Screenwriting

[Tigereyes]

Hey guys,

I'm a pretty good writer and I've learned from open air experience and a couple good books. Mainly, to me, writing has evolved through throwing ideas into threads and seeing how those ideas evolve.

So I decided to make a thread here where people could throw out ideas, half backed concepts, or just characters they think are interesting - and we can group think plot points, solutions, or dialog.

If you want any advice on writing, me to read through screenplays, or anything like that - send me a private message.

If you have some things lying around, toss around ideas in this thread. You'll be amazing what the community can help you with, and you'll be surprised how fast a hundred people can move writer's bloc.

-tiger

[Karl Brown]

Similar to this concept was a book I passed over at Powells. I now can't recall the title, nor much of the content, but it was page after page of "opening lines," to generate Short Stories from. Example:

"Someone will have to tell him, eventually."

"I've tried countless times in the last two years, but I am afraid, I can no longer take the disappointments."

"The gentleman never saw her coming."

"The wind stole the documents from my hand, in time for the man to find me empty handed."

It is an interesting concept, and hand in hand to your own, Tigereyes. I hope this thread catches on.

[Norrie]

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" – Hmm, been done.

"It was a dark and stormy night" – nah, not subtle enough.

My favourite ever opening to a novel is:
"It was the day my grandmother exploded"
Good book as well. "The Crow Road" by Iain Banks.

[thebiz]

I heard a story once (honestly I dont remember where I heard it) about how Picasso painted cracks in his ceiling to keep the price of his rent from increasing. This then added value to the building when it was discovered at a later date. While the story itself is probably BS, I was amused by the idea of someone painting the cracks and coming up with the story for the financial benefit.

Similarly, I visited a cantina in Mexico City where many a tourist poked their head in to see the bullet hole in the ceiling that was purportedly created by a famous bandito. Again, it struck me that this story could be nothing more than a creation of some industrious bar owner.

So, the idea I've been picking at for a while involves a guy whose job it is to create history that will solve his clients problems. Hes like a mix between The Equalizer and Ken Burns (with a Burn Notice vibe for good riddance). For instance, he organizes a small heist at an unpopular museum to boost attendance and creates stories of hideous and fantastic suicides at local Bed and Breakfasts.

But outside of his job I never came up with much of a story. Never could decide if it was a comedy or action/suspense kind of thing. At one point I had him battling it out with another "history fixer" to prove the other's history as false and his own as beyond reproach. Eh...

Cant say I'll ever do anything with it but maybe this will get the thoughts rolling again.

[Norrie]

Oh man, could you imagine the "history fixers" up against the "battling grammarians" from way back on TMO?

Your mind is a great place to visit Biz, but I wouldn't want to live there!

[Karl Brown]

The opening line to Aleister Crowley's book, Diary of a Drug Fiend, is quite catching. I can not remember it word for word, but I believe it went something similar to:

Of coarse I was feeling depressed. One usually does, after a fight. Though I do not feel it was the overall emotion of the day.

I am sure it is more catching in its true content.

But this strays from the point; to write Screenplays, and not Novels.

Combining genres can usually lead to some inventive ideas. For instance, you could combine a typical Hard Boiled Detective story of a classic Film Noir, with elements of a Modern Science Fiction, and Horror film -- coming with a group of two or three Detectives working cases, each of whom have a peculiar capability outside of the norm, taking cases which evolve from a simple matter into Ghosts and Witches. Place them in a 1820s setting in France, with a strange occurrence of the sun having lost temperature, causing the planet to be set in a never ending Winter -- with all the casualties in plant and animal life that may arrive from such an event. &ect &ect

Ideas in films can often come, as well, from a moment in the park, "People Watching." A man in a dark coat has his collar up high in Spring weather, and continues to check his watch. Although later a woman comes to meet him, and his collar defined him for her, as her blind date -- you could have written a much more interesting end, or start, to his story.

[thebiz]

Oh man, could you imagine the "history fixers" up against the "battling grammarians" from way back on TMO?


Hehe, I had forgotten about the Grammarians. High brow creation from low brow creators. Good stuff. Might get some use out of that library set yet.

[Norrie]

The opening line to Aleister Crowley's book, Diary of a Drug Fiend, is quite catching. I can not remember it word for word, but I believe it went something similar to:

Of coarse I was feeling depressed. One usually does, after a fight. Though I do not feel it was the overall emotion of the day.

I am sure it is more catching in its true content.

But this strays from the point; to write Screenplays, and not Novels.


Hang on Karl. How can the first line of a novel stray from screenplays?
Surely anyone can take the classic Dickens opening I quoted and turn it into any screenplay they wish. It's just a sentence.

I referenced a novel first line, but imagine the possibilities?

Surely straying is a wonderful thing in this context. No?

[Karl Brown]

Hang on Karl. How can the first line of a novel stray from screenplays?
Surely anyone can take the classic Dickens opening I quoted and turn it into any screenplay they wish. It's just a sentence.

I referenced a novel first line, but imagine the possibilities?

Surely straying is a wonderful thing in this context. No?

Point well made.

[rogerSIMIAN]

Maybe the History Fixer could be hired by covert operatives from some church or other to prove the existence of a Divine All-Creator through the discovery of an image of the weeping Christ on a hotcross bun in the Trossachs?

:euro:

[thebiz]

Maybe the History Fixer could be hired by covert operatives from some church or other to prove the existence of a Divine All-Creator through the discovery of an image of the weeping Christ on a hotcross bun in the Trossachs?

:euro:

Thats along the lines I was thinking. Though less along the lines of proving the existence of, and more along the lines of pumping up attendance and filling those offering plates. Hmm, in true 80 tv serial fashion, the church is behind on its rent payment and a real estate mogul is waiting to tear it down to construct condos. Enter the history Fixer and a hotcross bun (or perhaps a tale involving the pope pooping in the woods surrounding the church on a vacation bible school camping trip in 1932..within this blessed fertilizer grew a blessed tree whose sap makes very expensive maple syrup that sells like hotcakes....church is saved. History Fixer moves on down the road. Que credits.).


This idea really lends itself out as a series of episodes huh.

[Norrie]

Maybe the History Fixer could be hired by covert operatives from some church or other to prove the existence of a Divine All-Creator through the discovery of an image of the weeping Christ on a hotcross bun in the Trossachs?

:euro:

How dare you! BLASPHEMER!
It was the Ochils :( West Coast bamheid!

(oh, that is such an in joke, sorry to all non Scots)

[rogerSIMIAN]

How dare you! BLASPHEMER!
It was the Ochils :( West Coast bamheid!

(oh, that is such an in joke, sorry to all non Scots)

But more importantly - it was a bridie not a hot cross bun! :(

[rogerSIMIAN]

Thats along the lines I was thinking. Though less along the lines of proving the existence of, and more along the lines of pumping up attendance and filling those offering plates. Hmm, in true 80 tv serial fashion, the church is behind on its rent payment and a real estate mogul is waiting to tear it down to construct condos. Enter the history Fixer and a hotcross bun (or perhaps a tale involving the pope pooping in the woods surrounding the church on a vacation bible school camping trip in 1932..within this blessed fertilizer grew a blessed tree whose sap makes very expensive maple syrup that sells like hotcakes....church is saved. History Fixer moves on down the road. Que credits.).

I loves it! Can Norrie be in it as an exotic islander? And also have a sub-aquatic adventurer and a riott-grrrl pirate photographer?

:euro:

[thebiz]

I loves it! Can Norrie be in it as an exotic islander? And also have a sub-aquatic adventurer and a riott-grrrl pirate photographer?

:euro:


Too cliched.

[Karl Brown]

I loves it! Can Norrie be in it as an exotic islander? And also have a sub-aquatic adventurer and a riott-grrrl pirate photographer?

:euro:

Jewish aristocratic Carpetbagger from 1867 with a Time Travel Machine, who plays Party Tricks with his Top Hat, and woos women with his Coat Tails. (This inspired by your Emoticon.)

[Tigereyes]

Combining genres can usually lead to some inventive ideas. For instance, you could combine a typical Hard Boiled Detective story of a classic Film Noir, with elements of a Modern Science Fiction, and Horror film -- coming with a group of two or three Detectives working cases, each of whom have a peculiar capability outside of the norm, taking cases which evolve from a simple matter into Ghosts and Witches. Place them in a 1820s setting in France, with a strange occurrence of the sun having lost temperature, causing the planet to be set in a never ending Winter -- with all the casualties in plant and animal life that may arrive from such an event.

I think that is an interesting idea to explore. I usually like to take the context of a science fiction story and set it somewhere else. Crossing over genres allows you to fiddle with the elements that given strength to each story type and find somewhere in the middle points to support your story.

My favorite part about that idea is that there is some unity to good genres, some blueprints to story telling that help bring all genres under a collective umbrella of storytelling. There is something about the universal aspect of storytelling, whether it be a joke or a screenplay, that has always been interesting to me.



Ideas in films can often come, as well, from a moment in the park, "People Watching." A man in a dark coat has his collar up high in Spring weather, and continues to check his watch. Although later a woman comes to meet him, and his collar defined him for her, as her blind date -- you could have written a much more interesting end, or start, to his story.
It is said that Walt Disney came up with the idea of Disneyland sitting on a bench at a Carnival. Who knows what you could come up with standing on a soap box...?

[The Maverick]

Or, how about something with Sci-Fi and Mystery? I have a script that I once had for public viewing of all of it's 40-52 something pages. It's very much like Law and Order, but has a lot more action than that. IDK, thought that this kind of genre merger would come in handy.

[Karl Brown]

Or, how about something with Sci-Fi and Mystery? I have a script that I once had for public viewing of all of it's 40-52 something pages. It's very much like Law and Order, but has a lot more action than that. IDK, thought that this kind of genre merger would come in handy.

Is it still open for the public?

[sgporsche48]

Biz:

I've been thinking about your history fixer story. What if it went something like this?

The history fixer must juggle his on-the-rocks relationship with his long-time girlfriend and his toughest job yet, stealing the Mona Lisa from the a local museum while it's on exhibit there in order to help out with the museum's ever decreasing funds and visitors.

I assume it would be set in New York but the history fixer can jet around the world anytime and anywhere.

[thebiz]

A museum heist is definitely intriguing..a great setting. Plus I really like the world of stolen art where rich guys hoarde a stash in their basement that they can never show anyone and can only sell for pennies on the dollar. However, a place that already has the Mona Lisa probably doesnt need a guy to make up history for them to draw customers (as the Mona Lisa would do that by itself).

However, along the same lines,one of the original ideas I had involved a paint by numbers museum that hires the History Fixer to pull off a heist and get the museum in the news (people love a good heist story). Then when he shows up to pull off the job he finds that someone has already ripped the place off and he has been set up by his arch rival (um..history fixer 2?). But it felt too...eh.

These days Im feeling lke the history fixer should be more low key. Like he's just helping people sell their house (tough times for the real estate market and all). Keep those ideas rollin though.

edit - Oooh wait, an idea just hit me. What if it was an El Myr museum. How excellent would that be. Made up history about fake art. Hehe. That might just have legs.

[The Maverick]

Is it still open for the public?

If you're interested, then PM me your e-mail address, and I'll send you the finished copy (which you or I can fix any of the grammar issues, which aren't many, but story-wise, it's complete)

[Tigereyes]

A museum heist is definitely intriguing..a great setting. Plus I really like the world of stolen art where rich guys hoarde a stash in their basement that they can never show anyone and can only sell for pennies on the dollar. However, a place that already has the Mona Lisa probably doesnt need a guy to make up history for them to draw customers (as the Mona Lisa would do that by itself).

However, along the same lines,one of the original ideas I had involved a paint by numbers museum that hires the History Fixer to pull off a heist and get the museum in the news (people love a good heist story). Then when he shows up to pull off the job he finds that someone has already ripped the place off and he has been set up by his arch rival (um..history fixer 2?). But it felt too...eh.

These days Im feeling lke the history fixer should be more low key. Like he's just helping people sell their house (tough times for the real estate market and all). Keep those ideas rollin though.

edit - Oooh wait, an idea just hit me. What if it was an El Myr museum. How excellent would that be. Made up history about fake art. Hehe. That might just have legs.

The first question I'd ask about that is why. Where has been, what has he done?

To me, stories are things that happen. But screenplays are thigs that happen TO people. Explore your character, tell us about him.

[riott007]

Due to my age, experience and vast scriptwriting expertise; I pass on this knowledge: Most scriptwriters don't think they are that good. Most writers in general are tormented souls often writing to have some sort of release as oppose to trying to get on the New York Best Seller list. If you are really good, you can write a best seller while being intoxicated the whole time. (Hey, who can name ten drunk authors?? I can, I can!!)

So anyway, screenplays are stories just written in a different format. Write what you know and if you don't know anything then get off your ass and go get a life.

[Jase180]

Due to my age, experience and vast scriptwriting expertise; I pass on this knowledge: Most scriptwriters don't think they are that good. Most writers in general are tormented souls often writing to have some sort of release as oppose to trying to get on the New York Best Seller list. If you are really good, you can write a best seller while being intoxicated the whole time. (Hey, who can name ten drunk authors?? I can, I can!!)

So anyway, screenplays are stories just written in a different format. Write what you know and if you don't know anything then get off your ass and go get a life.

Agreed.

If Biz walked to my office a few years ago with this pitch, he woulda left with a giant check.


Its a golden idea and a solid base for a heist in reverse like series.


The Biz has hit what we call a home run concept.

[Norrie]

Due to my age, experience and vast scriptwriting expertise; I pass on this knowledge: Most scriptwriters don't think they are that good. Most writers in general are tormented souls often writing to have some sort of release as oppose to trying to get on the New York Best Seller list. If you are really good, you can write a best seller while being intoxicated the whole time. (Hey, who can name ten drunk authors?? I can, I can!!)

So anyway, screenplays are stories just written in a different format. Write what you know and if you don't know anything then get off your ass and go get a life.


Agreed.

The Biz has hit what we call a home run concept.

Time after time after time.