New to screenwriting

He-he. Too much stuff, eh? Seems you need to decide whom you're writing for and then adjust yourself to fit what they expect. Since you're here among writers - writers are very competitive, because they've invested a lot to learn the craft. They expect a lot from you as well, or you'll be bullied for instance for poor formatting.

Don't write in screenplay format.

That should free you up to get it out of your head. Just write. Write a little
every day. Once your story is finished and on paper you can translate it
into screenplay format.

Filman says you will be "bullied" for poor format. But that's what a screenplay
is: the format. A great story doesn't need to be in screenplay format. But
a "screenplay" should be. Story first - screenplay later.

directorik said:

Don't write in screenplay format.

That should free you up to get it out of your head. Just write. Write a little
every day. Once your story is finished and on paper you can translate it
into screenplay format.

Filman says you will be "bullied" for poor format. But that's what a screenplay
is: the format. A great story doesn't need to be in screenplay format. But
a "screenplay" should be. Story first - screenplay later.

Click to expand...

That is one valid way of doing things. I actually think it's better to at least loosely stick to format. But that's just the way my brain works. I think everyone should find their own way of doing things, and if Josep feels better working with your method then of course that's best. Josep, if you'd like to at least loosely follow format, I'd recommend Celtx, it's super-cheap and really easy to use. Not much of a learning-curve.

As far as how we get into that screenwriting mode, dude, I think that's a universal issue that we all deal with. Like Rik says, you kinda have to make a schedule and follow it. Or, for people like me, I go back and forth between not writing anything at all, vs getting all obsessive about it.

Currently, I'm kinda obsessive about it, in a sense. I'm researching my next screenplay, cuz the lead role is very different from me. I haven't done any actual writing yet, other than to piece together an outline, but I've spent pretty much every waking minute that I can on it.

I don't know. That's just how my brain works. It goes in spurts. You'll find your ways. Just keep at it. You can do it!

Start with short scripts. Maybe five pages. Simple, just a few characters. Scribble it out on Microsoft word just to see how it looks and reads. You can build from there.

Write a few shorts just to learn your own working habits, and how you move what's in your head to paper. You need to learn that just as much as learning format and structure.

Thank you, all of you. For the most part I do just write to get whatever is in my head out. Novel style, I guess. But I'll look into Celtx when I can.

I have been working on my 1st (full-length) script for the past 2 years. I have been writing it in pieces. I made a very general outline of the story itself and its characters, and have just been filling in scenes here and there (and changing things) as I go.
It's important to take breaks and step away from the computer (and rejoin "real life") from time to time to not only have "fresh eyes" but to stay inspired. Many of my best ideas come to me when I'm busy doing other things. (Always have a pen & paper handy!)

Trust me, the format is very easy. Not challenging at all.

For me, screenplay writing is inextricably linked to my identity, so if my story sucks then it makes me feel like I suck. This is obviously not healthy for my mental state of mind, I know, but it certainly helps me churn stories out and remain resilant to failure because again, failing means that I'm failing to validate my self-worth, so giving up is equivilant to death for me. I wouldn't see the point in waking up to do anything, honestly.

You really have to have that kind of mindset when setting out to become a writer because otherwise, it'll just end up becomming a hobby. It's really really hard to write a complete piece and requires a lot of patience, so if you find yourself struggling to get yourself to write, then its possible writing isn't for you. The only sure way to tell, though is to literally just go out and do it.

Just think of an idea that you think is good and try to write the whole thing out. And don't worry about sucking because if its your first time, it will suck and probably blow up in your face from all the inconsistancies and plot holes. But that's the point. You have to teach yourself to the problem and by that I mean, you have to write so that you can identify the numerous problems you'll have to mentally solve in order to tell a proper story.

And for God's sake, don't waste money on classes, unless those classes are cheap or you can afford them. I think its ridiculous that people pay thousands of dollars to go to college to learn how to write screenplays. That's great for tips and tricks, but not so much for understanding why those tips and tricks are good and where those tips and tricks fall short.

Best of luck, man! It's a rough path.