FORMAT RULES AND WHY YOU CAN BREAK THEM

There are two topics guaranteed to split opinion amongst screenwriters; grammar and formatting.

A few weeks ago I posted a rough version of the first few scenes of my latest spec thriller and found myself surprised at the backlash on Facebook focusing on the above two topics. I've already explained the reasons for publishing an unproofed selection of my first draft on the web and I won't go over those again, but I do want to discuss formatting rules and why you CAN break them if you so wish.

First of all I must point out that to break the rules you first need to know what they are. For those of you who are now thinking what's the point if you're going to break them anyway, you have to understand that to know how and where the rules can be broken you need to have a good understanding of how they work. Only then can you play and mess around with the reader's, or audience's perceptions and expectations. Not knowing the rules will lead to a very messy and incomprehensible screenplay.

I'm not going to go over the rules here, you can get that information more comprehensively elsewhere, but I am going to use examples of produced screenplays from two films, both of which impressed me, to illustrate what I mean; *LOCKE and *PHONE BOOTH.

SHOW; DON'T TELL:

This is a biggy, obviously because film is a visual medium. LOCKE (2013) is a brilliant example of how to break that rule and impressively so. The screenplay is about a construction manager Locke who walks out on his job and his family when the woman he had a brief fling with is about to give birth to their child. The majority of the screenplay is set in his car in real time, as he attempts to deal with the fallout of his decision by car phone, as he travels up the motorway to the hospital to be with the woman as she gives birth.

Obviously, with the main character confined to such a small space it meant the screenplay was always going to have to rely more on the dialogue than the action description, the 'SHOW' coming from the main actor's performance. Knowing this the writer used the action description as a guide for the actor to the main character's thought process. Consequently the screenplay reads more like a novel in places.

3  INT. LAND ROVER/EXT. CITY STREETS 3 

Ivan will now drive through city streets toward the M6 motorway, a couple of miles away. We will not blink as we study him as he drives...

Ivan is now confronting the crisis in his head. On the site he was in a familiar place but now he is on a journey and must necessarily begin to consider the destination and the place he is leaving.

His first decision is to make a phone call on his hands free car phone. This is an important component of the story so we should take some time establishing the mechanism. He has a long list of speed dial numbers, identified by names or locations.

He speed dials a number labelled ‘Bastard’...

IVAN

Hello, can I speak to Gareth? 

However, if this had been a spec screenplay the writer would not have been able to do this. By knowing he would also direct, it allowed the writer to break the 'SHOW;DON'T TELL' rule. The action isn't used to 'SHOW' the reader but instead inform the actor's performance. A reader coming across this in a spec script pile would most likely bin it and chalk the writer up as an amateur.

Only because the writer knew the screenplay formatting rules could he break them to make the film he wanted to. The resulting movie is better for it.

TOO MUCH DIALOGUE:

As writers we're always warned against using too much dialogue - again, 'SHOW; DON'T TELL'. The PHONE BOOTH (2002) screenplay not only breaks this rule but completely destroys it and becomes a master class of dialogue writing.

PHONE BOOTH is about a slick New York publicist who picks up a ringing receiver in a phone booth is told that if he hangs up, he'll be killed and is forced to participate in the destruction of his life and all that he holds dear, as the hidden marksman stares at him down the sight of his high powered rifle. As with LOCKE the main character's confinement to a small space is key to the story, so how does the writer get around this obvious obstacle and make it more cinematic? The answer is he breaks the 'TOO MUCH DIALOGUE' rule and uses it to convey the main character's predicament, rather than using action description to do so.

What surprised me most about this script is that there is very little action description. It's almost entirely dialogue. Pages and pages of it occasionally broken by a line or two of action. In fact if you added up all the action and scene description I doubt it would total more than five full pages. The scene and action description is sparse and only used when absolutely necessary, flipping the rule on its head and swapping the roles of action description and dialogue.

The screenplay's dialogue is a masterly example (if you know of a better one please let me know) of how words can convey action, emotion and atmosphere. The writer uses every single word of dialogue so carefully and expertly there is little or no need for action description. As a reader you don't need great swathes of action and scene description to describe what's happening and how people react both physically and emotionally to events. By doing this the writer creates an incredible, frenetic pace, under pinning the tension and urgency the publicist experiences trapped in the phone booth by the unknown sniper. The dialogue literally puts the reader in the phone booth with publicist, forces him/her to feel exactly what the character feels. It really is a spell binding screenplay.

 STU 

 They're all lying.  Nobody saw it because it didn't happen. 

 RAMEY 

A man is dead but it didn't happen. 

STU 

Not on account of me!  This is like some bad dream. 

RAMEY 

You're walking through a bad dream and you can't 

wake up.  Do you want to wake up? 

STU 

I'm trying. 

RAMEY 

And in this dream, you killed that man.  He was 

bothering you so you iced him. 

STU 

No. 

RAMEY 

Then who did? 

VOICE 

Don't tell him, Stu.  Or it'll be the last thing he 

ever hears.  His blood will be on your hands.  

STU 

(to Ramey)  

I don't know. 

RAMEY 

But you saw it happen? 

STU 

Yes. 

RAMEY 

You were the closest one to him. You must've seen who did it. 

STU 

No. 

RAMEY 

We're trying to be honest with each other, aren't we?

I particularly love the above scene as you can literally sense the publicist's (Stu) panic as he tries to talk his way out of the murder of a pimp shot by the sniper holding him hostage in the phone booth. The cop (Ramey) believes Stu did it and tries to talk him into surrendering, while the sniper (Voice) puts pressure on Stu and denies him the ability to prove his innocence.

As long as you are familiar with the rules of screenwriting there is no reason why you can't bend or break them to tell your story in a unique way that defies the reader's expectations. Ultimately this will make you stand out and above from all those other writers continually trying to pimp their formulaic screenplays.

Happy writing!

*Excerpts of screenplays used for educational purposes only and copyright remains with the original writer, production company and studio, etc.

FIRST DRAFT - PART TWO

I learnt a lot by posting the first few scenes of my latest spec last week. Some expected, some unexpected.


I posted the scenes for two reasons...

1. Let's face it, as writers we never really get to see a proper first (vomit) draft other than our own. Writers are very precious about letting other people seer their work until it has been rewritten a million times and proof read at least once by the grammar Nazis. I thought I'd be different and allow my fellow writers a chance to see how another writer works and what my raw first drafts look like - purely for educational purposes. Some called it brave! Some called it foolish! Some just didn't get it!
2. Primarily I wanted to see if the scenes worked, if they were enough of a hook for the reader to want to know more.

What I didn't expect to happen...

1. My spelling errors to be pointed out.
2. To be pulled up on format.
3. To be criticised on pace.
4. For fellow writers to argue with each other over whether these issues should have been pointed out in the first place.
5. A director to read it and then request to read the rest of the screenplay.

What I did expect to happen...

1. For people to be drawn into Dexter's story and want to know more.

What I learnt...

1. As writers it's easy to get hung up on format, pace, spelling and grammar (all of which are important) and forget that we are first and foremost story tellers. If we focus too much on these 'rules' our stories can suffer, their originality diluted or even lost - our work can become formulaic and dull. Be aware of the 'rules' but also be happy to break them if you think your story will benefit.
2. Everybody has an opinion, most of them different, and these opinions can lead to personal attacks when people think others are attacking their validity.
3. Some people get very angry if their opinions aren't listened to, are ridiculed or even attacked.
4. We're writers. We're a community. We should be supportive of each other while being prepared to offer constructive criticism when asked. Under no circumstances should we be attacking each other. We should be united and supportive...always!
5. Write the story you want to write. You can listen to others' opinions but never forget this is your story and you should never let anyone dictate how you write it... unless they're paying you, or it was their idea in the first place, even then you can negotiate.
6. Opportunities can come from anywhere, you just need to make them happen.

Overall I'm happy with the results of the blog post and now, because of the mostly positive reaction, I'm thinking of re-posting the same scenes again after each rewrite so my fellow writers can see how the scenes evolve from draft to draft.


Remember - play nice!


Happy writing.

THE FIRST DRAFT

It's taken nearly a year what with being busy and all, but I'm finally nearing the end of a new spec thriller. So in celebration of the fact I'm going to give you a sneak peak at the first few scenes below. Hope you enjoy them and feedback is always welcome... even the negative.

FADE IN:

EXT. CITY - NIGHT

A myriad of coloured lights twinkle across the bustling metropolis.

Always busy.

Never sleeping.

A tall apartment block that may have once been called luxury, but is now just old, worn and dirty, like its inhabitants.

From a distance we see a WORKMAN, tool box in hand, stride towards the front entrance.

INT. LIFT - NIGHT

DEXTER (40), the workman we saw moments ago, stands expressionless in the far corner of the lift, next to the button panel.

He wears a blue workman’s overall, baseball cap, brown hair underneath, glasses and a tool box.  A screwdriver in his breast pocket.  An ID card hangs from a strap around his neck.

Tinny Muzak plays.

The halogen light exacerbates Dexter’s pasty skin and the dark circles under his eyes.

The lift pings.  The doors open.

Dexter sinks back further into the corner of the lift.

In steps a YUMMY MUMMY, all tattoos and hair extensions.  She gives Dexter a brief cursory glance, before leaning across him to press her desired button.

YUMMY MUMMY

You’re working late.

Dexter doesn’t acknowledge her, drops his head so his cap peak shields his face.

The Yummy Mummy snorts, turns her own head away in annoyance at his rudeness.

Nether Dexter or the Yummy Mummy glance at each other, eyes fixed on the lift wall in silence.  They might as well be ten feet apart, not two.  It’s an awkward few seconds.

The lift pings and the Yummy Mummy exits.  She doesn’t look back.

Dexter urgently presses the fourteen floor button repeatedly, lifts his head again as the doors close.

Finally the lift pings as it arrives at Dexter’s desired floor.

He exits into...

FOURTEENTH FLOOR CORRIDOR

Automatic lights flicker on, some missing, illuminate the pale green walls in a eerie glow.  The colour reflects off Dexter’s skin, makes him look like one of the living dead.

Dexter walks to the far end of the corridor, halts in front of apartment one-four-five.

He knocks with a latex gloved hand.

A long moment...

...then the door opens a crack.

THOMPSON (33) peaks through, flashes a questioning look.  Dexter shows him his ID.

THOMPSON

‘Bout time.

Thompson opens the door wide, leads the way into...

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY

Dexter closes the door behind him.

THOMPSON

Bloody thing’s been playing up all afternoon.

Dexter pulls the screwdriver from his top pocket to reveal a cleverly disguised syringe...

THOMPSON (CONT’D)

Fucking freezing in here.

...and stabs Thompson in the neck, depresses the button.

Thompson half turns, surprised.  He tries to grab the now empty syringe but his legs give way.

He’s unconscious before he hits the floor.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter enters, deposits his tool box on the floor, opens it, takes out two empty bottles of pills and one partially filled.

He lines them up on the lip of the bath, knocks the third one over, spills its contents.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, HALLWAY - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter slips his hands under Thompson’s arms, hoists him upwards, with great effort hefts him onto his shoulders in a fireman’s lift, and carries him carefully towards the bathroom.

THOMPSON’S APARTMENT, BATHROOM - MOMENTS LATER

Dexter settles the unconscious Thompson in the bath.

Dexter reaches into his tool box, extracts a bottle of Jim Beam and a funnel, presses Thompson’s fingers to the top and the body of the bottle, and to all the pill bottles.

Dexter opens and discards the Jim Beam bottle top on the bathroom floor.  He opens Thompson’s mouth, uses the funnel to pour the whiskey and a few of the scattered pills down his throat.

Still unconscious Thompson gags, vomits a little back up.

Dexter places the bottle back into Thompson’s hand and steps back to admire his work.
Satisfied, the funnel goes back in the tool box, the lid closed.

Dexter’s legs suddenly go weak, he doubles up, clutches his side in pain, drops to his knees.

Dexter struggles to catch his breath, waits for the pain to subside.

Finally he stands.

He exits on wobbly legs, holds onto the door frame for support.

Happy writing.

AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION - FINAL DEADLINE

Good Morning writers, yes I do know this is the second blog post this week (you lucky lot). Last night I received an email from the Austin Film Festival asking if I would let my blog followers know their Screenplay Competition final deadline is fast approaching. So yeah (cough) their deadline is fast approaching... enter now while you can, and yes you can enter online. Details below!

Austin Film Festival Screenplay & Teleplay Competition 

Final Deadline: May 20 

All submissions must be received or postmarked by 11:59PM PST on Wednesday, May 20
AFF’s Screenplay & Teleplay Competition is one of the most respected writing contests in the country with a rich history of championing and supporting writers.  For the first time ever, AFF will provide Reader Comments to ALL entrants in the Screenplay & Teleplay Competition for FREE!  In addition, all entrants receive registration discounts, with even bigger discounts when you place in the competition. Unlike other screenplay competitions, your experience with AFF doesn’t end after making the first cut. Second Rounders (the esteemed top 10-12% in each category), Semifinalists, and Finalists attend special panels, programmed specifically for them and not open to regular badge holders.  This year, AFF has an exciting line-up of sponsored award judges including AMC for the One-Hour Pilot category, the Writer’s Guild of America East who will provide three established WGAE screenwriters to judge the Final Round of the Drama category, Enderby Entertainment who will be looking for scripts with an original concept and distinctive voice that can be produced under $5 million, and Frank Darabont’s Darkwoods Productions who will be reviewing this year’s top Sci-Fi scripts.  May 20 is the Late (and Final) Deadline for screenplay submissions so enter yours before it really is too late!

Now accepting short and digital series scripts!
www.austinfilmfestival.com

JUGGLING

Do you work on one project at a time, or several?

I've been asked this question a lot over the last few years and the answer has changed a little in recent months. I think it's important to keep the ball rolling with regards to your career but I also think it's important to focus on a single project when you need to.

Most of the time I have several projects on the go at once, all at different stages so I'm not trying to write four first draft screenplays at the same time. Currently I'm finishing the first draft of a spec feature thriller ELEVEN, developing two outlines - one for a comedy horror feature I BELIEVE IN MONSTERS and the other for a TV mini series THE DEAD LIST - fleshing out characters for another feature thriller THE CHAIR, developing one page pitches for episodes of a proposed TV crime drama, polishing one page pitches of my own TV drama ideas, as well as constantly keeping in touch with my many friends and colleagues in the industry.

Now if I actually worked on all of those projects every day I would make very little progress on each one. Lately I have found that to be the case as I've flitting from one project to another almost on a hourly basis. Focus was needed. With that in mind today I'll mostly be concentrating on the outline for I BELIEVE IN MONSTERS so that my co-writer and I can begin the first draft of the script as soon as possible. I'm also aware I haven't written a pilot TV episode for quite a while and I'm aiming to focus on one once the Monsters outline out of the way.

To do this I intend to allocate three quarters of my day to focusing on Monsters and the other quarter on a couple of other projects, making as much progress as I can on all three. When one project becomes more urgent than the others I'll adjust my main focus to it, even if that means putting all other projects on hold so I can focus on just the one project. This is especially important when a commission comes in.

Basically what I'm trying to say is don't give yourself too much to do otherwise you'll stretch yourself too thinly, you'll lose focus on projects and they'll suffer because of it. They'll be weak, diluted and lacking the finer details that make great projects stand out. It's always difficult to flit from one idea to the next, spending such a short amount of time on each one. It's far better to pick two or three and focus on them for a few days, then focus on another two or three for the following few days. That way you'll make serious progress on all your projects without their intensity suffering as a result.

For those of you thinking the amount of work above is far too much, think again. It's no good spending six months on one project only for it to go nowhere. All professional writers juggle several projects at any one time. If you want to get ahead in the writing business then you have to be continually coming up with new ideas.

Happy writing.

THE BLACK LIST

Have you tried hosting your screenplay on the THE BLACK LIST yet? Well if you haven't done so you really should... and here's why.

It's a fantastic chance to get your screenplay in front of US based producers. So who actually reads the screenplays hosted on this site, I hear you cry? The list ranges from major Hollywood executives to small independent producers, over a thousand film industry professionals. 

Do they actually read British screenplays and contact the writers, I hear you also ask? Yes they do. I've had first hand experience of this and know it to be true. That's why I think it's a great opportunity for British writers and one not to be missed.

How does it work? Once uploaded your screenplay is read by a professional reader and 'if' recommended it is passed on to film industry professionals who have signed up to The Black List. So it's worth remembering it's advisable to only upload screenplays you are completely happy and confident with. If your screenplay isn't ready then you shouldn't upload it.

Does it cost the earth? Yes it does cost to host your screenplay, but what's that little amount compared to what you might get for selling your work? I feel it's certainly worth the outlay. There are also the submission call opportunities and the educational resources the website offers to consider. And all for a few quid every month. It is really a no brainer as far as I'm concerned.

Still not convinced? Here's what The Black List have to say in their own words. 

ABOUT THE BLACK LIST

The Black List is where filmmakers find great material to make films and great material finds filmmakers to make them.

It began as a survey. In 2005, Franklin Leonard surveyed almost 100 film industry development executives about their favorite scripts from that year that had not been made as feature films. That first list - many of which have been made since - can be viewed here. Since then the voter pool has grown to about 500 film executives, 60% of whom typically respond.

Over 225 Black List screenplays have been made as feature films. Those films have earned over $19BN in worldwide box office, have been nominated for 171 Academy Awards, and have won 35, including Best Pictures SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, THE KING'S SPEECH, and ARGO, and seven of the last twelve screenwriting Oscars. A complete list of Black List films is here.

In September 2012, we launched a membership site for industry professionals that functions as a real time Black List and screenplay recommendation engine. You can learn more here and sign up for membership here.

In October 2012, we extended our mission further by allowing screenwriters from the world to, for a small fee, upload their scripts to our database, have them evaluated by professional script readers, and subject to that evaluation and our recommendation algorithm, sent to our - at present - over 1000 film industry professionals. You can begin the process of being discovered here.

In November 2013, we began accepting original episodic material, providing access for aspiring television and webseries writers around the world.

The Black List is also home to Scott Myers' blog Go Into The Story, the official Black List screenwriting blog.

2013 Black List Annual Report

Why not give it a go and see how you get on.

Happy writing.

FREE STUFF

I love free stuff. Free stuff is good. So here's a great FREE resource from Borgus Films to help you grow as a writer. Don't say I never give you anything...

I thought you might be interested in telling your readers about our new tutorial series based on Alfred Hitchcock's forgotten television works. 

We cover topics of relevance to screenwriting such as: creating unpredictable characters, building suspense and anxiety, manipulating audience knowledge, focusing on simple story objects, and more. 

HITCH20 explores the twenty episodes of TV that Hitchcock personally directed.  Each episode of this series features guest appearances from various Hitchcock scholars and film gurus with their insights on what makes these gems of TV relevant to today’s screenwriters and filmmakers. 

Guest commentaries include: 

-William C. Martell (screenwriter for HBO and Showtime)
-Parker Mott (Film Slate Magazine)
-John P. Hess (FilmmakerIQ)
-Lesley Coffin (author, Hitchcock's Stars: Alfred Hitchcock and the Hollywood Studio System) 

Proudly sponsored by: 

Glidecam, Paralinx, & Michael Wiese Books. 

Reviews: 

"An oft unopened door inside the genius of the Master of Suspense."
  -- V. Renée, No Film School 

"Packed with insights."
   -- Lights Film School 

Official site: http://www.borgus.com/hitch20Watch all episodes free on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/c/borgusfilm

Enjoy!

SHORE SCRIPTS 2015 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION

Shore Scripts have launched their 2015 short and feature competitions, so if you have a screenplay ready be sure to enter. Find the details below.

SHORE SCRIPTS 2015 SCREENWRITING COMPETITION NOW OPEN

"Our mission is to discover new exciting screenwriting talent from around the world. We put the best scripts into the hands of the producers, production companies and agents that have the means to get them made. Shore Scripts has amassed a roster of the most respected industry Judges of any screenwriting competition in the world. They include both Oscar and BAFTA winners, and the Heads of Production at Working Title Films and Ridley Scott’s, Scott Free Films.

All of our 21 Judges will read the winning scripts.We have over 100 Production Companies and agents attached to read the best scripts that we send through to them each year. These do not have to be winning scripts. If we feel a screenplay is strong enough, and a good fit with a production companies slate, then we will send it through with the writers prior consent."

BLOG REWIND - REJECTION REVISITED Tuesday April 12th 2011

I've spoken about rejection and how to handle it before, but it's something well worth going over again as it's all too easy to forget that sometimes rejection does hurt.

It's important to build up a thick skin against rejection, but even if you do there will always be that one rejection too many that gets to you. We're all human and we all desire to be loved and liked; writers even more so I think. The important thing as a writer is not to let others see you're hurting and not to rant publicly about it. That is a big mistake, a big fat no no in media circles, and a sure fire way to get yourself a bad name. It's worth remembering that if someone Google's your name they might come across your moan and think you're hard to work with and avoid you. No one likes a moaner, not even other moaners.

Go and Google your own name right now and see what comes up. If any moaning, or anything negative comes up then remove the offending article, blog or Tweet. I did this the other week and found two very early, very negative blog posts which I later removed. Here's a few other important things you might want to consider.

Rejection isn't personal. No one ever died from rejection. Rejection doesn't mean your work is rubbish, it just means they didn't like it/or it wasn't right for them at the time. Someone else might like it and snap your hand off.

Remember, be positive at all times online and keep any negative thoughts behind closed doors. Your career will thank you for it.

SUPPORTING SUCCESS

Chris Lunt, nominated for a BAFTA

This week, after learning on Facebook of two friends recent bad experiences with producers, I was going to write a slightly downbeat blog about how to protect yourself against those minority of industry people who think it's OK to take advantage of us writers... then I checked my Facebook feed this morning and discovered the lovely and talented Mr Chris Lunt had been nominated for a breakthrough talent BAFTA. Sweet! An upbeat blog it is.

I always look forward to hearing about my fellow writers' successes. Let's face it, it's all too easy to focus on the negatives when you're stuck in front of a computer screen for days on end, so it's a genuine delight to hear someone is doing well, or are finally being recognised for their work. We're a community after all and any success, no matter how big or small, should always be recognised and celebrated by us all. Not only does it give us hope, but it drives us to be better writers, to get that TV pilot/feature film/ short film script we've been sitting on for the last six months finished. It stops us dwelling on the negative and spurs us on to bigger and better things.

So poo poo to the minority of industry people who take advantage of our talent and good nature and huzzah for nominations and recognition. Today is a great day to be a writer.

Jolly well done, Chris.

Happy writing.

HOW TO NETWORK LIKE A PRO PART 2: MEETINGS

Sooner rather than later in your career you'll be invited to meet with TV development execs. So what do you do? First of all you need to know what kind of meeting it is. These meetings usually fall into two categories for.

MEET & GREET:

They've already read your work, like it and simply want to put a face to name. They want to know what kind of person you are, what programs you like and if you're going to be easy to work with. When I say easy, I mean someone they're going to be happy spending a considerable amount of time either in person, or communicating with.

What they're looking for is a polite, intelligent person, who is open to ideas and not obstructive or precious about their work. It's a collaborative process after all and they want to know if you'll take their notes as they are intended and use them to improve your script. You can object to notes, but only in a polite way, while giving valid reasons for why you think the note, or notes, won't work. Hopefully you'll be able to come up with a great alternative they'll absolutely adore. If you can't and they insist you make those changes, they need to know you'll do so.

PITCHING:

They've read your project outline, like it, but don't think it's for them... however, they want to hear more pitches.

Personally I think this is the most nerve racking meeting of the lot and this is how I suggest you go about things.

Prepare around six brief pitches. Keep your pitch to under a minute, giving the development exec the essentials; TITLE, GENRE, FORMAT and the project's LOGLINE. After that, if interested in the project, they'll ask you questions. If a question throws you, be truthful and say you don't know and ask if you could think about it and come back with an answer later. Guaranteed the answer will pop into your head the minute you step out of the door, so a quick email later with the answer, will solve the problem.

If the development exec starts fidgeting, rolls their eyes, fiddles with their phone, looks bored or distracted, bring them back into the pitch and ask them a question; "What do you think of the main character?" or something similar. Engage them. Don't lose them.

Don't forget to breathe. Try and speak calmly and clearly, not in a rush and garbled. If you find yourself rambling, take a quick sip of the lovely drink they offered you when you arrived and take a moment to collect yourself.

THE PROJECT PITCH:

They like your idea and invite you in to discuss it further. They want to know more. They want you to sell it to them. You do this by preparing.

If you don't know your project inside out then how are you going to pitch it well enough that the development exec gets the full picture? You need to not only know your characters as well as you know yourself, but you also need to know your premise and have closed all those potential loopholes in your project. I know this sounds simple but it's easy to be too confident before a meeting and not prepare fully. If they ask you a question you need to be able to answer it there and then, but if not, ask them if you could come back to them with an answer, as above.

And most importantly show enthusiasm for your project, show them you believe in it, and more than likely they will too.

Good luck.

Happy writing!

HOW TO NETWORK LIKE A PRO

I'm off up to London tomorrow for a day of meetings with TV types, so I thought it would be a great idea to look back and revise a previous post on networking and how it will benefit your career. So here we go...

NETWORKING 

I have found by years of trial and error that the best way to get work, and make great strides in my career, is to put myself out there and meet and connect with as many people as possible. Am I just talking about producers and directors? No...I mean everyone, everyone even remotely connected to the entertainment industry, actors, casting directors, script editors and fellow writers at all levels.

And it's not good enough to just show a passing interest in other people's work, I believe you have be genuinely interested in what they're working on. If I'm not genuinely in them and their career then those people I'm talking to will soon start to suspect I'm sucking up to them  simply to further my career. Luckily I don't have that problem because I have a passionate love of film and TV and a general curiosity about people, so I find it a pleasure to talk to others (even if it does terrify me sometimes) and talk about what they are working on.

Remember it's all about them, not you, so never, ever go begging for work. Remain helpful, polite and never pushy. Talk to them, ask questions and avoid talking about yourself as much as possible. If you're asked a question try and answer it as briefly as you can, before you ask them another question. If like me this comes naturally to you, then it's a great advantage, otherwise you'll have to work very hard at it.

I used to keep a spreadsheet of people I made connections with, now there's a handy little app for the iPhone called CONNECTED that reminds me who I've had contact with, when and what we discussed. I couldn't live without it, as it can get quite confusing when I've have met literally hundreds of people, especially as I'm rubbish at remembering names. Some days I even need help remembering my own.

Signing up to social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn help with the process, but you must remember everyone will read what you write so keep a separate account for personal use and gobbing off, and one for professional. You are what you write after all.

Personally I chose to only have one account on each site, as it would take too much time to keep up with separate accounts. Therefore I have to be very careful not to Twitter or Facebook when I come home from the pub and think it's funny to post a picture of my bum. General personal stuff is fine, it makes you appear human, just as long as it's not offensive.

There are plenty of other places to go and meet like minded  professionals including festivals, such as the London Screenwriters Festival, held every October in London. Not only will you meet a ton of writers at various levels, but also producers, directors and script editors. LSWF has now become so big it is now the most 'must attend' event on the calender. If you're thinking 'I can't afford to go', and you're serious about your career, then what you should actually be thinking is 'how can I afford NOT to go?'

There are also many other festivals, workshop and other great opportunities to network, set up by various well known and respected media bodies you should be looking at. You might even want to consider going on courses aimed at up and coming directors and producers... why? Because you'll probably be the only writer in a room full of hungry people who can get you screenplays made.

Writing ten or fifteen short scripts and offering them free to up and coming directors is a great idea to get your name and work out there. Plus if any are made it will give you something to be proud of and a credit on your CV. A good place to find directors is on Shooting People, Twitter and Facebook. Always remember to check out the directors previous work first to see if it's of the quality you want your short to be and if they are intending to place the finished film in festivals. That last bit is important as this will increase your exposure.

THE CALLING CARD SCRIPT

This is the one that best showcases your writing. It is not designed to ever get made (you're lucky if it does) but to show others what you can do. Make sure it is the best it can be before you send it out, as a sloppy, poorly written script will not impress anyone. And you need to send it out...to everyone - production companies first and places like the BBC Writersroom and Industrial Scripts, and then to smaller producers and directors and actors and just about everyone, but with this second group of people only if they request to read it first.

And this is where the networking comes into its own. If you've done your job properly people will also be genuinely interested in knowing what you are up to and might ask to read your script. If they like your work they might even offer you some work.

It's really all about building relationships, making friends and creating an awareness of your work. Do this and eventually people will come to you when they need a writer and one day you might even get paid for it.

PLAY NICE

The media business is a small world.

Behave badly, or develop a reputation for being awkward and people won't want to work with you. Hand your screenplays in late, or in an unacceptable, unfinished state and you'll be deemed unprofessional. People talk to each other in this business and reputation is everything.

It amazes me then that there are some people out there who still behave badly towards others. Luckily I've only met a handful of people like this and it's no surprise that in the majority of those cases I've never heard their names mentioned again, in relation to media career progression.

Don't be a plum! Don't sabotage your own fledgling career! Don't piss on people you might have to work for in the future! Here are a few of my simple rules to help you on your way...

• Always be polite, even if you don't like the person.
• Always be flexible where you can.
• Never be rude if you don't agree with something. Present your case in a calm and logical fashion and if they still don't agree with you, move on.
• Always honour your agreements.
• Always hand your work in on time (earlier if you can).
• Always make sure your work is the best it can be.
• Never continually bother people when you approach them. If they don't reply back immediately they might just be busy.
• Never be rude or derogatory about other people's work.
• Always be professional.
• Never be angry or vengeful.
• Never rage against rejection.
• Always remember it's never personal.
• Always double check what you put out on social media.
• Always have a smile on your face.

If you want to get far in this business if pays to play nice.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

There have been times in my career when I've seriously considered packing it all in and walking away for good. Where the promise of a regular income and a steady job seemed a whole lot better than the continuing struggle to get anyone to like my work, surviving on nothing but a few pennies a week.

Yesterday I read Lisa Holdsworth's excellent blog on rejection - read it HERE - where she nailed what it's like to be a writer and how we deal, or fail to deal with rejection. Every one of her points hit home and at the end of the blog post I was actually sniffing back tears.

She actually got me, got what it means and feels like to have my work rejected, and for once I felt I wasn't alone. That's the hardest part I think, the feeling of being alone and isolated with your 'shame' and 'anger', knowing that your family and friends, even though they mean well, don't really understand the crippling effect of being told 'NO'.

All writers face rejection, it's an occupational hazard. Every writer will at one time or another have to face it. But whether it's a project you've been working on for months that gets rejected or you're dumped from a project in favour of someone else, the mark of a great writer is that they learn to deal with it and move on. Yes the bad times can hurt as much as a kick in the fluffy bits - I've even had to sell my book collections and DVDs just to be able to eat on a couple of occasions when money was so tight - but I've learnt that nothing is forever.

Sometimes as writers I think we set up ourselves for most of our falls, happily telling everyone that will listen about a possible new project that physically and emotionally excites us, only later for it not to go ahead. It's hard not to share our excitement over possible projects with others. We see people so rarely that when we're asked what we're up to the temptation to blurt out every little detail is overwhelming.

Some writers are better at keeping things to themselves than others. Personally I'm crap at it and I'm sure it makes the rejection harder to deal with when you're asked..."What happened to your Vampire vs Robots project you told me ITV were interested in?" and you have to inform them ITV decided not to go ahead with the idea.

But it's not all bad. Us writers wouldn't do this for a living if it was.

There are days when you feel like nothing can dent your amour, that you're invincible and everyone loves you and what you do, when you just want to sing from the rooftops and tell everyone how well things are going. Those precious moments when a development exec says, "we really love your writing and we'd love to work with you," are the highlights that have us punching the air, strutting down the road as if we own the world. And for those few treasured moments, we do.

We are giants! We are superheroes! Our words are platinum! Our ideas genius! And the world is a beautiful place once again..!

ROCLIFFE NOTES: A PROFESSIONAL APPROACH FOR SCREENWRITERS & WRITER-DIRECTORS by Farah Abushwesha

At last a screenwriting book that doesn't dedicate itself to the act of writing, but to the art of career building and survival instead, a rarely touched upon but much needed subject in my opinion.

It's the simplicity of this book is what makes it a winner for me.

How many other screenwriting books have you read where you get the author's knowledge and experience thrust upon you as if their unique way of doing things is the right way and the only way? Farah avoids this route, instead relying on advice from a multitude of industry professionals - including my awesome agent Christina - allowing for an easy read that is comfortable, informative and never preachy.

Farah poses relevant questions about all aspects of a screenwriting, or writing-directing career, briefly expanding on those questions with a quick paragraph, before posting the answers the industry professionals she interviewed gave. All the answers are precise, insightful and are mostly kept to a short paragraph. Farah then follows this up with helpful bullet pointed notes summing up the subject discussed in each section.

What this gives you is less the feel of an educational tomb, but more of a friendly chat in the pub over a few beers, making the information a great deal easier to digest.

It'll also give you an insight into what some production companies and producers are looking for currently. I've already highlighted the most interesting sections in my copy.

However, this is also a downside I can see with this book. Some of the information from producers and development execs, especially about what they're looking for, will soon be out of date, especially as development executives move on to different companies, as they often do, and their genre focuses change. But for me, that's a minor niggle. There's still plenty of information in between those pages to make a new writer weak at the knees and they will always be interested in great writing.

Subjects covered include; the job of a writer, what directors do, what producers do, other decision makers, the writing process, ideas, the many ways in to the industry, new talent, where new talent is hunted for, genres of writing, rejection, finding a producer, procrastinating, networking and a million other vital questions that need answers, far too many for me to list in this already very long blog post.

I was fortunate to be able to interview Farah and pick her brains. So in the style of the book, here's what she had to say...

DOM - Can you tell us a little about your background, how you got into writing and producing?

FARAH - Well I’ve written stories for years but I came late to writing, I grew up in Libya and the schooling system was different there. I spoke Arabic and English fluently but, arriving in Dublin at 7 years of age, I was basically illiterate. My grandmother, a school teacher, taught me to read and write to the level of my peers over two months. As I was separated from my parents, I used to write them letters and tell them stories. Both my father and my Irish uncle are poets and writers so it was in my blood on both sides, I recall going to many poetry readings and book launches. At my friends’ birthday parties I would make up plays and put on a show for when it came to be picked up and go home. Throughout senior school I would direct plays. When I moved to Paris, my friend Antonio and I made short films. Then responsibility set in and I realised a roof doesn’t stay over your head from ideas alone and I had to get a day job. I temped in the city and learned a little about business. I set up the Rocliffe New Writing Forums and that then led to producing my first movie No Deposit, No Return. It was about a desperate woman who broke into a sperm bank - so my two producing colleagues and I went to Cannes and asked everyone we met to donate their sperm and give us the proceeds. We raised £60,000 in sponsorship… first of the crowd funders! We were fools not to make a feature there and then. I guess I thought there was a right of passage — that we had to get in line and apply for permission to make ‘grown-up’ movies after we’d made a short. Believe me, looking back I’d be saying don’t hold yourself back.

DOM - Tell us about the BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum and how and why you founded it?

FARAH - I came out of drama school, I found it so hard to get roles for women in their mid-20s. I had this great training across different types of scripts and was gagging to work. I had an agent but I was one of many queuing for those roles and everyone felt much prettier, more talented, thinner, crazier, more of everything I wasn’t. I wanted more than what was on offer. So a friend suggested getting writers together. I advertised on Shooting People which had exploded on the scene and united filmmakers, actors and writers left right and centre.  It was new and fresh. I advertised for writers to send in their work, printed them off, courtesy of the day job, and eight people turned up to do read-throughs.  I advertised again two weeks later - 30 people turned up to a small room above a pub. The idea was play reading, discussion and networking.  Pubs are great for networking. Then it kept growing and growing - we featured the early work of writers like James Dormer, Claire Wilson, Jack Thorne. It’s been amazing really. It started as a way to get my hands on material, support writers and create a network - I didn’t know any directors or writers back then. It was great. The real turning point was when we partnered up with BAFTA, who had a learning and events strand that it fit into.  It’s a mutually collaborative partnership, where we work together in the best interests of the writers, each bringing our skills to the table. What I love about it is that it is very personal, hands on; people get treated as individuals.

DOM - How did the idea for the book come about?

FARAH - I’d written a version of the book in 2010, then the Libyan Revolution came along and my father and family were there so I became a human rights activist and the book was forgotten. Then in 2013, I had been answering so many questions from writers that I decided to put them all in one place so I started the blog - using elements from the draft of the book. I was getting more than 1000 hits a week. I realised too that I’m not afraid to ask people for advice or their thoughts on the different mediums. So I asked Chris Sussman to write a blog for me about comedy writing. I realised how great it is to get advice and opinions from others. I had, at this point, thought no more of the book. I was speaking at the BFI London Film Festival in 2013 and having a coffee before my talk on line producing at Think-Shoot-Distribution. I bumped into Hannah Patterson and we were talking about the blog and she asked had I thought about making it into a book. She then explained she was a commissioning editor and asked to see the book proposal.  And it came from that.

DOM - What's the biggest mistake you see writers and writer/directors constantly make with regards to the growth of their careers?

FARAH - Overthinking can kill your confidence.  I believe, too, that some people I meet spend too much time being angry about things not happening for them or why other people have got the opportunities rather than making things or making things happen.  A writer needs to write. Many writers I meet don’t read enough or write enough. It’s all at your fingertips, go out and make something even with a phone - some great films out there. You have to commit to a career not a single screenplay. You need something to show for yourself. My biggest mistake was holding myself back; like with learning to read and write, I was a late developer.

DOM - As a producer can you tell us what you look for in writers and writer/directors you wish to work with (besides their projects of course)?

FARAH - What I would say is don’t work with people just because you are flattered by them asking you to work with them - it’s really a personality game and you need to feel you can work with them and really believe in the project or it will be hell or high water. Trust your instincts.

DOM - Should writers consider becoming writer/directors?

FARAH - It’s not a tick box - it’s a craft. Do it if you want to direct? If you want to direct, go do it! Don’t wait for permission.  Know what directing is - go on set, talk to cinematographers, lighting teams and sound recordists. I tried directing - I was so naive - I’d approach it differently today because I’ve been on set - when I did it first, I hadn’t a clue. I hadn’t run the film enough times in my head filmically.  I loved the edit though.  

DOM - As a writer, what's the one thing you can't live without and why?

FARAH - Facebook! Everyone needs to procrastinate. Seriously though, my notebook and pencil case - I’m always making notes.

DOM - Which screenwriting book from your own collection would you recommend and why?

FARAH - Hmmm… I think this is going to sound a little left of centre and not quite screenwriting but I would say the Artists and Writers Yearbook. Writing is writing and rewriting and knowing your craft and there are too many GREAT books out there. What do you do with that talent? You need to know where to send your script/book/work out there and the best start is that book.  It lists everything you need for a career.

DOM - Do you have any plans for future screenwriting books?

FARAH - Not necessarily screenwriting books but there are more in the Rocliffe Notes series. I’ve written an outline for a book about growing up in Libya, another about the relationship my grandmother had with the revolutionary Maud Gonne and a novel. Let’s see what happens next.

I've just thought of another downside to this book... it's too damn good! There's going to be far more, well informed writers out there competing for the same jobs as me from now on. Bum!

Happy writing!

WRITING FOR EMOTIONAL IMPACT by Karl Iglesias

This book has been in my 'to read' pile for a while now. Curiosity finally got the better of me.

Do you emotionally connect with your audience?

As a writer/reader I've read a ton of scripts for clients over the years, some good, some bad and some indifferent. It's the indifferent screenplays that have been the biggest disappointment for me, as clearly the writers had talent, their ideas were solid, but their work lacked any emotional depth and therefore lacked appeal. No emotional impact = no connection with the reader. Very frustrating!

A new writer recently sent me the first two screenplays he had written and while they lacked any technical ability, I could clearly see the emotional core in each piece. The fact his writing lacked technicality in structure, plot, character and dialogue didn't matter, as I could tell he was writing from the heart, and his stories drew me in. I know for sure that when he learns the technical side of his craft he's going to be a very powerful writer indeed.

I've always been of the opinion that an emotional connection with an audience is something that comes naturally and can't be taught. I find it easy to write with an emotional eye, creating ideas and characters than move me, most of the time without even thinking about it. Surely it couldn't be taught? Karl's book was to prove me wrong.

Unlike other screenwriting books Karl's focuses entirely on how to emotionally connect with your audience, to involve them in your characters' journeys and have the audience hooked from start to finish, which sets it aside from pretty much every other screenwriting book I've read previously. At the most other screenwriting guides have only briefly touched on the subject.

Karl doesn't just talk about high concept, he delves deeper, investigating what makes an idea appealing in the first place, going beyond the story to discuss genre, ways to improve your idea's appeal and how a screenplay's title can be used to draw an audience in. He doesn't stop there. Theme and uuniversal meaning are also explored, empathy with characters, their situations, the obstacles they face, what they say, what they don't, rising tension, mesmerising moments, engaging the audience and most importantly, how every scene plays a part in building a memorable experience for the audience.

In fact since reading Karl's book I've been trying to remember reading another book that goes into so much detail and examines so microscopically how every written word can have an emotional impact, and I have to admit I came up blank.

The biggest idea (and revelation, if I'm honest - why I never thought of this before I have no idea) in the book for me was Karl's insistence that we, as screenwriters, are only writing for one person and one person only. That person is the READER. And he's right. We're not writing for those movie goers sat munching their popcorn in the cinema, or those couch potatoes sat at home watching TV, we are writing to please the READER - who will be the one deciding whether our screenplay is worthy of progression or not. When you think of it like that it truly helps to focus the mind and helps make the whole process seem that little less daunting.

If you haven't got a copy of this book go and buy one right now, your writing will be a lot richer for it.

Happy writing.

A WRITER'S YEAR IN REVIEW

2014 was an amazing year for me, one where I finally began to see real gains from all the hard work I've put in over the last twelve months.

I had several meetings with interested producers who expressed a desire to work with me in the near future, including two from well known TV production companies, the head of children's drama for a major broadcaster and a producer from a feature production company specialising in novel adaptations.

It's always a great delight (and huge confidence boost) when producers complement your work. It makes all that blood, sweat and tears worth while. But not only did the people I met up with during 2014 like the samples of work my agent sent them but three of them were so impressed they offered me the possibility of future TV drama episodes; one made by a development producer and the other two by the show runners themselves. Of course this all depends on these series' getting the green light from the various broadcasters, but at least the offers are there and at last it feels like TV is not so far out of my reach now.

I also had a promise from the development producer of the feature film company that if he came across a novel he thought I would like, he would see if I would be interested in adapting it. This is on top of him currently considering two of my other feature projects for production.

Although I didn't go the London Screenwriters' Festival in October (which I have to admit I really missed) I feel I still made significant progress networking. But by December I found I was frazzled, fatigued, my energy and motivation were running low and I do regret missing the festival and not being able to recharge my writer batteries.

I also have a great deal to look forward too in 2015. I not only have the possible TV episodes but I also have two features going into production, one in March and the other in the summer. I know a lot can happen between now and March but I'm over the moon that things are finally moving forward with my feature projects.

My aims this year are as follows; 1 - to be commissioned for a TV drama episode. 2 - to see both proposed feature productions actually happen and go well.

Here's to a successful year for us all.

Happy writing!