The following are a few little (generally very little) things that I have found to help me out when it comes to the discipline of screenwriting. I will be adding to this over time, hopefully as my writing improves and I identify what has helped it improve.
- A notebook – Don’t leave home without it
Just like American Express, I recommend carrying a notebook everywhere you go (except, maybe, the shower). This way, if an idea comes to me when I least expect it (if only ideas came on demand) I can write it down rather than trust it to the unreliable neurons and synapses in my brain. My notepad is not just for ideas, either. It is for lines of dialogue I either think of or overhear, as well as thoughts on themes or symbolism that could make my movie richer. Basically, anything creative that I may use at some point goes into my notebook.
This notebook also rests on my bedside table so that I can write something down, should I get a brilliant idea or dream in the middle of the night. If I don’t write it down straight away, chances are I’ll forget it. What I have noticed, and what I am sure you will too, is that the brilliant, filmic dream that seemed like a sure-fire smash-hit at 2:37 in the morning loses some of its charm in the light of day. Regardless, write down your ideas, even the bad ones, because unless you get in the habit of writing them down, you may just lose a good one that you were sure you’d remember.
- Make yourself accountable
I enjoy the process of developing stories and writing, but unfortunately I have also love to procrastinate and waste time. Until this year I always started my days off with the intention of working on my scripts. Invariably, I would get caught up checking out news about the RED camera online, or getting useful tutorials from Videocopilot.net. It could be argued that this was not wasted time at all because, as a friend told me, the time one enjoys wasting is not wasted time at all. However, I was far less productive than I should have been. Those days weren’t complete write-offs – I wrote the first draft of two feature film scripts in that time, BUT, I could have been much more productive.
What I now do to help me be more disciplined with my writing is to keep a spreadsheet where I log all the hours I spend working on my scripts. This way, I am now accountable to myself. I am less inclined to waste time, because it is clear for me to see whether my days off have been well-used or well-wasted. There are other benefits, as well. By clocking in and clocking off it also helps me take my writing more professionally – it is not something that I am just stuffing around with, I am actually on the clock, so to speak. Additionally, I am less likely to take breaks as frequently, because then I have to write down the breaks, which means that I get more continuity with my writing time. Also, If I can see on my timesheet that I have worked every day in a particular week, it makes me want to keep the streak going. Success breeds success as they say, and keeping a timesheet is one way that helps me have success when it comes to disciplining myself to write.
- Use different media to stimulate new ideas
This may seem like a nonsensical tip, but it is one that I find very helpful. I find that I have a different style of brainstorming depending on whether I am writing with a pen and paper compared with writing on a computer. With pen and paper I can jot ideas on different parts of the paper, and my ideas can flow in a much more non-linear process. With a computer, however, I find myself trying to get down ideas in a linear fashion.
Now, this may not be the same for you, and that is the case, ignore this tip. I may just be odd (which is completely plausible, if you ask my wife). But I know for myself that I prefer to jot ideas down on pen and paper early in the planning stage, and only transfer to a computer once the story is more developed.
Obviously, once I am actually writing the script that all happens on computer, but even then, if a specific scene is not coming together, don’t be afraid to pull out a pen and some paper and brainstorm the events of the scene and see if using a different method of getting jotting down your ideas causes new ideas to flow.
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What tips and tricks do you use that help you with your writing?
Blessings,
Kenny