Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Mastering the Craft



I was online yesterday looking at some of the classes that will be offered at my local community college this next summer semester and I saw a script writing class that was open for evenings. I looked at the description and it seemed like something I'd enjoy. It's likely to improve my writing skills altogether, but I was curious just how different it would be to writing a novel. I have my general thoughts, based on the scripts I've seen in the past, but I wondered if any of you guys have experience with script or screen writing and could shed some light.

5 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

No, I don't, but I've heard it's very different from writing a book.
Sounds like an interesting class. Keep us updated.

Stephanie Thornton said...

I've never written a script, but I'm sure it could only help hone your writing skills. Have fun!

Hilary Wagner said...

I agree with Stephanie! I think it all links together and could do nothing but make you better! Who knows, you might LOVE writing scripts and never go back to novels (though I doubt the last part of that sentence)! :)

xoxo -- Hilary

Anonymous said...

Script writing is very different. Take out all your dialogue tags, leave off your descriptions and ditch your purple prose.

Scripts are no place for flowery writing. They are hard and fast action sequences with great dialogue. There is no room for namby pamby useless conversation if you don't want to bore the theater crowd to tears.

It's like the opposite of poetry. In poetry, you distill the emotions of a bigger event. In script writing, you distill the dialoge and action.

Does that help?

Check out Script Frenzy for a better take on the situation. And enjoy the process if you choose to go that route.

dolorah said...

Sounds interesting, but not for me. We had a guy in my crit group that was writing a screenplay. One the hardest things I could see is putting in "directions" for the characters - where they are standing, how, looks on faces without attaching thoughts/emotions, step by step movements.

It was all very complicated, and wordy. A whole lot different than novel writing. Good luck with the class. It should be an adventure, at the least.

..........dhole