Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

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  • Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

    OK, I'm working on screenplay that will be made into a low budget feature I'm one half of a writer-director duo.

    We both took a crack at the draft and even though both have flaws, flaws that were pointed out in mine sort of scared me.
    I would like to know if anyone had similiar issues and if so what tips can be taken to overcome them.

    The problems below had little to do with plot, it was more how the characters reacted within that plot.

    1. The first problem I had was inconsistency say a character saying or doing something when they don't have the right information to do that. basically when I do that I'm not being stupid it's like not seeing the wood for the trees and being able to step back. Is having these things common and having to get others to point them out a big deal?

    2. It took me a while before I realised that in one scene a question that a character in the film would demand an answer to he did not get to the bottom of right away, in fact it was a page of diaogue before he asked this crucial question.

    3. the Protagonist and the Antagonist in a moment where they spoke on the phone, insulted each other too well were they were hitting the nail on the head even though they knew very little about each other and the insults became a little childish and melodramatic.

    I feel most of my problems come from not being able to take a step back and analyze the work I do objectively, harshly even and when I make these kinds of mistakes I feel stupid, ashamed and totally crestfallen and feel like 'Should I be doing this?'

    Now I know that you're meant to fix many mistakes through subsequent drafts but I also fear if noone was there to tell me I had made these mistakes I would carry on and think it was fine. Shouldn't I have enough common sense to see some of these school boy errors?

    I also feel I write very impulsively and don't think carefully enough about each scene but again I have trouble planning it out because I feel I have a hard time taking a step back to look at the grand plan. So to cut a long story short I feel like I have an issue with logic and cause and effect with characters within the plot of the film.

    Now I feel I have already learned a lot and refuse to believe this is something that cannot be overcome.

    Can anyone shed light on this madness? I'd feel better knowing others have had similar issues.

    Thanks and apologies in advance if this is in the wrong area.

  • #2
    Re: Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

    Feedback will always make you feel like a doof. Good for you for paying attention to it and trying to learn from it. IMO, these are simple and fixable problems, and absolutely you'll get better at these types of things. Once you do, you'll find a whole bunch of other things you 'should've known better about.'

    Good luck and good on you for paying attention and caring about your work and progress.
    https://actbreakdown.com

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    • #3
      Re: Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

      One thing I would suggest is to use the tools in your screenwriting program to analyze your script. Look at the dialogue of each character separately, etc. The other suggestion is too take acting classes so that you can read the overall script from an actors perspective and also read one character at a time from an actors point of view.

      Last night in San Pedro

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      • #4
        Re: Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

        These are actually very minor problems and hardly worth worrying about. They can be fixed so easily. Real problems are the ones that have to do with structure because solving the problem could involve dozens and maybe hundreds of changes throughout the script once you figure it out.

        That's the thing about writing. It's no different from anything else. You live and you learn. You just learned three things to watch out for. You likely won't make those same mistakes again. Therefore, you are a better writer. Cool, huh?
        Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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        • #5
          Re: Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

          "We did the best we could with what we knew. When we knew more, we did better."...Maya Angelou

          Commit this phrase to memory and repeat often.

          Midnite

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          • #6
            Re: Screenwriting problems and how to fix.

            Originally posted by Super Existence View Post
            I feel most of my problems come from not being able to take a step back and analyze the work I do objectively, harshly even and when I make these kinds of mistakes I feel stupid, ashamed and totally crestfallen and feel like 'Should I be doing this?'
            If you saw my first attempt at screenwriting I think you'd feel much more comfortable. At the beginning, it's easy to underestimate how much there is to learn, but the good thing about being a novice is the unbridled enthusiasm you have as you dive into a new world.

            Your experience is common. Look at all the brave people who submit work samples here and have them torn to shreds. One of the secrets of writing is to have so much commitment that you quickly bounce back from fierce criticism, learn from your mistakes, and let nobody stand in your way. It's one of those never-give-up deals.

            After making his first Hollywood movie (Boxcar Bertha?), Martin Scorcese was told, by someone he greatly respected, "You just wasted a year of your life making a piece of ****. You should work out if you really want to do this."

            It's that feeling of not getting it right that makes you want to do better. As soon as you think you''ve got it nailed, that's when you're in trouble.
            "Friends make the worst enemies." Frank Underwood

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