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    Write a Script in a Day. Really.
    Write a Script in a Day. Really.
    Write a Script in a Day. Really.
    Ebook88 pages1 hour

    Write a Script in a Day. Really.

    By Sally Parmer

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    About this ebook

    You want to write a script, have finished one, are trying to fix an existing one, or are just stuck. You’ve read Save the Cat and/or Louis Catron’s books. You have your protagonist on a Hero’s Journey. And you want to sell your work. Try this one-day technique first, to make certain you can identify any weak points and validate your strong ones.

    All scripts have weaknesses. Even the very best and most successful. Here, you’ll set aside your current project(s) for just one day while going through the eye-opening process that may make you think twice about who your protagonist really is and where your setting is failing your script, and you’ll learn more about those all-important characters. (Quick: What does your “bad guy” carry on his keychain?)

    Write a Script in a Day, Really is a tried-and-true method of learning to build a solid script structure, pull your story from your characters, and create natural dialogue. Although on campus and in seminars it involves a group of people, you can do this alone. Thousands of others have, and have succeeded beautifully.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSally Parmer
    Release dateOct 28, 2016
    Write a Script in a Day. Really.
    Author

    Sally Parmer

    Sally has taught drama and scriptwriting most of her adult life. with many onstage and on film productions to her credit. She is now focusing on novels and non-fiction books. A native Southern Californian, Sally lives by the beach with her husband and houseful of cats.

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      Book preview

      Write a Script in a Day. Really. - Sally Parmer

      Write A Script In A Day.

      Really.

      before you write another

      word, try this method.

      it’s guaranteed.

      Sally Parmer
      remembermyname@earthlink.net
      www.babyremembermyname.com
      © 2016, 2007, 1990, 1988, 1985
      cover design by James at GoOnWrite.com

      You want to write a script and you want to do it fast. If you write for film, you’ve read Save the Cat. If you write for stage, you’ve read Louis Catron’s books. And of course you know the protagonist needs to follow the Hero’s Journey if your script is going to be successful.

      So, after pouring over the Writer’s Digest series of how-to books, having your professor or confessor or mentor or mom read your work, and getting thumbs ups, are you unhappy, unpublished, and/or unproduced?

      Maybe, just maybe, although you’ve got your protagonist on his/her Hero’s Journey … you’ve got the wrong guy.

      Are you sure who your protagonist is? Really? I want you to be sure.

      I also want you to be sure where your Point of Attack is, and when the Climax hits.

      So set aside your current work (yes, I’m serious), go through this book, and actually do it. Don’t just read it – do it. You’ll surprise yourself. I guarantee it.

      (So you know, this method of structuring a script has been taught on campus, in seminars, in small group settings, and over the internet since the mid-eighties. It has never failed to produce a solidly-structured script.)

      Table of Contents

      Write A Script In A Day. Really.

      First, Call Your Friends and Get Your Supplies

      The Basics

      No groaning about what’s below!

      Once you’ve got a group set up, you’ll want to, at the most, get together

      More on this later!

      Don’t Skip This. It’s Important.

      Create A Setting, Characters, and Conflicts … In Thirty Minutes

      Have every group member write a least one each of each of these, using a separate labeled index card for each topic (so you can shuffle them) …

      Please ask every member of your group to write three-five of each of these, using a separate labeled index card for each topic (again, so you can easily shuffle them)

      Okay, if you’re stuck without people, contact me

      Please Note: I have not overlooked the Two-Person Conflicts. Just save that stack for a few minutes

      Remember: When dealing with anything fiction, Suspend Reality

      Workshop Transcript Example Number One

      Connect Characters and Conflicts

      Workshop Transcript Example Number Two

      Try This. Do It. Please.

      Pull Your Story From Your Characters

      Create Your Four Major Points

      Keep The Energy Up

      Get Your Group Involved

      Avoid Common Stumbling Blocks

      Master Dialogue With A Walk-Through

      If your group does, for some reason, takes turns talking as their characters, tell them to stop it! They need to talk normally!

      Once you’ve talked your way through your story and your plot points a couple of times, call your script finished. Congratulations!

      Workshop Transcript Excerpts

      First, Call Your Friends and Get Your Supplies

      If you really want to do this full-on, get together a group of friends. Go through your e-mail list, your Rolodex, your cell contacts, your holiday card list … ask your relatives and the people at work … run a small local newspaper ad or post a notice at a local college … there are a million ways to get a group together. And you only need five to ten people for a great experience. If you have more than ten or twelve, it can get confusing.

      Come on! You know five people you can bribe with pizza and iced tea for an afternoon! Anybody can do this! We checked. We took our method to the ninth floor of a major Los Angeles office building and asked six businesspeople – all dressed in suits and ties and speaking corporate jargon – to join us for three hours. We really did expect a disaster, but those left-brainers came through with flying colors. Not only did they complete the experience, they created a comedy that was good enough for production. Don’t be afraid to ask!

      If you just don’t want to throw a scriptwriting party, you can gather the required information via e-mail and/or phone. Or you can write me for help at remembermyname@earthlink.net.

      Yes, you’ll have to devote more of your own time and energy to the technique, and no, the experience isn’t always as fast, easy and fun when working alone, but it has been done, and done well.

      No groaning about what’s below!

      The first thing you’ll want to do is convince everyone to either read or watch A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Not only is it a solid script, making it an excellent frame of reference, you undoubtedly were forced to read it in high school English class, it’s available in every bookstore we called, and at least one version of the movie is available in every video rental store I phoned. Ask everyone to get familiar with the script. They don’t have to love it. They just need to know it. And hey, it won the Pulitzer Prize.

      Once you’ve got a group set up, you’ll want to, at the most, get together

      Lots of index cards

      Paper (either plain or lined)

      Felt pens (using different colors will keep you more organized)

      Standard pens and pencils

      Scissors (just in case)

      Paper clips

      A stapler

      Access to a photocopier (if possible)

      Any other writing and office supplies you have available

      Or

      Just open a document on your computer and turn on your printer.

      You’ll want to set up

      A large work surface (we’ve used the floor on numerous occasions)

      Comfortable seating

      Decent lighting

      Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks

      A TV set (if your group intends to watch the movie together before beginning)

      Warning: If you

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