Picking Right Idea

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  • Picking Right Idea

    We talk about a lot of things on here, loglines, outlines, treatments, acts, midpoints, etc...

    But it all starts with the idea. If you pick the wrong idea the rest doesn't really matter honestly.

    Keep this in mind as you plot your rise to the top of the screenwriting world.

    -- A great idea is one you can explain in one sentence
    -- A better idea is one you can explain with just the title
    -- The best idea to pick is one that YOU can write better than anyone. This is key.

    A great idea is one thing, but if you have a great idea for a thriller, but you write comedy -- it may not be the right idea for YOU. Or even if same genre -- you may have ten ideas -- think they are all worthy -- but you know deep down that 1 or 2 of them are the ones that you really want to write. The others just sound good on paper when you pitch them.

    John August I recall saying if you are choosing which idea to pick -- go with the one with the best ending.

    I always pitch my friends first and of course reps if you have them. But pitch anyone.

    I think a good idea would be to take some top ideas and write out a 2-4 beat sheet/outline to make sure you do have enough story for 90 pages. Do you have an act 2 engine like "find a cure" "save grandma's house" "get my bike back."

    Also to me the best ideas are the ones you can't get out of your head. Stay with you.

    So before you go down too far the rabbit hole -- make sure you brought the right rabbit with you. And that you went down the right hole to start with.

  • #2
    Re: Picking Right Idea

    A better idea is one you can explain with just the title
    Most of my Top 10 favorite films do not meet this criteria. But I do get your point:-)

    A couple more..
    1. Know your market (audience).
    2. Keep Production Costs in mind.

    --fallen

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    • #3
      Re: Picking Right Idea

      I'm saying JAWS tells you the movie. Or more current SNAKES ON A PLANE.

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      • #4
        Re: Picking Right Idea

        Good advice. Probably few things more frustrating than spending months on a feature and realizing the idea might not have been worth the time.

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        • #5
          Re: Picking Right Idea

          I'm pretty sure I once read some screenwriting guru say "concept is king".

          I've yet to find a shop that sells "turd polish".
          Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
          "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

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          • #6
            Re: Picking Right Idea

            Originally posted by DDoc View Post
            Good advice. Probably few things more frustrating than spending months on a feature and realizing the idea might not have been worth the time.
            I'm saying -- I feel many writers -- skip this step. They have an idea -- it must be worthy. Make sure you run it by people.

            On the logline forum -- I feel writers come to craft the logline AFTER they wrote the script which is fine -- but in private at least craft the logline and pitch friends before you write it. Get some feedback. At least when you are first starting out.

            If you have been at this awhile -- and have good feedback on your work -- then chances are you are good at picking ideas you can execute well.

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            • #7
              Re: Picking Right Idea

              Concept is king is well known expression -- but what I'm saying is that most writers think any idea they have is king when it may be a joker.

              If you aren't good at seeing flaws in your own ideas -- that's why you get feedback. From friends, pros, readers, contests, the person in line at Starbucks.

              It's critical to make sure you get feedback. And listen. If you're trying to write something to get others to like it -- it seems obvious that the first step would be to ask others -- yeah do you like this idea before you write one word?

              Before they spend billions on making an Apple Watch first companies like to find out -- what does anyone want this thing? And still they mess it up... but you got to have your own focus groups for your ideas before you waste time writing a dud.

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              • #8
                Re: Picking Right Idea

                Apple Watch first companies like to find out -- what does anyone want this thing?
                Funny that you quote this. In our tech world, there's a line that echos...

                Microsoft designs their products based on what customer wants. Apple tells their customer what they must want.

                --fallen
                Last edited by fallenangel; 06-25-2020, 11:26 AM. Reason: typo

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                • #9
                  Re: Picking Right Idea

                  Originally posted by fallenangel View Post
                  Funny that you quote this. In our tech world, there's a line that echos...

                  Microsoft designs their products based on what customer wants. Apple tells their customer what they must want.

                  --fallen
                  Well tell that to the 10 people who bought a Zune. But I hear you. Steve Jobs did say that. Apple wast he worst choice I could have made. So I should have picked a widget.

                  How about this. Think of your spec idea as a kickstarter campaign -- can you raise 30K because people believe in your idea?

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                  • #10
                    Re: Picking Right Idea

                    Well said Bono.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Picking Right Idea

                      It's not a coincidence that great writers tend to also have great ideas.. hmm.... I'm sure a great writer can take a good idea and make it work -- but just saying -- the two go hand and hand...

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                      • #12
                        Re: Picking Right Idea

                        Bono, such good advice. My hesitation in asking the person in line in front of me (or other non-writers) is that everyone seems to think they could be a screenwriter, just as everyone thinks they are a doctor or lawyer. I am not sure how to differentiate the hack from the person to whom I should listen.
                        Perhaps my faltering is only masked frustation at the persons who ask me what I do. "I write," I respond.

                        "Yeah," they say, "but what do you do?"

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                        • #13
                          Re: Picking Right Idea

                          Well if non writers are not wearing a mask in line at a coffee shop -- don't ask them for advice. And no I have not randomly pitched someone like that.

                          You know I meant friends, co-workers, your mom, my mom, your sister's friend, real writers too are my main source, random people on twitter, random people on forums...

                          And Yes I've been pitched to write together by over 10 people when I tell them what I do. So I always ask -- so when can I come in and do your job? Tomorrow at 8am good for court?

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                          • #14
                            Re: Picking Right Idea

                            "Would I pay to watch this in a theater?- is the question I always start with. That doesn't mean it's not a fit for a streamer, but let's think about whether or not the idea will get people excited. Now I think people are less than honest with themselves when answering this question about their own ideas...yes, write what you're passionate about. But also write something that's fvcking cool.

                            I look at my list of ideas from just a few years ago and they are not great. These days it takes a longtime to land on an idea for me. But waiting is worth it, IMO. Because once you figure out something is, actually, a movie...the writing generally comes a lot more easily, in my experience.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Picking Right Idea

                              Well said. Although "would I see it in a theater" doesn't work as well these days for many reasons -- but the sentiment is the same. "would I pay to see this before I can stream it" may be more appropriate. Or would "I hit play if this was on Netflix" is a good question too...

                              But you got it. If finishing a spec is 100% -- the idea isn't 1% of the process -- it may be closer to 50% of it.

                              You can do all the other steps right, but if you're going down the wrong road you won't get to where you want to go.

                              Being able to judge your own idea and poke holes is one skill -- being able to at least take people's reaction when you tell them ideas is another good skill. Reading the logline forum over the years -- many writers have trouble with this. If 3 or more people are confused by your idea or genre or just well the whole thing -- the answer is usually the idea is off and not the opinions of the people commenting on it.

                              Now of course I've just written things and had success. Maybe I'm good at picking ideas. I think I am. But maybe what I'm really good at is picking the right idea to write.

                              I have literally 1000 ideas in a document over the years. At least 20 ideas are in my mind right now as I work on current idea. All the time I think of new ideas.

                              And of course i have written BAD IDEAS. But I learned as I went, but of course for newbies I suggest write whatever gets you to finish. I'm talking more about getting to the next level trying to sell stage..

                              Now for a bit -- I went the wrong way and never got off the "think of perfect idea" stage -- which is just as bad as picking the wrong idea. You have to find the right balance.

                              RUN THE RIGHT WAY

                              There are people that think "I'll exercise tomorrow" and never go... (never choose idea)

                              There are people that just wake up and go for a run w/o a thought in the world half way through learning they wore the wrong shoes and didn't' charge their iphone. (pick wrong idea)

                              Then there are people that wake up and make sure they have the right shoes on before they go for the run and download the podcast they want to listen to before they leave the house. (just right, like the goldielocks)

                              Be the latter. Write the script. Just don't gloss over the idea stage.
                              Last edited by Bono; 06-27-2020, 11:49 AM.

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