Screenplay Charts

Courtesy of: 2 Day FILM SCHOOL Full Size

Ideas

I'll been sleeping early and getting up to brainstorm early. I thought of an idea for a comedy/teen comedy, like the ones of the 80's with connections to todays prank/character story of today. I will start to brainstorm up the script's story and details to write the draft. Write.

Planning

I've been sleeping pretty late about this past week so looking forward to sleeping at 9 and waking at 6 to write and nothing else. I have to get a draft done by march and have a fully submittable script by May 17. But you know how life is and when you know it time is up and you have nothing. plan ahead.

Just do it

If you have the time to write for hours or just a couple of minutes just write, don't be scared of writing bad or spelling errors, just write from your heart anything that comes to mind, at the end get the best of what you wrote and explore it more with more writing. A NO Limitation writing, just writing about anything, anyone, or anyplace, absolutely anything goes that could make a great film. That way you are not limited to your standards that you have set for your self but by what you can come up with in a limited time. just do it.

Nature at work

Make sure to get out some, and experience nature ether at the park, walking the streets, or your front yard, all that matters is that you notice how the animals interact, how the plants are beautiful, noticing things that you did not know, that way you get a mental break and get to know nature better. plus you will see how people interact with each other, there are writers that just go out and see other people's doings, not stalking that is wrong, just notice this or that and you will get a sense that everyone is different at every level, not everyone is the same or does the same thing ever, that is how your characters need to be, different, spontaneous,  from each other with similarities that could be but that add to the story. Sight seeing is great.

MAgazines

Another thing I love to do is to read magazines, they provide short articles that send your mind spinning with ideas, plus UN-block you if you are stuck on writing something that just went way that you thought was great. Great.

read-Read-READ!

I have forgotten to mention the most essential thing for aspiring writers to do,

Read

allot, not just books but literal screenplays that are out there on the Internet 

or head for the library and check out some screenplays on books, its essential to read, 

books will provide you with plot and character ideas, also as to how exploit the plot and make it big and grandiose with suspense.
A screenplay will better guide you towards familiarising with its format and style.

one page on a screenplay = 1 minute of screen time. 

And such minor details that separate it from a book or play.

As you read more screenplays you will get to know the plot and where its introduced, how the characters speak to each other, how the screenwriter used the setting to convey an important part of the story, and such details that you will also need to learn. Such as how explaining what the characters are doing and experiencing is the most important factor for a screenplay that will appeal to readers looking for a great film. And such as that the dialog must be short and to the point, leading to other points or mini plots or consequences or challenges that he main character must meet in order to be successful, on most screenplays with out giving the story away. Most screenplays also utilize minor characters to pass thought mini plots, they will guide the main character, help him or just be a distraction towards the main plot conclusion.
Plus you will learn how to better format your screenplay, that always helps write faster. Good luck.

Podcasts to check out

Here are some of the podcasts I listen to:

1. On the page podcast. A very intriguing and laid back podcast that lets you know what is happening in the screenwriting industry and what to expect and how to get your big idea rolling, plus it explains you what no to do and what to do that will make your screenplay a million times better and acceptable. 

2. Creative screenwriting magazine podcast. On this podcast interviewees talk about the craft of screenwriting and and what they have learn. Their process and skills that must be learned to execute a good screenplay to keep the audience guessing.

The rest:

Filmspotting, talking about movie reviews and plot analysis with insight details n plots and character traits.

I should be writing, a woman talks about the struggle and constant agonies of writing, specializes on novels but with writing points credible for screenplays. 

The moth, interesting stories told by people who experienced them first hand, listen for ideas.  

KCRW the treatment, filmmakers, actors, writers talk about their latest project and how it got made. 

KQED the writers blocked, a authors read from their latest books.

Simplyscripts, about the industry's state and ideas for writing deeper stories. 

So there they are make sure to check them out, they really help when experiencing writers block or searching for ideas or formulas to how to approach a screenplay. Get writing.

What I have been up to...

I should have been writing my a++ off, I did two college tests that knocked me down, plus just got some new video games and tried them out until I passed out, I really feel down for not writing any draft or anything. I do write constant ideas n a notebook as they come with my head and have a clear drama on sight, I 'll just have to get around and finish it. I do still listen to every screenwriting podcast on my ipod before I go to sleep, on the day I can't get my self to listen to them, so at night when I'm on my bed I put my headphones with a pen and notebook on the table if something comes up. The podcasts are great for anybody having problems writing the actual screenplay on paper, by the way get the final draft software, it will save you from going crazy from all the format issues. Good stuff.