Screenplay Tips | The Athletic Nerd

The Screenwriting Spark Volume 6

December 17th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting | The Spark - (0 Comments)

The last few weeks have been a blast.

I’ve been developing my newest feature screenplay and even though I haven’t got the story ironed out yet, I’m still happy with the progress I’m making.

While I’m working on that, I’m also picking away at three short film concepts that I’m hoping to wrap up before I move in a few months.

There is a lot of planning to do in both the screenwriting world and my personal life but I’m not complaining.

Either way it’s exciting.

While I develop these new stories, I decided to re-read my old screenwriting books. It’s been a fantastic exercise as the tips found in my favorite books are a big help while I build my new tales.

The next few months should be interesting. Let’s hope I reach my goals.

Volume 5

Twitter Sparks:

Recommended Follow: @kingisafink

Outlining: How Much Is Too Much? ScriptLab

Weak Main Conflict? – ScreenwritingU

How Oscar Scripts Really Work – Writer’s Store

Your Character’s Imaginary Center – ScriptLab

Be Careful About Who You Let Influence Your Rewrites – Wordsmythe

Screenwriter On A Mission: Get Sold In 2011 – Kelly Anelons

Screenwriting Description: What to reveal and when – DivaOnline

Screenwriting for executives | Robert Mckee – BigThink

The Black List 2010 – First Showing

The Short Script & Why It Matters – ScriptLab

On The Blogs:

Development 101: What a creative executive needs to love your script – Scriptmag

A visit from the ghost of coverage past – John August

Screenwriting lesson by Screenwriter Paul Haggis – The Screenwriter’s Place

The Next Steven Spielberg – Screenwriting From Iowa

Breaking In: Breaking The Rules – Scriptmag

Featured NERD Post: My Main Character Isn’t Very Good… Yet

FADE IN:

This blog began in September of 2009 and since then, I’ve written a lot about my favorite passion. Screenwriting will always be my favorite pass time.

I’m addicted to it.

Throughout the last year, I’ve been sharing my experiences in the screenwriting world including everything from finding time to write, to software reviews.

I decided to gather all of those articles and truly get a sense of how productive I was over the last year.

The result was A Year In The Life Of An Aspiring Screenwriter.

I’m about to take a much needed 2 week vacation in order to recharge and get ready for a productive 2011. It’s going to be a big year!

Happy holidays to all!

Happy writing!

FADE OUT.

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A Year In The Life Of An Aspiring Screenwriter

December 3rd, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

I’ve written a lot about screenwriting since The Athletic Nerd’s launch. This post happens to be my 100th entry in the category.

I even found time to write screenplays too!

Two years ago, while I was working on Playing Through, I lost touch with my number one passion in life. I was so busy with that short film that nearly a year went by without a single completed script. (Shorts included)

It was depressing and I vowed never to let it happen again.

My priority over the last year was to return to screenwriting and evolve my skills. I made it my mission to not only write but write better.

As time went on, I found new ways to write and new sources of inspiration. This is a collection posts that chronicles an incredibly fun year in the life of an aspiring screenwriter.

Part I: Screenplay Inspiration

A year in the life of an aspiring screenwriter

100 + Awesome Screenwriting Websites

56 Things I Love About Screenwriting

10 Screenwriting Books That Inspired Me

10 Flicks: Movies That Make Me Feel Like Writing

Re-Reading Your Old Screenwriting Books

The First Screenplay I Ever Wrote

Screenwriting: The Back Story (Mine)

Era 7: A Screenwriter Evolves

I Want To Be A Screenwriter

A Screenwriter’s New Years

17 West Short Film Story Meeting

FEATURED: The Screenwriting Spark

The Creative Ignition: Basketball

The Creative Ignition 2: The Ceiling

The Creative Ignition 3: Road Trips

The Creative Ignition 4: Libraries

Part II: Writing Screenplays

A year in the life of an aspiring screenwriter

Screenwriters: Do You Have An Agent Yet?

The Screenplay Is Done! Time To Move On…

Screenwriting: Writing Great Action Scenes

Rushing To Finish Your Screenplay

Screenwriting: Make Actors Fight To Play Your Characters

A Perfect Place To Write Screenplays

Crosstown: Writing A Short Screenplay

Does Putting Your Screenplay On Hold Make You Sad?

Bus. Subway. Cab. Boat. Plane. Screenplay

Shut Up, Sit Down And Write Screenplays!

Writing A Screenplay: What Happens Next?

Screenplay Titles: Before Or After You Write?

Screenwriting, eBooks, Final Cut, Photoshop & Super Mario Galaxy 2

What To Do If Your Screenplay Isn’t Working

How To Write A Screenplay When The Weather’s Nice

Screenwriting: The Importance Of White Space

Making A Screenwriting Schedule

The Importance Of The Screenwriter’s Notebook

Productive Days

Finding Time To Write

Screenwriting: Dealing With Time Constraints

Screenwriting: Rewriting The Climb

The Climb: Improving The Screenplay

Tweaking Your Screenplay: Subtle Rewrites

Part III: The World Of Screenwriting

Creating Concept Art For Your Screenplay

Screenwriting Book Review: How NOT To Write A Screenplay

Cab Drivers, Inspiration & The Sound Of Music

Scriptchat: A Screenwriting Community

What ‘The Matrix’ Screenplay Taught Me

There’s Something Cool About A 3 Page Screenplay

Photoshop: A Cure For Writer’s Block?

Dexter & Screenwriting

Becoming A Screenwriter For Hire

Is My Screenplay Ready For Competitions?

A Screenwriter’s Holiday Isn’t Really A Holiday At All Is It?

Screenwriting: The Return Of An Old Idea

Writing About Screenwriting… Instead Of Screenwriting

New Ideas vs Finishing Your Screenplay

Tilt Interview Part 2: The Screenplay

Screenwriting: Finishing A Feature Screenplay

Screenwriting: Afraid To Show People Your Work?

The Screenwriting Balance

The Plate: Filmmakers With Jobs

Screenwriting: New Surroundings

Screenwriting: The Print Out

Feeling Guilty About Not Working

The Return To Screenwriting

I Like Working

I Like Working: The Follow Up

Part IV: Mobile Screenwriting

A year in the life of an aspiring screenwriter

Review: Celtx For iPhone And iPad

Review: SCRIPTS PRO For iPhone

Screenplay Development… On A Greyhound Bus

Mobile Screenwriting Round Up

Final Draft is coming to the iPad!

Spotlight: ScriptWrite vs Screenplay

Riding and Writing: iPhone At Work

Spotlight: Screenplay Black Mana

Screenwriting: Portable Writing

A Look Ahead

I’ve learned a lot about myself since I started this blog. Writing about screenwriting has helped me realize how much I love to write movies. In the past year, I’ve written a bunch of shorts and finished a feature script that I’ve put off for years. Not to mention contributing to this blog, directing The Climb, building 3 websites from scratch and writing an eBook. (eBook details coming soon…)

This year is all about superheroes and action scenes. I’m taking a break from the drama to do something a little different and I’m beyond excited about it.

I had a great time looking back at all these old posts. While I’ve definitely evolved as a blogger, it’s easy to see I’ve evolved as a screenwriter as well.

I’m looking forward to taking the next step.

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Re-Reading Your Screenwriting Books

November 29th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

One of my favorite books on screenwriting is How Not to Write a Screenplay: 101 Common Mistakes Most Screenwriters Make.

I’ve read it at least once or twice a year since the day I unwrapped it for Christmas long ago.

Click here for my review.

Since I finished my last feature screenplay, I’ve been working a ton on my new script. I love the early development stage. Working with a clean slate and having the freedom to try different things is incredibly inspiring.

It’s also a chance to get ahead on my research and really get to know the characters I’m creating and the world in which they live.

The other day, I was in my office writing some notes and about to head to work when I glanced at my book shelf.

It’s absolutely full of screenwriting books. One in particular jumped out at me:

Real Screenwriting: Strategies and Stories from the Trenches

It’s one of the few books I’ve only read once and I decided it was time to go back and read about the craft I love. Every day I read 10 pages or so on my way to work (it’s a short commute) and I’m now addicted to screenwriting books again.

I’ve since decided to go back and read a few more. It’s a great way for an aspiring screenwriter to stay sharp especially when a story is still young and fragile.

What are your favorite screenwriting books?

Click here to check out my top 10 books on screenwriting.

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Screenwriting: Writing Great Action Scenes

November 22nd, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

I’ve spent the last few years writing dramas, family stories and a few scattered horror tales here and there.

Recently, I finished a new feature length screenplay that I had been picking at for more than 4 years. It’s another drama loosely based on my college experiences.

It was incredibly gratifying to finish but I’ve missed writing action scenes.

My first few features were action packed tales that weren’t very good but incredibly fun to write.

It’s time to return to action screenplays!

On deck? 2 new short screenplay projects and a feature I’m beyond excited to develop. All with action elements.

However, I have to be careful. It’s been a while and I’m a different writer now. Writing effective action scenes relies heavily on your imagination and ability to convey those images in written form.

Read the screenplay for The Matrix for a phenomenal examples of well written and imaginative action scenes.

I’ve been writing a short film over the last few weeks that ends in a pretty brutal and realistic fight. There is a twist to it of course but I’m having trouble getting my thoughts down on the page.

I’ll get there eventually.

I just have NEED to make sure the action scenes are entertaining.

I’m a massive fan of action films. So far, I’m not as entertained as I should be. This is why I love planning and rewrites. You have an infinite amount of chances to get it right.

You have to keep at it until the scene works.

Make it exciting. Make it unique.

I’m constantly asking myself a series of questions:

Have I seen this before?
Is this an exciting scene?
How can I make it better?
Is it too much?
Is it action for the sake of action?
Can I inject meaning into it? Character?
Is… It… Entertaining?

There are 50 billion more important questions I’m asking myself and I’m having an absolute blast!

It’s so much fun designing these sequences.

I forgot how much I love the genre. I may stick around for a while.

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The Screenwriting Spark Volume 5

November 17th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting | The Spark - (0 Comments)

The Spark returns for it’s 5th installment and it’s an exciting week for me. This week, I finally finished a feature screenplay I’ve been picking at for more than 4 years.

It’s about time!

It’s nice to finally get the story out there. I still have a lot of revisions and rewrites to do but I’ve never felt more relieved to finish a screenplay.

I’m free to write whatever I want next and I’m okay with that.

Click here to read more.