Screenwriting : Cold Writing vs. Outlining by Steven Seidman

Sometimes I write with get an idea in my head. A bit of dailogue, an opening, something. Other times I do the outline. It depends on what it is and what my goals are for the thing I am writing.

I've never written out a plan first - any time I've tried I've ended up writing big sections of script with little bits of notes in-between, so it makes more sense for me to just write the script as it pops out of my had and then go back and change stuff later to make it fit. If I found that whilst writing, a certain bit of dialogue or action didn't fit, I'd rather just change it and cary on than go back and re-write the outline and then carry on with the script again.

I like to have the idea kicked around in my head for a while and then I go for it, get the script written and then go back over it again and again to get it up to standard. I read somewhere that it's best to let your subconscious do the writing when possible and then work on the product of that writing later. Don't know if that is any better or worse than planning/outlining/using contour and other software but it works for me and that I think is the key. We're all different and have to work the way that suits our individual styles best.

I work with an outline kind of. Seems like I get all of my ideas from dreams. Sometimes, it's one image. Then, I meditate on it. I write down what I see. I sleep with anotebook so I can write ideas in the middle of the night. Once I have a bunch of scenes, I start putting tem together in some kind of chronological order. Then, I just write. The words come out of no where like the scenes are writing themselves.

I'm writing a novel right now and it's a bit like writing a scientific publication (that's what I do for living). The story is in my head for a while, I know exactly what I want to convey, but most of the words re still missing. The story gets kickeda round in my head for a while, sections take shape and want to be written down while the whole picture, the story as a whole changes shape slightly. I never make an outline on paper or screen, but I always make one in my head.

To each his/her own, but in my opinion I don't know how someone can go into writing a script without writing character bios, treatments, outlines, etc before writing something as intricate and intimate as a script; or at least a decent script.

I never write "cold" and if you ever get hired by a producer for an assignment, you will NEVER be allowed to write cold. You can have all the improv you want while you are writing a scene, but you need a solid road map to follow so you don't get stuck in the barren wasteland of Act 2. Read my article about the importance of structure: http://scriptcat.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/the-importance-of-a-well-struc...

Well said Mark. Exactly my sentiments. I will give your article a read later this evening as it seems you and I are on the same page here!

While I do write from what's in my head, anyone who has read my script I'm sure wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But I did spend 4 1/2 years getting my script to this where it is now.

I think a big difference is whether you're writing for yourself, just for the sake of writing, or writing an assignment for somebody else. Just writing for myself, I prefer to just let it flow, but if I was writing for somebody else, I would do an outline/treatment etc. partly because it's expected, but also because writing is a hard and emotional process and I wouldn't want to pour everything into a script to have somebody turn round and say they don't like the way the story went. However, I do dislike character bios. If I'm writing a character, I prefer to write as if I know them personally, as if they were my best friend or my family, rather than distil them down into a list of characteristics and traits. The key to believable characters is that they seem human, and human behaviour and personality is something that is much greater than a page of description.

I write character bios specifically for that reason. You write them to get a better sense of knowing the characters. And trust me the common character bio is much more than your demeaning definition of a "page of description". I detail a person's entire life. I write my characters as if I know them personally too but just take it a step further I guess. Most experts explain the more in depth you write about your project, the better it will be. They are experts for a reason because they know the craft better than most individuals.

I used to write intuitively, but found that the direction of my story would change part way through because I had a eureka moment part way through a scene. It would then trickle down and before I knew it, it affected the rest of the story overall. After reading Save the Cat, Blake Snyder's technique suggests writing out 40 scenes on pieces of paper. Not entire scenes, but ideas for scenes. It's still intuitive, but does keep you on track. After learning about proper outlining however, it does take a ton of stress off what comes next. You do not have to outline the entire script before you start writing.

Save the Cat is a good read. Love the words Darren!

Wow you cold writers must be mavericks lol. I almost feel compelled to do planning, almost out of respect for the screenplay if that makes any sense. To tell the truth though, I always deviate somewhat from the original planning but only when creativity one-ups preparation.

I've just realised that we may all be talking about different types of writing. I write cold, but I only write shorts - 15/20 pages max. So it's fairly easy to do an outline in your head and embellish it when you write the script. If I was doing a feature, I'd definitely do an outline

I've actually had more trouble cold writing "shorts" than "features", I think it's because of the level of detail and all the thought I put into things, plus Shorts are suppose to short so I have to cut things or try to work around different things from what I want it to be. I always write my shorts to become features as a result of this. Keith, I wouldn't call cold writing being a maverick I would say it's a different perspective. All cold writing is, is as opposed to a outline or treatment your writing things all from the ideas that come into your head so I wouldn't say it's not professional to cold write and others would disagree but as long as you do your job and make your story worth reading and filming than it doesn't matter how it started.

I would love to hear any stories of men or women who have "cold" written in the past and become successful at it. Script writing is a very intimate process and also quite lucrative if done right.

But Steven, thanks for sparking such a discussion. It has been quite entertaining!

No problem Sean ;)

If you ever find yourself with a screenwriting assignment gig, you will not be able to write "cold" as the producer will demand to see a detailed treatment or beat sheet. They will need to sign off on that before you start writing. It's best in my opinion to get used to structure, as you it will be a necessary element when you start getting paid as a professional screenwriter. There is always plenty of room for impov when you work with a tight structure. I read too many scripts in my consultation services that are a jumbled mess in the story/structure department. One script I read, what should have happened on approximately page 30 was on page 90! In my humble opinion, scripts are all about structure, especially in that barren wasteland called ACT 2 where it's so easy to get lost.