Sunday, April 22, 2012
TITLE
If you want to use the title in a line of dialogue that's your choice. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Your call.
But for the love of Pete please don't write it in CAPS. We get it already. We do.
And if we didn't get it it's probably because we don't want it. CAPS won't change that.
Friday, April 13, 2012
As You Know...
If you start a diologue line with "As you know-" you might as well stamp INFODUMP on the page.
"As you know..." is not only a notorious lead in for infodumps, it's also bad dialogue. When was the last time you heard it outside of a business meeting? Or heard good dialogue inside of one?
If you see "As you know..." in your script jazz it up (have someone react to how patronizing it is) or cut it out. It rarely leads anywhere worth going.
As you know.
"As you know..." is not only a notorious lead in for infodumps, it's also bad dialogue. When was the last time you heard it outside of a business meeting? Or heard good dialogue inside of one?
If you see "As you know..." in your script jazz it up (have someone react to how patronizing it is) or cut it out. It rarely leads anywhere worth going.
As you know.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Disappointment Drama Is Disappointing
Here's a script I see every year: The lead is cynical. The world then validates the lead's view by treating him like crap. Things get worse.
The end.
While you may not realize it, what this script says is "MY LEAD IS ALWAYS RIGHT." Complete with caps locks.
There are a lot of things drama is. What's it's not is a predictable journey from one character letting people down to another. My nickname for this is 'Disappointment Drama.' It is not a remarkable insight into the human condition. It's a livejournal rant that runs for over 90 pages.
If you want to showcase the worst in human behavior you need to contrast it with something. It doesn't have to be the best of humanity, just something other than ceaseless, pulse-less ennui. Perhaps it brings a good man down, results in war, destroys an empire...
Change is the key. People don't pay to watch the grass grow but if your lead is always right they might as well have. At least then they'd see some growth.
Perhaps the title for this post should be 'Disappointment Drama is Dull.' Because it is.
Good writing shouldn't be.
This also goes for everyone writing passive heroines (yes, they're mostly heroines), the kind who stare listlessly out kitchen windows while their men sleep with their friends and their children sneak money from their purse. The kind that spend whole scripts waiting for someone else (usually a man) to step in and fix their life for them.
Remember: If people consider someone doing nothing for hours on end grand entertainment they'll buy a statue.
The end.
While you may not realize it, what this script says is "MY LEAD IS ALWAYS RIGHT." Complete with caps locks.
There are a lot of things drama is. What's it's not is a predictable journey from one character letting people down to another. My nickname for this is 'Disappointment Drama.' It is not a remarkable insight into the human condition. It's a livejournal rant that runs for over 90 pages.
If you want to showcase the worst in human behavior you need to contrast it with something. It doesn't have to be the best of humanity, just something other than ceaseless, pulse-less ennui. Perhaps it brings a good man down, results in war, destroys an empire...
Change is the key. People don't pay to watch the grass grow but if your lead is always right they might as well have. At least then they'd see some growth.
Perhaps the title for this post should be 'Disappointment Drama is Dull.' Because it is.
Good writing shouldn't be.
This also goes for everyone writing passive heroines (yes, they're mostly heroines), the kind who stare listlessly out kitchen windows while their men sleep with their friends and their children sneak money from their purse. The kind that spend whole scripts waiting for someone else (usually a man) to step in and fix their life for them.
Remember: If people consider someone doing nothing for hours on end grand entertainment they'll buy a statue.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Word of the Day
A cool word or phrase will get my attention at first usage.
At the second, it sounds like you're saying 'Hey, remember that time I used that cool word or phrase? That was cool, right?'
By the third it's just sad.
'Calendar Girls' has an example of this dead-horsification: "Jam and Jerusalem," a nickname for how the ladies' in the club spend their time, eating jam on bread and singing the British hymn 'Jerusalem.' If I remember right they dropped it like it was hot at least three times. By the third it was room temp at best.
Words and phrases I've seen used multiple times within one script for no reason include: Chupacabra, riding b*tch, sloppy seconds, miasma, and more...
This is an intermediate note so it may not apply to you. But think about how often your favorite words/terms show up in your script and remember the golden rule:
When it doubt, cut it out.
At the second, it sounds like you're saying 'Hey, remember that time I used that cool word or phrase? That was cool, right?'
By the third it's just sad.
'Calendar Girls' has an example of this dead-horsification: "Jam and Jerusalem," a nickname for how the ladies' in the club spend their time, eating jam on bread and singing the British hymn 'Jerusalem.' If I remember right they dropped it like it was hot at least three times. By the third it was room temp at best.
Words and phrases I've seen used multiple times within one script for no reason include: Chupacabra, riding b*tch, sloppy seconds, miasma, and more...
This is an intermediate note so it may not apply to you. But think about how often your favorite words/terms show up in your script and remember the golden rule:
When it doubt, cut it out.
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