Screenwriting : Where Do You Get Your Ideas? by Maurice Vaughan

Hello, I am novelist Candace Meredith and I am looking for a screenwriter to do an adaptation. Can you contact me with prices and some experience background?

Drugs.

Many of our greatest artists are addicts and drunks

Hi, Candace Meredith. Welcome to Stage 32. I'm currently working on two projects, and I start some jobs this week, so I'm not able to adapt your novel, but you can make a post in the Job Section (https://www.stage32.com/find-jobs) and here in the Screenwriting Lounge.

You might be right, Dan MaxXx, but no thanks. :) I'll come up with ideas without drugs and alcohol.

Hi Maurice! Thank you so much! And let me know if you have some availability next year!

Unconventional sources, like anime and video games, mainly.

Dan M: Haha!

Maurice:

Most of the time, ideas just randomly come. For my last script, I knew I wanted to write a character driven comedy with a female lead. Then I sat down and just started writing bullet points for my main characters and plot points.

Mine nearly always start as questions or moving a scenario into a new location, era or genre. That is nearly always enough.

You're welcome, Candace Meredith. I'll let you know if I'm available next year. I used to live in VA.

Those are unique ways to think of ideas, Stefano Pavone. I never thought to look at anime and play video games for ideas.

Cool, Phillip E. Hardy, Prolifique. That's happened to me sometimes. One time I thought of an idea by just staring at the floor in the hall. Haha

I do the same thing, Craig D Griffiths, but I don't think I've tried moving a scenario into a new location. Thanks for the idea.

Mine... I mean I wish I knew exactly what clicked from one end to the other. Why on earth I go "okay this could be fun". I find often it is just learning something new, and then my little muse goes 'so what if A and B happen what could it do to C'

I get my ideas from the dialectics of the world we live in. From thoughts that provoke questions. I Like the way David Lynch thinks about ideas - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxr-7O1Bfxg

My best ideas happen when I least expect it, like on a walk, or when my mind is resting. I love collaborative brainstorming too!

Maurice, my best ideas tend to come during the middle of the night, sitting back watching an interesting show or movie, it really helps to find inspiration.

I like that formula, Stacie Hanson ("'so what if A and B happen what could it do to C'"). Thanks for sharing.

That's great, Alexandria. It's important to look everywhere for ideas.

"I get my ideas from the dialectics of the world we live in." I've never thought to use that method for ideas, Luciano. Thanks for the idea, and thanks for the video.

I love when that happens, Shellie ("My best ideas happen when I least expect it"). Then I make a mad dash for my laptop to type it up. :)

That's great, Keith. Do you keep a notebook by you when you're watching a show or movie?

"...and as a spectator, I just write what I see." I like that, Nathan, because it allows your imagination to run wild.

That's a great point, Nathan. I'll try it ("letting imagination do its thing" and "being in the passenger seat of your own mind").

Ideas are triggered by lots of things - things I hear, see, taste and even smell. But truth be told; I steal most of 'em and then filter them thru what's left of my brain.

You get ideas from tasting and smelling, Doug. Wow, that's interesting! I'll try it during dinner. :)

When I teach directing, I try to get students to understand that all 5 senses (sight, sound, touch, smell & taste) all play a part in the Director's vision.

Let's see how creative you are; hold out your hand, imagine an apple in that hand. Is it heavy, is it solid, is it cool? What color is it? Does it smell fresh/sale? Bite into it - what does that sound like - crunchy? What does it taste like - sharp/bland? Describe the juice running down your chin. It takes all that to create the Directors vision, the Writer's writing and the Actor's performance.

I know a few people than can do that. Most cant.

Last week I awoke from sleeping and then I just started thinking. Then I acknowledged the rest of the basic scenario for my current script, right there in my mind. But I was too sleepy to get up and write the rest of the story that had suddenly flooded my thoughts. So what I suggest is to go on, try to get on up, and write down the story received, even if half asleep at the time of the visitation.

That's a great exercise, Doug! I did it, and I was able to visualize the apple, taste the apple, etc. I think I'm going to start doing that exercise when I write scenes.

Great suggestion, Pamela. Thanks for sharing. You could also voice record the ideas on your cellphone.

Hi Maurice, I been drawing my whole life, I think it's my art imagination

That's a cool way to think of ideas, Billy. I used to draw before I started writing.

Hi Maurice, i think drawing helps

Drawing does help, Billy. I used to draw stick figures for scenes in my scripts. I can draw better than stick figures, but stick figures are quick. :)

Great blog by RB: "Coffee & Content: Never Run Out of Story Ideas with These Inspiring Tips" https://www.stage32.com/blog/coffee-content-never-run-out-of-story-ideas...

Hi Maurice, I'm pretty good at drawing

That's great, Billy. What type of things do you draw?

Maurice, I get a lot of story ideas from the headlines...be they today's or yesterday's. In addition, personal experiences formed the basis for other stuff I've written...and I like to spoof movie genres and spoof individual films.

Hi Maurice, sci fi dudes, marvel and DC characters

I've thought about doing that, Jim. Getting ideas from headlines. I definitely get ideas from personal experiences. I've never tried spoof movies. I might now though. Thanks! :)

Cool, Billy. I used to draw all kinds of things. Mainly action heroes.

Someone once told me ideas are a dime a dozen in Hollywood. That line stuck in my head so I work every day to make him eat his words. Afterwards I'll be able to clink a glass with every creative and say "See... what'd I tell ya?"

I find being conscious helps.

Most of our screenplays come from the old neighborhood my brothers and I grew up in. Our most recent screenplay was about the Notre Dame fire.

Geoff Hall And a High IQ as well.

Preferably Cosmic.

Conscious of things around you, Geoff?

A screenplay about the Notre Dame fire sounds interesting, Eric. I've heard about the Notre Dame fire, but I don't know much.

I don't think "See... what'd I tell ya?"/rubbing it in people's faces is the best response, Amman. I think it's better to let your scripts/movies do the talking.

Maurice, it's a mostly fictional stylizes story of the script. We tried to do a second draft with a new character. The new character took over the story so much we've decided to just do a different script altogether and leave the first draft like it was. The first draft has done reasonably well in the festival journey. It's mostly French stuff.

I always liked the song SUMMER OF 69. My brothers and Im grew up in the 60's so we wrote a screenplay about our summer of 1969.

Maurice Vaughan You mean NOT Rubbing it in people's faces! And you're right: it's better to let scripts/movies do the talking.

Congrats on the first draft doing well in the festivals, Eric!

"We tried to do a second draft with a new character." Replacing the main character with another character opens up whole new story possibilities, which you and your brothers experienced with the Notre Dame fire script.

I haven't heard the SUMMER OF 69 song, but a script about you and your brothers growing up in the 60's sounds interesting. I picture it being like STAND BY ME and THE SANDLOT, but of course in the 60's.

Some of the readers compared SUMMER OF 69 to American Graffiti. Lots of late 60s high school stuff and Moonwalk, Vietnam War, Tate murders, Woodstock, etc.

Maurice Vaughan I find that consciousness begins within, Maurice and then we begin to see the world around us in a new light.

**Amman* a high IQ doesn’t guarantee good writing, nor that you are conscious…

Ooh boy...I made one glaring omission (well, I like to think it's glaring):

Many of my ideas come from the world of music...the many genres of black dots.

That's a creative way to come up with ideas, Jim! The world of music. I didn't think about that. Way to think outside the box! :D

Thanks a bunch, Maurice!

You're welcome, Jim.