Is that Hollywood Calling? - Part 1 - Introduction

So you’ve discovered the voices in your head are characters demanding to have their stories told. Good news is you won’t need medication to stop the voices. The bad news is getting their stories on paper isn’t as easy as it sounds. Especially if you’ve decided they need to be seen on the big screen. Or even the small screen.

If you write books switching over to screenplays may seem easy. You already know how to tell a story. You know about goal, motivation and conflict. You know that your characters have to be sympathetic. Show don’t tell is a constant mantra you play in your head. You know the story needs to have a beginning, middle and end. And you know the dangers of the sagging middle. Some of you have even taken courses to apply three act structure to your novel. Or a course on applying Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to your book. And don’t forget the W method of plotting. Piece of cake to switch sides and write movies, right? WRONG.

Screenplays and books are two very different animals. With all the talk that has been going on in one of my screenplay loops I had to write about the differences between screenplays and books.

This screenwriting series will include at least 7 more posts. Hopefully they’ll answer some questions, get you thinking about that next story, or at least be entertaining. If you have any questions you can post them in the comments or send me an email. Part two will cover the basics. Format and length. In Hollywood they really do matter.

Until next time…

Cindy