BLOG: How to Break Into the Game Industry Part 3: On Writing for Games and the Impossible…ish Dream. July 30, 2013. 2:10 pm • Section: COMMUNITY, Technology

How to Break Into the Game Industry Part 3: On Writing for Games and the Impossible…ish Dream.

July 30, 2013. 2:10 pm • Section: COMMUNITY, Technology

Posted by: Robert Edwards

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This is an ongoing blog about game culture, development and a primer for an introduction to the professional gaming world . We’re Boximals Studios – a video game studio in Vancouver, passionate about making games, the industry, and blogging about it!  

Last Week was the second in a three part series with hints and tips on how to break into the Video Game Industry. 

This week’s blog is the third in a three part series detailing tips and tricks on how to break into the Video Game Industry. Today we’re going to focus on writing and, as with last week, we’ll look at skills and education needed to apply for a permanent job in the industry, as well as what is needed to work on your own projects.

So you want to write video games.

Part of me wants to just say “Don’t” and go for lunch early, but that’d be irresponsible and unhelpful. I’ve tried to highlight how difficult it can be to break into the industry, but here’s the real wall. In fact, realistically, there are only two ways to do it.

1. Be a published author or have had a script produced for some form of entertainment media (Web series, TV, Film, etc) and pitch yourself based on that.

2. Create your own projects. and use that as a way of gaining experience.

Most posted game writing jobs require at least two-three years minimum of experience working in the game industry as a writer. It’s a pretty massive Catch-22, but I can offer some ways to help.

Writing for the game industry falls under a few different categories. While there are similarities to the television writing industry, for the most part it’s a totally different beast. 

 Note, these terms are not totally ubiquitous, and some studios will use their own classifications.

Boximals are smart critters. They know the self-help section isn’t where you learn to write. You learn that by living. Going to school helps too.

Technical Writer: These people write the technical aspects of Video Games, known as Design Docs. Sometimes given to a Content Writer if they have the skills.

Content Writer: They are the ones who write for the Web, Item Descriptions, Quest Design and Codex/World Building.

Narrative Designer: A Narrative Designer is the lead of the Writing Department. They will have had a hand in crafting the overall story, and may be the one doing most of the dialogue writing.

Creative Director: The Creative Director is similar to a Showrunner for a TV show. They are the true leading voice on a game, usually having created the main story.

Writers are also sometimes folded into a “Game Designer” role, but this tends to be more of an indie thing. A indie game may not have all these various classifications, and the writing job may in fact be given to a actual designer instead of bringing an official writer on board. 

The truth is that a trained writer isn’t always needed for a game. That said, there are many opportunities for writers, you just need to know where to look. It is advantageous for a writer to try to develop as many other skillsets as possible. 

Being able to develop or code would significantly help being able to find a job.

Education goes a long way when applying for writing jobs. Many triple A companies require some form of creative writing or English Lit background, or at the very least, the understanding of how to write a script. 

This can be done on one’s own (At places such as Screenwriting.info ), but it would be beneficial to take film studies and creative writing classes at a University or College, or attend a private school that focuses on Writing for Film and Television. 

While these classes will teach you how to write for film and television, and not specifically games, the knowledge is mostly transferable. 

One of the greatest advantages of attending a private school is contacts. Students who are in the producing or game design programs are excellent sources for creating your own games, and building that portfolio of experience.

The Game Design Campus, located in Historic Chinatown. Also several blocks from the Boximals office!

A few schools in Vancouver that offer Creative Writing Programs

• Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television Program
• Praxis Centre for Screenwriting (More focus on Screenwriting Workshops as opposed to traditional education).
• Vancouver School of Writing
• Film Production at University of British Columbia

There are a few avenues for finding actual work as a an independent game writer. The first step is to create a portfolio that represents your best talents. Television writers will generally write a “spec” script of a television episode, to show they have the ability to capture the voice of a particular character. 

For games, you want to display that you know how to write for an interactive medium. One of the best ways to do this is to learn the various toolkits provided with games, and create your own campaigns or stories with them. Several recent games that have excellent toolkits are:

• The Witcher 2
• Shadowrun Returns
• Neverwinter
• RPG Creator

This doesn’t just apply to writers. Those aimed at wanting to develop and design games would find this beneficial to do as well. 

In addition to creating your own levels, craft traditional speculation scripts of TV shows, or pilots/films to show off your writing style.

Additionally, there is plenty of opportunities for gaming journalism. The problem with this method is that it is very difficult to make the jump from being a journalist to a professional writer, and there are few paid opportunities out there. Most gaming journalism, except for the few major sites, is done via blogs or pro-bono work.

Once you’ve got some portfolio pieces, it’s time to look out there for independent work. There are several good sites to find writing work on, but don’t expect it all to be paid. It’s part of the life of a writer that you will need to do volunteer time, or work for a profit of the game after it is released.

This Boximal has found plenty of opportunities to write, but will probably end up frolicking in a grass field instead.

These links are not just useful to the writer, but for someone in any discipline trying to break into the gaming market.

E-Lance
IndieDB
ModDB

Utilizing these sites, as well as networking options (Such as Meetup) are all essential for a writer to build their portfolio. It will take a while, but one day you’ll see that game come out with your name in the credits, and that’s what makes it all worth while.

It may seem a little daunting, and I’m not trying to be negative. Writing for games is a hard choice, but one of the fantastic things about the gaming world is that it can be done remotely. The team doesn’t all need to be located in your home city, and you can take advantage of opportunities located all over the world.

Here at Boximals we’ve faced all the ups and downs of Indie life, and we’re looking to help others get into the industry. Writing can be a tough nut to crack, but the best advice we can offer is to keep writing! 

Blog about games. Write your own stories, and make as many contacts in the industry as you can.  All of our team members worked in the freelance world at one point, and it’s a great place to develop skills, and the ability to work with others. 

(Note, Writer for Hire. Will work for Boxes. Sorry, I meant peanuts). 

Alt Script: Five Good Reasons to Write a No-Low Budget Script

Alt Script: Five Good Reasons to Write a No-Low Budget Script 

I believe that every screenwriter should have at least one no-low budget script in their portfolio. Even if that writer’s sole ambition is to write for Hollywood.

In this article, I want to lay out five good reasons why any writer should know how to write no-low budget, and also why getting a no-low budget film produced could be a writer’s best shot at the brass ring.

1. Writing scripts for No-Low Budget is harder than any other form of screenwriting

It may seem odd to suggest that something being harder to do, could be one of the primary reasons for doing it. However, in the case of screenwriting, it’s one of the best reasons. Show the industry that you can do something difficult and you prove that you’re valuable.

No-low budget screenwriting is difficult precisely because of what you can’t do, which is to create spectacle by spending money. A huge car chase, you can’t afford it. A gun fight, you can’t afford that either. Period costume or expensive prop builds, not in your price bracket. Basically, the lower the budget, the more the drama has to come from the relationships between the characters… or in other words, the success and failure of the project rests totally on the shoulders of the screenwriter.

Not only does the writing have to be compelling to carry the story and to hold the audience, on top of that, the core concept of the movie has to be strong enough to persuade an audience to chose to spend ninety-minutes with you, as opposed to the multi-million dollar movie with the big name actors and the mind numbing stunts.

Let me be straight with you, this is the very definition of difficult.

The good news is, if you can can persuade an audience your film is worth the effort, and then give them a great filmatic experience, without spending vast amounts of money in production, then there is very little in this industry that you aren’t capable of achieving. The creation of a high-quality, compelling no-budget drama is, for me, the holy grail of screenwriting.

2. Showcase your voice and prove its worth

Everything in the movie industry is gauged by its ability to make money. Most people in the industry, including many writers, believe this means there isn’t room for unique voices. They believe that it’s dangerous to write challenging, difficult scripts that step outside of the norm, because the greater the risk, the less likely it is that producers want to make it.

So, instead of becoming the best screenwriters they could possibly be, they settle for becoming a safe pair of hands. Their theory is that by showing the industry they know how to play nicely, they will succeed. They also believe that the best way to play nicely, is by providing the industry with a spec script which hits all the standard plot points, which is on trend, and which everyone feels confident in from a business point of view. A confidence they have in the script simply because there isn’t anything in it that can’t be explained by current script theory. Most of the teaching done relating to screenwriting is “safe pair of hands” teaching.

Or, in other words, what people teach is largely reverse engineered from previous successful Hollywood projects. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, unless, of course, you were inspired to write movies by the kinds of artists who have always trodden their own and distinctive paths.

However, the “safe pair of hands” route isn’t the only way to make your mark in the industry.

What people often forget is that the industry also supports talent, regardless of whether they understand it or not, providing they believe they can make money from it. Basically, the “safe pair of hands” rules only apply to regular folks, not to the cash-cow mavericks. There is nothing the industry respects more than mavericks who make them money, but which they can’t understand or replicate.

If you look at talent like: David Lynch, The Coen Brothers, Woody Allen, Quentin Tarantino or even Kevin Smith, these guys colour well outside of the acceptable lines when it come to choice of subject and in some cases the way they approach screenwriting. And yet, in each case, they established themselves as unique voices by making films the way they wanted to and then making money with it. Once you can demonstrate that what you do will make money, the industry doesn’t require you to play nicely, it only requires you to make more money.

What this means, is that for some writers, writers who have a distinctive voice, making a no-low budget movie can be the best way to make that distinctive voice work for you, instead of working against you. If agents and producers are telling you your script isn’t commercial, you have two choices, you can either endlessly rewrite it. Change your risky, distinctive script into something they feel is safe and normal. Or, you can make it yourself and prove its worth.

For a writer with a distinctive vision, making your own films may be your best route into the industry.

3. There is more to life than playing by the industry’s rules

Not everyone is motivated by the idea of catching the industry’s attention. There are other reasons for making films. It’s not all about furthering your career or making money. Some people just want to make the kind of films they want to make, often because they believe the industry’s output is tediously repetitive or just that they have projects they want to put in front of audiences, which the industry won’t tackle.

I know this may sound like a radical idea, but commercial viability isn’t the be all and end all of human existence. The idea of art for art’s sake is a very real thing. Not only that, there are audiences for all kinds of films, films that fall well outside of industry norms.

So, for instance, there is a small global audience for experimental filmmaking. Not only are there online groups, there are also film festivals which celebrate the innovative and unusual. One of my all time favourite films was shot on 8mm film by a couple of Eastern Europeans. It’s not the kind of film you can see on Netflix, and I was given my copy by the filmmakers themselves, at the Milan film festival. It is a film that is unlikely to be seen outside of European Film Festivals. But, it’s still a great film and the world is a better place for it’s existence.

It’s called Slow Mirror, here’s the trailer for it.

Personally, I believe one of the best reasons to make a no-low budget film is put aside the shackles of conventional thinking and to imagine what it would be like if you could write without constantly worrying about whether what you are doing conforms to the set of rules that only really exist for spec script writing. It is entirely possible to write exactly what you want to write, exactly the way you want to write it. Even if it is your intention to concentrate on commercial projects afterwards.

There is a lot to be said for giving yourself permission to be unfettered and free in your creative life. Just do it. Make a film for the hell of it and make it exactly the way you want to do it. I guarantee that there will be some people who like what you want to make.

4. Learn What’s Possible

No-low budget script writing is all about figuring out what is and isn’t possible. It means absorbing into your writing skills an understanding of what can be achieved well in production, cheaply, and what can’t. In many respects it’s the opposite of spec script writing, where you imagine something and then go out to find the resources to make your vision possible.

In practical terms, this may mean that your entire project is constructed around one particular resource. Say for instance you just happen to have access to an abandoned, ex-military nuclear fallout bunker… or perhaps you are friends with a particular actor. Writing to make the most of your resources is a completely different skill-set than writing to spec.

Photo courtesy of filmindustrynetwork.biz

What this kind of writing and filmmaking teaches you, is a working knowledge of production and what things cost. On top of that, it’s also an exercise in hiding your lack of budget from your audience. In my experience, one of the best ways to make your no-low budget movie look like you’ve spent a fortune, is to base your story in an exceptionally filmatic and free to use location.

When you think about it, this is a fairly obvious way to approach screenwriting. Find somewhere real, that your story would naturally inhabit, and write about what happens in that specific place. This idea of setting my story in real, visually interesting places, is something I learned through micro-budget filmmaking, but which I now apply to my spec scripts as well. Trust me, it a great way to work. Actually, don’t trust me, try it for yourself and make your own mind up.

Understanding what things cost, how to work around the expensive stuff, whilst retaining a movie’s cinematic integrity are all skills that producers appreciate. Being able to save a producer’s budget, by applying budget saving tricks you’ve learned in micro-budget filmmaking, is a very marketable skill for a writer to have.

5. Find Your Own Audience

In the film industry, the second you delegate one part of the process to someone else, you are giving them control not just of your current project but of future projects as well. Let me explain that, because it’s a difficult idea to take on board if you’ve spent your entire career being told the opposite.

Imagine you decide that you are only going to write scripts and therefore you are going to let your agent sell your scripts for you. You have just made a decision to delegate the sales process. You write an incredible script, which your agent uses to open a lot of doors. Your agent does a lot of preliminary meetings and adds ten or fifteen really useful producers and commissioning editors to her Rolodex.

However, just as everything is going well with your project, Guy Ritchie announces the release date of his new project, which just happens to be very similar to your project. Suddenly, your great script has gone from being hot to being untouchable (This happens all the time, by the way). As a result of this turn around of fortunes, you and your agent have a massive spat. She stops returning your calls. You are effectively without representation again.

Now, because you delegated responsibility for finding sales to your agent, your agent now has ten/fifteen useful new contacts.

You don’t. Your project opened doors, but this hasn’t helped your career one single iota, because when you delegated the process of networking to your agent, your agent gained all the benefits.

If you understand the above process, you should understand the importance of being independent.

Fundamentally, the same phenomenon applies to any step in the process between writer and audience. So, if you find your own producer, but then delegate the sale of the film to the producer, you then fail to make your own relationships with those distributors, which means your fate will always be controlled by that producer.
The important thing to learn from all of this is that you do have a choice at every single point in the process.

Some writers don’t want to sell their own work, because they don’t have the people skills, so for them an agent is a must. Some writers don’t want to learn how the business side of sales works, therefore it makes sense for them to work with producers who will do that for them. Some writers can’t imagine self-distributing their own movie and forming a direct relationship with their audience… so, they will always rely on a distributor to do that for them.

It’s all about choices. But at least we should know that those choices are there to make.

Conclusions

I genuinely believe that any writer who is serious about their craft should have at least one no-low budget script in their slate. I believe this because no-low budget script writing offers writers a perspective on screenwriting that isn’t given in any of the current tomes on “how to” write for film. It’s not taught anywhere, simply because the “how to” industry still sees writers as servants to the industry, as opposed to artists in their own rights.

So, it teaches writers to be a safe pair of hands, rather than to be bold and innovative. On top of that there are a whole heap of useful, pragmatic skills to be acquired. Every producer loves a writer who can write to a specific budget.

Ultimately, no-low budget screenwriting is about a writer deciding to make the films they really want to make, regardless of whether they make money or whether they will appeal to mass audiences. There is something deeply satisfying about having a direct and honest relationship between what you want to write, as an artist, and what is presented to audiences. And, the truth of the matter is, the only way you’ll ever be given the opportunity to develop a unique voice in this industry is if you are able to prove that your unique way of working has commercial value.

A writer who can create their own Blood Simple, their own Reservoir Dogs, their own Eraserhead, or even their own Clerks, can pretty much write their own ticket. Writers like that get a lot more freedom to make the films they want to make, than any writer who has crawled their way through the spec script system.

Distinct voices in the industry earned those freedoms, by taking the risks themselves and creating their own audiences.

Related Articles:

• Taking the Reins: Give to Get Backed
• Alt-Script: How to Pick the Right Independent Producer
• A New World in Distribution - Goodbye Promise Releases on IndieGoGo

Tools to Help:

• The Script-Selling Game: A Hollywood Insider’s Look at Getting Your Script Sold and Produced
• The Pocket Lawyer for Filmmakers: A Legal Toolkit for Independent Producers
• Writers Guide to Hollywood Producers

Producers http://www.scriptmag.com/features/alt-script-five-good-reasons-to-write-a-no-low-budget-script?et_mid=597812&rid=232834455

The New 10 Commandments of Writing Screenplays.

Reprint: The New 10 Commandments of Writing Screenplays.

Most people know about writing screenplays, but if you break these commandments, your soul will be damned to eternal amateur-damnation…

…Or maybe it’ll just be a bit more difficult to become a pro. Either way, you’ll want to really consider these guidelines as you write or rewrite your screenplay.

Writing Screenplays By Commandment

1. Entertain us…or it’s over!

Entertainment is the number one reason that people go to movies. Every producer and agent knows that. So it should be the #1 focus of your screenwriting. Become a master at making any character or situation entertaining and you’ll be a writer in demand.

To be blunt, if there is anything in your script that doesn’t entertain, fix it.

2. Make EVERYTHING more interesting.

The industry is filled with readers who are fed a gourmet diet of professional screenplays. If you want yours to stand out, it has to captivate their attention and cause them to forget that they are doing a job.

This should be an ongoing campaign of yours. Make your scenes more interesting. Make your characters more interesting. Make your dialogue more interesting. Make everything more interesting.

3. Give us a lead character we can’t stop following.

Professional screenwriters intentionally create characters we want to follow. They are unique, yet familiar. We can relate to them and want to go on the journey with that character.

In general, your protagonist should be the perfect person to lead us deep into this story and the conflict that is about to occur. Don’t settle for a good lead. Go for great.

4. Promise us something special…and deliver on it.

Somehow, you have to keep people reading until the last page. Here’s a solution.

About 15 years ago, I read a book called “A Story Is A Promise” by Bill Johnson. Since then, I’ve always looked at a script from the perspective of “What is the promise you’re making to the reader/audience and how do you keep it in a unique way?”

Essentially, you are promising some major achievement by the protagonist or some big confrontation that will happen in the 3rd Act between protag and antag. If the promise is strong enough, we’ll read every page to see what happens.

5. Show us deeper meaning.

Deeper meaning can be built into the plot, character, situations, actions, and dialogue of a script. It doesn’t have to be profound, just beneath the surface…and perceived by the audience.

Audiences and readers just don’t appreciate on-the-nose writing. Subtext gives them a chance to interact with the film. They have an internal experience of the story because they are interpreting what the dialogue and actions really mean.

Because of that, it is just as important to take care of the subtext of a story as it is to create the surface story.

6. Put your characters through hell.

Great parents take care of their children and don’t let harm come to them. Great writers put their characters in the worst possible places to challenge their beliefs and physical limitations.

Don’t get the two jobs mixed up. Audiences don’t go to movies to see characters lead safe lives. They want to see your characters take risks, experience danger, and barely escape from challenging situations.

Writing screenplays will make you a tough task-master. By your final draft, your characters should hate you for all the terrible things you did to them.

7. Free up your dialogue so you can express more character.

Beginning writers often fill their dialogue with exposition and story details, thus reducing the amount of character and creativity that shows up in that dialogue. Don’t do it.

Instead, put the exposition, information, and story details into the action and situations.

For example, instead of a trainer telling a new boxer that a certain philosophy doesn’t work, have him put the character in the boxing ring and learn it by having his ass kicked. Now, the trainer doesn’t have to lecture. In fact, he is free to talk about anything – breakfast, politics, his favorite dog, etc. – because the real meaning is being delivered through the action.

It completely frees you up so you can be much more creative with your dialogue.

8. Turn cliches into fresh ideas.

In the film industry, a cliché is defined as “something we’ve seen before.” If you write a script with the same plot or the same lead characters or the same situations, people will balk at them.

Audiences want to see familiar stories told in different ways and familiar characters with something special about them. That means that your characters, situations, actions, and dialogue need to have something unique to them.

Your challenge: Hunt down every cliché in your script and brainstorm more unique ways to accomplish their purpose. Give them a twist or unique spin or different voice. It takes a bit of work, but it instantly improves your screenplay.

9. Give yourself permission to write shit in your first draft…

…and push yourself for perfection in your final draft. Not the other way around.

This is a better strategy for writing screenplays than trying to be perfect on the first draft and shoving yourself into writer’s block.

First drafts are the time for total freedom of expression, not criticizing your writing. You want to discover what you can about your story, characters, etc.

On the other side, writers often send drafts to producers that aren’t even close to ready. That’s the time to bring out your internal critic and make sure this is a perfect draft.

The more in sync you are with your creative process, the faster you’ll achieve perfection.

10. Rethink your script…until it is the most amazing it can be.

This is the ultimate challenge of a professional screenwriter – having to rethink the same script over and over until you discover the perfect way to tell this story.

Even if you think your story or character is perfect, you should have the skills to re-envision it in many different ways. Not only will this help you write a better story, it will also help you work with production companies and Studios when they request script changes.

Make those 10 Commandments part of your daily writing and someday, you’ll be soon be writing screenplays like the Hollywood writing Gods.

——

And if you want to dramatically improve your ability to write screenplays, check out ScreenwritingU’s screenwriting classes.

These 10 Commandments are built into our classes. That may be why Script Magazine rated our classes #1 in their “Top 9 Online Screenwriting Courses.”

===

Like this issue? Visit our website.

Copyright © 2012 ScreenwritingU, all rights reserved www.ScreenwritingU.com | site_team@ScreenwritingU.com |

screenwritingu.com: 10 Commandments of Writing Your Screenplays.

The New 10 Commandments of Writing Screenplays.

Most people know about writing screenplays, but if you break these commandments, your soul will be damned to eternal amateur-damnation…

…Or maybe it’ll just be a bit more difficult to become a pro. Either way, you’ll want to really consider these guidelines as you write or rewrite your screenplay.

Writing Screenplays By Commandment

1. Entertain us…or it’s over!

Entertainment is the number one reason that people go to movies. Every producer and agent knows that. So it should be the #1 focus of your screenwriting. Become a master at making any character or situation entertaining and you’ll be a writer in demand.

To be blunt, if there is anything in your script that doesn’t entertain, fix it.

2. Make EVERYTHING more interesting.

The industry is filled with readers who are fed a gourmet diet of professional screenplays. If you want yours to stand out, it has to captivate their attention and cause them to forget that they are doing a job.

This should be an ongoing campaign of yours. Make your scenes more interesting. Make your characters more interesting. Make your dialogue more interesting. Make everything more interesting.

3. Give us a lead character we can’t stop following.

Professional screenwriters intentionally create characters we want to follow. They are unique, yet familiar. We can relate to them and want to go on the journey with that character.

In general, your protagonist should be the perfect person to lead us deep into this story and the conflict that is about to occur. Don’t settle for a good lead. Go for great.

4. Promise us something special…and deliver on it.

Somehow, you have to keep people reading until the last page. Here’s a solution.

About 15 years ago, I read a book called “A Story Is A Promise” by Bill Johnson. Since then, I’ve always looked at a script from the perspective of “What is the promise you’re making to the reader/audience and how do you keep it in a unique way?”

Essentially, you are promising some major achievement by the protagonist or some big confrontation that will happen in the 3rd Act between protag and antag. If the promise is strong enough, we’ll read every page to see what happens.

5. Show us deeper meaning.

Deeper meaning can be built into the plot, character, situations, actions, and dialogue of a script. It doesn’t have to be profound, just beneath the surface…and perceived by the audience.

Audiences and readers just don’t appreciate on-the-nose writing. Subtext gives them a chance to interact with the film. They have an internal experience of the story because they are interpreting what the dialogue and actions really mean.

Because of that, it is just as important to take care of the subtext of a story as it is to create the surface story.

6. Put your characters through hell.

Great parents take care of their children and don’t let harm come to them. Great writers put their characters in the worst possible places to challenge their beliefs and physical limitations.

Don’t get the two jobs mixed up. Audiences don’t go to movies to see characters lead safe lives. They want to see your characters take risks, experience danger, and barely escape from challenging situations.

Writing screenplays will make you a tough task-master. By your final draft, your characters should hate you for all the terrible things you did to them.

7. Free up your dialogue so you can express more character.

Beginning writers often fill their dialogue with exposition and story details, thus reducing the amount of character and creativity that shows up in that dialogue. Don’t do it.

Instead, put the exposition, information, and story details into the action and situations.

For example, instead of a trainer telling a new boxer that a certain philosophy doesn’t work, have him put the character in the boxing ring and learn it by having his ass kicked. Now, the trainer doesn’t have to lecture. In fact, he is free to talk about anything – breakfast, politics, his favorite dog, etc. – because the real meaning is being delivered through the action.

It completely frees you up so you can be much more creative with your dialogue.

8. Turn cliches into fresh ideas.

In the film industry, a cliché is defined as “something we’ve seen before.” If you write a script with the same plot or the same lead characters or the same situations, people will balk at them.

Audiences want to see familiar stories told in different ways and familiar characters with something special about them. That means that your characters, situations, actions, and dialogue need to have something unique to them.

Your challenge: Hunt down every cliché in your script and brainstorm more unique ways to accomplish their purpose. Give them a twist or unique spin or different voice. It takes a bit of work, but it instantly improves your screenplay.

9. Give yourself permission to write shit in your first draft…

…and push yourself for perfection in your final draft. Not the other way around.

This is a better strategy for writing screenplays than trying to be perfect on the first draft and shoving yourself into writer’s block.

First drafts are the time for total freedom of expression, not criticizing your writing. You want to discover what you can about your story, characters, etc.

On the other side, writers often send drafts to producers that aren’t even close to ready. That’s the time to bring out your internal critic and make sure this is a perfect draft.

The more in sync you are with your creative process, the faster you’ll achieve perfection.

10. Rethink your script…until it is the most amazing it can be.

This is the ultimate challenge of a professional screenwriter – having to rethink the same script over and over until you discover the perfect way to tell this story.

Even if you think your story or character is perfect, you should have the skills to re-envision it in many different ways. Not only will this help you write a better story, it will also help you work with production companies and Studios when they request script changes.

Make those 10 Commandments part of your daily writing and someday, you’ll be soon be writing screenplays like the Hollywood writing Gods.

——

And if you want to dramatically improve your ability to write screenplays, check out ScreenwritingU’s screenwriting classes.

These 10 Commandments are built into our classes. That may be why Script Magazine rated our classes #1 in their “Top 9 Online Screenwriting Courses.”

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Neale Sourna's Creative Writing, Freelance Writing, Online Writing and Creative Content, Ghostwriting, Rewriting, Screenwriting, Proofing, and Editing, Writing Character and Writing Ideas Help

With online clients worldwide, fiction and nonfiction: USA, Canada, Australia, England, Germany, Poland, and more. Accepting viable clients through Elance, Guru, and PayPal (if established previous client). Click on links following to see portfolios and connect into Neale online at Elance or Guru.

Elance.com / NS Elance Writing-Editing Profile and Guru.com / NS Guru Writing-Editing Profile / NS Resume 2009-08-NSourna--WritingNaked.pdf

(for scripts, screenplays, novels, game stories/gaming stories, short stories, sales dialog scripts, and more)

Find Neale Sourna at LinkedIn! http://www.linkedin.com/in/nealesourna

Find Neale Sourna at MySpace!

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Your screenplay, novel, or screenplay into novel, your dialog and visuals need hardcore writing and intense character rebuilding or revisualization. In your writing erotica, writing romance, erotic writing, too, it needs its to have hypnotic. sensual (all your senses) and emotional impact to have more power over your reader; so, invest in fine writing and great storytelling that makes your reader feel and experience.

Problems with one character or many characters?

> Are they "off"?

> "Not gelling?"

> "Out of step?"

> Or are they "frozen" or "lifeless,"and not "real enough"

We can work on that. I can help you improve that.

Or I can take over and give you a rewrite that'll help.

So, if you need:

> a writer,

> a rewriter,

> a ghostwriter,

> a writing consultant, perhaps

> a mini coach for just a few hours of writing/character/plotting advice

for a "kick start" or "kick in the pants," to help you with your fiction or your voice in both fiction and nonfiction, make contact.

If you're truly ready to be serious about investing in and doing the very best for your project, contact me; when you want a voice that's strong, profound, and farseeing--whether scifi/adventure, romance, spiritual, or drama (with or without humor / humour).

Quality pricing gets you quality writing; by byline or ghost (ghostwriting).

Client Project: NEW!! Heartwild Solitaire, The Author's Edition* The FIRST solitaire game with a romance story. Romance Follow a story of Anne, as she leaves her old life behind and sets off to rediscover her true self. But then a man, dangerous kind, steps onto her path... Tarot Through a Tarot spread see Anne's fate unfolding. Hand painted cards will guide you. Solitaire Have fun with a relaxing, card-matching game. Unique bonuses and random card placement will keep you playing for hours. And if you dare, submit your best score to the online chart and compete with others! *Game story Written by Neale Sourna, Rated E for Everyone Version also available

Client Project:

The Secret of Margrave Manor at http://www.margravemanor.com/

and

Margrave Manor 2: The Lost Ship

search/puzzle game scripts; fun, character-filled stories by Neale Sourna

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Client Project:

Great fiction stories just posted to two new websites: Samurai (2), Australian outback western mail order bride romance about a shy love (3), "Becca" (a short story novel) with adventure, pirates, a duke and a runaway lady, and more published at:

http://www.romantic4ever.com/romantic-fiction/index.html

and four of my contemporary and period wedding night stories are now here:

http://www.weddingnight.com/

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"I will not fear.

Fear is the mindkiller.

Fear is the little death
That brings total Oblivion.

I will permit my fear to pass
Over me and through me.

And where it has gone
I will turn the inner eye.

Nothing will be there
Only I will remain."©

from Frank Herbert's DUNE.

What is Writing Naked?