Where to start to become a screenwriter?

[writersliving]

:idea:
Do any have any idea about the process of becoming a screenwriter. I have no idea. who do show your work to. who hire you. I don't any of the process. If you do please tell me?

[Birol]

Moving this to the screenwriting forum.

[VOTE_BOT]

Read a lot of scripts. Study format (hugely important, since there are industry standards that must be adhered to), pacing and style. Learn the differences (and there are many) between writing for film and writing for print.

[dpaterso]

Based on what I've heard or read -- you write a screenplay, or preferably several screenplays. And then, in order to option or sell your screenplay(s) or otherwise get a foot in the door, you should:

Query producers asking if they would like to read your screenplay
Query an agent asking to be taken on as a client
Submit to screenwriting contests
Query producers who post "scripts wanted" ads when their requirements match your screenplay(s)

I'm not trying to be pessimistic but your chances of success with any of the above are very slim, and in some cases very, very, very slim. Unless you're pretty damn good.

Suggested books (you should read and understand lots of these):

The Screenwriter's Bible (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1879505444/104-8470151-4765526?v=glance) by David Trottier
Screenplay by Syd Field (http://www.sydfield.com/products.htm)
Story by Jim McKee (http://www.mckeestory.com/homepage.htm)
...I found Field's and McKee's sites but Dave Trottier's seems to be waiting for content...

Suggested online screenplay archives (you should read and analyze lots of these):

http://www.script-o-rama.com (http://www.script-o-rama.com/)
http://www.simplyscripts.com (http://www.simplyscripts.com/)
http://www.imsdb.com (http://www.imsdb.com/)

Everyone should feel free to add to the above lists or suggest corrections and alternatives. We really should pull an informative and semi-permanent package together for every time this kind of question is asked.

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57/scripts.htm)

[Joe Calabrese]

Trottier's site is http://www.keepwriting.com

[JustinoXXV]

If it helps, most of the working screenwriters who have gotten interviews have done so because they have gotten industry referrals of some sort. Said preferals may come from an instructor, a friend, a neighbor,etc. Someone's whose in the industry, knows what a screenplay is, and who is respected by people in the industry can certainly get your read.

Also, friends in the industry maybe able to tell you what producers are looking for what kinds of scripts. You really do need to find ways of getting yourself in the know.

As for people who post scripts wanted ads, these are mainly small fry. It's really doubtful that most of them have the money to make a movie, or the pull to get it distributed.

Any real producer is going to have no shortage of scripts coming his way/her way.

As for screenwriting contests, most of them aren't likely to be of much help. Those who win Disney (Disney and Fox run free contests), the Nicholls, etc will very likely have their careers launched. But the typical screenwriting contests is just a money making scam. A major red flag is if the contest has to spam you, the message boards, or advertise all over the place.

[Kiva Wolfe]

Take classes and join screenwriting orgs.

http://www.writingclasses.com/
http://www.asascreenwriters.com/

[IWrite]

writersliving -

Screenwriting is a form of writing - so the first place I think you need to start is to work on your grammar, spelling and sentence structure.

I do not mean to sound rude or snarky, but I've seen quite a few of your posts and most, if not all, have serious errors.

You must know the basics of grammar before you can hope to write anything at all.

[JustinoXXV]

Iwrite:

I've known a writer whose been published by a legitimate publishing company. He's also a journalist. Yet when he ims me, his spelling and grammatical errors are far worse than the original poster of this thread. People are often very lax when they're typing posts or sending e-mails. So you have no actual basis for saying that this person doesn't know basic grammer.

A post on the internet between people who don't even know each other's real names isn't going to be graded, hasn't been submitted for production, or publication.

" I do not mean to sound rude or snarky, but I've seen quite a few of your posts and most, if not all, have serious errors."

Yes, Iwrite, you did indeed mean to be rude and snarky. If you didn't, you would have answered his actual question. Instead you chose to insult and attack him.

[IWrite]

Justino -

I love it when you get all self-righteous on my ***.

WL has repeatedly expressed an interest in becoming a writer and has shown great enthusiasm for that goal. I felt that the most heplful thing I could do for WL was to point this out - because he/she will never achieve his/her dreams if he/she cannot formulate a sentence.

If WL has an English Lit degree and is merely leaving words out, misspelling them, using them incorrectly and flippping them around because he/she's typing in a hurry - then I'm sure he/she is having a great laugh. However, if WL's grammatical skills are as poor as they appear to be, then the kindest thing one can do is point out the obvious so WL can take the necessary steps to improve.

Being honest may not always be PC - but ignoring the pink elephant in the room because you don't want to offend is in my opinion far less kind than telling the truth.

[Rock]

Like most everyone has said - you need to start with the basics. Make sure that you know the proper format and submission guidelines before attempting to "get your foot in the door." No matter how good your story is, if it is not in the proper format or submitted under "industry standards" it will be tossed rather than looked at. As far as iWrite's response about proper sentance & grammer - just as a real life example - a script of mine was picked up by an independent producer, and the director found 2 spelling errors in the 108 pages and pointed them out - they had not shown up in spell check because the words, even though misspelled, were actually words found in the dictionary. So - just to bring out the importance of not only the proper formats, submission standards, etc, but also that grammer and spelling play a large part in what the producers/directors look at.
If your heart is in it - go with your heart and work to get it.

[nganok]

my half a cent is to write everyday and never look back.

[JustinoXXV]

While it is important to obviously have proper spelling and grammer, at the same time, no one is going to reject a screenplay for 2 errors per 108 pages.

The attitude of the producers towards things like spelling errors vary enormously.

I have been a reader for producers who said they really didn't care. They said generally people who were poor spellers weren't as likely to have a command of the format and structure.

However, if all other things were good (concept, story, overall writing), they said they would buy the script. It's easy to get someone to simply retype the script, and chances are it will be rewritten anyway.

[IWrite]

While it is important to obviously have proper spelling and grammer, at the same time, no one is going to reject a screenplay for 2 errors per 108 pages.
As I pointed out earlier, my decision to comment on this matter was based on the fact that pretty much all of writersliving's postings were rife with errors. It was not simply a case of a typo here and there. It's not simply format issues - it's the ability to write. In English. Above a 5th grade level on the Fleisch-Kincaid scale.

It may not seem fair but it is the cold hard truth. You must be more than simply functionally literate to make it as a professional writer. And quite frankly, I feel that acting like it's not a big deal and that just following your heart is the answer - is a load of crap - because if you can't write a proper sentence - you are not, repeat are NOT going to get anywhere in the world of professional writing of any kind.

Take a class, Learn how to structure a sentence, a paragraph. There's no reason to be ashamed if you can't and it's something that can be learned. But if you don't learn it, you won't be able to do it.

And all those people who are unwilling to acknowledge that some may not have a grasp of basic grammar and who attack those who try to address the issue - are a big part of the problem. Because you are adding to the stigma.

[WritingFool]

My advise to you would be to just start writing. Check out a few of your favorite movies, and see how they were written on paper. From there you start writing your own stuff. In time, if you find this is what you really want to do, youll start learning the craft, either because you feel it as your passion, or because you just think its fun, either way, cant go wrong...so write, write write.
There's tons and tons of people writing, some good some bad, and youre writing will become more sophisticated the longer you stay with it.

And if you dont know where to start, well, try modifying one of your favorite movies that youve seen past or present, or even create the movie or series and make it like you would want it to be. That would give you practice.
Th formating is pretty easy to catch on to, takes alittle time, but its going to be your plot, character development, etc. thats going to take investment of time and writing, that will come around the more you stick with it.

So, just write away!

[WritingFool]

Oh, and this is to counter what IWRITE posted:

It may not seem fair but it is the cold hard truth. You must be more than simply functionally literate to make it as a professional writer. And quite frankly, I feel that acting like it's not a big deal and that just following your heart is the answer - is a load of crap - because if you can't write a proper sentence - you are not, repeat are NOT going to get anywhere in the world of professional writing of any kind.

Which has a point, but then, thats what editors and treatment specialists are for, arent they. So long as you can convey the overall story in detail, you can just hire someone who makes a living enhancing other peoples writings. Cant you?

[JustinoXXV]

WritingFool, if someone doesn't know how to make basic sentence structure, it is doubtful that they could write anything that is even editable.

Manuscripts and stories are in very good (but not perfect) shape before a decision is made to publish them.

On AbsoluteWrite, you'll find few posters here unable to make sentences.

But if you on certain ezboard postings, you'll find posters like this.

"Nadav this person appreciates your help not only did you help me the other day but you helped me in the past as well and it is and it has been a huge help You said that were not talking about manners or Nadav's likes or dislikes but yet you simply stated your dislikes as an opinion how this website isn't the best anymore by saying how it was lacking"

This is an actual post. This particular poster seldom uses punctuation, and doesn't seem to make paragraphs either. She hasn't mastered punctuation making basic sentences. I've known her long enough to know that this isn't just because she's a fast typist.

I thought that perhaps people might get discouraged if they see Iwrite or other posters being so blunt with them. However, I think I'm going to concede that she's write. The above clips about Nadav would be thrown in the garbage by an editor. A so called manuscript written like that would give a book doctor/editor a heart attack.

[dpaterso]

Nothing impresses me more than when writers point out the writing deficiencies of other writers, and their own messages are riddled with typos, wrong word choices, missing words, etc.

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57/scripts.htm)

[JustinoXXV]

I'm someone who doesn't always care to proofread.

I have never written a post that was nothing more than ONE run on SENTENCE.

There's a huge difference in a typo (or even in me forgetting to insert a word) than there is for no sentence structure.:)

And if you're speaking about me, I did not point out anyone's writing deficiency. I did not criticize any writer. I used the post of someone who doesn't even post on this forum to illiustrate Iwrite's point about sentence structure.

In my first response to Iwrite, I also mentioned a friend of mine whose a published writer and a journalist. Yet he usually has more typos and errors than Writersliving. But that's due to him not bothering to proof what he writes in a casual conversation.

We've had some posters here who wanted to write screenplays, but their English was insufficient because it wasn't their native language. A person who doesn't know English well may make very obvious mistakes that will be entirely different from a native speaker ignoring Rule X or simply not proofing. There's nothing wrong with suggesting that some people take English courses to improve their command of the language.

[IWrite]

Nothing impresses me more than when writers point out the writing deficiencies of other writers, and their own messages are riddled with typos, wrong word choices, missing words, etc.
It's so much easier to be glib than honest, isn't Derek? The thing is, I wasn't being glib, I was being honest - and it wasn't something that I did lightly.

And I think Justino explained the situation quite admirably. No agent or producer is going to request a script if the query is so poorly written that it shows a lack of understanding of the English language and/or basic grammar. These things can be addressed, but they won't be if no one bothers to point out that the problem exists.

There is a difference between occasional sloppiness and real problems with the basic mechanics of grammar, I'm surprised you are unable to differentiate between the two - for some reason I expected more of you.

[Joe Calabrese]

You guys argue over some of the most amusing things.

It would be stupid to think one could write a screenplay without good grammar, although some people ignore or overlook what would otherwise be common sense. If it needs to be said, then by all means remind those with problems.

As for occasional indiscretions, we all do it to various degrees.

I myself am a poor typer and even poorer speller. You'll notice the difference between the posts done on my desktop versus my laptop, which doesn't have a browser spell check. When I do a first draft there will always be mistakes and a few doozies too boot.

Fortunately, I do have a competent editor who crosses my t's and dots my i's. I never send my work out to an agent or producer without making sure it is perfect. As for you guys, sorry, but I am not willing to spend good money so you can have perfect posts or samples of script pages I am not committed to yet.

On a side note. I fear that with IM-speak like IMHO and such, that today's kids will have serious problems with grammar and spelling without the use of a computer.

By the way, forgive any mistakes. I'm on my laptop.

[Chesher Cat]

There is nothing more annoying than reading submitted work that has spelling mistakes, typos and/or sloppy writing. If you want to make money writing you better consider it a profession and write in a professional manner. Every error gives the reader or producer one more reason to toss your script into the trash. Unless you are a Shane Black or a David Keopp, I advise you to hand in the most perfectly crafted version of your work that you can muster. Take the extra time to re-read and re-write, have friends read it searching for mistakes. Whatever it takes. No point in annoying a person who can put your name up on the silver screen and money in your bank account.

[dpaterso]

Oh m-my, so many raw nerves. :)

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity. (http://hometown.aol.co.uk/DPaterson57/scripts.htm)