Write a Screenplay Treatment Easily by Kal Bishop

The 510+ stage Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon - understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

* Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

* Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

* Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Easy Treatments

By following the path of the 510+ stage Hero's Journey, the screenwriter can easily construct a step-outline and a treatment (a treatment is an expanded step-outline).

There is a basic outline, which includes:

Call to Adventure. Introducing the hero's status, capabilities, nature, ordinary world, inner challenge, outer challenge, romantic challenge, the antagonism and more.

Refusal of the Call. On many levels the call is refused, including the interdictor, doves and hawks, punishments and more.

Supernatural Aid. A mentor is sought to provide advice, guidance, direction, magical gifts and more.

First Threshold. Has many functions including No Return, meeting of allies, a shape shifter, back-stories and more.

Physical Separation. Also known as the Belly of the Whale. Includes resistances, obstacles, encouragements and conscious decision towards the transformation.

Transformation. Also known as The Road of Trials. Transformation can include growing, learning, maturing or similar.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition Extends Deadline

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, the most prestigious screenwriting competition in Canada, recently crowned the winners of the 2008 celebration of the best in short screenplays and has officially opened it doors to 2009's competition hopefuls.

Last year's contest saw entries from all across the world; receiving scripts from as far away as New Zealand and India. Competition founder and producer, David Cormican, says, "We accepted screenplays right down to Auld Lang Syne 2009". Noting that the last online entry accepted for 2008 was electronically stamped on 11:58pm on New Year's Eve.

Many disappointed competition hopefuls were turned away after the deadline, which lead to the decision to incorporate the new graduated deadlines, including the appropriately named (and only available to entrants online) I-Missed-The-Deadline deadline of January 31, 2009 at 11:59PM PST.

Try and not be too late. Cormican hints, "Although we've extended the deadline, the later you leave your entry and the more you procrastinate, the more expensive your entry fee becomes". This new system is in place to try and encourage earlier and more balanced entries to the competition, which will make the review process less taxing and more efficient. Competition organizers and script readers were slammed with so many last-minute online and snail mail entries that it delayed final judging rounds and consequently, announcing the 2008 winners.

Cormican also insisted to make the 2009 deadline truly Canadian this year, pushing the official cut-off for submissions to 11:59pm PST to allow for every possible minute of 2008 Canadian time for writers to polish their scripts before ringing in the New Year.

For complete details on the 2008 Canadian Short Screenplay Competition winners (plus photos), as well as up to date deadline and fee information for entry to the 2009 competition, please visit http://www.yearoftheskunk.com/.

2009 Canadian Short Screenplay Competition NEW Deadlines and Entrance Fees

Kick-Off Deadline: September 30, 2009 at 11:59PM PST (fee: $25)
Early Bird Deadline: October 31, 2009 at 11:59PM PST (fee: $35)
Winter Deadline: November 30, 2009 at 11:59PM PST (fee: $45)
Final Deadline: December 31, 2009 at 11:59PM PST (fee: $55)
I-Missed-The-Deadline Deadline: January 31, 2010 at 11:59PM PST (fee: $75)

Great Screenplay Idea and Good Story Ideas by Kal Bishop

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

* Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

* Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

* Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero's Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Consider this:

* Titanic (1997) grossed over $600,000,000 - uses the Hero's Journey as a template.

* Star Wars (1977) grossed over $460,000,000 - uses the Hero's Journey as a template.

* Shrek 2 (2004) grossed over $436,000,000 - uses the Hero's Journey as a template.

* ET (1982) grossed over $434,000,000 - uses the Hero's Journey as a template.

* Spiderman (2002) grossed over $432,000,000 - uses the Hero's Journey as a template.

* Out of Africa (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Gladiator (2000) - All Academy Award Winners Best Film are based on the Hero's Journey.

* Anti-hero stories (Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) etc) are all based on the Hero's Journey.

* Heroine's Journey stories (Million Dollar Baby (2004), Out of Africa (1980) etc) are all based on the Hero's Journey.

Good Screenplay or Story Ideas

The essence of the good story is the Apotheosis - the illumination or insight that the hero undergoes.

The apotheosis follows the atonement with the father - where the hero confronts that which limits his apotheosis.

Once you know what the apotheosis is and what blocks the hero attaining it, you can (relatively) easily build up to and beyond that point.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

AwesomeStories.com Releases the Story Behind the Soloist

AwesomeStories.com today released "The Soloist - Story Behind the Movie," a primary source reference library providing current and historic context for the upcoming film.

Visitors to awesomestories.com/flicks/the-soloist can see pictures and videos of the actual people featured in the film, hear the music which Nathaniel Ayers (played by Jamie Foxx) performs on the streets of LA, watch Steve Lopez (played by Robert Downey, Jr.) describe his relationship with Ayers and take a virtual visit to the skid-row section of Los Angeles where Ayers lived.

Over 80 links strung through ten cohesive, easy-to-read chapters bring visitors directly to primary source materials and allow them to go as deeply as they want into related subject areas. Designed for both casual and academic exploration, the site links primary source material on everything from the place where Nathaniel Ayers was born and studied as a young man to the reasons why music has a calming effect on people who have schizophrenia.

Access to Awesomestories.com is free.

Don't Get Burned: Evaluating Script Writing Contests by Lenore Wright

Hundreds of writing contests tempt screenwriters with the lure of prize money, instant film industry contacts and personal feedback from film professionals. But contests can be costly, screenwriters should choose intelligently.

Before you write that check, research and evaluate the contests that interest you. Narrow down your choices to the best contests for you personally and the best ones for your scripts. These guidelines might help:

TIPS FOR RESEARCHING CONTESTS

Check out their website

Nearly all contests have an online page with guidelines and other vital details. I know it's tempting to salivate over the prize list and ignore the other features available on the site. Don't let the promised goodies distract you -- $10,000 and a trip to Hollywood to meet the film industry movers and shakers you dream of impressing. You're on a mission. You need to find out if the contest has preferences regarding the subject matter of the script, the ethnicity/gender of the author or the area where the writer resides.

Shortcut: At the very least read the FAQ page and note the submission deadline.

Rely on peer reports

If you belong to any online screenwriting discussion lists (and you should!), post a query about the contests you're considering. Learn from the experiences of others. Movie Bytes offers a very useful feature to help you: Contest Report Card. Writers evaluate contests they've entered and post their comments. Take advantage of this wonderful resource:

Feedback, feedback, feedback

Unproduced writers need professional feedback. Some contests offer feedback on your script as part of the package. Even if you don't win, you've received some extra value for your money. If the source of the 'professional feedback' is not listed on the site, send an email requesting this information. It's important -- pin them down!

Script readings

Some contests offer a staged reading of the winning script (or the scripts of all the finalists) as part of the prize. Script readings can be a great tool to help you polish your script as well as good industry exposure. Insider tip: Film festival script competitions in particular seem to offer script-reading opportunities to their finalists.

TIPS FOR EVALUATING CONTESTS

Sponsors

The people or companies sponsoring the contest should identify themselves and they should have film industry credentials. Some contests feature a well-known director, actor or producer as a nominal sponsor, implying that this person will read the final scripts or at least the winning one. If that is so, it should be stated in their guidelines or on their website - don't just assume it's true.

Judges

Some contests post their judges' names and credentials. I find this reassuring; however many legitimate contests don't make this information available for various reasons, not necessarily because they're hiding something shady. A general guideline: The less information the contest makes available, the more aggressively you should query the contest contacts before your write them a check.

Press releases

You want to win a contest that makes an effort to publicize their winners. When you come across the press releases of contests that tout their finalists or winners, resist pitching a rant at your agent; instead swallow your envy and jot down the contest details so you can enter the next time around.

Paid ads announcing winners

The most helpful form of publicity for contest winners are paid ads in the film industry trade papers. This species is rare; but when you come across it, make a note to at least research the contests that promote their winners in Variety, Hollywood Reporter and the major film magazines.

Industry contact

Many contests promise the winners and/or finalists will be exposed to important film industry contacts. Vague promises or inuendoes don't count. The legitimate contests get specific about what they mean by exposure. Exposure could mean a phone conversation with an agent, a script submission to a studio slushpile, a professional pitching session or an all-expense-paid trip to Hollywood or New York City. Find out.

Production promises

Some contests promise that the winning script or scripts will be produced. Yipee! But do they back up this promise with results? Find out - call their bluff. Tip for cynics: Request a contact email for a previous winner or finalist.

IN SHORT: BE CHOOSY!

I hope these guidelines help you find a contest that works for you and your script. Be choosy - it's your money, your script, and your career.

FEEDBACK: screenwriter@breakingin.net

About The Author

Lenore Wright has 15 years experience selling spec scripts and movie pitches in Hollywood and New York. For a free tutorial on script formats log onto her site = http://www.breakingin.net/format_tutorial.htm

For FREE insider tips on marketing scripts SUBSCRIBE to SCRIPT MARKET NEWS mailto:newsletter@breakingin.net

Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters - Good Ideas For Stories by Kal Bishop

The principle for writing good screenplays begins with good idea generation and then the use of structure to extrapolate that idea into a coherent story.

Structural Templates

All stories are simply alternative situations superimposed over the same complex structure. You want to be looking at the 510+ stage Hero's Journey for a complete understanding of this structure.

Sources of Good Ideas

a) Ideas that push cultural boundaries work well. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, In the Heat of the Night, The Defiant Ones, On the Watefront and so on were all controversial in their time and still very watchable movies.

b) Ideas that tug at the emotions and arouse passions. Imagine the worst thing you would want to happen to you. What are you most embarrassing moments? What causes the most pain?

c) Cathartic events. Protagonists engage in conflict and challenge but the final act is always cathartic.

d) Aspirational and self-actualising events. Make the audience move toward their ideal selves.

e) Fantasy and escapism. Take the audience to a new place, we're tired of this world today.

f) Humour. What are the funniest, most ridiculous, most hypocritical, incongruous, bizarre, irrational moments of life.

g) Education and morality. Teach them something or show them how we should be.

h) Special people. Take us into the world of people we fear or admire. Show us the lives of people who have travelled to places we dare not or cannot go.

i) Romance and love. How sweet it is when we can get it.

j) Different people. Show us how different people live. Compare and contrast.

k) The power of the group. Show us how we are more intelligent, able and greater together than alone.

l) Ambition. Is it pleasure or poison. Does it fulfill or corrupt.

m) Friendship. How real are our friendships. Do we know who our real friends are. What happens when they betray us.

n) Intellectual cross pollination - search the media, information sources...

o) Simply choose a story and write a screenplay. Good ideas will come to you during the project - make sure you capture them.

Learn more...

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 510+ stage Hero's Journey, Monomyth and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Image comparisons and a free sample file also at this site: http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

What is Screenwriting? by Mark Gonney

Simply put, it is the art of writing scripts for a visual medium. Unlike a play where the action is "talked out," the action within a screenplay is "acted out" visually. The old saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" was never more appropriate in relation to screenwriting. Having had the benefit of reading many screenplays as a reader, one of the most annoying, teeth grinding, nails against a chalkboard, signal of bad screenwriting is when the reader is told something instead of shown something. For example, I can't put a number on the amount of screenplays I've read with descriptions like this:

"JOHN enters the room. He is Frank's best friend and the life of the party."

OK. We, the readers, are supposed to know this because the writer said it? What makes matters worse is when, right after making this statement, the character of John engages in an activity or line of dialogue not even remotely associated with his "life of the party" description. In a movie script, the writer should introduce every action and/or character the same way the moviegoers will be introduced to them on the screen. Now compare the above introduction of John to this one:

"As Frank makes his way through the crowd of people at the house party, his attention turns to where the loudest commotion is coming from. As he enters into the living room we see his friend JOHN surrounded by hoops and hollers, dancing on a table while a beautiful topless blond sits on a chair receiving a lap dance from him."

Get it? Now doesn't this get the point across visually that John is not an introvert? In screenwriting you must always check to see if what you are trying to get across is being transmitted visually at all times. Not to downplay or trivialize dialogue, but no matter if the movie you are watching is good or bad, you can watch a movie on cable, turn down the volume, watch the movie from beginning to end with no sound, and know exactly what the movie is about. Why? Because a screenplay has to be VISUAL or else the movie will not be made. To show you just how important visual writing is, some writers do not write a line of dialogue until the structure and flow of the action is completed from beginning to end. They write the dialogue last because when they go to each scene, know what the scene is for, and what will happen in the next scene, they will be able to write the dialogue within a context.

"How NOT to write a screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make," by Denny Martin Flinn, is probably the first book you need to read if you want to know not only how a good screenplay is NOT written, but also the mindset of the Hollywood script reader. This is important because if you don't impress the script reader, the person the people with the money use to filter out the good from the bad screenplays, no one else will see it. You may not write a great script after reading and applying the wisdom within its pages, but you will not write a bad one.

On the flip side if you want to know HOW to write a screenplay, look no further than "Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting," by Syd Feld. I personally recommend this book because not only is Mr. Feld known as "the father of structure," but also he deals specifically with the art of screenwriting and less with the business of the movie industry. No need to rush. That part will come later. "The Screenwriter's Workbook" is another book by Syd Feld and the companion book to Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting.

"500 Ways To Beat The Hollywood Script Reader: Writing the Screenplay the Reader Will Recommend," by Jennifer M. Lerch concentrates on how to make your screenplay enjoyable to the Hollywood reader and literally gives you 500 ways to avoid having your script scrapped by the reader and passed on to the people who can bring your idea to life.

"The Screenwriter Within: How to Turn the Movie in Your Head Into a Salable Screenplay," by D. B. Gilles and "How To Write A Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie Method," by Viki King are two other books I personally recommend. Both books deal strictly with the screenplay itself and less with the movie industry. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to deal with that hurdle once your final draft is completed.

Mr. Mark S. Gonney is a former script reader for The Urbanworld Film Festival and an article writer for screenwriting-resources.com.

Screenwriting - Story Plot Asks a Question and Characters Answer It by Ugur Akinci

For over ten years I've thought about the fascinating question of the relationship between a story plot and characters in a screenplay. At long last I believe I solved the puzzle to my own satisfaction. I'm sharing my answer here with the hopes that it will help all my fellow screenwriters struggling with the pseudo problem of whether the "story" or the "characters" is more important in writing a screenplay.

A plot "limits" but fails to "predetermine" what a character will do the way a Question limits but does not predetermine what the Answer will be.

For example, the set of possible answers to the question "What day is today?" includes all seven days of the week but not "yellow," or "six hundred twelve," or "eggplants and strawberries."

In that sense the Question limits what answers we can give to it without, however, reducing it down to a single possible answer.

The same conceptual "limiting" relationship holds true in screenwriting as well.

Imagine this plot point: a guy traveling by plane finds a fat wallet sitting on the empty seat next to him.

Now what should he do? We know that he probably will not write an opera about it or perhaps cook it and eat it. In that sense, his responses can not be infinite and will be limited to a number of "possible actions" that "make sense."

He can call the stewardess and turn the wallet over to her, for example, or… he can pocket the wallet and keep it for himself. Or perhaps, he'll do nothing and continue to read his paper.

Which one of these actions our character will follow depends on the kind of character he is. Thus a brilliant story plot is not enough to write a good screenplay because in itself it is not sufficient to tell us how the people in our story will "answer" the "questions" put to them by our plot line.

Authentic responses to plot questions require not random but appropriate answers by characters. Otherwise you'll hear your viewers complain out loud with that familiar "no way!"

Decide on who your characters are while building up your story line. Otherwise your "answers" to plot "questions" will be pretty random, like the case with most "bad movies" out there. If you keep this Question-Paradigm in mind, it'll be easier for you to weave through the complex web of Character-Plot interactions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ugur Akinci, Ph.D. is a Creative Copywriter, Editor, an experienced and award-winning Senior Technical Communicator specializing in fundraising packages, direct sales copy, web content, press releases, movie reviews and hi-tech documentation. He has worked as a Technical Writer for Fortune 500 corporations since 1999.

You are most welcomed to visit his COPYWRITING WEB SITE http://www.writer111.com/ for more information on his multidisciplinary background, writing career, and client testimonials.

Register at his web site to get your FREE Writing and Marketing Tips & Ideas.

He is the editor of PRIVATE TUTOR FOR SAT MATH SUCCESS web site http://www.privatetutor.us/

In addition to being an Ezine Articles Expert Author, he is also a Senior Member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), Member of Bethesda / Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce of Maryland, and a Member of the American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) .

Breaking Into Hollywood - How Do I Sell My New Screenplay? by Donna Michelle Anderson

When new screenwriters finish their scripts, they often begin the search for a rep to submit the work around town. But is that the best way to do it? Well, sure! But it's not the ONLY way to do it.

As you prep to get your script sold, incorporate this info into your marketing strategy:

SEEK REPRESENTATION

But only if you have a bona fide "in" to their direct office line! It's very difficult to get a lit agent to read a script for representation without a personal introduction by a repped client of theirs. If you know a screenwriter or other industry member with an agent who actually is getting scripts read by real studios and funders, and you have TWO solid scripts (more on that later), ask for an introduction. Give your contact a substantial gift whether you are signed or not!

Of course, it's not necessary to have a lit agent to shop a script. Make getting an agent only one part of a broader shopping strategy.

EXPLORE LEGITIMATE SUBMISSION OUTLETS

The main places you're trying to get your script to, production companies, studios and even top-five actors' shingles, are sometimes more accessible than lit agents. If you're not already, make sure you join professional writers' groups like ScreenplayLab and Scriptwriters' Network, and attend every possible event to make those contacts. There's a list of organizations to get you started at Movie in a Box - Links.

Again, the way to shop a script in our industry is to know someone. It's tough to open a new professional relationship by asking for the considerable favor of an agent referral, so try a strategy where you're offering something they could use in exchange for the introduction. And expect them to request to read your script first - and listen to their notes without argument.

Another credible outlet for getting your script noticed is via some of the online sites. If you're not already, make sure you're active at Inktip, for example. And be sure to explore the hundreds of screenplay competitions, like Scriptapalooza - but check first to see what success stories you can verify from their sites.

WRITE AND QC MORE THAN ONE SCRIPT

"QC" stands for "Quality Control." Do not ever submit a script that is not structurally sound, no matter how ready you are to stop looking at it! This is neither a judgment, an assumption, an insult or a joke. It truly is a requirement. I was a reader at one of the biggest prod cos in Los Angeles, I've had scripts optioned, I run a filmmaking seminar, I've taught at UCLA Ext, I've written a very popular screenwriting book. Please trust me on this. There are no second chances for first impressions in our industry. And it's not just your rep on the line, but also the rep of whoever opens that door for your submission.

Why "more than one script"? That is because if someone reads work of yours and thinks you have promise, their next request (to confirm the initial impression) is very often, "Can you send me another spec?" If you can't, that is by no means a dealbreaker. But if you CAN, and the second script is equally hot, that could be a dealmaker! The second script needs to be structurally sound, as well.

Be sure that your screenplays are structurally solid (on a first submission, nothing else will do! Trust me!). Be sure that an experienced Hollywood reader has read the script and you've addressed the notes. As I always say, "if the story does not fit, you must not submit!" If you submit a flawless first spec, you will never have to live up these standards again, but you should. If you submit a flawed first spec, you will not get the chance to live up to higher standards at that company; you will be blocked from future submissions.

CONSIDER PRODUCING YOUR WORK YOURSELF

If you find you are getting great feedback on your work, but it's never quite the right fit, consider producing the film yourself. This is a great approach when you have a lower-budget indie project (think "Open Water") versus an effects-laden thriller! It is an enormous undertaking to produce a film, but there are many resources out there for people who have compelling scripts to develop. And just as you studied and trained to write well, be sure to research and train extensively before taking on a massive project like producing a movie. Your first stop should be a professional organization like Film Independent (FIND), which can connect with you with terrific partners and/or mentors, as well as vital resources.

However, you decide to get your screenplay sold, it should be clear by now that you don't do it alone - you need community support and resources - and no one else does it for you - even an agent! It is no one's responsibility to open a door for you to sell a screenplay. It is your responsibility to create a tight script, research appropriate buyers, and relentlessly seek submission opportunities until someone buys - or you decide to produce your work yourself!

DMA is a former film story analyst, international runway model and stage performer who is now the executive producer of Tidal Wave TV, a new media and reality TV production company in Los Angeles. Learn more about how to sell a screenplay from her book, "The 1-3-5 Story Structure Made Simple System: The Nine Essential Elements of a Sellable Screenplay."

For DMA's national speaking schedule and more insider resources for breaking into Hollywood, please visit Planet DMA. It is our goal to mentor you through your career in the entertainment industry!

Aspiring Filmmakers Can Win $12,000 Cash in Casino Video Contest

In a marketing first for a California casino, Barona Resort & Casino is launching an exciting new social networking campaign encouraging people from across the country to create a video that captures the magic of gambling. Called the Barona Video Contest, Hollywood hopefuls have between now and May 29, 2009, to share stories about what they love about casinos -- the sights, the sounds, the games and the thrill of winning. The creator of the highest rated video will win a total cash prize of $5,000 while the finalists and even online voters will share a total of $17,000 in additional cash prizes.

"Barona's Video Contest is intended to open new doors of awareness for our property through a combination of online, social, viral, traditional and in-house media," said Troy Simpson, senior vice president of innovation at Barona Resort & Casino. "While we have been integrating social media into our marketing for quite a while, this is our first major foray into the space. We are excited to tap new audiences and gain insight into the mind of our customers."

The premise of the contest is easy: demonstrate, in up to two minutes, what you love most about casinos. Is it poker, blackjack, slot games, casino movies, gambling as a sport? Is it the thrill of winning? A casino promotion? The atmosphere? The food? The entertainment? Do you have a winning moment at Barona to share? Or, what do you love most about Barona Resort & Casino?

"In recent focus groups and research, we've discovered that our guests just love to share their experiences and opinions about Barona," continued Simpson. "We thought this would be a great way for them to visually express what they love best and share their favorite gaming moments with the world. We expect that we'll get some very creative entries!"

Videos can be uploaded at www.baronavideocontest.com and submissions will be accepted through May, 29, 2009. The top five finalists, selected by Barona judges, will be voted online from June 5 through June 25. The finalist to receive the most online votes will be announced live at Barona on June 26, 2009.

Official rules, conditions and the prize chart are available at www.baronavideocontest.com.

You are the Box Office Smash: The Personal Screenplay by Gordy Hoffman

Right this very second, in the heart of every struggling, undiscovered screenwriter, in the dark, hidden corner deep within, there is a voice, a clear whisper, saying one thing:

You're never gonna figure this out.

And this is not referring to the story with its gaping hole, the finale missing a payoff, the hit and miss humor, the flat title.

I'm talking about freedom. The freedom to work as a screenwriter. Compensation for a home for family and a life. The resources to wake up and ply your craft and pay the freight, without obstacle. The chance to see your writing made into pictures, to work with the industry's best, to fulfill this goal of professional screenwriter. Hollywood success.

Behind this voice is the idea that somehow, some way, you'll find the hero, or the hook, logline or pitch that will punch your golden ticket. If you could only figure out what the studio wants, if you can only get a solid bead to this game, you know you can write and execute. What is the script I should write to get an agent? What is the one that will sell? It's not that I don't know how to write, I know how to write screenplays, I just need to know what they want, even though I think I know what they want, but I don't think I have the idea that they want. Yeah.

I'm not gonna figure this out, whispers the voice.

Why this uneasiness? Does it originate within ourselves? I don't think so. But where does it come from? The daily obsession with box office grosses? The news of the seven figure deals to newbies? The endless procession of boneheadedly conceived franchises-in-waiting arriving in the theatres every Friday? People winning Academy Awards for movies you would not be caught dead writing? Recognizing an idea you came up with years ago on your couch, produced with a $130 million budget drowning in CGI?

All these things are but a few of the possible reasons why this seeds unhealthy doubt and confusion in the modern screenwriter. Tracking these forces outside us and beyond our control in an effort to trudge the path to a successful screenwriting career will prove to most to be unproductive and corrosive. Basically, trying to figure out what Hollywood wants will land us in a resentment that makes "giving up" a sane response to the very challenge which used to inspire us. In short, we cannot chase a perceived trend and remember our dreams.

You cannot look at the marketplace and find your voice. You can find ideas, trends, and inspiration there, perhaps, but you can find these things driving in traffic as well. But listening to your voice is the key to creating original, compelling stories.

Your life is your own story. You have a completely unique thread of experience. By allowing yourself to express these emotional experiences, your screenplay, your story, will be different from any other and powerful, as original as your fingerprint.

Why is it powerful? When we have the courage to be specific about what we know about living, we create an authentic world an audience recognizes as the life they are living on planet Earth. This connects your audience to your story. This connection is the foundation of the phenomena of story.

Why does story mean so much to us? We recognize the triumphs and tragedies of our lives, with all the hilarity and tears. By seeing it, we are validated and it underscores meaning and purpose to living.

If we don't use what we've collected in life in our hearts and spirits, then our story loses its authenticity and the connection the audience should make fails. They do not see themselves, and when they leave the theater, they do not call their friends. When people do not call their friends after seeing a movie, the movie bombs.

When a writer opens their person to their work, when they allow themselves to be vulnerable, to risk exposure of the secrets of their life story, they take a huge step towards creating a screenplay of substantial value, a screenplay with a greater potential of a large number of tickets sold.

This is precisely why art and commerce have remained bedfellows for thousands of years. To look at the relationship between art and commerce as adversarial or incompatible is just plain foolish. Art happens when people invest their spirits in their work without fear, and story is artful when the writing is truthful and the writer is authentic.

And what do we have to be honest about? We can only lie about what we know, and we can only tell the truth about what we know. And that is what has happened to us, our life story. This is what we share.

This is not a pitch to write "what you know." This is not about writing stories about where you work or where you live. This is about writing about what you felt. You can imagine characters and worlds and actions and speech you've never personally experienced, but if you remember to infuse your choices with your emotional and spiritual struggles and victories as a human being, your screenplay will be different in the very best sense of the word.

The question you have to answer is not what does Hollywood want today. The question is how honest of a writer do you want to be. I guarantee you can write a blockbuster, you can write a box office hit. This will happen when you find an audience. And the correct path to this crowd of people is listening to yourself. If you practice, you will develop an inner ear for who you are and what you know and you will become masterful in loading your work with your fingerprints. Writing is personal work. You are the guitar. You are the box of paint. Give of that and your audience will remember why life is good and they will talk of you.

About the Author
Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the Sundance Film Festival for LOVE LIZA, Gordy Hoffman has written and directed three digital shorts for Fox Searchlight. He made his feature directorial debut with his script, A COAT OF SNOW, which world premiered at the 2005 Locarno Intl Film Festival. A COAT OF SNOW made its North American Premiere at the Arclight in Hollywood, going on to screen at the Milan Film Festival and the historic George Eastman House. Recently, the movie won the 2006 Domani Vision Award at VisionFest, held at the Tribeca Cinemas in NY. A professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Gordy is the founder and judge of BlueCat Screenplay Competition. Dedicated to develop and celebrate the undiscovered screenwriter, BlueCat provides written script analysis on every script entered. In addition, Gordy acts as a script consultant for screenwriters, offering personalized feedback on their scripts through his consultation service, http://www.screenplaynotes.com/. For more articles by Gordy on screenwriting, visit http://www.bluecatscreenplay.com/.

College Student Possessed When Writing Movie Script

SPIN OF FABRICATIONS, a new independent film about a young girl who went horseback riding, fell asleep in the woods, and dreamed about meeting four different fantasy figures in her dreams! In her dreams, she was looking for, and found, the meaning of truth! See http://www.veradonir.com/, click on FILMS.

The script was written by an 18-year-old junior college student named Pete Baumann, whose professor gave the class instructions to write a three to five page paper about the meaning of truth. Here is young Mr. Baumann's story about writing his movie script:

Just like everybody, throughout my life I've been curious about the world. As a child, questions would keep me awake at night: questions like where did existence come from? Did the universe always exist? How do I know that what I see and hear is really true reality? What if it's all illusions? Is there such a thing as absolute truth, or is everything relative to experience and perspective? What is the purpose of life? Are we just supposed to live out our lives doing whatever we need to do to survive and function, then ultimately just die? Or is there some other purpose – some goal? And, of course – the big one that scares us all – is death an end? These questions, to me, as I suspect they are to many children, were not just a curiosity, nor did they seem like some spiritual quest. I just wanted to understand. And the more I thought about it, the more confused and even saddened I felt. Religion seemed to offer a convenient system of ideas, which tended to make me feel better. Yet, it all seemed so foreign, so odd. I wasn't satisfied with answers other people tried to give me. It seemed that these were the types of questions people have to answer for themselves.

Later, when I went to college, I started studying philosophy. It was a breath of fresh air, because it didn't claim to offer answers to these big questions. Instead, it offered tools, tools to help me ask them differently, to rephrase them in ways that seemed more plausible. In short, I felt for the first time in my life like I was armed with some knowledge that could help me in my undying need to answer these questions.

My philosophy professor gave our class an assignment – to write down our thoughts about philosophy, about the big questions. The assignment was to be a three to five page paper! I've never been so inspired by an assignment. I locked myself in a room and began typing. I hardly ate or slept for two days, barely spoke to anyone. My friends and family joked that I was possessed. It didn't feel like I was possessed, but I do remember not thinking about what I was typing. It never occurred to me what the meaning of the words I was typing could be.

I was aware that I was writing a screenplay with characters and situations, etc. – but they all seemed abstract. There's no doubt that this screenplay emerged almost entirely from my subconscious. In hind sight, this seemed like an odd way to respond to the assignment, but I didn't care. I had a profound feeling that these words would matter to other people, not only me. So, I turned it in. ALL 52 PAGES OF IT! Needless to say, my professor was surprised. He said that the poetry and metaphors seemed to him to express sophisticated philosophical ideas that I couldn't have learned from Philosophy 101. I told him how I had written it, and a ghostly look of confusion came over his face. Finally, he set the script down and said, "well, you've written something very cool here. I suspect people will read all kinds of different meanings into these words, yet it seems to me you must have been intentionally expressing certain concepts that I didn't learn until graduate school." He began to explain what he thought the words meant, and it was so weird – it was like he was explaining something written by somebody else – some other text. He suggested I actually make the movie, saying people would find it interesting. So, I asked my dad to produce the movie for me, and he agreed.

Now, six years later, every time I read the script I find new meanings in it. And hearing the lines said by the actors, new meanings emerge still. I hope that what we've made is more than a movie; I hope it's a tool, another tool people can use to inspire their own thinking, maybe even help them answer some of those big questions for themselves, such as, "What is the meaning of truth?" I know it has helped me.

Pete Baumann attended Rogue Community College in Grants Pass, OR, when he wrote SPIN OF FABRICATIONS. He then attended SOU in Ashland, OR.

The Substance of the Story: What Fiction Writers Can Learn from Screenwriters by Joy Cagil

As we know, Hollywood is all about storytelling, and storytelling in Hollywood means screenwriters. People in the movie business know very well that if you can't keep the viewers interest focused on the screen, the movie is a flop. Thus, it may be a good idea for any fiction writer to pay attention to the basic principles of screenwriting so his story turns out to be energetic and successful.

Screenwriters work according to established six story telling phases. All phases are important and not one phase should be set aside as unimportant.

First, a writer has to create a main character who will drive the story, after the writer has an idea what his story will be about. Before a writer starts putting the first word down, he needs to know at least a few things about his character. Some fiction writers go ahead and describe the visual assets of the character. Although a visual may help a writer to see the character in front of him, a character's psychological traits will be the ones to drive the plot.

All characters have inborn dispositions that are controlled by their genes, life experiences that shape or misshape who they are, what their state of mind is--or in other words, how they see themselves-- and where their maturity or immaturity levels rest. If the main character is a passive one and stays passive throughout the story, the story runs the risk of being a flop. The active or agitated characters make the plot more interesting and easier to develop.

Second, is the conflict. Creating a conflict inside the story begins with setting up a motivation. The question to ask here is what does the character want the most? Motivation is important because it makes the audience identify with the character. This doesn't mean that the character has to be goody two shoes, but what he wants the most--be it to blow off the planet--has to be of interest to the reader or the viewer. When the viewer's curiosity is aroused, he'll stay with the story to see if the character will succeed in his quest.

The screenwriter likes to “create a platform” so he can push forward the motivation of the character. This means creating a scene or a sequence of scenes that state the point of the story clearly, so the audience or readers can penetrate inside the character. At this stage, the character's touch-up characteristics or his shades may be developed that were left out in the initial planning of the story.

In the third phase, the supporting characters are developed. In a story, each character functions in tandem with the main character and key characters have to be given their place in the story. For example, without Hamlet's uncle and mother, there wouldn't be a play. The more different the characteristics of the supporting characters from the main character, the more interesting will be the story.

The story's progression occurs when the characters one by one or all together negate, support, or contrast the main character. At this phase, the inference factor comes into play. This means the interchange between the characters, and also, what the reader or the viewer infers from the tone, point of view, and symbolisms. What the reader or viewer infers--consciously or without knowing--is significant because it will provide the story with originality.

Phase four or the backbone or the process of the story is the toughest part for most writers, because here, the writer will originate the characters and behavior to reflect the ideas behind the story. Backbone develops as the writes continues writing the story. The backbone is the dramatic arguing of the characters in support of or against what the story is about. The backbone of the story binds together the main character, key characters and the conflict, through scenes and sequences. This is where mini climaxes start to surface to illustrate the main character's transformation through a dynamic central idea.

The writer has to establish a theme or, in other words, a basis for the story's premise in order to create the backbone. Backbone arises from the moral or immoral dilemma of the story. In other words, the theme asks the question of “what if”; the characters and their behavior become the backbone. For example: The question ‘What if jealousy turns a good man into a murderer?' finds its backbone in the story of Othello.

The fifth phase is the further developing of the backbone--usually called the spine--toward the main climax. The fifth phase is successful only when the writer begins to understand and sense more profoundly the internal conflict of the main character.

At phase six, the depth of the story is disclosed to the readers and viewers. The depth of the story is how we emotionally and intellectually experience the story in our hearts and minds. If the writer has established a good workable foundation for the story up to this point, this last phase should be a successful one. Otherwise, the writer needs to go back to rewrite, alter, and fix the story's construction.

It is said that to tell a story effectively, a writer has to become vigilant of its mysteries from the start as he gains insight into the character and the situations the character finds himself in. Most of the time, infinite layers of meaning are created as sequences or scenes are piled one on top of another, which means the story within the story emerges as it is being written.

It is true that most of the storytelling depends on intuition and right brain thinking; however, knowing how to persevere with the ideas and putting them into an acceptable and comprehensible shape gives a writer his license to write.

Joy Cagil is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Fiction Writing. Joy Cagil's education is in linguistics. In her background are women's issues, mental health, and visual arts.