Starting A New Screenplay | The Athletic Nerd

Writing A Superhero Movie: The Birth Of A New Screenplay

I finished my last feature length screenplay earlier this year. It was a drama loosely based on my time in college and by loosely based I mean the location stuck and maybe a couple scattered inside jokes. It was about growing up or more specifically, realizing you’re already a grown up.

The next feature I wanted to write was an extremely sad drama about redemption and family. However, after some thought, I decided it was time to step out of my comfort zone. Over the last few years, I’ve written a bunch of dramatic short screenplays including Playing Through and The Climb. Both are short films I directed.

XTRA | Directing Short Films: Playing Through vs The Climb

This time, I wanted to change things up. I wanted action. So I decided to put my new drama on hold and develop a superhero movie. Automatically this caused problems because in today’s movie world, superheroes are everywhere. How could I set myself a part? What could I write that would be different and fresh?

I set out to develop a concept I came up with last year and really worked hard over these last few months to work out a story I felt was worthy. The first thing I did was eliminate the word superhero from my vocabulary. I like to tell people I’m working on the least heroic superhero movie I could think of. I hit some snags here and there. Mainly with my main character. Yet somehow, I surprised myself by how attached I became to his story.

XTRA | Make Actors Fight To Play Your Characters

THE DRAMA RETURNED

The biggest surprise came when I realized my superhero movie turned into a drama. It does have big action but it also has big tears.

Last week, I spent 4 hours in a local library with nothing except a blank notebook and a pen. I wrote the entire story with as much detail as possible. It wasn’t quite a treatment or an outline but rather an OutMENT. (OutMENT? Just remember who made up that term!)

Essentially, my outMENTs are a series of point form notes mixed with larger descriptions of key scenes and characters. They’re full of story notes in the margins and most of the time they’re a complete mess. For me, these outMENTS aren’t meant to be a reference point unless I get stuck. They are meant to be my first official crack at the story. My chance to get it straight in my mind and establish an overall style.

Will my story be told in sequence or in a non linear fashion? How will scenes work together? Which voice will I choose for my characters or rather, which voice will they choose for themselves? How can I make this better?

These are all questions you have to work out in your mind before you start a project like this. I restarted my previous script about 9 times from scratch because I didn’t take the time to work out the broad strokes early. I learned my lesson.

IT BEGINS…

Developing a new feature length screenplay requires more than creativity and hard work. It requires a passion for the story.

After my time in the library, I knew the passion was there. So yesterday, for the first time, I sat down and started writing. My development work isn’t completely finished but I have enough of the story roughed out. I couldn’t help it. It’s been so long since I really worked on a feature length action screenplay. I HAD to write some of these action scenes.

Truthfully, I’ve only written 2 feature length action scripts in my life. The first is absolutely awful and the second was deleted, burnt and shredded. It no longer exists.

It’s good to be writing action again. The unknown has kept me up at night, excited about the possibilities. Who knows where this story will end up? Regardless of whether or not this script ‘makes it’, after yesterday, I know it’s going to be a blast to write. For now, that’s all that matters to me.

XTRA | Be honest. Is Your Screenplay Entertaining?

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Screenwriting: The Return Of An Old Idea

April 28th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Screenwriting - (1 Comments)

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.

New Ideas vs Finishing Your Screenplay

March 4th, 2010 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Featured Posts | Screenwriting - (1 Comments)

What happens when you are writing a story you love and you come up with a new killer idea?

I’ve been writing a feature script for a few months now. It’s based on an idea I came up with nearly 5 years ago while I was in college.

When I began to seriously develop the screenplay in December, I was so excited to finally see the story on the page. Fast-forward a few months and I’m nearly 70 pages deep and I’m still loving it.

There’s nothing like a story you enjoy working on.

However…

I came up with a new idea a few weeks ago and I think it’s one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever come up with.

Until recently, I thought it would make an interesting movie but last week I had a breakthrough and the story exploded.

Allow me to tell you a personal story:

I’m at home watching television before heading to work. I’m thinking about this new story and some of the characters I want to be involved when it hits me… An idea that ties everything together. Suddenly, I jump out of my chair and run straight for my computer to write it all down. An hour or so later, I’ve got a short outline of the story and I’m beyond pumped about it. But…

Which one do I work on?

I find myself torn between a story I love and a new idea I’m excited about.

On the one hand, I’ve got a story I’ve been working on for years. It’s a story I can’t wait to finish and therefore, I want nothing more than to push towards the finish line.

On the other hand, should I sit on a new idea that I consider to be one of my best concepts? (It’s a unique take on the superhero genre by the way)

It occurred to me that maybe sitting on a story too long is the reason why I’m still working on my current screenplay. Do I risk delaying the project when it is constantly on my mind? Should you seize the moment when it smacks you me in the face?

Can I honestly abandon my current project for a while and risk losing interest completely? Will I lose interest in the new idea if I don’t pursue it?

It’s a tough call.

There is a positive in all of this though. As a writer, I’m used to ideas drying up from time to time. It happens to everyone. So being torn between two good ideas is a pretty great place to be.

The other advantage I have is my current script is nearly completed and most of the details are worked out.

What to do?

Clearly I’m excited about my new story. I’m also just as excited to finally finish a journey I started 5 years ago.

So, I’ll be using the new story as a reward for completing my screenplay. Having another script to look forward to is an inspiring way to help drive you towards your writing goals.

Either way, I’ve got a lot of development and screenwriting in my future.

I’m pretty happy about that.