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2nd-rate-film-school · 4 years

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Week 4: First Act

You have made it to the script-writing phase! Congrats to everyone who’s made it this far! Now you get to see all your outlining and development pay off. These last few weeks are going to be more intense, as you’ll be writing approximately 30 pages a week until the end of the challenge.

This week, you will be writing all of Act One - approximately 1/4 of your script. For a 120-page feature, this is roughly 30 pages. While you have planned extensively for this moment, I just want to reiterate some points regarding the first act. All of your major characters, your conflict, antagonist (if there is one), and your character’s goal should be established within these first few pages.

Some things to remember when writing your first draft:

Do not procrastinate. 30 pages is a lot and trying to write at the last minute is stressful and hinders creativity. Set aside time every day to knock out a few pages.

Use your outline and treatment for guidance. If you get stuck, it’s a good way to remember the goal of each scene is to move the story toward your main plot points you outlined. For this week, you should hit your inciting incident around page 15 and your first act turning point around page 30.

Use proper screenplay format. There is free and paid software available that I have linked to below. You can format it manually, but it’s more difficult.

Break up action description into chunks no bigger than 3 sentences long. Blocks of text are harder to read in scripts and generally make it too dense.

This is a first draft. All it has to do is exist. Don’t get too hung up on finding exactly the right snappy line or the perfect action description.

Scan the draft for grammar and spelling mistakes before submitting it. It is best practice and will make your script more professional and easy to read

In addition to writing a draft, you will be sharing your script. By the end of the challenge, send at least 1 act to two people to receive feedback on what works and what needs to be improved. A piece of advice I was given that I always found helpful, is to send your script to your most honest friend, and your most professional friend.

You can get great feedback in our screenwriting workshop on discord! I will also be giving feedback as usual, but I do not count toward the two outside readers. The reason is so you can get opinions other than my own and to help you get comfortable sharing your work.

No script is ever perfect and a lot of times writers overlook mistakes because they already know the story inside and out. If something doesn’t make sense to an outsider, something probably got lost in translation from your mind to the page. (That being said, you don’t have to make all the changes recommended to you if you truly believe the critique to be incorrect.)

By next week, July 29, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:

For a short that is 15-30 pages, the first act would be a quarter of the total page count, roughly 4-7 pages.

If you are writing a pilot, the first act should be a quarter of the final page length. Dramas (44-60 pgs) would be around 11-15 pages and sitcoms (25-40 pgs) would be around 6-10 pages.

By Aug. 19th, 11:59pm (PST), complete and submit the following:

Send your script to at least 2 people and ask for feedback. I recommend sending your script to more than 2 people, in case people don’t respond.

Submit a marked up version of at least Act 1 as proof you got feedback. Those who got feedback from me do not need to send my markups. If you get feedback on discord, @me so I see it.

Resources for this week:

Coffee Shop Critiques Workshopping Group

Challenge Masterlist

Previous Challege Posts (1, 2, 3)

How to Format a Screenplay (In Drive under “Misc. Information”)

Screenplay Margins and Line Length (In Drive under “Misc. Information”)

Script Format: Scene Headings

Script Format: Dialogue

Script Format: Action/Description

Free Screenwriting Software

Example Script - Finding Nemo (In Drive under “Scripts - Film”)

Happy Writing!

Jules

#screenwriting challenge #year 4 #week 4 #first act #first draft

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the-six-month-novel · 7 years

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Books on Writing: recommendations

Last week we looked at the importance of finding a writing space, the supplies you might want to have on hand, and seeding your story so that you have something to grow. This week we're going to post and reblog some handy writing resources that'll help us along our way.

Next week (Tuesday, August 1st) is our start date. During our first week we'll be fleshing out our ideas so that we have solid foundations upon which to build. We're going to take a look at genre-specific issues, choosing a tense and point of view, story structure, etc. By the end of week one we're going to have a really nice outline from which to work.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Today we're going to look at some books on writing that every aspiring author should have on their bookshelves (or kindles, or regular library check-out rotation). This isn't by any means an exhaustive list, but it is a good starting point for those times when you're stuck and need an expert opinion.

The Elements of Style, by Strunk and White

This is a must have on every writer's shelf. Regularly called the Writer's Bible, The Elements of Style covers everything from style to grammar to when to use that pesky semicolon. It is the definitive guide for how to format a manuscript.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

This is fast becoming another classic. One of the century's most popular writers talks about the craft of writing and what it takes to become a best selling author. As entertaining as it is insightful.

45 Master Characters, by Victoria Lynn Schmidt

At time controversial, anyone who watches television will instantly recognise the popularity of this book amongst screenwriters. Novelists, too, have use Schmidt's classic to help flesh out characters and write meaningful character arcs. 45 Master Characters looks to the past to draw inspiration into the present. She uses Greek legends as the basis for creating modern, compelling characters.

Plot & Structure: Techniques and Exercises for Crafting a Plot That Grips Readers from Start to Finish, by James Scott Bell

Defining a story's structure while writing an engaging plot is often the most challenging aspect of storytelling. Bell's guide handily sets out how to do this, but he doesn't just offer advice. Instead he shows us what works and what doesn't while helping us avoid many of the pitfalls common to novice novelists. This is about as comprehensive as it gets and is well worth reading cover to cover.

How to Write Best Selling Fiction, Dean Koontz

I admit, this is not a book I would have picked up on my own. But I participated in a workshop a few years ago that used this book as a reference and found it tremendously helpful. I'm a pragmatic person, so the practical approach to writing really resonated with me. This covers the craft of writing, but it also looks at the business side of writing, which is something most new writers tend to overlook.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

Not so much an instruction guide as it is just really good advice. Bird by Bird helped me put aside my perfectionist tendencies, which, let's be honest, is why so many would-be authors never finish a first draft. Permission to write badly is something I think we all occasionally need.

The Writer's Market, by Robert Lee Brewer

Admittedly, you won't need this quite yet, but when it comes time to getting your work published, the current edition of this is essential.

Writer's Guide to Character Traits, by Dr. Linda Edelstein

A book on characters written by a psychologist. This is one of my go-to books for fleshing out characters. If you're looking for a way to bring your characters to life, Writer's Guide to Character Traits is something worth having on your shelf.

Those are just a few of my favourites, but as I mentioned above, this is by no means an exhaustive list. Have your own favourite reference book? Feel free to let us know. We welcome submissions. We'll also be spending the week reblogging other people's references, so stay tuned. And remember, none of these are required reading, but all of them are certainly handy to have on hand, especially if you're looking to master your craft.

#the six month novel project #resources

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