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co sign anyone? Anyone at that point of saying fvck it, just finish the damn thing?
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"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
-Maya Angelou -
Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
Yeah, screenwriting theory is good up to a point, but nothing is better than screenwriting practice. Screenwriting books and articles are undergrad work; reading scripts and writing them is post-graduate level education."Witticism"
-Some Guy -
Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
There's only so many books you can read. You pass a point where the reading to learn becomes an excuse for actually sitting down at your computer and writing.
Little baby birdies only practice for a couple days, standing on the edge of the nest, flapping their wings, and then they leap off and go for it.
Should be the same with with screenwriting.What's a girl to do, when the chocolate ice cream and batteries run out?Comment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
I read as I write, write as I read, just never stop either.Comment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
Never hurts to do more reading, but I vote for the "keep writing" camp -- if you can look back on pieces you wrote a few years back and see that you've improved, you're doing fine.
Now, where did I put my copy of Goldman's "Adventures..." ???
-- BlyDon't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass. ~Anton Chekhov
Easy reading is damn hard writing. ~Nathaniel HawthorneComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
I find it interesting at the lack of screenwriting and film making credits the writers of "how to" books actually have.
Writer / Director available for your project.Comment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
I will never stop reading screenplays, but I will only skim through "how to" books nowadays. What happens after a while is that you may be tempted to reinvent the wheel when making it roll is what matters. Either that or you risk coming up with a script that is too structured, too bland, too dry, too plotted and contrived.
Breaking down good scripts with a hi liter and a red pen has been of good use. But just as important is breaking down real life and reading a few psychology books."I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
- Screenwriting FriendComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
That doesn't bother me so much anymore. Good advice is good advice. The "script consultants" who charge nip and tuck prices are the ones who piss me off.Originally posted by geozero View Post I find it interesting at the lack of screenwriting and film making credits the writers of "how to" books actually have."I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
- Screenwriting FriendComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
Yeah, I always find it weird when I look at an author's credentials and realize that even I have more experience (which isn't too hard to beat).Originally posted by geozero View Post I find it interesting at the lack of screenwriting and film making credits the writers of "how to" books actually have.
I also find it real annoying when authors give contradicting advice in different sections of the same book."Can't we have one meeting that doesn't end with digging up a corpse?" -- Mayor Quimby
"You've watched it! You can't unwatch it!" -- NarratorComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
When i first started, I read all the How To books. After about 20 of them, it gets pretty tiring. I had hit critical mass. I've since selected two (#1 Writer's Journey #2 Save the Cat) and just keep those handy. The rest make my book case look nice.
Now I've replaced reading how to's to reading how done's (actual scripts - specifically to movies I haven't seen). I naively thought that I didn't need to read actual scripts but now that I have, I would've read scripts before any book.
Really the only thing i've taken from books is structure. Once I knew structure I could recognize it in movies and scripts.@PatriotFramesComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
Good post, DevelopmentHell, I agree with you 100%...
The only other books I would recommend is Bill Martell's stuff. I bought virtually all his stuff including his famous SECRETS OF ACTION SCREENWRITING, now that is a fantastic book and not written from a GURU perspective at all. Mention that book to most working screenwriters and they've all read it.
I've never read any William Goldman books but I've just ordered four but I've done this mainly for the entertainment value more than anything else.
I've been reading some of his screenplays after watching MARATHON MAN the other night. Then last night I watched ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and ABSOLUTE POWER on TCM, pretty good to analyze his stuff..
But reading scripts, yep, couldn't agree more..Comment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
After reading my share of screenwriting books and having written a few screenplays. It seems that the books are pretty much saying the same thing. They use differently terminology and diagrams but if you break it down they are saying the same thing.
Story = beginning, middle, end
Beginning = have something that gets your story moving quickly, sometimes referred to the inciting incident, then something happens at the end of act one that sends the story in a new direction
Middle = keep the story rising in tension, make sure interesting things happen in the story that are believable and in keep with the characters you developed, then at the end of act two something happens that sends the story in a different direction (point here keep things changing, so you keep the interest of your audience)
End = the big finale, the big moment, every thing the story has been working towards in an upward slope reaches the peak and then comes back down, by the end of the act three the characters should be changed in some way from what they experienced
This is an oversimplification of what a whole book says, but at the same time they all seem to me to being saying the pretty much the same thing. Kind of like a rom-com, we all know how the story is going to go, but there are endless variatons in what is pretty much the same story.Comment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
Not gonna read anymore screenwriting books. Last two I finished, recently, were Epstein's TV book and Sandlers TV book. Those met all my needs as far as up to date TV instruction is concerned.
Someone recommended Uta Hagen's An Actor Prepares. I had it on my shelves, unread, for info when I was directing something. Now I'm going to read it with an eye towards screenwriting.
If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnightComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
I've been wanting to read Martell's book for a long time now but it's still out of print
@PatriotFramesComment
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Re: Numb from Excess Screenwriting Advice/Books
I do know Bill has plans which includes updating the previous edition with new chapters and more up-to-date information to publish this as a second edition.
Maybe Bill will read this and let you know how far he is with it and when there is a release date..
Hell, I'd even buy the second edition myself actually..
Maybe somebody out there selling a good quality used copy?
It is a great book, no doubt about it..Comment
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