Okay, borrowing a page from Ellie over in the humor section (who seems to be doing a marvelous job of keeping the traffic up over there), let's have a thread for newbies to check in, say something about themselves and hopefully start up a helpful script-writing dialogue.

So here it is, the screenwriters "welcome" mat. Let's introduce oursleves and get to know each other.

Hi:

I'm Damon. I've written a half dozen decent scripts (at least, I think they are).

I got sidetracked about six months ago, when I wrote a sexy story for fun. It not only got published, but I have since sold almost two dozen erotic stories!

Now I'd like to get back into screenwriting (no, not necessarily erotic screenplays!). I love the medium.

Damon

Greetings all!

I've hopped on over here because the discussion is focusing on newbies, in as far as script writing is concerned. I fall into this category having written one - count it - one short (20-odd pages) script.

The script originally started out as a short story, then evolved into a short-short (10 minute) play and then finally into a 20-minute short film script. Anything and everything I learned or gleaned about screenwriting, was taken from a variety of how-to screenwriting books. In any case and for fun, I decided to enter it into a non-profit (aren't they always?) scriptwriting contest, to test my aptitude to produce a decent script. Surprise! It placed among the top five scripts out of 100 entries!

My philosophy in as far as writing per se is concerned, a good story is a good story is... In other words all stories need a beginning, middle and end, whether they be short stories, plays, film scripts... To be honest I'm not "that" nuts about writing for film. Maybe it's because I don't have any background in this medium and I'm the type of writer that has to experience something first hand, in order to produce a decent piece. Scriptwriting is part technique and I don't have first-hand knowledge. Maybe I'll try it again, down the line. I like a good challenge!

Ellie

Damon and Ellie,

Congrats to both of you on your successes.

Damon, I've always felt one of the best things about being a professional writer is the way something you do as a lark can often balloon into bigger and better things. Cool news.

Ellie, got to give you special thanks for letting me steal your thread idea. I'd love to be able to get as much traffic over here as you've got in the humor section. Thanks for contributing. And I agree with you, good writing will always shine through no matter what format it's in.

Hi everyone,

Well i'm only quite young. Still in Highschool. Anyway i'm interested in screenwritting. I've written a few things before but nothing really good. I've mucked around with the camera with my friends, but i really want to write some serious stuff.

I don't know much about screenwritting, so any help you guys can offer would be appreciated. I am currently working on my first "serious" script.

Anyway i hope you all get to know me and i get to know you.

The only thing i really want to ask is that you don't completly ignore my stuff because i am young. That really annoys me and i don't think that it is fair. Anyway i have had trouble on other screenwritting messageboards because "i'm only a child." most of the time people don't want to read my stuff and help me out. I am hoping that you guys are different, because it is hard to learn anything if people ignore you.

Gemstone,

You know...I won't give away my age but I've been in the writing business for over twenty years, and became interested in playwriting and screenwriting in the last five years. I'm pointing out that you're never too young...or too old to re-invent yourself. If anything I believe that being young will work to your advantage, since you know how a young person thinks and reacts to certain situations. These days there's a big demand for youth-oriented films (and scripts) so hang in there.

A good place to start is to just...write! Do you write stories with dialogue? The more you write the more proficient you will become. Another suggestion is to read scripts written by other scriptwriters (they're available on the Net by the way) and study their style.

Can't speak for other people but *I* certainly wouldn't belittle you for being young! The fact that this forum exists is an indication that we're all here to learn. At least I am...

Ellie

Gemstone,
I'm a teen too, and it may be tough to win respect from some people, but I think it's totally awesome that you're doing what you're doing, experimenting with screenwriting and trying your hand at all this. Rock on!!!

On a general note: I, like probably almost everyone else who comes to this site, am addicted to stories. It doesn't matter the source or the form--films, books, magazines, newspapers, gossip, conversations, whatever--if you've got a story to tell me, I'm hooked... And, in the same way, I love to tell stories to other people.

It is so awesome to just go into a movie theater and watch people's reactions to what they're seeing on screen. Or have you ever spent time talking to people about their favorite books and characters and seen them get totally caught up with the lives of fictional people in completely made-up situations? It's awesome!!! That's why I write, anyway. Life is too cool and interesting to let slip past you without having some sort of hand in it.

"If there is a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
-Toni Morrison

Hi guys thanks for the support guys. I've just had some bad experience with message boards thats all.

Anyway i was wondering if anyone would be willing to have a look at what i'm doing at the moment and teach me how to do it all properly and help me out a bit.

Well thanks Gemma

Well, I'm glad to see people lighting up the message board again. I hope all of you stick around.

Welcome to the board, everybody. And gemstone, as long as I'm here, nobody's going to pick on members for anything, especially not for being young. Any of us who has never had a script bought or produced should consider themself an apprentice. That includes me. Hollywood's a tough business. We should stick together. :^D

Gemma was talking about bouncing ideas off you guys and that got me thinking...What kind of stuff are you guys working on right now?? Have you finished screenplays before?? (I'm stuck in the 2nd Act of my first right now.) Got any tips?

"If there is a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."
-Toni Morrison

Stuck in the second act? Yup, a common problem, and one I see all the time from newbie writers. They get all excited about a story, maybe a few solid ideas, then they plow ahead on the script. Thirty or 40 pages later...they hit a wall and the script dies. Why? YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR STORY. The solution: WRITE AN OUTLINE FOR YOUR SCRIPT. 15+ pages (single-spaced), start to finish, get those details and twists and turns worked out. Remember, the outline is where the real work comes in.

(For those of you saying, "Outlines are for rank amateurs." All I can say is: You're wrong. Sure, some writers can crank out a solid script without the outlining process, but that's a very small percentage. If you're not part of that minority percentage, and you're probably not, OUTLINE!)

Yeah JV is right. I normally write at least a story line for all my ideas, otherwise I end up with this script that has about 6 different storylines going at once. That gets confussing, so yeah outlining is important. I used to get stuck heaps because i'd have all this different ideas running through my head and i'd try to put them all in the story. Then the story basicly turned out to be a mess, and made no sense.

Anyway at the moment i'm working on my first real script. It's a film script. It's set in ancient times and is about these two young girls who are the only hope the city has to save them from starvation and slavery. It's pretty interesting. It's just something i dreamed up (literally). It came to me in a dream ages ago, and i finally decided to try and work out what i could remeber from the dream into a story.

Well thats all for the moment.
Gemma

Hey Gemstone,

Don't even worry about how old you are. I am 20 years old and have done plenty of stuff! Directed a film, a play, had a play produced when I was 18/19 and even some published work!

Age has no barrier on anything. Only your mind creates the barriers and the obstcles. If you can overcome thoughts--- those irrational thoughts, you'll be fine!!

Here is a quote from one of my short stories, The Box of Life: "Let wisdom guide your thoughts, not your thoughts guide your wisdom!"

Keep writing no matter what and go for your dreams!!!

I absolutely agree: age doesn't matter. I'm fifty (God, it hurts to say that! :) and people who read my scripts never see them as written by an 'older' person. I would never dismiss a script because of the age of the person who wrote it, whether a teenager or octogenarian.

I'm fortunate in that I write a lot: I've completed a half-dozen full length scripts. Unfortunately, I'm at the point now of trying to get them read by industry people and obtain some feedback. That's harder than writing the darned things! :-) I don't live in SoCal, so that's a problem too.

I'd like to try to keep this thread going and talk about our work. There really isn't a lot of support out there for us poor wannabe screenwriters.

Damon

Damon, if you don't mind divulging, where are you from?

Right. Well, I mostly just signed up because Nathan who . . .

Oh, wait, that was my intro to the humor board. Let me check my notes . . . right . . . mmhmmm . . . My fellow Americans . . . no, no, that's not it either. Ah, here we go.

Well, I've mucked about with scripts before, never seriously. I put some stuff up on the web, fan episodes for TV shows and such, that got some good review. But myself and a friend (and fellow writer) of mine were discussing things, and we agreed that there was no reason for us not to try to do this professionally.

So, I need some advice. Hence coming here. I have concepts, I have ideas, I have no idea how to take a well-written script and get it accepted/produced.

And so I come here! So far I've mostly written TV scripts (I'm enamored with the TV show concept, especially now that the US is starting to open up to more daring concepts in storytelling,) and I'm wondering . . . it is possible to sell an idea for a new show straight off? Or are you better off writing for existing shows? And how do you get into that?

Mostly, I'm needing ideas for the technical side of my work. How to sell, etc. Anyways, that's enough rantage.

Evil Overlord Jeffrey
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/empireofnajha/
Join the Evil Empire of Najha!
"Tell me a funny joke" - Pappa Joe, "Boondock Saints"

Keep in mind that television is a fairly closed industry and only those who have an "in" have decent shot of getting anything off the ground. Does this mean you shouldn't try getting your TV projects out and read by the powers-that-be? Of course not. Just know you're pushing a ten ton boulder up a steep mountain. If your stuff is really good (no, really GREAT), then start querying agents. If you don't live in Los Angeles, come out for an extended visit and hit the streets. Get out and meet people that can help you obtain your goal. You might want to consider getting a job on a TV show. Easier said than done? Yup. But it CAN be done. Even if you get paid very little, go for it. Get in any way you can. This is the same advice I'd give any screenwriter...only it's far more difficult in the television field.

Anyway, that's my three dollars worth. Hope it helps some. Good luck!

Edsas:

Sorry about the long absence: the holidays leaped on me!

I'm from Reno, Nevada.

Damon

Hi Everyone. Sorry I haven't been on for a while. I've been busy with school. Anyway I've just read some of the recent posts and I really want to say "why does every feel you have to live in LA (or the USA) to get anywhere in the film industry."

I know I haven't got anything off the ground yet but I am trying, and I have resolved to never leave my country just to get something off the ground. Yeah you might have to work hard, but you still have to work hard to get anything read in holywood. Anyway it just annoys me that people think that. I mean America wasn't even the first "western" country to make a movie anyhow, so i don't see why they should be a "super power." Sorry if I offended anyone by what I have said but that is just how I feel about it. Well anyway when people say that it hurts me so if someone can explain why everyone thinks this to me then please do.

Gemma

Hi, Gemma.

Los Angeles is where most movies are made. It's where the decisions are made. It's where the talent base is. It's where the dealmakers are. Not Ames, Iowa... not Detroit, Michigan... not Tucson, Arizona. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. Sure, sure, they make movies all over the world, but LA is where the real action is. However...

With digital video and computer editing, you can now produce a "movie" on your own... no matter where you live. Budding filmmakers do it all the time. And once in a while, they even manage some nice success ("The Blair Witch Project", "American Movie", etc.).

Anything is possible...if you truly want it to be. Anything.