Genre's crippling paradox

[THEUGLYDUCKLING]

I remember Tao saying years ago that to become a great writer you have to master a genre. Stick with it. Fight it out in the trenches with your passion, before you try another. So armed with that in mind i took my marching orders from Tao and plowed forward.

One low-budget character piece after another slogging it out with character and plot when each stake amounted to simply an individual or two. And what i discovered through this journey was, i was ready to start exploring other genres. I wanted to see if the things i've learned can translate to comedy, horror, etc...

At the outset this made perfect sense. Keep the blinders on, chase that rabbit. Write what you know. Because at first, lets face it, you have no idea what you're doing and anything on the page is of comfort.

But now, nine years deep into this i've learned that the more you become familiar with 'movies and how to write them', you realize that your POV might fit well in other genres and if you learn the craft and the nuances of each genre you will be able to tell a story in something other than your intended genre.

And knowadays when there really is a market stradgedy, let's make no mistake about it the only people saying 'nobody knows anything' are the 'artists', not the execs fighting for their jobs. Certain movies are making people money, those movies are pretty specific.

This is my plea, isn't sticking to one genre career suicide? Or is it time for new writers to try to cut their teeth with scripts they wouldn't ordinarily write?

Thoughts from all walks of success are welcome

[Knaight]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

It's different for everyone. Put simply, "Nobody knows anything."

I agree with that adage, because time and time again, some movies make way more money than I'd expect them to, and some movies bomb.

THE HANGOVER took first place away from UP in its second week, which was astounding.

THE YEAR ONE is in fourth place on its first weekend, when I fully expected it to be a hit.

Some people break in with a great, low-budget scripts. Some people break in with great scripts that'd cost $100M to produce. Others break in with a great script that takes a prize in a contest. Still more break in because a great script of theirs got them an assignment.

The key is, they're all great scripts. Somehow, you have to learn to write one. If the way you learn to write one is by sticking to the same genre, do it. If expanding your genres helps, then do that. If you can bang out multiple great scripts, people are going to be interested no matter what. Some people will love that you're the go-to guy/girl for a certain genre. Some will find your ability to write in different genres appealing. Everyone's different. Nobody knows anything.

[THEUGLYDUCKLING]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

is there anyone who know everything?

[wcmartell]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

I think it depends on what you were born writing. I was born writing thrillers, those were the movies I was always watching, so I didn't really have to explore some other genre...

Except, most of my produced stuff has been action. Which I was also already watching as a kid, so I knew what made it tick...

And I have written some sci-fi (which 95% of the time in movies is just action with space ships) and horror (which is similar to thrillers) and a family comedy - I have no idea where that came from.

I think if you want to write movies you have to write movies...
You should write the kind of movie you stand in libe to see every Friday night...
And if you want to *sell* scripts, you have to write what producers buy.

I think there are enough similarities between genres that some skills in one carry over into another. Okay, probably not horror to rom-com.

The key is to deliver whatever the genre requires, *and* tell the story you need to tell. You can totally do both.

And if you are writing a medical drama, there usually are a pair of docs! One old one, one young one.

- Bill

[SoCalScribe]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

This is my plea, isn't sticking to one genre career suicide? Or is it time for new writers to try to cut their teeth with scripts they wouldn't ordinarily write?

There are arguments to be made for both approaches. Stick with one genre and become an expert so that everybody knows you're the "horror guy" or the "comedy guy" and people will come to you to write and rewrite those scripts. Or write in as many genres as possible and give yourself more opportunities for writing jobs by having a demonstrated ability to write any kind of project they may have.

It's a tough call to make, because there are advantages and disadvantages of both. Ultimately, I think it's a matter of what you enjoy writing. If you like writing a lot of different types of material, there's no reason why you can't branch out and demonstrate your skill in multiple genres. But if you really truly only care about one type of genre, stick with that genre and become an undisputed expert with its every nuance.

After all, there will always be a demand for versatile writers, and there will always be a demand for expert writers. I don't think either one is career suicide, so long as you can back it up with solid writing on all counts.

[hscope]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

There are arguments to be made for both approaches. Stick with one genre and become an expert so that everybody knows you're the "horror guy" or the "comedy guy" and people will come to you to write and rewrite those scripts. Or write in as many genres as possible and give yourself more opportunities for writing jobs by having a demonstrated ability to write any kind of project they may have.

It's a tough call to make, because there are advantages and disadvantages of both. Ultimately, I think it's a matter of what you enjoy writing. If you like writing a lot of different types of material, there's no reason why you can't branch out and demonstrate your skill in multiple genres. But if you really truly only care about one type of genre, stick with that genre and become an undisputed expert with its every nuance.

After all, there will always be a demand for versatile writers, and there will always be a demand for expert writers. I don't think either one is career suicide, so long as you can back it up with solid writing on all counts.

This makes a lot of sense to me.

I'm writing my eighth script and each of them has been in a different genre. My future schedule includes second horror and action thriller screenplays, but I love the challenge and variety of doing something completely different each time.

I enjoy watching all kinds of movies and write accordingly.

[Ernie Santamaria]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

In my view, there are three commonalities in all genres:

-- Storytelling

-- Human behavior

-- And *you* yourself within all the stories. Few scripts are not a reflection of the writer -- generally accurately portrayed as some secondary character and as a fantasy wish fulfillment in the lead role. Even your chosen antagonist surprisingly often deeply reflects some dimension of, or some polar opposite of your own characteristics.

These three fundamental commonalities readily suggest to me that most seasoned screenwriters -- instinctive storytellers all -- can perform well writing a variety of genres. And as their own life experiences accumulate along with knowledge of their craft, knowledge about the world, the arts, and especially the work of artists in every field that seems to speak to them -- they’ll excel periodically in very specific genres as their interests, abilities and personalities evolve.

A dilemma does arise when success comes with a given genre and more of the same is requested, assigned, or expected from the writer. Most anecdotes have the writer establishing him/her self with more good work in that genre, earning themselves solid acceptance and the future freedom to become known in other genres.

Ernie

[finalact4]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

I think that unless you're writing on assignment you should not enslave yourself to anyone else's idea of what's the right approach.

Having studied screenwriting, take what works for you from every teacher, mentor, collegue, and friend and toss the rest.

No two writers are ever alike. What works for me may not work for you. Doesn't make either of us right or wrong.

IMHO, any writer's goal should be to write the most compelling, emotional journey that will both entertain and move the audience.

Good luck,
FA4

[Development Hell]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

Don't look now but I'm going to use another baseball analogy. I think of genre as positions on a baseball field.

You could be an All-Star center fielder but you could competently play left or right field, too.

Maybe center field is horror, left field is thriller, etc.

Every now and then there is a real game instance of a position player having to pitch because the team has blown through their bullpen.

He's not even in the pitching rotation but guess what? He goes out there and pitches in the mother f'in MLB. He's pitching at the highest professional level and doing an okay job.

So maybe you're an All-Star comedy writer but you can probably write another genre at a professional level. You may not be the best at it but you'd probably be able to execute it properly and professionally.

As for me, I plan on breaking in with comedy. By happy accident, comedy concepts come easy to me, I seem to make people laugh in real life, so hopefully they're funny and moving. I'm exploiting my STRENGTH in order to break in because it's so damn hard.

Once I make it, I'll bust out my period action piece or my sci-fi romance thriller and see what happens. Use a pen name if I have to.

In the end, you have to write what you have to write although I think you should write to your STRENGTHS in the beginning.

You have a 100 MPH fastball but can't swing a bat? You should be a pitcher.

[Scripted77]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

Don't look now but I'm going to use another baseball analogy. I think of genre as positions on a baseball field.

You could be an All-Star center fielder but you could competently play left or right field, too.

Maybe center field is horror, left field is thriller, etc.

Every now and then there is a real game instance of a position player having to pitch because the team has blown through their bullpen.

He's not even in the pitching rotation but guess what? He goes out there and pitches in the mother f'in MLB. He's pitching at the highest professional level and doing an okay job.

So maybe you're an All-Star comedy writer but you can probably write another genre at a professional level. You may not be the best at it but you'd probably be able to execute it properly and professionally.

As for me, I plan on breaking in with comedy. By happy accident, comedy concepts come easy to me, I seem to make people laugh in real life, so hopefully they're funny and moving. I'm exploiting my STRENGTH in order to break in because it's so damn hard.

Once I make it, I'll bust out my period action piece or my sci-fi romance thriller and see what happens. Use a pen name if I have to.

In the end, you have to write what you have to write although I think you should write to your STRENGTHS in the beginning.

You have a 100 MPH fastball but can't swing a bat? You should be a pitcher.

This analogy really works for me. Good stuff.

[Ernie Santamaria]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

For the several baseball lovers here, read about the amazing fumbles regarding this *very* recently limbo-ed baseball project, ready to shoot with Brad Pitt in the starring role (it will probably still happen after appropriate compromises are made):

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111...&cs=1&nid=2854

Ernie

[ShaneBlackFan]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

If you want to write on assignment, stick to a genre and master it. Once you master it write in genres/sub genres that are close to the one you mastered.

Action
Adventure
Mystery
Thriller

Rom-Com
Comedy

[Joaneasley]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

I believe it makes sense to try to make a name for yourself in one genre and its close neighbors on the genre chart. As Bill says, you should write the kind of movie you love to see. To satisfy true-blue fans of your chosen genre, you have to know on a gut level what they want from a movie and what they need from a movie. You have to know what's been over-done so you can avoid it. And when you have an idea for a story you know hasn't been done, you should have a good feel, using yourself as a guide, whether your innovation is something fans would love or hate. Few of us have that level of expertise and that kind of natural feel for every genre.

But if you haven't made a name for yourself yet, or if the genre you've been trying hasn't been working well for you, no reason you shouldn't experiment in various genres until you find out where you fit.

[sppeterson]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

Prior to getting produced or having a couple assignments I don't think you actually CAN brand yourself -- and I also don't think you learn much more about a genre after writing the 4th or 5th script in that genre. In fact, screenplays of all genres include elements from other genres, so spreading it around a little will help develop the multiple skills you need to write any script.

I'm certain that I'm a better horror writer now that I've developed some deeper character and drama-arc skills from writing family films.

After you've got one or two produced films in the same genre then I think you can benefit from typecasting as being that-horror-writer or that-thriller-writer (and there's at least one scientific study showing the benefits of being typecast).

But, again, I don't think you get typecast off your specs. People read your specs based on the logline or because they like your other writing, then the spec either sells itself or it doesn't

[THEUGLYDUCKLING]

Re: Genre's crippling paradox

here's the thing with me, i think if i can write scripts in horror or rom-com or comedy as well as i wrote low budget character driven scripts with people who aren't very redeemable, with anti-heroes as protags and small stories that don't have any explosions, and translate that to something with a high-concept and layered demographics i would sell something, then my other stuff would stick.

now, this is a complete pipe dream anyway, in reality, at this point i'm just talking outloud in a bar with a fifty dollar bar tab, drinking well drinks, but to me, now, it makes sense, even though, 'nobody knows anything', to try to come up with an idea that will give me at least a fighting chance to interest the largest group of coy in the pond.

i get that one should write their passion, i've done that, my passion isn't part of the marketable hollywood, at some point you gotta try something else.

V-ugly