movie-man-bob

Several people have expressed to me an interest in seeing tips and lessons on screenplay writing in this blog. My first reaction to this was, “Awesome! Another topic idea! I’ll get right on that!”

But then I thought about it some more. And I thought, “Wait a minute! Just how am I going to go about doing that?” Because the truth is, I can’t give you tips for writing a successful screenplay. If I knew how to write a successful screenplay, I wouldn’t be here blogging in the first place. I would be lounging by a pool in Beverly Hills, drinking something with an umbrella in it while talking on the phone with Bryan Singer and snorting cocaine.

Now, I can write a GOOD screenplay, definitely. But there’s a big difference between a good screenplay and a successful one. Some of the most successful screenplays of all time have been terrible. And some of the best screenplays I’ve ever read still have never seen a camera or a lunch meeting.

Now of course, I know what the experts have to say about making your script successful. I’ve read all the books–the same ones you probably have. But I can’t tell you if any of their tips actually work–in fact, if I had to guess, I’d say that they don’t. At least, I hope not. Most of what they say is ridiculous. I did a small marketing campaign not too long ago for a series of “insider’s edge” screenwriting DVD’s (which will remain nameless). They advertised that they could “Go above and beyond” what you’ve already learned about structure, theme, characters, etc. and help you turn your script into something truly special and unique. And to accomplish this, they showed examples of other successful Hollywood films that “broke the mold” and exactly what they did, so you could follow their formula, and be unique, just like them. I really hope I don’t have to explain the irony of this to anyone.

 So the formula for success, for writing a script that will get you noticed or produced, that’s beyond me. I’m not even trying to write that kind of script anymore. I produce my own scripts, with a cheap camcorder and some friends from my community theater troupe. Perhaps sometime soon, I’ll have a tutorial on that. But for now, this is what I can offer you: The two most important and useful screenwriting tools that I personally have ever come across.

 The first is this:

http://www.oscars.org/nicholl/script.pdf

A step-by-step, measurement-by-measurement guide to proper screenplay formatting. How big your margins should be, what’s capitalized and what’s not, what goes on which line… I realize that with modern screenplay-writing software, this may be obsolete now, but keep it around anyway. You never know when you may need it for reference.

The second is… Characters. Not necessarily “What makes a compelling character” or “What kind of dialogue to write for your character,” but this simple truth: Character is what drives the plot, not the other way around. The way to turn something from a simple idea to a full-fledged adventure is by developing your characters. And if you ever get stuck, and don’t know where to go, return to your characters and ask what they would do.

I know, I know. That’s not a tool. It’s ivory tower pseudo-advice, and though it might inspire you a little bit, or generate some interesting discussion, it won’t really HELP you. But that’s just the background. The actual tool follows below, at the end of the blog. In fact, if you wanted, you could skip the rest of my ramblings and just scroll down to the good stuff. I won’t mind.

But the tool is this… The Character Sketch. It’s just a form, with a series of questions about your character’s background, personal preferences, characteristics, etc. The first time I saw one of these was in a book on how to be a better creative writer (the conclusion I came to was: by not reading that book). Now, the book admonished, “Do NOT use this questionnaire to create new characters! Only use it once you’ve already written your story, to check and see if you REALLY know enough about your character, or if you need to go back and do some more work.” I found this ridiculous, frankly–especially since I didn’t read the warning until after I’d already (successfully) created a new character with the questionnaire. The questionnaire contains details. Once your story (or screenplay, in this case) is written, what difference does it make whether your character’s birth stone is opal or amythest? Whether they prefer Dreyer’s ice cream to Haagen Dazs? Once you’ve written it, you should know so much more about your characters than just a series of random details. You should know not just what they are, but WHO they are, inside and out, up, down, and sideways. How they talk, how they act, what they’d do in any particular situation… and you can fill out a whole questionnaire and still not know that about someone.

Or, you could do the questionnaire first, and learn about your characters as you go. The key to making it work is this: Make the answers up as you go along. Pull them out of thin air if you want. BUT–First, make sure they’re consistent. Each answer builds on the next (for instance, if for class status you put “upper tax bracket,” that has an impact on what kind of home life they have in the next question). And second, give as much detail as possible. For Politics, “Campaigned for both JFK and RFK and nearly broke someone’s nose once over a health care debate” is much more helpful to you as a writer than, “Democrat.” Write whole paragraphs if you can. Even if you never use this helpful background tidbit in your script, it creates motivation and direction for your character. And direction for the character is direction from the plot.

Now, this isn’t a formula for success, by any means. I’m against formulae for a number of reasons. This is just a suggestion. If there’s a question you don’t think is relevant to your particular story, skip it (I don’t think I’ve ever used “General Health Abnormalities”). If there’s something that’s not there that you thing IS important… add it! Answer questions out of order if you want… whatever works for you. The thing that makes writing so difficult to teach is that everybody’s writing process is different. But everyone did it the same way–if every writer followed step by step those “tips for success” given by the experts–then all screenplays would turn out the same way, and there would be no real reason to go to the movies anymore.

Character Sketch

Character Name:

Physiology Profile
Sex:
Age:
General Appearance:
General Health Abnormalities:

Sociology Profile
Race and Religion:
Class Status:
Home life:
Education:
Key Relationships:
Sex Life:
Politics:
Hobbies:

Psychological Profile
Romantic Life:
Ethics, Values, Moral Standards:
Drive and Ambition:
Frustrations, Disappointments, Temperament:
IQ:
General Attitude Towards Life:
Complexes:
Qualities Important to the Story:

Biographical Sketch:

Name:
Nickname:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Body Type:
Physical Condition:
Marital Status:
Spouse:
Eye Color:
Hair: 
Distinguishing Features:
Physical Imperfections:
Psychological Characteristics:
Race:
Ethnic Group:
Religion:
Family Background/Lineage:
Schooling:
Home:
Major in College:
Degrees:
Grades in School:
Skills, abilities, and talents:
Occupation:
Past Occupations:
Work Background:
Character Background:
Military Experience:
Short Term Goals:
Long Term Goals:
Quirks:
IQ:
Temperament:
Method of Handling Anger or Rage:
Admirable Traits:
Negative Traits:
Bad Habits/Vices:
Prejudices:
Most Painful Memory:
Opinions on Controversial and/or Political Issues:
Type of Car:
Income:
Fears:
Physical Illnesses or Afflictions:
Mental Disturbances:
Hobbies:
Interest:
Sports:
Favorite Pastime:
Favorite Food:
Favorite Alcoholic Drink:
Neighbors’ Opinions:
Favorite Physical Attributes in Opposite Sex:

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