Would a Silent Movie Count?

As most of the staff here at OLL and Script Frenzy now know, I have no experience in scriptwriting. Like, really. None. But rather than feel intimidated, I'm trying to leap at the opportunity that will soon be presented to me this April. I even already have an idea. So what's the problem, you may ask? Rather than forming my initial thoughts about my script as such, I can't help but imagine it as a novel: heavy on description, omniscient narrator, light on character dialogue.

Which brings up the question: would a silent movie count? This prospect is becoming more and more appealing for me as I develop my idea. I'm hoping to write a murder mystery that takes place in the restaurant where I work. Imagine a busy Saturday night at a fancy steakhouse, and suddenly the waitstaff just start dropping like flies. But the surviving employees have to keep it secret from unsuspecting diners. Now imagine that as a silent film with creepy orchestra music. Scary, no? Or possibly some sort of dark comedy. We'll see how it goes.

And now, with just that initial question, my brain is flooded with other script questions. How will my script actually play out? What would it look like with real people playing the parts? What would the set look like? I guess this means my murder mystery novel will be on the back-burner til November.

How do you all of you start your scriptwriting process? Does it start with a novelistic storyline, or do you usually hear your actors playing their parts early in the process? And are any of my fellow script writing novices facing similar challenges?

– Shelby

Photo from the Orange County Archives