I am a writer and lately I've been having problems.?

Question

So i write screenplays right? Usually i get a good idea, i brainstorm a bit, develop plot and than start writing. But i find a lot of the time i get a good idea, i think its great and i start writing. So i get about 10 - 20 pages into the screenplay and i think of another idea and cant finish my previous screenplay.

This has happened a bunch of times so i have like 6 uncompleted screenplays at about 10 - 20 pages each. The farthest ive gotten in a while is 50 pages, and i struggled with that.

Im 14 years old so im kinda young, but i want to know if there are an tricks to staying on track or developing ideas faster? Or should i wait for that one Oscar winning idea? I dont no what to do!

Answer 1

Sometimes it takes some practice. But you can't turn away from your ideas unfinished. All I can say is you have to finish them before starting a new one. It might be hard, and you might take long breaks, but that's what inspires you.  

Answer 2

i've been having a similer problem... im almost 14 now. im writing a book, and i keep like skipping to new scenes not being able to finish the one im on and changing my ideas. so all i can say is when you have a new idea write down all the info you have and then continue on what you were working on...

hope i could help, and i hope you fix your problem hun<3

Answer 3

If you are starting at page one and simply moving to the next page and the next with no plot or structure or the basics of your screenplay answered (known to you) before you even write that first word then what you are doing is "stream of consciousness."

This might be a useful tool for trying to loosen the whole brain up and maybe one method of getting around writer's block but it's not very practical for the writing of an actual screenplay.

You need to answer some basic questions first, such as:

Who is your main character?

What problem MUST they solve by the end of your story? The solving of this problem must be of "life and death importance" although it doesn't necessarily mean a physical life or death situation (but those are the most interesting stories).

What is the main opposing force preventing your main character from solving the problem?

The main character is sometimes called the protagonist and the opposing force is sometimes called the antagonist although it doesn't always have to be a human person. It could be Mother Nature, for example. Or an animal.

The "engine" that drives your story forward to The End will be your main character's struggles to overcome the obstacles in the way of reaching that ultimate conclusion (success or failure).

Now you need to learn screenplay STRUCTURE. Structure and FORMAT are two different things. Structure is how you place the building blocks of your story on a timeline that leads to the ultimate conclusion. Format is how the words look on paper - i.e., where you single space and where you double space and how many spaces to indent for dialogue and character names, etc.

Most screenplays follow a basic three act structure but this is not set in stone anymore. Some screenplays break it up into even more acts. Some stories are not told in linear fashion (beginning to middle to end). Don't try to do the fancy stuff with structure until you learn by heart how to do the basics. Then you can branch out.

I highly recommend that you read, "The Writer's Journey" by Christopher Vogler. It is not specifically a screenplay book but after reading it, you will understand very well how to tell a good story. This is an essential skill for any writer. Please read this book. If you love writing, you will love this book.

Then learn your basic screenplay structure and format. You can start with a book on the basics like "The Screenwriter's Bible" by David Trottier or "Writing the Screenplay: TV and Film" by Alan Armer. You can also go to Amazon.com just to get a look at what's out there because there are literally thousands of books written on this subject. Here's an Amazon.com search on "how to write ascreenplay":  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=...

If you want to look stuff up online, you can do that too. Here's the same search on Google:  http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ned=u...

Here's a good website for basic format:  http://www.geocities.com/cdeemer/format....

And here is a great article on structure:

http://www.screenplaymastery.com/structu...

And here's another website to help you get started:  http://www.angelfire.com/movies/coolscre...

If you learn the ropes and have a solid grounding in structure and characterization, then you can outline your entire screenplay's basic story points from beginning to end and that helps tremendously in keeping you on track.

The most important advice I can give you is to not get discouraged. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't write or that you are not a writer. ONLY YOU CAN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE A WRITER. You might have a lot to learn but if this is your passion, you will learn it. Don't demand of yourself at 13 or 14 or even 18 that you should have the wisdom and life experience of a professional screenwriter who's been doing it for decades. It's perfectly allowable for you to be the age you are and to love writing.

Having said that. keep your ears open. Listen to all criticism. Keep what makes you better and what makes sense to you. File away the rest in your brain's attic because one day, it might matter.

If someone criticizes you, SUCK IT UP and say, "Thank you for your advice," keep that smile on your face, and move along. Don't react with anger. Act with professional courtesy NOW and you will always find a door open.

Answer 4

The best suggestion I can give you is this, work on one at a time.  When you have a new idea pop up write it down and then set it aside.  Then when you've written all you can on the one you're currently working on you can set that one aside and start working on your other idea.  

Then you're working on one and the other one tries to weasel it's way into your thoughts tell it that it's script A's turn and it needs to be patient but you'll give it just as much attention.  

Writing multiple stories at once is kind of like watching kids.  You have to try to give them all equal attention but that doesn't prevent the other story from getting jealous and wanting your time.  Not sure if that makes sense but I hope it helps.

Answer 5

Oh, my God. I'm looking in a mirror. I have the same problem. I'm a writer and I have several uncompleted films. However, I'm a little older and have a better knowledge of how movies are written (no offense).

The first thing I want to say is don't think about the Oscar. I'm not trying to bring your hopes down, but you're far from ready for that yet. I'll just give you the advice I was given. Start short. Start with a film up to five to ten minutes long. Back when I had the same problem, I kept starting a new film, but then I never finished it and started a new one. So I have the incomplete screenplays thing just as you do. After a few successfully written (not filmed) short films, I started with feature Length screenplays.

As for that, I'm afraid to say that you're not ready for Length yet. For your short film, include two to four characters. That should be adequate. Then try to write five to ten minutes of film. All that matters is that it's written. I'll let you choose to film it. When you have a new idea when you're already in the middle of a film, write it as a pitch. In a story kind of form. Also known as a treatment. So that it's a few paragraphs long. Then finish up with the film you were working on before. And when you're done with that, start working on the pitch you wrote.

When I had the same problem, I wrote five short films, and a former teacher of mine had asked me to write a feature length one for him. I did and unfortunately, that didn't go anywhere. But after that, including that first one, I've written three so far. I'm on my fourth.

If you want to get up to my level, just do what I had to do to get there. It will all seem fine and easy. I hope everything works out.