A film script is truly unlike any other piece of writing.
One of the many things that a screenplay needs to do is serve as a blueprint for a film production, and so the structure of the screenplay document itself has been designed so that one page equals one minute of screen time.
This running clock in the mind of the reader puts screenwriting more in the oral tradition of storytelling (instead of in the book publishing tradition). The reader is hearing you tell them the story in realtime. What does this mean for you?
Storytelling not Storywriting
This difference means that pacing is vital — literally how long it takes you to describe things is how long they appear on screen (in the reader’s mind). Another thing this means is that your attitude and point-of-view — the personality that comes through in your action lines — helps sell what kind of movie this is going to be for the reader.
All of the qualities that make a story told aloud compelling are the same qualities that make a screenplay reading session entertaining for the reader. Your screenplay document needs to entertain the reader. Obviously dialogue is meant to be heard aloud, but the storyteller’s voice in the action lines also must convey enough personality that it communicates genre and tone.
The one writing method that best accentuates precisely those elements is The Talking Draft Method.
Unlearning the Writing Part
A great screenwriter reads tons of screenplays. It takes time and practice to get used to this style of storytelling versus story-writing. For people who have only ever written papers in school for teachers to ponder, or written stories in the publishing tradition, a screenplay’s two-pronged refocus on your storyteller personality and on the pacing of a page is hard to learn.
One must first unlearn the habits that come with print writing methods. Foremost amongst those typing elements has to do with pace. The momentum of your story matches the momentum of your storytelling. The problem with composing a screenplay with a keyboard is that it allows you to pause. A keyboard allows you to press “backspace” and to highlight whole sections and “delete” them, as you tinker and edit and tweak. All of that is bad. Do not do that on your first drafts.
Get the story out of you head AS a cohesive story. Use your voice to capture your writing voice. Use your energy to capture the dynamics of dialogue, speaking the lines aloud. The Talking Draft Method forces you to get through your story without editing and wasting time. The Talking Draft Method helps you capture your personality as you dictate the story. The Talking Draft Method puts you more in the oral tradition of storytelling instead of the stultifying world of publishing.
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Inside This Practical Guide to The Talking Draft Method:
- how to achieve a creative flow state
- overcome common first draft traps
- popular screenplay structures
- common beat sheet examples
- proven techniques for revisions
- the screenwriter’s “notes” decoder
- never fear a blank page again
- the history of the method
- tips for aspiring writers
Hollywood's Secret for a Fast First Draft