Screenwriting : Advise me, please.... by Travis Sharp

I just wrote an article for ScriptMag that may help you rethink how you look at your concepts. I'd post it here but linking to another site might earn me a wrist slap from the mod. DM me and I'll send you the link.

In the past I have used self-made writing exercises. Each of these concentrate on one or two aspects of storytelling. These are short scripts/stories. One concentrates on actions that produce emotion. Another works on dialog. Others focus on plot or character. I basically think of a scenario or situation, then write a story from there. The only exercise where a loose outline is used is the focus on plot. All others just wing it - as you say, just swing the bat.

I joined an amazing writing group six months ago and I must say, listening to other kind of stories, like short fiction or even poetry, gave me a wider POV that allowed me to come out from the patterns we learn on screenwriting books, articles, courses that bog me down very often. It’s like a breath of fresh air for the brain, which refocuses on story. It also gave me the advantage to have feedback if I want to. I highly recommend it.

I compare screenwriter to learning a new language. At first it is difficult but after you lean the words and practice it becomes easier. The more you speak to people in the new language the more fluent you get. So just keep writing and not over think everything what you are doing. The gurus like to make screenwriting a lot more difficult than it is. If you listen to everything they say and do everything they say you could end up having the kind of career they had when they were writing screenplays.Of course this is coming from someone that read only one crappy how to write a screenplay book and never listen to tips or even received feedback from anyone.

Travis, I love your examples and please do not take that as not validating what you're going through. I think that we all go through our period of life that wants to come out and be put on paper. Do not fight it. Just write what you feel and if you still want to go with another type of "feel" to your story, then make it believable to the ready why this was incorporated. Every scene, every ACTION is motivated by your main character, start from there and work out to get to how you want to incorporate the "deeper" story-line you want to go to. I hope I did not add to more confusion but I truly hope you'll figure it out.

Get to the root of why you want to write this story. Once you have the why answered, the words should flow.

Thanks to everyone, very helpful.