Screenwriting : Finding Yourself by James Oden

The voice really comes through on the theme/icon like if it's a coming of age. what's the message you as a writer want to leave on the audience about how the main protagonists has changed from who they were compared to who they are now.

Hey James - many writers wrestle with these things while finding their true voice. Keep writing and you’ll find it and it’ll find you. The process leads to the solutions. There are some terrific classes and webinars available on demand at Stage 32 that can be really supoetove and helpful.

Just keep writing. Write down every idea you have for a script and pursue them all. Some you'll get done, some you'll abandon but you'll quickly discover your comfort zone. Go back and look at all your projects and ask yourself, what was my favorite part to write in this script? Where did I lose interest? Which parts where painful for me to get out?

Let your 'true' voice find you. You'll never hunt it down and capture it - if you do, it's not your 'true' voice. Just write - anything & everything - most of it'll be dull and uninteresting and boring to you. Just keep an open mind just (don't let your brains fall out) and something interesting and meaningful will find you. I'm happy in the comedic paranormal genre but you'll will stumble on your own. Happy exploring.

This is a question I ask myself. One problem for me is, that what others think is my voice (very casual funny sometimes cynical talking) was not what I really want to sound. I allways wanted to write serious dramatic nobel prize winning stuff. But that was not succesful

I found my voice the day I unapologetically accepted who I am, why I am and how my peers, environment and experiences moulded me. I then began writing content based on my personal life experiences, making sure to deliver my message, emotion, or feeling that I believed would provoke thought in the reader/viewer. I think that if you write what you know, what you genuinely feel, and unapologetically without a care for who will like it or who won't. You will find your voice.

And of course, write, write, write, and then write some more.

Just my silly opinion.

A writer can decide which genres to write by thinking about what genres they like to watch. I write Drama sometimes, but I don't like watching Drama, so it's hard (and not fun) to write Drama scripts.

Maurice Vaughan I have the utmost respect for writers like you, because I actively stay away from any project that fails to get me excited.

Thanks, Naithan. I mainly write Drama (and other genres that I don't like watching) when I'm writing a short script as a writing sample or I'm working on a screenwriting job.

Maurice - What's your preferred genre?

Mainly Thriller and Horror. Also Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy.

James: I've been actively writing screenplays for ten years and have written over forty scripts. Finding and honing your voice is largely a matter of natural evolution and continually creating and revising work. By the time I wrote my first screenplay, I had seen a lifetime of movies and television and had a good idea of how to tell a story. I also had an idea of the filmmakers I wanted to emulate. Nevertheless, it took me years to hone my economic style of writing and to understand the value of whitespace. I look at every page of my script as valuable real estate that shouldn't be wasted on anything that adds no essential value. Scripts with whitespace are easier on the eyes and are much less daunting to readers with short attention spans. I've worked in every genre and have a fondness for comedy, action, and horror. But I also enjoy a challenge. Finally, IMHO, finding your voice is a matter of being comfortable with the mechanics of screenwriting, using tools to help you improve, then trusting your instincts and endeavoring to create original art. Then learn ways to market it.

I write the genres I like the most. I don’t like anything romantic so my genres are horror, sci-fi, & dark comedy. You should be entertained by your own work as if you’re watching your film and loving it.

I've written screenplays in drama, crime, action adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, comedy and it really doesn't matter to me which one I write in. They are all just screenplays.

You find your voice when you get paid consistently, reps call you back, employers read your samples because you bring an unique point of view/voice that they can benefit off you! Good Luck!

Dano Veal Agreed. But the only way you can be entertained by your own script is if it feels foreign to you. My personal opinion is when you finish a script and come back to it months later and read it and find that none of it sounds like you at all, none of the characters sound like you and you don't remember writing most of it, that's when you've actually found your voice.

M LaVoie - That's very intriguing. I never looked at it that way. But now that I think about it. Other than the story itself, I take dictation from the characters in my head. So I definitely see your angle.

Although, now I'm a little concerned that I may have a case of DID (dissociative identity disorder). Hmmmm, Lol.

For a screenwriter, "voice" is BS.

Let me be clear - if you're a screenwriter and ONLY a screenwriter, your job is to lay out a story, a framework for an audio/visual experience. The visual part is something you have LITTLE TO NO CONTROL over. Your job is to craft the tools that others can use to complete the experience. You have no voice - the actors and director bring their voices to your characters. The writers simply gives them the tools - like saws and hammers, specific types of wood and a blueprint to a cabinet-maker - to build the cabinets.

Can you write about topics and characters that you're passionate about? Absolutely, and you should. Is this your "voice"? No.

Again, this is for pure screenwriters. I generally agree with Scott Myers (Go Into the Story), but IMHO, he gets voice wrong. He quotes the Wikipedia definition of "voice," which, if you read it, really applies to novels, shorts stories, etc. - "traditional" prose. The examples he uses (Wes Anderson, Tarantino, Shane Black) to show voice, are all FILMMAKERS.

And that's the key point - if you plan on being a Filmmaker (writer-director, or other hyphenate), then having a distinct voice is important. But if you're a pure screenwriter, your voice is whatever style you're getting paid to emulate. Screenwriters are part of a team, and not even the leader of that team. Your job is to contribute to the team so the product (film) can be created in the best way possible.

Now, as a spec writer, one of your scripts may attract attention because the topic and the way it's presented are in line with a filmmaker's (director or producer) affinities (again, for those roles it's important to have a voice or style). But it's not going to attract attention because of writing style - topic and character are what filmmakers look at. And most commonly, since spec scripts are often only calling cards to get you in the room, you'll be asked to write another story THAT MATCHES THE VOICE OF THE FILMMAKER. Not necessarily yours (although the filmmaker may have a similar style of storytelling to yours).

As a pure screenwriter, voice is simply not important. Just write the stories that are important to you in the best "style" you can, and stop harping on "voice."

As always, this is based on my experience and only my opinion.

John. I don't believe a screenwriter's voice is BS. It is how they write their screenplays that might set them apart from other screenwriters. Obviously things in the script can change during development and even during the filming, but that has nothing to do with a screenwriter's voice.

Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! I am currently working on a project that is near and dear to my heart. It will be my very first feature! I'm opening to sharing with whoever is interested in reading it once it's completed.

You're welcome, James. Let me know when it's finished.

James Oden I have nothing to add to all the great advice here BUT wanted to say it sounds like you're there. I look forward to seeing you post it's completed.

Hmmm, I say you have to learn by experience. Sit down and write a short or two, then maybe shoot for a feature. This is coming from a woman who is realizing that everything write wants to be a rom-com hahah

I warn new screenwriters about this all the time; just because the story is near & dear to your heart does not necessarily make it near & dear to the audience's heart. Is the story big enough and its theme compelling enough to warrant the audience spending money on it. If not, you have a very costly hobby.

Dano, sent you a message from my email.croppedcircle@gmail.com

From my personal experience, I found these steps really helpful in finding my own voice and writing style. Firstly, look at the movies you personally like to watch. This will give you a gauge as to what genres you enjoy. Often times the genres you enjoy watching will be the genres you enjoy writing, but it's not always the case. Secondly, once you know these genres you like write a screenplay for each type. Since you have been writing for a while I'd suggest looking at the work you've already completed, for the genres you like) and real think why you enjoyed writing that script. Thirdly, once you have chosen your preferred genres continue to write scripts for those genres to perfect your craft for that genre. Naturally your voice and writing style will stem from writing more. Fourthly, knowing your writing goals really helps. What topics interest you? What topics mean a lot to you? When you write about topics that you value your writing naturally becomes more engaging as you can feel the emotions in your writing.

Doug and Rohit also make a really good point and that is to think about the business aspect of screenwriting. If your topics are too niche than not many people would want to watch this movie as they can't relate to it. Same goes for a someone reading the script. When writing your scripts think to yourself how best can I tell the story that means a lot to me in a way that everyone can relate to regardless if they have had those experiences or not. This is a great way to develop your voice and writing style as you will both meet your needs and the needs of the reader. You get to write what you want to talk about but at the same time make others interested in what you have to say. So try to take what you have written and think of a way to broaden it a little to appeal to a wider audience. Most importantly, you should have a good understanding of good screenwriting techniques and character development. These will help you get the reader to care about your story and then you can add your own flair (your voice and writing style) to the screenplay.

For me I was always doing on-line tv commercial contest. it gave me deadlines, and a cash prize was motivation to get off the couch. in a year i must of wrote/directed over 50 commercials.

The minute I stopped trying to write what others want (the accepted norms) and started writing what I want, that was when I became a writer.

All the “your character has to be likeable”, “your character has to have an arc” etc I moved to the back of my mind. I am not saying I go out of my way to avoid these. That would be incorrect. But they do not drive my decisions.

This gave me the freedom to trust myself to be the writer I am (my voice).

Having said that. It also means I may be crap and my voice is garbage. But it is my garbage.

Really slim chances one making breakthrough with someone else producing his own spec script...I mean this writer made actual calculation of some 0.00004% on his own script (which got made btw). And while yes, I agree this should be every "named" screenwriters endgame, there are many faces of success ... that feeling ure on the right track might be just one of them...

Tv writers have to master "one voice" on the series they are hired for. Maybe that is next level craft- somehow have your unique fingerprints on the page without detouring from a series.

I saw a yt video of Jay Z talking about writing the song, "Still" for Dr Dre. Jay explained how he had to forget his own voice and write for Dre's voice.