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Do I Have A Romantic Screenplay In Me? | Screenwriting Blog

VALENTINE’S DAY

I’ve always believed that if you love someone, it should be an everyday thing but I also believe that kicking it up to another level on February 14th doesn’t hurt either.

Originally, I intended to write this post a while ago when I first saw this video from Taylor Swift…

Yes, Taylor Swift was just mentioned on this blog.

My girlfriend is a big fan and this song just, worked when I heard it.

It got me thinking about all the screenplays I’ve written and while several had romantic elements, I had never tackled a full tilt romance.  Why not?  I’m in love.  I have opinions and thoughts on the matter right?  Why haven’t I written a romantic comedy or drama yet?

Truthfully, the genre scares the hell out of me.  How do you set yourself a part from so many wonderful stories of love, friendship, passion and beauty.  It has to be unique in a world full of romance and countless films depicting the mountains and valleys of love.

So throughout the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking about how to create an original romantic tale that I would be proud to write and honestly, I think I have.  The idea came to me as a direct result of this video even though the idea really has no connection to Taylor Swift’s song at all.  That didn’t stop the tune from inspiring a new screenplay.

Currently, the project is in a fairly long line of screenplays I want to write but I’m starting to get pretty excited about the idea of writing about love.  It’s a theme I’ve never fully explored on the page.

But each and every day, I think about the special person in my life and how unbelievably lucky I am to have her.

And suddenly, the romantic genre doesn’t seem so scary at all.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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The Athletic Nerd Movies Screenwriting Independent Film Blog

In it’s simplest form, The Athletic Nerd is the home of 17 West Productions.

17W is my production company that I co-run with producer/director Eric Gamache.

Originally, The Nerd lived at 17west.ca and basically existed so people would have a reason to return to our site while we were between films.

It’s not easy getting traffic to a website that no one is searching for.

People didn’t know us.

Back in those days, I wasn’t knowledgeable enough in web design to create a full featured blog. I created each page from scratch and the process became tedious.

The content suffered.

It also became clear to me that our company’s page was no place for my personal views and opinions on movies.

I decided to move the content to a brand new blog. A place to write about filmmaking, screenwriting and of course, the progress of 17W.

The Athletic Nerd was born.

Since then, I’ve worked hard to integrate and interlink both sites together. Daily updates. Traffic.

The results have been amazing thus far with our films receiving far more exposure. Once google found this blog, more and more people made their way to our home page.

I’m happy I made the decision to move the blog to it’s own site.

It gave me the freedom to talk about more than just 17 West.

It allowed me to have fun and write about what I’m personally passionate about.

It gave me a place to share my experiences as a filmmaker with others. To network. To expand my knowledge of both indie film and building a personal blog.

It’s been challenging to develop a unique style but it’s something I continue to work at everyday.

The overall goal is simple.

I love movies and I love filmmaking.

The Athletic Nerd gives me a wonderful place to discuss one while promoting the other.

I can write about the screenwriting craft and how mesmerizing it is to look at a blank page and imagine the possibilities.

Above all else, I love to write about what inspires me. It’s all about the movies we love.

It’s been one year.

I’ve never been more dedicated.

17 West Productions Toronto

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Things I Love About Screenwriting

Screenwriting is my passion. I love writing and I love movies.  It’s an addiction.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve searched for ways to express myself creatively.  Screenwriting just fit so easily.  I’ve been obsessed ever since.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been thinking more and more about my overall body of work and decided it was time to expand.  So I’ve set some pretty ambitious goals over the course of the next year.  Basically, I’ve challenged myself to be better.  To learn more.  To write more.

This thought process inspired me to sit down and really think about why I love to write screenplays.

It isn’t a complete list by any means but it does represent an important idea.

Screenwriting means something different for anyone who has ever loved movies enough to give it a shot.

Here’s a small look at some simple things that remind me why I love screenwriting so much:

  1. The first time I saw the screenplay format and decided to try it.
  2. Watching movies that make me feel like writing.
  3. Feeling inspired.
  4. Being excited about a new story.
  5. The freedom to come up with new ideas.
  6. Launching Final Draft.
  7. Typing FADE IN:
  8. Writing just because I can.
  9. Finding that one thing that ties the entire story together.
  10. Designing a title page.
  11. Writing ‘trailers’ before I start a screenplay.
  12. ‘Photoshopping’ posters for new stories.
  13. Sitting somewhere quiet with a blank notebook and my imagination.
  14. Perfecting the opening scene.
  15. Keeping stories secret until they are finished.
  16. Finishing an outline and gearing up to start writing.
  17. Changing my furniture around whenever I start a new script.
  18. Finishing a first draft and then spending countless hours perfecting it.
  19. The rewriting process.
  20. Thinking about the little details.
  21. Writing good conversations.
  22. Losing track of time while I write.
  23. Writing about screenwriting.
  24. Making play lists of songs that remind me of the story I’m working on.
  25. Getting up early to write.
  26. Staying up late to write.
  27. Pulling all nighters.
  28. Creating cool villains.
  29. Creating cool heroes.
  30. Creating interesting supporting characters.
  31. Building inside jokes into scripts.
  32. Introducing new characters.
  33. Describing locations that no one has ever seen.
  34. Incorporating obscure references.
  35. Making up words and terms.
  36. Using white space to my advantage.
  37. Creative transitions between scenes.
  38. Bringing old characters into new stories.
  39. Writing confrontations and arguments.
  40. Powering through writer’s block.
  41. Revisiting old ideas.
  42. Making a change that makes the story better.
  43. Reading screenwriting books.
  44. Losing sleep because I have to write something down.
  45. Reading my old scripts.
  46. Reading screenwriting blogs.
  47. Reading produced hollywood screenplays.
  48. Knowing a characters decisions instinctively because you just know.
  49. Thinking of titles that have more than one meaning.
  50. Catching a mistake the spell checker missed.
  51. Writing on my iPhone.
  52. Printing out a finished script.
  53. Being terrified to show people my work and getting over it.
  54. Surprising myself.
  55. Typing THE END.
  56. Finishing a script and immediately starting work on a new one!

There’s literally thousands of little moments you experience when you are writing. It’s impossible to collect them all in one place.  These are just a few of the reasons why I’ll never stop writing movies.  It’s too much fun.

The Athletic Nerd Screenwriting

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How To Write A Screenplay when the weather's nice

Screenwriting has a way of dominating entire afternoons.  You sit down in the morning and before you know it you’re in the zone and time ceases to exist.

I believe to truly be passionate about something it has to be fun.

What’s the point if it’s not any fun?

This works both ways because you can never be really focused on your latest screenplay if you aren’t happy.

It’s a cycle that I make sure to pay close attention to.  I struggle to focus if my head is else where.

So how do you write a screenplay when the weather is nice?

Don’t!

Why not head out and take a break for the afternoon?  I’m not suggesting that you spend every nice day outside ignoring your need to write but once in a while doesn’t hurt.

I call them RECHARGE DAYS.

Sometimes the easiest way to take the pressure off is to step away for a bit and enjoy a gorgeous day.

The way I see it, you’ll regret not going out and living like a regular human being.

A while back, I was stuck on my most recent short screenplay.  It was an incredibly frustrating week.

Read: What to do if your screenplay isn’t working.

So instead of forcing myself and the story, I stepped away and enjoyed a weekend outdoors.  I came back recharged and ready to get back to work.

I had decided that setting that particular script aside would be the right move as it gives me more time to develop the story.

Then I began work on a new tale which is going extremely well so far.

Taking the time to live away from screenwriting always gives me an appreciation for the craft.  I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

It’s addicting.  It’s fun.

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