Sherry Ellis - Now Write! Screenwriting: Screenwriting Exercises from Todays Best Writers and Teachers
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- Book:Now Write! Screenwriting: Screenwriting Exercises from Todays Best Writers and Teachers
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An essential handbook featuring never-before-published writing exercises from the acclaimed screenwriters of Raging Bull, Ali, Terminator 2, Fame, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Lost, True Blood, The Shield, and many other hit films and television shows. Now Write! Screenwriting-the latest addition to the Now Write! writing guide series-brings together the acclaimed screenwriters of films like the Oscar-winning Raging Bull, Oscar- nominated Ali, era-defining blockbuster Terminator 2, musical classic Fame, hit series Lost True Blood and The Shield, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Chicken Run, Reversal of Fortune, Before Sunrise, Mystic Pizza, Indecent Proposal, and many more, to teach the art of the story. *Learn about why it is sometimes best to write what you dont know from Christina Kim (Lost) *Find out how Stephen Rivele (Ali, Nixon) reduces his screenplay ideas down to their most basic elements, and uses that as a writing guide *Learn why you should focus on your character, not your plot, when digging yourself out of a plot home from Danny Rubin (Groundhog Day) *Take tips from Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run, The Spiderwick Chronicles) on how to give an inanimate object intense emotional significance *Let Kim Krizan (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset) teach you how to stop your internal critic dead in his tracks This lively and easy-to-read guide will motivate both aspiring and experienced screenwriters. No other screenwriting book offers advice and exercises from this many writers of successful, iconic films. Read more...
Abstract: An essential handbook featuring never-before-published writing exercises from the acclaimed screenwriters of Raging Bull, Ali, Terminator 2, Fame, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Lost, True Blood, The Shield, and many other hit films and television shows. Now Write! Screenwriting-the latest addition to the Now Write! writing guide series-brings together the acclaimed screenwriters of films like the Oscar-winning Raging Bull, Oscar- nominated Ali, era-defining blockbuster Terminator 2, musical classic Fame, hit series Lost True Blood and The Shield, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Chicken Run, Reversal of Fortune, Before Sunrise, Mystic Pizza, Indecent Proposal, and many more, to teach the art of the story. *Learn about why it is sometimes best to write what you dont know from Christina Kim (Lost) *Find out how Stephen Rivele (Ali, Nixon) reduces his screenplay ideas down to their most basic elements, and uses that as a writing guide *Learn why you should focus on your character, not your plot, when digging yourself out of a plot home from Danny Rubin (Groundhog Day) *Take tips from Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run, The Spiderwick Chronicles) on how to give an inanimate object intense emotional significance *Let Kim Krizan (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset) teach you how to stop your internal critic dead in his tracks This lively and easy-to-read guide will motivate both aspiring and experienced screenwriters. No other screenwriting book offers advice and exercises from this many writers of successful, iconic films
Abstract: An essential handbook featuring never-before-published writing exercises from the acclaimed screenwriters of Raging Bull, Ali, Terminator 2, Fame, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Lost, True Blood, The Shield, and many other hit films and television shows. Now Write! Screenwriting-the latest addition to the Now Write! writing guide series-brings together the acclaimed screenwriters of films like the Oscar-winning Raging Bull, Oscar- nominated Ali, era-defining blockbuster Terminator 2, musical classic Fame, hit series Lost True Blood and The Shield, Groundhog Day, Cape Fear, Chicken Run, Reversal of Fortune, Before Sunrise, Mystic Pizza, Indecent Proposal, and many more, to teach the art of the story. *Learn about why it is sometimes best to write what you dont know from Christina Kim (Lost) *Find out how Stephen Rivele (Ali, Nixon) reduces his screenplay ideas down to their most basic elements, and uses that as a writing guide *Learn why you should focus on your character, not your plot, when digging yourself out of a plot home from Danny Rubin (Groundhog Day) *Take tips from Karey Kirkpatrick (Chicken Run, The Spiderwick Chronicles) on how to give an inanimate object intense emotional significance *Let Kim Krizan (Before Sunrise, Before Sunset) teach you how to stop your internal critic dead in his tracks This lively and easy-to-read guide will motivate both aspiring and experienced screenwriters. No other screenwriting book offers advice and exercises from this many writers of successful, iconic films
Sherry Ellis: author's other books
Who wrote Now Write! Screenwriting: Screenwriting Exercises from Todays Best Writers and Teachers? Find out the surname, the name of the author of the book and a list of all author's works by series.
Sherry Ellis
Jeanne Marie Ford
Christopher Teaford
Trevor L. Smith
Irwin R. Blacker
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Table of Contents
ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE NOW WRITE! WRITING GUIDE SERIES
Now Write! Fiction: Writing Exercises from Todays Best Writers and Teachers
Now Write! Nonfiction: Memoir, Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Exercises from Todays Best Writers
JEREMY P. TARCHER/PENGUIN Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.) Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Ireland, 25 St Stephens Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd) Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110 017, India Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd) Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England
Pages 341-343 constitute an extension of this copyright page.
Most Tarcher/Penguin books are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, and educational needs. Special books or book excerpts also can be created to fit specific needs. For details, write Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ellis, Sherry, date.
Now write! screenwriting : exercises by todays best writers and teachers /
Sherry Ellis with Laurie Lamson.
p. cm.
Now write! screenwriting : exercises by todays best writers and teachers /
Sherry Ellis with Laurie Lamson.
p. cm.
eISBN : 978-1-101-48607-8
1. Motion picture authorship. 2. Motion picture authorshipHandbooks, manuals, etc.
I. Lamson, Laurie. II. Title.
PN1996.E
808.23dc22
I. Lamson, Laurie. II. Title.
PN1996.E
808.23dc22
While the authors have made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the authors assume any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
http://us.penguingroup.com
Now Write! Screenwriting
is dedicated to the splendiferous memory of
Maeve Moses,
a very compassionate and loving young woman,
a brave and positive soul who loved the arts and everything creative,
a very best friend and soul sister,
a woman who breathed life and joy into those she met
and who died way before her time.
is dedicated to the splendiferous memory of
Maeve Moses,
a very compassionate and loving young woman,
a brave and positive soul who loved the arts and everything creative,
a very best friend and soul sister,
a woman who breathed life and joy into those she met
and who died way before her time.
A NOTE FROM SHERRY ELLIS AND LAURIE LAMSON
I n the summer of 2008, my aunt Sherry and I started talking about developing a book of screenwriting exercises. I had been impressed and inspired by watching her put together Now Write! (Fiction) and Now Write! Nonfiction , and suggested a third book for her series: Now Write! Screenwriting .
Sherry loved the idea and invited me to collaborate with her on the book. Working together as aunt and niece was an exciting adventure. Teaming up gave us the chance to share our love of screenwriting and to learn from each other in the process.
Our intention with Now Write! Screenwriting is to help budding and developing screenwriters hone and expand their skills. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge provided by our contributors, the exercises in the book are useful at almost any stage in a screenwriters career. We hope that readers will find it a valuable resource and that it will help them bring their craft to the next level.
To all the screenwriters, teachers and consultants who contributed exercises to this book, we thank you very much for sharing your expertise.
CHOOSING YOUR STORY
MARDIK MARTIN
Start with a Conflict
MARDIK MARTIN is a highly esteemed screenwriter, who penned MEAN STREETS, RAGING BULL, NEW YORK, NEW YORK, VALENTINO, and other screenplays. He has also served as an uncredited script doctor for numerous other feature films. His documentaries include ITALIAN-AMERICAN, AMERICAN BOY and THE LAST WALTZ . Hes also the subject of the acclaimed 2009 documentary MARDIK: BAGHDAD TO HOLLYWOOD. Hes currently a senior lecturer at USC and has previously taught at New York University. In 2006, the American Film Institute named RAGING BULL the fourth best movie of all time, and the Writers Guild of America rated RAGING BULL as one of the top 101 screenplays of all time. In 2008, Martin was honored with a lifetime achievement award from AFFMA (Arpa Foundation for Film, Music and Art).
T he biggest trap in writing a screenplay is the starting point. Remember, youre going to spend possibly a year of your life on a feature film script. So dont make the common mistake of using a theme, premise or message to start your story. Its easier and more effective to build with a conflict.
Lets assume a friend of yours sees a movie and tells you, I loved it. I completely identified with the main character.
Thats bull, in my opinion. Your friend did not identify with the main character. She or he identified with the protagonists conflict . Your moviegoer friend can never be that person in the movie, but she could have experienced the character s conflict, problem, or situation. Thats why she loved the movie. It was the conflict not the character that involved her in the story.
So, when you create a story, keep the characters conflict at the forefront of your screenplays starting point. In other words, dont obsess over a point you want to make or a theme, as Lajos Egri states in his popular book The Art of Dramatic Writing . He insists that the writer should start with a premise, such as Love Conquers All or Foolishness Leads to Poverty. The problem with the premise as a starting point is that you will inevitably create contrived situations and characters to make your theme become a story. But it usually ends up being phony or heavy handed. Youre hitting your audience with a premise thats obviously not based on reality but on a point you want to make.
A much better place to start is observing (or stealing) from real life. Collect anecdotes. You will want to observe real people around you and, more important, their problems, their situations, their conflicts.
Pay close attention to the people who cause those problems. In movies, we call these problem-givers the antagonists. You should study both the antagonists and the protagonists like a scientist. You dont make judgments. You dont want them to be tools of your theme. So become like an objective scientist and research the human behavior of your characters so they can be as real as possible.
EXERCISE
A good place to start a story is to look around at the people you know and observe their problems, and at the people who cause the CONFLICT. Maybe your best friend has a problem living with his mother. Or your sister is getting married to a wealthy man she doesnt actually love.
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