Is there anyone here willing to offer some advice and guidance to a young and new screenwriter? I am currently working on a few projects for myself to help develop my skills and would love to learn from someone with experience and passion for the process of writing.
Screenwriting : Help wanted by Steven Dixon
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Keep writing man! Writing is a very long, tiring, and fun journey. It's so rewarding when you finish up a piece that you've been working on for months or even years. One piece of advice... write want you want to write, and don't write what you think will please others. Stay true to yourself, and to your writing and you will be just fine! Good luck man!
3 people like this
I agree with Jack Murphy and I would add that it helps to get feedback on your work. It helped me a lot when I joined a local writing group or entered contests with feedback.
2 people like this
If youre interested in doing an actual career consult call, i work with a lot of writers figuring out what to work on, what the next steps are, and how to navigate. Hit me up over at No BullScript!
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Here's a great blog for up-and-coming screenwriters, Steven Dixon: www.stage32.com/blog/the-questions-up-and-coming-screenwriters-need-to-a...
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I have a boring answer and that is I think 90% of how you learn to write is by writing script after script. The information you need to get you started is not that complex. What tends to let people down is a lack of motivation and not a lack of information, which I think is true of lot of things in life.
Read a lot of produced screenplays. But my best advice is, write books, not screenplays. Even if you are exceptionally talented and your work is polished the chances of selling it are virtually slim and none.
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Hi Steven, forget all the advice that people give, trying to put you off being a screenwriter. If that is where your passion lies, then let that passion fuel your work. only work on the projects that fire your imagination and never, EVER write derivative work. Be your self.
Make connections here on Stage32 that will help you develop your talent and the opportunities for getting your work out there.
I don't do consultation work, but if you are ever in need, then message me. And for the rest, find your passion and then burn all other bridges!
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Great question Steven Dixon. Reach out to us directly at edu@stage32.com so we can help guide you through education and your career.
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Find a writers group! I co-run Rochester Writers Workshop, and anyone is welcome. We do meetings on Zoom. Next meeting is Wed, Aug 16 at 6:30 EDT. https://www.rwwny.org/
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Steven Dixon Have someone with more experience read your screenplay to point out things you might be doing wrong. Almost everyone starts out making the same kind of mistakes. That is something I didn't do and wish I did.
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You are doing it 100% correct. You are writing a number of projects for yourself. This gets miles under your fingers. You need this. I unfortunately see people saying “I have finished my first ever screenplay, who can give me Netflix phone number”.
After you feel comfortable with your writing. Start reading screenplays. You should be doing it now. But I always suggest Oscar nominated screenplays.
You now know what a great one looks like and it gives you something to aim at.
PS.. avoid all the shortcuts. if someone or something promises something simple that will make you great or improve your writing, run.
Write books or plays, don't waste your time focusing on screenplays except as a diversion.