« Jewish Librarians Go West | Main | Seraphic Rules of Screenwriting Part II »
March 09, 2005
Seraphic Rules of Screenwriting Part I
I get a lot of mail from readers asking me about writing. More specifically, how do I go about writing a movie? The temptation is to respond with some pat answer, but I know that there are people out there with a burning desire to tell a story, yet lack the basic skills required to set pen to paper--okay, finger-tip to keyboard. And so, my answer usually goes something like this:
Writing is ninety percent perspiration, ten percent inspiration. In other words do not wait to get struck with inspiration. That's a load of romantic nonsense. In fact, that's a sure way not to write. The biggest secret in Hollywood, at least for writers who actually work and make money is how hard they work. Discipline is the name of the game. Organization is also vital. An obsession with the minutae of a story are a requirement. As someone once said, G-d is in the details.
Okay, The Five Seraphic Rules of Screenwriting:
Rule #1: Screenplays are all about structure.
Rule #2: Keep your scenes short.
Rule #3: If a scene does not advance the plot, drop it.
Rule #4: Use simple sentence structure.
Before I write a script, I sit down and work out a detailed outline. This is a scene by scene breakdown of the entire three act story. Every story has three acts. If it doesn't, it's not s story. I go over it again and again. I probe for weaknesses; I am merciless with myself.
After the outline is done, I put it away for 24 hours. I read a book or two. I screen my favorite movie The Seven Samurai, the most perfect movie ever made. It's a way of reminding myself that greatness is out there. It's something to shoot for. Okay, back to the outline, final revisions. Then I sit down and tell the story to a friend. I watch their body language. Are they falling asleep? Is the story confusing? It's easy to tell if someone is riveted to a story. They sit forward, they break in, ask questions. They want to know what happens next. This session is telling. I end up making even more adjustments to the outline.
Time to go to script. Five to ten pages a day, that's the goal I set myself. I rip through it like a madman. Ask Karen, I ignore, well, everything. The phone rings, no way I'm going to pick it up. Garbage needs to be taken out, forget it. Here's what my day looks like: I get up, go to shul, come home and eat, write, write, write, daven Mincha, write, daven Maariv, write, shower, go to bed. Dream about the script. Wake up. Repeat for three weeks.
Then I read the finished first draft and I always, I promise, I always feel like jumping off the nearest skyscraper.
"Karen?"
"Yes, Robert?"
"I have no talent anymore."
"It's the worst movie you've ever written."
"How did you know!?"
"Because you say that after every first draft."
"But this time it's true."
"I know. I know. Try rewriting."
Eureka!
My wife is soooo smart.
I sit down and rewrite for another few weeks. And that, my friends is the secret and the most important...
Rule #5: Writing is Rewriting.
You have to be willing to rip your work apart, admit it's terrible, and start all over again. If a writer does not rewrite he/she is not a writer, he/she is a typist.
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at March 9, 2005 04:23 PM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
Robert, although I know the answer, you never mention in that sample daily routine just how much time is spent reading e-mails, responding to e-mails and blogging...
Having read your insights, I now have got to start back at square one because I'm one of those "let's wait for the writing muse to hit me on the head" types. But once the muse hits, she usually thwacks me on the forehead and the words just flow...
From experience I know that it is much easier to edit someone else's work than your own, but the trick is that if time allows, you put aside your writing, come back to it a few days later, with a fresh outlook and maybe some new ideas to help you revise, revise, revise.
Posted by: Pearl at March 9, 2005 06:22 PM
So what are the five rules for getting representation (assuming you haven't otherwise sold anything to anyone in Hollywood)?
Posted by: Mister Median at March 10, 2005 08:12 AM
The Seven Samurai, is, indeed, a great film, one of the greatest. It is one of my all-time favorites and I can't count the number of times I have seen it. People always talk about Mifune Toshiro, but Shimura Takashi (who plays the leader of the samurai) was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, actors who ever lived. (If you don't believe me, watch Ikiru (To Live), where he plays a petty bureaucrat dying of cancer who tries to redeem his life before the end. An absolutely amazing performance).
That being said, I am curious as to why you, as a professional screenwriter, call it the greatest film ever made. Is it something specific, such as the screenplay, or just a combination of things?
For example, why is it superior to, say, Casablanca, a film with not a single wasted moment or word, or Citizen Kane, which tops most "Greatest Films" lists?
I'm asking you to explain your reasons as a professional, not as an individual. That is, I am intersted in understanding your professional opinion as opposed to your individual likes and dislikes.
Posted by: Earl Hartman at March 11, 2005 11:32 AM