Screenwriting : Screenwriting, Networking by Josiah Bhola Hillaire

Senior year in high school. I found the script for "Office Space" online.

Honestly, when I found out how they make.

Never did - it just sort of descended on me.

Lol maybe when I was gripping, packing and unpacking trucks every day, 12-15 hour production work days and seeing "creatives" relaxing at video village tents on-set, that's when I said, "I wanna be a writer."

Josiah, my I-want-to-be-a-screenwriter moment was when I bought a copy of the paperback version of the "American Graffiti" screenplay. I read that book from cover to cover...that script blew me away.

Haven't seen how screenplay looks till my 20's...before I was trying at short stories, comics, novellas, plays...but I guess I'm just too lazy to waste 5-8 pages on describing how a person dresses up for an event or so...when I saw screenplay economics and yet possibilities in creativeness, I said bullseye...

I'd been writing professionally for video for 30 years and had tried out novel writing. Then in 2012 I had an idea and took off from there. During the Pandemic another idea came up and I wrote my second one.

Maurice Vaughan That’s awesome

Jim Boston that’s deep

Correction

When I found out how much screenwriters can make (up to $3 million USD per script).

I have always been a story teller through role playing games, stories and even the occasional TV sketch for my brother. But never saw it as an option.

My brother inlaw pitched me a story and said I should write it. I did. Addicted.

When I was told I never would be good at it

I finished my regular nine-to-five job for the day and rode my bike at the strand in Hungtington Beach in July 2012. My friend had asked me to write a book about Edward Biff Halloran based on a jailhouse manuscript. While enjoying the sunshine, I had an epiphany and decided to write a teleplay. So I bought The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley, and a week later, I started writing the script using an MS Word Template. Three weeks later, I bought Final Draft Software. The rest, my friend, is history.

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/30/nyregion/ex-hotel-owner-with-former-t...

Uncle Phil, 2012 to 2022 = 10 years. I'd say you're doing pretty good for a newbie.

Doug:

Thanks!

Uuuh, getting around past my university IT degree because I thought it was hard?

In my form five, I thought of joining the industry, but it wasn't possible till I joined medical school and started acting as well crafting some writings

.

After watching Death Becomes Her lol

Maria - I love that movie!!! I heard there was a remake in the works, but apparently, it's just a rumor. https://www.scarymommy.com/entertainment/death-becomes-her-remake

Oh wow, if they ever did they certainly have big shoes to fill. Oh wait, if Kate Hudson took her mom's role that would be so great! Too bad it's just a rumor.

I know!!! That would be the best!! We can only dream!! :)

Nathan Grimm your "why" for writing your stories is a powerful one and should definitely be included in some form or another in your story pitches.

Sorry you went through abuse, neglect, bullying, and physical and mental injuries, Nathan. I was bullied in school. I write about anti-bullying in some of my scripts.

Thank you all for sharing! Use your experiences to generate stories.

https://www.stage32.com/bundles

I don't think I've looked at bullying that way, Nathan, but I did watch a movie last night where the student's experience with bullying helped him stand up for himself.

I acknowledged that one plus one, plus one equaled a composition one day. And that is when I saw it.

Middle school, but I admit it until a couple of years ago...

I wrote a big sprawly sci-fi novel a few years ago and always imagined it as a movie. When a colleague at a business lunch learned I was a writer, he asked me if I could write a screenplay. Not having any clue how to do so, I said "Yes", and embarked a on a crash course on how to do it. I wrote a historical drama based on his family history and it was a story the family loved, which I am very proud of.

Then I turned to my own writing and in the process stumbled across Stage 32. I decided to "have a crack at it" as we say in Australia, and wrote a script based on my own novel. The learning curve has been huge, and mostly enjoyable. Now I have a much better understanding of how to write a screenplay and I will eventually re-visit my original story.

I too was bullied at school from a young age, and was physically assaulted by other students when in my mid teens. When, much to their surprise, I fought back, I ended up gaining their respect and they didn't bother me again. It's an unpleasant experience, and I empathise with everyone who has experienced it.