Writing a Screenplay - Any advice?

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Bellamy's Caddy

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 Jan 2009
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Apart from 'don't bother' : )

I've been thinking of writing a script for years but never got round to it so I'm finally getting my arse in gear to make it happen.

I'm interested to hear if anyone on here has any experience writing or editing and if you have any advice or information, website links etc that might be useful? I've done some googling but there's so much information out there I don't know where to start.

The problem so far is I've done a lot of (maybe too much) planning, ideas for character arcs, plot development, scenes and settings etc but I seem to be spending more time doing all this than actually writing, which makes me think I'm not going about it the right way...

Any information or advice would be much appreciated!

Cheers
 
You need a good strong character, someone who is wealthy but not so good on the looks side of things. He needs to be on his third wife, always works that, at least one of the previous wives has gone lesbian, adds a little spice does that. He must have a few kids as well just to weigh him down.
As for a storyline? How about 3rd wife is always shopping whilst he slobs around the house drinking and farting, one day he sees his arse and strangles her. He buries her body in the foundations of an apartment block he is building in the city centre. No one suspects a thing until he blabs off his mush to an online forum full of weirdos, ne'r do wells and drunks. They laugh then shop him to der Dibble ?

What do you reckon ?
 
Blue Mist said:
You need a good strong character, someone who is wealthy but not so good on the looks side of things. He needs to be on his third wife, always works that, at least one of the previous wives has gone lesbian, adds a little spice does that. He must have a few kids as well just to weigh him down.
As for a storyline? How about 3rd wife is always shopping whilst he slobs around the house drinking and farting, one day he sees his arse and strangles her. He buries her body in the foundations of an apartment block he is building in the city centre. No one suspects a thing until he blabs off his mush to an online forum full of weirdos, ne'r do wells and drunks. They laugh then shop him to der Dibble ?

What do you reckon ?
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Fuckin brilliant
 
TheRemainsOfTheDave said:
Try writing a story that people want to read. Too many people write stories that people don't like.

There you go, simple.
Click to expand...

Does it involve a Princess ? and a frog, I always like them, especially if the Princess likes shopping and the frog, well you know the rest.
 
Bellamy's Caddy said:
Apart from 'don't bother' : )

I've been thinking of writing a script for years but never got round to it so I'm finally getting my arse in gear to make it happen.

I'm interested to hear if anyone on here has any experience writing or editing and if you have any advice or information, website links etc that might be useful? I've done some googling but there's so much information out there I don't know where to start.

The problem so far is I've done a lot of (maybe too much) planning, ideas for character arcs, plot development, scenes and settings etc but I seem to be spending more time doing all this than actually writing, which makes me think I'm not going about it the right way...

Any information or advice would be much appreciated!

Cheers
Click to expand...
A script for what? A play, a TV programme, a film?

One suggestion is to try and find a book that actually includes exercises to help you actually get it down. I remember Graham Linehan recommending this book, which is more of an exercise book that you can work through. Basically they asked loads of professional screenwriters to contribute one exercise to help people learn and then compiled them into a book. I haven't done much myself, but from what I've heard, just getting it down is the main thing, and then you can start developing it. The first stage would be a script outline though, where you basically outline what you want to happen in each scene. It can be useful as a beginner to have a template like the one from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat, which while formulaic, gets you to think about the purpose of each scene. As they say, you have to know the rules before you can consciously break the rules.

In terms of reading, you might actually be better off reading more actual scripts, and then analyse how the scripts you enjoy differ from the supposed formulas in the books you've read (nothing happens in Rocky for about 40 minutes, for example, despite all of these gurus insisting that your inciting incident needs to be within X pages). The other thing that might be useful is some sort of writing group, even if it's just other amateurs, so that you have motivation to get something down and people to give you feedback.

On a side note, Chris Morris was on Adam Buxton's podcast the other week and described scriptwriting guru Robert McKee as a snake oil salesman after him and Charlie Brooker went to one of his sessions and found out that he basically couldn't justify any of his points and got angry with anyone who questioned him.
 
Blue Mist said:
You need a good strong character, someone who is wealthy but not so good on the looks side of things. He needs to be on his third wife, always works that, at least one of the previous wives has gone lesbian, adds a little spice does that. He must have a few kids as well just to weigh him down.
As for a storyline? How about 3rd wife is always shopping whilst he slobs around the house drinking and farting, one day he sees his arse and strangles her. He buries her body in the foundations of an apartment block he is building in the city centre. No one suspects a thing until he blabs off his mush to an online forum full of weirdos, ne'r do wells and drunks. They laugh then shop him to der Dibble ?

What do you reckon ?
Click to expand...
Fact or fiction?
 
Blue Mist said:
You need a good strong character, someone who is wealthy but not so good on the looks side of things. He needs to be on his third wife, always works that, at least one of the previous wives has gone lesbian, adds a little spice does that. He must have a few kids as well just to weigh him down.
As for a storyline? How about 3rd wife is always shopping whilst he slobs around the house drinking and farting, one day he sees his arse and strangles her. He buries her body in the foundations of an apartment block he is building in the city centre. No one suspects a thing until he blabs off his mush to an online forum full of weirdos, ne'r do wells and drunks. They laugh then shop him to der Dibble ?

What do you reckon ?
Click to expand...

@worsleyweb
 
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