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#Scriptchat Transcript - Tips for Overcoming Obstacles
Learn from other writers' struggles as we reach out and share advice to help us all succeed! Enjoy! @jeannevb
- It’s #SCRIPTCHAT O’CLOCK discussing your biggest struggles & see if others have solutions! Chat here: http://www.tchat.io/rooms/scriptchat …
- Can't believe it's #scriptchat time again... where did the weekend go?
- Struggles with... rabid monkeys? Struggles with... that unopened bag of cookies you bought this morning? Struggles with... #scriptchat
- I struggle with doing cards... like, getting off my butt and doing them. I know the parts that will BE the cards, mostly... #scriptchat
- Hey guys! *waves* Great to be here! #scriptchat
- ...but I don't want to do them. Probably because it's a more time-heavy part of the process (and it's not easy on the back) #scriptchat
- Engrossed in the Shonda Rhimes Master Class on TV Writing. Really excellent, practical advice. Struggle: Procrastination #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I personally struggle with just finding time to write, and in trying to come up with good dialogue that has subtext. #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 how is the class? I've been curious about it. #scriptchat
- I've got a lot of other writing work to do, and yet I just can't seem to buckle down and make time to work on a script. #scriptchat
- I was just thinking about this recently: How do you write characters who are smarter than you? #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 It might help if you break it down into manageable tasks #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg Same here, actually #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 we did a chat about finding time to write when your schedule is full. Check http://scriptchat.com for transcript #scriptchat
- It is awesome. She uses Grey's and Scandals for talking points. She says that there is no "right" process. Find your own #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 @jeannevb I break my script down into goals, this character does X, how? Simple questions #scriptchat
- Toss out some tips for getting your projects started? Research, outlining, etc. #scriptchat
- Something I like to do to help w/ procrastination is set a timer for a doable amount of time for a writing sprint. #scriptchat
- It's tough but I try to schedule a consistent time, for me, usually in the morning. Ideas flow better & I'm more inspired #scriptchat
- I did a pile of tweets last week on being productive that I plan on RTing tomorrow. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Research is key! But also taking down notes, figuring out how to USE what you're learning in the script #scriptchat
- @wcmartell or you could RT them tonight :) #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 I was wondering how that one was. Sounds pretty cool! #scriptchat
- Research and outlining can be just as much of a block. #scriptchat
- Because you can't stop. #scriptchat
- @Al_1701 Research is one of those things you need time for, you can't just fit it in #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 I tend to work best at night. #scriptchat
- One trick I found that works great for me is that once I get rolling, I put on heavy duty headphones and blast music. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Do you use any templates/books to help you prepare for your script? #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I think it's why you want to research stuff early on in the process #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 I intend to do that, but I find the world makes itself scarce when I'm in the zone. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I like asking myself questions on the page and writing out any answers that come to me when dev. my story. #scriptchat
- Early research helps you find cool things you didn't even know existed and put them in your story. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 I use material from @GoIntoTheStory 's "From prep to outline" class, but mostly I just figure out what I need/want #scriptchat
- It turns off the other parts of my brain that tend to wander, surf the net, make a cup of coffee. It curbs my ADHD.:) #scriptchat
- @jeannevb it's like a dialogue with myself on the page. It allows me to explore various story decisions and their consequences. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Figure out what the characters want or need, how to get it, keep it from them, and then the little steps in between #scriptchat
- The first half of that was that I put on headphones and blast music once I get rolling. It keeps me focussed. #scriptchat
- Talking to people about my ideas. Granted: I don't know any screenwriters, but I can't get through a logline without glazed eyes #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 "What do x and y have in common?" "how do they meet?" etc #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @blueneumann Does this include contacting people in the business/industry you're researching? #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @blueneumann I've been watching Billions, and all the characters are exceptionally smart. Wondering how to write that. #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Agreed! I recently found a cool tidbit of research I was able to incorporate into my script and it felt so rewarding. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann If you have any written examples of how you work on a script, I'd be interested in seeing them. Could be helpful #scriptchat
- I like doing a stream-of-consciousness writing to just vomit out ideas for the story. It always goes someplace I never expected. #scriptchat
- As Mark Twain said: get the fact, then distort them at your leisure. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Yes, often neat to mine free-writing/stream-of-consciousness writing. Fun to be open to unexpected ideas/connections. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I kinda like working like that too. Stream of consciousness frees your mind from logic #scriptchat
- I like stream of c too, especially early on when the idea is raw... see how much can be extracted and if it's any goof #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 @blueneumann @SarahAlexis4 @jeannevb Interesting. In other words, you just write whatever comes to your mind? #scriptchat
- "Glazed eyes" can be the way you tell it or the idea. Pitching Pyramid: Title, Genre, logline, character, 3 awesome scenes... #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Yeah, write down the movie you're seeing in your head. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 if there's something there, you start doing the research and working out the details #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Cool. I've done that many, many times. #scriptchat
- Key is to stop when the eyes glaze - because at that point you have lost them. #scriptchat
- I also keep a log of interesting names, character ideas, locations, etc so that if I need parts, I have them ready #scriptchat
- Pitching isn't telling the whole story, it's getting them interested in reading the screenplay. No scene-by-scene. #scriptchat
- Sometimes I struggle with assessing how the story I see in my head is translating to the page/being executed. Feedback helps me. #scriptchat
- My problem is figuring how to get my polished script in front of someone who could do something with it, even say it's a turd. #scriptchat
- I also keep a folder with random amusing lines of dialogue. When I get stuck, looking through sometimes helps. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Yes, in a way. Now I am writing about gangsters from the 30's. I watched Bugsy with Warren Beatty, Annette Benning #scriptchat
- @SarahAlexis4 Where do you go for feedback? #scriptchat
- When I did manual labor for a living, I used to pitch my stories to co-workers... and if they looked bored I tossed that idea. #scriptchat
- I've gotten feedback from several people but none who have ever made a movie. #scriptchat
- I listen to their dialogue, research interviews of gangers on Youtube to get a feel for the dialogue. I write ideas down #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman Mostly trusted writer friends I swap feedback with. #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 Awesome. That's a great way of getting the dialogue/mannerisms right. #scriptchat
- You have to put as much effort and creativity into the business side as the writing side. But a good script "travels". #scriptchat
- I get feedback from friends, writers, etc. I try to get feedback from actors to see how they read the lines, the flow, #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Sounds like a good way to practice and a good way to assess how your pitch/story lands. #scriptchat
- And if it sounds real, authentic. #scriptchat
- You don't have to get it into "the right hands", you just have to get it into someone's hands. #scriptchat
- @SarahAlexis4 Are these people you've met in school? At industry events? I love my friends and family, but they're not writers. #scriptchat
- @SarahAlexis4 @wcmartell That's why I did it - "market research". I pitched to ticket buyers. #scriptchat
- I know actors mainly through DC film festivals (Short Film Festival, Script DC) and I am a member of Stage 32. #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 Table reads are great. That's one of the best ways to both get feedback, and to find out how the dialogue plays #scriptchat
- Sometimes I'd pitch the script as "a film I saw a test screening of" starring Mathew Modine (which dates this). Marky Mark now. #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman Yes, mostly writer friends I met in college or others I met in writing groups I've been part of. #scriptchat
- I plan on reaching out to more of those folks and am relying on their generosity and time to read my stuff. #scriptchat
- One thing I do, I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but I tend to mentally cast my scripts as I write... #scriptchat
- ...to get a feel for attitude, dialogue and so on. But I've been struggling lately with casting the guy roles... #scriptchat
- @thejasonbee LOL Thanks. By the way, I'm in a weekly screenwriters' chat called #scriptchat. Use the hashtag and come on over, if you'd like.
- ...I thought it was just a blind spot (it probably is), but I also found THIS article http://www.vulture.com/2015/09/hollywood-oscars-young-actor-shortage.html … ... #scriptchat
- ...so I guess I just have to expand my pool of reference #scriptchat
- @SarahAlexis4 What do you think about paying for feedback? I did it a few times, but what I got back was superficial & unhelpful #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Marky Mark. #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman you have to find the right person. I've paid for shitty notes, but I've also paid for amazing ones @SarahAlexis4 #scriptchat
- @wcmartell Any general insight, if there was any, that you were able to take away from pitching your scripts like that? #scriptchat
- I'm with Issac. I'm concerned I suck but can't find good feed back telling me I suck. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @SamSquamchman Yeah, I was going to say, I think it probably depends on the person/resource you're receiving them from #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 Or more importantly, WHY you appear to suck. What you're not doing and how to do it #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman - Don't really have insight to share although most of the writers I know echoed your negative experience. #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 @SamSquamchman you can also get a handful of friends to read your scripts & see if they call out same problems #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Any chance you #scriptchat
- be willing to divulge who gave you the good notes? #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman I wish I could. I'm juggling multiple jobs right now, so I literally have no spare time. #scriptchat
- Frustrating to hear “this is pretty good” but no words suggesting forward movement… #scriptchat
- In terms of meeting other writers, has anyone had success with that at pitch fests or film festivals? Tactics for connecting? #scriptchat
- Free is my favorite price - so find people online to swap scripts with. You'll get good notes and terrible ones... #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman yes, @DannyManus is really good. Brutally honest, so bring your thick skin. #scriptchat
- 8:28 PM Chris Neumann @blueneumann #scriptchat Exactly. Specifics.
- @jeannevb @mikerogers00001 @SamSquamchman When getting feedback, one thing you have to look for is patterns. #scriptchat
- But if everyone has a problem understanding some element or scene or whatever, that's an issue. #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman I've met a ton of writers at conferences & pitchfests. That's who @zoeyrose and I first met. #scriptchat
- @dwacon Tell me about it. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @mikerogers00001 @SamSquamchman Meaning that if someone tells you there's a problem with one/more areas of the script #scriptchat
- Talentville is a good place to get feedback for free. You earn credits towards reads when you give notes #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @mikerogers00001 @SamSquamchman If multiple people spot problems with one/more areas, you need to take notice. #scriptchat
- Start with your friends, even though they're not pros and then check out forums. You want to get people's emotional feedback?. #scriptchat
- If you lose everyone's interest around the same place, also something that you can deal with. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @mikerogers00001 @SamSquamchman On the other hand, if they say that one or more areas of your script works, listen #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Never sit idle. Wait on no one. Make shit happen. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb That's a helpful tactic for me too. If a few people give same note/issue I'll definitely take a look at the root of it #scriptchat
- The problem with "amateur notes" is that often people have strong opinions on how things are supposed to be done - and wrong. #scriptchat
- So try to do it in a live setting. Do they laugh or does your work evoke some emotion. It can be structurally unpolished #scriptchat
- @wcmartell That's one thing I can't stand - feedback that comes across like people are telling me how to write/what to write. #scriptchat
- That's why you need to read a big stack of scripts and do what they all do, but not what only one does. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 @wcmartell Yeah, where were those people when you were figuring OUT what to write? Nowhere, that's where #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @wcmartell Exactly. I mean, I appreciate general feedback/suggestions on how to improve my script... #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @wcmartell ...but not any feedback/suggestions that comes across like it's telling me what/how to write. #scriptchat
- #scriptchat Honestly I am just glad I found Script chat!
- Had readers suggest changing a character's action in one scene but the suggestions would go against the character's character. #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 Welcome, Mike! #scriptchat
- @dwacon That's a pass. Just move on to the next. They kill you with kindness... #scriptchat
- Anyone else struggle with 'the grass is always greener' on the other story I'm plotting? #scriptchat
- @Chiefscribe1 @SamSquamchman @jolenejahnke @dwacon @thejasonbee @FlutterFerret Welcome, guys! *waves* #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke How do you mean? #scriptchat
- Thanks Chris. I am just finishing up my third feature screenplay. It gets to the point where you wonder if you should keep pushing out material, if it's all no good. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @collinlieberg @jeannevb @SarahAlexis4 @wcmartell @rdlin Welcome to you all, too! *waves* #scriptchat
- One of the problems is that everyone says nice things to you when they mean "no", and it's easy to think they mean "yes"... #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Committing to one and seeing it through before I move onto something else. #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke yes! But I think it's good to have more than one project going at once. (And so glad to see you back!!) #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke Oh for sure, my moods can shift but I always try to make sure to have a plan of attack for when my mood shifts #scriptchat
- @Al_1701 Welcome to you too, David! *waves* #scriptchat
- If you are one of those positive thinking people, you can latch onto the praise and imagine them buying your script... #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke I try to know the next steps to take in each project so that when the mood strikes I'm not playing catch-up #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 make sure you also check out our website. We have about 9 years worth of transcripts! http://scriptchat.com #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke Yes, though at the moment I'm trying to only WORK on one thing at a time, even if I'm taking notes for another #scriptchat
- #scriptchat Thank you Jeanne!! I will!
- But that's a trap. I always think they really mean no, so on those rare occasions when they mean yes, it's a positive experience #scriptchat
- Since I do a lot of notebook writing and it takes a couple of days for stuff to be transcribed, I have to switch around a bit #scriptchat
- @jolenejahnke yeah, have to fight the urge to start something new before finishing the current thing all the time #scriptchat
- Anyone here ever tried to "stack" projects? #scriptchat
- If I have a new idea, I can't really stop thinking about it, so I have to get as much of it out as I can. #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman The people I've met through here have been a good resource for feedback. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 What do you mean by that? #scriptchat
- I'll let that sit and maybe it'll turn into something, maybe not. But I try to never toss away an idea #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Yes - and I got walking pneumonia. Two scripts with similar deadlines and production start dates. Sleep? #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman I think there's one in Portland... let me try to find it #scriptchat
- The problem with stacking is that when you're hot you're hot and you worry that no one will ever hire you again. #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg Trying to work on multiple projects at the same time...i.e. writing a draft of one script, rewriting another... #scriptchat
- #scriptchat One thing I know I am not doing effectively or efficiently rewriting my drafts. I feel I should be accomplishing more than I am in rewrite. This is where I no I am lacking some tools
- @mikerogers00001 Oh, I'm terrible at rewriting! #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 I think @blueneumann does that. I'm trying to do one thing at a time, then pivot to a different project when done #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Yeah, it's interesting how sometimes an idea will come back around in another form and/or at another time... #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 I don't think I've got a good workflow in place for that. #scriptchat
- I do one script at a time, but alternate drafts when rewriting... when no one is paying me. #scriptchat
- @SarahAlexis4 I had an ide seven years ago, and picked a song for the climax and last month I finally figured out what it was #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg @blueneumann I think it's best for me to focus on one project, rather than multiple projects... #scriptchat
- Finished a second draft of my new sci-fi pilot! Can't wait to unwrap this one. What are you working on? #amwriting #screenwriting #scriptchat
- One thing I like about juggling projects is sometimes one idea in one will kickstart an idea in another #scriptchat
- How long does it usually take for you guys to do rewrites, and how can you carve out time for doing those? #scriptchat
- @jeannevb I really appreciate it. Someday I'll make it to L.A. or Austin, but in the meantime: I'll check that out. Thanks! #scriptchat
- @blueneumann That's awesome. Funny how things unfold sometimes. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 That's the kicker, brainstorming and so on you can do in pieces... rewriting, like researching, means butts in seat #scriptchat
- For this current rewrite, I listed out the issues I was having and if I could solve them #scriptchat
- I'm still doing rewrites on scripts from over a decade ago - it depends on the script. Does it work? #scriptchat
- f i couldn't solve the issue and had to remove something, I figured out what substance would be removed and how to replace it #scriptchat
- Chris I have totally songed my way through a scene or an ending! #scriptchat
- For example, this current one has a big political element. Unfortunately politics is shifting so much, it's making life hell #scriptchat
- @SamSquamchman you can find conferences all over the world! Writers are everywhere. :) #scriptchat
- So I removed all that, figured what parts I could still use and what use those political bits were really serving #scriptchat
- Then I used that as a blueprint for a new arc, figured out the chain of events, and what those scenes would be #scriptchat
- @blueneumann I just did something similar creating master list of issues I needed to address/questions that still need answers #scriptchat
- What I SHOULD do is re-card the movie with that new stuff and see how it flows (but as I said, I don't like doing cards) #scriptchat
- F5: OUTLINES & THE THEMATIC! Writing is a roadtrip, how can you be sure you'll get to your destination? $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078BR44DB/secretsofactions … #amwriting #film #scriptchat
- @blueneumann @SarahAlexis4 That's a great way of approaching the rewrite. I might try that. #scriptchat
- @blueneumann that's why I like Movie Magic. When you create notes, you can see them. You can color code them. It's like stuffing a card into the script. #scriptchat
- @filmwritr4 Without doing that... hell, even WITH doing that, it still feels really daunting #scriptchat
- @blueneumann I often re-outline after a draft or two. #scriptchat
- When you're WRITING, you're just thinking of scenes and pages. You're thinking small. When you REWRITE, it's 120 pages #scriptchat
- Mentally, it's a much bigger mountain to climb #scriptchat
- Okay I learned something. Didn't see that coming. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb @SamSquamchman Don't limit to conferences, film fests often have a writing sidebar - I teach at a bunch. #scriptchat
- Remember What About Bob? Baby steps. #scriptchat
- @mikerogers00001 :) You always learn something at #scriptchat
- How does a career in script development unfold? Find out here >> https://goo.gl/6NM7io #scriptchat #screenwriting
- And keeping an organized work flow as you go along? crucial. I didn't organize a pile of notes for my rewrite and I regret it #scriptchat
- *blows a kiss* Goodnight everybody. #scriptchat
- One last q: Character name Holly Munro. Good/bad? Been rolling that one around in my head all day #scriptchat
- Bewitching hour is here! There's NO CHAT nxt wk bc Super Bowl. Thanks for a great chat, all! Hope you found some tips to help. #scriptchat
- Thanks for all of your advice everybody! Good luck with writing this week. #scriptchat
- Nice chatting with you all. Write on! #scriptchat
- @blueneumann I like the spelling of Munroe better, but that's just me. #scriptchat
- I recently made some "major" changes to a screenplay from repeated notes which I really didn't want to change. It was a name change. Once I made the change, I could have cared less. #scriptchat
- @jeannevb As always, thanks for hosting and everyone for chatting and answering questions! #scriptchat
- Thank you Jeanne!! Talk to all next time! #scriptchat
- @collinlieberg So do I, but for some reason that "e" decided to drop itself. But the name as a whole..." #scriptchat
- @jeannevb Thank you for all you do! #scriptchat
- And before we go, remember Baby Steps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyIXr0-GHh8 … #scriptchat
- @blueneumann Yeah, the name as a whole is fine, I think. #scriptchat
- (it took me WAY too long to realize that advice was applicable to creative projects) #scriptchat
