tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-237326612024-03-08T01:05:45.518+00:00The ScriptwriterThe Scribblings Of An Award Winning Screenwriter.Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.comBlogger607125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-51949207289835225492022-03-28T20:10:00.001+01:002022-03-28T20:10:13.132+01:00BLOG CLOSURE<p>The Scriptwriter Blog is taking a permanent break. I don't have the time or energy to devote to the blog that is needed to move forward.</p><p>Thank you to those who supported the blog, read it or contributed to it in the past... I love every single one of you.</p><p>I'll be leaving past posts up for reference.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-18533402515429881962022-01-12T09:00:00.215+00:002022-01-12T14:17:38.526+00:002022 - LOOKING FORWARD<p>I don't want to make any New Year writing resolutions this year. Not because I've lost my ambition along with my writing mojo but because I don't want to end 2022 with any unfulfilled goals. Unfulfilled goals lead to anger... anger leads to hate... hate leads to standing in a dark, damp cave with father issues and only a lightsaber as company... ahem... well, you get the drift.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJDAwNlwiQpbUK-rh8yU6Jz1TR0Kmjkii75L9xzePQnPOMD6EFbgWeaQjxxZ4GkU42RdZ1jvgVgqxqQ4oaCHnoITRBu2kiV5V8Cr8a2bGF8zOxF4pa62y6zTq1hYNv4v8EPJLtErZi2oAV2bsW5XLg50A50ATZE0Fr5n4M9MZS45UYQRSs=s1470" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="894" data-original-width="1470" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJDAwNlwiQpbUK-rh8yU6Jz1TR0Kmjkii75L9xzePQnPOMD6EFbgWeaQjxxZ4GkU42RdZ1jvgVgqxqQ4oaCHnoITRBu2kiV5V8Cr8a2bGF8zOxF4pa62y6zTq1hYNv4v8EPJLtErZi2oAV2bsW5XLg50A50ATZE0Fr5n4M9MZS45UYQRSs=s320" width="320" /></a></div>Basically, I don't want to make all these resolutions and/or goals and then end the year disappointed having not achieved some or all of them. Because, at the moment, the danger with failing to acheive the writing goals I set myself at the beginning of the year is that it might leave me feeling disollusioned, depressed, angry and resentful and after already spending a year feeling shit about myself and my writing, that is the last thing I want to happen. I still want to be ambitious. I still want to achieve things. I still want to work on exciting projects and read amazing, intreaguing and entertaining screenplays from many wonderful writers. Just because I refuse to set goals for myself, doesn't mean I refuse to look forward with regards to my career.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie_DxKz0K7aGzNlQqyEFVu0TeRNxaEPDEKlA0wQ3Z-n42ih1oAAa0k3Ja4mJS_0dMM8FfFKE9bYP1jfHLyGlS9glcLZAvnU7LBu3JFtE3cLDIdUXiyZD6f3s21hYLVtQHh-nVnHx4_V1BprdTbA9tyLFHNcK9RWHnPVaND_8AXIkgvK2VN=s1200" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEie_DxKz0K7aGzNlQqyEFVu0TeRNxaEPDEKlA0wQ3Z-n42ih1oAAa0k3Ja4mJS_0dMM8FfFKE9bYP1jfHLyGlS9glcLZAvnU7LBu3JFtE3cLDIdUXiyZD6f3s21hYLVtQHh-nVnHx4_V1BprdTbA9tyLFHNcK9RWHnPVaND_8AXIkgvK2VN=s320" width="320" /></a></div>So instead, inspired by my wife and her hypnotherepy teachings, I have decided to choose a single word which will have a bearing and influence on my life as I travel through the next tweleve months. The word I choose is 'OPEN'.<br /><p></p><p>I choose 'OPEN' because even though I don't want the pressure of failed goals I do want to be ready for work and opportunities that may come my way this year. I want to be 'OPEN' for business. I want to be 'OPEN' for work. I want to be 'OPEN' for opportunity. There's no pressure on me with 'OPEN'. There's no expectation with 'OPEN'. There's just endless possibilities and a willingness to welcome them should they present themselves. I'm free to be adaptable and choose my opportunities when and if they come along, and not be tied to something I commit myself to in January. I have the freedom to make choices and the freedom to be happy with what ever comes my way, without the anxiety of missed opportunities that don't.</p><p>In the past I've advocated setting goals as a way of challanging yourself and to keep your career moving forward. Now I'm revising that to say if you sometimes react badly to that pressure or simply don't want it, just commit to being 'OPEN' to possibilities while still working hard at doing all the right things to advance your career.</p><p>Happy New Year and happy writing!</p><p><br /></p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-66201252193297548902021-12-29T13:37:00.000+00:002021-12-29T13:38:50.355+00:002021 - THE YEAR THAT WAS<p>2020 was a reasonable year. While I did battle depression for the most part I also landed a feature commission and had plenty of screenplay clients to distract me from the explosion of Covid. However, 2021 was a completely different monster altogether.</p><p>2021 sucked the life out of me. There were no commissions, very few screenplay clients and my mental health went terminal. By the end of the summer, I was done. I could barely string a sentence together in person or on the page and I was so broke I contemplated ending it all. It got that bad! But it's only when you reach rock bottom you realise what's important and what you need to hold onto to come through the dark times. Rock bottom is where all the layers and barriers you've built up over the years to protect yourself from hurt and disappointment have been stripped away and all you are left with is the honest truth of who you are.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic5VExtkrDbSYSGj6VKXDdlCkM4h3Epz1m3Hs-8GiPiSJXqJtjgHsHdLrDKMCMN3QpiBZxxTmb-k4d98AN_v0bmsk-6V9jdd6ModR3G93QcrL0ELKOrZOHsE1KNnMsBCFppDY7nXLdFEXZXO32S3RraEUY9PGIQ-kHcTmhiub8IDmxJjpO=s1184" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1184" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEic5VExtkrDbSYSGj6VKXDdlCkM4h3Epz1m3Hs-8GiPiSJXqJtjgHsHdLrDKMCMN3QpiBZxxTmb-k4d98AN_v0bmsk-6V9jdd6ModR3G93QcrL0ELKOrZOHsE1KNnMsBCFppDY7nXLdFEXZXO32S3RraEUY9PGIQ-kHcTmhiub8IDmxJjpO=s320" width="320" /></a></div>I discovered a middle-aged, white male dissatisfied with his career and life, a person who had put so much pressure on himself to succeed it had tied him up into tiny little knots, to the point he could barely function without continually second-guessing his every move. Those pent up frustrations had caused him to take it out on the ones he loved the most, sometimes blaming them for what he considered his rotten luck, skewing his priorities so badly his need to be successful at writing had overridden everything else in his life. He needed to retune his priorities and reset his expectations.<p></p><p>The first thing I did was get assessed for autism. I've long suspected I might have Asperger's and with the crippling levels of anxiety I was experiencing due to Covid, it was something I needed to get sorted quickly. It was a tremendous relief to finally receive confirmation that I indeed have an Autism Spectrum Condition. Knowing how my brain translates the world and how different situations affect me has helped ground me, giving me an understanding of what I and others can do to help avoid high levels of anxiety and future meltdowns. I didn't need to be normal - what's normal anyway? - I just needed to accept myself and work 'with' rather than 'against' the unique individual running around inside my head.</p><p>The second thing I needed to do was to strip back everything and concentrate on what was really important to me... my family. So I swallowed my pride and ditched my crappy part-time job, which I had hung onto in the desperate belief I needed time available to write for when the inevitable TV commissions came my way and found myself a full-time job doing something I love... selling.</p><p>Writing has taken second place to my family and their happiness, and if some days the words don't come or I don't get a certain number of spec pages done in a week, it doesn't matter. And it's a great feeling to not have the pressure, the doubt, the desperation that has haunted me over the last few years. It's early days and the small, sometimes insignificant things still wind me up now and then, but I'm a lot happier without the weight of expectation I buried myself under.</p><p>I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't judge yourself or your progress against the success of others because you'll only ever be disappointed. Just be the best you can be and leave time for the important things in life.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-2195991621761851602021-12-01T09:00:00.020+00:002021-12-01T09:00:00.202+00:00STATIC SCENES<p>The static scene is one of the most common mistakes a new writer can make. Characters sitting around eating/drinking/talking isn't visually appealing and can be incredibly dull to watch, especially in feature films. 'But..,' I hear you cry, 'Tarantino did exactly that in his opening scene of RESERVOIR DOGS???' He did, but then he 'is' Tarantino... sadly, the rest of us are just mere mortals.</p><p>Both TV and feature films are visual mediums and as such, the visuals take the lead, showing us character and moving the plot forward. If they're not interesting enough to hold the attention of the audience we risk losing them... 'entertainment' is the key word here.</p><p>Unfortunately, new writers tend to rely far too much on dialogue heavy scenes to tell their story, trying to entertain the audience's ears without thinking about entertaining them visually. If this is you, and you want to improve your writing quickly and easily, thinking about how your scenes look and what you show rather than tell, will help you achieve this.</p><p>I can't remember the screenwriting book I read it in ( I think it may be SAVE THE CAT) or which programme or film the scene is referenced from, but the explanation of the 'Pope in the pool' scene and how to elevate large chunks of expositional dialogue without boring the audience, is a game changer.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL7gfBuUVCjevPiV1hPuzHxXEcKJjQTiyyydP4mNSu9IIk81hY3Fi-nfVA3K5Yeag5wfAMO3l5dgY9IAp_SMmE-jJdy1DMSmRQaQEYyng8BDiZjLWz6BaWKW7D28jrG7K7PD0/s300/pool.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="300" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnL7gfBuUVCjevPiV1hPuzHxXEcKJjQTiyyydP4mNSu9IIk81hY3Fi-nfVA3K5Yeag5wfAMO3l5dgY9IAp_SMmE-jJdy1DMSmRQaQEYyng8BDiZjLWz6BaWKW7D28jrG7K7PD0/s0/pool.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>The scene described went like this: One of the Pope's advisors has a lot of expositional dialogue to get through to inform the audience of what was going on. This could be a very dull and uninteresting moment but the way the writer approaches the scene makes it interesting, feeding the audience the exposition in such a way they doesn't realise.</p><p>The way the writer did this was to have have the Pope, in Speedos, do lengths in the Vatican pool while his aid walked up and down ploughing through the exposition. A boring scene instantly became visually appealing, attractive, giving its audience something unusual, and entertaining enough to ensure they would forgive all of that normally brain numbing tedious exposition.</p><p>That's one thing thing you have to do to improve your writing, review those static scenes with people sitting around and talking and figure out how you can set this scene differently to make it visually interesting and not typical, cliché or boring.</p><p>Screenwriting isn't just about story and character, it's also about what is on the screen and how you can use your visuals to entertain, inform and move your story forward in an interesting way. Remember the adage, 'SHOW, DON'T TELL!'</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-10151834397628232092021-09-02T09:26:00.004+01:002021-09-02T09:27:13.896+01:00GARY W. GOLDSTEIN INTERVIEW PART 2<p><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Here’s part two of my interview with legendary Hollywood producer Gary W Goldstein, where we’ve been discussing how it’s imperative to be bold as a writer…</span></p><div class="sh-color-black sh-color"><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">What was it about the writers you've championed that attracted you to them?</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“<i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I'm looking for people who have personality and aren't afraid of telling their story and that they know how to tell a story. Not because they write a perfect script, there is no such thing. At the heart, I want to see there’s a very meaningful and worthwhile artist at work, who’s got a fresh perspective and is not trying to mimic others and be commercial in the marketplace… true storytellers.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">What kind of script are you looking for? That's just such a terrible question. What am I looking for? I'm looking to be lit up like a human Roman candle. I want to be surprised. I want to be moved. I want to see brilliance. I want great dialogue and characters that relate. Take me on a journey that I wouldn't have expected, to a place I've never been.”</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">One of the most frequent questions I read in writers’ forums from new writers is, ‘How do I get an agent?’ </i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">“My answer is always, ‘are you earning money?’ You need to prove to them that you're worth taking on and it's not just a matter of having a good script, you need to be out there actively looking for work, making those contacts so that you're attractive prospect. You're not going to get signed at CA if you don't have some business on the table and it better be good business because they got too much going on. I believe that absolutely. I believe that people need to earn their way into success.</i>”</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">What can writers do to earn their successes?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMkDkU8MeiLEFDW3rH35NT3K3S809dA6_v51VMCnzgDPmWT-vd5UQID5oxfkvCt1Ln8E6X1fMEiVqDKpTainTyx1LBk6lceo0G6H9UW-f64fzzQRhNkQpVMyjZ0MFBbOLhCw/s250/GWG+3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMkDkU8MeiLEFDW3rH35NT3K3S809dA6_v51VMCnzgDPmWT-vd5UQID5oxfkvCt1Ln8E6X1fMEiVqDKpTainTyx1LBk6lceo0G6H9UW-f64fzzQRhNkQpVMyjZ0MFBbOLhCw/s0/GWG+3.webp" width="250" /></a></div></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“<i class="sh-color-black sh-color">That involves a lot of failure. The best way to succeed is to fail fiercely and quickly, ten times more than you are right now. If you're not failing a lot, then you're not going to succeed. So to get over this fear of scraping your toe or whatever that is, earn it and earning it is being busy on your own behalf. You need to bring activity and conversation and meetings and new people into the circle.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I was always happily surprised, like, holy shit, this is amazing, right? I've got a client who's in the game. They're not in the stands, watching the game. They're on the court, tennis shoes, laced up, ready to go. They're playing the game. And it's like, that's what I need. I need someone that I can send into a room. Who's going to be happy to be in the room. Not afraid. I need someone who has earned it and is humble enough to go in as an artist and really tell the truth with no bragging, and connect deeply with people.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I had an actor friend who was in a big funk. I asked him why? And he said, well, I just went into an audition. It’s such a great role. It was a beautiful opportunity. And I just, I didn't get the gig. And I said, I'm sorry to hear that. Tell me about it. So he tells me about it, what the role is, the project, blah, blah, blah. I said, who was in the room?</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">Was there a casting director? Was there a casting associate in the room? Yeah! Was the producer there? Yeah! There was like this cabal of serious people in the room. And I said, okay, so you went in and you gave your best performance? Yeah! So I'm sorry, I'm hearing like this incredibly successful story and you're all blue and down on yourself and in a funk. So why are we seeing this so differently?</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I'm going to guess that you think the purpose of an audition is to book a gig? And he said, of course. Let me be honest with you, you just told me that you went into a room and you got to be a living, breathing personality in this room with these people who are in the center ring of Hollywood. You had a chance to meet all these people and give them a sense of who you really are, not in character, but as a human. And then you got to perform for them. Do you know how many people on the planet would like to trade places with you? Your job in an audition is to put out the welcome mat, hug people, let them see who you are. Smile. I mean, literally just smile, have fun. Be the one who's pleasant to be around and then give the best damn performance you can give and then leave. Not without another hug. Make them want to invite you back.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">Then when you audition for them again it's like, ah, it's Dominic. He's always pleasant. He's always smiling. I mean, it's not always on a conscious level, but now I know you in the business sense, now I can hire you. You need to let people know you, you need to let them be your goodwill ambassador. Maybe make referrals, maybe open doors, maybe talk about you behind your back.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I say similar things to writers who have suffered rejection and they get really upset about it. My philosophy is it doesn't mean your screenplay's bad. They're not rejecting you. They're just that screenplay just wasn't for them at that time.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">When you find the people that you admire, that you would want to know you and know your body of work, then go after them intentionality, meet their assistant, meet their creative executive, you know, like find your way into that conversation with patience, knowing that this would be worthwhile and they would be someone that you would really want to have an enduring career with.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">So it's worth investing a little bit of skin in the game. It's one script, it's not who you are. Their opinion may or may not be well-grounded, there's so many variables. Did they have a bad day that day? Did they not like science fiction?</i>”</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Would you say it's better to aim to make connections with the big hitters? Or do you think it's also valuable too to try and make relationships with interns or script readers and people like that?</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">“<i class="sh-color-black sh-color">It's not about big hitters because that’s a recipe for frustration. Number one, if you do have big hitters on your list they're not your target. Someone on their staff is your target.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">If I'm relatively new and I knock on Steven Spielberg's door, should I expect him to really have the time for me or even answer the door? No, it's unrealistic. He's surrounded by people because he's the CEO of a fortune 100, he's got a bunch of people that firewall him from just that sort of thing. Not because he's not generous, but it needs to be filtered. So I want a warm entry. I wanna befriend and invest in someone who is, you know, maybe one of his creative executives, or an assistant, anyone that has been vetted and trusted and is on the inside, is in my view, equal.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">I just went through this exercise with some people the other day. I randomly put in a keyword into LinkedIn and it wasn't even unique to Hollywood, but it was all Hollywood, you know, like I knew what was going to happen.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">And I didn't even get past the first two pages. It was just all the exact right people. So I didn't bother going on. I just clicked profile after profile. And after about six or seven they had all done A, B, C, D and E. They've been interning here and an assistant there and a creative executive. I mean, it was like astonishing what they'd done, agency, production, like they were clearly learning the business from the inside out.</i></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br class="" /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i class="sh-color-black sh-color">They were probably three years into their career and they'd already had a couple of great gigs. They do 18 months. They move on. These people are in the business of building their currency, their knowledge base and their relationships. That's the person that I want. That's the person I know who is going to succeed. They're going to make it. I don't know how, I don't know where, but that's part of my conversation.</i>”</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Part three coming soon...</div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div class="sh-color-black sh-color" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Happy Writing</div></div>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-19829948413535039072021-08-18T09:56:00.001+01:002021-08-18T10:00:00.253+01:00 BLOG REWIND - WHAT IS A SECOND DRAFT?<p style="text-align: left;">This blog was first posted back in 2012 and although my work methods have changed slightly, the below is still relevant...</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphkz-an_UfCMffNEzH0pEbPKu85KtjloRMu636vy99d8D-rY7Tl5xiJqsCTlhQU6yjkYUg86zjHPMVSXb72g-VFkcCx7Ll3r1RT92AL8zJFMQBA2QwAJmzeYUnLhGA8RFVyzD/s1024/Fingers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphkz-an_UfCMffNEzH0pEbPKu85KtjloRMu636vy99d8D-rY7Tl5xiJqsCTlhQU6yjkYUg86zjHPMVSXb72g-VFkcCx7Ll3r1RT92AL8zJFMQBA2QwAJmzeYUnLhGA8RFVyzD/s320/Fingers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Somebody asked me how much work I put into a second draft, which is a very good question as I may have over simplified the second draft process in my last blog.<br /><br />For me the first draft is literally just one pass on the story. I may go back a couple of times to make a few quick, minor changes, but mostly I just write from the start until the finish, with very little editing (<i>I now edit as I go aiming to write five pages a day and edit what I've written the following day</i>). My second drafts actually consist of several mini drafts, usually ten, so that when I'm finished my second draft it will actually be draft eleven. This is how I do it...<p></p><p></p><ol><li>The first pass of the second draft is where I see if my story actually works. If it doesn't I need to rethink and come at it from a different angle. This is where I plug all those nasty plot holes to make sure the screenplay works as a whole.</li><li>The second pass is all about structure. Does it work? Is it too fast, too slow, too confusing? Is it end heavy, or does it waffle on in act two? For the fist two passes I'm not worried about anything but plot and structure, because I don't want to complicate things and get myself into a mess. I find it best to concentrate on one aspect at a time. This is also where the first draft will probably change by anything from 25% to 75%.</li><li>Pass three is all about my characters, are they believable, do they act like they should and more importantly are they necessary? There have been occasions where I have found characters to be superfluous, so I've had to get rid of them.</li><li>Dialogue. Are my characters speaking with their own voice, is there too much exposition in the dialogue, does it sound clunky, do I get a sense of character, is there too much? Remember less is more! Obviously a feature will have a lot less dialogue than a TV drama.</li><li>Language and imagery. This is where I lose superfluous words, delete repeating ones and look closely at all of my action description. I want to take out everything that can't actually be shown on the screen.</li><li>Restructuring. This is really another pass at structure, but this time I look to see if I can tell my story a different way by changing the order I tell it in. This is also where I see if I am telling the story through the right characters' eyes. On several occasions I have found it more advantageous to tell the story through the eyes of a different character making it more powerful in the process.</li><li>Conflict. This is where I check every scene has conflict in it and where I add more layers to ensure it does. Remember conflict is the essential part of any story.</li><li>The opening pages. I always check to make sure the opening pages are going to grab the audience. If they're not then I need to change them so they do so.</li><li>My second pass on characters, dialogue and action. If what my characters say and do doesn't match their character, then I have to change it so it does.</li><li>My last pass is where I proof read for any glaring errors like calling a character by a different name halfway through the screenplay. You would be surprised how often this happens.</li></ol><p>It's when those ten passes are done that I consider my second draft to be completed. I do it all over again for the third draft, but then it'll be easier because most of the hard work will have already been done.</p><p>Happy writing!</p><div class="date-posts" style="caret-color: rgb(109, 109, 109); color: #6d6d6d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13px;"><div class="post-outer"></div></div>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-62646992587333125232021-08-04T09:41:00.006+01:002021-08-04T09:41:53.580+01:00BLOG REWIND - ONE PAGE PITCH<p>One Page Pitches are an art form, difficult to write and get right and probably the most important and powerful selling tool at a writer's disposal. So how exactly do you write a great One Page Pitch? Here's how I do them.<br /><br />FONT:<br /><br />The font you use is just as important as everything else. Get it wrong and your pitch will be a difficult read, or at the very least not inspire much enthusiasm in the reader.<br /><br />I used to use FINAL DRAFT COURIER for everything I wrote until I came to the realisation readers spend their entire lives staring at that font. Your font doesn't need to be fancy, just clear enough to read. I wanted to give readers something different to look at, easier to read, which is why these days I use ARIEL in all my pitch documents and treatments.<br /><br />LAYOUT:<br /><br />At the top of the page, centred, in bold, in capitals and font size 14, you need to put your TITLE - <b>ALIEN</b>. Below this (non-capitals) you need to state the format and genre of your pitch - <b>a sci-fi/horror feature proposal</b>. Then below this '<b>by</b> (<b>your name</b>)'.<br /><br />The next line should be your Tagline, written in <i>ITALICS</i>, in font size 12<i> </i>and captured in quotation marks - <i>"In space, no one can hear you scream!"</i><br /><i><br /></i>Then below that is your Logline (written in a plain font size 12).<br /><br />And finally, below that is your pitch (written in a plain font size 12 as above), containing a brief outline of the conflicts, characters and plot.<br /><br />GENRE:<br /><br />Your pitch will be selling your genre, so if your script is a comedy then your pitch should also be funny, a horror then your pitch should be tense and full of scares, etc. If your script is a comedy and your pitch isn't funny then it's not doing its job.<br /><br />CONFLICT:<br /><br />The most important aspect of the One Page Pitch is to show conflict. Your protagonist must be in peril and you have to show this, especially the conflict with other characters. If you don't your pitch will be dull and flat. Show your protagonist bumping up against problems and obstacles, and make the reader really feel for his plight.<br /><br />THE ENDING:<br /><br />I've been guilty of this myself on many an occasion, but you should never end a pitch with a question - Will Ripley be able to defeat the Alien and escape home? You want your audience to ask this question, but not your reader. The reader needs the full picture, what happens and how the film or TV series plays out. If you don't tell them they'll think you don't know yourself and it'll go against you.<br /><br />FOOTER:<br /><br />Add your NAME - EMAIL - PHONE NUMBER (or your agent's details) in the footer at the bottom of the page. It's OK to do this in Courier font as it's not part of the main document.<br /><br />Here's an example of one of my pitches (copyright me of course) for reference only.<br /><br /><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>“SIDEKICK”</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>a 6 x 60-minute comedy-drama TV series proposal</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>by</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Dominic Carver</b></div><p><br /><i>‘Second best.’</i><br /><br />A middle-aged man, disillusioned with being the sidekick of superhero Captain Cosmos, struggles to find himself as he juggles his family life and his secret identity while looking to get the credit he thinks he deserves.<br /><br />DAVID TUCKER has just turned 45 and he’s already smashed headfirst into his midlife crisis. By day he works as a traffic control officer and by night he becomes The Gnat, sidekick to the superhero Captain Cosmos. His landmark birthday prompts him to reevaluate his life, his job, his friends and his family. It’s only then he realises he's completely lost.<br /><br />David hates his job... both of them. He constantly struggles to keep his secret identity from his wife LUCY (42), who’s obsessed with aerobics, fad diets and is desperately trying to reclaim the body she had when she was twenty, and his son ALFIE (17) , who is uncommunicative and embarrassed by his parents on a daily basis. David’s trying to find himself again and thinks coming out from under the shadow of Captain Cosmos to become his own superhero is a much better idea than buying a powerful motorbike, falling off it at high speed only to watch it be totalled by a passing manure truck. But even branching out on your own can have its mishaps - like not being recognised by the police and being arrested for exposure when you’re trying to suit up in a phone box.<br /><br />Millionaire IAN BAINES (44), aka Captain Cosmos, doesn’t understand and is too ignorant and self-absorbed to notice his crime-fighting partner isn’t happy with his life. Lucy doesn’t have time for her husband to give him the love and support he needs, and Alfie is too wrapped up in his raging hormones and his own burgeoning superpowers to spend any time with his father.<br /><br />The only one who claims he understands David is PROFESSOR DOOMSDAY (56), aka estate agent MARCUS WAINWRIGHT, turning him against Captain Cosmos, his wife and his son, taking him out drinking and generally leading him astray. But Professor Doomsday’s motives are far more sinister than simply turning David evil - he wants to destroy him, to bring him down so that he’s in no place to rescue his son Alfie. It is Doomsday’s dastardly plan to have Alfie become one of his minions and to join him in the crime of the century - stealing the Royal Family and replacing them with robots.<br /><br />This is David’s journey to find himself once more, make it as a superhero in his own right, rekindle the romance with his wife, reconnect with his son and save him from the evil clutches of Professor Doomsday.<br /><br />Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-69724499041430764132021-07-21T09:00:00.021+01:002021-07-21T09:00:00.244+01:00THE WATCH: THE DIFFICULTIES OF ADAPTATION - REVISITED PART 2<p>I have now viewed all episodes of the first series of <i>THE WATCH</i> and below is my revised review and conclusions...</p><p>As a whole, if you don't go in with expectations of <i>THE WATCH</i> being anything like the books, the show's okay, a solid bit of entertainment without being particularly memorable.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZQvsaOsPe85iMMHQRe0GVbXSFmkDZwLHZFtdpfHAd92DXMU2zrkCGr5HQrH0sjA799I_2eWYJEaxMYNc2WkdRNdEOXOEl4bks7dqj82LkDB3T2l3y47-Fem2zSWqk2gLz2NJ/s2048/The+Watch.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZQvsaOsPe85iMMHQRe0GVbXSFmkDZwLHZFtdpfHAd92DXMU2zrkCGr5HQrH0sjA799I_2eWYJEaxMYNc2WkdRNdEOXOEl4bks7dqj82LkDB3T2l3y47-Fem2zSWqk2gLz2NJ/s320/The+Watch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After completing the series, I watched an interview on YouTube with creator and lead writer Simon Allen and one of the producers, where they kept going on about how great Sir Terry's novels were and what great characters he had created. This is of course true, but they failed to mention their adaptation is so far removed from <i>GUARDS GUARDS </i>as to be almost unrecognisable and that is where and why the show fails.<p></p><p>Alarm bells started to ring for me when Simon suggested the novel <i>GUARDS GUARDS </i>didn't lend itself to an eight episode series adaptation, even though he delivered exactly that, albeit a pale, greatly diluted imitation that wasn't a patch on the original source novel. Missing was the strength of character of Lady Sybil, the leadership of career copper Captain Vimes, the hapless and delightfully comic duo of Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs, the tongue-in-cheek references, the often darkly sarcastic and self-deprecating humour and the colourfully rich world Sir Terry created for his characters to inhabit. What we actually ended up with was a sanitised view, wiped (almost) clean of everything that made Sir Terry's <i>GUARDS GUARDS</i> so brilliant in the first place.</p><p>It felt out of character for Captain Vimes to stumble accidentally and apologetically through the story, with Corporal Cheery instead positioned as the one with all the answers, leading, explaining and handholding the rest of <i>THE WATCH </i>through to the conclusion of the case. This is in contrast to Sir Terry's Watch novels, where although Vimes may have his faults he uses his copper's instincts to lead the Watch to get their man/woman/dragon ... eventually! <i>THE WATCH</i>'s Vimes was a little more pitiful and pathetic, often muddled and barely able to make a decision without help or prompt from Corporal Cheery.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RdTZolipy8izJk0TBgLXUyseQUANJ8l10vW1GQA1116awC4fqg2BUr5ppZz1hHWYplBsxM7Fy2D5CKwuLjB_EFxfVKT1bjs2Sk3C-SBEU0whLseWxOZgzQEwhtlcWSkFKvZ_/s1200/The+Watch+2.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RdTZolipy8izJk0TBgLXUyseQUANJ8l10vW1GQA1116awC4fqg2BUr5ppZz1hHWYplBsxM7Fy2D5CKwuLjB_EFxfVKT1bjs2Sk3C-SBEU0whLseWxOZgzQEwhtlcWSkFKvZ_/s320/The+Watch+2.webp" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>It was puzzling as to why when Simon and the producer went to great efforts to constantly praise and refer to Sir Terry's genius, they then decided to disregard the vast majority of <i>GUARDS GUARDS</i>. It seemed odd to me, that they were in one breath trying to sell it as one of Sir Terry's greatest works and in the next telling us they were only '<i>inspired</i>' by it to deliver something so radically different, completely missing or deliberately ignoring the importance of the audience's expectation.</p><p>And <i>'expectation'</i> is the keyword here. There was already a built-in audience of millions of fans for Vimes and the Night's Watch, all of whom had expectations of what a TV adaptation of the novels would deliver. If the show had delivered on that expectation then the series would have been a runaway hit. But it didn't and the adaptation lost its audience before the show was even aired, which is why I suspect it has appeared on iPlayer rather than episodically on primetime BBC One.</p><p>If you adapt such a renowned and well-loved work, or any work for that matter, you have to make sure you deliver on what the audience is expecting, with maybe a few twists and turns along the way to freshen things up and play with that expectation. <i>THE WATCH</i> fell woefully short of this, alienating its audience from the outset, making it almost impossible to recover from the negative word of mouth it generated. As I said above, the show is okay and reasonably entertaining, but when you ignore and alienate your target audience you will always be doomed to failure.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-27194395846556321272021-07-07T11:43:00.002+01:002021-07-07T11:44:15.351+01:00THE WATCH: THE DIFFICULTIES OF ADAPTATION - REVISITED<p>The BBC's long-anticipated THE WATCH finally hit iPlayer this week but is it, as fans of Sir Terry's books feared, a complete betrayal of a much-loved series or is it actually quite good?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aNvhMoWD7Z5rvP2rBiWsOZ7XkkohIZjPUHq0ycdmPm6JGn3566W-mXqroqqhfZ_FyNgQRoDQXT7uBtMek4BjfTeqq3e4igUMkrvUZXiP5c0Yt6OXVjJ9qehXgOQjSqcfZjb9/s1762/The+Watch+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1762" data-original-width="1174" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aNvhMoWD7Z5rvP2rBiWsOZ7XkkohIZjPUHq0ycdmPm6JGn3566W-mXqroqqhfZ_FyNgQRoDQXT7uBtMek4BjfTeqq3e4igUMkrvUZXiP5c0Yt6OXVjJ9qehXgOQjSqcfZjb9/s320/The+Watch+1.jpg" /></a></div>I've watched the pilot episode twice over the last twenty-four hours and while there is a lot to like, the cyberpunkesque version of the City Watch, the ultraviolet/neon/graffiti covered interiors and exteriors and Richard Dormer's brilliant take on Captain Vimes, it doesn't quite have the depth of colour and uniqueness of the original.<br /><p></p><p></p><p>The show's opening title disclaimer '<i>inspired by the characters created by</i>' is unusual, almost as if the creators wanted to apologise in advance for having made a conscious decision to make radical changes to the source material. The most important consideration of any adaptation is to make sure you don't alienate the fans of the work you are adapting. They're the foundation of your audience, the ones you shouldn't have to convince, so why take such a dramatic change in direction and risk losing them?</p><p>There are the noticeable absences of Sergeant Colon and Corporal Nobbs and Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler has gone from a loveable street vendor who would sell his own grandmother for a profit to an almost unrecognisable wheelchair bound thug called simply Throat Dibbler, with more menace and a lot less charm than the much loved original.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBFUKtlheuWOAwldxxvNxpmsee8g3OOhSmj9VAngIGPj0eunr-4yf2KCmhO6crw6Z1hyC8qzY0sOPIbfUXhmkO72_U-HZdNw7z4ECfWtLjolXIihmWcyhfjQJ3Defzd786vKJ/s704/The+Watch+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="704" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwBFUKtlheuWOAwldxxvNxpmsee8g3OOhSmj9VAngIGPj0eunr-4yf2KCmhO6crw6Z1hyC8qzY0sOPIbfUXhmkO72_U-HZdNw7z4ECfWtLjolXIihmWcyhfjQJ3Defzd786vKJ/s320/The+Watch+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>It's easy then, to see why the fans of Sir Terry's <i>GUARDS GUARDS</i> might be disappointed and even hostile towards the adaptation. These changes dilute the richness of the world Sir Terry created, weakening the story, and the reason why <i>GUARDS GUARDS </i>worked so well in the first place was because of the warmness and camaraderie of the dysfunctional family of the Watch and the beautifully created world they inhabited. Take from that and it doesn't quite work.<p>The biggest disappointment for me is the lack of Sir Terry's humour. I'm not saying the show isn't funny, it is, it just doesn't have the humour of the novels and the adaptation loses something because of this. The novel had me laughing out loud but I barely cracked a smile during the opening episode.</p><p>The show is a little disappointing, but then the expectation was set very high to begin with. It's not awful by any means and there are some lovely moments between characters that made me believe there was better to come. For me, it's definitely worth the watch, just leave your expectations behind and watch it with an open mind. </p><p>Happy writing!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-13038418308148250672021-06-16T10:10:00.001+01:002021-06-16T10:11:10.311+01:00GARY W. GOLDSTEIN - INTERVIEW PART 1<p><i style="color: #0c0c10;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></i></p><blockquote><i style="color: #0c0c10;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“If Hollywood were a meritocracy, you’d simply need to be the best at your craft to win! But the best talent doesn’t always get the gig; the best story isn’t necessarily the one funded, produced and celebrated. It often boils down to who has the best relationships. But the dirty secret most don’t know is how easy it is to form valuable, targeted relationships. Like most, they’re looking in the wrong direction. The name on the door. The ones who seem unattainable. But no one is unreachable. Nobody! You just need to know what most don’t. Where to look and how to make yourself welcomed.”</span></i></blockquote><p></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rewind to the beginning of May and an email drops into my Inbox with an invitation… ‘<i>let’s get together for a chat.</i>’ The unexpected but very welcome email was from legendary Hollywood producer Gary W. Goldstein - Pretty Woman (1990), Under Siege (1992) and a couple of weeks later we managed to arrange a get together via Zoom for a wonderful and informative chat about the business of a successful writing career. </span></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjsQgbGg2NCNDhc9AFGIwvRlZ2GGXt1Qz509qhGLpZI8Xsx6e66z1pKnJHWWN5DTfyBzaxpp86KA-YLdfLsCKpf3FSvZHJEj4FvPWXWQHz5u2uvQJNHswXeOgFJcgokkypA5t/s400/GWG+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjsQgbGg2NCNDhc9AFGIwvRlZ2GGXt1Qz509qhGLpZI8Xsx6e66z1pKnJHWWN5DTfyBzaxpp86KA-YLdfLsCKpf3FSvZHJEj4FvPWXWQHz5u2uvQJNHswXeOgFJcgokkypA5t/s320/GWG+1.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve always felt that as writers we fall short in how we conduct ourselves with regards to our careers. The business of a successful writing career is usually something that isn’t taught by screenwriting courses and a thing new writers very rarely give much thought to. I cringe every time I see a new writer declaring they’ve just finished their first screenplay in a screenwriting group and then asking their peers for contact details of producers to send it to. They expect it to be that easy to get their screenplay produced and then wonder why no one replies to their query letters.</span><div><br />
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As writers, we’re often too busy focusing on every minute detail of our screenplays that we forget or are ignorant of the need to work just as hard in other areas to create our successes. So the first thing I wanted to know from Gary was what he thought helped writers succeed and what they did that was different to writers that don’t?</span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>“Well, to begin, successful writers don't hide themselves from the very people who are best positioned to help champion their future. It’s not that they're unafraid. It’s that their mission, commitment, mindset and self-promise to do whatever it takes to live their dream is bigger and stronger than the fears or stories that might otherwise stop them from taking action.</i> <i>The choice to take action in the face of modest or momentary discomfort not only quiets the fear, but delivers experiences and results that quickly replace fear with enthusiasm, surprise, and self-pride.”</i></span></blockquote>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What common mistakes did he think writers continually make that prevent them from succeeding?</span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>The fundamental yet deeply flawed tool most every writer is taught and relies on is the blind query letter. By emailing loglines and project descriptions with a request to submit, the writer can check the box, feel good when they go to sleep that night, thinking ‘I've done my bit. I've handled the business side of my business.’ Yet the reality is the vast majority of queries go unanswered. Almost all. The constant refrain is, ‘I'm so frustrated! I've sent out hundreds of queries, only to be met with silence or, once in a while, a pass.’</i> <i>Doing the same thing over and over without reward is deflating, exhausting and, over time, begins to create an unnecessary, unwanted, negative story.”</i></span></blockquote><p></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve all been guilty of this, me included, sending out mass query letters/emails in the hope that someone will read our screenplay, see our obvious genius and sign us up. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that. Why then, do we as writers place so much optimism and hope in those blind query letters/emails?</span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>Writers can often be somewhat introverted and/or socially isolated and, like so many people, they're not innately entrepreneurial, nor have they been taught effective tactics or given the right toolkit. So they’re left to mimic what their teachers teach and peers practice. It’s a perfect storm of circumstances that prevents a writer from seeing over the hedgerow, seeing the bigger picture or opportunity right in front of them. And, truth be told, it feels safe. Sending out emails keeps them at arms length from the rejection they fear. Ironically, it’s that very distance - the length of your arm - that invites or causes that very rejection. It’s deceptively risky to insist on comfort; to quash your desires in an effort to avoid risk, awkwardness or growth. But since a writer’s only doing what everyone else does or advocates, it’s reasonable. Or is it? What’s persistently proven itself a failed strategy is the very thing that can waste years and bury countless amazing stories and projects.</i>”</span></blockquote><p></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For most of my life, when I haven’t been writing, I’ve worked in various sales and service industry roles. You would think then, I’d be used to selling myself, to phoning up people and making connections as I did when I worked in telesales? But no, I’m still scared of picking up the phone and talking to a real, live person.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMkDkU8MeiLEFDW3rH35NT3K3S809dA6_v51VMCnzgDPmWT-vd5UQID5oxfkvCt1Ln8E6X1fMEiVqDKpTainTyx1LBk6lceo0G6H9UW-f64fzzQRhNkQpVMyjZ0MFBbOLhCw/s250/GWG+3.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVMkDkU8MeiLEFDW3rH35NT3K3S809dA6_v51VMCnzgDPmWT-vd5UQID5oxfkvCt1Ln8E6X1fMEiVqDKpTainTyx1LBk6lceo0G6H9UW-f64fzzQRhNkQpVMyjZ0MFBbOLhCw/s0/GWG+3.webp" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I can’t speak to why other writers are scared of putting themselves out there, but the reason I find it so hard is I’m terrified of rejection. To me, it always feels personal even though logically I know it isn’t. The funny thing is though, if I don’t make that call I will have already failed anyway, so what do I have to lose by taking a chance? Fear is a stupid thing and it’s ridiculous how much of a hold over me it has at times.</span><p></p>
<p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="color: #0c0c10; font-family: inherit;">If this is you too, the best advice I can give is to accept the fear and do it anyway. It’s only by doing something repeatedly that we become used to it. If you hide from it you are going nowhere fast and your fear will prevent you from moving forward.</span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: inherit;">“<i>Your significant investment of soul equity and years of honing your craft - a formidable and admirable commitment - deserves to be supported with effort designed to make you stand out, be known, welcomed, acknowledged, appreciated… and read! A reluctance to engage with the world, to announce yourself as artist, writer, creator, in favor of avoiding the very people who desire and need to know you (not just your latest script) is not a recipe for success. What most writers fail to recognize is their essential value, which is a perfect blend of their personal story (aka personality and history) and their stories (scripts). The writer and his or her fresh stories - the stuff everyone’s in search of, the very job definition of most who work in film or tv. What a writer has to offer is a unique perspective and projects that are desperately needed. The artist matters. Their stories matter. The irony is that, most often, the one who doesn’t recognize this reality is the writer.”</i></span></blockquote><p></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And Gary’s right. It’s not enough to have a great screenplay, you also have to put yourself out there, regardless of how uncomfortable it makes you feel. The groundwork you lay will determine the level of success you reach and getting to know others, and more importantly, letting them get to know you, is how you’re going to succeed.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I understand and empathise because sending a quick email is the far easier option, less terrifying but ultimately also the laziest way of connecting with people there is. And it isn’t an effective tool as I’ve only had minimal success from this tactic. My greater successes have been from direct contact with people, building relationships with them and letting them come to me rather than me begging them to read/make my work. It’s worth noting that all but one of my commissions are a direct result of my networking. And if I’m really honest, there’s still plenty of room for improvement.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So how do you put yourself out there? How do you get yourself noticed in a scrum of competing writers from around the world?</span></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIb6B4_fmmzUHSWQ6UzB-WeYtPqLVR1VvmJB-4A6dkcbmkM8g0kRffi_F-09G_7pKNWCbb8aitPMtOk6XImbEoURnkOO7oUeStYLzTkvA0TP8xeoDemt0_uX9McBjeVhoWiEQh/s499/GWG+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><blockquote>“Taking small actions on a consistent basis, intentionally targeting the very people you most want to know you and your body of work, building bridges and creating rapport, being curious and other-focused - these are the anchors of success. It’s about you, the writer. And despite stories to the contrary, most are extremely welcoming. Especially when not asked in a first exchange by a total stranger to spend a couple of hours reading a script. But rather being genuinely greeted. It’s the simple math of our humanity. And after a handful or two of initial awkward introductions, you discover it’s shockingly easy. It’s ok to be vulnerable and truthful (even if that means admitting to another that you’re nervous). This is an entirely different level of play than an agent submitting your projects on your behalf. One is about a short-term result that is decidedly unpredictable; the other is building rapport-turned-friendship that endures for the whole of your career - where results inevitably follow. This is an order of magnitude more personal and thus powerful than, say, being active on social media."</blockquote></span></i><p></p>
<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIb6B4_fmmzUHSWQ6UzB-WeYtPqLVR1VvmJB-4A6dkcbmkM8g0kRffi_F-09G_7pKNWCbb8aitPMtOk6XImbEoURnkOO7oUeStYLzTkvA0TP8xeoDemt0_uX9McBjeVhoWiEQh/s320/GWG+2.jpg" /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">So get out there and don’t be afraid to be yourself. Be nice! Be kind! Be generous! Don’t push! Don’t pester! Show genuine enthusiasm for your contact’s work and only get in touch with them if you have something to say, an update on how you are progressing as a writer for example.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Zoom chat with Gary zoomed by (excuse the pun) and he had plenty more insightful things to say about making your writing career successful, so stay tuned for further blogs as, for now, we’ve only just scratched the surface.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy writing!</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gary W. Goldstein has produced some of Hollywood’s biggest box-office hits, generating well over a billion dollars in worldwide revenue, receiving multiple Academy Award nominations, People’s Choice Awards, a Golden Globe and various other awards.</span></p>
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<p style="color: #0c0c10; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gary’s novel, Conquering Hollywood; The Screenwriter’s Blueprint For Career Success, is available from all good booksellers.</span></p></div>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-47717847506537328152021-06-09T09:00:00.004+01:002021-06-09T14:41:28.214+01:00MARE OF EASTTOWN - THE FIRST EPISODE<p>NOTE - this blog is about the 1st episode only of MARE OF EASTTOWN and not the series as a whole.</p><p>While most were raving about how good the series was I couldn't dredge up even a tiny amount of enthusiasm to watch the second episode, let alone the entire series.<br /></p><p>I disliked the opening episode, found it to be laborious to watch, the characters ordinary and unappealing and the plot directionless and dull. Where was the crime/mystery drama I was promised? Why did I have to wait until the end of the episode for things to finally begin to look interesting? But I persevered for the full sixty minutes, willing the episode to improve while my wife urged me to change the channel and save us both. I eventually lost her to her mobile about a third of the way through and despite my perseverance, I still felt the same as the episode came to an end. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRJuyClk6r5mLK8o8rHtB26v68A35rlsQG5gSN0nSmHjD1sqpmRH-iw8usga-oPpMDuJ7mUru_x_Cq38SapqBE_kISWqXOZyaTp_jhSYn4grJkGOVEqrFZWmlN2vDnn7FWir8/s2048/Mare+1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRJuyClk6r5mLK8o8rHtB26v68A35rlsQG5gSN0nSmHjD1sqpmRH-iw8usga-oPpMDuJ7mUru_x_Cq38SapqBE_kISWqXOZyaTp_jhSYn4grJkGOVEqrFZWmlN2vDnn7FWir8/s320/Mare+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Look, I get it... I get that the show is an aching examination of loss. I get that it's written with the murder as a backdrop to the in-focus impact it has on Mare and her community. What I don't get is why I had to sit through 59 minutes of setup and backstory to reach the heart of the idea? I don't believe for one moment that I'm the only person on the planet who gave up on the series after the disappointing first episode. Comments like, "It's worth giving another go," "It's a slow burn" and "It did start a little slow," all tell me others DID feel the same but didn't want to be seen being negative about a show so critically well-received.<p></p><p>After reading articles on the show it's clear to me the creator wanted the theme of loss front and centre and the murder mystery playing quietly in the background. But for me, without the murder mystery in the first episode, you are left with nothing strong enough to compare the theme of loss to. Is the writing in the first episode new and innovative as some people claim..? Not in my opinion, because without the murder mystery running parallel to the theme from the outset, all you are really watching is setup and exposition, regardless of how well it's disguised with clever and often brilliant dialogue.</p><p>The show doesn't 'hit the ground running', rather it drags itself across the tarmac for fifty-nine minutes in a stumbling attempt to get to its feet. If a show doesn't capture my attention and make me care about the characters all within the first sixty minutes, then it's lost me.</p><p>In the light of others' glowing testimony there's a part of me tempted to go back and rewatch the first episode and continue with the series, but in all honesty, why should I? In the world of downloadable content and on-demand binge-watching, there are other shows more deserving of my time and attention, so why waste more of it when I wasn't enthralled the first time around? Entertain me, don't make me work for it!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMQ6GKqv_Zwl2tfwYY3CCAFbDPwo073kbv46vbD5idIfCCd-pdXJf406B9JFf14n94QPZcJ1dF7Y8jooRVkkZyUlnJXYh3_Aw2vyJdGAFzS5CVLfJh9wFTK9OyJhQIGqcMRuJ/s2048/Mare+2.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTMQ6GKqv_Zwl2tfwYY3CCAFbDPwo073kbv46vbD5idIfCCd-pdXJf406B9JFf14n94QPZcJ1dF7Y8jooRVkkZyUlnJXYh3_Aw2vyJdGAFzS5CVLfJh9wFTK9OyJhQIGqcMRuJ/s320/Mare+2.webp" width="320" /></a></div>I tried to do something similar with the pilot of a recent spec, taking my time to set up the rich universe I had created, where the main character only accepts the call to arms halfway through the episode. Quite rightly my agent informed me the first half of my screenplay was slow, dull and although it set up the world brilliantly, I could have done exactly the same job weaving bits of information in amongst the action.<p></p><p>That's why MARE OF EASTTOWN didn't ignite my imagination because while being massively unmoved by the whole first episode, I was also struggling to decide if the show was a thriller or a drama. A murder/mystery, the chase to catch a killer naturally lends itself to the thriller genre, so being forced to wade through sixty minutes of setup before the show got up off the floor and started to find its momentum, felt like a lifetime.</p><p>There will always be exceptions and for some of you MARE OF EASTTOWN is it. However, for me, it failed to entertain or capture my attention. But that's okay, we're allowed to have a difference of opinion, it would be a dull world if we all agreed on everything.</p><p>If you think I'm wrong, please... try and convince me otherwise, I would genuinely love to hear your thoughts.</p><p>Happy writing!</p><p><br /></p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-53206318787354226942021-05-12T10:37:00.006+01:002021-05-12T10:52:01.990+01:00PREWRITE - UPDATED REVIEW<p>Just over a year ago I reviewed the online plotting software PREWRITE. Since then PREWRITE has evolved and added several new features, so I thought it was time to update the review and let you know what those features are.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNdV_EAi-1G3vhb_tT33X3AgqXYZ8UFb0I9QpBHuBtXnx3veoYdOgZT6HLHTIuaV6XkVmxfkgDqPNe8cxpB8rkQeGuiXn2eJEVU1BQIC4E2cHVgkYAfVDyh_mX4ynuBTIHMXi/s1600/prewrite_logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="979" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNdV_EAi-1G3vhb_tT33X3AgqXYZ8UFb0I9QpBHuBtXnx3veoYdOgZT6HLHTIuaV6XkVmxfkgDqPNe8cxpB8rkQeGuiXn2eJEVU1BQIC4E2cHVgkYAfVDyh_mX4ynuBTIHMXi/s320/prewrite_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><a href="http://prewrite.com/">PREWRITE.COM</a> allows you to work on one project for free and has a monthly subscription service for those people who want to work on more than one project at a time. Premium membership is a reasonable $9.99 a month and offers you 20% off if you pay annually, so it's very affordable and won't put a dent in your pocket.<br /><br />The first big change is that PREWRITE is no longer just for screenwriters but for other creatives as well. There are now added templates for branded content, viral videos, web series, podcasts, tutorials and one for novelists due to be introduced soon. So whatever your written project PREWRITE can help you create it. For now though, let's focus on the screenwriting aspect of the software.<br /><br />Once you've named your screenplay file you can then set your initial structure to help you get started. Here you can choose from a three act structure, a four act structure, half-hour sitcom, one hour drama, Freytag's Pyramid, Turn & Burn - CJ Walley, Save The Cat, Story Maps - Daniel Calvisi, Story Circle - Dan Harman and The Hero's Journey - Joseph Campbell. The great thing about this is that once you have created your file you are not restricted to the initial template you have chosen and are free to swap and change to your heart's content. You even have the option to chose a template of a well known movie from the database, like SKYFALL for example.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvqDGkkDn7ZcrxHZVQwuUqw5mamTCWtdoRHPXeoVMVpKK6CAklvPFKsOt0Wlb_aIiJwA-Yb9lfWN2Ym4H4fd0bFxCtYVXw8o9PicsGPMgQc9NL28yw0IDRPeCzJKbNTNOnZJ-/s1600/prewrite_home.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvqDGkkDn7ZcrxHZVQwuUqw5mamTCWtdoRHPXeoVMVpKK6CAklvPFKsOt0Wlb_aIiJwA-Yb9lfWN2Ym4H4fd0bFxCtYVXw8o9PicsGPMgQc9NL28yw0IDRPeCzJKbNTNOnZJ-/s320/prewrite_home.jpg" width="320" /></a>Another feature that was introduced quite early on, not long after my initial review, was the ability to import FINAL DRAFT files into PREWRITE enabling you to rework old projects, iron out their flaws and reinvigorate them. I found this a very handy tool with a feature project I wanted to rewrite and it gave me the opportunity to see where the structure needed changing and what story elements were working and which ones weren't.<br /><br />The export feature has also changed slightly with any notes you've made now showing in FINAL DRAFT where they didn't before. This means you can open your FINAL DRAFT file and focus on getting the writing done without having to refer back to PREWRITE to check your notes.<div><br /></div><div>All in all the new features enhance an already brilliant piece of software, making it more accessible and flexible than before, allowing you to be at your creative best.</div><div><br /></div><div>Below, for those that need reminding, is the initial review from April 2020.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfs66xyexJiqoFDccPhXf6M4rU_-zWYRwVFsJH4VbE9Ox_Fn2NSXIIXTVgxQMjXH46gzDizqrR_3USInFNxegTSwFZG3-Gt35Tkf4eDtJvfGA5qAhEg3ELQV-lREf0D7ONbV_/s1600/prewrite_timeline.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfs66xyexJiqoFDccPhXf6M4rU_-zWYRwVFsJH4VbE9Ox_Fn2NSXIIXTVgxQMjXH46gzDizqrR_3USInFNxegTSwFZG3-Gt35Tkf4eDtJvfGA5qAhEg3ELQV-lREf0D7ONbV_/s320/prewrite_timeline.jpg" width="320" /></a>When you own a writing blog you get a lot of random people sending you writing based stuff to read or use asking, sometimes begging you to review them in your next blog. I ignore most requests - unless they're of immediate interest - and I've always only reviewed those books/services/resources I have thoroughly tested, enjoyed and found to be informative and helpful so that my readers know if I recommend something then it's worth getting/using.<br /><br />A couple of months ago I received an email asking me to review an online resource - <a href="http://prewrite.com/">PREWRITE.COM</a> - for outlining and plotting screenplays, utilising online cloud storage for projects at a reasonable monthly payment, all completely downloadable to FINAL DRAFT once your projects are created. I have to admit I was dubious, after all why pay a monthly subscription for something when the good old faithful index cards and a pen will do?<br /><br />In the past, I admit I've used the SAVE THE CAT software but found it to be restrictive, formulaic and frustrating to use, which is why I eventually dumped it. What writer wants to follow rigid rules when they're trying to be creative? Not me! I want to be able to write what I want, where I want and when I want and freely explore my ideas without any confinement or restriction. It was for that reason I casually dismissed PREWRITE.<br /><br />Three weeks later I remembered the email and as I was about to start plotting a new feature film I thought I might as well give it a go. I'm very glad I did. PREWRITE has all of the functionality of SAVE THE CAT and much more besides, with none of the restrictions and frustrating little niggles that plagued the SAVE THE CAT software. PREWRITE is actually better than having index cards and a pen, giving you the unrestricted freedom to be creative while providing valuable extras that actually enhance your creativity rather than stifle it. PREWRITE gives you unlimited freedom of choice.<br /><br />PROJECT CREATION<br /><br />No faffing about here - choose a picture that represents your story, give your project a title, jot down your logline, choose your genre and theme and add your name as the author... it's that simple and quick to get started.<br /><br />CHARACTER CREATION<br /><br />I had a lot of fun with this section. You can create your characters with complete freedom, exploring their wants and needs in the story and how they're going to find/get to them. You can even search the movie database to find a picture of the perfect actor to play any of your characters and if they won't do you are also given the freedom to upload your own pictures. The only limit here, as with the rest of this online software, is your imagination.<br /><br />PLOTTING<br /><br />Again you have the freedom to choose how to view your story as you create it. Timeline, cards or page view... yes, please! Add cards to your Act One, Act Two and Act Three, move them around and delete them if you need to. Add a heading, write out your scene action in the action box, add notes below, add characters to each scene so you can see at a quick glance who appears in each scene, tag how your theme is explored, rate the emotional value of your scene, keep track of plot threads over several scenes and even add an image to sum up each scene... it's so glorious and helpful it made running away with your idea and getting it down on the page fun and as easy as breathing.<br /><br />STORY STATS<br /><br />If the above isn't enough for you then you can explore every aspect of your characters and your plot in the story stats section, analysing the heck out of it.<br /><br />LIBRARY and HELP<br /><br />There are even examples of well know films to explore and a help menu that will walk you through getting the most out of using this software.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysmViLdp3pVhFbaHKZIYVTOpBjSzi15_eLQH3Y25qQ3y6YrP6Ha4sGDbmF5UigUiTstk9zaKAz4heIYgdNZCIdcjbmHZ6YL2qc4Avh97d7x_TahbbY7sFINosXhT_9zvBNxqP/s1600/prewrite_cards.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysmViLdp3pVhFbaHKZIYVTOpBjSzi15_eLQH3Y25qQ3y6YrP6Ha4sGDbmF5UigUiTstk9zaKAz4heIYgdNZCIdcjbmHZ6YL2qc4Avh97d7x_TahbbY7sFINosXhT_9zvBNxqP/s320/prewrite_cards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />ISSUES<br /><br />I only have two and they're minor. The first is that this is an online resource only at the moment. I would love to see a software version you can download to a computer or tablet. The second issue is that your projects are stored online and like most writers who are obsessive with backing up their work every few minutes will know, there's a worry that as it's stored online you could lose all your hard work in the blink of an eye. If PREWRITE could find a solution to both of these issues then the program would be perfect.<br /><br />PREWRITE is so usable you can go into as little or as much detail as you need to match your creativity. It is a blindingly brilliant bit of kit that not only helps you be creative but actively encourages you to be so and I heartily recommend all writers give it a go and see for themselves.<br /><br />Happy writing!</div>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-32590907215100090792021-05-05T15:37:00.007+01:002021-05-05T17:23:00.502+01:00EXPECTATION<p style="text-align: center;">***WARNING, SPOILERS FOR LINE OF DUTY SERIES SIX FINALE***</p><p>Like most of the country, I had high expectations for the final episode of series six of LINE OF DUTY. I would like to say it delivered, some would argue that it did, but I suspect most viewers felt the same as I did, that while it entertained, the ending lacked the punch we were expecting.</p><p>We had a similar situation with the final season of GAME OF THRONES in 2019. Fans expectation had been high but again, bar one or two moments, it failed to deliver. So why did two of the biggest shows on British TV get it so wrong?</p><p>When it was announced the final two seasons of GAME OF THRONES would be seven and six episodes respectively, rather than the usual ten episodes we had had for previous series, fans expressed their concern that they were being cheated. Indeed, the final season felt rushed, lacking the great moments of drama and tension that had made the show so loved by so many. Those final six episodes churned through the plot at a high rate, barely pausing for breath, and what was missing were those quiet, concentrated, intimate moments of character and high drama and tension we enjoyed in those ten-episode series. That is where, I believe, GAME OF THRONES got it wrong.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCeBE4AcYP2J34J3h49Z63NkOqdyB9RPOAZyfoyCYnPnVUaqtMQdMLoWM2IdsAdHu4SODy44sATNBcMtwCNeRzNiWRc1MFTX0BBzOzjpGzGvCx_1DUgj1G5-DMBlS0o1NNTkJ/s1600/Night+King.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCeBE4AcYP2J34J3h49Z63NkOqdyB9RPOAZyfoyCYnPnVUaqtMQdMLoWM2IdsAdHu4SODy44sATNBcMtwCNeRzNiWRc1MFTX0BBzOzjpGzGvCx_1DUgj1G5-DMBlS0o1NNTkJ/s320/Night+King.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If there had been ten episodes each for series seven and eight as in the previous six series, the writers would have had more time to focus on those great moments of character and spent time building tension and delivering those heart-wrenching shocks the show was known for. The battle with the Night King's army was far too brief when we were expecting it to be epic and with a ten-episode final series, it would have had more time to play out. As it was, the sense of danger, the sense that any of the main characters could be killed off at any moment wasn't there as it had been previously and the Night King and his army were defeated far too easily in a rush to get to King's Landing and have Daenerys confront Cersei.<p></p><p>The same can be said of Daenerys' conquering of King's Landing and the defeat of Cersei, it was all over in one episode. Daenerys' destruction of King's Landing and its people didn't ring true or have the impact I think the writers wanted. Again this moment suffered as a result of trying to cram too much into too short a time and Daenerys' fall from grace would have been so much more convincing if there had been time to explore it in greater detail.<br /></p><p>The problem with the ending of LINE OF DUTY is a different one. The problem there lies in the difficulty of maintaining the momentum of the successive climaxes/revelations over so many series, of having to ensure you top what has come before again and again. But when you have such jaw-dropping moments of high drama as we've seen in LINE OF DUTY, it's increasingly difficult to find new ways to exceed your audience's expectation and deliver something that shocks or surprises.</p><p>After four series of LINE OF DUTY, the audience was beginning to become familiar with how Jed Mercurio played with their expectations and to a certain extent, this made it harder to deliver great moments of drama they weren't expecting. By series six we had been hit by so many jaw-dropping moments that Jed was going to have to deliver something spectacular to top what he had delivered before. It didn't come. Whether that was deliberate or not, I'll discuss later.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIB16hOC2X3ZaUGPxwDzfyaCYurR-F5QrOYx3YrpMNjn7eK6pDVCunEtFVz8HdC0oGHFCngWDcwhvlEB_mV6cV2TBpJNnfk6ZMpNRRXbxYa1dXluEaOTeIjgj_eamfbQTzEKu/s2048/AC-12.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIB16hOC2X3ZaUGPxwDzfyaCYurR-F5QrOYx3YrpMNjn7eK6pDVCunEtFVz8HdC0oGHFCngWDcwhvlEB_mV6cV2TBpJNnfk6ZMpNRRXbxYa1dXluEaOTeIjgj_eamfbQTzEKu/s320/AC-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We were expecting the fourth man/woman to be someone conniving and wickedly clever, someone who would run rings around AC-12 and push them to their limits and beyond. Buckells wasn't that man! He didn't even come close! He wasn't the arch-nemesis we demanded but a comically inept officer who just happened to pass on information to the OCG. His character lacked impact and so did his interview. Why? Because he was already in custody when they rumbled him and consequently there wasn't that anticipated, tense last-minute dash to hunt him down and bring him to justice. They just went to pick him up from the prison and interviewed him. Even good old Ted mocked him for his ineptitude as a police officer.<p></p><p>However, I'm thinking this might be deliberate, a ploy by Jed to take us into a seventh series where the battle to uncover the real fourth man/woman really takes place as he or she works against the team to tear them apart and shut down their investigation. There, for me, is the tension missing from the final episode of series six, the sense of urgency that the fourth man/woman needs to be found and brought to justice before he or she can disband the heroic AC-12 team and defeat them... only time will tell, but if I were you, I wouldn't be too surprised when series seven is announced.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-11996169756576149792021-04-21T09:00:00.001+01:002021-04-21T09:00:00.190+01:00UPCYCLING<p>My new TV drama spec was finally finished and I happily emailed it to my agent. Job done, I thought... but what next?</p><p>I had planned to start a feature as my next project when I decided to have a quick flick through my old script files first. I have no idea why I chose to skim through my old screenplays, what prompted me or what the aim was, but I'm glad I took the time to do so.</p><p>It wasn't long before I came across a comedy TV pilot I had written several years ago. I found myself laughing out loud at its premise, its boldness and its sheer stupidity. What had I been thinking back then? But something about it struck a chord with me. Something about it cried out for attention. Something about it said, 'this story needs telling and the time is NOW!"</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YusZ8D2gPDqIEWb7tvGZykg-Qxuw-i7WNn6UZ7ShL6lKbh0h7YIZrNU-Z6ZtX3WmGIXYuYaljefSM92_wxmvpZoDBImzpmEAFbSoTksSLN_VnlM1cTsfljylPZDM_F4efBpF/s1280/Golden.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YusZ8D2gPDqIEWb7tvGZykg-Qxuw-i7WNn6UZ7ShL6lKbh0h7YIZrNU-Z6ZtX3WmGIXYuYaljefSM92_wxmvpZoDBImzpmEAFbSoTksSLN_VnlM1cTsfljylPZDM_F4efBpF/s320/Golden.webp" width="320" /></a></div>The creative juices started flowing; how I could update it, how I could change it to reflect a post-Covid world, how could I alter the characters to make them more relevant? It was like an explosion went off in my head and after months of little creativity, my brain decided it was time to make up for it. And it did a flipping good job.<p></p><p>I have to be honest, it surprised me. Firstly, I hadn't expected the screenplay to be as good as it was, after all, it's almost a decade old. Secondly, I hadn't expected to have so many new ideas bombarding me from all angles, enabling me to take the project forward in a new direction. Lastly, I can't believe the level of excitement it has generated in me.</p><p>So a project I thought dead, not only has new life but is also now a story of hope, something so desperately needed after a difficult year for everyone.</p><p>Take a chance and every now and then go back over your old ideas and look at them with distance and fresh eyes, and maybe, just maybe they might spark a new idea that will take you forward as a writer.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-40701442877731761202021-02-23T16:01:00.003+00:002021-02-23T16:01:27.077+00:00LOCKDOWN & CREATIVITY<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM7HNkm41q56azukoUw0V72cCBF3oT1q71mC6-vYBYz_R1Fz9DwQd5nKxFPy0ySosfJ2ZwIg46uEUEuZ4CbkQzYo7-ySfu3TltMP4MOAz7uCmIu1Nqcxydf5nl7oLRA1CLCeP/s1800/Covid-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjM7HNkm41q56azukoUw0V72cCBF3oT1q71mC6-vYBYz_R1Fz9DwQd5nKxFPy0ySosfJ2ZwIg46uEUEuZ4CbkQzYo7-ySfu3TltMP4MOAz7uCmIu1Nqcxydf5nl7oLRA1CLCeP/s320/Covid-19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>It's been an awful year and not just because of Covid-19 and successive lockdowns.<p></p><p>Speaking purely from a writing perspective, it's been the worst twelve-months of my career. Even the commissioning of my seventh feature in July did little to lift me out of an extended creative slump. I barely wrote a word in 2020 and what I did write, I'm still agonising over months later, bogged down in the detail of the first ten pages of a TV drama spec I can't push myself to complete. I'm still rewriting/deleting/rewriting those same ten pages over and over again, never managing to get any closer to something I can conjure any pride in. None of my ideas have clicked, none have added to the original idea and in most cases, they've made the overall tone of the screenplay considerably worse.</p><p>I'd like to think the lack of creativity is down to my private writing space being invaded by a work from home wife and two homeschooling kids, all four of us competing for the same workspace and wi-fi bandwidth, hour after hour, day after day, week after week, month after month...</p><p>Unfortunately, months of lockdowns have sapped all creativity from my little grey cells. I even hit Netflix, Disney + and Sky Box Sets hard, binge-watching my way through a series or two a week in an attempt to jumpstart my creative drive, and I still find my creativity is a pale, lifeless corpse. I can barely muster the enthusiasm to sit at a keyboard for an hour a day. That blinking cursor taunts me and my impotent creativity as I witness other's achievements posted on social media with a sense of resignation and envy and not the pleasure, pride and camaraderie I used to. This is what I have become, a shadow of who I was before anyone first mentioned lockdown and isolation, a creative and emotional cripple with no drive, limping from one day to the next like a directionless zombie.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0_-61id9KDVIoOZWoQ4P04sc9gUVFZFV_H19ipyAk5htXZygSDQPbPpDb9scS-Evc93XpplWAAa_m_QXX2g4dc9R5rK-NmfrRhghaEchipnJHg_I1g-zmFY7nK3nCWUevjy0/s283/Broken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0_-61id9KDVIoOZWoQ4P04sc9gUVFZFV_H19ipyAk5htXZygSDQPbPpDb9scS-Evc93XpplWAAa_m_QXX2g4dc9R5rK-NmfrRhghaEchipnJHg_I1g-zmFY7nK3nCWUevjy0/s0/Broken.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p>I know others are experiencing the same sense of hopelessness and demotivation but it's of little comfort because it still feels as if I'm the only one. I can't help but wonder how honest people are when posting their successes on Facebook and what the real struggles are behind those celebratory headlines. I also know this isn't forever, that it's just a temporary, insignificant blip in a lifetime of dedication and that I shouldn't punish myself during an unprecedented global situation where over a million people haven't been as lucky.</p><p>Now and again there are a few hours of frantic focus that may or may not result in a page of something half decent and I try to hold to those moments of encouragement amongst the hopelessness I feel for any future, personal or career-focused.</p><p>You are not the only one. Hang in there. Stay safe.</p><p>Happy writing! </p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-18541442360944077892020-11-04T09:56:00.001+00:002020-11-04T09:56:51.040+00:00THE WATCH: THE DIFFICULTIES OF ADAPTATION<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The trailer for THE WATCH, the much anticipated BBC America adaptation of Sir Terry Pratchett's novel GUARDS GUARDS, landed three weeks ago to heavy criticism from fans. With the likes of sci-fi and fantasy author Aliette de Bodard stating it made her feel like, "<span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"><span>someone took my teenage years and just repeatedly trampled them while setting them on fire," and Sir Terry's daughter </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"><span>Rhianna Pratchett Tweeting that the show shared no DNA with her father's Watch, the criticism highlights just how difficult it is to adapt a much-loved piece of work.</span></span></span></div><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfOntkeW1_dRHaO9L9apcCxIOBV721-10FPmyp58GcONcvNcQlPozF2bAaDgGvYXrmrcOKBA-HgbPxf9zxzwV9MLHyVQP3A7u_R6mMf8pPUtFILGP399plvAPD9SGKHPLHHTL/s1600/The+Watch.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNfOntkeW1_dRHaO9L9apcCxIOBV721-10FPmyp58GcONcvNcQlPozF2bAaDgGvYXrmrcOKBA-HgbPxf9zxzwV9MLHyVQP3A7u_R6mMf8pPUtFILGP399plvAPD9SGKHPLHHTL/s320/The+Watch.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"><span>GUARDS GUARDS is my second favourite book of all time and I have to be honest I was dreading any adaptation as the last adaptation of books I loved from my teens, THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES based on the SHANNARA series by Terry Brooks, sucked massive bum chunks. I hated it, mainly for the writing but also for the poor casting and the dicking around with the lore of the books, so I can empathise with the Sir Terry fans who dread the launch of THE WATCH. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;">However, I have to say I do like the look of the trailer and I'm intrigued to see what they've done with the series. I'll decide whether it sucks massive bum chunks or not when the series launches, but for now I'm happy to keep an open mind.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The reason I'm happy to keep an open mind is that I've written three feature novel adaptations in the past and know how difficult it is to write one to please the author, the fans and the producer. I accept that an adaptation can't be exactly the same as the source novel because they are two very different mediums, one formed of words and the other pictures. It's easy to get into a character's head when you're writing a novel, exploring their thoughts, fears and working through their thought process but it's almost impossible to translate that to the screen.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Who remembers the original BLADE RUNNER with it's clunky, distracting and often intrusive voiceover? That there is the problem summed up in one film. If you use voiceover to portray a character's thoughts on screen it seems artificial, often patronising to an audience and don't get me started on characters breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to the camera. Both options rarely work with adaptations or add anything to the finished product. They are just a cheat, a simple way to get around the problem of adaptation without actually solving it.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When adapting a novel you need to come at it from a fresh perspective, from an angle that will keep the essence of the original story but give the audience something new. If you give them exactly what they're expecting the audience will be satisfied but the bigger impact will come from giving them something new, something more evolved and unexpected. The way I approach writing an adaptation is to look for the core of the story, the heart of the tale being told and start from there. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw5ttYJfuEUDxOGGdeY6VOABbgQAxABh4aItqHNqyxGZozM1c1pwjulkBfskjB16SoyOWDrXuNQ4uaMC1vI7CV8M3l2XL_9v9DhstNeGWM3QV-9SjFG407K77vj0vhjuDSu1B/s2048/Time+Traveller%2527s+Wife.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1344" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOw5ttYJfuEUDxOGGdeY6VOABbgQAxABh4aItqHNqyxGZozM1c1pwjulkBfskjB16SoyOWDrXuNQ4uaMC1vI7CV8M3l2XL_9v9DhstNeGWM3QV-9SjFG407K77vj0vhjuDSu1B/s320/Time+Traveller%2527s+Wife.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;">Let's examine THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE by Audrey Niffenegger, adapted into the 2009 film of the same name. It is probably the best adaptation of a novel I have ever seen, focussing on the core love story between the protagonist and his wife, which is complicated by his unpredictable time travelling. Yet, t</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;">he author, Audrey Niffenegger, hated the adaptation and swore that none of her future novels would ever be adapted.</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"> Without knowing what she was expecting from the film, I can't really comment on why she was so disappointed with the result, although an unhappy author is a problem I too have faced.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">When I was called upon to adapt Ken Smith's coming-of-age novel COWBOYS CAN FLY I decided to focus on the friendship of the two boys and the companionship they found in each other's company. When I passed on the first draft to Ken he wasn't entirely happy and complained I had taken a lot of the humour out of the story. We sat down (via the internet) and talked it over. I discover that by 'humour' he meant the rude bits and I explained why the protagonist couldn't be seen to have erections or disappear behind a bush for a quick wank if we wanted to keep the story PG, making it accessible to a wider audience. Ken eventually understood this and I then went back and layered some of Ken's less blue humour back into the screenplay making it a more fun and appealing read.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Some scenes from the book made it into the screenplay and some did not. I also added scenes I thought would work well with the story and characters and when Ken read the second draft he was happy with it. However, I don't think as an author you can ever be entirely happy with an adaptation of your novel unless you write the screenplay yourself, simply because so much of it does get lost in the translation to a visual medium.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I remember a similar cry last year over Sarah Phelp's adaptation of the Poirot tale THE ABC MURDERS. Fans were horrified that Sarah had dared to change the lore of Poirot, making him an older now forgotten detective past his prime and revealing in flashback that he was once a priest. What did the audience expect? Another carbon copy of all the other versions of this story? It really would have been very boring and pointless to copy what has come before and more interesting and entertaining to reinvent Poirot, adding new layers and depth to a character who has now become so familiar it's very difficult to make a version of the novels without the audience knowing what's coming. If Sarah had not refreshed an old, familiar character and added more flesh to his bones, the adaptation would have largely passed unnoticed. As it was, it was a brilliant piece of TV drama and I for one can't wait until her next.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXFiK3opM5OsGcwZUM5LWP4Sjy2i8E_ebJa286YripJ36sYo9IXd6J17cFUfztofBTFw_D3LQqDL3JYi-PJe_izV2QxHkE1Jn-CqbK3VIgolaJsDBiL21Bx8HgKrjhb86Gjpz/s500/Young+Legionary.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXFiK3opM5OsGcwZUM5LWP4Sjy2i8E_ebJa286YripJ36sYo9IXd6J17cFUfztofBTFw_D3LQqDL3JYi-PJe_izV2QxHkE1Jn-CqbK3VIgolaJsDBiL21Bx8HgKrjhb86Gjpz/s320/Young+Legionary.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Last month I finished my third adaptation, a feature version of Douglas Hill's 80s sci-fi novel YOUNG LEGIONARY for Plenitude Productions. I was a little nervous taking this adaptation on as, like fantasy fans, sci-fi lovers can be very protective of their favourite works.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The problem with adapting YOUNG LEGIONARY was that the original source novel was a collection of four short stories which didn't work as one feature, and choosing what to include and what to leave out proved a big headache. In the end, the producers asked me to concentrate on the first two stories with the greatest part of the screenplay focussing on the struggles and teen angst of the second tale. As the second story was quite short I've had to expand the plot while keeping the essence of the original story and characters intact. Douglas Hill's core story is still there, it's just my interpretation, exploration and expansion of it that will make it to the big screen and when it does, I hope the fans of the original will love it.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;">What you the audience needs to bear in mind is that an adaptation is not a direct retelling of a familiar story, and because of the differences in the mediums as explained above, it can never be so. An adaptation is the producer, director and writer's vision of the</span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212;"> original story, a retelling with new insights and twists that are true to the core plot and characters but which examine closely and expand on the source material. So if you're unsure or nervous about THE WATCH give it a chance, as will I, and make your mind up when you've seen the producer's full vision for Sir Terry's much-loved novel.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(18, 18, 18); color: #121212; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Happy writing!</span></p><p><br /></p></div>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-48334642798388049852020-09-09T09:00:00.033+01:002020-09-09T09:00:00.266+01:00MOTIVATION & WRITERS BLOCK<p>Writers' Block isn't real! There, I've said it. I know, madness, right? But no, it's true, writers' block doesn't exist and here's why.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDyGrbxgjJDtTEE8qlIdCE0hrw0pheQHFOBGY7LSSePAeCC2FTTktVPUxMgXm7MalpmF6Mr2dyvPfJvVzNQHrCg8DYtP69wzPHBU8VWQoxReP-6srBNO0Te7n8iDdFvF8o4eF/s197/Writers+Block.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDyGrbxgjJDtTEE8qlIdCE0hrw0pheQHFOBGY7LSSePAeCC2FTTktVPUxMgXm7MalpmF6Mr2dyvPfJvVzNQHrCg8DYtP69wzPHBU8VWQoxReP-6srBNO0Te7n8iDdFvF8o4eF/s0/Writers+Block.png" /></a></div><p></p><p>Writers' block is a myth perpetuated by writers who have run out of things to say, whose idea doesn't have legs or who haven't prepared their screenplay/novel outline properly. "Oh no, I've hit a wall on page 30!" That's because you didn't plan your beat outline, sometimes called a scene by scene, well enough, not because you've hit an actual wall. You should really only run into problems if your planning is lacking and your idea is poorly thought out.</p><p>There are also times when your motivation will be low and you find yourself struggling to put words on the page even with a beat outline, but there will never be a point in your career when you simply go blank and can't write anything. There is ALWAYS something you can be getting on with even if that means going back and reworking your beat outline.</p><p>Here are a few tips to help avoid the brick wall and keep those words flowing even during moments of low motivation.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>PREPARE IN ADVANCE - Whether you're writing a TV episode or a feature write a paragraph for each beat of your story before you start - usually twenty beats for TV and forty for a feature. Make sure you hit all the necessary points - the catalyst, the break into act two, the midpoint and the break into act three. Work and rework your beat outline until you're happy it works perfectly. Once it's well-worked and polished it then becomes your guide for writing the screenplay.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>JUMP TO ANOTHER BEAT - Even if you do work everything out sometimes you'll come to write a scene and won't know exactly how that scene is going to play out. That's fine, there's no pressure. If this happens just jump to another scene in your outline and write that instead. You'll usually find that when you come back to the original scene you were stuck on it has miraculously sorted itself out in your head while you were writing other scenes.</li></ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kbfxP1xwX2AQGH_QeX8dHK5Cw6B_Y06EwAecitUvrSTEnkOcE2aY79FDruvXZvyu2BkKYw1idgVm-R74dszHtSOFuv-qmlv-jjiPPd4GgHgC1JwQuJOTNpzkEJoaFxlD7dbb/s500/Beat+Sheet.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="500" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2kbfxP1xwX2AQGH_QeX8dHK5Cw6B_Y06EwAecitUvrSTEnkOcE2aY79FDruvXZvyu2BkKYw1idgVm-R74dszHtSOFuv-qmlv-jjiPPd4GgHgC1JwQuJOTNpzkEJoaFxlD7dbb/w400-h155/Beat+Sheet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>FEED YOUR TEA/COFFEE ADDICTION - Can't quite get the core of your scene then go make yourself a drink. Even a few moments away to make yourself a drink can be enough to reignite the ideas and give you inspiration. Drink enough coffee and you'll actually have trouble stopping those words being typed. I find I'm usually at my most productive on two to three cups of coffee. Your acceptable caffeine level may be different.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>WALK THE DOG - Going for a walk for an hour gives you the headspace to restart the brain so that when you get back to your desk those words should flow easily once more. If you can go for a walk where there are trees and grass then even better. Don't think about your work just enjoy the walk and the exercise.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>WRITE BOLLOCKS - Just write. Don't tie yourself up in knots about getting the perfect words down on the page, just write anything. It's easier to rewrite a page of crap than it is to rewrite a blank page. So many writers I know get so hung up on the first sentences of their scenes that they spend an entire day just writing once scene. Just put words on the page and then worry if they're crap or not later. Quantity is for the first draft, quality is for later drafts.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES - If you're really stuck then let someone else read your work and give you feedback. Sometimes you can be so close to your idea you can't see the faults, so a fresh pair of eyes can help move you along.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>MIND MAP - If you've run out of ideas or think you have, try using a mind map to work through your existing ideas and see if they inspire some new ones. I never settle for the first idea that jumps into my head as they are usually clenched and overused. It's when I get to my third, fourth or even tenth idea that I get really excited as I find they're usually the best ones. I find it helps to write down anything to do with my idea before I embark on a beat outline so that I've explored every corner of every branch of every idea to the fullest extent that I can. The more ideas you put down, even the silly ones, the more you have to work from.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>ALCOHOL - Have an alcoholic beverage. Don't get pissed, just have one or two, just enough to distract your brain so you stop thinking so much and start writing lots. This one is usually a last resort if all the others have failed to do their job and is not recommended if you're in the last few hours of a deadline.</li></ul><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIInWuqSl5uFo4Y1vneI2mLWvmTChSPKl9JMurjbWH9RJuGR4m6O5dnaSQY8Z81yKjdBwBQQfv3-lW3QXb5nO1v5xd5oQrl-_mNnNd-qRfsONYOPc3Z5AKRfoivtU3wya0DGVO/s800/Block.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIInWuqSl5uFo4Y1vneI2mLWvmTChSPKl9JMurjbWH9RJuGR4m6O5dnaSQY8Z81yKjdBwBQQfv3-lW3QXb5nO1v5xd5oQrl-_mNnNd-qRfsONYOPc3Z5AKRfoivtU3wya0DGVO/s320/Block.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As I've said above, if you run into a brick wall it's usually because your planning, that extensive beat outline, isn't as well planned as you originally thought. There's no shame in admitting it and it might even help to stop writing and go back to your beat outline and rework it some more.</div><div><br /></div><div>The most important thing to remember is not to put pressure on yourself. Put the words on the page and then rework them later so they make sense. Keep the words flowing even if you have to come at your project from a different angle to make it work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy writing!</div><p></p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-67350727636963538822020-09-02T09:00:00.007+01:002020-09-02T09:18:17.878+01:00CREATING CREDIBLE CHARACTERS<p>I read a lot of screenplays from writers of all abilities and the one thing I often find these screenplays lack are credible character arcs.</p><p>Story seems to be the main obsession for most writers. More often than not they focus entirely on their fantastically imaginative stories but populate them with cliched or uninteresting characters we've seen a million times before. It's no wonder then that writers are puzzled and frustrated as to why their screenplays don't get the attention they expect. So how can you ensure your characters match the ambition of your story ideas?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmn2PwygPIpFx8mL_yJ6l8BtM-Ib-BVkb7WxZLjWgs79MrhKE9wqRqzflvGgmTkV35XliND21rE9n7xp93X4-VG42ptvdbVvvAysxyAvVUM1QRn7Fa4qSCOo45f4bc3lz4Hpq/s700/Flaw.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="700" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmn2PwygPIpFx8mL_yJ6l8BtM-Ib-BVkb7WxZLjWgs79MrhKE9wqRqzflvGgmTkV35XliND21rE9n7xp93X4-VG42ptvdbVvvAysxyAvVUM1QRn7Fa4qSCOo45f4bc3lz4Hpq/w328-h205/Flaw.png" width="328" /></a></div><p></p><p>By asking yourself the following questions about your character. If you can't answer all of these questions about your character then you really don't know who they are. And if you don't know who your characters are how do you expect your audience to know?</p><p>Character Flaws: What is your character's major flaw? What is it about him/her/it that makes them absolutely the very worst person to be going on this journey?</p><p>In LIAR LIAR, Fletcher lies to everyone, his clients, his colleagues, judges and even his son. It's not only his job to lie, but it's also the core of who he is. He's a born liar. So when his son wishes that his dad can't lie for one whole day, Fletcher has to find another way to win the case he's presenting in court. If the same wish was cast upon a priest, for example, the outcome wouldn't have such a huge impact as it would on someone who lies for a living, as the priest would be used to telling the truth. However, if that priest didn't believe in God and always broke the ten commandments then his life would be thrown into as much chaos as Fletcher's.</p><p>It is also often the case that the character's major flaw is what saves him/her/it. In Fletcher's case, because he's been an expert liar all his life he's able to spot another lie and this eventually helps him win his case in court.</p><p>Character Journeys: When your story begins what is it your character wants? What is their goal? How do they go about getting what they want and reaching that goal?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5OOlXf6iGFnM7wbFenyigP61JPB6G45XBfgAiG9Hfl4YczMsNnTZjtnu2cBEt-Gnw6zSF7DUhiI8_3adQC4Cxmwf1EjVEdqRybxcyodcvgQAgzSMiNAGib7JL5Y1rlHFQDHN/s1280/Needs.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1280" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5OOlXf6iGFnM7wbFenyigP61JPB6G45XBfgAiG9Hfl4YczMsNnTZjtnu2cBEt-Gnw6zSF7DUhiI8_3adQC4Cxmwf1EjVEdqRybxcyodcvgQAgzSMiNAGib7JL5Y1rlHFQDHN/w328-h216/Needs.jpg" width="328" /></a></div><p></p><p>This is where conflict and the obstacles you put in the way of your main character come in. This is where you put your character through increasingly worsening situations and obstacles on their way to their goal. Fletcher's goal is to win his case. But he can't lie for twenty-four hours and so attempts to delay the court hearing in increasingly more desperate ways so he can win it the next day in the only way he knows how by lying. Of course, he fails and this brings me on to the next part of your character's journey...</p><p>What does your character actually need? And how is your character going to realise what he needs? Fletcher needs to stop lying and be more honest with people, especially his son. He only comes to realise this when he wins his case by telling the truth and his son is about to be taken from him. He learns the value of truth and gets his family back. Huzzah! The character may not always be blind to what they need but might have chosen instead to ignore it. This too is an option.</p><p>So those questions again are:</p><p>1 - What is your character's major flaw?</p><p>2 - What does your character want or what is their goal?</p><p>3 - How are they going to go about getting what they want or reaching their goal?</p><p>4 - What does your character actually need to grow as a person?</p><p>5 - How does your character come to realise what they need?</p><p>Now you've asked and answered those questions about the main character you have to do exactly the same for all your other main characters. Even your secondary or background characters will have their own wants and goals and you will have to think about how they're going to go about getting what they want or achieving their goals. Your secondary or background characters won't necessarily require a need like your main characters but they will require a want or goal for them to work towards.</p><p>Remember, try to think of several answers for each of the questions above for each of your characters. Try a few different combinations and try to steer yourself clear of cliche. The more original, interesting and unusual your characters are, the more memorable they will be.</p><p>Now your characters are a little clearer in your mind you'll find your fantastically imaginative story has just got a whole lot better. Now you've explored your imagination new ideas for your story will present themselves elevating your already quite decent idea to something special.</p><p>Happy writing!</p>Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0Wimborne Minster, Wimborne BH21, UK50.8004646 -1.983000428.687167809347631 -37.139250399999987 72.913761390652368 33.173249599999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-45588794599172903002020-07-08T10:12:00.000+01:002020-07-08T10:12:48.484+01:00DEADLINESAfter blogging last week about how to write a screenplay in six weeks, I received a few expressions of concern from new writers via social media, who were worried that I was putting undue pressure on them and weakening the quality of their work by setting unrealistic time delivery expectations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8jZlNEvOZ_OPiH65wHy2xsyt21WdoEOOjW9rRWDm7b-Zk_NyB86GKfAYXNVr0JS6HLYJwttjRArPM4w5xzVV0h_Qp55BvAXldtHtRfMYxgJmyiCGZg4UaC3WhjvCTStEw6Jq/s1600/Pressure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8jZlNEvOZ_OPiH65wHy2xsyt21WdoEOOjW9rRWDm7b-Zk_NyB86GKfAYXNVr0JS6HLYJwttjRArPM4w5xzVV0h_Qp55BvAXldtHtRfMYxgJmyiCGZg4UaC3WhjvCTStEw6Jq/s320/Pressure.jpg" width="320" /></a>Let me be very frank with you, writing screenplays is a very competitive industry, one where a writer is asked to deliver quality work to tight deadlines. This is not said to be mean or to put anyone off, it is a fact that has and always will be the case. A writer who can deliver when asked is always sought after by producers even if the quality might sometimes suffer slightly. A writer who struggles to deliver will often be dropped from a project and replaced at short notice to ensure the deadline is met. It's not cruel, unrealistic or overly demanding to do this, it's simply a reality of the industry we work in.<br />
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A company can't halt or postpone a production because the writer isn't able to deliver what is required of them in the time set. The TV show or feature is bigger than the sum of its parts and at the end of the day, decisions are ruled by money. In an ideal world, a writer would have all the time they require to write and polish their labour of love - indeed a new writer working on a spec does indeed have this luxury - but the reality is that in the professional world, they don't.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34ggSGBQ2ZewYFjODU3A9aF7qkqbUO5ac55UdVXWH3uTutMZDrO5LDpIb-96AudftuwLnnrYmEklfT_xCbjqer3daaSlRzHsvxN1zAymgsbUgfwxcZOX0j2i8ATVjbL8QTqnl/s1600/Deadline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="625" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34ggSGBQ2ZewYFjODU3A9aF7qkqbUO5ac55UdVXWH3uTutMZDrO5LDpIb-96AudftuwLnnrYmEklfT_xCbjqer3daaSlRzHsvxN1zAymgsbUgfwxcZOX0j2i8ATVjbL8QTqnl/s320/Deadline.jpg" width="320" /></a>I've known writers to be replaced on TV shows because they've struggled to deliver a script on time. I've known writers who have gone in and replaced a writer under these circumstances, it's not ideal but it's a necessity to ensure the project is delivered on time and in budget. Every professional understands this. If, as a new writer you can't accept this, your career won't progress very far. To put it as plainly as I can; if you can't deliver there will always be ten writers waiting behind you who can, so why would a producer spend time on you when they can easily bring in another writer to do what they require?<br />
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I've also been in the position where I've been brought in to replace an existing writer because the writer was struggling to produce what was expected of him. It was an awkward experience but I got my head down and delivered what was asked of me to the delight of the producer.<br />
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If you're a new writer and are worried about deadlines, set your own. When I started out I would ask working writers how long they took to write different lengths of screenplays. I then took the average for each and forced myself to write to these self-imposed deadlines. I didn't need to, no one would have known any different if I hadn't, but I did it because I wanted to prove I could do it and because I wanted to improve as a writer to make sure that when I was offered my first commission I would be confident of delivering. Why not try it for yourself, what have you got to lose?<br />
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Happy writing!Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-70500758009262096232020-07-01T10:26:00.000+01:002020-07-01T10:26:10.331+01:00THE SIX WEEK FEATUREI was chatting with a director friend of mine about an idea for a feature project we have been passing back and forth for a while now when he uttered those dreaded words which strike fear into the heart of any writer, "Do you reckon you could write it up as a spec script in six weeks?" Before you start hyperventilating, let me rewind a little...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcw5lfxlXEC-2fsBhxDWlZo53jOheaTNVZfr58WmQH5jJOTnSPTZtNzQ8_8vB3wQI-ovEU1jExEH5cmWuUUsmZje7taCv9dGkBvI0mc4lCAy1CSkEshj-hgc56pNTvd97_xIP/s1600/Six+Weeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="680" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcw5lfxlXEC-2fsBhxDWlZo53jOheaTNVZfr58WmQH5jJOTnSPTZtNzQ8_8vB3wQI-ovEU1jExEH5cmWuUUsmZje7taCv9dGkBvI0mc4lCAy1CSkEshj-hgc56pNTvd97_xIP/s320/Six+Weeks.jpg" width="320" /></a>A few years ago I wrote a cracking thriller for him which unfortunately never managed to get off the ground. Since then it's been kicking around, going back and forth between us, morphing and evolving through various ideas, forms and genres, eventually ending up as a re-envisioned revenge thriller in the form of a one-page feature pitch. The director's first feature is due for release later this year and he has also recently signed with a US management company, so he's very keen to get other projects moving forward at a pace to make the most of this momentum.<br />
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He said to me, "I really like the new beginning of this pitch. You know, the part you came up with last time to give it more of a youth-orientated Cape Fear feel. You remember, their backstory..? I think it has legs as a feature in its own right... but can we set in the US? What do you think?" I have to be honest, I could see exactly what he was saying as I had seen the very same potential in those backstory scenes when I wrote them in January.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5T2w7vweeL1N35xZZBxFZzZbUBqX1Z-dEqbgCVAfQS0NDuBk7DvSGAZbFnusmQHNg5opNLdIZGAPOrueulgtE8GcQ2IJWHemIuM4hbuTy-t7TeB3L7hk9BDHlwDWjj7MO_qd/s1600/Reading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5T2w7vweeL1N35xZZBxFZzZbUBqX1Z-dEqbgCVAfQS0NDuBk7DvSGAZbFnusmQHNg5opNLdIZGAPOrueulgtE8GcQ2IJWHemIuM4hbuTy-t7TeB3L7hk9BDHlwDWjj7MO_qd/s320/Reading.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Usually, when someone asks me to write a feature screenplay for them on spec I laugh in their face and remind them that I too have bills to pay. However, on this occasion, I didn't mind. Firstly we're friends and secondly, I have a new feature adaptation commission I'm reading and prepping for over the next six weeks during which time I was planning to bash out one of my own spec feature scripts which I've already planned out. It doesn't really matter if I write this new idea first rather than my own as either way, I'll have a finished spec to send out if nothing develops with the director.<br />
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I can't remember the last time I wrote a feature from a concept a paragraph long to completed screenplay in just six weeks. Not only does the story idea excite me but so does the challenge of writing something so big in such a short space of time. I've had a couple of features with pre-agreed deadlines since I last accomplished this feat but none with such a tight turnaround, in fact, their timeframes were practically pedestrian in comparison to what the director has just suggested.<br />
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So how do you write a screenplay in just six weeks?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphkz-an_UfCMffNEzH0pEbPKu85KtjloRMu636vy99d8D-rY7Tl5xiJqsCTlhQU6yjkYUg86zjHPMVSXb72g-VFkcCx7Ll3r1RT92AL8zJFMQBA2QwAJmzeYUnLhGA8RFVyzD/s1600/Fingers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphkz-an_UfCMffNEzH0pEbPKu85KtjloRMu636vy99d8D-rY7Tl5xiJqsCTlhQU6yjkYUg86zjHPMVSXb72g-VFkcCx7Ll3r1RT92AL8zJFMQBA2QwAJmzeYUnLhGA8RFVyzD/s320/Fingers.jpg" width="320" /></a>I usually aim to write five pages of script a day, five days a week, Monday to Friday, rewriting the previous five pages in the morning before going on to write the new pages in the afternoon. That means I can complete a one hundred page screenplay in four weeks, leaving me two weeks to get any research done and plan out the beats to my story.<br />
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But why only five pages a day? That's just the average needed to get the thing done. Some days I might write less and others I'll write more. If I write less one day I'll aim to catch up the next day, but if I write more on one day then that's a bonus and will put me ahead of schedule.<br />
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So, six weeks to write a feature from scratch. Challenge set! Bring it!<br />
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Happy writing!Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-37942054070485170662020-04-22T09:52:00.002+01:002020-04-22T09:52:30.259+01:00PREWRITE - A REVIEWWhen you own a writing blog you get a lot of random people sending you writing based stuff to read or use asking, sometimes begging you to review them in your next blog. I ignore most requests - unless they're of immediate interest - and I've always only reviewed those books/services/resources I have thoroughly tested, enjoyed and found to be informative and helpful so that my readers know if I recommend something then it's worth getting/using.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNdV_EAi-1G3vhb_tT33X3AgqXYZ8UFb0I9QpBHuBtXnx3veoYdOgZT6HLHTIuaV6XkVmxfkgDqPNe8cxpB8rkQeGuiXn2eJEVU1BQIC4E2cHVgkYAfVDyh_mX4ynuBTIHMXi/s1600/prewrite_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="979" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpNdV_EAi-1G3vhb_tT33X3AgqXYZ8UFb0I9QpBHuBtXnx3veoYdOgZT6HLHTIuaV6XkVmxfkgDqPNe8cxpB8rkQeGuiXn2eJEVU1BQIC4E2cHVgkYAfVDyh_mX4ynuBTIHMXi/s320/prewrite_logo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A couple of months ago I received an email asking me to review an online resource - <a href="http://prewrite.com/">PREWRITE.COM</a> - for outlining and plotting screenplays, utilising online cloud storage for projects at a reasonable monthly payment, all completely downloadable to FINAL DRAFT once your projects are created. I have to admit I was dubious, after all why pay a monthly subscription for something when the good old faithful index cards and a pen will do?<br />
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In the past, I admit I've used the SAVE THE CAT software but found it to be restrictive, formulaic and frustrating to use, which is why I eventually dumped it. What writer wants to follow rigid rules when they're trying to be creative? Not me! I want to be able to write what I want, where I want and when I want and freely explore my ideas without any confinement or restriction. It was for that reason I casually dismissed PREWRITE.<br />
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Three weeks later I remembered the email and as I was about to start plotting a new feature film I thought I might as well give it a go. I'm very glad I did. PREWRITE has all of the functionality of SAVE THE CAT and much more besides, with none of the restrictions and frustrating little niggles that plagued the SAVE THE CAT software. PREWRITE is actually better than having index cards and a pen, giving you the unrestricted freedom to be creative while providing valuable extras that actually enhance your creativity rather than stifle it. PREWRITE gives you unlimited freedom of choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvqDGkkDn7ZcrxHZVQwuUqw5mamTCWtdoRHPXeoVMVpKK6CAklvPFKsOt0Wlb_aIiJwA-Yb9lfWN2Ym4H4fd0bFxCtYVXw8o9PicsGPMgQc9NL28yw0IDRPeCzJKbNTNOnZJ-/s1600/prewrite_home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvqDGkkDn7ZcrxHZVQwuUqw5mamTCWtdoRHPXeoVMVpKK6CAklvPFKsOt0Wlb_aIiJwA-Yb9lfWN2Ym4H4fd0bFxCtYVXw8o9PicsGPMgQc9NL28yw0IDRPeCzJKbNTNOnZJ-/s320/prewrite_home.jpg" width="320" /></a>PROJECT CREATION<br />
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No faffing about here - choose a picture that represents your story, give your project a title, jot down your logline, choose your genre and theme and add your name as the author... it's that simple and quick to get started.<br />
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CHARACTER CREATION<br />
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I had a lot of fun with this section. You can create your characters with complete freedom, exploring their wants and needs in the story and how they're going to find/get to them. You can even search the movie database to find a picture of the perfect actor to play any of your characters and if they won't do you are also given the freedom to upload your own pictures. The only limit here, as with the rest of this online software, is your imagination.<br />
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PLOTTING<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfs66xyexJiqoFDccPhXf6M4rU_-zWYRwVFsJH4VbE9Ox_Fn2NSXIIXTVgxQMjXH46gzDizqrR_3USInFNxegTSwFZG3-Gt35Tkf4eDtJvfGA5qAhEg3ELQV-lREf0D7ONbV_/s1600/prewrite_timeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlfs66xyexJiqoFDccPhXf6M4rU_-zWYRwVFsJH4VbE9Ox_Fn2NSXIIXTVgxQMjXH46gzDizqrR_3USInFNxegTSwFZG3-Gt35Tkf4eDtJvfGA5qAhEg3ELQV-lREf0D7ONbV_/s320/prewrite_timeline.jpg" width="320" /></a>Again you have the freedom to choose how to view your story as you create it. Timeline, cards or page view... yes, please! Add cards to your Act One, Act Two and Act Three, move them around and delete them if you need to. Add a heading, write out your scene action in the action box, add notes below, add characters to each scene so you can see at a quick glance who appears in each scene, tag how your theme is explored, rate the emotional value of your scene, keep track of plot threads over several scenes and even add an image to sum up each scene... it's so glorious and helpful it made running away with your idea and getting it down on the page fun and as easy as breathing.<br />
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STORY STATS<br />
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If the above isn't enough for you then you can explore every aspect of your characters and your plot in the story stats section, analysing the heck out of it.<br />
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LIBRARY and HELP<br />
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There are even examples of well know films to explore and a help menu that will walk you through getting the most out of using this software.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysmViLdp3pVhFbaHKZIYVTOpBjSzi15_eLQH3Y25qQ3y6YrP6Ha4sGDbmF5UigUiTstk9zaKAz4heIYgdNZCIdcjbmHZ6YL2qc4Avh97d7x_TahbbY7sFINosXhT_9zvBNxqP/s1600/prewrite_cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="831" data-original-width="1500" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysmViLdp3pVhFbaHKZIYVTOpBjSzi15_eLQH3Y25qQ3y6YrP6Ha4sGDbmF5UigUiTstk9zaKAz4heIYgdNZCIdcjbmHZ6YL2qc4Avh97d7x_TahbbY7sFINosXhT_9zvBNxqP/s320/prewrite_cards.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
PRICING<br />
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Premium membership is a reasonable $9.99 a month and offers you 20% off if you pay annually, so it's very affordable and won't put a dent in your pocket.<br />
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ISSUES<br />
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I only have two and they're minor. The first is that this is an online resource only at the moment. I would love to see a software version you can download to a computer or tablet. The second issue is that your projects are stored online and like most writers who are obsessive with backing up their work every few minutes will know, there's a worry that as it's stored online you could lose all your hard work in the blink of an eye. If PREWRITE could find a solution to both of these issues then the program would be perfect.<br />
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PREWRITE is so usable you can go into as little or as much detail as you need to match your creativity. It is a blindingly brilliant bit of kit that not only helps you be creative but actively encourages you to be so and I heartily recommend all writers give it a go and see for themselves.<br />
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Happy writing!Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-46581979970902076502020-03-25T11:15:00.003+00:002020-03-25T11:28:29.882+00:00WORKING FROM HOME - COVID-19 EDITION<h2 class="date-header" style="caret-color: rgb(109, 109, 109); color: #6d6d6d; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 0px; position: relative;">
Originally posted Wednesday, August 03, 2016 - updated today, Wednesday, March 25, 2020</h2>
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WORKING AROUND THE KIDS/PARTNERS AND <strike>SCHOOL HOLIDAYS</strike> COVID-19</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhfK-Xlj9HTLRixMnRAgODU-vL_u2C9q0V4hZ6s0RBMw96SqiebNQmzh0HL4Wko0wJZSCgCxjNVSQDfPit7sz8dNR_vS64vhbm4ic-W7A0_gMwD3pZgALJ1RpdrR6D4iQQ8ef/s1600/Noise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhfK-Xlj9HTLRixMnRAgODU-vL_u2C9q0V4hZ6s0RBMw96SqiebNQmzh0HL4Wko0wJZSCgCxjNVSQDfPit7sz8dNR_vS64vhbm4ic-W7A0_gMwD3pZgALJ1RpdrR6D4iQQ8ef/s320/Noise.jpg" width="320" /></a>At a recent writers' event (back in 2016), I was chatting with the then lead writer on a continuing drama who was telling me he and his wife had just had a baby. "How the hell do you get any writing done when you have kids?" he asked as he yawned so hard his jaw nearly dislocated.<br />
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We're already on day 3 of lockdown and I'm surviving... it can be done. Working from home with the kids on holiday is bad enough - with them getting under your feet, asking for snacks every five minutes, begging you to take them up the park, screaming at the top of their eardrum-shattering little voices a millimetre from your face demanding attention, moaning that they're bored and constantly trying to kill or maim each other - without taking into account these exceptional circumstances we now find ourselves in.<br />
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You're not allowed to tie your children up and stick them in a dark cupboard until school starts again, sell them to gipsies or even use chloroform to keep them quiet... I know, I've checked... apparently, the police and social services get a little cross with you if you try. So with those options restricted I've had to adapt my writing style over the years to ensure I can get my work done, keep the kids occupied and happy, and retain my sanity. Here's how I do it.<br />
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Goals! What, sticking one in the back of the net for your team? No... just as your characters have goals in your screenplays, you have to have goals in order to survive these testing times without running the risk of a mental breakdown or murdering your entire family. That's goals for you as well as for your spawn. And there's only one rule... we'll come to that in a second.<br />
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First things first. As a responsible parent, I will constantly monitor my children, check what they're up to and that they're safe. Dumping them in front of the TV with a bag of sugar is not good parenting. They might have school work to get on with but that doesn't mean they don't still have to be monitored. The kids are meant to be having fun learning. And yes, that means you are going to have o figure out the intricacies of quantum physics to help them with their work. They're not really interested if you have a deadline. They are not an inconvenience. They are a privilege. They are your responsibility and you have to ensure they are safe, entertained and educated at all times. So... to the rule!<br />
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The Rule: My boys know if I'm in my office working, or I'm on my laptop, I am not to be disturbed... under any circumstances... unless it's an emergency, or they've accidentally set fire to the dog. Of course, the one rule is not really a rule as it's going to be broken a billion times a day anyway, but as long as the children KNOW and UNDERSTAND the rule, they are aware they run the risk of encountering SHOUTY Daddy if they interrupt me. You also have to be aware and accept that even with this rule you are going to be disturbed, but hopefully, it will only be for important things and less often. The rule is there to help make things a little easier.<br />
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Goals For You:</div>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Set yourself writing targets, smaller ones than you would normally, so they are easier to achieve. When my boys were younger I aimed to write in five-minute sprints when they suddenly went quiet. Now they're older I can write for longer periods.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Set times for lunch and dinner and stick to them. Routine is a great help.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Aim to spend quality time with them for at least two hours a day, either helping them with their school work or enjoying a quick kickabout in the back garden. Whatever you decide to do, make it an adventure... kids love adventure.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Stay off your phone - there's only bad news on it anyway - and actively enjoy this time with your kids. They'll enjoy it too and then they'll be more likely to leave you alone while you writing.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Prepare to be flexible and try and change your routine. Work in your office one day, in the back garden on your laptop the next.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Get your kids to help you prepare lunch, engage them and then sit down and eat with them. Talk to them while you do. Ask them what they would like to do in the afternoon, or the next day and what they enjoyed doing that morning.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Take 10 minutes for yourself after lunch. Find a quiet corner - if you can - and sit in peace and quiet. It will make a difference.</li>
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Goals For Them:<br />
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Set up a points system. Give them a point for good behaviour and take away a point for bad behaviour. I start every day by giving them ten points each and then taking off points for bad behaviour during the day. At the end of the day if they've had more positive days than negative ones they get to spend an hour on the Xbox.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Give them tasks to do during the lockdown. At the moment I'm giving my boys one task a day they have to complete before they go to bed. It will keep them occupided, show them the responsibility that goes into running a house and will help you get everything done.</li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ration their TV and games devices to two hours a day. I find one hour in the afternoon and one hour in the evening sufficient. If they know how long they have it avoids arguments. Make a big issue of how you're such a great parent when you give them an extra half an hour because they've been really good that day.</li>
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And don't forget your partner, the stress of this situation is getting to them too. Be attentive, help where you can and make sure you give them a hug when you think it's needed... even if it isn't.</div>
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These difficult times are survivable and you can get writing done with children and partners around, keep your sanity and bond with your family. Remember, children and partners are for life, not just for Easter.<br />
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Happy writing!</div>
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Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-41364994603495193842020-03-11T09:49:00.000+00:002020-03-11T09:49:51.256+00:00DIALOGUE<div style="color: #0e101a; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">I was chatting with a fellow writer the other day and she mentioned how difficult she found writing dialogue. It was easy to empathise with her as it was an area I struggled with for years.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Great dialogue comes with practice. There are numerous ways you can learn how to write authentic dialogue and what follows is just one way. I'm not claiming it's the best, just that it worked for me and might help some of you to improve your dialogue and even your characters.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd7yfsyQ-bXagLb8T2nNT84C5OcLYRBs3iP_foO1tPfzq4cWQvzV2Om3yMxoxylLf4ujHRZwjyF03xsfNT4EFctKOMKDUnjVXaoCGKlcHRQ0A3h6mSn5KsPAn8aLFT7QU30Wb/s1600/Dialogue.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="750" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRd7yfsyQ-bXagLb8T2nNT84C5OcLYRBs3iP_foO1tPfzq4cWQvzV2Om3yMxoxylLf4ujHRZwjyF03xsfNT4EFctKOMKDUnjVXaoCGKlcHRQ0A3h6mSn5KsPAn8aLFT7QU30Wb/s320/Dialogue.png" width="320" /></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">OBSERVATION:</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">The best way to learn most things is by observing them in progress. Dialogue is no exception. Regularly go to public places - a coffee shop or a pub are the best - get yourself a drink, sit down with a notebook and listen to people talking and make notes. Yes, I am suggesting you eavesdrop on others and record not only how they speak but the language they use and the topics they discuss. The more you can do this the greater diversity of voices you'll learn to recognise.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Listen out and take note of the following...</span></div>
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<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">RHYTHM OF SPEECH - How fast or slow do people speak? Do they speed up or slow down when talking about different subjects? Do they slow down or speed up during a sentence and why?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">VOLUME - Do they speak loudly or do they talk in hushed tones? Are there certain words they whisper or shout? What does the volume your character talks at say about them, their background and their job?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">PAUSES and SILENCE - Where do the pauses and the silence come and why are they used? Sometimes silences are more powerful than any words.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">MISSING/FAVOURITE WORDS - What words do people drop from their sentences? What words do they favour or overuse?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">ACCENTS - How do accents affect speech?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">REACTIONS - The words that are spoken are important but so are people's reactions to what is being said, how they listen or don't, how they move or don't as they speak.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">CONFLICT - Where does the conflict arise in the conversation and how do others react to it? Do their voices get higher or lower? Who wins the conversations or are they drawn?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">EMOTION - What emotions are your characters showing through their dialogue?</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">CROSS-PURPOSES - Not the same as subtext (see below) but where characters think they are talking about the same thing but their perspectives and goals clash so they're actually talking about different things and don't realise it.</span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">SUBTEXT - What are they discussing and what are they REALLY discussing?</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIiI3R7p84XKCGk2LkteJcbt0u0BRQr8t1xyVaxHZo6HfdmdB2ciE_wJpMaTsNHoK7PW0tNtVGUe9rnU8kYVXKbpnjov8TWnDt3SyqjSYEgDUjV34MruI1hXGjd_K4DjNbNcS/s1600/Subtext.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJIiI3R7p84XKCGk2LkteJcbt0u0BRQr8t1xyVaxHZo6HfdmdB2ciE_wJpMaTsNHoK7PW0tNtVGUe9rnU8kYVXKbpnjov8TWnDt3SyqjSYEgDUjV34MruI1hXGjd_K4DjNbNcS/s320/Subtext.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">EXERCISE ONE:</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Here's a great exercise to help you practice what you've learned above.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Take two characters from one of your screenplays and stick them in a lift/elevator together, stuck between floors so they can't escape. Then give them a topic to discuss - for example; the state of the National Health Service - and then have them talk about it for three pages. It helps if you choose characters that have different viewpoints but you don't have to do this. Two people who on paper might agree can disagree in real life. For example, they might agree on the destination but not how to get there.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Who came out on top in your exercise?</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Try this with a few different characters and you'll notice you'll get different outcomes, with each new character's perceptions taking the conversation in a different direction.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">EXERCISE TWO:</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Now start again but remove the top-ten words related to the topic, making sure your characters aren't allowed to use them. For the above example, those words would most likely be; NHS, government, doctors, nurses, medicine, hospitals, health, illness, beds and wards. It's going to be a difficult task but it will help you think more about the words you do use and help you to avoid cliche. Your writing will become richer because of it.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">EXERCISE THREE:</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">This exercise is harder still. Here you'll choose a second subject - let's say divorce - and you'll use the first topic to discuss the new one, without actually mentioning the new topic at all. This will help you practice SUBTEXT, possibly the most difficult skill to master concerning dialogue.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Keep practising all the above, over and over, even when your dialogue improves.</span></div>
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<span data-preserver-spaces="true" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Happy writing!</span></div>
Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-56376010559532313742020-03-04T09:00:00.000+00:002020-03-04T17:26:06.844+00:00DOCTOR WHO - a tale of two seriesSEASON 11<br />
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It's fair to say I didn't like it. It's also fair to say it ruffled a lot of feathers amongst dedicated fans. There was no new theme tune and titles in the opening episode (WTF?), no new Tardis until the end of episode two, no familiar foes, no through story for the series, several of the episodes were TV copies of major sci-fi films and TV shows (Preditor, Pitch Black, Aliens and Quantum Leap amongst others) and the tone of the series was overly preachy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9FfH-wolK8Che8kH3kV3KvYSQv8UkQfegr1J-K-kXTdK9tlrni1bcOnnFGwJ1SmZFlD0XthONsMOPQ_4oGDhxltVGwnGl9xF9bwImhx4T-_J2I2BjSsUapKMrnd03DohyxG-/s1600/Doctor+W12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9FfH-wolK8Che8kH3kV3KvYSQv8UkQfegr1J-K-kXTdK9tlrni1bcOnnFGwJ1SmZFlD0XthONsMOPQ_4oGDhxltVGwnGl9xF9bwImhx4T-_J2I2BjSsUapKMrnd03DohyxG-/s320/Doctor+W12.jpg" width="320" /></a>The focus was so firmly fixed on the diversity of the show and the issues it dissected and preached about in each episode, I think they forgot it was meant to be a piece of entertainment and a drama. Also, three companions made it difficult to get to know them as individuals. We spent far too much time flitting between the three in each episode, rather than spending enough quality time focused on them so they could be fully rounded, fleshed-out, interesting characters like Rose or Donna.<br />
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That's not to say season 11 wasn't without its merits. Two episodes stood out - the Rosa Park episode and Demons of the Punjab. But that wasn't enough for me, the whole series was a disappointment and it's the first series where I haven't watched every single episode. I only managed to watch 6.5 episodes before I became so disillusioned with it I couldn't carry on. I'm not even going to comment about the Christmas episode being on New Years Day.<br />
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SEASON 12<br />
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What a difference a year makes. The new series kicked off with a thrilling double episode reintroducing the Master (a real crowd pleaser) and I was beginning to get excited again. The only blip was episode three (Orphan 55) and that was really down to the rather disappointing monsters. Standing there roaring with arms stretched wide and showing your bad teeth isn't scary. They were so ineffective as a foe I was expecting the Doctor to kick the leader in the bollocks any second and it would have easily been 'game over'. And that preachy speech at the end... sigh!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_E8AbosO9GJ820jUYZiUYyspTeHMRLf1gxr8XTIADoQEjOvgwFjhfA65JM-s7xH6OzoScL9AdUI3KiR3xRfKf-GLyQ9AwIpDb6AM_v0TD61PU3w4PKGp0nz95AWG5krXDXjh/s1600/Master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="870" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_E8AbosO9GJ820jUYZiUYyspTeHMRLf1gxr8XTIADoQEjOvgwFjhfA65JM-s7xH6OzoScL9AdUI3KiR3xRfKf-GLyQ9AwIpDb6AM_v0TD61PU3w4PKGp0nz95AWG5krXDXjh/s320/Master.jpg" width="320" /></a>But then came the episode Fugitive of the Judoon... and OMG did Chris Chibnall and Vinay Patel deliver one hell of an episode. For me, it was one of the best episodes I've ever seen, easily on a par with season 2's Doomsday. The introduction of another Doctor was an act of genius and a fabulous 'WOW' moment I'm still not quite sure I've recovered from. I was sat there stunned, staring at the TV as the credits rolled, unable to quite process what I had just watched. I was beginning to believe that the Doctor Who I've loved since a child was back.<br />
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Praxeus managed to do what most of season 11 couldn't achieve, take an important issue and make a damn good drama out of it without resorting to preaching. A very entertaining episode.<br />
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Then Chris Chibnall gave us The Timeless Children. Mr Chibnall, you bloody clever fantastic genius of a man. The episode didn't rewrite the Doctor's history, it added to it, giving it depth and colour, beautifully expanding the Doctor as a character and bringing greater meaning to all his/her past adventures. I didn't even notice the first Doctor who came to Gallifrey was a young girl... and you know something, it didn't matter because it felt right. I can't wait to see what Mr Chibnall gives us in the Revolution of the Daleks.<br />
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Happy writing!Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23732661.post-4099035828390169072020-02-05T14:45:00.000+00:002020-02-05T14:50:11.689+00:00VOICEVoice is important, it defines you, makes you stand out and identifies who you are as a writer.<br />
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For those of you who don't know what I mean by 'voice' or are confused as to what the term means, 'voice' is the writers' style, the quality that makes their writing unique.<br />
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A few weeks ago a writer I know sent me their latest treatment, asking me for my opinion. The treatment was fantastic, it sang from the page with a frenetic, sweaty energy that perfectly matched the subject matter. It was one of the most powerful treatments I have ever read. And it got me thinking about my own voice and how, a few years ago, I lost it.<br />
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Your writers' 'voice' takes time to develop and that means a lot of writing. It can take months, even years to perfect, but when you have it, it really elevates your writing. I wrote a lot of crap to start with but as my confidence grew so did my writing and I found my voice while writing my script FAITH. It's no coincidence the script won an award and is still used to get me through a lot of doors.<br />
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As I began to make a name for myself and my blog audience grew, screenwriting authors and their publishers started to send me their latest screenwriting books for review. I thought it was great, getting to read all these fantastic screenwriting books for free and learning new, relatable skills. However, after time I found all those books had a negative impact on my writing. I started to overthink what I was creating, agonising over structure, plot, and character while ignoring my instincts. It was those instincts that served me well over the years and helped to develop my voice.<br />
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My writing became formulaic and bland and even I hate some of the scripts I wrote during that period. I had to learn to trust myself again, to invest in the process and to re-find my voice. Once I did, I quickly noticed the difference, people were once again taking note of my work and asking for samples.<br />
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Work hard at finding your voice, play with your writing style, experiment often and above all trust your instincts. Try not to get bogged down in the technical aspects of writing, let the words flow and have fun with them.<br />
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Happy writing!Dominic Carverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10148603580719526847noreply@blogger.com0