THE WRITERS' RETREAT NEWSLETTER

September 2007, Volume 7, No. 4

http://www.writersretreat.com

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IN THIS EDITION

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1.   DEVELOPING THE SCRIPT

3.   WORDS FROM MIKE HOOVER, AUTHOR

4.   OUR NEWLY PUBLISHED RESIDENTS     

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“All things are possible until they are proved impossible—and even the impossible may only be so, as of now.”    —Pearl S. Buck

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1. DEVELOPING THE SCRIPT

By Dr. Linda Seger, author, and script consultant

Since the early 1980s in the US, and the late 1980s and early 1990s in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, there have been numerous seminars on Script Development. Why is script development important? Who develops scripts? What is the process? 

The first stage in development involves a story analyst, sometimes called the Reader or the Script Assessor. This individual evaluates the script to determine if the story has potential for commercial success—no one wants to lose money on a film. Experienced analysts recognize a good and workable script and to have knowledge of audience demographics. Does the script target teenage boys? Women over forty? Sports fans? Does the script have a reasonable chance of capturing an audience?

By the time the script reaches the story analyst, it has usually gone through several rewrites. In the United States and some other countries, purchase of the script triggers another development process. Why is further development necessary? If the script works, why not just film it?

Many writers recognize that they are unable to be objective about their work. The development process helps identify script problems by bringing in an objective professional eye.

The process is also necessary since most writers are not equally skilled at all aspects of script writing. Some are skilled at storytelling and structure, but the characters might be weak. Others may have original and universal themes, but the story might be too predictable and derivative. A good development person helps the writer strengthen weaknesses and reinforce strengths. 

The development person at a production company, studio, or network, can also steer the rewrite toward the particular needs of the company. This might be in casting—changing a character to fit a particular actor. Budget constraints might require fewer locations or special effects. Script changes might require certain locations—perhaps filming in Rome but calling it Milan, and changing certain characters to accommodate different filming locations. The development person needs to know what is possible without compromising the script.

Within this process, either before or after the sale of the script, there are other development people involved. Sometimes in the US, a writer, particularly a new writer, needs a writing coach. The coach guides the rewrite, brainstorming, helping with formatting, dialogue, and structure.

In the US, a second writer rewrites many scripts. Sometimes this involves a partnership. A new writer may want to adapt his or her novel, but needs guidance from a more skilled writer. In JOY LUCK CLUB, for instance, the credits list, ‘By Amy Tan and Ron Bass.’ Ron Bass, a highly skilled American writer, worked with Amy Tan, the author of the novel.

Other times, the first writer is discharged, and a new, usually very skilled rewriter is brought in to rewrite the script. Hollywood is notorious for changing writers, many times leading to scripts that have been rewritten to death. Other times, a new writer is able to develop the script in a new direction, without compromising the original vision. Barry Morrow created RAINMAN, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Screenplay in 1988, with rewrites by Ron Bass. Ron was particularly sensitive to Barry’s vision, and brought new elements to the process that Barry found improved the script. Both received credit for the script and both won the Academy Award for Best Writer.

Sometimes within the process, a script consultant helps both the writer and the production team. The script consultant’s job is to identify, analyze, and help solve elusive script problems. The consultant serves the script, and works toward a well-crafted effort where narrative, structure, theme, characters, and style all work together to create an integrated artistic work. The consultant helps the company achieve its vision for the script. 

Although much of any developers’ job is to help create a great script, their secondary responsibility is to work collaboratively with the writer and the team. This usually means the developer has training in interpersonal and group process skills. If a writer feels the consultant or development person is working against his efforts, no amount of persuasion will yield a workable script. Anyone working in development needs to know how to work with the egos of the writer, director, and producer, how to guide the script and the team so problems are resolved, how to excite the writer about the rewrite, and assure that the script works well before moving into production.

Although there has been a great deal of training of writers in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe since the 1980s, there has been little training of development people. At this time, there is actually more development training outside the US than in the US. New Zealand began a development program in 1989 to train script consultants, and has shown remarkable results in a little over ten years. (For instance, Peter Jackson attended one of the first classes presented in New Zealand.) RAI Television in Italy has been working continuously on training writers and development executives since 1996, and has broadened their international market as a result. There have been a number of training programs in Germany, as well as throughout Europe, some lasting a few days, some a few weeks, and some ongoing.

The film industry in its desire to serve art, has sometimes not served the craft of writing and the commercial possibilities of film. Development people serve the script to help create the best films.

About the author:

Dr. Linda Seger authors books on screenwriting. Her newest book will be published in February 2008, called And the Best Screenplay Goes To… Learning from the Winners: Sideways, Shakespeare in Love, Crash.

MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT A three-day script clinic

Facilitator: Linda Seger, author, and script consultant.

Date:  November 9, 10, 11, 2007

Place: Cascade, Colorado (Pikes Peak Region)

Description: http://www.writersretreat.com/Makingagoodscriptgreat.htm

Do not miss this opportunity to work directly with Dr. Seger on your script! Maximum participants accepted:  6

 
REGISTER NOW!  (819) 876-2065 

Online registration: www.WritersRetreat.com/Workshopform.htm

Questions?  E-mail us at info@writersretreat.com

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2.  WORDS FROM MIKE HOOVER, AUTHOR

At The Writers’ Retreat, we understand it is quite a long journey to reach your goal, and we are always proud to share your published work with friends of The Writers’ Retreat. This is our way to celebrate your success, and to inspire others to keep their vision in order to achieve extraordinary results. 

“I think for people who want to experience the joy of writing and completing a writing project, a retreat is a rewarding journey. I personally have had a life full of serendipity and magic since completing my first novel. I am one of the lucky ones who found out once I sat down to write the story it burst forth and took control of my life. Once it was finished, I was astounded when I read the book reviews. Now that I am 40,000 words into my next project, I know I am a much better writer and I feel I must entertain my readers in a more sophisticated manner. Congratulations, Micheline, for helping so many people on this journey.”  —Mike Hoover, on-site mentor in British Columbia.

Congratulations to Mike for his new book Kanook Kibbutznick, published last May. It is available at Amazon.com. Mike is currently working on his second book, while mentoring residents and operating The Writers’ Retreat in Oliver, British Columbia.

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3.  OUR NEWLY PUBLISHED RESIDENT

For Québec writer, NICOLE FONTAINE, the month of September represented the completion of a literary odyssey that began four years ago at The Writers’ Retreat. Moi, j’avais pas l’habitude de naître is published by Les Editions Hurturbise HMH Ltee  at http://www.hurtubisehmh.com/

Congratulations, Nicole!

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Thanks for taking time to read our newsletter. See you next time!

Micheline and the Team at The Writers’ Retreat 

info@writersretreat.com

http://www.writersretreat.com

THE WRITERS' RETREAT NEWSLETTER

June 2007, Volume 7, No. 3

http://www.writersretreat.com

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IN THIS EDITION

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1.       CREATING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS

2.       FICTION AND CREATIVE NONFICTION CLINICS

3.       WORDS FROM A PUBLISHED RESIDENT AUTHOR

4.       THINK OF A RETREAT AS A GIFT TO YOURSELF!

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“With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.”          —Max Ehrmann

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1. CREATING UNFORGETTABLE CHARACTERS

By Dr. Linda Seger, author, and script consultant

What is a great character? Dimensionality. A strong goal and clear motivations. Good conflict. A well worked out backstory.

What is an unforgettable character? All of the above, and then some. For me, unforgettable characters are a combination of consistency and surprises. On the one hand, the writer has to get the character “right” according to the character’s culture, occupation, and historical period. This means that the writer has to know what the consistent qualities are that we expect to be true, given the parameters of that character. For instance, if the character is a microbiologist, we expect the writer to know about cultures and molds and purity of the product; microscopes and what labs look like, and what kind of training various microbiologists have, and then there’s the appropriate vocabulary, and what type of people tend to migrate into that field. If the character is a classical pianist, we expect the character to know what a C7 chord is, or what makes up a D minor scale, and the difference between a Steinway and a Chickering, and Chopin’s first name and probably to have played and maybe memorized Für Elise. If the character is a well-trained horseback rider and trainer, we expect the character to know the difference between a snaffle bit and a Billy Allen, and what it means to “two point,” and the difference between a trot and a jog, and the technique for turning on the haunches. That doesn’t mean all of this must come out in the script, but the writer has to have a thorough understanding of the elements that will make up that character. The writer needs to have researched, and know well, that each of these worlds are different from each other, and each of these contexts demand a different vocabulary, and different ways of relating to work and the world.

This became very clear to me when I researched my book, From Script to Screen: The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking (co-written with Dr. Edward Whetmore). As I interviewed actors, directors, writers, editors, and composers, I was intrigued with how different  these groups of people were. Directors have to know how to relate to people, and the job demanded a certain amount of sociability. Editors and composers had to be able to sit alone in a room with an editing bay, or a piano, or a synthesizer, and translate what they saw into rhythm and movement. Actor Mary McDonnell (Dances with Wolves, Passion Fish, etc.) told me that actors had certain emotionality, and when I interviewed actors, I noticed a kind of free-flowing spontaneity and freedom. I noticed that writers thought and reflected a lot about their work, and that there was an intellectual and psychological insight that many seemed to bring to their thinking. As I saw these different qualities, many of which were quite subtle, I saw that these were not stereotypes, but that each different job demanded certain qualities from them. If the person didn’t have those qualities, they had a much more difficult time working in that field. 

An unforgettable character is more than just consistencies that show the writer has researched the character. An unforgettable character is also filled with surprises. Not contradictions, but surprises. We all have parts of ourselves that are unexpected. It might be that the microbiologist raises tropical fish. Or the musician does dangerous white water rafting trips. Or the horseback rider is a trained saxophonist. These surprises, when done well, sometimes are just there to shade the character. In Anywhere Else but Loose, Clint Eastwood’s character has a monkey. In L.A. Story, one of the characters plays the cello. In Ten, Dudley Moore’s character seems superficial, until he sits down and plays the piano and we suddenly see another side of him come out—the passion and sensitivity that shows an unexpected depth.

These small details can make a character more fascinating, and also more sympathetic. In Romancing the Stone, the character of Joan Wilder was considered unsympathetic, even after the film was completed. Writer Treva Silverman was asked to come in and “do something about it.” She says, “I figured that being warm and affectionate with her cat would endear her to the audience. They agreed, and they put the scene in.”

Even a villain can become more fascinating, even more sympathetic, by adding a pet or a love of art or showing something unusual about the character’s backstory or psychology. Think of some of the villains in the James Bond films—Jaws, who falls in love with a sweet young thing, the villain raising fish or petting his cat—qualities that shade the character out of the usual stereotype.

These surprises work best when they pay-off in the story. In On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando’s character keeps and feeds pigeons on the roof of his apartment building. This shows his sensitivity, but later pays off when the kid who has always admired him kills all of the pigeons to show how upset he is that Brando’s character has squealed on mobsters, or been a “pigeon.” In Blade Runner, Edward James Olmos’ character creates meaningful little origami figures that reflect his meticulous attention to detail and his absorption in the Japanese influence of Los Angeles in 2019, but also punctuates the scenes when he leaves them behind for others to find.

These qualities and quirks are not arbitrarily added on to the character, but need to come out of something that is intrinsic and organic to the character. Sometimes they come out of the character’s backstory. Perhaps the child was lonely, and turned to nature. This seems to be shaded into Hannibal Lector’s from Silence of the Lambs since Hannibal likes his jail cell better when he can see outside. I can imagine a young boy being alienated from other children his age, and spending time alone, perhaps being fascinated with natural things (even though he was undoubtedly the type of kid who tore the wings off flies, and then, perhaps, ate them).

This was also true with the Sigourney Weaver character (Dian Fossey) in Gorillas in the Mist. When Dian Fossey was eleven years old, her mother remarried and Dian was basically left alone. Writer Anna Hamilton Phelan says, “She ate by herself in the kitchen with the help. I think she was just kind of pushed in the bedroom and kept pretty much away from her mother and her new stepfather. She learned to be alone. She learned at that point to mistrust human beings.” As a result, Dian acquired few social skills, and moved away from putting her attention on people to focusing on animals. Phelan admits that in all her interviews with people who had known Dian, “I only found one person out of the forty that I interviewed that liked her.”

A writer can round out a character by asking, “What in the backstory could lead this person to have these quirks?” Characters are often pulled into becoming successful because they follow their strengths, but they may also be pushed away from one job and into another because they’re running away from a weakness. A person might decide to follow intellectual pursuits because of insecurity, or inability to be adept physically. So, the person who was always picked last in baseball but loved the game, turns to books or music, but may always harbor that dream of hitting the home run. This might become manifest in the story by showing the character would never miss the World Series, or keeps an autographed baseball in a special shrine-like corner of the room.

A writer can explore many of these traits that could help create a fascinating character by reflecting on the writer’s own life, or the lives of friends and relatives. Recently, my uncle asked me what I thought was the “real” key to my success. Since all of these keys come out of childhood, I told him that I learned early on that I couldn’t compete since I had a sister who was older, seemingly smarter, and extremely well liked. There was no way, in my mind, I could be as good as she was. But the usual choices weren’t open to me. I was too nice to be a rebel, and my sister was too nice so I couldn’t hate her. I was too curious about the world to drop out and stop trying. And I was naturally creative. So I began to always choose that which was different. We were different in terms of our interests, she loved science, I loved the arts, she was conservative, and I was dramatic. As I grew older, I consciously made choices so I didn’t have to compete by being “like” someone else, but by being different. Whether it meant studying a field that no one else was studying (drama and theology) or starting a new kind of business (as a script consultant), or writing about areas that weren’t yet being addressed in other books. 

If you look back on your life, you probably see many choices that shade you and give you certain qualities that few may know about, but that are an organic part of yourself. These are the fascinating sides, the parts of you that few people notice right away. When people first meet us, they see the obvious, and this often happens with characters. The character is obvious, and stays obvious. But if characters are seen as being imbued with many fascinating and surprising qualities—as the story continues and becomes more complex—we begin to also see more complexities in the characters as well.

We can train ourselves to see these qualities in others and to look consciously for the surprises. As I was riding in a cab in Washington DC recently, I talked to the Pakistani taxi driver, and asked him questions (as I often encourage writers to do). In the conversation, he mentioned that he travels quite a bit and that he was recently in Shanghai, and stayed at the Ritz. “The Ritz?” I said. “You mean the Ritz Carlton? In Shanghai, China!” “Yes,” he said, very off-handedly. Another stereotype broken for me. And then, I remembered the line spoken by the taxi driver in the film Taxi Driver: “Well, I’m no Bertram Russell but …” 

Plummeting the surprises that exist within characters is an important part of the writer’s work. Writers need to reflect on their lives, observe the lives of others, ask questions, make notes, and look for the unexpected to create surprising, fascinating, complex, and unforgettable characters.  

Linda Seger is a script consultant, screenwriting teacher, and author of eight books on screenwriting. Making a Good Script Great, Creating Unforgettable Characters, The Art of Adaptation, From Script to Screen: The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking, When Women Call the Shots: The Developing Power and Influence of Women in Television and Film, Making a Good Writer Great, Web-Thinking: Connecting not Competing for Success, Advanced Screenwriting: Raising your Script to the Academy Award Level. 

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2. FICTION AND CREATIVE NONFICTION CLINICS

SELF-EDITING FOR PUBLICATION  A three-day workshop

Facilitator:  Sheila Post, writing coach

Dates: June 29, 30, July 1, 2007

Location: Stanstead (Quebec), Canada

Tuition: $395

Description:  www.writersretreat.com/SelfEditing.htm

SCREENWRITING DYNAMICS

Facilitator:  Jay Craven, screenwriter, director, producer.

Dates: July 28-29, 2007

Location: Stanstead (Quebec), Canada

Tuition: $290

Description:  www.writersretreat.com/Screenwriting.htm

WRITING NOVELS THAT SELL A five-day workshop

Facilitator:  Bill Brooks, author of 21 novels.

Dates:  August 31 – Sept.5, 2007

Location: Stanstead (Quebec), Canada

Tuition: $595

Description:  www.writersretreat.com/WritingNovelsThatSELL.htm

MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT A three-day script clinic

Facilitator:  Linda Seger, author, and script consultant.

Date:  November 9, 10, 11, 2007

Place: Cascade, Colorado (Pikes Peak Region)

Description: http://www.writersretreat.com/Makingagoodscriptgreat.htm

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REGISTER NOW!  (819) 876-2065

Online registration: www.WritersRetreat.com/Workshopform.htm

Questions?  E-mail us at info@writersretreat.com

Schedule, registration, and accommodations: www.WritersRetreat.com/workshops.htm

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3.  WORDS FROM A PUBLISHED RESIDENT AUTHOR

At The Writers’ Retreat, we understand it is quite a long journey to reach your goal, and we’re always proud to share your published work with friends of The Writers’ Retreat. This is our way to celebrate your success, and to inspire others to keep their vision in order to achieve extraordinary results. 

Congratulations to Farzana Doctor for the publication of her novel Stealing Nasreen, published by Inanna Publications and Education Inc., to be launched June 7, 2007 in Toronto (Ontario). Thank you for sharing part of your journey with us.

FINAL EDITS by Farzana Doctor (April 15, 2007)

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. I mailed out the Stealing Nasreen galley, marked up with anxious notes and strikethroughs, and last-minute edits to my publisher this past Monday.

It’s been emotionally difficult to stop editing the book, to quit fussing over it, to let it go. I’ve heard many writers talk about being unsure when a writing project is finally “done.”

Sometimes, when I read my previously published short stories, poems, and chapters (pieces I would have deemed “finished” when I sent them in), I find myself mentally making tiny changes and additions to the work; adding a comma here, italicizing that word, deleting that paragraph. And why? They’re already published, bound up, out there in their world.

I suppose that’s the point, isn’t it? To release the writing, to finally let it go beyond the private and into the public is the difficult and exhilarating part of the work. So bon voyage, Stealing Nasreen! Go out and be seen and may your travels be safe and smooth and full of new adventures… 

Farzana Doctor is a Toronto-based writer whose work has been published in Siren Magazine, Trikone, Sightlines 7 Anthology, and Aurat Durbar. She has also co-written a manual for therapists and co-produced a documentary video. She is also a social worker, educator, and consultant. Farzana is currently working on her second novel.

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4.  THINK OF A RETREAT AS A GIFT TO YOURSELF!

Make Room in Your Life for a Retreat! Think of a retreat as a gift to yourself—a way to connect with your vision.

The Writers’ Retreat is getting closer and closer to your home. We try to respond as quickly as we can to your needs in bringing a Writers’ Retreat closer to you. We now offer eight locations where we offer year-round residency and selected retreats providing on-site mentoring:

Stanstead, Quebec, Canada (Headquarters) bordering Vermont Northeast Kingdom

Corralitos near Santa Cruz, California

The beautiful San Juan Mountains in Ouray, Colorado

Folly Beach, South Carolina

Oliver, British Columbia, Canada

North Lake Harbour, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Ojochal, Costa Rica

Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific Coast of México

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Thanks for taking time to read our newsletter. See you next time!

Micheline and the Team at The Writers’ Retreat 

info@writersretreat.com

http://www.writersretreat.com

THE WRITERS' RETREAT - PROGRAM UPDATE  

May 2007

http://www.writersretreat.com

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Thought of the day:

As you think, you travel, and as you love, you attract. You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.       —James Lone Allen

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TWO NEW YEAR-ROUND RETREATS NOW OPENED!

       OLIVER, British Columbia and FOLLY BEACH, South Carolina

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OLIVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada

We’re proud to announce the opening of a year-round retreat in Oliver, British Columbia.

We’re happy to present a warm welcome to on-site mentor and author, Michael Hoover who is looking forward to meeting and assisting you in your writing project.

The retreat is beautifully located amid the countryside of British Columbia's beautiful Okanagan Valley. Tucked at the northernmost point of the Sonora Desert, and at the southern end of the Okanagan Valley, Oliver encompasses desert land, lakes, mountains, and renowned vineyards and orchards. A biking and walking trail near the Retreat runs along the Okanagan River, through Oliver, and all the way south to Osoyoos.

My two-hour drive on the scenic route from the Kelowna Airport to Oliver, and along the shores of Okanagan Lake with spectacular mountain views was a treat in itself. On my way south, I thought of all - writers and artists - while contemplating this breathtaking scenery, and I knew from that moment how inspiring, productive and memorable this region will make your retreat experience. I was delighted to be on site to greet our first resident, Crystal, a MFA student at University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

The Retreat offers three studios. Each studio features a working desk and chair, and good lighting, full-size beds, comfortable seats, a private bathroom, and air conditioning. One studio has a fully equipped kitchen and two studios have a mini-fridge, a microwave, a coffee machine and dishes. Writing partners are welcome to stay at no additional charge. Wireless Internet is available, so bring your laptop!

The retreat is located outside Oliver, the "Wine capital of Canada" approximately 25 minutes North of the US border, three kilometers to Oliver, a five-hour drive from Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. 

For photographs and more information on The Writers’ Retreat in Oliver, British Columbia, visit our Web site at:  www.writersretreat.com/okanaganvalley.htm or call 819-876-2065.

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FOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA, USA

You may also elect to stay at the retreat in Folly Beach, South Carolina.  Our on-site mentor is writer Mary Ann Henry. Welcome aboard Mary Ann!

The Writers' Retreat at Folly Beach is located on a shady, quiet street lined with palm trees and live oaks—just a three minute walk to the ocean, and one block from quaint shopping and restaurants.

The Writers' Retreat at Folly Beach is part of a historic coastal complex built in 1940. Famous musicians of the late 40s and 50s ate barbecue here—Pat Boone, Ray Price, even Elvis Presley, the King himself—to name a few.

The two accommodations are truly charming and inspiring, and offer modern amenities, off-street parking, a private entry, and a private deck. Residents may gather in the Author’s Gallery, a separate studio on the premises.

Folly Beach is located on the Atlantic Coast, a 15-minute drive from Charleston, the most historically preserved city in the United States and, a two-hour drive from Savannah, Georgia.

You'll find genuine seacoast inspiration here!

For photographs and more information on The Writers’ Retreat in Folly Beach, South Carolina, visit our Web site at: www.writersretreat.com/follybeach.htm

or call 819-876-2065.

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See you soon!

Micheline and the Team at The Writers’ Retreat 

info@writersretreat.com

http://www.writersretreat.com

THE WRITERS' RETREAT NEWSLETTER  

April 2007, Volume 7, No. 2

http://www.writersretreat.com

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IN THIS EDITION

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1.       WHERE DO YOU GET IDEAS? by Dr. Linda Seger, author and script consultant

2.       ON WRESTLING WITH THE MUSE by Bill Brooks, author 

3.       NEW YEAR-ROUND RETREAT in FOLLY BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA

4.       MAKING A GOOD SCRIPT GREAT: Script clinic in Colorado with Linda Seger

5.       SUMMER/FALL WORKSHOPS

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“Wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weights you down.”  Toni Morrison

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1. WHERE DO YOU GET IDEAS?

By Dr. Linda Seger, author and script consultant

Writers vary in terms of how many ideas are floating around in their heads at any one time.  While Pen Densham, (ROBIN HOOD:  PRINCE OF THIEVES) told me he has hundreds of ideas all the time, Lawrence Kasdan (BIG CHILL, GRAND CANYON, etc.) told me he usually only has one or two. Obviously, there is no right number of story ideas that determine whether you’re a great writer, or not.

But where do you get ideas?  What do you do when your creative ideas dry up? Or when the ones you have don’t seem workable?  How can you set yourself up as a writer so that there is always something to write about?

Ideas, of course, are all around us.  It’s a matter of capturing those ideas.  I recommend that you, as a writer, always carry a notebook, since you never know when an idea might pop up.  Have a notebook by your bed with a light-up pen for those two a.m. visits by the Muse.  Have one in your car. One in your pocket or purse. Paper and pen are your tools. 

The ideas that begin a script don’t have to be just stories.  They might be the character that you see at the airport, the one with the little feet and the long words.  It might be an image that you notice—the horse at a full gallop in the pasture that you decide is an image of freedom. An idea might come from a situation such as the time I was stuck in the bathroom in a little railroad station in the mountains of Switzerland, and the only person around was the trainmaster who was upstairs and couldn’t hear me call.  Ideas might come from a piece of dialogue that will help you define a character. You never know when one of these might work their way into a script, as a scene, a character moment, or part of a story.  Write it down, even if you don’t know when you’ll use it.

I also recommend that writers have file folders, which they fill with ideas.  These might include a file folder of children’s dialogue, one for potential action stories, and another for possible characters for a medical thriller. Anything you can think of, stuff in the file folder, and then, occasionally, look through them to see what ideas begin pulling at you.

Cut out story ideas from newspapers.  When I teach screenwriting, sometimes I ask my students to cut out newspaper stories and identify whether the article is about the beginning, middle, or end of a story.  Once you know that, make up the missing pieces.  Many crime stories are really about the climax (catching the criminal), and sometimes the set-up of a story (the crime), but rarely do newspaper stories contain much about the second act, which is about all the hard work and development that moves the detective from the crime to the solution.

Cut out anything from newspapers and magazines that capture your interest.  Sometimes it might be a comedic situation, such as the deer that got into somebody’s motel room.  (Yup! A true story reported in the newspaper!)  Or the drama of the summer forest fires that often are about Act Two—fighting the fire, and fighting it some more, and fighting it some more. 

As you cut out articles, you might also decide how many different genres you could use to execute a good script.  The crime story might seem like a drama, but then you noticed how incompetent the criminal is, or what a silly character the detective is. It’s a good exercise in flexible thinking to brainstorm how many different ways you could execute the idea.  Work out your beginnings, middles, and ends.  See how quickly you could define possible characters. Are any subplots implied in the story? If not, what subplots might work with the story you have?

You can also get ideas by traveling, since every travel situation has the potential to give us fresh insight.  When we travel, we discover that things aren’t quite what we expect. Russians don’t act like the Russians in the movies. We begin to notice small details that mark the difference between similar cultures, such as the differences among the Swedes, the Norwegians, and the Danes.  This isn’t about stereotyping (and, of course, you always have to be careful that you don’t fall into the stereotype), but about noticing small details that you can use to begin to sharpen your definition of characters and culture and context.

You can also get ideas by experiencing new situations. Don’t always stay in your comfort zone.  When I teach screenwriting, I often recommend that my students try a new experience every weekend.  I recommend that it not be dangerous or illegal, but students have flown planes, gone to a religious ceremony from a different denomination or religion, tried the grape diet, fasted, went to a bikers’ charity event, and tried country-western dancing. The emotions that come up from going past the comfort zone are good material for character insights.  The situation might either yield a story, or a detail to add to a story.

Write, always write.  The act of writing and the discipline of a daily (or almost daily) writing practice will let the Muse know you’re ready, you’re willing, and you’re waiting!

Linda Seger is a script consultant, screenwriting teacher, and author of eight books on screenwriting. Making a Good Script Great, Creating Unforgettable Characters, The Art of Adaptation, From Script to Screen: The Collaborative Art of Filmmaking, When Women Call the Shots: The Developing Power and Influence of Women in Television and Film, Making a Good Writer Great, Web-Thinking: Connecting not Competing for Success, Advanced Screenwriting: Raising your Script to the Academy Award Level. 

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