write a screenplay

In mid-January I began keeping track of how much time I spend working on my script. I logged 32 hours in February. All of that was spent rewriting my high-level outline. It’s amazing how much effort it takes to write two pages. Two pages!

Still, this is the structure for the entire movie, so it’s important to get it right and build up from there. I think I’m at least getting closer.

I had a heated argument with a jerk at work yesterday, so I didn’t feel like writing. I kept thinking of things I should have said and all the stupid things he said. I took out my outline anyway and found that I was still able to get new ideas and improve it.

Just goes to show: my mood is not an indication of whether I’ll be productive or not.

I’ve spent the last three weeks writing a high-level outline (1-2 pages) for my script. The outline was fine, but I couldn’t get inspired by the second act.

This weekend I realized why: That wasn’t the story I wanted to tell.

So I rewrote the outline entirely, effectively expanding the first act, but this second outline still didn’t feel right. I changed it all from scratch again. Finally I think I’m getting closer.

Just because an outline works (and might even make a good movie) doesn’t mean it’s the story I want to write. I must keep my original inspiration in mind at all times during the writing process. It’s the fuel for the creative fire.

I’ve found it helpful to separate actions and ideas or concepts. I set up a table in Word to distinguish the two.

On the left side, I type specific, visual details.

On the right side, I type ideas for scenes, concepts or emotions I want to illustrate with scenes, etc.

This separation helps me remember the purpose of each scene or what I need to accomplish with it—without misleading me into thinking I have accomplished it already. If the left side is blank, I need to come up with more concrete details.

Writing an outline is tricky. It’s brief, but it’s supposed to represent a long, complex thing. The trick is knowing what to include and what to exclude.

I’ve come to the conclusion recently that outlines should be as specific as possible—specific enough that I won’t have trouble envisioning scenes. It’s one thing to write “John’s depressed” and another to write “John tells his tale of woe to a bartender.” Finding the specific, visual equivalent for an abstract idea is important.