookie/
-The Illiterate Writer
Screenplay as a Blueprint
When I was in high school, I wanted to be a draftsman. Drafting was one of those classes that was hard to get into because everyone wanted to take the drawing class. I was a senior before I was able to take it.
It turned out to be one of the least useful classes I took in school because it was taught on a drafting table, with a T-square and eraser powder and drafting pencils. A few years later, a little computer called AutoCAD would suck all the fun out of drafting and make the paper and eraser powder obsolete.
Believe it or not, that drafting class did teach me about screenwriting.
It turned out to be one of the least useful classes I took in school because it was taught on a drafting table, with a T-square and eraser powder and drafting pencils. A few years later, a little computer called AutoCAD would suck all the fun out of drafting and make the paper and eraser powder obsolete.
Believe it or not, that drafting class did teach me about screenwriting.
Actors and Screenwriters are Partners
Earlier, I wrote about writing with actors in mind. Read that post here. Failing to write with the actor in mind is something that can cost a screenwriter a career before they even have a career. It's a mindset that will torpedo an otherwise promising talent.
Why is it so important to think about actors (but not specific actors) when writing? Because as hard as it is to get a job writing in Hollywood, it's just as hard—probably harder—for actors to break in. And once they're in, they face the same challenges as writers face. They must stay in.
There's a great blog that chronicles the rise and downfall of popular actors. Read it, study it until you understand why it's so important for writers to write for actors and not just their own ego.
http://comicsansscreenwriting.blogspot.com/2015/02/write-with-actors-in-mind.html
-The Illiterate Writer
Why is it so important to think about actors (but not specific actors) when writing? Because as hard as it is to get a job writing in Hollywood, it's just as hard—probably harder—for actors to break in. And once they're in, they face the same challenges as writers face. They must stay in.
There's a great blog that chronicles the rise and downfall of popular actors. Read it, study it until you understand why it's so important for writers to write for actors and not just their own ego.
http://comicsansscreenwriting.blogspot.com/2015/02/write-with-actors-in-mind.html
-The Illiterate Writer
The Most Important Thing in Writing
In a previous post, I talked about truth. Truth is the second most important thing in writing. What's the most important thing?
NEVER BORE THE AUDIENCE. EVER.
- The Illiterate Writer
NEVER BORE THE AUDIENCE. EVER.
- The Illiterate Writer
Truth. The (second) Most Important Thing in Writing.
Writers often want to know what makes writing good. They think it's all about flowery language and clever turns of phrase or plot twists nobody saw coming. All those things are good, but there's one thing that too many writers overlook: truth.
Yup. Truth in writing is one of the least valued attributes and probably one of the least understood. I mean, we can argue all day about what truth even means. Don't get too caught up in those arguments. The sky is blue, grass is (usually) green, and there are a handful of fundamental truths that propel human nature throughout generations.
Love. Violence. Sex. Death. Family. Fairness. Justice. Injustice. The hereafter.
The list goes on. There are way more truths than I could compile in a blog post.
Ever wonder why people still fawn over classic movies like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Citizen Kane? Because these movies are rooted in truths that transcend generations, technology, and cultural shifts.
Can you write a screenplay without any deep truth? Yes. But why would you?
People are hungry for truth. Find the truth in your story and nurture that truth, whatever it may be.
How? Figuring that out is what separates the professionals from the wannabes.
-The Illiterate Writer
Yup. Truth in writing is one of the least valued attributes and probably one of the least understood. I mean, we can argue all day about what truth even means. Don't get too caught up in those arguments. The sky is blue, grass is (usually) green, and there are a handful of fundamental truths that propel human nature throughout generations.
Love. Violence. Sex. Death. Family. Fairness. Justice. Injustice. The hereafter.
The list goes on. There are way more truths than I could compile in a blog post.
Ever wonder why people still fawn over classic movies like Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and Citizen Kane? Because these movies are rooted in truths that transcend generations, technology, and cultural shifts.
Can you write a screenplay without any deep truth? Yes. But why would you?
People are hungry for truth. Find the truth in your story and nurture that truth, whatever it may be.
How? Figuring that out is what separates the professionals from the wannabes.
-The Illiterate Writer
Monday, February 23, 2015
Pro Tip: Deadlines
Your success or failure as a screenwriter can be measured in one word: deadlines.
Don't like that? Tough. Here's the sobering truth. If you can't write on demand, on-time, Hollywood has no use for you. There's too many writers out there who can write on demand, on-time.
You may think you're the greatest writer who ever lived and they'll want your work so bad it doesn't matter whether you finish on time or not. If so, you're delusional.
Hollywood is an industry. It's no different than building cars, the parts have to arrive on time or they're useless. Imagine an entire assembly line shut down because the headlights didn't show up. Entire cars sitting there on the line, with no headlights, and workers standing around getting paid to wait for those headlights—or worse, laid off because they're not needed anymore.
What do you think would happen to the headlight supplier? Either they're going to pay back the money lost because those headlights weren't delivered on time willingly, or they'll be taken to court and ordered to pay restitution for breach of contract. Either way, it's not very likely they'll be making headlights for that company anymore.
That's pretty much how big business works. Remember, Hollywood is a business.
It doesn't matter how good you are, if you can't meet deadlines, you're costing somebody money. I don't know about you, but I don't want to do business with anyone who costs me money. I'm not in a very forgiving mood when it comes to people who cost me money. I don't give people a second chance to cost me more money.
If I'm a nobody and I feel that way, just imagine how powerful executives and studio heads feel about it.
-The Illiterate Writer
Don't like that? Tough. Here's the sobering truth. If you can't write on demand, on-time, Hollywood has no use for you. There's too many writers out there who can write on demand, on-time.
You may think you're the greatest writer who ever lived and they'll want your work so bad it doesn't matter whether you finish on time or not. If so, you're delusional.
Hollywood is an industry. It's no different than building cars, the parts have to arrive on time or they're useless. Imagine an entire assembly line shut down because the headlights didn't show up. Entire cars sitting there on the line, with no headlights, and workers standing around getting paid to wait for those headlights—or worse, laid off because they're not needed anymore.
What do you think would happen to the headlight supplier? Either they're going to pay back the money lost because those headlights weren't delivered on time willingly, or they'll be taken to court and ordered to pay restitution for breach of contract. Either way, it's not very likely they'll be making headlights for that company anymore.
That's pretty much how big business works. Remember, Hollywood is a business.
It doesn't matter how good you are, if you can't meet deadlines, you're costing somebody money. I don't know about you, but I don't want to do business with anyone who costs me money. I'm not in a very forgiving mood when it comes to people who cost me money. I don't give people a second chance to cost me more money.
If I'm a nobody and I feel that way, just imagine how powerful executives and studio heads feel about it.
-The Illiterate Writer
Write With Actors in Mind
One of the stupidest things you can do when writing the screenplay is get your heart set on having certain actors cast in the parts that you're writing.
Writers who do this often write characters straight out of someone else's movies, because they think they're writing a part that's perfect for an actor they saw in someone else's movie. While some actors have a large enough body work that you can develop sense of who they are from the characters they play, most actors are playing parts on screen.
It is a mistake to confuse and actor's roles with their off-stage personality. Often, actors get typecast into parts because they have played similar roles so well in the past. This doesn't mean that actors are typecast into their own personality type.
Writers who do this often write characters straight out of someone else's movies, because they think they're writing a part that's perfect for an actor they saw in someone else's movie. While some actors have a large enough body work that you can develop sense of who they are from the characters they play, most actors are playing parts on screen.
It is a mistake to confuse and actor's roles with their off-stage personality. Often, actors get typecast into parts because they have played similar roles so well in the past. This doesn't mean that actors are typecast into their own personality type.
What is Comic Sans Screenwriting?
You ever seen a real Hollywood screenplay? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't. One thing every screenplay I've ever seen has in common is the font: Courier. It may be Courier New, Courier Final Draft, Courier Prime, but the variations are minimal. Courier is the font of screenplays.
A lot of people think screenplays are all pretty much alike, they're written the same way and they have the same formatting, the same cues, the same call-outs.
Nope. In a real sense, the style of a screenplay is as unique to a screenwriter as a fingerprint. A really good screenwriter has a voice all their own, a voice that stands out among hundreds or thousands of screenplays out there.
A bad screenwriter stands out by doing stupid things, like using Comic Sans font instead of the industry standard Courier. Those scripts get tossed into the trash.
Do you want to be a really good screenwriter? Comic Sans Screenwriting is for you. We're here to help your work stand out as dramatically as if you'd used a Comic Sans font, in a way that doesn't get your script tossed into the trash but instead gets your script read by people who can turn your words into a movie.
Like that idea? Then come along for the ride...
-The Illiterate Writer
A lot of people think screenplays are all pretty much alike, they're written the same way and they have the same formatting, the same cues, the same call-outs.
Nope. In a real sense, the style of a screenplay is as unique to a screenwriter as a fingerprint. A really good screenwriter has a voice all their own, a voice that stands out among hundreds or thousands of screenplays out there.
A bad screenwriter stands out by doing stupid things, like using Comic Sans font instead of the industry standard Courier. Those scripts get tossed into the trash.
Do you want to be a really good screenwriter? Comic Sans Screenwriting is for you. We're here to help your work stand out as dramatically as if you'd used a Comic Sans font, in a way that doesn't get your script tossed into the trash but instead gets your script read by people who can turn your words into a movie.
Like that idea? Then come along for the ride...
-The Illiterate Writer
Some Guy You've Never Heard of Blogs About Structure and Formula
I stumbled on this today. I think it's an argument against formulas. If it is, then I like this guy, whoever he is.
http://storyrhetoric.com/blog/2015/01/31/ramblings-on-structure-formula-and-walter-whites-suv
http://storyrhetoric.com/blog/2015/01/31/ramblings-on-structure-formula-and-walter-whites-suv
Inspirational Quote
“Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
- C.S. Lewis
- C.S. Lewis
MERE CHRISTIANITY
Pro Writing Tip #1
In order to win a race, you must first finish the race. This sounds like common sense, but it got included in the Bible, so I'm assuming it's something not everybody intrinsically understands.
To become a successful writer, you must first finish your story. It doesn't matter how bad that story is. The great thing about writing is this little activity called re-writing. It means we get to go back and fix our mistakes. It often means we get to go back and fix our mistakes before the public at large even sees them.
I know a lot of people who want to be writers. I know very few actual writers. The difference? The actual writers actually write.
Do you want to be a writer? Then write. It's that simple. Finish your story. Finish your race.
-The Illiterate Writer
To become a successful writer, you must first finish your story. It doesn't matter how bad that story is. The great thing about writing is this little activity called re-writing. It means we get to go back and fix our mistakes. It often means we get to go back and fix our mistakes before the public at large even sees them.
I know a lot of people who want to be writers. I know very few actual writers. The difference? The actual writers actually write.
Do you want to be a writer? Then write. It's that simple. Finish your story. Finish your race.
-The Illiterate Writer
Oscars 2015: Stop the Insanity
NOTE: This is a post about politics, but it is not a political post. Comments of a political nature will be deleted.
The Oscars were last night.
I'm going to make a confession. This Illiterate Writer nearly fell asleep before it was over.
Okay, time for another confession. This Illiterate Writer spent most of the Oscars watching The Walking Dead and The Talking Dead on his iPhone while the Oscars played on TV.
Thank you Comcast for a WONDERFUL live-streaming app.
It is the dream of every writer, actor, and filmmaker to receive and Academy Award. I am no different. However, I do not worship at the altar of Academy Awards. You have to break into the business to get recognized by the business.
The Oscars were last night.
I'm going to make a confession. This Illiterate Writer nearly fell asleep before it was over.
Okay, time for another confession. This Illiterate Writer spent most of the Oscars watching The Walking Dead and The Talking Dead on his iPhone while the Oscars played on TV.
Thank you Comcast for a WONDERFUL live-streaming app.
It is the dream of every writer, actor, and filmmaker to receive and Academy Award. I am no different. However, I do not worship at the altar of Academy Awards. You have to break into the business to get recognized by the business.
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