Screenwriting

Well, I followed the links from Done Deal and found myself here. Those who know me know I can't resist a screenwriting message board (or, in this case, a screenwriting forum on a writing message board), so...

Screenwriting. The art. The craft.

What earthly (or unearthly) force drove you to it? What do you get out of it? What do you hope to get out of it? What do you give to it?

Any aspiring writer/directors here? How do you feel your approach differs from most aspiring screenwriters you've talked to? Or does it?

Welcome to the board. If you are like me, you are a newbie with his first script in his belt and are now looking for an agent or a producer.

Sit down and listen to the gems spoken by the writing vets here. You may learn something.

I heard something about starlets. And if Mike Le can get 'em, I figure....

Welcome, Tony.

Screenwriting: I actually believed it was my path to riches. Was always a good writer, arrogantly assumed that that meant I'd be a good screenwriter. Had a couple of lucky early breaks that backed up this unfounded notion.

Most of my roommates/housemates in college (BU) were in the film program. I had written a short story that they insisted should be a screenplay. So I picked up a couple of books, mostly to learn formatting, and wrote the script. It got me an agent and an option. This, of course, meant to me that I was well on my way and my million-dollar deal was coming any day.

Eventually, I took classes, got feedback, and actually got better at it. But still never earned any riches. Plenty of love, no real paychecks. Learned to love the labor anyway. Loved getting carried away in worlds I created that felt very real to me. Invented characters to make me feel less alone when I was housebound. Wrote true stories to deal with my own realities in a productive way.

Bought a house, had to put screenwriting aside while I concentrated on the writing that was actually earning money for me (books, articles, greeting cards, bumper stickers, etc.). Have been on a long hiatus from screenwriting ever since. Hope to return more actively to it in the future.

I'm still enchanted by great movies, and still in awe of great screenwriters. Hope to one day be among them.

Mike Le and starlets?!?

Details, please.

:grin

Mike Le and starlets?!?

Details, please.

Click to expand...

Well, you know who Tyrese is?

No, but I can google him. There he is!

Is that Mike's starlet? He must be into abs.

Jenna -

Thank you for sharing that. Very cool. Wishing you the best on your (excuse the rhyme) screenwriting quest.

I'll post my answers when I'm in a typing mood.

The short version:

I love movies.

Yo, Tony.

Nice to see you around.

Don't freak out and stuff like you do over on DD, mmkay?




p.s. Tony likes cartoons, too.

When was the last time I "freaked out" on DD? Hmmmmm?

That only happens when I've been drinking, which, oddly enough, I've been doing this evening.

(kidding, Jenna, don't get scared )

Wow, it's so clean around here!

Nice place.


Tony, don't do what you usually do when presented with a clean carpet, okay?

:grin

You've been drinking? Perfect time to tell me all about your screenwriting dreams and influences then, I think. :thumbs

Share, share.

so many new faces! :snoopy

Influences and inspirations: The Exorcist, Bergman, Kubrick, Kaufman, the entire horror genre, Jack Daniels, Andrew Kevin Walker, Darren Aronofsky, Seconds, The Shining, Nosferatu, Kurosawa, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barton Fink, John Keir Cross, Stephen King, Robert Bloch, JD Salinger, that moment in The Deer Hunter when Mike and Nick are sitting on the basketball court, drunk (after the wedding reception), and Nick begs Mike not to leave him in Vietnam, Paul Schrader, Bruce Joel Rubin, etc., etc. (I really could go on forever)

Aspirations: To leave the kind of mark in some weird, morbid, introverted kid's head that all of the above (and many, many more) have left in my head

More later.