Write What You Already Know

It is no secret that writing about what you know will increase your excitement to create. Many people assume they have a story to tell, so they try to become that person who will convince writers their lives can make a fortune. When writers ask them to help with the writing process, they say they don't have time. What these people really want is to ride the wave of success without doing any work. Write what you know, not what others want you to do.

We don't have any time to waste. 

Reflect back to all the moments you could have completed screenplays. I'm sure there are many lost opportunities. The past is a common psychological tool that prevents us from living life with peace and happiness. Talking about screenwriting as if we are already working writers in Hollywood will make us appear as faking it until we make it. Don't be one of these people in real life. Writing about someone who is fake in public to protect their true identity in their private life is a good story. Sharing your personal experiences with these fake people, which I have had many in my past, will bring life to your screenwriting to create a compelling screenplay.

Just imagine every situation your dream has created in your life.

Write about the life you lived over the dream you want. Without your dream, you would be living a different life. Maybe this normal life will give you a less stressful lifestyle. However, you would never know what it's like to accomplish a dream. The trap of viewing success as easy instead of understanding the hardship it takes is something to consider in your future scripts.

What events happened along the way? Did you laugh? Get sad? Get angry? Did you lose love? There are so many events in your life that can make good storytelling. We don't have to write these events as is. We all know that true life stories are modified for creative impact.

Get creative with your life stories.

We don't have to write our screenplays as real life experiences. We should use our life as inspiration to create fictional character who maneuver through our life. Teach people important lessons that you learned about your life.

Instead of looking at negative outcomes, focus on what you learned to grow into a better human being.

Tell people about your life. What are you about? Who are you as a screenwriter? What type of stories do you like to tell? What is your message to the world? Write these stories. Share your creative energy. If you learn something new about yourself after writing a script, you did your job perfectly right. Make screenwriting a transformation process. Writing what you already know will light a flame that can help your creativity burn brighter.

Please share your screenwriting experiences in the comment section below. 

Happy screenwriting!

Screenwriting dreams locked away by life

Believe it or not, your unaccomplished screenwriting dreams are locked away in a vault, in an undisclosed location waiting to break free. What do you do to find this vault, and then unlock it? It is no simple task to become a screenwriter. But, however, passionate writers are up for this competition. They know what needs to be done in order to deliver their screenwriting dreams to Hollywood. With that idea in play, we can focus on our screenwriting dreams that are locked away by life.

Ever wonder why so many aspiring screenwriters fail to option screenplays that are made into movies shown on the silver screen. It is hard to option a screenplay. The right ingredients must be mixed together to whip up a decent movie. When we say decent, we mean that not all movies are good. Bad movies get optioned, get made, and get produced into real movies. 

Any movie that enters the box office is a success. It doesn't matter if these movies are good or bad. Thousands of screenplays reach Hollywood each year, but only a small fraction of those are optioned. Statistically, a smaller fraction of those are actually made into movies. How do we write what we know and make this interesting to option? 

Look at all the things you've done in life. Jobs you've taken. People you know. Stupid obstacles that make you laugh. Stories told to you. What you see on the street. Listen to at work. What is reported in the news. These premise ideas are there for you to seize, to capture, to make into movies. No more waiting for the perfect screenplay, to make this script right.

Lets look at the startup industry. Why do tech companies continue to search for software engineers? You'd think these startups are represented by top talents in their field. Well, they are stocked up. It never hurts to advertise and find another talented individual to join the team. 

Screenwriting works this way. Hollywood knows there are hundreds of unsolicited scripts stored in computers. These movies can easily make Hollywood millions of dollars in the box office. The problem here is locating these commercial screenplays that have the right ingredients. Diamonds in the rough are hard to come by, so for reason alone the major players are searching long and hard. 

We know your life can be interesting, though not the simple moments where you share a beer and talking about sports. We're talking about those stupid moments where you look up to the sky and yell. These are funny events, funny obstacles that make us life.

We live those real moments. We dislike the odds that are stacked up against us. We complain about our lives. When we watch these scenes at the movies, we can relate to them. We identify with these characters. We empathize with tear-jerking moments. Humanizing characters and telling a creative story are tricks to complete a quality screenplay.

It really sucks that these dumb obstacles put in every road are what hold us back from reaching Hollywood. This material sells. People enjoy watching these events play out on the silver screen. Add an unexpected twist at the end and now you have a dynamic piece of work. Start from the ending and move the story between this beginning to that big end. Interconnect these events with an ensemble cast that have a deep connection and this shows Hollywood you are a great screenwriter. 

You see, you can do it, too. Instead of investing all your time into writing that perfect screenplay, you can search for that screenwriting safe and unlock those ideas, events, experiences, jobs, family reunion disasters, and everything else known as life. Life may hold you back, but it will give you an edge. The scariest of moments, the funnest experiences, and the tough hardships you face, are what makes screenwriting worthwhile. If these scripts are written right, using the best techniques, these screenplays will sell. Screenwriters must write often, write religiously, and write with a mission to option their scripts.  

Think about these scenarios. A coder writes decent codes to make a mediocre website that lacks a theme. However, highly skilled coders write brilliant codes to create a dynamic app like Instagram. A team of coders write basic codes to keep a simple social networking website like Facebook operable. It is because Facebook gives people that 15 minutes of fame every day, that is what keeps this social networking company running. Facebook is the heart, whereas all its companies are outlets to expand their service base. Scroll down the board to see all those people happily sharing their lives.  

People want to tell their life stories. They want attention. They believe their life makes a good book. If this story is told wrong, then it lacks interest. The screenwriters who understand basic script formatting, basic storytelling, and know which events to include, will sell their screenplays in Hollywood. Don't listen to negative people. Locate that safe filled with unique, original ideas, and unlock these scenes, these moments called life. If you can do this, you will win in Hollywood. 

Distractions and frustration inspire screenwriters to sought after change

Good screenwriting involves channeling creativity to advance great storytelling. As screenwriters, our mission is to capture fantasy and make believe the magic of movies. We watch movies to leave behind our waking lives. For the most part, we want to travel to a new world that we could only imagine.

In those 90 minutes, 120 minutes and even 180+ minutes, the best movies take us on a journey. The rigorous demands of life disrupts this balance. How can we juggle our bills, health issues, car problems, and everything else that seems to plague us, day-in day-out? 

To really think about the structure of movies, our conflicting struggles portray the essence of movies. How many movies have we've seen where the setup, development and the resolution are exactly alike? None. Movies rely on distractions, bad luck, unfortunate events, and all that frustrates us as humans. 

Who really wants to live a meaningless life? Every person wants something, even if our desire is to help other people overcome their hardship. The joy of screenwriting is that we can create these stories. We possess the creative control to write as we please. 

Of course, screenwriters who option their screenplays and those connected with movie studios must keep the best interest of producers in mind. Screenwriters who are unwilling to accommodate revisions won't last long in Hollywood. Studio screenwriters and optioned script writers must obey the terms and conditions of their employers. This is when screenwriting gets tricky. It is all worth the control others have over screenwriters because many of us want to become a notable fixture in Hollywood - our screenplays may become synonymous with the upper echelon of Hollywood royalty.  

Write your movie scripts like you're on a mission to change the world. What do you want to convey to your audience? How will this story change the world? Will one moviegoer find motivation to change? Will this story increase awareness on a particular movement? (i.e. Jurassic Park and its funding for dinosaur research or Top Gun increasing military recruitment efforts for the U.S. Navy). Movies are special in that way; they have the power of influence on their side. 

Distractions and frustration make screenwriters want to become better at their craft. When fans take notice of this great body of work, screenwriters can smile for that one moment. They realize their hard work in writing this script and living impossible challenges are meant for this one moment. As screenwriters, we can shine the beacon of light on millions of people. 

Screenwriters can retell past events. They can take us to the highest point on Earth. We can travel in space, go to other planets and universes and enter dimensions beyond our own existence. We dream about watching movies in the same light, as we experience while sleeping in the night. 

Our mission as screenwriters is to change the world through our vision. We write what we know best. In that sense, we are resourceful and accustomed to change; we create the world we find most attractive. We can lucid dream in Inception. We can astral project in Insidious. We can sail on the ship of dreams in Titanic. We can honor the leaders of our nation in different time periods. We can win the war in Saving Private Ryan. 

It is all about what we want in our scripts. Our passion for writing is associated with distractions and frustrations. We can live a disaster in The Duplex movie, and then change these misfortunes to write a bestselling book. Whatever we want, we can do in screenplays. If we want to win a gold medal in the Olympics, we can visualize and write this in our stories. We can visit our loved-ones in Heaven. We can battle the forces of evil to save the world. 

Screenwriting is a unique craft. As with screenwriters, novelists also understand the creative juices that flow into their stories. Once a book ending comes to fruition, this moment of realization is surreal. Write, write and keep writing. Never let go of that dream. 

If you must and require inspiration, go on an adventure to revitalize your mind. Just know that distractions and frustration represent the heart of most movies, humanizing the characters we root for in these amazing journeys to overcome their trials and tribulations. Allow visuals and dialogue to flow down the stream. Good screenwriting requires persistence and discipline. 

Happy Screenwriting! 

Write What you know

***Spoiler Alert***

***The Duplex***

I watched The Duplex movie last week. This is a good movie for aspiring authors and screenwriters to watch. Because Ben Stiller's character is an author, we see his conflicted life draw out on the silver screen. These events are especially valuable to writers, the type of authors and screenwriters who sought after writing books and movies about real stories.

"Write what you know" is what the antagonist shares in the movie ending. The old antagonist made the protagonists suffer beyond belief, which she has done to many couples to drive them crazy. Once the couples had enough, they sold their homes for cheap and left. It was a recurring theme to make money off these poor couples. 

As passionate writers, we realize the best material is made out of true events. Nonetheless, true events are always in high demand. Moviegoers crave watching movies based on true stories because they feel a connection with these characters. 

Horror movies based on true stories such as The Conjuring, The Rite, and The Possession involve evil themes which depict reality. Devil and demon themes are the epitome of evil. These unsettling topics make their way to our minds, provoking our subconscious to fear any notion of their influence. 

Write what you know. Inject your stories with real life. While you may experience unfortunate situations, these events become memorable stories that people want to watch at the movies and read in books. 

Write away!