Eating tuna from a tin and how to make it as a screenwriter?

OK family reunion and this is how the scene plays out.

Auntie: How's the screenwriting going Harry?
Harry: It's going good thanks, just trying to write as much as possible.
Auntie: It's really hard to become a screenwriter ya know?
Harry: Yeah you've got to be really good-
Auntie: Almost impossible really
Harry: Well I wouldn't say-
Auntie: Our John's doing law! Everyone needs a lawyer Harry, not as hard to become a lawyer Harry.

YES that's what my family reunions are like, filled with optimism and encouragement.

Now as much as I wanted to slap my dad's sister it doesn't really go down well at her 40th birthday party. So I didn't, but I should have.

We all know it's very hard to become a screenwriter but it's not THAT hard. God knows there are some terrible screenwriters out there that get paid a shed load, I keep going to see their movies! So how do you become a screenwriter? Well, that I don't know but what I do know is you've got to increase the probability.

There are millions that want to be screenwriters but there are also millions that never write a screenplay. So just by writing each day for an hour or so you're increasing your chances. Then of course there are the writers that do write but write terribly, again you're ahead of them (assuming you can write some good stuff) -- Then there is reading screenwriting books, this shouldn't be underestimated, people think they don't need 'how to' books and that they're condescending, maybe they are but you learn a lot from them, even if the guy writing hasn't sold a thing.

Finally, reading screenplays. So you write, you write well, you read books and you read classic screenplays. Automatically you're top of the list to write the next Bond film. Well not quite but you're better off than everyone else.

My point in this stupidly titled blog is: Be optimistic, it's not impossible (auntie), you've just got to work at it and put the effort in. A little phrase I like is a 'writer writes everyday' it's a pretty cool mantra and more sophisticated than a 'writer writes' -- God knows which genius came up with that one!

No one achieved anything by thinking I don't stand a chance because a lot of other people want to do the same thing!

Structuring Case Study : Mission Impossible 3

Structuring is almost as important as the writing itself. And it can be done at all stages of writing and rewriting. Whilst you may believe you have hit the audience hard with a certain line or scene, try shuffling earlier dialogue or scenes about as you can almost always manipulate the audience and provide a stronger reaction.

Take Mission Impossible 3, written by Alex Kurtzman, Robert Ochi and JJ Abrams (though this particular shuffle, which took place during filming, was done by Abrams). It is in my opinion the best of the Mission Impossible movies, but that is irrelevant.
Originally the film began with Ethan Hunt's engagement party, showing him to be getting comfortable with a calmer life than he had in the past as a spy, however five minutes later he is drawn into a rescue mission involving his protege. This isn't that bad of a beginning, showing what he didn't have in his previous life, what he has to lose when he gets drawn back into it. But then there are two points to draw up. This is a thriller and most thrillers start with a bang to get the audience interested and also we aren't given much of a reason to care. We don't know how much he cares about his protege and there is little tension within his perfect life beyond it being something to lose.

But Abrams decided to start the film with a flashforward to much later in the film, where Ethan has an explosive device in his head and his nemesis has his wife at gunpoint, gagged in a chair opposite him.

What follows is the tensest scene in the movie as Ethan tries everything in his disposal to stop his wife being killed. Then we cut to black on a gunshot.

This instantly gets the audience interested, we're with Ethan through the story now, we know what it comes to and we care about the characters and what happens to them, we want to know how it happens. It also serves to completely change the focus of the engagement party (which follows it) we now not only see it as what he has to lose, but what he has to gain all at once.

Despite this, at first glance it may appear that Abrams has blown his load a little early, showing us that will mean we don't care as we have seen the tensest, most emotional scene of the film early. But we haven't seen the pay off. And because of this the inevitable demise of his nemesis is all the more impactful on the audience who have been waiting the entire movie to see it happen.


This simple decision changes the focus of the whole film and show the ripple effect that restructuring can have, adding high tension and emotion to scenes which may have seemed the audiences attentions wane without it.

However making sure that your screenplay has maximum impact is up to you. So look through your screenplay, think of the set piece moments and think what has built up to them. Is there anything that can be changed to make them more affecting to the audience? If so, try it out.

Writers Block

Writers block can be really discouraging, it can last a long time and be hard to beat. Losing your writing mojo can leave you feeling un-writer like, and when you get out of a creative streak it can be quite weird. I've been struggling with it since I handed in my last lost of assignments for university, and I've felt like a bit of a fraud, working on nothing, because I just can't think of anything to write.

So instead of trying to strain for ideas straight off I decided to break it down and just look for random ideas in different places. To do this I've been buying a paper a day, looking through for images/quotes, cutting them out and sticking them in a scrapbook. Once stuck down I've just been trying to write down anything that comes to mind about the images. The handy thing about this is, not only does it help get your brain functioning and moving, but you have a reference book for later on should you need a fallback ideas you have them there for you.

I chose a great time to start - with all the images of President Obama's inaugoration and first days in the oval office, there are tonnes of avenues and directions to take it in. I also found a few other powerful images that I have cut out and stuck down. Take a look:

The Above image is of children orphened in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, I went with themes of child soldiers, I also thought of ideas seen in Slumdog Millionaire and a few other bits.

Above is Obama and his family, I immediately thought of the cliche ideas of having his daughters abducted etc but they still ensured my brain was thinknig of ideas, no matter how cliche.

The above pictures gave me plenty of ideas, from simple ideas of betrayal to complex ideas involving detailed scams and plots.


Again my ideas were becoming more and more in depth, developing and becoming more original. This showed me that the more I did, the better I felt about myself as a writer and the easier the ideas came. This sort of thing can often happen after an intense period of writing, and exercises like this can be really good to help pull you out of it.

As you can see this has helped me find some will to write again, and it might be worth a try. If you do try it, let us know if it helps and how much it helped!

Welcome

Hi all -

Essentially this blog is for all writers of any kind, to share tips and tricks of the craft, helpful tidbits and info. Look out for info on things like:

• Tackling writers block
• Creating Characters
• Forming ideas to build on
• Formatting scripts
• Story arcs
  
• Character grids
  
• Character arcs

And much more, all from learning, but talented writers. The best thing about all of the above is all of our methods will be tried and tested, and you can pick out what works best for you. So check back regularly and make sure to leave us comments! Enjoy!