#advanced script editing

[masterymusings]

Their, there, and they’re are all spelled correctly according to spellcheck. But spellcheck doesn’t know which one you really meant to use...

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[kjeyre]

Four Rules that Hit Me Hardest in Advanced Script Editing

Created by: KJ Eyre

           In my ninth month of this master’s degree program, I found myself questioning whether I would be able to make it through this after all. The introduction to the course and its expectations sent off an alert beacon in my mind. The challenge, I thought came from the professors expectations. I wondered if I had the chops to live up to his high standards. Then, I discovered the challenge wasn’t from the teacher. It was all information derived from the work itself. My work would be the enemy waiting for a moment of weakness from its very creator. These are the four rules that became my daily battles throughout the course.

Flashbacks- The nature of my story, and my vision for it, led me to believe I needed two flashbacks. I was adamant that my story start with a scene of action and suspense.  In that stressful moment, the protagonist would close her eyes and think back to a windy day with her grandmother. The whole story concept was all about a grandmother sharing her wisdom with her eager granddaughter. So, it seemed a necessity that the granddaughter revisit that day. However, on that day the grandmother needed to revisit her past to teach a confidence-building lesson. Thus, I had a confusing scene leading into an even more confusing scene from the distant past. It was also a lesson of letting go. The story concept can still be told, and more importantly it better be entertaining as readers and viewers experience it.  

Using words like meanwhile, however, therefore, and generally- If you could not tell from the previous rule, or this sentence, I have the habit of leading up to the beginning of a sentence. However, this is not recommended in scriptwriting. It kills the pace of your action and your script. Meanwhile, the reader is getting irritated with the wasted time and wordy errors. Therefore, I strongly recommend you check your script over and over again. Generally, creature comforts are difficult for the writer to catch.

Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar- It’s no secret that I struggle with basic errors in writing. I would like to attribute this to my busy schedule or even the pace of this demanding degree program. However, I must admit it comes down to being out of practice and truthfully, having minimal hours of experience. I strongly recommend watching the “comma video” as often as you can. Every review lesson or suggested video link will pay off in the end. It’s like the previous students suggested, use the materials provided every day. It will not get any easier until it is knowledge you keep in your head rather than in a file on your computer.

Subtext- The final rule that challenged me was more of a personal battle. I understand the concept of subtext and avoiding “on-the-nose” dialogue. It is an expected tactic in successful writing. However, it is not in my nature or representative of how I was raised. It was always expected that you say what you mean. The idea of my own writing style is only a slight factor in this problem. I can easily write dialogue that follows the guidelines. I even understand the purpose in that, but the story is based off of my grandmother. She was truly an American cowgirl. The culture she thrived in didn’t have room for “beating around the bush”.  So, I naturally found it difficult to add complex dialogue to a script inspired by her. It was another “let it go” lesson because I am trying to sell the story rather than the ideals a character is based off of.