So I’ve recently been browsing various articles on this
topic, not because I’m questioning my life choices – more to imbue myself with
a sense of smug, sadistic satisfaction at those who get into this business for
the wrong reasons and fail... Now that I read that back, I realise it sounds
incredibly petty. But most writers take every small confidence boost they can
get, even if it means wallowing in a little Schadenfreude. Regardless, I
thought I would offer my take on the matter...
1) You’re Already
Doing Something Else In The Industry
Arguably, if you’re a director / producer / editor / actor
looking to get something made for a showreel or festival submission or your
neighbour’s dog, then it kind of makes sense for you to try writing it too, so that you may cater its content entirely to
your vision... This is a mistake. There’s a weird phenomenon amongst aspiring
media professionals that no matter what discipline you specialise in, you’ll
have an unwavering belief in your ability to write. Granted, I’ve had the
pleasure of meeting a few talented people for which I would say the presumption
is justified, but the end result for a majority can come across as sloppy.
By all means, have a crack at it, but the end product will
be significantly stronger if you can
consult someone with at least a modicum of expertise in the field of writing. A
script needs to be strong enough that it can inspire input from all creative
fields without altering the specific
creative vision. If you’re an editor trying to write, the structure might
be incredible, but the characters may not be well rounded. If you’re a
cinematographer, you can come up with incredible visuals, but the plot might be
a wasteful mess. If you’re an actor, you’re just going to give yourself the
best material subconsciously. Scriptwriters have been trained to balance
everything – you should trust them to get the best out of your field too.
2) You Have A Really Great
Idea
Broadening the net here, no matter what career or line of
work you’re in, there may be times in your life where you come up with a film
or TV show idea. You hold onto it, thinking “one day I’ll write it and it’ll be
a game changing masterpiece”, because it’s in your head so how could it be
terrible?! The sad truth is that people’s first attempts at scriptwriting are
often colossal failures. It’s a process you learn over time by writing lots and
lots of different things. Sure, your single idea might be great, but the chances of you nailing it first time are
less likely than Kim Kardashian doing something of value within society.
This is a truth that scriptwriters face with anything they
work on – in their heads, the idea is fully formed and ground-breaking, but
putting it into words on paper is an entirely different ball park. Hold on to
that idea even longer if you’re serious about making it a reality. Write loads
of rubbish first, teaching yourself the rules as you go. Then practice bending
the rules. Then apply them to your story... I’ll bet by this stage, you’ve
realised that your world shattering idea is actually pretty generic or boring,
and now you’re either forced to continue evolving your skills or give up and
realise you were never meant to write
in the first place.
3) You Saw A Movie /
TV Show And Thought You Could Do Better
I finally watched Interstellar
yesterday, over a month after its initial cinematic release. Whilst I’d
caught a few glimpses of official reviews, my main preconceptions of the movie
were sadly influenced by friends who’d seen it and posted on Facebook that they
weren’t too impressed. Needless to say, I was a tad apprehensive before
watching it... WHY?! I’ve liked all of Nolan’s previous films, admiring his
ambition to explore complex ideas, relating them to the human condition. Interstellar was arguably all of this
and more – sure, you could rail on the exposition, or plot holes or
conveniences, but why would you when the story offers up such incredible
visuals and unique storytelling?
The point is: audiences are spoilt. If there’s any element
of a movie or TV show that they’re not a fan of, they write off the whole
thing, often claiming they know what the writer / director should have done. WHYYYY?! Who
are you?! The “YouTube Comment Section” Generation is awash with amateur
vitriolic critics, because sites like that enable people to believe they are
ground-breaking content creators. The more people hype something up, the
greater someone else can tear it down. Becoming a scriptwriter isn’t about
improving stuff that is apparently already “broken”, it’s about coming up with
new stories that you alone can tell.
4) You Have A
Specific Agenda
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with having an “identity”
in this business – in fact, it’s preferred. Having your own creative voice is
ultimately how and why your career exists. Coming into the field with a goal or
agenda, however, whether it be political, sociological or religious, is a far
riskier game to play. By all means, hold on to your beliefs; they’re what make
you “you”. Equally, there’s nothing wrong with tackling stories that challenge
or complement society’s ideals either. But if those beliefs you hold are
present throughout all of your writing, it then becomes an agenda, which
worries people.
Scriptwriting can be immensely enabling towards the act of “preaching”,
whether it’s consciously or subconsciously. Say all your protagonists are
vegetarian and your antagonist is a carnivore... That sends a preachy message. Now
say some of your protagonists are vegetarian, but there are also supporting
protagonists who eat and enjoy meat also – there’s less present agenda, making
for a more balanced story. If, before you’ve even started scriptwriting, you’ve
decided you want to make people aware of why an issue is wrong, stop right
there. If, however, you simply want to explore the issue, presenting both sides
and leaving the audience to make the decision, then you’re far more likely to
succeed in the world of writing.
5) The Money
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
James Cottle, after
studying Scriptwriting for 4 years, is now an embittered real life freelance
writer, and seeks to unlearn everything he knows. But he needs your help...
Follow him on Twitter @Jxmxsc and share this blog to help spread his anarchic
plight for reform amongst the writing masses.
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