Screenwriting: The Return Of An Old Idea
April 28th, 2010 | Posted by in Screenwriting
Screenwriters often have a stable of ideas they’re considering for their next project. Many of these ideas end up being forgotten over time.
But every so often, old ideas can resurface in a big, big way.
Only a small percentage of the movie ideas a screenwriter has becomes a full fledged screenplay. It takes a big commitment to take the time it requires to develop and write a great story.
Truthfully, a lot of ideas aren’t ready to be turned into polished scripts right away.
So what happens to these ideas?
Many writers have notebooks or hard drives full of partially developed ideas. Some people write them down on napkins or scraps of paper and collect them in shoe boxes. Some tell their friends so they’ve at least spoken the idea out loud in case they forget. Some people just remember.
XTRA | Screenwriting Stuff I Carry Around Every Day
Do you collect story ideas?
I use notebooks for the most part but my iPhone chips in every now and then. By constantly writing down cool concepts and story ideas, I feel like I’m always working on something new. It adds up to a variety of unused ideas you can turn to whenever writer’s block strikes.
I’ve got a stock pile of old ideas that I’ll probably never write but that doesn’t mean they are dead. I keep them just in case a moment of inspiration hits. A moment when you think of something you haven’t thought of before. A new way to approach a script.
I call it a hook.
The Hook
I usually come up with concepts first. I like to have a clear idea of the type of story I want to tell or a cool character I want to write about. Sometimes many elements are in place but a story still lacks an engine that makes me believe it could become a good movie. I.E: The Hook.
The other day, I found a hook and an old idea came rushing back to the top of my development list.
I was riding the subway on my way to work thinking about an old story I abandoned a while back. As I left the station it hit me…
These types of moments are what a writer dreams of. A moment of clarity when everything comes together and you can see a story clearly… And you’re excited!
Writers everywhere chase that feeling every second of every day.
It’s an amazing rush.
It’s an addicting burst of creativity.
It’s the reason I love making up stories.
The breakthrough
The idea in question is a short I’ve been thinking about writing for years. This one is unlike anything I’ve ever attempted and so it simultaneously excites and scares me. Perfect.
The Hook I discovered really tied together all the elements that made the idea exciting to begin with. I still don’t know if it will be the next short I’ll write but I’m officially on board to find out where this story will take me.
Bringing back an old story can happen randomly but maybe the story was meant to lie dormant until my subway ride that day.
It’s an interesting thought isn’t it?
Does fate determine the stories we tell?
Pretty deep. Here is a picture of a blank screen and some clouds to illustrate my point.
Related Posts
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback.
I stand by with an idea spreadsheet that I’ve put up on google docs. This way anywhere I go or any computer I use allows me the ability to toss down ideas. I tried notebooks, but would never have it around when an idea stuck. Post it notes would get lost in the shuffle or work, home, and home office. I’m very consistent with the spreadsheet and the ideas just keep piling up! I don’t think I will ever run out of something to write based off of how often ideas arrive and how long it takes to complete the stories!