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HOW TO APPROACH A REWRITE

You just spent days, weeks, months, maybe years writing your screenplay and finally wrote fade out. Congratulations, it’s time to celebrate! Just keep in mind, the work doesn’t stop here. In fact, it may have just begun. The first draft of your screenplay is basically a bunch of ideas thrown together in a futile attempt to tell a story. It’s word vomit and I mean that in the best way possible. You have SOMETHING to work with, which is better than most people can say, so you should be proud. We just need to take things a step further and clean the vomit up a bit. Okay, I’m done using that word and I’m making myself sick. Once you complete your first draft you NEED to take a break. You’re too close to the work and won’t be able to see the issues. Yes, there are issues. No matter how perfect you think you are, there is something that could be done differently or better in your story. So take a week or two off. Watch movies, relax or maybe take a vacation. Do whatever you want, just don’t pick up that screenplay. During the time off, you will think about the story. This is okay and in fact it’s encouraged. You will think about scenes and how they might play differently. You will consider the story and think you might need to add or change scenes. These are great thoughts to have but refrain from picking up the screenplay. Jot them down so you won't forget and continue relaxing. Finally, the day has come where you get to pick up your masterpiece and give it a read. Guess what, it’s shit. You read it and realize it’s not a masterpiece. You’re left somewhat demoralized but you need to pick up the pieces and move on to the next phase of the process. So, instead of wallowing in your own self pity, identify where the story is shit, figure out why and fix the damn thing. The first thing to do is identify why the story’s bad. You might have too many scenes or maybe not enough. The story might seem boring. Maybe it’s the characters that you don’t like or the dialogue. The thing is, the entire story isn't garbage, just certain aspects and we need to correct them. Once you identify an area that you don’t like, check the notes you took during your time off and see if there's a solution present. If there is great, use it. But what if there isn’t? How I like to approach a rewrite is to remap the scenes from start to finish. One issue I always seem to encounter is the story usually falls flat. It’s like this odd lull where nothing is really happening and feels like there should be. It’s hard to always see where this happens so I like to get the notecards out and remap all of my scenes. This helps to identify the gap and it usually takes place between page 20 and 40. To fix this lull, I either add a few scenes or rework the scenes I have. Adding scenes is pretty self explanatory so lets focus on how to rework a scene. First, figure out what kind of rework this is. Are you just making minor modifications or are you doing a complete overhaul? If you simply need to tweak a scene, navigate your way through and make the subtle modifications. If you’re going for a major overhaul, do yourself a favor and just delete the scene entirely and start fresh on it. You might want to try and reuse parts of a scene to help save on time. Don’t bother as you will actually cause yourself unneeded stress and cause further delays by trying to piece a puzzle together. You know what’s supposed to happen in the scene so delete the shitty version and just rewrite a newer, bigger, better, badder version. When it comes to rewrites, there is no good or bad way to approach it. Just remember, you DO need to approach it. The worst thing you can do is write one draft and think its done. So, read your screenplay, identify where it doesn’t work and find a solution. Map out the scenes on notecards if needed. Move cards around, take them away or even add new ones. Finally, I’ll leave you with this. Once you finish your second draft, your efforts will be reward with a much better story and the opportunity to start your third draft. Isn’t that exciting! Write on, writers! Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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HOW TO APPROACH A REWRITE

You just spent days, weeks, months, maybe years writing your screenplay and finally wrote fade out. Congratulations, it’s time to celebrate! Just keep in mind, the work doesn’t stop here. In fact, it may have just begun. The first draft of your screenplay is basically a bunch of ideas thrown together in a futile attempt to tell a story. It’s word vomit and I mean that in the best way possible. You have SOMETHING to work with, which is better than most people can say, so you should be proud. We just need to take things a step further and clean the vomit up a bit. Okay, I’m done using that word and I’m making myself sick. Once you complete your first draft you NEED to take a break. You’re too close to the work and won’t be able to see the issues. Yes, there are issues. No matter how perfect you think you are, there is something that could be done differently or better in your story. So take a week or two off. Watch movies, relax or maybe take a vacation. Do whatever you want, just don’t pick up that screenplay. During the time off, you will think about the story. This is okay and in fact it’s encouraged. You will think about scenes and how they might play differently. You will consider the story and think you might need to add or change scenes. These are great thoughts to have but refrain from picking up the screenplay. Jot them down so you won't forget and continue relaxing. Finally, the day has come where you get to pick up your masterpiece and give it a read. Guess what, it’s shit. You read it and realize it’s not a masterpiece. You’re left somewhat demoralized but you need to pick up the pieces and move on to the next phase of the process. So, instead of wallowing in your own self pity, identify where the story is shit, figure out why and fix the damn thing. The first thing to do is identify why the story’s bad. You might have too many scenes or maybe not enough. The story might seem boring. Maybe it’s the characters that you don’t like or the dialogue. The thing is, the entire story isn't garbage, just certain aspects and we need to correct them. Once you identify an area that you don’t like, check the notes you took during your time off and see if there's a solution present. If there is great, use it. But what if there isn’t? How I like to approach a rewrite is to remap the scenes from start to finish. One issue I always seem to encounter is the story usually falls flat. It’s like this odd lull where nothing is really happening and feels like there should be. It’s hard to always see where this happens so I like to get the notecards out and remap all of my scenes. This helps to identify the gap and it usually takes place between page 20 and 40. To fix this lull, I either add a few scenes or rework the scenes I have. Adding scenes is pretty self explanatory so lets focus on how to rework a scene. First, figure out what kind of rework this is. Are you just making minor modifications or are you doing a complete overhaul? If you simply need to tweak a scene, navigate your way through and make the subtle modifications. If you’re going for a major overhaul, do yourself a favor and just delete the scene entirely and start fresh on it. You might want to try and reuse parts of a scene to help save on time. Don’t bother as you will actually cause yourself unneeded stress and cause further delays by trying to piece a puzzle together. You know what’s supposed to happen in the scene so delete the shitty version and just rewrite a newer, bigger, better, badder version. When it comes to rewrites, there is no good or bad way to approach it. Just remember, you DO need to approach it. The worst thing you can do is write one draft and think its done. So, read your screenplay, identify where it doesn’t work and find a solution. Map out the scenes on notecards if needed. Move cards around, take them away or even add new ones. Finally, I’ll leave you with this. Once you finish your second draft, your efforts will be reward with a much better story and the opportunity to start your third draft. Isn’t that exciting! Write on, writers! Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

source http://www.scriplit.com/the-scriplit/how-to-approach-a-rewrite

LOCATION DOESN'T DICTATE TONE

The tone of each scene can really affect the audience's emotion and how they interpret the story. If you’re writing a comedy then you might not want to have a dark, deep emotional scene thrown in, somewhere in the middle. It might not fit the tone of the rest of the screenplay. So think about tone before writing each scene. However, don’t let this dictate the content because tone isn’t the same as content. What the hell do I mean by that? Tone isn’t the same as content? That’s some deep philosophical babbel, right? Wrong! Tone and content don’t go hand in hand. If you’re writing a comedy, you can add a funeral scene at any moment. It will just play differently given the tone. Just because your characters are at a funeral, doesn’t mean it can’t be funny with an upbeat tone. The actions and dialogue of the scene will help dictate the tone of your scene, not the location. Your main character, Bob, walks into a funeral parlor. He’s wearing a dark suit and slowly strides with his head down. Bob approaches a display table where he can see multiple pictures of himself and the deceased. A tear rolls down his cheek as Bob’s mother comes to give him a hug. The two embrace. This is deep. The tone here is slow, sad and dramatic. It’s meant to make the audience feel Bob’s pain. Now let’s look at the same situation in a different light. Bob walks into a funeral parlor. He’s wearing a dark suit and strides with his head held high. He approaches a display table where he can see multiple pictures of himself and the deceased. Bob gives a sinister smile as his mother comes to give him a hug. Quickly, he wipes the smile from his face as the two embrace. See how the tones are much different? This is the same exact scene but delivering different emotions. I feel bad for Bob in the first example. In the second, Bob has peaked my curiosity as to what he is conjuring up. Both scenes can take it a step further with the dialogue used. In the first scene, the dialogue could be short exchanges inquiring about how Bob is doing. This would indicate that he is broken up about the death and it has really hurt him. This makes me feel even more sad for Bob. The second scene could be an exchange about life insurance money and how much they will be getting. Now I don’t feel bad at all. The key thing to remember here is that location doesn’t dictate anything. It’s all about the actions and dialogue which help set the tone. For a great example of this, take a look at the movie Zombieland. A comedy about surviving the zombie apocalypse. Remember, stories are about characters and emotion, not the events they go through. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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4 ways to tell a nonsequential story

There are many ways to tell a story. It can be done in order, out of order, heavily narrated, completely silent, or any other way your imagination can come up with. A few of my favorite writer/directors when it comes to this are Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Seth Macfarlane. Yes that’s right, the Family Guy himself. It may seem odd but it will make sense in a little bit. Below are 4 ways to manipulate the order of scenes within your screenplay. 1. Flashbacks Flashbacks are great when it comes to revealing information that is relevant to a given situation. Keep in mind that this information must move the story forward in some way or reveal something about one of the characters. A great example would be if your character is a single man throughout a script. Then, while visiting his parents home he picks up an old family photo of him, his wife and two kids. This could trigger a flashback showing the love he had for his family. Perhaps he has been a cold individual throughout the entire story and this is a deeper glimpse at his softer side? It’s a great way to show a vulnerable side of your character. 2. Flash-Forwards Much like flashbacks, you can always jump your story forward. This can be done literally or hypothetically. Confused? Let me explain. One of your characters could touch an object, LITERALLY showing them the future. Again, show a scene that either moves the story forward or reveals something about one of the characters. The other example would be if they touch an object and the future is shown, but it’s wrong. It could be a lie. Maybe your protagonist is at a fortune teller and she looks into the crystal ball. The flash-forward is then displayed but completely inaccurate. 3. Cutaways This is my favorite way to manipulate scenes and two of the writer/directors above, do it masterfully. A cut away is very similar to a flashback, only shorter in time and doesn’t really ever move the story forward. Tarantino uses a fantastic cutaway in, Django Unchained. He has a group of “hooded men” ride down on horseback towards a lonely carriage. During the raid, he cuts to a random scene where the men have a full blown debate about the hoods. It’s quite hilarious. Then he cuts back to finish the scene. This really doesn’t move the story forward, it just establishes that these men are a bunch of dumb-asses. Another great example would be literally any Family Guy episode, there is always a cutaway. Enjoy this one!

4. Different Time Period For Several Characters A fun way to tell a story could be showing the journey of two different characters either at the same time or at a different times and then have the stories connect in some way. You could have a male character traveling from California to Texas while at the same time you have a female character traveling from Michigan to Texas. Once they both arrive, they could intersect or we can make it a little more interesting by establishing different times. Maybe her story is really a year later than his. He does something in Texas that leaves a lasting effect in which she encounters upon arrival. The masters of this form of storytelling are Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. Look at Pulp Fiction and Dunkirk for great examples. Hopefully this list has opened your mind to new and creative ideas. Early in my career, I used mostly flashbacks. Now I really enjoy cutaways or writing in a nonsequential order. I added a really funny cutaway in The Remedy towards the end. Not to give away too much, a crime is committed and our protagonist is panicking. He rushes to the car, anxious to get away before the police show up. I simply cut away to two police officers sitting in a restaurant, eating breakfast. It’s funny because the crime committed has no witnesses and nobody called the police. It’s clearly an over reaction. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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Is writing, enough to become a writer?

When I started out as an actor, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Chris Adams who would become my mentor over the next 10 years. Based in Australia, we talked for over an hour having the most expensive phone call of my life. Always blunt and to the point, Chris provided me with some great advice. At the time I thought this was going to be a simple career path to navigate. I was under the impression that if I could just get a good agent, it would jumpstart my career to fame and glory. Chris has the contacts and I had the drive to try and make this happen. However our conversation didn’t produce the results I expected. Chris informed me that it’s not as easy as calling his agent, getting me in contact with him and making it big. His agent isn’t in the business of taking on new, unknown clients. His agent is looking to get high level, established players already in the industry. That was clearly not me. Hell, I hadn’t even been in anything that I could show. I was simply attending acting classes on the regular and filming the occasional independent film, but nothing I worked on was finished. During our conversation, Chris said something which seems so simple now but was a revelation to me at the time. He said, if you want to be an actor then you need to go act. Taking acting classes isn’t enough. You need to audition, film, network, get a vocal coach, get a demo reel, everything that a working actor would be doing. Then he brought up another great point, being an extra on a film set isn’t going to help boost your career much. This last part I didn’t fully understand. If I am on a film set, acting in any capacity, that should be a step in the right direction. I would be able to network with industry professionals and get my name out there. My thinking wasn’t incorrect but it’s not going to be as helpful as I thought. If you are an extra on a film set, then that’s how people will view you. As an extra. If you want to be an actor, then you need to be an actor on set. This is the point Chris was trying to get through to me. As my career path changed to becoming a writer/director, the same advice would hold true. If you want to be a writer, then you need to write. If you want to be a director, then you need to direct. However, you can take both of these a step further. What do you want to write? What do you want to direct? If you want to be a feature filmmaker, then you need to make feature films and there’s a great reason for it. When networking, you’re going to bring up the fact that you’re a writer. Naturally, the next question will be, what have you written? Your answer better not be, nothing. Have something, but also write in the area that you want to be in. If you say that you write television episodes then you will be viewed as a TV writer. Let’s say you end up getting a job writing for television, even though you really want to write feature films. Odds are, you’re going to be good a writing television and you will be in that job for a long time. Writing simply isn’t enough to become a writer. You need to create in the area that you want to work in. If you want to make feature length films someday, then you should be writing feature length screenplays and network yourself as such. Meet people and tell them that you write feature length screenplays. Share the ideas that you have written. Think about it, if you had millions of dollars and wanted to hire a writer to create a feature length film, are you going to hire a writer who’s never written a feature length script? I know I wouldn’t. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING BASICS

The rules around screenplay formatting can be daunting and I don’t recommend going at it alone. Don’t use a simple word processor to write your screenplays. There are plenty of resources at your disposal that will format for you. This takes all of the thinking out of it, so you can solely focus on the story. Below are a few options. Celtx The basic version is free to use for up to 3 projects. I used this software for years. Amazon Storywriter Are you an Amazon Prime member? Use Storywriter free. This is where I do all my writing now. Final Draft Want to get a little fancy and spend some money? Final Draft seems to be a popular option. Now that you’ve selected your software and you’re ready to write, you need to know the basics of screenplay elements. These simple elements are scene headings, actions, character and dialogue. Honestly, if you can understand these 4 elements then you can write a screenplay successfully. Scene headings are broken into 3 parts and the easiest way to think about it is, what does the camera see? Ask these 3 simple questions and you’ll have a successful scene heading.

Is the camera inside the location or outside?

The options here are INT(interior) and EXT(exterior). So, if you’re writing a scene that takes place inside a home, you would put INT. If the scene happens outside the home, you would put EXT. You can technically use both at the same time, written as INT/EXT and this would happen if the scene moves from one to the next. For instance if the scene starts inside a car but moves outside the car. I tend to just start a new scene with a new heading in these instances.

What is the location?

This one is pretty straight forward. If you’re at the Grand Canyon, the you would write GRAND CANYON. If it’s at a Bills house then you would write BILL’S HOUSE.

What time of day is it?

Again, pretty simple. The standard options here are DAY or NIGHT. You can get a little more in depth if you would like by using(but not limited to) DAWN, SUNRISE, MORNING, EVENING, DUSK. After answering these 3 questions you have a successful scene heading. Below are a few examples of what they look like.

INT. BILL’S HOUSE - DAY EXT. BILL’S HOUSE - NIGHT EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN INT/EXT. BILL’S CAR - DUSK

Now that we have a scene heading, we need to establish the action that takes place. This is where you’ll describe what the camera can see within the location. Use as much or as little detail as necessary to paint a picture for the reader. See the example below. EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN The rising sun illuminates the red rocks of the canyon as Bill and Tom stand shoulder to shoulder, taking in the spectacle. Both in black suits, Bill passes a shiny black briefcase to Tom. This is a very simple, yet effective example. I painted a picture for the reader, to setup the scene. There are however, a few things you want to keep in mind when writing actions. Is this the first time you’re introducing the character? If yes, then capitalize their name. This only happens the first time a character is introduced. See the modified example below. EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN The rising sun illuminates the red rocks of the canyon as BILL and TOM stand shoulder to shoulder, taking in the spectacle. Both in black suits, Bill passes a shiny black briefcase to Tom. Do you have an object listed that has meaning later in the story? Again, if the answer is yes then we want to capitalize it upon the first appearance. I reiterate, only capitalize on the first appearance. EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN The rising sun illuminates the red rocks of the canyon as BILL and TOM stand shoulder to shoulder, taking in the spectacle. Both in black suits, Bill passes a shiny black BRIEFCASE to Tom. The only other thing you may want to consider is the amount of description and detail you add. If this is the first time you’re introducing a character, you may want to describe them to paint a clear picture. Maybe they have a mustache or they’re overweight. Again, the choice is really yours. Once the scene is established, we move to character and dialogue. In simple terms, list the characters name to establish who is speaking and then the words spoken. EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN The rising sun illuminates the red rocks of the canyon as BILL and TOM stand shoulder to shoulder, taking in the spectacle. Both in black suits, Bill passes a shiny black BRIEFCASE to Tom.

TOM Is this everything? BILL It’s all there. TOM You’ll be hearing from me.

With the briefcase in hand, Tom walks away. Bill closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. Within dialogue, you can add parenthesis under the character name. These parenthesis establish attitude, verbal direction or action direction. For example if someone speaks in a nervous tone you would put (nervous). Another great use would be if you have more than 2 characters in a scene, you can establish who a character is talking to as (to Bill). One word of advice, only use these when necessary. Don’t overload your screenplay with parenthesis. EXT. GRAND CANYON - DAWN The rising sun illuminates the red rocks of the canyon as BILL and TOM stand shoulder to shoulder, taking in the spectacle. Both in black suits, Bill passes a shiny black BRIEFCASE to Tom.

TOM Is this everything? BILL (nervous) It’s all there. TOM You’ll be hearing from me.

With the briefcase in hand, Tom walks away. Bill closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. If you’ve understood the elements above, then go off and write as you have the information necessary. If you’re not sure how to do something as you navigate your script, Google it. Again, there’s plenty of information out there. A few items I research often are flashbacks and montages. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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AT A CROSSROADS WITH YOUR CHARACTERS?

Often I’ll be writing a screenplay and certain characters will stand out above others. Why is that? I did all the work necessary, prior to starting, yet the pieces are not falling in place how I expected. I love small secondary characters and simply hate certain characters that play a larger role. What the hell am I supposed to do now? It’s a bit of a crossroad when you get to this point. It could be 10 pages in or it could be 70. Wherever it happens(and it will happen), you need to make a decision. Take a step back and ask yourself, do I hate the character because of what they are doing in the story or because I actually hate them? Maybe you’re supposed to hate the character. Are they doing things in the story that is causing you, as a reader, to hate them for their actions? If that’s the case, then you should probably stay the course and see this thing through as is. Sounds like an interesting character. But, what if you hate them because of their role in the story? For instance, they are meant to be a support system for your main character but turns out, you find another, more interesting support system later on. What are you supposed to do? This is the crossroad I was talking about. You have to make a decision and it could cause you quite a bit of rework. You can stay the course and let the story play out as designed, or you can rewrite it. Here’s my opinion, go with your instincts. If you are gravitating in another direction, then take the story there. No matter what. Delete scenes, rework pages, modify the story. Do what’s necessary to tell the best story you can. This happened to me recently on Molly Cheese. For anyone who’s been following along, you’ll know that I have reworked my scenes many times. I even went as far as performing a major overhaul on the entire story. I was 45 pages in and decided I didn’t like the direction. I took a few days off, read what I had and deleted 20 pages or so. I moved scenes around and completely changed the landscape of the story. Frustrating I know, but necessary. The takeaway here is that the story is never set in stone. If you went in with a plan and that doesn’t seem to be panning out, change it. Plan’s change all the time. I never thought I was going to be a filmmaker but here I am. Keep the things you like and modify or delete the things you don’t. It’s never to late. Have you encountered this with your characters? What do you do in these situations? Comment below, I would love to know your thoughts. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING TIP - DON’T LEAD A HORSE TO WATER

Have you ever received feedback about a certain aspect of writing and then you find yourself obsessing over it? This happened to me a few month ago. I received feedback on The Remedy stating that I had a great sense of character but need to work on my scene transitions. Now, as I go through the process of writing Molly Cheese, it’s the only thing I can think about. I’m obsessed with writing better transitions and my hope is that it will pay off. My stories typically have a specific flow to them. I’m very logical in that one scene will lead into another. For example, if two characters are going on a road trip somewhere I think to myself, what do they need? Do they need money? Maybe some clothes? Whatever it is, I send the characters to that location next and develop a scene around it. This is completely fine but it’s how I transition that matters. Mark and Sally work together. They are both single and have been friends at the same company for over 10 years, yet they both hate their job. Sending messages back and forth one afternoon, Sally indicates that she would love to quit and simply travel. Mark agrees, but then takes it a step further. He informs Sally, that he has been saving money for several years and he’s prepared to walk away. The conversation continues as Mark tries to convince Sally to join him on his travels. She is reluctant. Skipping forward to the next scene, the two are in the car driving down the road. This is all fine and dandy but let’s focus on the transition to make this flow. During the conversation where Mark is attempting to convince Sally, she eventually caves and agrees. Ecstatic, Mark sends her a message stating the he will meet her in the car. She complies and the two next appear in the vehicle driving down the road singing "Free Bird". This works, but not well. It would look something like this.

INT. OFFICE - DAY Mark and Sally continue to message over their computers. MARK What do you have to lose? SALLY I guess nothing really. MARK So you’re in!? SALLY Ah! Yes, let’s do it. MARK Great, I’ll meet you in the car. SALLY Now? MARK No time like the present! SALLY Okay! Mark closes his laptop, grabs his coat and exits. INT. CAR - DAY Mark and Sally travel down a back country road sing along with the radio.

So what’s not good about this? The scene is pretty simple and seems to work. However, play it out in your head. It just seems to obvious. I’m literally leading a horse to water. I tend to fall into this trap often and need to break a bad habit. Let’s take a look at a less direct way to establish the same thing.

INT. OFFICE - DAY Mark and Sally continue to message over their computers. MARK What do you have to lose? SALLY I can’t just quit my job! It’s not that easy. MARK You can find another job. SALLY I suppose that’s true... MARK Okay, well if I sit here any longer I might just jump out the window. Are you in or out? Before responding, Sally thinks deeply about the question asked. INT. CAR - DAY Mark climbs into the driver's seat, closes the door and starts the vehicle. Disappointed he places the car in drive and begins to pull away. Out of nowhere, Sally appears, banging on the passenger window

So much better! Do you see how it’s much less obvious. I’m not telling the audience what’s going to happen through dialogue. I’m going to leave them hanging for just a moment. I want to keep them guessing. I could’ve very easily played this same scene out where Sally doesn’t show up and Mark simply drives off. Either way, there is a sense of anticipation and that’s what I’m looking for. When you’re writing, take these ideas into consideration. If your dialogue is to obvious in telling the audience what’s going to happen then stop, take a step back and find a better solution to the problem. This is something I’m constantly battling and improving on as I write. Is there another way you would write the transition? Comment on this post as I would love to hear your thoughts! Also, for more up to date information and the little extras that comes with it, please join our mailing list by subscribing below! Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

The old saying goes, write what you know. I can tell you that I don’t know anything about NASA or space travel so I try not to write about it. I could likely do some research and interviews but I don’t have the ambition necessary to create a space epic, especially since I’m self financed when I create my films. Typically, I take this advice and write around things that I do know. However, you can’t always do it on your own. Last night I was visiting some friends and they inquired about what I have been doing with my time. I proceeded to explain about Scriplit and more specifically, Molly Cheese. They were intrigued which in turn sparked a more in depth conversation. They wanted to know what Molly Cheese was about. I simply said, it’s about a girl who wants a grilled cheese sandwich. Anyone who’s read my free writing guide knows that it’s really about more than this, but I wanted to give them the story in its simplest form. Thus, new questions were asked. Who’s Molly? Why does she want a grilled cheese? What’s the purpose of the story? Ah yes, there it is. The question I’ve been waiting for. What’s the purpose of the story? Given this question, I went on to explain that Molly loses her job and this is a story about how she creates a new one, where she makes and sells grilled cheese sandwiches. Excited, I elaborated more which turned the conversation into something really fun for the entire group. I explained to my friends that I even have menu items for Molly. Items such as “The Molly Cheese” (a standard grilled cheese sandwich) and “The Meaty Molly” (a grilled cheese sandwich with your choice of meat). Everyone chuckled but you could tell excitement was in the air. This is where it got really fun. I was asked if I had any other sandwich names. Simply put, no I didn’t. That’s when the group joined in. Sean, what about one with jalapenos? Sure, that sounds great. Can you call it “The Hot-Ta-Molly”? The room erupted with laughter. I responded, done and done! Sean, what about one with mushrooms!? Sure, what would you call it? “Molly and the fungi”? More laughter followed along with my response, that’s perfect! This conversation continued this way for over an hour as we laughed, brainstormed and had the creative juices flowing. It was a great feeling, like you’re not at this alone and I wouldn’t want it any other way. On the surface, it seems silly that we were just creating menu items for Molly Cheese. However, it was much more than that. Remember, write what you know. Here’s what I know, this was a fun conversation that raised excitement in the room. I also know that I will need a scene where Molly creates her business. That scene wrote itself last night. A simple conversation amongst friends generated something great that WILL be put into the story. As you write, keep your eyes and ears open. Something great can happen from nothing more than a simple conversation with friends. I loved what happened so much that I decided to take on a new approach. As I continue on with the development of Molly Cheese, I want to get more people involved. I am going to create the menu and add a submission form on my site so YOU can join in on the fun! Do you have a menu item that has come to mind already? Don’t wait! Add it to the comments section of this post. I would love to hear them. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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5 WAYS TO FIX WRITER'S BLOCK

Often when I am writing a screenplay, I get stuck. I know what the story is, I know where I want to take it, but for whatever reason I get hung up. It could be on dialogue, a scene transition or even a plot hole that needs filling. Whatever it might be, I need to remind myself that it’s okay to simply step away, take a break and recharge the batteries. The best way I find to solve my story issues, is to not think about them. Workout Working out is one of the best ways to take your mind off things. Not only is it a great stress reliever, you’re forced to focus your mind on the task at hand. However, don’t workout in the same location that you perform your writing. Go to the gym, go for a run or attend a yoga studio. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. Chores The carpet isn’t going to vacuum itself. Wait...will it? I guess you could get a Roomba. Maybe I should get a Roomba…Do you have a Roomba? How is it? Hold on, don’t answer that. The dishes in the sink aren’t going to clean themselves. Step away from the keyboard and wash the dishes. Not only will this take your mind off the writing, you’ll be able to eat off a clean plate once more! Watch A Movie Often I will get stuck on scene transitions. One thing I like to do in these moments is to sit down and watch a movie. Pick something that is similar to what you are writing. While writing Molly Cheese, I had to stop and watch Clerks 2. I chose this film because it’s shot in very few locations. I was hung up on how to keep a story interesting by moving around a single location if possible. Kevin Smith is great at this. Make Lunch Do NOT open a can of soup, pour it in a bowl and simply heat it up. Actually make something. It too is a creative process and will take your mind off things. This doesn’t need to be anything intricate. Throw a salad together or make some pasta. Hell, make a grilled cheese if that’s what sounds more appealing. Be Social Go out with friends or call someone you know. Talk about what you’re writing. Explain where you’re stuck and ask their thoughts. You could simply be overthinking the issue and can’t see the simple solution. An outsider who’s disconnected from the story could provide some great insight and a fresh new idea. Remember that some of the best solutions come when you’re not thinking about the problem at all. It’s okay to take a break. Step away, clear your mind and come back fresh when the time is right. Is there something you do when you get stuck? Share your solutions in the comments section, we’d love to hear them. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING TIP: GREAT SCENE TRANSITIONS

Earlier this year I had just completed a workout when the personal trainer and I got into a discussion. Somehow we arrived at the fact that I’m a filmmaker and I went into the details of my career. Relating to the discussion, he informed me that he worked with a client that is also in the industry. Naturally, I inquired for additional details. It turns out that he is a writer working as a reader at Miramax. Later that day an introduction was made. After a few back and forth discussions, I had submitted The Remedy to our now mutual friend and received some feedback that confused me a bit. He said he liked the story and that I had a great sense of characters, but I needed to work on my scene transitions. I had no clue what he was talking about. To me everything was very clear. The director in me can see the cuts and transitions in my head. Why couldn’t he? I wanted to ignore his comments and simply move on but, as I was writing Molly Cheese yesterday, I got stuck between two scenes. Frustrated, I did some research and found something that finally made this thing click for me. To get the information I was in need of, I simply searched for ‘Screenplay scene transitions” on Google. Not shocked, I found several sites containing a variety of answers but the one at No Film School stuck out the most. I opened the link and gave it a read. The post includes some great information about several aspects of transitions but the information I needed was in their 3rd point (Here are five examples of scene transitions to help your story flow through your screenplay). Those five elements are to use frame size, music or sound, misdirect, Q&A and thematic. Check it out for yourself by using this link. The issue I was having is that Molly injures her foot in the bathroom of her home. I had her limping out wearing a towel and walking into the bedroom. The next scene I wanted her to be in the bedroom getting dressed. For whatever reason, I had it stuck in my head that I need to show this to establish it for the audience. There were two problems with this approach. First, how boring. Do you really want to watch someone getting dressed in a film? If it established something about the character or the plot then yes, I get it. Like if Molly was to attach a robot arm or something, establishing that she is a cyborg. However, just to simply use this to establish that she in fact did get dressed? Absolutely not! Second, what transition would make sense here? The only thing I could think of was to FADE OUT and FADE IN. After reading the post on No Film School, I realized that I have several great options. I struck gold and couldn’t be more thrilled about it. The real issue I had, was the fact that I was trying to spoon feed the audience. We have to remember, the audience is smart. Knowing this secret(that really isn’t a secret), I can simply have Molly exit the bathroom in a towel, walk into her bedroom(off screen) and immediately walk back out fully dressed. It’s simple, to the point and makes sense. It’s magic. When writing your own screenplays, consider your transitions from one scene to the next. If something doesn’t feel right, causing a disturbance in the force, then it’s likely that you have an issue. Don’t force it. Think about the transition as you might find a better option or you may even realize that the scene you had in mind isn’t even really necessary. Do you have a great example of your own? What transitions seem to work best for you? Join the conversation by leaving a comment. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Instagram Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING TIP: CREATE CHARACTER BIO’S

As an actor, how can you play a character if you don’t really know who that character is? As a writer, how could you write one? The answer is, with immense difficulty. I’m not going to sit here and tell you it’s impossible, but why not make your job easier? The better you know your characters, the easier your job will be. Do the work upfront and it will pay dividends later in the process. When I started in film, I wanted to be an actor. Like many, I would watch great films and think to myself, I could do that. Little did I know, there’s a lot of training and pre-work that actors go through to make these performances great. The final step in the process, is walking on set and performing for the camera. This is something I was about to learn. As with anything in life, I needed education if I wanted to be an actor. This was over 10 years ago now and at that time, I decided to take acting classes at a local studio. I had a lot of fun, made lifelong friends and most importantly, I learned a lot. In fact, more than I would’ve ever known at the time. One of those things was how to generate a character bio. As I stated earlier, you can’t really play a character unless you know who that character is. Fast forward 4 years as I began writing and filming my own stories. I would write a short script, get everything in place and go film. I focused entirely on story and character relationships, but I never really knew who my characters were. Looking back, I can clearly tell as some of the films fall flat. I had interesting story lines with great performances by my actors, but I just don’t really care about the characters. This was my fault as a writer and I realize that now. You see, I believe stories are about the characters more than anything. The journey they take is part of the story, but if your audience doesn’t care about the characters, they sure as hell won’t care about the journey. Think about it, your significant other goes to the grocery store and gets robbed at gunpoint. This will impact you deeply as you truly care about that person. Take the same scenario, but it’s just a story you hear on the news. Do you really care? Do you care enough to invest your emotions into it? I might seem a bit heartless, but it doesn’t really affect me. Don’t let your characters fall to the same fate. As I continued writing and filming, my work progressed, but was still missing something. It wasn’t until I wrote The Remedy, that it finally clicked for me. I decided to work harder and write from the heart. This was the first time I thought to take what I learned in acting class and create character bios prior to writing a script. The result amazed me and I’ll continue to incorporate this as part of my process with every script I write. Upon completion, I read The Remedy and loved the story. More importantly, I loved the characters and felt for them. I felt their love, I felt their pain. I shared the work and went on to receive praise from my friends and colleagues alike. I submitted to the 16th annual Beverly Hills Film Festival, and was accepted. It was my first festival acceptance. This was the validation I was looking for and to be honest, it was needed. Now, I don’t share this story to brag about anything. There is nothing to brag about. I’m simply trying to make a point that what I did, actually worked. You always want to see progress in the work you create. All of my stories fell flat prior to this moment, so I changed my mindset and my method. The results validated the change. I wouldn’t write this post today if I didn’t go through those moments and believe in the steps I took. With that said, prior to writing your next script, try creating character biographies for the major players in the story. Not only will you learn who the characters are, you’ll see that this can impact the story that you are telling. You will get amazing results and the work is definitely worth the effort. If you don’t know how to write a character bio or would like additional insight on how I go through the process, take a look at chapter 5 of my free writing guide. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING TIP: FIGHT THROUGH THE DOUBT

For those who don’t know, I’m gearing up to write a new screenplay for a story called ‘Molly Cheese’. I have been developing a free writing guide and ‘Molly Cheese’ hand in hand as a real world example. Upon completion of the guide, I will take the fully developed idea and create the screenplay as additional material to reference. Why do I bring this up? I wanted to provide context as it corresponds with a story that happened to me just the other night. Sitting at home late Sunday night, I received a text from a friend of mine asking what I was doing. I informed her I was finishing up a new chapter to my writing guide and I had a great breakthrough on ‘Molly Cheese’. As many writers will experience, I was overjoyed with my progress on the story. I texted back with such gleefulness that she asked if I would tell her what ‘Molly Cheese’ is all about. I happily agreed and she rang my cell. The conversation started out on a light note with a little small talk. As we finished catching up, she asked to hear about my story and I dove right in. I took her step by step through the summary I created, explaining what’s going to happen. As I concluded the high level summary, I brought up the ideas and major breakthrough that came to me just that day. It was at this time that something struck me. I hated everything about it. I can’t explain what happened or why it did. All I know is my attitude toward ‘Molly Cheese’ went from excitement to doubt in the blink of an eye. I still liked the premise, but I absolutely hated the journey I was taking Molly on. I doubted my every move. Not only could I feel the doubt inside me, you could hear it in my voice as I explained more and more to my friend. My confidence had faded. Defeated, we hung up and I went to bed in an attempt to sleep it off and start fresh the next morning. This too was a struggle. My mind was racing. What happened? How do I fix this? Do I scrap the idea and move on? What is my next move? Eventually the sandman arrived and I drifted off. As the sun rose, so did I, with the doubt that I still wore as a badge of honor. I couldn’t shake it. I went to work and focused my mind elsewhere. Around lunch time, I spoke with my friend once more. I opened up, sharing my feelings with her and quickly my attitude began to change. The doubt started to fade. My confidence slowly came back and I felt good about the story once more. As you write and create, you’ll experience this same doubt. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotion, in which you’ll need to buckle up and brace yourself for the times the ride goes down hill. In these moments, try taking your mind off things. Go out and have fun doing something you enjoy. Maybe even open up to someone you trust with your thoughts and feelings. Hell, send me a message and we can talk it out if you so choose. Whatever you do, don’t quit. Fight through as I promise, the doubt will fade and everything will be okay. Doubt is inevitable and you shouldn’t let it stop you. Let it motivate you. Use that doubt to drive you to be better. Use it to work harder. Without doubt, we would just accept whatever garbage we may put on paper and never progress. Don’t see doubt as a step backwards, see it as a wall blocking your path forward. Break through and continue the journey. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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SCREENWRITING TIP: FIGHT THROUGH THE DOUBT

For those who don’t know, I’m gearing up to write a new screenplay for a story called ‘Molly Cheese’. I have been developing a free writing guide and ‘Molly Cheese’ hand in hand as a real world example. Upon completion of the guide, I will take the fully developed idea and create the screenplay as additional material to reference. Why do I bring this up? I wanted to provide context as it corresponds with a story that happened to me just the other night. Sitting at home late Sunday night, I received a text from a friend of mine asking what I was doing. I informed her I was finishing up a new chapter to my writing guide and I had a great breakthrough on ‘Molly Cheese’. As many writers will experience, I was overjoyed with my progress on the story. I texted back with such gleefulness that she asked if I would tell her what ‘Molly Cheese’ is all about. I happily agreed and she rang my cell. The conversation started out on a light note with a little small talk. As we finished catching up, she asked to hear about my story and I dove right in. I took her step by step through the summary I created, explaining what’s going to happen. As I concluded the high level summary, I brought up the ideas and major breakthrough that came to me just that day. It was at this time that something struck me. I hated everything about it. I can’t explain what happened or why it did. All I know is my attitude toward ‘Molly Cheese’ went from excitement to doubt in the blink of an eye. I still liked the premise, but I absolutely hated the journey I was taking Molly on. I doubted my every move. Not only could I feel the doubt inside me, you could hear it in my voice as I explained more and more to my friend. My confidence had faded. Defeated, we hung up and I went to bed in an attempt to sleep it off and start fresh the next morning. This too was a struggle. My mind was racing. What happened? How do I fix this? Do I scrap the idea and move on? What is my next move? Eventually the sandman arrived and I drifted off. As the sun rose, so did I, with the doubt that I still wore as a badge of honor. I couldn’t shake it. I went to work and focused my mind elsewhere. Around lunch time, I spoke with my friend once more. I opened up, sharing my feelings with her and quickly my attitude began to change. The doubt started to fade. My confidence slowly came back and I felt good about the story once more. As you write and create, you’ll experience this same doubt. It’s a roller coaster ride of emotion, in which you’ll need to buckle up and brace yourself for the times the ride goes down hill. In these moments, try taking your mind off things. Go out and have fun doing something you enjoy. Maybe even open up to someone you trust with your thoughts and feelings. Hell, send me a message and we can talk it out if you so choose. Whatever you do, don’t quit. Fight through as I promise, the doubt will fade and everything will be okay. Doubt is inevitable and you shouldn’t let it stop you. Let it motivate you. Use that doubt to drive you to be better. Use it to work harder. Without doubt, we would just accept whatever garbage we may put on paper and never progress. Don’t see doubt as a step backwards, see it as a wall blocking your path forward. Break through and continue the journey. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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#screenwriting #writing #film #learn writing #learn screenwriting #screenplay

7 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR STORYTELLING

Anyone who is serious about film making and screenwriting in particular knows that there is always room for improvement. If you are not learning and developing then you will never progress as an artist. If you want to achieve your goals, whatever they might be, then make it a point to better yourself as often as you can. The following list explains a few ways I have developed myself as an artist and they’re simple enough that you could do them too.

1. Read Books

To me this seems so simple. If you want to start writing screenplays or want to improve on the work that you’re already creating, then educate yourself. There are some great screenwriting books available, you just need to read them. Read on your free time at home, read during your lunch hour at work or read on the weekends. Find what works best and just read. Think of yourself as a toolbox with nothing in it. You will gather tools with each book you read and fill it quickly so you are better prepared to create or fix your script. A few of the books I enjoyed early on are displayed above. If you decide to not make the investment do to financial reasons, at least read my free writing guide, it’s FREE so you have no excuses.

2. Follow Social Media Pages

Hate reading a full book or can’t make the time, then utilize the various social media platforms that are available to you at no cost. There are several Facebook pages, Twitter users, YouTube channels and Tumblr blogs that offer great advice on a variety of topics. Join these pages or follow these users on whatever platform tickles your fancy. It’s a great way to read and learn when you have a spare minute of time. Even better, when you subscribe to these places, sometimes the information just finds you when you’re not even looking. I myself prefer Facebook pages and below are a few I subscribe to.

No Film School - http://ift.tt/2yJJmu1

Indie Wire - http://ift.tt/1ncjilS

3. Write Often

It’s said that you should write 3 screenplays when you’re first starting out. The first 2 can likely go directly into the trash bin and the 3rd might be considered acceptable. In order to improve, you need to write. Think about professional athletes, did they just become great overnight? Hell no! They worked and practiced and dedicated their lives to becoming great at the sport of their choice. Did they have some sort of natural ability or skill when they started out? Yes, but you do too. You likely went to school and learned to write, now improve on that skill as much as you can

4. Share With Friends

Share what you write with your friends and family. Ask for open and honest feedback from each one. Generate a list of questions that you want answered and ask them to respond. Feedback is a great way to understand where your stories work and where they fall flat. You can also get new ideas that can be incorporated into your script, helping improve the story being told. Following are the questions I always ask when I’m seeking feedback.

Did you like the story?What did you like most?

What didn’t you like?

Was the story easy to follow?

Did you like the characters?

Could you relate to any of the characters?

Was the story predictable?

Did the story make you (laugh, cry, cringe with fear, keep you on the edge of your seat, etc.)?

5. Analyze Other Scripts

Want to know what a great script looks like? Then read a great script! You can find plenty of scripts available on the web. Hell, you can even get a great script written by one of your fellow writers on our stories page. This is a wonderful way to get out of your own head and into somebody else’s for a change. See how they do things and construct a story. Just make sure that when you read the stories, you don’t lose your own voice. Let Aaron Sorkin, be Aaron Sorkin and you, be you

6. Watch Great Movies

A lot can be learned from simply watching a great film. Upon completion, sit down and consider the things that made it so great. Was it the characters? The construction of the story? The dialogue? Break down the masterpiece you just witnessed and figure out what made it so great. Again, use this as a tool and don’t lose your voice along the way. Everyone has different tastes but listed below are a few of mine.

The Breakfast Club

The Kings Speech

La La Land

Chasing Amy

Whiplash

Reservoir Dogs

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Ex Machina

7. Film Your Screenplays

I cannot stress this enough, film the stories you write. As I stated above, you will likely write 2 shitty screenplays before you write a decent one. Get as much education as you can from each script. Early on I thought my scripts looked great on paper. Once I filmed them, I could see where I went wrong. I was able to identify what went right and what went wrong. I could see what I was good at and what I needed to work on. My advice is to start small. Write a 15 page short, get a cheap camera or use your phone, gather some actors and shoot. It’s much simpler than you think and can be done for little to no budget. Want to know how? Shoot me a message and ask!

Final Thought

Do what you can to better yourself in any way possible and at the end of the day just remember one thing. Keep working, keep learning and keep your dreams alive. I hope you found this list helpful as these items have helped me along the way. Sean LaFollette www.scriplit.com Facebook Twitter Tumblr LinkedIn Google +

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#screenwriting #writing #film #learn writing #learn screenwriting #screenplay

THE BEST SCREENWRITERS KNOW WHEN TO LISTEN

I’ve always struggled with the opinions of others, as you may have gathered from some of my previous posts. Not only when it comes to my creative endeavors, but in my personal life as well. Early in my career I would complete a script or film, send it out to people and wait anxiously for their judgments. When the feedback would come, I would be crushed. I had it set in my mind that constructive criticism meant that I wasn’t good enough. I would ignore any comments or advice and just move on. This is not a smart approach because movie making is a collaborative process and I believe that even begins with ideas from those close to you who might not even be involved directly with a project. Just last weekend I was sitting down at lunch with my friend Ann, We were discussing films and more specifically my new project “Molly Cheese”. As I walked her through the story at a high level, she naturally had several questions about where the story was going. At certain points I would say, this is where I see it but I’m not really thrilled with it. Or I would say I have no idea, which is fine since the project is still in development. However one moment stuck out most which in turn has sparked this post. For anyone who has read my free screenwriting guide, you know that in “Molly Cheese”, Molly gets robbed by an unsuspecting man towards the beginning of the story. As I walked Ann through the plot, she asked if the man comes back or plays a bigger part in the story. I assured her that he does. I explained that Molly and Charlene notice him park his car at a diner and enter to have lunch. Next they wait for him to come back outside, confront him and get her purse back. At a high level, this is fine right? I can get creative with the situation and add dialogue to have this make sense. It’s an idea that works but that doesn’t mean it's the best idea. The conversation between Ann and myself continued as I finished walking her through the rest of the story. We both agreed it’s an interesting tale that would make for a great movie. However you could tell that something was still on her mind. I began to ask some probing questions in order to get the information out of her and she came back to the idea of the girls confronting the man that robbed her. That’s when she said one simple thing. What if they just steal the car? Genius. See the idea I had was flat and seemed a bit forced. It’s realistic but could lack drama and doesn’t exactly move the story forward naturally. By having the girls steal the car, there is a heightened sense of emotion and drama. It’s a natural transition in the story that can add more drama later. Plain and simple, it’s just a better idea. It’s so simple but something I just overlooked. Hell I never even considered that as an option. This is the type of feedback you need to listen to and take into account. As you write, you will get feedback that resonates with you and some that doesn’t. People will love your story but hate your characters. You will hear things like, I don’t think character X would talk like that. You have to sift through the feedback and take away what you can. Learn to take the good ideas and incorporate them. Set your ego aside and use the good advice that comes. A good idea is a good idea regardless of who generates it. Remember this is a collaborative process and it begins in the early stages of development.

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#screenwriting #writing #film #learn writing #learn screenwriting #screenplay

BE BRAVE ENOUGH, TO BE VULNERABLE

We all have our own insecurities and I’m definitely no different. There is a fear in all of us and when it comes to the film industry, it MUST be ignored. Fear of failure, fear of what people think, fear of not being good enough, fear of success. It differs for everyone and you cannot run from the fear. You have to face these fears, use them and push forward. That is the only way to progress in your dreams and push yourself to be great. Do you think Martin Scorsese cares about what people think? I can assure you he doesn’t because if he did, there would be no The Wolf of Wall Street. When I started in film over 10 years ago, I was trying to make it as an actor. Talk about being vulnerable in the most extreme sense. You have to be willing to become the character you’re playing and make a fool of yourself in public, if the scene calls for it. There is no room for doubt or fear. If a scene calls for you to roll around on the ground yelling and screaming like a child, then you have to go all the way with it. If you half ass a scene like that, the audience will clearly be able to tell and you will leave yourself with a different type of embarrassment. Would you rather have people praise you for the great job you did or talk about you to their friends, saying how poor the performance was? This is a no-brainer but something many actors struggle with including myself at the time. You must push through it to improve and move onto the next steps. The other issue I had as an actor was the fear of auditioning. I took acting classes for 3 years and never auditioned. I wanted to be in the industry but refused to allow myself to actually be in the industry. This is a problem that many face. Fear of rejection and fear of what people may think of you. I also had a fear of success. What happens if I get the part? Do I have to quit my day job? Will I be able too? The answer to these questions is that it doesn’t matter. You just do it. Put yourself out there and get in the game, handle the obstacles as they come. Be a problem solver when you need to be a problem solver. If you refuse to take a step, then you will never go anywhere and everything will always remain a dream. Don’t be that person. So how does this correlate to writing? It’s the same concepts. If you are new to screenwriting, you will write your first story and it will likely be bad. That’s great! You know why? Because you made the decision to write the damn thing. You didn’t sit there thinking it would be fun to do and then fire up Netflix for another binge session. But that’s just the first step. Next, give it to someone to read and get their feedback. It will likely be hard to hear and that’s great too! Again, because you made the decision to move forward. You didn’t write something and then place it on the shelf for nobody to read because you were afraid of their thoughts. Now this is where the next big decision comes into play. Do you write another, trying again or do you throw in the towel? Look, people always fail up meaning for every year of success there is likely 10 years of failure behind it. That’s how you learn. Failure is nothing more than a great learning opportunity. Hell I’ve learned a LOT in my 10 years doing this. I don’t consider them failures at all, just different learning opportunities. See I like to set small goals for myself with each new project. The very first film I ever did I told myself to just complete it and get it out for people to see no matter what. Doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, it’s completing the goal, learning along the way and taking a chance. Then instead of giving up, I said let’s do it again but try to do it better. So I did. This is the mentality you need to move forward, progress and succeed. Be brave enough to be vulnerable. So as you sit there ready to start your first screenplay or working on your 10th, don’t forget to take a chance. Try something new. Submit to a festival or try finding a producer. Hell film the thing yourself if you’re able to. No matter what, face your fear and take a step forward. You’d be surprised with what might happen next.

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#screenwriting #writing #film #learn writing #learn screenwriting #screenplay

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