HOW TO WRITE a Killer Script in 30 Days

I Do It Consistently - So Can You

At this moment there are just a few people who are actually in the business who have ever heard my name. The one used to be the VP of Productions for HBO Pictures, now President of the Fort Worth International Film Festival, blew me off like I was a load of ice cold shit. But besides that asshole, I did have an opportunity to pitch my Comedic Gem, ANTENNA MAN, to Bo Zenga (Boz Productions; Produced Scary Movie and others). Bo was cool; he requested I send the Script in total. And, fingers crossed, I’ve got a meeting scheduled this coming week with a guy whose name I won’t mention, used to Write and Produce Music Documentaries for VH-1; talk's like he’s going to help me line out an Agent.

That said; the point here is that I’ve been telling stories and writing in one form or another for decades; got pretty good at it. Can’t say for sure that you’ll be able to do what I do, but if you want to write Screenplay’s, you might save yourself a lot of time and tuition by trying my method.



PREPARE YOURSELF

Before you proceed on to my method, you really must first be educated in the basics of Script Writing, formatting and the like. If you don’t know what a Slug Line is, you can still write your Screenplay, but you need to keep studying.

But don’t freak out about what you don’t know yet. First, it’s not all that complicated really. Second, remember that just before Quentin Tarantino Directed Reservoir Dogs, he sold a Script that wasn’t formatted at all, and was full of spelling errors. --- I wouldn’t bank on that happening for you though. So, learn now how to format your Script according to Industry Standard.

There are a good number of books out there on the subject that can get you over that hump quickly. However, if you’ve never laid eyes on a properly formatted Script, this link from The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars people) will open up a PDF of an Industry Standard Formatted Script that will help you get started.

www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/scriptsample.pdf



THE RICK DENNY METHOD OF SCRIPT CREATION

<>The Right Tools For The Job
I do pretty much all of my writing on a Word Processor. Using a computer gives me a great deal of flexibility and options in the writing process that I recommend you take advantage of, if you’re not doing so already. I’ll get to the importance of this in a moment.


<>Begin At The Beginning
This is the most important part of the process. --- I think. Put another way, the most important part of writing a Screenplay is not the writing, but the seeing of what you are about to write. You might accuse me of being an asshole for saying it, but if you can’t see the story in your minds eye, you’ll most likely end up numbered amongst the many who tried to write a Script one day, but didn’t. Or, what they did write is complete shit.

I envision the story. First the place, then the time, then the people in that place, then what the people there are doing. It’s the old “Who, What, Where, Why, When” thing, only not in that order. Your process here may take a different pattern, and if it works for you it’s a perfect pattern. But being a Painter as well, I see the location as the foundation, the canvas upon which I apply the Characters, Action and Dialog. --- Where the story is set affects everything, including the all important budget.

That said; the first thing you need to determine is what the Genre of your Screenplay is going to be. What’s the Movie? Are you writing a Romantic Comedy, a Thriller, a Horror, what? Knowing what Genre you’re about to start writing gives you all the rules you need for a successful end product. The Genre is the immovable foundation upon which your Script is to be constructed. It’s the road you’re traveling on towards your final destination, the End Scene. Follow the rules of the Genre, and they will reward you greatly. Break the rules and you’re more than likely fucked.


<>Tell Yourself The Story First
After knowing the rules of the Genre, after seeing the story in your mind, before you endeavor to delve into the actual Script Writing/Formatting process, tell yourself the story first.

Now at my computer, I create a File Folder and name it with the the intended Title of Screenplay; someday to be a Movie by the same name. Perfect example is the one I’m working on now. I had the title before I knew any of the Characters or where the story would take place: PHOBIA.

So, I created a File Folder titled PHOBIA. Next, I create a Document titled in the manner: “NOTES (Phobia),” and saved it to that folder before I write the first word. Since I do this for every Screenplay, I have to include the name of the Screenplay next to NOTES, because if I open more than one Screenplay's NOTES Document, I can see at a glance what Script those notes correspond to.

NOTE: If you’re not Computer savvy, have someone teach you the basics quick. Computers, like cars, break down. Cars leave you stranded, computers lose your work. So back up everything often to an External Storage Drive. --- I met an Published Author who was writing yet another book who backed up to two Storage Drives, thought he had himself well covered against any lose of data. His office burned down and he lost his computer, both External Storage Drives, and all of his work for that book. With that in mind, I keep a spare drive out in my Art Studio, separate from the house where I do all of my writing.

So, tell yourself the story first. Here’s an example; I’m making this up in this moment so you can get a clear idea of what I do in this beginning process of developing the Script.
--------------

NOTES (Sample Story)


GENRE: Comedy (R)-Rated

Two college dorm mates fall in love with the same girl, the daughter of the Dean. The Dean has a comb-over, a lap dog, hates both of our guys.

Two College guys, one from Kentucky, the other from New York, attend college in Florida. The guy from Kentucky is a virgin, religious, carries a Bible everywhere he goes, listens to old time Country Gospel Music. The New Yorker is the son of a Pimp, a real player, popular with the ladies, loves Rap. They both talk with thick regional accents and have trouble understanding what the other is saying; each to the other is like talking to a foreigner. The Kentucky guy drives an OLD RED BEATER PICK-UP TRUCK with spots of gray primer, the New Yorker drives a BLACK CONVERTIBLE CAMARO.

The College and the dorms are co-ed.

Etc, etc, etc.
----------

As you line out the details of the story in this way, it takes form in your mind, becomes increasingly more clear what needs to happen next, to the point where you begin to see the big picture. Every answer to the ”Who, What, Where, Why, How” question, creates additional questions you have to provide the answer to. Answer all the questions, and in the end you have everything you need to begin the Script writing process.

By telling yourself the story in this manner, you aren’t shackled to any manner of Linear Rules of story telling. In my first Screenplay titled THE CHOSEN, I had the title and the End in mind first. “A guy turned off to God by the hypocrisies he witnessed throughout his youth, is tagged by God as a reluctant modern day Prophet.”



I NEVER HAVE WRITERS BLOCK

I do get writing fatigue, but never Writers Block. If I’m tired of thinking on the story, I go do something else, put it out of my mind completely for a time. I don’t pressure myself in the creation process. I might break for an hour, or for days depending on needs in life that I have to contend with. Though I do most all my work on the computer, if something comes to mind while I’m raking leaves, or driving into town, I write it down, add it to my Notes later.

I read over my Notes many time. In the reading I see more of the story; see more clearly the holes that need to be filled. As my Notes develop, the story takes form in my minds eye to the point where I know exactly how it begins, what happens in the middle (2nd Act), and how it needs to end.


THE VALUE OF THE COMPUTER IN WRITING

When I have come to the point in the process where the story is so clear that it’s time to start writing a Formatted Script, I create a Document titled “SCRIPT (Sample Story).” Remember, all of the Documents I create are being saved into the Folder I first created with the Screenplays Title.

It always occurs that as I’m telling myself the story in Notes, that a scene begins to unfold. I see the Characters interacting and talking with each other. When that happens, and I don’t force it, I will actually write the dialog between the Characters in the NOTES Document, like this:


CHUCK
Man, dude? Where are you going?

BART
I told you, I got to go get my sister.

CHUCK
Well, shoot bro. I thought we were going to the beach?


Since I’m in the moment as the dialog plays out, and I’m not yet into the Script writing process remember, I don’t give any thought at all to the formatting of the dialog. In this manner of telling myself the story first, I don’t give any energy to anything other than the raw creative process.

When I get into the actual process of writing and formatting the Script, I can Cut both the valuable Scene descriptions and Dialog I written from the NOTES Document, and Paste these into the Script. Very efficient.


WHAT ABOUT SCRIPT WRITING SOFTWARE?

You got me there. By everything I've read of the Final Draft Script Writing Software, I will purchase it first chance I get. But presently, I stand as a classic example of Starving Artist Syndrome; can't afford it. What I do know is that Final Draft (I provide a Link on this Blogs Home Page) is the most respected and popular Program designed specifically for writing and formatting a Script. On their site, (which provides other resources for the Screenwriter worth exploring) you can purchase Final Draft at a cost of $229.oo.


THAT’S A RAP

If you have any questions, give me a shout. I love talking about this shit.





KICCASS