Hi – just a quick note:
I just implemented a new feature, called feedback, which will enable you, constant reader, to send scriptxray your feedback; whether it includes an idea for a post, a
suggestion for the site, or a question you’d like scriptxray to explore, you can kick it on over anytime.
Here’s how it works:
1. Click the “feedback” tab (to the left)
2. Select the suggestion you’d like to vote for
3. Click “Vote”
Check out my latest post over at Greenwriter.org!
It’s called “Writing Your Life Story? Don’t Forget the Compelling Concept” and it’s about one of the most common mistakes I see as a reader – writing a screenplay about your life when your life really isn’t all that exciting.
Check it out!
Writing Your Life Story? Don’t Forget the Compelling Concept
Everyone and their parents know that the film business is notorious for being a difficult and cruel place to work.
So much in fact, screenwriters have been seasoned to be ready for those golden moments when they might be able to connect with someone or send someone their work – because it’s a chance to slip into Hollywoodland through the side gates … not to imply that there are front gates where most people gain access, because there aren’t.
I’m pretty sure most of you have either seen or heard about the exciting new community of screenwriters and producers building over Greenwriter.org – why so sure? Because not only has the org been featured on the first page of the latest issues of Script Magazine, Creative Screenwriting and a dozen other outlets, but it’s also featured right here at Scriptxray.com … right over there ->
When the folks over at Greenwriter expressed interest in working with Scriptxray last summer, I knew I had to get involved. I knew they were doing something great for both screenwriters and the industry as a whole. Not only are they striving to create a green development world for producers, but they’re also creating a more efficient way for screenwriters to share their screenplays with producers and other industry professionals as well.
Yesterday I was browsing through the hundreds of comments over at copyblogger and noticed two pretty common words appearing …
As most of you already know, Blake Snyder provided the screenwriting community with one of the most influential, non-fiction books of all time.
Why so influential?
Not only did Blake Snyder make the, oh so famous, “Blake Snyder Beat Sheet,” he also dedicated the entire book to breaking down the outlining process for screenwriters. I don’t know about everyone else, but for me personally, this was one area that always seemed to be skimmed over with other books on screenwriting.
What’s the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet?
The beat sheet in general is a shorthand of your story – a step-by-step guide if you will. The Blake Snyder Beat Sheet is a collection of beats, broken down in each chapter, that you’re able to use to tell your story. Warning! This isn’t for the screenwriters out there interested in creating abstract art or rebelling against structure. Check it out below, or download the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet here.
If you’re anything like me, then you’re probably the type of writer that wouldn’t mind living in the any of the imaginary worlds you’ve created for the rest of your life – free to explore the world, and make it up as you go, without a care in the world!
Unfortunately, reality gets the best of us, so while we might spend the majority of our time up in our heads imagining what might lurk within the dark corners of our latest world of story, we still have to deal with real life now and again.
One particular chapter of real life I’d like to explore today involves the day job – more specifically, which jobs are best for aspiring writers.
Just to be clear, the following list is meant to give you an idea of what’s available and what might work for you as a writer – each enabling you some amount of downtime or schedule freedom to work on your screenplay.
When given the opportunity to talk with a successful writer, and coax out some advice, it seems th
e advice given always revolves around, or at least comes back to, the same theme again and again:
“Write 1,000 words a day”
That’s at least what I’ve come to notice with my own experience anyway. So, if there is one true “secret” to finding success as a writer, I’m thinking it probably has something to do with writing 1,000 words a day.
A few posts back I told you about the latest 13 screenwriting blogs I was reading – today, I’ve got 7 more screenwriting blogs for ya!
The majority of the following blogs are either blogs I’ve stumbled across through other blogger suggestions or those of which I’m following via Google Friend Connect. I’m pretty sure most are updated regularly, so you should subscribe to them or follow them if possible because there’s some good stuff going down!
I’m working on compiling a list of blogs to check out for the sidebar over yonder ->, so if you have any suggestions let me know.
Whether you believe in it or not, writer’s block can be severely debilitating to the screenwriter – so much in fact, it’s safe to say that it’s probably why most people move on from the screenwriting craft.
Like any form of evil, writer’s block comes in all shapes and sizes – those inexplicable spells that keep you from writing more than a handful of words one night, the inability to focus on the scene at hand, or the distracting thought that going to the store might actually help you in some unknown way. These are all minions of writer’s block. If you’re not careful, they might just take over.
As a common fear amongst even the most productive screenwriters, writer’s block is something that must be dealt with immediately – sort of like a cavity. Let the evil fester within and you might find yourself in that group of writer’s block victims that gave up on screenwriting.
The team over at FUEL is hosting a pretty fun competition for writers of all kinds in their comments section – it’s fun and quick, so be sure to get involved and share your tip as a writer!
Post the best writing tip you’ve ever received (either in school, from a book on writing, a tip online, etc.) in the comments section of this post at FuelYourWriting.com.
That’s it – the team behind FuelYourWriting will be choosing the winner at the end of the week, so hurry and post. You can also check out what I feel the best writing tip I’ve encountered is – check it out! It’s the first comment bellow the post.
My name is ChristopherR2D2 and I'm a script reader in Los Angeles - I'm one of those people you need to impress when submitting your screenplay to producers.
Unknown Feed