Fiske - Your First Screenplay: The Beginners Guide To Movie Writing

Contents

Your First Screenplay

The Beginners Guide
To Movie Writing

Adam Fiske

Your First Screenplay by Adam Fiske

Published by Your First Screenplay

Long Beach, CA 90814

www.yourfirstscreenplay.com

Copyright 2022 Adam Fiske. All rights reserved.

This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

without the express written permission of the publisher

except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

For permissions email: contact@yourfirstscreenplay.com

Author photo by Shauntelle Sposto

Cover design by Mamud Didar

First Edition

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 979-8-9865037-0-7

Disclaimer: The publisher and the author make no guarantees concerning the level of success you may experience by following the advice and strategies contained in this book, and you accept the risk that results will differ for each individual. Although the author has made every effort to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author does not assume and hereby disclaims any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

He who jumps into the void owes no
explanation to those who stand and watch.

- Jean-Luc Godard

This book is dedicated to those who jump

Chapter 1

Youve Come to the Right Place

H ave you ever finished watching a movie and thought, Thats the best they could come up with? I could come up with a better movie idea than that. Or youve had an idea and thought, That would make a great movie , but never developed it further. Maybe youve had this idea in your head for a while and just arent sure how to get it from your mind onto the page. Perhaps you have even written down your idea, but had trouble developing it past that first step. Or have you always wanted to be a screenwriter, but the formatting, structure, and technical issues have prevented you from pursuing your dream? Well, if any of these scenarios sound familiar, youve come to the right place. I can assure you that I have personally been in every one of those situations, at one point or another, in my own screenwriting journey.

That is why I wrote this book. Through the years of developing my craft, I always found it frustrating that every time I tried to learn the next step in my process, I had to track down a new resource. Every source of information only took me so far. Formatting? Go to a class. Structure? Go to a workshop. Character? Check out this website. Dialogue? Action? Rewrites? There is so much to cover that it can seem endless. And endlessly aggravating.

Additionally, I wanted to make the process more accessible to the everyday, real person with a life outside of writing. Most resources Ive come across seem to think that every burgeoning screenwriter has pledged an oath to devote every waking second to the act of writing and churning out hard-fought pages. Most people dont have that kind of time, and I understand that. This is a process that is thorough, but flexible. Ive done my best to make it useful to all; from those who are dedicated to becoming professional screenwriters, to those who are interested in it as a pastime or hobby to come back to at their leisure.

I knew I had to formulate my own way of doing things. A way that worked from the start of a screenplay and would take me all the way to the end. I had to take all of those bits and pieces of knowledge and sculpt them together into a cohesive whole. After years of trial and error, reading every screenwriting book I could get my hands on, taking classes, watching instructional videos, reading screenplays, watching films, making films, talking to filmmaker colleagues, and writing, writing, writing, I was finally able to distill it all down into my own process. And that is the process Im going to share with you.

While the task itself can be daunting, the first time you write a screenplay is immensely satisfying. Finishing each step is a victory. Each one builds on the last and culminates in the finished commodity of a feature-length script. And once written, your screenplay will be exactly that, a commodity that has value. One that you can submit to contests, agents, managers, and production companies. Given the means, you could even produce it into a film yourself. But, that is another subject for another book.

In this book, Ill walk you, step-by-step, through each part of a screenplay. From humble beginnings of finding and nurturing an idea to putting the finishing touches on your last draft. In between, youll learn everything you need to know: finding and shaping ideas, the basics of script format, character development, using scene cards, timelines, dialogue, action, and rewrites. Once learned, all of these skills can give you the insights needed to construct a professional, polished screenplay the very first time you write one.

Honestly, this isnt the easiest process to go through. Writing a screenplay can be a roller coaster. I guarantee you will have days where you feel like youve written poorly. But, youll also have days where you wont believe youve written so well. At times in your screenwriting journey, you will feel tested, even frustrated. But, in my experience, that is how you know something is worth doing. If it was easy, everyone would do it. All of the ups and downs, frustrations, defeats, victories, coffee, ink, typing, feedback, critiques, rewrites, and reworking you go through will breathe life into your writing. There is no better feeling in this world than when you write the words FADE OUT on the last page of your screenplay. A screenplay that you created. A screenplay you put your heart and soul into. A screenplay that is yours. A screenplay that was a journey well worth taking. Im excited for you to get there. Thank you for choosing me as your guide.

Welcome to Your First Screenplay.

Chapter 2

What You
Will Need

W riting a feature length screenplay is much like going on an expedition. And, like the explorers of old, you will need some equipment before you start.

NOTE: There are digital equivalents to all of these items. For my process, analog pen and paper are preferred before I get to the first draft. Keeping things separate also helps me mentally keep track of what step in the process I am on, rather than simply opening up a laptop for every step. Additionally, a pen and paper can never freeze up, not turn on, or crash like a computer can. Also, for illustrative purposes here, listing individual items rather than different software programs can give you a clearer picture of the steps. That being said, feel free to use a laptop, tablet, or even your phone with whatever apps and programs you like. Remember, this is how I do it, which will help you figure out how you can do it.

Items You Will Need

1. Pens (at least two) . A writer needs a good pen. Or multiple pens, in most cases. First and foremost, find one that feels comfortable in your hand. Youre going to spend a lot of time holding this pen, so make sure it feels good. Next, a smooth ink flow is very important. A pen with bad flow will make you write slowly. If you write slowly, youll be waiting for your pen to catch up to your ideas. Get one that writes smoothly. That way, your ideas can glide from your mind to your page without any hindrance. Lastly, make sure you get a box full. I go through at least two pens per screenplay. I always have more than a few extras around. Youll be surprised how fast you go through them once you get started. A pen is the writers primary weapon, being without one is like a knight without a sword. Once you find the one you like, get plenty.