What's your writing technique?

[Madbandit]

I basically write an outline (sometimes detailed), write a rough draft in longhand script and type it up. What's yours?

[PainTed]

Initial concept/logline --> outline --> first draft. I'll usually find my title in there somewhere. I never write longhand. And I love Celtx!

[Moviequill]

Get in the car -- (the basic idea when it comes)

Start the engine -- (dive in and start writing, dialogue, scenes etc)

Rev the gas pedal, bring it close to red line -- (grasp on to something, find your direction, theme, main POV, start tailoring script toward it)

Pop the clutch and nail the gas -- (write, write, write, get through a first draft, who cares how many pages or missing stuff)

Stop for beer, smokes and a fill-up -- (edit the first draft, cut out what wasn't working and build on what is, hone it, rewrite it)

do NOT stop and ask for directions (unless she is wearing a leather mini and fishnets) and if you do indeed find yourself completely lost, and I am talking heading from Boston to NY and see the sign for Dallas, only then pull over and do a map

[cynicide]

1: Get concept.
2: Decide if concept is worth the work.
3: Leave concept in head for somewhere between 6-24 months.
4: Decide it's time to write a new script because I'm repulsed by the one I've been working on.
5: Begin taking notes, thinking about characters, planning set pieces, finding theme, etc.
6: Start outlining.
7: Fight urge to begin writing before outline is done.
8: Write first draft.
9: Do a quick rewrite, not making significant enough changes due to overconfidence in the quality of the first draft.
10: Give to readers, get corrected on quality of first draft.
11: Put the script away for a while and either work on something else or focus energies on drinking the pain away.
12: Look at script again, see gaping holes and massive flaws. Loathe self.
13: Rewrite.
14: Give to readers. Script has improved, but still isn't good enough.
15: Begin to hate script.
16: Rewrite.
17: Contemplate other career choices.
18: Rewrite.
19: Start to become nauseous at the idea of facing this script for another day; writing sessions become shorter, infrequent and less productive
20: Rewrite.
21: Get so disgusted with script that I can no longer look at it. Tell myself that the next one will be better and put current script away, never sending out to anyone who matters (agents, managers, etc) because I know it's not good enough and don't want to look stupid.
22: Repeat.

[dpaterso]

1. Carve wooden alphabet blocks.
2. Crush insects and beetles for ink juice.
3. Steal paper at gunpoint.*
4. Block-print FADE IN: and go from there.

* it always comes out better on stolen paper.

Newspaper clippings work too. Just don't get your scripts mixed up with ransom or stalker notes.

-Derek

[TheKeenGuy]

Most commonly...

Logline
Rough notes, establishing theme, characters, conflict, etc.
Beat Sheet-style outline, usually most detailed in the later acts
First draft on Final Draft
Rewrites
Notes/Feedback from others
More rewrites
Frustration
Shelving

[briking]

Most commonly...

Logline
Rough notes, establishing theme, characters, conflict, etc.
Beat Sheet-style outline, usually most detailed in the later acts
First draft on Final Draft
Rewrites
Notes/Feedback from others
More rewrites
Frustration
Shelving

Rinse and repeat...

[Kwinnky]

Get an idea
write a logline
show logline to others
perfect logline
write out beats, sequences, or just what happens in each act
put down scenes on index cards
write first draft
do something totally unrelated to the project for a while.
rewrite
show to people
polish
register with WGA

[marcoguarda]

Ohmygod !!!!

Is There A Technique !?!

;]

M.

[Charli]

Work out the ending and the crisis-this-point-means-everything point of the story, then I just pray, sweat, sweat, pray, sweat, cry, sweat, pray... repeat.

[JonnyAtlas]

Get in the car -- (the basic idea when it comes)

Start the engine -- (dive in and start writing, dialogue, scenes etc)

Rev the gas pedal, bring it close to red line -- (grasp on to something, find your direction, theme, main POV, start tailoring script toward it)

Pop the clutch and nail the gas -- (write, write, write, get through a first draft, who cares how many pages or missing stuff)

Stop for beer, smokes and a fill-up -- (edit the first draft, cut out what wasn't working and build on what is, hone it, rewrite it)

do NOT stop and ask for directions (unless she is wearing a leather mini and fishnets) and if you do indeed find yourself completely lost, and I am talking heading from Boston to NY and see the sign for Dallas, only then pull over and do a map
Same here.

[RoseGeranium]

I basically write an outline (sometimes detailed), write a rough draft in longhand script and type it up. What's yours?

Still perfecting my technique, but feel free to use it as inspiration...



Pick an idea from my pile of ideas.
Take notes. Write long hand until I feel like I am on the right track.
Maybe write an outline. Maybe not.
Stare at computer screen for a long time.
Do the dishes, refill my cat’s water bowl and buy stamps now that I realize that those things MUST be done immediately.
Piece together some great moments in Final Draft.
Reach the place where I realize I don’t even care about my main character.
Decide I should write it as a novel.
Change the story completely and start writing a novel.
Think to myself, “This would make a great screenplay.”
Think about going to grad school.
Feel sad that I am too old to just become a stripper.

This is my first post. Now I have to get back to writing. Or picking fleas off my cat...

[Ralphy W]

I drill a hole in my skull. No specific place -- I like to surprise myself.

And then--

Crap, I can't remember what comes next.

[hscope]

1. I come up with an idea.

2. Mull over it for as long as it takes.

3. On completetion of mull - when I can pretty much run the full movie in my head - write script.

4. Write logline.

[Popcorntreect]

Bring up blank page in Final Draft.

Stare at FADE IN on the screen.

Start typing.

Ponder more ideas.

FADE OUT.

Send to friends for feedback.

Rewrite.

Rinse and repeat.

****

I could never do outlines or beat sheets or anything. I generally have 4 or 5 rewrites to iron everything out.

[Sinnycal]

1) Wait for divine inspiration.

2) [Pending]

[Terrance Mulloy]

My technique is probably a little bit of what everyone's posted.

I'm weird like that.

[habronic]

1. have flash of idea in middle of the night. write idea down in notepad next to bed.

2. wake up, read notepad, not understand my own writing. spend rest of morning trying to remember. finally remember idea after surfing internet for several hours. try to form idea into logline. get frustrated and go back to surfing internet.

4. check CE's "how to write a logline" article for the 20th time. return to logline. get frustrated and go back and forth between logline and article. finish logline and in celebration take rest of day off (f*ck you, i earned that).

5. write down the big stuff i'm seeing in my head. exploding cars, exploding houses, exploding spaceships. jumble it together into eight big beats. create a basic outline. read outline. throw outline at wall and go back to surfing internet again.

6. 3 months later move house, find notepad tucked behind bookshelf. re-read crap and realise with a couple of edits it's not half bad.

7. start writing screenplay. write two pages and then desperately look for something else to do. find email giving beta access to new MMO that will enable me to avoid writing. play MMO for 3 months with friends and fool myself into thinking i'm "socialising". slowly begin to remember how much i love writing and how i really should get back into it.

8. delete MMO off hard-drive. cancel account. start writing screenplay. realise i can't remember any of the characters and create detailed bio's for them. sit down and write two pages. remember that MMO account has two weeks remaining on account and i can reinstall using the game disks.

9. three days later, delete MMO off hard-drive. scratch up game disks with screwdriver and throw them away. switch skype status to "do not disturb" sit down and write two pages. take rest of day off (f*ck you, those were two great pages).

10. sit down to write. write two pages and realise i need to look something up on the internet. three hours later i find what i'm looking for but am tired so take rest of the day off.

11. come to the conclusion that unplugging internet is the best thing to do. unplug internet. write five pages.

12. write five pages. write five pages. write five pages.

13. something in me snaps and i get the remainder of the screenplay done in two weeks.

14. put screenplay in pile with others. go to sleep...

[AnconRanger]

i can't type fast but i think i think even slower, which i think might be a good thing because i type what i'm thinking before i have too much time to think about it. maybe.

[Popcorntreect]

1. have flash of idea in middle of the night. write idea down in notepad next to bed.

2. wake up, read notepad, not understand my own writing. spend rest of morning trying to remember. finally remember idea after surfing internet for several hours. try to form idea into logline. get frustrated and go back to surfing internet.

4. check CE's "how to write a logline" article for the 20th time. return to logline. get frustrated and go back and forth between logline and article. finish logline and in celebration take rest of day off (f*ck you, i earned that).

5. write down the big stuff i'm seeing in my head. exploding cars, exploding houses, exploding spaceships. jumble it together into eight big beats. create a basic outline. read outline. throw outline at wall and go back to surfing internet again.

6. 3 months later move house, find notepad tucked behind bookshelf. re-read crap and realise with a couple of edits it's not half bad.

7. start writing screenplay. write two pages and then desperately look for something else to do. find email giving beta access to new MMO that will enable me to avoid writing. play MMO for 3 months with friends and fool myself into thinking i'm "socialising". slowly begin to remember how much i love writing and how i really should get back into it.

8. delete MMO off hard-drive. cancel account. start writing screenplay. realise i can't remember any of the characters and create detailed bio's for them. sit down and write two pages. remember that MMO account has two weeks remaining on account and i can reinstall using the game disks.

9. three days later, delete MMO off hard-drive. scratch up game disks with screwdriver and throw them away. switch skype status to "do not disturb" sit down and write two pages. take rest of day off (f*ck you, those were two great pages).

10. sit down to write. write two pages and realise i need to look something up on the internet. three hours later i find what i'm looking for but am tired so take rest of the day off.

11. come to the conclusion that unplugging internet is the best thing to do. unplug internet. write five pages.

12. write five pages. write five pages. write five pages.

13. something in me snaps and i get the remainder of the screenplay done in two weeks.

14. put screenplay in pile with others. go to sleep...

And here I thought I was alone.

[ChipC]

I probably have the most boring, unorthodex screenwriting process out of all of them: I just start writing. I've tried doing the synopsis first, outlines, character analysis, treatments - it just doesn't work for me. When I come up with an idea that I'm excited about I just start writing. I'll write until the tap runs out - and then I have to decide if this story just isn't working, or am I just not working it? You know, am I bored with this and just want to move on? or am I just wanting to bail out on thinking this through? Once I decide that- the rest of my screenplay is all adrenaline driven. It's just something I've learned about myself as a writer. If I'm on the right track and going in the best direction for my story my adrenaline will be in turbo mode. If it isn't, I need to go back and figure out where I made the wrong turn.

Hey, I'll never get rich off writing seminars and workshops with a technique like that, but it works well for me! Chip

[Raw_and_Vital]

Alright, I am going to give in and spill it...

I have a couple different techniques...

1. I just write. I usually spend a couple days fleshing out the story first. For instance, Man comes home to encounter wife sleeping with someone. Man kills that someone and later finds out it was a huge mistake. People are after him... That's just a bull example, but I usually flesh out the core of the story and work outwards.

2. I do the whole think of an idea, outline, and write a rough draft. Honestly this way never works out for my favor. I don't know why. I can't go into writing a script prepared. It's like I think about it too much and I blow it rather than going in there and knocking it out on the whim.

So I usually juggle between those two to be perfectly honest. I have on the other hand found out what works best though.

If I trick myself into thinking I am writing this for myself then I have complete fun writing it. And it turns out to be some great stuff. I am totally relaxed taking this approach and I can write much easier than freaking myself out thinking, I have to write this to be successful or I wont amount to ****. If I have the mindset that I am just writing this for myself to direct and have fun with it, things go so much smoother.

END!

[Wordman]

I type faster than I think, so I drink to slow myself down to copacetic.

I spend time figuring out an ending.

Then I try to figure out a way to get there across three acts while throwing obstacles at my protagonist.

When that draft is down, I try to change everything.

If it can't be changed, it stays.

[ShaneBlackFan]

Write an outline then proceed to ignore it and write something completely different.

2 hours 5 days a week is solely writing time.

[doubler83]

For instance, Man comes home to encounter wife sleeping with someone. Man kills that someone and later finds out it was a huge mistake. People are after him... That's just a bull example.

If it's bull can I have it?

:D

[Raw_and_Vital]

You could have it for the mere fact that you hook me up with scripts... But don't get the wrong idea and start thinking I like you...

:bounce:

[doubler83]

You could have it for the mere fact that you hook me up with scripts... But don't get the wrong idea and start thinking I like you...

:bounce:

Dude, I can't stand you!

:D

[Jcorona]

Dude, I can't stand you!

:D

:rolling:

Nothing personal, Raw and Vital. That was just funny, man.

Corona :)

[Raw_and_Vital]

None taken Jcorona.

This has been going on for years now. Doubler hooks me up with scripts and wants my ideas in return. It's an endless battle and I just learned to cope.

Psssssst... Doubler, can you pass over Jackie Brown!

[doubler83]

This has been going on for years now. Doubler hooks me up with scripts and wants my ideas in return. It's an endless battle and I just learned to cope.

It's like tug-o-war.

So far, I'm winning...

:D

[wcmartell]

Grasping the pen firmly in my buttcheeks....

[ComicBent]

Hey, when you're good, you're good!

And I think I read that script, Bill. :D

[habronic]

And here I thought I was alone.

best thing i ever did was buy a laptop and install nothing else but final draft on it. it's amazing how much more i get done.

stupid intarwebs.

[Raw_and_Vital]

best thing i ever did was buy a laptop and install nothing else but final draft on it. it's amazing how much more i get done.

stupid intarwebs.

I did the same. I only have Final Draft installed and it's great to have a computer strictly for your writing. I did start putting music on it and pictures though because Windows Media Center is awesome.

The other thing I did with my Desktop PC is make my own background. I have an all white background with large, bold, black text that says "WORK ON YOUR DAMN SCRIPT". When I see this it kind of helps me from playing ont he internet and stuff.

[Jcorona]

Concept

I get to know my lead real good.

Inciting incident, three plot points, ending.

And that's it.

I write.

I create the other sh1t as I go.

I don't write nothin' down.

It's all in my head.

Corona

[Adam Isaac]

Weird and chunky story outlines, somewhat similar to a step outline on steroids and too much John Daniels. I don't draft anything on computers, unless I absolutely have to. My brain tells me to draft my work with a black Uniball pen and lots of fresh college ruled notebook paper. Besides, handwriting things in public does wonders in keeping the bullsh*ting normies away from you....except the occasional jacka$$ who will interupt to ask: "Why are you handwriting that when your laptop is sitting right in front of you?" Freaks...

[bladebeam1]

I've gone through a couple constantly thinking, going on runs to keep the cobwebs off. This time, I'm doing the entire thing with no thinking.

[twk69045]

Grasping the pen firmly in my buttcheeks....

Tried this once but took some time to look at what was on the page and realized it stopped my flow.

[jonpiper]

I can write only a very rough outline of the plots for my stories. My plots really develop when I write the scenes. It's then that I see how characters and actions relate to each other in the framwork of the story I have in mind. This is when the real creativity kicks in.

Does anyone else work that way?

If you can write intricate outlines before you begin writing scenes, how do you do it? (other than with your pen firmly . . . . . )

[ScriptShadow]

I'm with cynicide. I think the most important thing is the first part. After you come up with an idea, don't start it for 6 to 12 months. If you still want to write it after that much time, then it's worth writing. But I look at other things as well. Like, "Is this going to be relevant in four years? Will it be relevant in 10 years?" If the answer is yes, again, I'll consider writing it.

In the meantime I compile notes whenever they come to me. Once I have 4-6 pages, it's usually fleshed out enough where I can start writing. I'll write a very basic outline for the first act. But after that, I let the characters take me where they take me. If it feels right that they drive to Florida, I let them drive to Florida. I don't make them rob a bank cause the beginning of Act 2 says I have to. I just try and have as much fun as I can in that first draft, cause for me, it's the best part about writing. Just letting your imagination wander.

After that, I put it down for 2-6 months, work on other scripts in various draft stages, then come back to said script and start my first rewrite. To me, the first and second rewrites are the hardest part about writing. You have to wade through so much sh*t to get to the gems and it can be really discouraging. But I force myself through it. Somewhere around the 4th draft, the script begins to take shape. From there it can take anywhere from two to six more drafts to get it right.