To script, or not to script

Today we edited some scripts, which led to the question ‘What do we want in a good screenplay?’

Does it need a good narrative. What about dialogue, or settings? And in what way does a script differ from a short story or a novel.

Well the first thing to say is that writing a script is a totally different way of writing to a novel. Scriptwriting is more about description. Painting a picture with your pen (or computer). The characters don’t have to be described in any great detail. The script must be really engaging, after all it is there to impress the producer/director and/or the person holding the purse strings.

The scriptwriter is creating a quick visual shorthand for the actors and director, and they need to remember that the first draft has no intrinsic value because scripts can, and do change right up until the last scene has been shot. A script is a collaborative process, and the end product may bare very little resemblance to the original script.  

The short story/novel, doesn’t change too much from the original work.

I put a couple of questions to one of the best screenwriters I know, and certainly a name to look out for in the future - TIM SHELLEY

ME: How much dialogue should a script contain?

TIM: It's a tough question, and one that I don't think has a straight answer. It all depends on the script you're writing. A soap opera script will have tons of dialogue, whereas an action thriller could predominantly focus on the scene description/action elements. It really comes down to knowing the genre, the story you're telling, and the market you are trying to hit with your script.

It's the same with screenwriting rules. They are intended as a baseline, because so often new writers fail to really study their intended audience and analyse the scripts that have been picked up by the networks. But as with all rules, they can be broken. As long as it works. Whether it works or not though is entirely subjective.

ME: How would you describe the difference between novel writing and scriptwriting? TIM: I'd say novels and screenplays share a grounding at a story structure level. What separates them are the tools at the writer's disposal. In a novel, a writer has almost complete freedom over the way their final piece is portrayed. What tense they use etc...   A screenwriter, unless they are also the director/show runner, generally has very little input towards the final work, and has to follow the conventions established by Hollywood and other networks. They have to write in present tense, and adhere to screenplay format. If they don't, producers won't read past page 5. Similar to what an author deals with when approaching an agent/publisher. They expect the manuscript to be formatted correctly. Failing to do so just comes across as lazy to those who have to sift through material on a daily basis. Then you also have to contend with the limitations of writing for the screen. It's a visual medium so you can't go into character thoughts very easily, yet you still need to give an audience a way into the character's psyche. Obviously there are ways around these limitations, such as using subtext laden dialogue and character descriptors, etc... It all comes down to weighing up how much you should show, what you know needs to be on screen, and laying out the blueprint for a film/show so that a director can go out and shoot it with the final image already in their heads. Thanks Tim, Great answers.

 

Finally: 5 things to remember when writing a script:

1. Do your homework.

2. Don’t make assumptions about what your readers know.

3. A script can contain a lot of set ups, but remember if you set something up,     you have to revisit it.

4. Make it engaging.

5. Remember, you don’t put camera angles in.

Hope you've found this post informative.


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The Three A* Poets

As some of you will know, I am a mature student studying a Creative and Professional Writing undergraduate degree course at the University of Nottingham . Sometimes we have guest speakers, and today’s were very special.

I am already lucky enough to be taught by two exceptional poets, Adrian Buckner and Andrew Graves, AKA The MulletProof Poet, but to have both them, and Alan Baker in the same lecture was brilliant. The camaraderie between the three of them was excellent.

Andrew is teaching us about the writing industries, and this session was mainly to talk about publishing poetry. When he first told us about it my first thoughts were a resounding Nooo. Poetry and I don’t gel, I don’t write it, so why would I want to know how to publish it. The session turned out to be much more than that.

Andrew is a performance poet and has been cited as 'The hardest working poet in the East Midlands'.

Adrian has been teaching me advanced editing this term. He started off this lecture by talking about his experiences of being published. He told us of his misconceptions of the presses that published poetry, how he thought that they were massive publishing houses, when most just turned out to be one man businesses. He also told us how it felt to see his first published work.

Adrian is the former Poet Laureate for Nottingham. He is a lecturer at both Nottingham, and Derby Universities.

Alan has been a publisher for the past fifteen years. His company, Leafe Press, mainly publishes poetry. He openly admitted that he set up Leafe Press in 2000 to print his own, and his friends poetry. He spoke to us about what has happened in publishing since 1997, and the importance of the small presses to poets. Alan loves being a publisher, it has become his passion. Putting the pieces together is a collaborative effort, and a very creative activity.

History of publishing
For most of the 20^th Century publishers acted as a price fixing cartel, they would not sell discounted books (The Net book agreement). This meant that they would receive the full price for each book sold, and with the profits they made from bestselling authors they could take a risk with debut authors, allowing them to publish a number of books so that they could build up their reputation. The Net book agreement was abolished in 1997, opening the way for supermarkets, bookstores etc to sell novels at hugely discounted prices.

Today, big publishers depend on bestselling authors to make their money. If a debut author’s book doesn’t sell well, it is doubtful that they will print any of their further works.

Since 2003, small publishers have adopted print on demand, with digital technology they can publish one book at a time. As it is very rare for a book of poetry to become a bestseller, the small presses are ideal places to publish their work.

Things I've learnt:

1. Small presses are just that. They are usually run by a single person.

2. If an author is published by a small press, the most payment they can, usually, expect receive is free copies of their publication. The number of copies will vary from each publisher. There are exceptions, and some are able to give an author an advance. The best thing to do is to look around.

3. Most small press authors make their money by selling books at book fairs, an at author talks.

3. Small presses can get deluged with submissions. Alan’s advice was to put work into the literary scene. Build networks, get known locally, and you will get something back. Small press owners are more likely to look at your work if they know/have heard of you.

4. Print on demand books will never go out of print, and the author can upload revisions. Printed books can’t be changed.

5. The good news is that there are a proliferation of small presses.

I was cheeky enough to ask Alan if he publishes crime fiction, but unfortunately he doesn’t.

Hope you've found this post informative.


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Link to Leafe Press-

http://www.leafepress.com/

Follow Leafepress on twitter:                 @LeafePress

Link to The Mulletproof Poet’s book-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-End-Tenner-Andrew-Graves/dp/1909136301/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426094875&sr=1-6&keywords=andrew+graves

Follow The MulletProof Poet on twitter:    @MulletProofPoet

Links to Adrian’s books -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bed-Time-Reading-Adrian-Buckner/dp/190786931X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426096855&sr=1-3&keywords=adrian+

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Contains-Mild-Peril-Adrian-Buckner/dp/1905512430/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426092889&sr=1-1&keywords=adrian+buckner