How to Achieve Success as a Screenwriter
By: Brian
S. Konradt
Screenwriting is a competitive
trade. To distinguish yourself as a prize-winning writer you need to
master organizational skills, take creative risks, and learn how best to
present your final product. For the aspiring screenwriter, Tom Lazarus'
book, "Secrets of Film Writing
"
is one of the best. An exceptional screenwriter with five produced
screenplays, Lazarus developed this book for beginning writers enrolled in
his classes at UCLA.
This article examines a few of the many techniques outlined in "Secrets of Film Writing"
and provides examples of screenwriters who succeeded with Tom Lazarus'
guidelines.
ORGANIZATION IS KEY
Master organization and you're closer to producing a stellar screenplay,
not a mediocre one. Ask yourself these questions:
1) Does the screenplay have a clear beginning, middle and end?
2) Does the story drift aimlessly or does it make its point successfully?
These may seem like basic questions, yet many screenwriters grapple with
organizational problems.
Lazarus addresses this issue in his book; he recommends writers use one of
four organizational methods to ensure their screenplays flow smoothly:
outlines, treatments, index cards, and scene lists. All four of these
tools are equally effective. Writers need to be discreet to decide which
organizational crutch best suits their needs.
In writing the screenplay for the Hollywood feature film "Stigmata
,"
Lazarus chose to use a scene list for organizational support since he
already had specific ideas about the chronology and action details of his
story. To writers who have difficult organizing and prefer a different
method, Lazarus says, "Go for it, because no one is going to see it. It's
a process. There is no wrong way."
MAKE IT INTERESTING
Writing is a process. Great screenwriters take creative risks. Without an
interesting story, even the most organized screenplay will be
unmarketable. The goal should never be to copy another writer's style;
instead exercise your own imagination and experiment with different ways
to spark your story.
When Warner Brothers hired Tim McCanlies to adapt Ted Hughes' famous
English novel "The Iron Man" for the screen, he struggled with whether he
should remain true to Hughes' vision or develop a new story based loosely
on the original book's events. McCanlies chose to do something risky and
wildly creative; he Americanized "The Iron Man" by setting the story in
the 1950s during the Cold War terror and renamed it "The Iron Giant." His
calculated risk proved worthwhile. American audiences related to the film
and appreciated its examination of an unusual time in their nation's
history. Also, English audiences embraced "The Iron Giant" despite its
variation from the original English text and awarded it the 2000 BAFTA
Award for best feature film.
McCanlies' success lends a valuable lesson: when you risk nothing, you
gain nothing. McCanlies, Lazarus, and other successful screenwriters
embroil themselves in chances, write creatively, experiment with different
ideas, and raise their characters' stakes.
SUBMIT YOUR SCRIPT LIKE A PRO
Once you have written an interesting, well-organized screenplay you need
to submit your script neatly and according to studio standards. Lazarus
warns his UCLA students about several technical errors in script
presentation that annoy studio readers. Follow these guidelines:
1) A feature length screenplay should be longer than 95 pages and shorter
than 125 pages when you submit it for studio consideration.
2) Don't include a synopsis or character biographies with your script as
it gives studio readers an excuse not to review the whole screenplay.
3) Don't put scene numbers on your script until it is sold. This is a rule
of the game; readers find scene numbers distracting and use them as an
excuse to dub a screenplay "amateur" and unworthy of further
consideration.
4) Studio readers prefer to receive scripts bound with circular metal
brads. Using folders and binders hog office space and interns may discard
scripts unintentionally during spring cleaning.
5) Finally, use one of the many screenwriting programs to help format your
script, such as Movie Magic Screenwriter 4.7 (Win/Mac)
,
Final Draft 7 Professional Scriptwriting Win/Mac
or Script Wizard. You can find discounted deals at
Amazon.com
or Buy.com Software Rebates!
Make sure you proofread your script several times before submitting a
script for Hollywood review. Busy studio readers will not peruse
screenplays riddled with basic errors like confusing "it's" with "its" and
using "are" when you mean "our." Use a program like
Hollywood Screenwriter
or Style Writer to remedy such embarrassing grammar mistakes. When you're
ready to submit your script, grab a Hollywood Creative Directory (found at
http://www.storyscribe.com/mgbooks.html) to find markets for your script.
THINK SUCCESS AND BE A SUCCESS
Remember to take risks with plot and character development, and follow
studio standards for script submissions. Studying resources like "Secrets of Film Writing"
by Tom Lazarus, "How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make
"
by Denny Martin Flinn, "Crafty Screenwriting: Writing Movies That Get Made
"
by Alex Epstein, and "Alternative Scriptwriting, Fourth Edition: Successfully Breaking the Rules
"
by Ken Dancyger and Jeff Rush can be helpful for aspiring writers.
Developing strong writing skills takes time, a willingness to learn, and
perseverance. Writers who constantly improve their skills and experiment
with new ideas will succeed.
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Brian Konradt is a freelance writer
and founder of CyberScreenwriter.com (www.cyberscreenwriter.com),
a free web site to help screenwriters hone their screenwriting and
filmmaking skills.
