Ian Dawson's Blog - Posts Tagged "description"
Writing Tip of the Week: Writing Your First (Short) Script
Big-budget blockbusters have a lot of moving parts. From huge ensemble casts, overpowering visual effects, big set pieces, and crazy action sequences, watching can often be an immersive and overwhelming experience.
Now, imagine the process of writing it.
We all have a story on the same scale as an Avengers, Avatar, or Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And while jotting down notes and ideas is a good idea, when writing your first script, you want to think smaller. Much smaller.
How much smaller? Let's talk about it.
Back to Basics
Your first journey into screenwriting should be something less than a 140-page epic. Think short film. Three to five pages. One setting. Two characters. Character A has a goal or plan, but character B opposes them. Now there's conflict in your story. These two people are at odds in one location.
But before you sit in front of your laptop and write, you'll want to plan and outline your story from start to finish. What are the story beats? How does the conflict progress? Who are these people? Where are they located?
Give yourself the creative freedom to play around with multiple ideas before deciding on one to take to the next step of becoming a short film script.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Screenwriter)
Once you've nailed down your story, setting, and character, you can begin the script's drafting phase.
This allows you to practice writing descriptions, character intros, and dialogue on a basic scale in the screenplay format. You'll notice how fast a page can fly by as you write due to the formatting. When you rewrite, how can you trim things down to keep the script between three and five pages and still have a coherent story?
Show, Don't Tell
Film, as you know, is a visual medium, and the audience is meant to be shown things that help inform the story. The last thing you want to do is tell your audience something you could show them instead.
If your script has a married couple, how can you convey that through visuals? If they are a parent and an adult child, how can you clarify their relationship before someone says "Mom" or "Son"?
Fun with Dialogue
Once you've written your dialogue for both characters, read it out loud. Can you revise it to make it sound more natural? Can you cut it down and make the pacing faster without losing the context of what's being said?
Remember, real people speak in fragments. They often trail off or even change subjects halfway through an answer. Unlike dialogue in a novel, script dialogue is intended to be performed by an actor, so it should be easy to speak.
Final Thoughts
The best advice I can give you is: Have Fun. Create. Experiment. Outline. Write. Rewrite. Play around and enjoy the process. As you get used to the basics, you can move on, writing another scene that adds to the story, adds to the conflict, and keeps things moving.
Happy Screenwriting, and I'll see you next time!
Now, imagine the process of writing it.
We all have a story on the same scale as an Avengers, Avatar, or Pirates of the Caribbean movie. And while jotting down notes and ideas is a good idea, when writing your first script, you want to think smaller. Much smaller.
How much smaller? Let's talk about it.
Back to Basics
Your first journey into screenwriting should be something less than a 140-page epic. Think short film. Three to five pages. One setting. Two characters. Character A has a goal or plan, but character B opposes them. Now there's conflict in your story. These two people are at odds in one location.
But before you sit in front of your laptop and write, you'll want to plan and outline your story from start to finish. What are the story beats? How does the conflict progress? Who are these people? Where are they located?
Give yourself the creative freedom to play around with multiple ideas before deciding on one to take to the next step of becoming a short film script.
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Screenwriter)
Once you've nailed down your story, setting, and character, you can begin the script's drafting phase.
This allows you to practice writing descriptions, character intros, and dialogue on a basic scale in the screenplay format. You'll notice how fast a page can fly by as you write due to the formatting. When you rewrite, how can you trim things down to keep the script between three and five pages and still have a coherent story?
Show, Don't Tell
Film, as you know, is a visual medium, and the audience is meant to be shown things that help inform the story. The last thing you want to do is tell your audience something you could show them instead.
If your script has a married couple, how can you convey that through visuals? If they are a parent and an adult child, how can you clarify their relationship before someone says "Mom" or "Son"?
Fun with Dialogue
Once you've written your dialogue for both characters, read it out loud. Can you revise it to make it sound more natural? Can you cut it down and make the pacing faster without losing the context of what's being said?
Remember, real people speak in fragments. They often trail off or even change subjects halfway through an answer. Unlike dialogue in a novel, script dialogue is intended to be performed by an actor, so it should be easy to speak.
Final Thoughts
The best advice I can give you is: Have Fun. Create. Experiment. Outline. Write. Rewrite. Play around and enjoy the process. As you get used to the basics, you can move on, writing another scene that adds to the story, adds to the conflict, and keeps things moving.
Happy Screenwriting, and I'll see you next time!
Writing Exercise of the Week: Location, Location, Location
Every story happens somewhere, and wherever that place is, it needs to be described to the reader so that they can be fully immersed in the story being told. While there are many locales that people are familiar with and can picture in their minds, it is the writer's job to ensure the image they wish to convey of that location is communicated accurately.
Here are three writing exercises you can try to work on your location description skills.
Exercise #1 – Describe a City or Town
PART ONE
Pick a city or town you know well or would like to visit and write a detailed paragraph or two that puts the reader in the middle of that specific location. Describe the sights, sounds, smells, weather, the people, architecture, etc.
PART TWO
Whittle those paragraphs down into one sentence. Can you still convey the feel and vibe of the city or town in fewer words? What adjectives or verbs can best describe the location using less space?
Exercise #2 – Describe a Specific Location in the City or Town
PART ONE
Choose a park, a library, a coffee shop, or the public square, and write in detail everything you want to convey to a reader about that location. Be as descriptive as possible, giving the reader details that make them feel like they are in that space. Again, try for one or two paragraphs.
PART TWO
Can you put the reader in that location in one sentence? You want to convey as much information as possible in a limited number of words while giving the reader a true sense of experiencing the location.
Exercise #3 – Describe a Part of the Location in #2
PART ONE
Look around the location you’ve chosen. What stands out to you? Focus on that specific thing. It could be a wall, a painting, a fountain, or a tree. Give it all the descriptive detail you can, leaving nothing out as you craft one to two paragraphs.
PART TWO
In one sentence, describe the object to the reader without losing the true sense and weight of the object or part of the chosen location.
Why Am I Doing This?
Knowing how to describe a location in great detail is a valuable tool for a writer. At the same time, learning how to convey that information in only a few words can empower you as a writer when tasked with writing a pitch, a blurb, or a synopsis.
Practice writing out long, colorful descriptions, then try to convey the same feeling in one sentence. Like anything else, it will get a little easier each time, even if it continues to be a fun challenge.
Happy Description Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Here are three writing exercises you can try to work on your location description skills.
Exercise #1 – Describe a City or Town
PART ONE
Pick a city or town you know well or would like to visit and write a detailed paragraph or two that puts the reader in the middle of that specific location. Describe the sights, sounds, smells, weather, the people, architecture, etc.
PART TWO
Whittle those paragraphs down into one sentence. Can you still convey the feel and vibe of the city or town in fewer words? What adjectives or verbs can best describe the location using less space?
Exercise #2 – Describe a Specific Location in the City or Town
PART ONE
Choose a park, a library, a coffee shop, or the public square, and write in detail everything you want to convey to a reader about that location. Be as descriptive as possible, giving the reader details that make them feel like they are in that space. Again, try for one or two paragraphs.
PART TWO
Can you put the reader in that location in one sentence? You want to convey as much information as possible in a limited number of words while giving the reader a true sense of experiencing the location.
Exercise #3 – Describe a Part of the Location in #2
PART ONE
Look around the location you’ve chosen. What stands out to you? Focus on that specific thing. It could be a wall, a painting, a fountain, or a tree. Give it all the descriptive detail you can, leaving nothing out as you craft one to two paragraphs.
PART TWO
In one sentence, describe the object to the reader without losing the true sense and weight of the object or part of the chosen location.
Why Am I Doing This?
Knowing how to describe a location in great detail is a valuable tool for a writer. At the same time, learning how to convey that information in only a few words can empower you as a writer when tasked with writing a pitch, a blurb, or a synopsis.
Practice writing out long, colorful descriptions, then try to convey the same feeling in one sentence. Like anything else, it will get a little easier each time, even if it continues to be a fun challenge.
Happy Description Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
Writing Exercise of the Week: What’s Your Ideal Vacation?
Vacations, road trips, and weekend adventures—we’ve all experienced them at one point in our lives, and most of us have had one or two that have been truly memorable. As we near the time of year when many people go on vacation, I thought a writing exercise in that vein would be fun to do.
So, pack your bags and let’s go!
Exercise #1 – Your Ideal Vacation
Brainstorm a list of all the places you’d love to go on vacation. Pick one of those places, then research places to stay, things to do, and where you can eat while there. Next, decide who you’d like to take on the trip with you (it’s 100% fine if you want to go alone).
Now, write a short story (500 words) about arriving at your ideal vacation spot. Why did you choose this place? Describe the sights and sounds as you take in this new and exciting place. How do you feel inside as you arrive at your ideal vacation destination?
Exercise #2 – Your Favorite Vacation Moment
We’ve all had a vacation that we were sad to see end, and those vacations always have a few key moments that make them a memorable experience.
Pick one of those favorite moments and write about it in detail. What happened right before this moment? Who were you with? What was the weather like? What do you recall about your emotional reactions to this perfect vacation moment? What made it so ideal for you and anyone else who was there? What happened right after this perfect moment? Did the high of the experience stick with you, or did it vanish soon after?
Exercise #3 – Your Worst Vacation Moment
Vacations have their ups and downs, but what about those moments that suck so bad you want to escape the vacation and go home immediately? Negative vacation moments can be as memorable as those we cherish, whether car trouble, a bad hotel room, dealing with other tourists, or the attitudes of workers we encounter.
Pick one of these “worst” moments and write a story about it. What led up to the bad series of events? Who was there with you? Who was the leading cause of the problems you faced? What moment bothered you most and made you want to run away? How were things resolved? Were they resolved? What emotions and feelings did you have during the series of bad events? Did you learn anything from what happened?
Why Am I Doing This?
We can learn a lot about ourselves through our good and bad life experiences. While the negative experiences are ones we wish to forget, they can also be highly relatable to an audience.
Thinking back and journaling about your experiences is an excellent way to have reference material for your work and to give you plenty of real-life stories to inspire you and your writing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
So, pack your bags and let’s go!
Exercise #1 – Your Ideal Vacation
Brainstorm a list of all the places you’d love to go on vacation. Pick one of those places, then research places to stay, things to do, and where you can eat while there. Next, decide who you’d like to take on the trip with you (it’s 100% fine if you want to go alone).
Now, write a short story (500 words) about arriving at your ideal vacation spot. Why did you choose this place? Describe the sights and sounds as you take in this new and exciting place. How do you feel inside as you arrive at your ideal vacation destination?
Exercise #2 – Your Favorite Vacation Moment
We’ve all had a vacation that we were sad to see end, and those vacations always have a few key moments that make them a memorable experience.
Pick one of those favorite moments and write about it in detail. What happened right before this moment? Who were you with? What was the weather like? What do you recall about your emotional reactions to this perfect vacation moment? What made it so ideal for you and anyone else who was there? What happened right after this perfect moment? Did the high of the experience stick with you, or did it vanish soon after?
Exercise #3 – Your Worst Vacation Moment
Vacations have their ups and downs, but what about those moments that suck so bad you want to escape the vacation and go home immediately? Negative vacation moments can be as memorable as those we cherish, whether car trouble, a bad hotel room, dealing with other tourists, or the attitudes of workers we encounter.
Pick one of these “worst” moments and write a story about it. What led up to the bad series of events? Who was there with you? Who was the leading cause of the problems you faced? What moment bothered you most and made you want to run away? How were things resolved? Were they resolved? What emotions and feelings did you have during the series of bad events? Did you learn anything from what happened?
Why Am I Doing This?
We can learn a lot about ourselves through our good and bad life experiences. While the negative experiences are ones we wish to forget, they can also be highly relatable to an audience.
Thinking back and journaling about your experiences is an excellent way to have reference material for your work and to give you plenty of real-life stories to inspire you and your writing.
Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!
