Screenwriting : Question question question by Tin Le

Start to write new one in different genre and forgot the problem you had. You will surprise when the solution will appear. Sorry For my bad English! Best, Stevan Šerban

Been there done that. Keep it moving once the script stops working for you.

I recommend you find where the story fails. Maybe you not researched the subject well. Maybe you did not do a good background of the characters. Maybe you have to straighten the story from the beginning. Or maybe you should leave rest the story for a few weeks and you'll see that fault clearly! When we have "resistance" in the story, this "resistance" really happening in ourselves. Sometime we get "married" with a picture, scene or character and we do not want to let go of these or get them out of the story. What does not work, does not work! Keep in mind that's your story and you can make and unmake it when YOU want! Regards Ivan

Have you outlined the story? If not maybe you can do that to see where it all went wrong. When the outline is done you have a quick overview of your story and then maybe some of what you wrote will fit into the outline. Just remember that you're going to have to do rewrites anyway. But if your structure is good then you're at least half way there, so I would go to the outlining so that you don't waste any time. The outline will give you a sense of the flow before you commit to pages. Hope this helps. Randy

Thanks for your suggestions people! I did outline my story but only words seem too cold and flat. Anyone using cork board?

For me, I'd just continue until the first draft is written. It's a first draft, and subject to change. You'll have a better perspective once the story is complete, and your changes will reflect the overall goal, rather than editing certain scenes.

I get overall story under control in outline... and work the outline until it makes sense and flows.

what you need to do is drop the script and get back to the story via an outline. outline the shit out of it. i am going back to an old script that had troubled me because i haven't outlined enough. i have now decided i wont write a whole script with out a whole outline. i'll write some of the scenes if inspiration hits and i need to get something down, but i'll go back to the outline. i'm going to do a course in a couple months and this teacher actually doesn't worry about the actual script. he talks us through our outlines to help us make sure our story WORKS! OUTLINE, OUTLINE, OUTLINE.

Looks like everyone has their own way of working. I'm with Joseph Laramore. Get a draft on paper (I call it my Draft Zero) that goes from beginning to end and hits all the beats you know you need. It'll stink. I use that draft as my lump of clay to mold. You'll rewrite 90% or more, but I find that if I keep rewriting the first 60 (or 30 or 15 or 75) pages determined to get them just so, I'll never finish. Plus, guaranteed you'll need to tear those pages apart and reassemble them anyway in a subsequent draft. Flow and pacing are for rewrites. Don't obsess on them for draft one. My humble opinion.

Whenever you don't know about your characters, you're always in a hole. Even though every writer has his own way of dealing with the problems but I tell you, everything emerge out of the characters... story, dialogues, plot, structure. everything. Characters in fact tell you what you're gonna do next to them or for that matter of fact, to your story. After all we care about our characters. There is no such thing like formulas. It's shit. No offense to the gurus of the industry. Story is not about formulas dear, its about your characters and they tell you what they are up to. So better go and converse with your characters, they will let you know what is hidden in them. GO, talk with your characters and you will be out of the morass.

"Story is about principles, not rules" written Robert McKee. At the end of the day, writing is not about 1+1=2 after all. Like water always find its different ways. I kinda like the outlining strategy. It allows me to see the big picture without spending too much time on words. Too bad since they industrialized film making, we have some annoying standard to be aware of. Structure for instance, if a script doesn't have anything (a plot point) happen within 10th - 12th page, it will likely be relocated in the nearest trash bin. What a cruel world!

Not sure if this works for everyone, but I try to visualize everything from the beginning, as if it were really happening to me, or in real life, and they flow freely, giving me new twists to it and the characters just play along.

For the first draft, I do the same as Maichee. I visualize it and just let it flow. The first draft I look at as the complete creative draft where you just let your imagination and story run away. When completed with the first draft I take a look at all the areas that don't flow , dialogue that needs to be sharper, conflicts that might not be working, etc and make those changes for the 2nd draft. After the 2nd draft, I do the same with a fine tooth comb, make changes, and then end up with a 3rd draft that is ready to be seen by others. Hope this helps.

"All First Drafts are shit"- Ernest Hemingway. Keep writing. Get to what you think is an ending, then look backwards at what got you there and who is the POV character.

I'm going to chime in on the side of Ivan. My personal experience is when my story starts going down the wrong path continuing on only leads it farther down the wrong path. that's just me. I go back an find the problem spot and work my forward again from there. trying to tackle it when the whole thing is done is just too overwhelming for me.

Finish this draft. The first draft is supposed to suck, but at least you have something tangible to look at and make adjustments.

if the flow is all wrong then your story is not right so outline your story properly. there's no point in finishing a script that is all over the place or is full of plot holes. it's a waste of your time and you'll just have to scrap the whole thing in the end. a professional outlines the story. GET THE STORY RIGHT.

Outlines are Great. But they don't help you Discover story, they help you organize story. Plot holes are important to find in Revision. But if you make Drafting the screenplay to much about questioning every choice you are taking the Fun out of the thing.

Great question. Personally, I rely on my makeshift outline to fix those wrinkles before I start writing. But if I were in your situation, I would work on it ASAP. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my writing. If I tried to push forward, knowing the flow of the story isn't right, it would eat at me and distract me. Remember, the smallest detail on page 20 could affect page 85 (or whatever page in the other two acts). Idk you but I'm sure that if you're on stage 32 that you've got the creative gusto to overcome any obstacle. Best of luck!

Hi Tin Le. A great question. As Lyse Beck says its up to your style. I personally find that when the creative urge takes me I do a brain dump and do not worry about editing as it would impede the flow of ideas. As you know once you have written something you should do at least twenty rewrites of that polishing it up over a period of weeks, if not months, so that it really shines! So my advice is do not edit it or even question yourself if what you are writing here as the first draft is of comparable quality to what you have read by successful authors. After each rewrite, by the way, let your mind do something completely unrelated to that project i.e. distance yourself for a day or two at least so that when you come back to your writing you can approach it freshly. I hope all this does not make it sound its hard work - its not because you are creating something that the world has not read before and if that is not fun what is!