The Next Level

Another round of contests entered, another round of your material only going 'so far'. It begs the question: How do I take my writing to the next level? The answer is in the Rewrite. If the same script keeps reaching only the same level, it's time to do something different with that script. Like Archie Bunker at a bachelor auction, perhaps it needs a little polish. My gut instinct tells me that it's too dialogue-heavy. Without the funds to hire Robert Flaxman, the 'Rolls Royce of Screenplay Analysts' according to Creative Screenwriting, to assist me in my quest towards contest victory, I venture out alone. What made me write this script in the first place? What is it about? Am I applying the massive pile of tips, tricks, and techniques I've atttempted to absorb over the years or is my script just that--a massive pile? Greater mysteries were never solved. And worst scripts have already gotten made. Tommy Wiseau's 'The Room', anyone? So assuming that my script doesn't just suck, seeing as it made it to the top 25% of one of the big competitions, what in the heck do I do to get it to the next level? How do I actually win some cash? Mark Twain said 'no one but a fool ever wrote for anything besides money'. The trick is convincing contest judges that one's writing is actually worth just that: cha-ching! Perhaps half of the 'game' of entering contests is understanding the psychology of the judges. To understand why one's script is rejected for the prize, one needs to understand the precise critical line of thought at work in a judges' mind. It's all very high level 'step outside the box' type of stuff. Why does a woman throw a drink in a guy's face at a bar? Or maybe she throws a frying pan at him in the kitchen. Maybe she throws a temper tantrum, maybe she throws up. All possible reactions of contest judges to one's writing. The key, is to woo the weader. Er, reader. Once again we are mysteriously drawn to the alluring auspices of revered analyst Robert Flaxman. The 'Rolls Royce of Script Analysts'...Without, actually being able to afford him, that is. So what if you can't afford a Rolls Royce? You can rent a limo. Better yet, buy a piece of Flaxman. $20 DVD from The Writers' Store later, I have an hour with Flaxman. Not exactly a consultation. Still, after viewing the dvd, entitled 'Seducing The Studio Reader', I'm enlightened. I didn't spend $700 bucks on a Screenwriting Expo. I didn't get to ask any questions. What I did get was some answers to other people's questions and several sparkles of screenwriting wisdom. A few more tips and tricks to add to my massive pile. Unless your story is the sequel to Transformers, or about the planet setting of 'Wall-E', 'massive pile' should probably not describe much of anything to do about your screenplay. I'm not certain that's going to impress those picky judges. Not a massive pile of dialogue, of description, plot, or characters. Neat, clean precise. White space on pages. What isn't there is as important as what isn't. Screenplays should be sparse. I'll even go so far as to quote Jesus Christ. 'Let your words be few, or you will be condemned.' Let that sink in. My screenplay is overwritten. It's a common problem, beginner's mistake. The hallmark of the amateur. I went with the flow while writing...and ended up...with a massive pile. Like all the leaves in the back yard come autumn, now is the time to whittle it down into something more manageable. Several little piles. Make the problem less of a major job. One area at a time. Dialogue. Tighten it up. Cut every unnecessary, awkward word out. Clean up the description. Can you see it or hear it? Is it on the screen? Look at character names. Is one a little 'too creative'? If it's tongue in cheek, does it really match the character or is it just 'clever'. It's a fine line between 'clever' and annoying. My script didn't win. It hasn't advanced any further than last year. Obviously, there's a problem, somewhere. I know for a fact the story gets a little boring at some point in the middle. Where, what page, and most importantly--why? What's missing? What's there that shouldn't be? What would Flaxman say? I can only venture to guess since I can't afford Flaxman. If I won a contest, I could. Then I wouldn't need Flaxman. At least not to win the contest, anyway. I still might need his services to get my script into Hollywood. Maybe he'll release a dvd called 'Crooning The Competition Judge', or 'Moving Your Massive Script Pile Rung By Rung Up The Contest Ladder'. Until then, I'll have to settle for applying all I know now to better my freakin' chances next year. That, and get to the actual work of the rewrite.

One great thing I have discovered...

...is a wonderful service known as Reader Ready.

website http://www.readerready.com/

I am not affiliated with them, I am only a happy, satisfied customer. Their service was affordable, valuable, and extremely professional.

While not a story development outfit, Elisa will help your script appear more readable and make it one step closer to success, whether you are sending it out to contests, agents, or producers.

I highly recommend it.

Contests: You should enter, no?

Okay, so I went overboard. No, not by renting the cheesy yet somehow still entertaining movie with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.

I entered too many contests. D'oh!

Now what? Minus three figures later and not even placing? Um, can I get a refund?

(Actually, I did advance in two competitions...just no quarter, finalist, or God forbid--(gulp!) wins...)

Tune in here for more on the ongoing saga...

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, dedicated my own personal struggle with the printed page as an aspiring screenwriter. I will try to share as many things as I have discovered about screenwriting and the biz with everyone in the process...