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 Any advice for writing screenplays? 
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Cherub
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Post Any advice for writing screenplays?
I noticed a few things today. I have over 40 projects on my hard drive...none of them are finished. Every teacher, fellow writer, average reader etc. tells me that my work is very descriptive and flows well...but they always ask "what's it about?". I realize that my ideas are always extremely visual and very short lived; most of the plot just comes from me attempting to introduce the characters and the setting. The writing, while the paragraphs flow well...tends to be too descriptive. Kinda "flowery". I describe every damn thing in the setting...twain would probly shoot me.

I've always been sure that I should write fiction...but I've gotten to thinking. Is there a profession where I could put this kind of creativity to use? (Anything but art...I actually went to a doctor as a kid cause I was so uncoordinated)

I was wondering about writing screen plays. Isnt that where someone reads the script of a movie...and kind of...visualizes it? Is there a such a job?

Anyways...if anyone has the time for a bit of career advice...I'd appriciate it. I'll proofread somthing for you :wink:

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:25 am
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Chibi-Czar
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Sounds like the perfect sort of writing temperment for writing scripts for commercials.

As to writing improvement:

This has yet to be improved upon. There is simply no better book to read on the subject, and if you've read it before, read it again.

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*is an S+W fanboi, with very good reason*

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 12:45 am
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Remember that format is killer when scriptwriting. I wanted to get into it but I found it killed my inner child. :P You're basically writing a technical document mixed with a novel.

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 9:22 am
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Don't focus on the introduction of someone or something unless you are going to use them.

In Blade Trinity, they introduced a 4-barrel shotgun that NO ONE EVER USED.

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 10:45 am
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Chibi-Czar
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Oh, they probably used it in the script, but it got dropped during post-production. Kevin Smith does that all the time- writes huge conversations in and then cuts 4/5 of them. I suspect the non-use of the 4-barrel was due to time constraints.

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 11:48 am
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Fair enough. They probably assumed the joke behind it was funny which might be why they left it in, but the joke didn't make much sense. I think it would have been better if left out, but that's just me. My opinions hold little sway with the majority.

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Mon Jan 03, 2005 3:53 pm
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i recently acquired a copy of "storm of the century", the screenplay by stephen king. i believe it's currently on extended loan to fiss, tho i could be mistaken. in it, sai King includes an extensive forward that talks a lot about writing for movies and for tv, and writing in general. i found it very informative.

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Tue Jan 04, 2005 1:07 am
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