Let’s write, right?
Now that we’ve found our inspiration to get us through the inevitable dry spells of that come with a creative career, it’s time we we write, right? Right! In this post, I’m going to help you put your first words down in a way that will guarantee a smooth writing process.
Greetings and salutations, y’all!
First off, let me just start off by saying thank you! If you have read the previous posts and are now moving onto this one, all I can say is thank you. You are the reason I am doing this. Although I spend most of my time writing screenplays and copy, it means the world to be able to give back to others who aspire to create a life where they get to write every single day.
So, without further adieu, let’s begin.
Now that we’ve found our inspiration and discovered our “Why?” it’s time to finally start writing.
BUT, probably not in the way you might expect.
Although some writers might swear by their method of “just writing,” I would encourage you to fight that urge. As someone who used to be immensely against brainstorming and outlining, I have found that the more work you put into planning your script, the easier it will be to write AND the faster it will come together.
With that said, you might be a little curious as to what outlining a script entails. You’re probably thinking “If I’ve never written a script, how will I know how to format it?” Well, similar to our last exercise, the best thing you can do to create a fail-proof outline is to begin by asking yourself a lot of questions. Regardless of format or genre, some of the most pivotal questions to ask yourself are:
Who does this story follow? Why?
What does your character need to accomplish? Why?
Whose perspective is this story being told from? Why?
When/where does it take place? Why?
What is the main character’s perspective on the world/situation/environment we find them in? Why?
What are some of the accepted elements within this story? Why?
What are the highest and lowest points in this story? Why?
What do you want the audience to walk away with? Why?
There are many more questions to be asked and answered when developing a script, but did you see the pattern I was really trying to drive home?
For every question answered about a script, you should always be able to ask the guaranteed follow up question, “WHY?” I know I sound like broken record, but trust me when I say you will never regret the time you put into answer this question.
Once you can answer some of these general questions, it’s time to move your story into a more structured outline.
In order to do this, I would encourage you to check out Film Courage’s video and Open Screenplay’s post on screenplay structure. Although there isn’t one singular “right way” to outline your script, I believe these resources could give you a great foundation and starting point.
I hope this post has helped you gain some clarity on how to approach the first few steps of writing a screenplay. Just remember… The largest part of an iceberg is the part no one can see, and just like a screenplay — most of your time will be spent working on aspects of your script that no one will ever know.
Remember to keep your eyes on the prize (aka your why), and trust the process. You got this!!
Talk to you soon!
Your friend,
LK
Chase dreams. Spread hope. Celebrate life.
Discovering the ‘Why?’
Although the concept of figuring out our WHY we write might seem simple, it can actually be a lot more difficult than what we think… But it doesn’t have to be. In this post, I’m going to help you turn your inspiration into motivation in just a few short steps.
Greetings and salutations, y’all!
Now that we have officially begun the process of finding inspiration for our writing, we can leap into the next step, which is an exercise to help us strengthen our initial spark.
As we discussed in the last blog, although the concept of figuring out our “Why?” might seem simple, it can actually be far more difficult than one might think. Take this conversation for example…
Mentor: What’s your next project going to be?
Answer: I really want write a screenplay about a solider returning home from war.Mentor: Why?
Answer: Well, because I’m a veteran and I love war movies…
That seemed easy… We’re good to start writing now, right!?
Wrong.
Sure, this is a great starting point, but it’s only the beginning. If you can’t answer at least 10 follow-up questions to this, I’d be willing to bet that you aren’t ready to start writing just yet.
Now, I know you’re probably thinking to yourself "10 follow up questions!? That’s ridiculous.”
Yes, I know this might seem like overkill, but trust me when I say the last thing you want to do is pour your heart and soul into a script for months on end just to realize it’s lacking depth, reason, and direction.
Check it out…
Mentor: So, tell me again… Why do you want to tell this story?
Answer: Because I’m a veteran and I love war movies.
Cool, but a lot of people love war movies…
Mentor: Why do you love war movies?
Writer: Because it reminds me of the time I spent in the middle east when I was in the Air Force.
Interesting, but not yet captivating…
Mentor: Why do you want to be reminded of that?
Writer: Because it was the chapter in my life where I grew the most.
Okay, but where are the specifics?
Mentor: Why?
Writer: Because I learned a lot about life.
Still way too vague…
Mentor: What did you learn?
Writer: I learned how short life is and how I don’t ever want to waste mine.
This is nice, but a lot of people have this mindset.
Mentor: What was the catalyst to help you learn that lesson?
Writer: The last conversation I had with my best friend before he was killed in action was about salvation and how nothing in life matters if we aren’t dedicating every moment to living for God and sharing his love with others.
NOW WE’RE GETTING SOMEWHERE!!
Mentor: And how do you want to do that?
Writer: By using the voice God gave me to speak about my experiences.
We’re backtracking now… Let’s reel it in.
Mentor: Like what?
Writer: Well, by the world’s standards, I have had a really great life for the most part, and I was never really tested until I was sent out on deployment. It was then that I realized none of my successes or comforts back home mean anything if I don’t have God.
I like where this is going.
Mentor: Did you believe in God before deployment?
Writer: Yeah, but even the Devil believes in God…. That’s not enough.
Tell me more.
Mentor: Then what’s enough?
Answer: A personal relationship with God.
We’re so close!
Mentor: So why do you want to tell this story?
Writer: I don’t want to tell this story… I NEED to tell this story. I want to provide my audience with the an opportunity to experience the same redemption, healing, and revival that God delivered to me when I was overseas, and I want them to see how God can use even the toughest situations for something good.
Bada-bing, bada-BOOM! Now we’re firing on all cylinders!
Do you see how within this one short exercise, the writer was able to dive headfirst into their “Why”? They started off with an answer that lacked depth, but this exercise allowed them to refine it into an incredibly deep meaning and purpose, which then transformed this story into one they want to tell into one they NEED to tell. How cool is that, right?
I hope this example showed you the importance of knowing your “Why?”
For more information on this topic, check out Venturefizz’s article or Bill Holme’s TedTalk on “The Power of Asking ‘Why?’”
Talk to you soon!
Your friend,
LK
Chase dreams. Spread hope. Celebrate life.
Finding Inspiration
As writers, we are constantly being stretched and tested in ways we never could have expected. From creative to copy, technical to blogs and journals, in this post, I’m going to help you formulate a fail-proof way to find the inspiration you need for every project you work on.
Greetings and salutations, y’all!
As the title of this post suggests, today we are going to be talking about the importance of finding your inspiration to write.
Whether it’s the fact that all of our best ideas seemingly always come to us in the midst of life’s chaos, or the inevitable writer’s block that occurs once we find time to sit down — as writers, we are constantly being stretched and tested in ways we never expected.
Because of this, I believe that finding a strong, reliable inspiration to write should be at the top of every writer’s priority lists. By doing this, we can ensure that regardless of the highs and lows this journey is sure to bring, we will always be able to look back at our inspiration in order to remind ourselves WHY we are chasing this incredibly frustrating, yet wildly fulfilling dream.
If you don’t take anything from what we have discussed so far, I want you to cling to one very specific and intentional word that I used in the last paragraph. Can you guess what it is? Hopefully so, since it’s the only word in all caps (*insert nervous laughing emoji*). If you guessed “why,” then you’re right!
In my mind, you could take every single screenwriting class, watch every video on youtube, and read every book on how to start writing a script, but everything you learn is going to be secondary to the simple question, “Why do you need to tell this story?” Sure, it sounds simple, but I can guarantee you it isn’t always as easy as it seems.
Don’t worry, there will be an exercise in the next blog to help y’all get there, but before we do that, there’s one more piece of the puzzle that we need to incorporate. Although the following step is something that is rarely — if ever — taught in academia, it’s something that I utilize religiously and have found great success with.
The exercise:
First, find an instrumental track that speaks to you and the tone of what you’re wanting to write about. Once you do that, close your eyes, listen to the music, and allow yourself to transport to the world where you see your story unfolding. This will ignite numerous senses within your pre-writing process, and I am sure it will help you add even more depth to your project.
One of the most recent speeches I wrote, “Tomorrow’s Yesterday,” was drafted while listening to Olexandr Ignatov’s “Inspiring Piano.” I’ve hyperlinked the track and script (bonus points if you play the song in the background while reading the script) so you can have an example of how many layers can be added to your writing when your other senses come into play.
I hope this post encourages you, and I look forward to hearing about your breakthroughs that I know are on your horizon!
Talk to you soon!
Your friend,
LK
Chase dreams. Spread hope. Celebrate life.