Tips for Becoming a Hollywood Screenwriter

Tips for Becoming a Hollywood ScreenwriterTips for Becoming a Hollywood ScreenwriterBecoming a big shot, Hollywood screenwriter is a dream for many people, but most never take the necessary steps to become successful because they dont see the profession as a craft. They see it as a way to get rich. Granted, there are many screenwriters who have made millions of dollars over the courses of their careers. There are even a few overnight successes (if you dont include the months or even years of toiling over their scripts before they became an overnight success). But for the most part, becoming a successful screenwriter is just like anything else of value- the result of hard work. So, where does one start? Weve outlined below some very basic steps to follow. Keep in mind that this is one possible path of many. The truth is, there is no one right or wrong way when seeking out a Hollywood writing career. Some things work for some people, but bedrngnis for others. Some of it is luck, some o f it is talent, and some of it is just never giving up. But if youre looking for information on how to get started, the following steps should help provide a bit more direction. Educate Yourself Screenwriting isnt just something to jump into. There are those exceptionally few writers who seem to understand the rhythm of a movie script and have an innate gift of dialogue from the start. But for the most part, new writers need to have a basic understanding of what it is theyre trying to write, and that means research. One distributions-mix to start is with some books on the topic. These will help provide anunderstanding of the basic structure of a movie script as well as how to go about writing its various elements- from creating interesting characters and plot to the development of engaging dialogue and proper story structure. These three books are a good start Story Structureby Robert McKee is the bible of story structure and the basics of the principles of screenwriting. A must read.Screenplayby Syd Field is another must read by the one author that most Hollywood writers would agree is the master of the screenplay.Screenwriters Problem Solver, also by Syd Field, is a follow-up to Screenplay, and Field takes readers through common problems many screenwriters confront and exercises to help fix them. There are hundreds of books touting their screenwriting method as the best method. The fact is that once you know the basics of how to write a screenplay, you then need to practice doing so. Avoid books that claim to show you how to write a screenplay in 10days or 20 days, or whatever. You need to learn about the mechanics of writing a script before worrying about how long it takes you to write one. Read Successful Screenplays Perhaps the most useful reference materials you can find are going to be sample scripts, especially those that are in the same genre you intend to write. For example, if youre planning on writing a romantic comedy, get your hands on as many romantic comedy scripts as you can find. You will see that by having these scripts at the ready, youll soon begin to see how a film translates from a writers head into the finished product of a film. Scripts can be purchased from places likeSamuel French Bookstore, but you also might have luck with something as simple asGoogle.Search the title of just about any movie you can think of with the word screenplay, and you more than likely will find dozens of sites that will have exactly what youre looking for. If buying a script, be sure you get a full feature movie script rather than a transcript. A transcript is just a transcript of the dialogue of the film and wont help you. You need a full feature script that you can refer to that shows dialogue, descriptions, and all action. Start Writing Depending on where you live, there might be a number ofwriting classes you can choose from, many of which specialize in screenwriting, but the most important step is to start writing. Too many people get caught up in the mechanics of screenwriting. They spend months, if not years, in classes and reading books on how to write a screenplay, but they never actually write anything. So, after you get the basics down, start writing. Dont overthink the process. Sit down at your computer, start typing the words, and print your screenplay. Its what every screenwriter eventually does whether theyre a novice or a skilled professional. Keep Writing It is where many people get hung up. Once they start writing, they get stuckverzierung ata certain point and stop trying. Some excuses might include a hiccup in the storyline, dialogue that isnt working, or characters arent likable. All of these are valid issues, but none of them mean you should ever stop the writing process. As a screenwriter, you quickly will find that rewriting is about 80 percentof the job, if not more. The trick here is to avoid rewriting the same scene over and over without ever moving toward completion. To o many writers fall into the trap of thinking that every page of the first draft must be perfect, but take comfort in this First drafts of most screenplays usually are awful. The good news is that through your rewrites, they get much, much better. Forge ahead no matter how hard it is or how long it takes. A good practice is to set page goals. For example, vow to finish at least five pages every day no matter what when working on a first draft. It can help you to finish the script without caring about the initial quality. After all, its sometimes easier to rewrite an existing script than to stare at a blank page. Get Notes Getting notes on a script refers to getting a little constructive criticism. Once youve finished with an acceptable draft of the screenplay, give it to three or four people whose opinions you trust. Remember that what youre looking for here is constructive criticism, not someone who tells you they liked or disliked your script. Usually, another writer will be t he most useful for this process. Listen to the notes you get so that you can properly address them. Network Networkingis still one of the most important skills a screenwriter can have. After all, this is more than likely how youre going to get your script to an agent, producer, or studio executive. InLos Angeles, there are numerous entertainment-relatednetworking events. Its crucial that as a screenwriter you attend as many of these as you can soyou can meet like-minded individuals. Keep in mind that your script will not sell itself by sitting on a shelf in your apartment. You have to let people know you are a screenwriter and that you have a product to sell. Through diligent networking, you mayeventually come across someone who will get your screenplay into the right hands. Dont be shy here. Be confident in your material and your abilities and be proud to label yourself as a screenwriter. Screenwriting can be a fun, rewarding, and extremely lucrative career. But its a craft tha t must be learned and practiced before it ever can be mastered.