27 July 2009
WRITER’S BLOCK?
Is it writer’s block or sheer laziness that I haven’t finished a screenplay in a long time, and that, because of this, I haven’t made a single short film (or long film, or any film for that matter!) in the five years I’ve lived in New York?
I just spent ten minutes on “story ideas” websites, trying to get my creative juices flowing. I have some limitations I’ve got to put into place. I see limitations as creative challenges, more than anything, but still — I need an idea. My limitations:
- The story needs to be upwards to 10-15 minutes long. No longer.
- It has to be within my means to film, either in Upstate NY or New York City
- Two to three characters MAX.
- Up to five scenes MAX.
- Nothing that requires extensive (or any) special effects.
Those really aren’t much for limitations. So why is it I just can’t get myself to crank out a few story ideas? The ones I start are interesting scenarios but offer very little in terms of character development or theme. Or they’re just outright depressing.
For those writer friends of mine, how do you break out of a block? Or, better yet, do you have any stories you’d like for me to film? :)
I don’t really have writer’s block. I write stuff that I hate ALL of the time, but I sit down and write it. It’s the sitting down to write it part that I think is what people get wrapped up in when it comes to “writer’s block.”
I’m a big fan of writing down every little good idea in my head on a post it or index card and dumping it on my desk. Every so often I get those bits and pieces together and form some sort of story amongst them, trying to marry ideas. And POW! story.
So figure a starting point. It doesn’t need to be the beginning, it can be the middle, it can be a line of dialog, it can be a character, and build outwards. You won’t necessary use everything.
Then write. Write it for anything, don’t worry about what sets you have (and special effects shouldn’t even be needed.) Then figure out how you can adapt it for your budget/constraints. To be honest, it works this way in a professional, million dollar budgeted production, too.
On my most recent job I was told “write anything” and it ended up multiple drafts later to “you have two sets, imagine it’s being shot with one guy’s cell phone, you have no special effects budget and you can only use one other character. You have to cut three pages out of the twelve written. And oh yeah, you still have to evoke the same exact mood as the big fancy first draft and get across the same amount of information.” And then you do it!
27 July 2009: 1:24 pm
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