Writing Screenplays, Satire and Novels

So, you think you’ve got a great idea for a story and want to share it with the world. Fame and riches await. Hey if J. K. Rowling can do it with a kid, a wand and a he-who-shall-not-be-named why not you? Maybe; maybe not. One thing is true, however: every successful writer was on the outside looking in at the initial stage of his/her career. And another thing is probably true: some one gave them some help to get their idea out of their head, onto paper, and into the hands of a publisher.

The purpose of this series is to share what I know about bringing a story to the place where it’s marketable. From what I’ve observed, there are many who would like to write a novel, short story, screen play or other creative format and simply don’t know what it takes. So, in writing this, I’m going to assume that you, the interested reader, have a great idea but no other experience. So, let’s explore the premise of the story, the great idea. Read more

Before you start forming your story, think about what the characters in it will be like. You have a story in mind; therefore you already have an idea who it is that will carry out the events that make up the plot. Most of my students begin their narratives by bringing a character on stage, have the character do something, and say the lines that are appropriate to the scene. Unfortunately, that approach does not provide the richness that the story can achieve. When Wilson and Mark suggest the addition of a character, they usually begin by saying what sort of person the character is.

In Matter of Coincidence, Mark suggested we include a young woman, Tina Nix, in the ensemble. When he came up with the idea, he knew why he wanted her in the story but not much else. Read more

A student submitted the following question for discussion to my colleague, Larry Guest, for one of the college classes he teaches. The question was: What is the relationship between character, plot and setting? The student also provided an answer for the question he submitted, suggesting that character determines plot and setting. Larry reminded him that a writer cannot simply dump a character into any setting and expect the plot to develop, and yet, there’s a grain of truth in what the student said. To a great extent, character is the means by which plot develops.

My good friend Joan Newcomb, an avid reader, reviewer—if it’s any good, Joan has read it—is a novelist and author of children’s stories. Joan usually begins a story because of something a character has said or because a character’s personality Read more

A clear distinction should be made between plot points and scenes. A plot point is the working unit of the plot line: certain things have to take place at specific points in the story if the story is to have a cohesive structure. Each plot point is developed with a scene or scenes that are shaped by the conventions of the genre used. In screenwriting scenes have only two components: statements of action for the actors to follow and dialogue. Novels and short stories have descriptions of the scene and narrative comment in addition to action lines and dialogue.

Basic structure begins with an opening section in which the hero and the main characters are introduced, the tone of the story is set and the specific details of the genre are provided (the old west in Winchester ‘73, the ore mines of Io in Outland, the rainforest of Africa in King Solomon’s Mine, for example). The first act introduces the problem that the hero must solve, Read more

Everyone who saw Memento said, “Wow!!!!!! How did Jonathan and Christopher Nolan do it?” After all, this movie is about a man who cannot remember what he did yesterday and makes notes to remind him of important things that he’s discovered in his “present” that he’d normally remember so that he could use them to evaluate what’s going on tomorrow, even tattooing the notes on his body to make certain that he won’t lose the information. The difficulty in writing the last sentence indicates just how tough a job the Nolans had to tell their story without losing the audience. Indeed, in lesser hands, the entire thing would have been a mess.

Before discussing Memento further, let’s consider the whole idea of time as an element in writing. Philosophically, time doesn’t really exist. Everything we do is in the present, the past is a present recollection of an experience and the future is a present guess of possible experiences that may happen. Way too egghead, you say? No, Booboo, it’s not. Read more

If you are going to be an artist, there are a number of tools you’ll need. Your kit should include the basics of your art form: if you are a painter—of any sort—it might be helpful if you’ve learned to draw. Picasso couldn’t draw, you say? Look at his early works and you’ll find that he could draw accurately and with great style. His expression, his view of art changed making drawing ability secondary, but it existed initially. You have to be able to center clay before you can throw a pot. While a mastery of spelling and grammar are not, strictly speaking, essential for a writer—your editor will fix them if you don’t—it’s not a bad idea to learn the rules. These are the things that are most often discussed when we explain about art. It’s what we talk about as artists. It’s what we share among ourselves when the audience isn’t around. It’s the secret cult we enjoy: being one of those that are truly, inexhaustively, among those who must create and enjoy artistic creation.

I would not be the first to tell you that an artist must deal effectively with disappointment. Saying that one must be patient is almost a cliché. We all know that Van Gough never sold anything except to his friends who took pity on him. And, we all know that we don’t want to be like him. So, we go to the next gallery, the next exhibition, the next wine fest, work in hand, set up the easel, arrange the painting for sale and hope for the best. At the end of the day when none of the gawkers have had enough sense to see a masterpiece that’s been stuck in front of their eyes, you pack up your works and say those magic words, “Better next time.” For those of us in the film business, we plan out how we are going to get the next story produced, or if we’ve produced it, the way in which it will be distributed, hoping that you’ll spend ten or fifteen dollars to view our work. I suppose that Steven Spielberg no longer has to worry if you’ll come but I suspect that the dark thoughts that you might not cross his mind now and then.

So, why this topic now? Why visit a topic entitled “The Unforeseen?” On Monday, we were enjoying a particularly productive meeting on Call Waiting, readying for the casting process, discussing what our characters looked like, who they were, anticipating the receipt of headshots and resumes from actors looking to appear in the film. On Friday, Wilson called one of our team to tell him that we’d finished a bit of the work necessary to produce the film and learned that he was ill with an uncertain prognosis. Out of respect for privacy, I will not discuss anything more about the specifics except to say that the individual is our friend as well as our colleague.

Disappointment with artistic effort is a given. Most of us feel that anything we do can be done better. Disappointment with fickle audience is part and parcel of art. Crisis with time and timing is the canvas upon which we work.

What do I feel about the news? In all honesty, anger. I’m pissed at the gods. Why does fate ever hit the deserving? Of course I’m hopeful, but, I must confess, I’m extremely angry—not about the film in progress—but about the arbitrary nature of the world we live in. I know I’m not alone. You’ve felt the same thing about someone you care about. It does underline one thing however. Life is indeed uncertain which is all the more reason to take the risk of being an artist.