Spring

Sowing
       Possibilities
              Resulting
                     In
                            New
                                   Growth

Exterminate

As I’m working on the second or third rewrite, I realize there are scenes that need to be exterminated. 

One Rule

As far as I’m concerned, there’s only one rule for action/direction lines in screenwriting: SAY WHATEVER YOU WANT JUST KEEP IT SHORT.

For example, if there’s a scene with a guy sitting alone in a restaurant, it’s OK to say there’s a melancholy air hanging over him. Or to be specific and say he’s thinking about his recently deceased wife. Just do it in one or two sentences, not fifteen.

Sometimes there’s a need to describe a scene in order create a certain atmosphere. For example, the scene’s set in a bad part of town. So go ahead and mention that there are bars on the windows, pawn shops, and a rough-looking gang prowling the streets. But stop there; we don’t need the details of their haircuts.   

On the other hand, if the scene is in a high rise office, and there’s nothing unusual about it, leave the description out. Just put the location in the scene heading: INT. MARTINA’S OFFICE – 45^TH FLOOR – DAY.

Remember, a movie is supposed to move. So describe what’s happening without hovering over it too long, then move on to the next event.

***

I’m going to be taking a couple of weeks off from the blog. But I shall return! Next post: 4-11-13. See you then.

Keep writing—

--Steve

Shine

Send Halos Into Negative Enviroments

Create

                           Cosmically
                             Reflect
                                Energy
                                  Awakening
                                     Thrilling
                                        Epics                          

The story of Wanderer

Once upon a time, there was a man named Wanderer, who was standing on the edge of a deep chasm. He longed to get to the other side, so he, being a clever sort, decided to build a bridge.

His bridge needed raw material, so Wanderer climbed down into the chasm and gathered some chaos and carried it back up with him. Using the chaos, Wanderer began to construct words, sentences, and paragraphs, and soon his bridge began to take shape.

Sometimes Wanderer would get stuck and have to go back and fix some things in the structure of the bridge that weren’t hooking together quite right.  

But eventually, Wanderer finished his bridge.

“Not only have I built a bridge for myself,” realized Wanderer, “but I have built a bridge that others can follow, simply by crossing over the span of words that extend from one end to the other.

 
He hoped, too, that in the future other people would build bridges across other chasms. “And perhaps someday,” thought Wanderer, “all the world will be connected.”

Too Busy

If you’re too busy to write,

 

you’re too busy.