Movie Outline Screenwriting Blog

Flashback can be a clever device or it can be an annoying one.  If you use it sparingly and don’t rely on it too heavily to tell your story then it can really help with the revelation of subplot, the recollection of key past events tied into your current plot, and the resurgence of repressed memories – sprinkling a little style at the same time.

When learning how to write a script, think of flashback as just another weapon in the screenwriter’s armoury. Sometimes it may help you, other times it may just get in the way or over-convolute the story, but if you use it correctly this device can be a fantastic visual aid.  Don’t use flashback because you are lazy.  If you can find another way of telling your backstory then be innovative and pursue a more creative route that doesn’t rely on exposition.

Only use flashback if there is no other way to convey past events or if you feel that introducing flashback (or indeed flash forward) will enhance the piece in a stylistic manner.  Sometimes writers even use flashback to intentionally confuse an audience or lead them down a particular path so as to turn the tables on them later on.

A great example of this was in The Usual Suspects where Kevin Spacey’s character retold past events to the cop Chazz Palminteri.  We bought the story he was feeding us hook, line and sinker. And why not?  We had no reason not to believe that what he was saying was the truth, and the director also presented the backstory as the truth with no hint to subterfuge.  Then, right at the crucial moment in the third act, the writer and director pulled the floor out from under us and revealed that Kevin Spacey had been lying and that he was in fact the villain of the piece Keyser Söze.

Flashback, like any screenwriting device, such as voice-over, can be used or abused.  Good writers use it in a way that enhances the narrative and character development of a movie without relying on it to solve plot problems.  Great script writers find innovative ways to play with this cool device so that it feels fresh yet at the same time familiar. The trick is, striking the perfect balance.

I know some of you writers out there – yes, you know who you are — don’t like rules and formulas and are ruthlessly resistant to following any kind or paradigm in your script writing efforts but the simple truth is that patterns and methods exist in life and art and often it is the artist’s task to present them in such a way so that they enhance the drama but do not stand out like a sore thumb.

Even Gene Kelly used technique.. He didn’t just wake up one morning and do a back flip but he was such a master at his craft that he made every dazzling move look seamless and effortless through years of practice and applying technique to creativity.

The job is the same for the writer.  To create a story that has technique and intention yet uses tried-and-tested screenwriting devices where necessary and the writer’s skill to present the events that unfold in an organic way so that we, as an audience, hook into the plot and the characters that inhabit the depicted fiction world before us.

So with that in mind, you, as a screenwriter, must learn that the “rule of three” doesn’t just apply to telling jokes.  That’s right, you don’t have to be a comedian (but it sometimes helps) to use this technique in your own scripts to make your narrative and character development have more impact.

In order for an audience to remember an important piece of information or to fully understand and identify with your screenplay’s clever third-act twist, you first have to set it up, then you remind them (usually in a subtle way) and then you make that jaw-dropping pay-off!  And it doesn’t just apply to your overall act structure but also to scenes and the dialogue within them.  Just as a witty one-liner may have a beginning, middle and end, so does a monologue, a heated dialogue exchange, a fight and a car chase.  The rules appear everywhere to varying degrees.

A crude example would be your hero entering a trendy club and noticing an ornate bowl of nuts on the bar.  He takes one as he asks the bartender some questions.  Then during the middle of the scene a seductive woman approaches him and they exchange some dialogue.  He’s not interested but as she departs she mentions how the nuts he’s eating contain germs since people don’t wash their hands.  As we approach the end of the scene, the hero comes face to face with the person that has been following him all day and they have a fist fight while everybody around them watches on.  The hero ultimately wins by reaching behind him, grabbing the bowl of nuts and slamming it across the guy’s head.. maybe even ending the scene with a witty retort about how the woman was right and that the nuts are bad for your health.

Setup. Reminder. Pay-off.

Now, would the scene work as well with only the first and last visual of the nuts?  Or perhaps just the last? No. One – Two – Three. Simple yet extremely effective.

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Happy Writing!

In your everyday life, do you sit in one spot and talk to everybody you meet in that same place?  Okay, maybe you do but unless that’s the point of the story you’re writing it’s basically not gonna be the most interesting thing to watch.

When an audience invests their time in a movie they do so to escape and be entertained and part of the way an audience is entertained is by the way you structure your story and develop your characters. Locations are key to character development fro screenwriters because they tell us a lot about a character without words.  They educate us visually about how they live, their habits, where they work, what kind of people they work with and what they experience in their world.

So with that in mind, make sure you use the locations in your screenplay to develop your characters but also use your locations as a means of story progression and pace.

Pace?  What do you mean, “pace”?  I hear you ask.

Well, it’s simple really.  You ever watched a movie where there’s a big tense scene with two people arguing loudly for about five minutes?  And then one of the characters goes outside just to get away from the conflict?  Well, that’s a change of location.  And depending on your choice of location, it may change the pace of your movie and your audience’s engagement.

If the character slams the door and goes into his/her room, well, it’s a pretty static choice of location but it may be the best choice for your character and the story.  If however the character kicks the front door open and bursts outside into the rain then maybe sits alone in the woods while he/she gets drenched.. that’s something different.  Your character could also jump in his/her car and screech off down the road.

Each decision you make about location has an impact on the way the audience will react and the emotions they will feel.  In fact, using the “driving away in the car” as an example, sometimes this actually has a direct impact on an audience, especially if the argument we talked about happened at night and then we cut to the next morning as your character drives off somewhere to get away from it all.  This sometimes causes individuals in an audience to shuffle in their seats, since they subconsciously feel the story is progressing and it’s time to get themselves ready for the next chapter.

So if you find yourself writing your scenes based in the same place then take my word for it, the audience WILL get bored, especially if it’s just “talking heads” — two characters chatting with no action.  Why not try transferring that conversation to a swimming pool while your characters are doing laps?  Or in a moving bus or even on an escalator in a shopping mall.  Use the location as a device in your screenwriting and if you do it cleverly, nobody will ever know what you are up to!

You might be desperate to get your screenwriting ideas noted down and formed into a completed work. After all, if you are successful, you may reap considerable rewards both financially and in terms of your levels of personal fulfilment.

But as with most things in life, the process is not straightforward. It takes a considerable amount of time and effort to complete screenplays, usually including many drafts of your work before you’re happy with it. Of course, there are ways of making the task easier. For example, you can invest in reputable screenplay writing software. This software makes structuring your ideas much more straightforward and means you will not veer away from the accepted industry format.

However, there is more to screenwriting than this. One way in which you can increase the chances that your creation will be completed is by ensuring you get into a routine. It is no good simply waiting until you feel inspired and energized before you sit down in front of your computer.

Instead, you must be disciplined and organized and have a routine in place that you rarely deviate from. It is only by operating in a structured fashion like this that most people find they are able to push ahead with the project.

It takes a certain kind of single-mindedness to be a success in the screenwriting field and you must not consistently let procrastination get in the way of your work – although let’s face it – we all do it sometimes!

So, once you have your screenplay writing software installed and clear ideas in your mind about your creative direction, you might well benefit from developing and sticking to a firm schedule.

Nothing in life is easy, so why should “movie life” be any different?  Whether you are writing a drama based on true life events or a science fiction movie set on a distant planet, normally there is a common thread – characters.  An audience has to identify with your characters in order to empathize with their plight and have an interest and emotional connection with their stories.

So making your characters real is important.  And equally as important is making the situations they are in realistic.  That’s why introducing conflict is critical to writing a screenplay.  If your characters say, do or get what they want without any obstacles then it will not reflect real life and as such you will lose your audience.

Whether it’s a psychological obstacle or a physical one, make sure your protagonist’s journey isn’t simple.  If they’re hungry and drive to the store for food, make the cops stop them for speeding or give them a flat tire.  If they ask someone out on a date, make that someone already have a partner.  If they want to say “I love you”, give them a reason for holding back and make the fact that they don’t say it at that particular time cause problems in their relationship.

Apart from drawing your audience into the story, using conflict also makes it more rewarding for your characters and the audience when the hero does finally get the girl or save the planet from imminent destruction.  Having said that, don’t go overboard and make absolutely everything a battle of words or actions.  Pick your fights and choose wisely otherwise it will feel equally unrealistic.

And a final point: ensure that some of the conflict you introduce works on the scene level with nothing to do with the over-arching story or theme — such as your hero having a bad day and waking up the next morning to find out he/she has run out of coffee — and also on the story and character development level, i.e. your hero is wounded in a fight scene making it harder for him to face the villain in the final showdown.

Script writing is a creative process and while you may not like the idea of analyzing your work, sometimes it is good to step back from your story and take a look at the narrative’s event to event causality so as to ensure it is believable and engaging.

If you want to make it big in the world of screenwriting, you are by no means alone. Whether you are a student of creative writing or a budding hobbyist this potentially lucrative industry proves a draw for many hopefuls. For this reason, it is vital you play to your strengths when working out how to write a script. It is only by doing this that you stand a chance in this competitive environment.

For example, you might be tempted to create funny screenplay scripts because there is often a high demand for sitcoms and comedy movies. After all, everyone likes to laugh. However, if comedic writing does not come naturally to you, this strategy could prove disastrous.

Being able to produce scripts that are amusing requires a certain kind of skill and this is arguably something that cannot be learned. Some people seem to be born with it, while others are not. Of course, if you are lucky enough to fall into the former category, you may well benefit from trying your hand at funny screenwriting, but if this style is not one you can get to grips with easily, you might be better off focussing on other genres.

For example, you may be much more suited to mystery writing, adventure plots, romantic pieces or something else.

Knowing how to write a script successfully is never easy, but as long as you stick to the styles you do best, you can optimize your chances. In contrast, if you step out of your comfort zone and try something you are not suited to, the chances are there will be other people out there producing better creations that yours. Weigh up the risks and think outside of the box by all means – but make the most of your strengths too when it comes to screenwriting.

When you sit down to create a screenplay, there are many issues you have to bear in mind. Indeed, the process can be daunting. But as long as you are organized and know what you are aiming for, you stand a good chance of producing something you are proud of.

One of the most important issues when you are screenwriting is the way in which you present your creations. If you get this wrong, the sad truth is professionals in the industry are unlikely to even look at your offering. After all, they are busy people and they have to look through many scripts, so the chances are they will not waste time trying to decipher your screenplay if it isn’t set out as per the industry standard.

This is why using screenplay writing software can be so important. It helps you stick to the format required by those in the industry, including producers, readers, agents, actors and development executives.

By presenting your piece in the expected way, you help these specialists to envisage how the screenplay would come across if it was performed in front of the cameras.

Indeed, many experts agree that when it comes to screenwriting, the first ten pages are the most important. It is during these early stages that you have to succeed in grabbing the attention and approval of those analyzing the script. As well as getting your content right, this also means ensuring you are correct when it comes to your margin sizes, page numbers and arrangement of text, among other things.

Without using screenplay writing software, this can be exceptionally difficult to master.

Everyone has dreams, but few ever get to realize them. When it comes to screenwriting, not everyone can put a script together that will be picked up by Hollywood, but it’s still a lot of fun trying. And besides, just seeing your script come to life when performed by a local theater company is still pretty incredible. Either way, aspiring writers will never get to know just how good they are or how far their work can take them if they don’t give screenwriting their best shot.

Putting a script together can seem a complex and daunting task, especially if a writer doesn’t have the right tools for the job. Organizing all those creative thoughts and managing the writing process requires specialist script writing software, otherwise budding writers can soon end up going around in circles and find themselves in a complete mess of scenarios and ideas. This creativity needs to be tempered by some order and structure – structure that can come from having script writing software that has been developed by successful writers, with other aspiring creative professionals in mind, at your disposal.

As well as helping to give the creative process some sort of organizational road map, the software helps with the presentation of the final document. Other people need to understand the ideas contained with the script and be able to envision how they would play out on screen.

Agents and theater companies receive a plethora of scripts every single day. Coherent presentation is the first step towards getting their attention and securing that first big break. While every new writer needs a slice of luck, they can also help themselves by investing in software to help them work like a professional.

So many people find themselves stuck in unsuitable jobs. They sit behind desks in grey, soulless office blocks, churning out countless dull reports, when what they’d really like to be doing is writing their own material. They may have dreams of one day hitting the big time, scripting major movies in Hollywood, but rather than developing their ideas through screenwriting, they’re stuck in the accounts department of some small time firm.

Making it big in screenwriting takes real talent and a lot of hard work, not to mention a little slice of luck, but if you never try, you’ll never know what might have been.

Drafting something as ambitious and complex as a movie script is daunting; even more so without the necessary tools at your disposal. It’s different kind of challenge to writing a novel or short story, for example. A script requires imagination and visualization of scenes and scenarios, as well as extensive dialogue, and it takes a great deal of discipline and organization to get all of this down on paper.

Anyone serious about getting noticed by agents needs to present their work in a professional fashion. Agents receive thousands of scripts day after day, so it’s wise to make life easier for them and get noticed with a professional, organized document.

Screenwriting software helps the budding writer to achieve this. A good screenwriting software package not only helps the writer organize and present their work effectively, but also assists the creative process by providing function and facility to structure ideas throughout the creative process.