I’ve given up on my imaginary award-winning screenplay and turned it into a book instead. An imaginary award-winning book, probably. The trouble is that I don’t have the first clue how to write a screenplay and I found the whole thing a bit tedious:
INT. DUBLIN APARTMENT, DAY
Puts down pen, stomps out door.
Zzzz. The interesting thing about turning it into a book is that now I can explain what people are thinking – which I'm finding very, very exciting. And I can always adapt it later on when I’m back in film school with experienced tutors to advise me / tear it all to pieces etc.
Of course, I don’t have the first clue how to write a book, either. I have most of the plot figured out, minus the ending, but apart from that I’m just making it up as I go along, toiling over random chapters here and there in no particular order.
I’m hoping this is the professional way to go about it. I fear it isn't.
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Þú ert alveg örugglega á réttri leið elskan mín. Ég hlakka til að lesa söguna þína.
ReplyDeleteVona að íslenskir sunnudagar gangi vel.
Knús,
Signý
Stephen King says it's all about story. Plot comes from story. So write the story and let the plot unravel as you go.
ReplyDeleteAm also toiling over a book. The best advice I was given was to get the first draft down very quickly, almost without thinking about it, then go back over it with fresh eyes afterwards.
ReplyDeleteIt's the style that I'm struggling with most, really — it still sounds a bit forced. The only style I already have is my blonky one, but that'd be ridick. You're the second person to quote Steven King at me this week, cuz. Spooky.
ReplyDeleteCherry, this is what I'm going for at the moment, yes. I just hate things to sound a bit rubbish, so I find myself going back over it all endlessly and nit-picking.
Signý — því miður elsky elsk, en íslenskir sunnudagar hafa ekki hafist ennþá. Og við getum ekki byrjað næsta sunnudag af því að við erum búið að bjóða nágrannunnunur okkur í heimsókn. En bráðum, ég lofa því!
Knúsý-knús xxx
Good choice. The book is invariably better than the film.
ReplyDeleteWhat tense are you writing in?
ReplyDeletePast. Although it cuts back and forwards between now and 20 years ago, so maybe the now bits should be present...
ReplyDeleteThere's the problem. Two tenses. Sorry. I mean too tense. Just relax girl. Be yourself.
ReplyDeleteBeing yourself is overrated that's why I almost never do it.
ReplyDeleteAre you really wanting to write a book?
ReplyDeleteEveryone writes differently. I start with one scene in my head - chapter 1.
Before I write it, I determine hero, heroine, bitch/bastard who gets in the way. Secondary characters are a plus but not necessary yet.
I *have* to have my title before I start writing and *have* to have surnames determined as well. But that's just me.
After the first 10,000 words or so I make an outline, so I have an idea of where it's all going, because I just let it go where it's going, initially.
Once my characters let me know what they want (and I'm not kidding, sometimes you can literally be very surprised at something you write, like they have a mind of their own) I guide it the toward the end.
I know several authors who write the entire outline and never waver, and use it from page 1. I can't do that. But it works for some people.
One piece of advice is pay close attention to your point of views. Don't change them mid-paragraph, etc. It pulls the reader out of your story and can make them put the book down.
Also stay away from passives if you can.
Get writing, woman!
I have no title at all, I can't think what I would call it, and the characters names are open to change because they're Icelandic. I want them to be realistic but also not too difficult to pronounce for the rest of the world (seems it's going to be an INTERNATIONAL best seller).
ReplyDeletePoints of view thing is good advice, I think I've been having trouble with that, because I want to explain what everyone is thinking all the time.
What do you mean by "passives"?
Being a fantastic writer, I often communicate thought exactly how I relay speech -
ReplyDelete"What lovely knockers," I thought
or
"I am scared of him," she thought.
There.
Super well done to you on starting. Best of luck with it. Wish I had your focus. Can't think of a better style than your blog one.
ReplyDeletethe OU run some great online writing courses - I did their start writing fiction one. Why not look up their website and see if there's anything that interests you.
ReplyDeleteI had a look, cheers Sylvia, it looks interesting, but I'm hoping to be accepted for a place on a Film Studies MA starting this Autumn, so any more courses will have to wait. Might not get a place yet though.
ReplyDeleteThank you Flirty xx
Pah, who cares about the method as long as you get the result? Hey, maybe it'd make a good sitcom...
ReplyDeleteI think Isabella is referring to the use of verbs in the passive tense, which is kind of what I was hinting towards too. Don't do it, it's distracting and awkward and doesn't allow your writing to flow.
ReplyDeleteIts opposite is active. For example:
"I ate the baby" (active) sounds much better than "The baby was eaten by me" (passive).
It's a copout, softly-softly way of writing, often favoured by people who are frightened to give their opinion. In my opinion.
Also, it distances you from characters, which is the last thing you want when writing. Unless you don't want anyone to read it.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, this all sounds very complicated, perhaps I should do a course after all. None of it is in first-person, btw. Although maybe it should be. Arrfgle.
ReplyDeleteFirst or third person - either one is good, as long as you involve the reader by avoiding that passive style. Think about whether you want to be omnipotent or open the story up according to the character's perspectives, and choose accordingly.
ReplyDeleteI write fast fast fast, so fast that big chunks are just garbled crap, and it's only when I rewrite that it makes sense. I would suggest just writing as you please, and only when you go back over it should you be critical. The biggest impediment to not writing is not writing, so just write, even if you think it's shit. It will come together.
You don't need a course Annie - you've got a wonderful storytelling style.
Okay, I see what you mean, I don't want to be omnipotent at all, I want to get right inside each character's head whenever they're the focal point. Except maybe the baddy. No wait! Especially the baddy! Hmm.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you :)