Michael Rogan's Blog, page 2

What’s the Best Screenwriting Software if Yer Totally Broke?

Even the most raw and inexperienced of screenwriters will at some point want to know: what’s the best screenwriting software to help turn that zombie vampire sci-fi romance in my head into something tangible, and ultimately marketable.

Unfortunately, until the residual checks come in, and if splurging on dinner means adding a second packet of Top Ramen mix, then forking over the $100-$200 for Final Draft may not be a reality just yet.

That isn’t to say Final Draft isn’t a great piece of software, it is. There’s a reason it’s industry-standard.

But it’s better to use something in terms of screenplay software, then give yourself one more excuse to not get writing.

So, here are five of the best screenwriting software options for the broke (though ambitious) screenwriter:

Super-important caveat: Whatever you do, don’t use a Microsoft Word template you find somewhere online. They are the devil. (And will drive you insane.) Avoid these, if at all possible.

Best Screenwriting Software Option if Yer Broke #1: Google Docs (FREE)

Huh? Google Docs? But isn’t Google Docs just like Microsoft Word?

Google Docs may look like MS Word, but there are two crucial differences:

It doesn’t add as much proprietary formatting crap as MS Word does

There are Chrome extensions, such as You Me Script or Screenplay Formatter, that can make formatting much easier

Like many of the solutions in this column, it’s cloud-based so there is a RISK of your script going bye-bye. But if Google dissapears, it’s probably because the zombie apocalypse is upon us.

Not an ideal solution, but if you absolutely got no money to spend, and you like to work in the cloud — perfect for writers who work on a ChromeBook — then this might be a good intermediary option.

Learn More: You Me Script – Screenplay Formatter

Best Screenwriting Software Option if Yer Broke #2: Trelby (FREE…for now)

I haven’t used Trelby screenwriting software much, but from what I’ve seen, I really like it. The interface is intuitive and it’s got just enough bells-and-whistles to keep even the most unorthodox screenwriter happy. (It’s even got script stats, which is pretty cool.)

And it’s FREE! What more could we ask for?

Well…it’s an open-sourced solution that is only currently available on Windows and Linux. (Mac users are out of luck.) And because it’s open-source it is supported and maintained by the kind generosity of strangers.

This can be problematic.

As anybody who used CeltX for years, then found out unceremoniously they couldn’t access their old scripts, when you build your house on somebody’s real estate, things change.

That 150-page epic about a Russian peasant farmer who falls in love with an alien may not be there when you want it.

A decent option, but be forewarned that you always want to back up your stuff!

Learn More: Trelby Screenwriting Softwware

Best Screenwriting Software Option if Yer Broke #3: Scrivener ($40)

At $40, Scrivener is much cheaper than some of the more-robust screenwriting software options. This is because Scrivener is primarily for prose writers, who want a way to compile and organize their manuscripts.

That said, Scrivener does have a screenwriting/scriptwriting component under its hood. It’s not as amazing as Final Draft, but it will absolutely do in a pinch. And if you’re somebody, like me, who tends to float back and forth between prose writing (whether fiction or non-fiction) and screenwriting, Scrivener is a great add to your writing software toolbox.

Like most paid writing software solutions, you can sign up for a Scrivener FREE trial. (People either hate it or love it; doesn’t seem to be any in-between.) But I’ve used it for years and I highly recommend it.

Learn More: Scrivener (Windows) | Scrivener (Mac)

Best Screenwriting Software Option if Yer Broke #4: Fade In Pro ($80)

I’m hesitant to include Fade In Pro screenwriting software, as $80 isn’t exactly on the cheap side. Bur for what you get it’s a really robust platform.

As with any other professional-level screenwriting software, you get all the basic features: collaboration, distraction-free mode, genre templates. But there are some other really cool things I like, such as Dialogue Tuner (where you get to check all the dialogue of a single character) and revision color-coding.

I’m still partial to Final Draft — mostly because I finally figured out how to use all the shortcuts — but if you can afford the $80 for Fade In Pro you won’t be sorry.

Learn More: Fade In Pro Screenwriting Software

A Final Note About Screenwriting Software

Not to sound like a Tony Robbins seminar — too late? — but the best screenwriting software is that which helps you get out of your own way, to stop stressing about the tech, and just pour your heart out onto the page. Whether that means Google Docs or Fade In Pro, just pick a lane and start writing. Before you know it you’ll be making enough money off your scripts to buy whatever hell screenwriting software you want.

The post What’s the Best Screenwriting Software if Yer Totally Broke? appeared first on ScriptBully.

5 Places to Read Screenplays (Without Spending a Dime)

Most would-be film and TV scribblers know it’s nearly impossible to boost your ability to write screenplays without an accompanying commitment to read screenplays.

And this isn’t just about reading Tootsie and Dog Day Afternoon.

Even screenplays that are…ummm….less than stellar — Flintstones 2 comes to mind — can provide nuts-and-bolts intel on how to turn the abstract images in your head into something tangible and entertaining. (And perhaps more importantly how NOT to do it.)

But how do you find those screenplays online, those hidden gems — and screenplay clunkers — without forking over the 12 or so dollars on Amazon.

Here are five go-to places to build your archive and help you read screenplays like a frickin’ pro:

5 Locations to Read Screenplays (On the Cheap)
#1: Internet Movie Script Database

Don’t let the (slightly) old-school, early 90s web design fool you. This is a powerful tool with tons of screenplays on its shelves.

I especially like the way they organize by genre — not just alphabetically — and the minimal, text-focused layout. (Not a bunch of annoying pop-up ads to get in your way.)

Though their TV script selection is rather small — and very little in the way of international scripts — if you’re looking for an easy-to-use screenplay database, this is a great first stop.

Link to Read Screenplays at IMSDB

#2 : Simply Scripts

I love Simply Scripts. My only complaint is that there is so much to look at; each time I go there I go down a rabbit hole and end up spending an hour looking through all the cool stuff.

Constantly updated with new stuff — want the revised 5th draft script of Dune by David Lynch? They got it!; Want the un-produced 4th draft script of Wonder Woman by Laeta Kalogordis (creator of Altered Carbon)? They got it! — and a visually-based front page that makes it easy to go looking for the latest PDF screenplay to download. (Maybe a little too easy.)

Click to Read Screenplays at Simply Scripts

#3: Daily Script

There are minimal, no-frills websites…and then there is Daily Script. With its stripped-down design — just text and links — it’s easy to navigate for that script that you want. (They’ve even got a decent selection of TV Scripts.)

Click to Read Screenplays at Daily Script 

#4: Screenwriting Sub Reddit

If you’re not familiar with Reddit, and the screenwriting sub-reddit in partiuclar, then you are missing out on a treasure trove of screenplay resources, rants, gossip and tips. Part-forum, part-bitchfest, the Screenwriting Sub-Reddit is a great place to find obscure screenplays you can’t find anywhere else. (Such as all the Black List screenplays or Oscar nominated scripts for a given year.)

Be forewarned though: many links to personal script collections tend to get pulled down, due to copyright reasons, so if you see something you want — be sure to take advantage of it. It may not be there the next time you cruise by.

Click to Read Screenplays at the Screenwriting Sub-Reddit

#5: The University of Google

If you’re looking for a specific screenplay,and can’t seem to find in the sources mentioned above — or don’t want to navigate through every page of a specific site — then here are a couple of Google search tricks to find the screenplay you want.

To find a screenplay that seems to have eluded you, just put the following into your Google search bar: “PDF” AND “(SCREENPLAY TITLE)” — The quotation marks and the AND (in all caps) are important

To comb through an existing database, without clicking on every single page on a site, put the following into your Google search bar: Site:nameofwebsite.com — This will bring up every page on their website, and let you quickly look around for what you want.

“Kid, You Don’t Know How Good You Got It”

Back when I started in the Pre-Internet, Mesozoic era if you wanted a screenplay you had to buy it a bookstore — remember those? — or you had to special-order from a place like Larry Edmund’s Bookstore. (Still one of the best places to check out in LA.)

Today, to read screenplays on a regular basis, just requires a bit of cyber-sleuthing. And a willingness to grab anything — even Flintstones 2 — that catches your eye.

The post 5 Places to Read Screenplays (Without Spending a Dime) appeared first on ScriptBully.

How to Write Emotional Screenplay Scenes That Don’t Suck

In this edition of Screenwriting 101, we talk about how to write emotional screenplay scenes that are…well…not sucky & boring.

There’s an old adage in the theatre they give new — and not-so-new actors — and that is “Feel the emotion 120%; show the emotion 80%.”

There are a few reasons why, as screenwriters, we should apply this same approach to our craft:

1) Overly-emotional writing is melodramatic. Want to have your scenes compared to the highbrow content that denote soap operas and 19th-century stage plays — “I’ll get you for this, if it’s the last thing I do” — then knock yourself out. Otherwise, steer clear.

2) Overly-emotional writing is boring/cliche/on-the-nose (insert your own adjective). If you’re having characters say exactly what they feel, and when they feel it, you risk putting readers, and viewers, into a terminal coma which can only be broken with copious amounts of 5-hour energy drink and a binge session of Dexter. (The early ones; not that horrible last season.)

3) Writing about characters in turmoil – but who can’t express that turmoil – is the greatest weapon a writer can have. There’s nothing more interesting way more interesting than characters simply yelling, than having a character who needs/must/wants to express themselves (and get the world to act in a way that benefits them)…but they just can’t do it. (Almost as intoxicating as seeing Rob Thomas, of Matchbox 20, play himself on iZombie.)

4) Writing about characters in turmoil – but who can’t express that turmoil – is the greatest weapon a writer can have in getting actors obsessed with their scripts. Nothing actors love to do more than explore the tension between feeling 120% emotion and showing 80% emotion. So, let them salivate over the chance to do it in your story.

So, how do you do it? How do you pull this emotional, but not too emotional, writing? (Without years of therapy?)

Here are some strategies:

1) Make it difficult for characters to express their deep, dark secrets. Make it the most painful thing they would ever do. Even more painful than watching the Baywatch movie. When Evelyn Mulwray, played by Faye Dunaway, reveals her big secret in Chinatown, it costs her everything to do it. (And sends the story in a whole new direction.) But the emotional power of the scene is her reluctance to share.

2) Write a shitty, super-emotional first draft. And then write a second draft where your characters talk about everything but the emotion staring them in the face. I like to pick one line where the character says what they feel, and then remove that line entirely.

3) Use humor as a self-defense weapon, not as a way to tell jokes. Us human-types usually use humor to hide our insecurities and attack others, so they don’t see how twisted WE are. Use that in your high-emotional scenes.

4) Explore binary emotions. If characters are expressing a lot of one emotion — anger, anxiety, sadness, fear — make damn sure they also show the exact opposite emotion — kindness, peacefulness, happiness, bravery. It will make both more powerful.

5) Rip off the masters. If you’re uncertain how to handle a super-delicate, emotional scene, then see how one of your fave screenwriters handled it. Whether it’s Joss Whedon, Aaron Sorkin, or Billy Wilder, pick one memorable and emotional scene, and watch it over and over to find a secret door into your own material. Usually it’s by talking about something completely different from the emotion.

Do you have a go-to screenwriting trick for writing emotional scenes? Let us know in the comments below!

The post How to Write Emotional Screenplay Scenes That Don’t Suck appeared first on ScriptBully.

Top 5 Aaron Sorkin Screenwriting Tips From His Reddit AMA

The Internet has many interesting, strange rabbit holes. And Reddit — the user-curated social network — is just one of them.

Reddit, in case you’re not familiar, is like the Star Wars cantina — only scarier. (There weren’t many Russian spambots next to Greedo.)

But with its AMA (Ask Me Anything) feature, it can be a fantastic way to get insight from professionals. (Especially the Screenwriting sub-reddit. And especially if you’re looking for some Aaron Sorkin screenwriting tips.)

Here are a couple of the more notable highlights from this recent AMA:

Screenwriting Tips From Aaron Sorkin (Courtesy of his Reddit AMA)
On Training As an Actor

“I think saying that I started as an actor is probably overstating things. I studied acting in college, but when I graduated and came to New York, I knew I wanted to be a playwright. I think the conservatory training that I got as an actor is very helpful. I perform all the roles as I’m writing them. I speak out loud, and that helps me do my best to make sure that the dialog is speakable by an actor.”

On Character Backstory

“I don’t like to commit myself to anything in a character’s backstory until I have to. I didn’t know going into the West Wing that Bartlet had MS. Then, along came an episode where I needed to introduce the idea that the First Lady (Dr. Channing) was a medical doctor. And the way I did it was by giving Bartlet MS.

“David Mamet have written some excellent essays on this subject. You can get lost in the weeds if you sit down and try to create an entire biography for your character. If this is what they were like when they were six years old, and this is what they did when they were seven years old, and they scraped their knee when they were eight years old. Your character, assuming your character is 50 years old, was never six years old, or seven years old or eight years old. Your character was born the moment the curtain goes up, the moment the movie begins, the moment the television show begins, and your character dies as soon as it’s over. Your character only becomes seven years old when they say, “Well when I was seven years old, I fell in a well, and ever since then I’ve had terrible claustrophobia. Okay?

“Characters and people aren’t the same thing. They only look alike.”

On Number of Drafts

“I write a lot of drafts of screenplays and plays. I keep writing and I keep writing; what I try to do at the beginning is just get to the end. Once I’ve gotten to the end, I know a lot more about the piece, and I’m able to go back to the beginning and touch stuff that never turned into anything, and highlight things that are going to become important later on. And I go back, and I keep doing that, and I keep doing that, and I’ll retype the whole script, over and over again, just to make things sharper and sharper. That’s for movies and plays. In television, there just isn’t that kind of time. In television, I have to write a 55-minute movie every nine days, so we shoot my first draft.”

On Rookie Mistakes

“One of the biggest mistakes rookie screenwriters make is not having a strong intention or obstacle. The drive shaft of a car, beautiful leather seats, a fantastic sound system, a really cool paint job but the car isn’t going to move forward if the car doesn’t have a strong intention or obstacle.”

On Finger Painting

“Intention and obstacle is everything. Intention and obstacle is what makes it drama. Somebody wants the money, they want the girl, they want to get to Philadelphia; it doesn’t matter, they just need a strong intention, and then there needs to be a formidable obstacle. The tactic that your protagonist (or protagonists) use to overcome that obstacle is going to be your story. That’s what you’re gonna hang everything on. Without intention and obstacle, you’re coming dangerously close to finger painting.”

Caveat Emptor
The whole Aaron Sorkin AMA is worth checking out. Though you may have to scroll through quite a bit of…ummm….noise to get to the signal.

Got a screenwriting hack you’ve picked up from one of the masters? Perhaps another set of Aaron Sorkin screenwriting tips? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Top 5 Aaron Sorkin Screenwriting Tips From His Reddit AMA appeared first on ScriptBully.

How Script Analysis Actually (Frickin’) Works

There may be no more confusing concept in screenwriting – aside from why people keep giving Adam Sandler the chance to make movies – then that of script analysis.

Does script analysis relate to close study of a screenplay by a screenwriter to better learn the form and structure of the craft?

Or does screenplay analysis relate to the act of handing over your screenplay to a professional screenplay reader — or in some cases purported professional screenplay reader — who then reads your screenplay carefully and provides you written (sometimes audio) screenplay coverage of your work of somewhat art.

The answer is yes…and yes.

And knowing what type of script analysis you need, at a given time, knowing what each entails is a good first step toward improving as a screenwriter and starting to sound like anything but an amateur.

Key Takeaways (Or For Those Who Have ADD)

Script analysis can mean a scene-by-scene notation of what happens in a screenplay (this will help you see craft in terms of beats)
Script analysis can also mean professional coverage (Great if you’ve done 2-3 rewrites)

Script Analysis – The DIY Version

One of the most helpful and eye-opening things you can do as a screenwriter is to pore through a screenplay — not written by you — and do a detailed breakdown of what happens, page-by-page, making key notes about particular visual elements and transitions.

I know this sounds about as much fun as standing in line at the DMV. But it can be about the most instructive thing for your screenwriting education; especially in understanding how many different things need to happen on a single page.

Here’s a quick example of the first few scenes from Last Action Hero:

Page 1

Close on sea of blue and red patrol car lights

Cop and strike teams chaotically running – Focus on elementary school roof – shit, they got kids in there
Lt. Dekker tells rookie to secure perimeter
Hostage taker fires his shotgun – wants his helicopte




Page 1/2

CU on Boots…walking on top of patrol cars

Jack Slater makes his way to scene – Lt Dekker tells him not to go in – “it’ll be your badge” – Lt. Gov tells Slater to stand down – Slater says ring him when the Gov shows up




Pg 3

1st Flo0r -School

Swat guy tries to stop him – Slater kicks him in crotch




Pg 3/4

Rooftop

Killer has hostages – one of them says “Dad” upon seeing Slater
Slater and killer know each other – Slater’s illegal search years ago let him go free




Pg 4/5

Slater throws down his weapons, except for a grenade which he throws
Killer makes the “kid” pick it up – it’s a dummy, except for the switchblade inside
Kid Stabs killer – Slater dives for his .44 – Gun goes off and….


Pg 6

Out of focus
Pull back to reveal we’re “watching a movie”
10 year-old in front row yells “focus!”

Now you can do it any way you like. I like bullet points; I’m OCD like that.

But you want to get into the habit of noting down the ebb and flow of scenes. Sure, it’s helpful to report the basic scene-by-scene breakdown of a screenplay. “Scene 4: Rick and Ilsa remember Paris.”

Yet far more helpful is a detailed transcription that shows you the many different beats — the rises and falls – within a given scene.

Okay…that’s script analysis that any screenwriter or actor can do to really get into the trenches of a screenplay.

Let’s turn to the other type of screenplay analysis…

Script Analysis: The Pro Version

This is where you get a professional to look over your script and provide screenplay coverage of your script. You usually do this for two reasons:

You think your script needs a little improving – You send it to an industry pro who provides both coverage and feedback/suggestions for making your script
You’re positive your script is finished and super-awesome – You send in a query email to an agent/producer – They request it – A company underling reads your script and provides coverage to his/her boss

And what exactly do these two types of script coverage contain. Well, they usually focus on the following elements:

Plot – How well did you mantain rising action – Is the spine clear?
Character – Are they unique, interesting, different, believable?
Dialogue – Is it realistic, punchy and fast-moving…or is it as slow as a Merchant Ivory film?
Genre/Theme – How does this screenplay fit within the existing genre? What is its overall tone and theme?
Format – Is is professionally-formatted or does it look about as professional as a 4th-grade English project?
Industry marketability – Is there a place for it in the existing industry? At this agency/company?
(Optional) – Suggestions on how to fix all of these different elements.

Depending on where you are in the screenwriting continuum will determine the type of coverage you get. And while you’re more than dabble into any kind of script analysis you like, at any time, my recommendation would be to:

Spend 2-3 months doing your own script analyses (1x week)
After you do your third or fourth rewrite, get a professional opinion geared toward improvement
Do 2-3 more rewrites, then query your database of contacts to see if somebody will give you some “real” coverage

Approach it this way and you might just end up with, not just some super-helpful script analysis, one killer screenplay that eventually changes your life. (Just make sure to ask that Adam Sandler NOT be considered for the lead.)

The post How Script Analysis Actually (Frickin’) Works appeared first on ScriptBully.

Are Screenplay Contests a Total F&$#in Ripoff?

In this edition of “Screenwriting Q&A” we tackle that most vexing and controversial of topics: are screenplay contests a great way to boost your career…or a total waste of frickin’ money.

Find out the surprising answer below. (And if you’ve got a question you want answered in the Screenwriting Q&A series, drop me a line at michael@scriptbully.com!)

Resource: 7 Screenwriting Competitions That Don’t Suck and Might Actually Make You Money

Key Takeaways (Or For Those With ADD)

Choose 3 lesser-known contests you’ll enter in next 6 months
Use prize money from smaller contests to set up staged readings
Implement changes based on staged readings
Enter revised script into bigger contests (Such as Nicholl)

Transcript of “Are Screenplay Contests a Total Rip-Off?”

Hey there screenwriter. In this edition of Screenwriting Q&A we’re gonna answer that most vexing and common concern which I get quite a bit…is a screenplay contest a total frickin’ rip-off?

Well, there are actually two questions there regarding the rip-off issue.

Are the contest organizers going to “rip off” your idea? Most likely not, but there have been occasions in which writers have seen scripts out there, even on that same contest site, that resembled scripts they wrote.

It’s not common, but it does happen. Most reputable contest organizers, especially those connected to production companies would rather just pay you the 25K or so for your script and be send you on your way. (But this is the film biz. So reputable is not always in the cards.)

My advice: only enter your contest in well-established, high-profile contests. That includes contests like Slamdance, Sundance, the Nicholl Fellowship, Austin Heart of Film and a few scant others. (Below this video you’ll find a link to some reputable ones I’ve gathered up.)

The other question: is entering your script in the contest (and paying the $45 or whatever it is entry fee) a rip-off?

The answer is No…as long as you have no realistic expectation that spending it will lead to ANYTHING.

Having been a judge for a few of these I can tell you that the selection criteria is…at least for the some of the lesser-known ones….highly subjective. And while some do offer nice prizes, such as free conference admission or software, generally the big prize you’re aiming for is to simply be named as a finalist in a prestigious contest. (That alone is something you can put in your email query.)

How to Not Get Ripped Off When Entering Screenplay Contests

So, here’s what I would do:

1) Make a list of the 3-5 high-profile contests you plan to enter over the next 12 months. (Try to make them at least 4-6 months from today.)

2) Take the money you would have spent on all those other random contests, like the South Eastern Idaho Screenwriting Collective, and use that money to set up a couple of table reads of your script with a local community college theatre troupe. Just email a professor and say you’d like to organize an evening for a table read. (Tell ’em you’ll pay for snacks and set up all the arrangements.)

3) Take copious notes on your 1 or 2 table reads and implement those notes into your rewrites.

4) Invite me to your “sold the script” party. (I’ll bring the veggie tray.)

Have you tried entering a couple of screenplay contests? Let me know how you did in the comments below!

The post Are Screenplay Contests a Total F&$#in Ripoff? appeared first on ScriptBully.

Screenwriting Q&A: Are Screenplay Contests a Total F&$#in Ripoff?

In this edition of “Screenwriting Q&A” we tackle that most vexing and controversial of topics: are screenplay contests a great way to boost your career…or a total waste of frickin’ money.

Find out the surprising answer below. (And if you’ve got a question you want answered in the Screenwriting Q&A series, drop me a line at michael@scriptbully.com!)

Resource: 7 Screenwriting Competitions That Don’t Suck and Might Actually Make You Money

The post Screenwriting Q&A: Are Screenplay Contests a Total F&$#in Ripoff? appeared first on ScriptBully.

Screenwriting Q&A: What Do Ya Do If You Can’t Finish Your Screenplay?

In this edition of Screenwriting Q&A we cover that most perilous issue: what do you do if you just can’t (no matter what you do) finish your screenplay?

The screenwriting gurus will tell you that you GOTTA finish every script you start. (But this isn’t always the case.)

So, here are 4 strategies you can use to re-start (or reinvent) your stalled and creatively-stuck screenplay. (Don’t forget, if you would, give us a “like” or “subscribe” while you’re at it!)

Key Takeaways (or For Those Who Have ADD):



You don’t always have to finish a script.
You could always turn that script into…something else.
You can always find a writing partner; hopefully one a bit less lazy than you.
You can always ask yourself why you’re blocked – and work out ways to get through it.

Transcript:

Hi there it’s Michael Rogan from ScriptBully magazine and in this installment of Screenwriting Q&A I want to answer a question I got from Anthony…which was…what do you do if you can’t seem to finish a script no matter how many hours you spend — or caffeine you drink?

Well, Anthony, you have quite a few options:

1) You could simply not finish the script. I don’t recommend this – as you’ll learn far more from finishing a script that isn’t working then starting up a new project from scratch. But sometimes, especially if you have been working on a script for years, the need and motivation to write a story just ain’t there anymore.

2) You could spin the story into a totally new media. There’s no law that says you HAVE to keep it in screenplay form. Is your story feeling a bit too interior and emotive, but not much going on? Then maybe it’s really a novel. Or is it just super talky, with long scenes of dialogue but no plot. Then maybe it’s really a play. Sometimes the best thing you do for material is release from its very strict screenplay jacket.

3) You could find a writing partner. This will depend entirely on your own personality. As a rule, I don’t like people. So working with them is a big no-no. But bringing a partner onto an existing project can be a great way to get some awesome objective feedback. (Not to mention help you come up with some clever story fixes.)

4) And this is probably my recommended option, is to ask yourself WHY you’re blocked? What’s the reason you can’t go on with the story? Maybe it’s because the wrong character is the hero? (Maybe you care helluva lot more about the manipulative goth outsider than the all-american quarterback? Or maybe you’ve got the wrong genre? Maybe you’re writing horror – not family drama. Or this western will work better as sci-fi? Or Fantasy? Or dystopian futurism with teenagers hunting each other with crossbows?

Chances are there’s a part of you that knows how to fix your story. And though it may be scary – and it may not be what reasonable upstanding members of society might do – it’s the best thing for your story. (And your career.)

The post Screenwriting Q&A: What Do Ya Do If You Can’t Finish Your Screenplay? appeared first on ScriptBully.

Screenwriting Q&A: What Do Ya Do If You Can’t Finish Your Screenplay

In this edition of Screenwriting Q&A we cover that most perilous issue…what do you do if you just can’t (no matter what you do) finish your screenplay?

The screenwriting gurus will tell you that you GOTTA finish every script you start. (But this isn’t always the case.)

So, here are 4 strategies you can use to re-start (or reinvent) your stalled and creatively stuck screenplay. (Don’t forget, if you would, give us a “like” or “subscribe” while you’re at it!)

The post Screenwriting Q&A: What Do Ya Do If You Can’t Finish Your Screenplay appeared first on ScriptBully.

5 Horror Screenwriting Hacks Every Writer Can Steal (Borrow) From “The Wolf Man”

“The Wolf Man” from 1941 represents not only Universal Studios at the height of its classic horror period, but its a film that literally “wrote the book” on werewolf lore. (There ain’t no “silver bullets” and “full moon” wolf-y stuff without this movie.)

And though “The Wolf Man” may seem a bit implausible during a modern viewing – do any of us really believe that 5’6 English Claude Rains is the father of 6’3 American Lon Chaney Jr. – the film does offer a case study in how screenwriter Curt Siodmak not only built a vibrant story world…

…but also helped exorcise some of his personal demons. (In the service of a ripping classic horror yarn.)

So, sit back, relax (but dont’ get too relaxed) and enjoy these 5 things every would-be horror screenwriter can learn from the classic movie “The Wolf Man.”

Key Takeaways (Or For Those Who Have ADD):

Use personal horrors as inspiration for your horror tale
Create your own scientific backstory (the Masters did it)
Pay attention and steal, steal, steal
Make your climax intimate and emotional
Don’t explain theme, just use powerful visual symbols

Horror Screenwriting Hack #1 You Can Steal From “The Wolf Man”: All Good Horror Movies Start With “Personal” Horror

“The Wolf Man” these days may seem like a run-of-the-mill horror flick, in which the main character gets to embrace his inner cocker spaniel, but the inspiration for screenwriter Curt Siodmak was far more personal.

The holocaust.

Siodmak had fled the persecution of the Jews in Dresden, Germany and found himself drawn to writing a Greek tragedy, “disguised” as a horror film.

A story in which the gods have cursed the “hero” of a story. And this “hero” may appear to be a monster, but he is simply the victim of a curse. An outsider on the fringes of society who is hated, pursued, hunted – and eventually killed – by a mob who don’t learn until too late that he is one of them.

And the one plot device that Siodmak fought for the hardest was the “mark of the pentagram” that each victim of the wolf carries with them to designate their dim prospects for the future. It was this plot detail that Siodmak felt most resonated with his own experience as a Jew, labeled in war-time . (And transformed his “little horror picture” into something far more powerful and lasting.)

Action Step: If yer writing a horror picture, start off with your own personal horror. (And then find a dramatic, visual way to express that horror.)

Horror Screenwriting Hack #2 You Can Steal From “The Wolf Man”: When in Doubt, Create Your OWN History

Much of the exposition in the “Wolf Man” goes to great lengths to establish that lycanthropy – the affliction of being a big, bad wolf-y – has its origins in the ancient world.

With legend having it that the victim, after being bitten, becomes full-on werewolf during a full moon. And that the only way to kill a werewolf is with silver.

And it sounds very plausible. And old-time, Gypsy legend-y.

Only, it’s total bullshit.

Siodmak made it all up. The only “legend” of lycanthropy had to do with a person unwittingly eating a wolf’s brain. (Fat chance, that.)

Siodmak is the one who made the brilliant creative decision to make “werewolf transmission” much more intimate, through a bite. And by tying the wolf’s ascendance to the moon he came up with a kick-ass way to build a time lock – that boosts tension without revealing the transformation too early.

Action Step: Feel your story lacks urgency or stakes? Simply give it a historical basis – that you, of course, make up – and use your newfound legend and lore to boost your story’s potential.

Horror Screenwriting Hack #3 You Can Steal From “The Wolf Man”: Your Story Solutions Can Come From Anywhere

Though the initial spark for the story came from Siodmak’s traumatic experience as a Jew in Third Reich Germany , many of the film’s other crucial elements came from a more mundane, everyday genesis.

Take the role of silver in the movie.

Siodmak needed an “Achilles Heel” for his wolf man. Something, that though uncommon, would prove to be his undoing.

And so, one day Siodmak was listening to “The Lone Ranger” on radio. And when he heard that good, old “Hi-Ho, Silver!” – Siodmak knew he had the ultimate werewolf equalizer. Silver. (Little did he know that he would be creating pillars of werewolf mythology for more than a half-century.)

Action Step: While you’re in the midst of writing a script – and banging your head against the wall trying to find a story solution – be open to finding that storytelling resolution in the most unlikely of places.

Horror Screenwriting Hack #4 You Can Steal From “The Wolf Man”: Make Your Climax as Emotional (and Intimate) as Possible

Spoiler alert: I’m about to reveal the ending to a movie that was released in 1954. (Letting all you “Twitter trolls” get ready.)

In case it’s been awhile since you’ve seen “The Wolf Man,” the film ends with a climactic showdown in which wolf-infused Lon Chaney Jr. attacks the woman his “human self” is in love with. (Played by Evelyn Ankers.)

She is saved by the wolf-dude’s father, played with grace and charm by Claude Rains, who happens upon his “wolf son” and beats him with his “silver cane” – but not before Chaney Jr. takes out Dad…

…and the villagers arrive (a little late to the party) to find Chaney Jr. turning back into a human, right before he dies.

Talk about an uplifting ending! (I’m sure if Michael Bay had directed it there would have been a female lycanthropy scientist wearing a mini-skirt.)

Still, what’s most interesting about that ending is what Siodmak originally wrote. (Namely having Mr. Wolf Man kill a random villager and then having his father shoot him with a revolver that contained a silver bullet, which did not kill him.)

But Siodmak made TWO KEY CHANGES:

1) He had the SON kill the FATHER (Nice Freudian homage there)

2) He had the WOLF killed much more INTIMATELY (Up close with a cane, not from a distance with a pistol)

Siodmak felt the ending needed to be more visceral. More immediate. More grueling for the characters. (And the audience.)

And what could be more grueling than having a father have to kill his son in hand-to-hand combat. (And then to have that son turn his Dad into wolf meat.)

And in a majority of the scripts I read I find MOST – if not ALL – of them can always be more personal. More intimate. More in-your-face.

Don’t worry the studio will always make it “less” personal.

Action Step: As you write the ending to your screenplay, think of ways you can go farther, deeper, and more gut-wrenching than you think you can. (You might just find the perfect ending that way.)

Horror Screenwriting Hack #5 You Can Steal From “The Wolf Man”: Let the Audience Find Their Own Symbolism

The fascinating thing about stories, and the horror genre especially, is how audiences will often project their own anxieties, concerns, and interpretations onto the yarn – independent of what the screenwriter intended.

Take the role of silver.

Again.

More than a dozen Ph.D dissertations have been written about the role of silver in werewolf mythology. Some claim it’s a symbol of hard currency literally “killing” the middle class – an expression of the wealthy upper classes using the one weapon at their disposal to take out the afflicted bourgeoisie.

A more popular theory is that silver represents the Catholic church. (Most church-mandated tools are silver.) And perhaps the thinking goes that “The Wolf Man” is a parable about the church’s role in eliminating evil. (If a bit too late to help anybody in the graveyard that fateful night.)

Perhaps the most interesting symbolic takeaway from “The Wolf Man” may have been from the countless teenage boys who went to see the movie again and again. (“The Wolf Man” was the most successful of the Universal Horror films.)

I don’t think it’s a stretch to suggest that the werewolf – with his uncontrollable changes and appetite – resonates with an audience in the throes of puberty. (And drive-in movies.)

And though Siodmak never intended a religious or pre-pubescent reading of his film – he was after all going for Greek tragedy – it’s a legacy he would have certainly appreciated.

Action Step: Don’t explain your symbolism. Just use concrete imagery — and let the Ph.Ds figure it out.

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