Tag: writing rules

Categories
Screenwriting

Know the Rules

In my latest screenplay, I decided to take a risk and break the rules. I wanted to give my protagonist’s back story after the inciting incident. The problem was, I needed to show almost 30 years of exposition to explain how my protagonist got to the inciting incident.

My go-to answer was a dream sequence. But this led to another problem, dream sequences usually occur later in a story. I know the rule but decided to break it. The best writers are willing to take a chance to make their stories unique.

New York Times best-selling author Jerry Jenkins advises, “Yes, you can break rules— unless you do it because you’re not thinking. If you’re breaking a rule, do it on purpose.”1 After all, writers are creatives, and nothing kills creativity like rules. That was never the purpose of the writing rules. So-called writing rules serve a few purposes that benefit both the writer and audiences.

  • Help the writer look professional and not amateurish.
  • Help a writer direct the narrative of the writing.
  • Help the audience understand the theme and purpose of our writing.
  • Help industry insiders know what kind of writer you are.

There are times to be rebellious and break the rules, but first writers must know and understand hence said “rules.”

Know the Rules?

Screenwriting coach Scott Myers advises, “There are conventions, there are expectations, there are patterns. But the simple fact is… There are no screenwriting rules!”2 I like to think of rules as guidelines, a template for my story to be built in.

Rules can be rather confining and formative, whereas guides help us plan out our stories. It goes back to the classic story versus structure debate. Structure should help a story, not hinder it.

As a creative, I prefer to let my story unfold naturally without worrying about specific features and functions. At the same time, I am aware of and acknowledge specific writing conventions. Below is a list of things to keep in mind when you are writing out your screenplay masterpiece:

  1. Keep title pages simple.
  2. Only use FADE IN and FADE OUT at the beginning and end of your script.
  3. Slug Lines — a.k.a. location headings — should only have three pieces of information.
  4. Little to no camera directions.
  5. Dialogue never follows the Slug Line.
  6. All new notable character names need to be in CAPS the first time they appear.
  7. Scene description is not for background.
  8. Dialogue is not for exposition.
  9. CUT TO transitions are useless in a screenplay.
  10. It’s not your job to dictate where actors should improvise.3 

There are times when breaking the rules pays off, but not often. They are the exceptions to the rules, not to the industry standards.

Hollywood Has Its Own Standards!

Keep in mind screenwriting isn’t just an art, it’s a business and business is all about making money. Hollywood does not like taking chances. Especially for unestablished writers, the loss of investment goes up. This is part of the reason it’s so hard to break into the business of screenwriting.

The classic 90s hit “Jerry McGuire” hit the nail on the head with its catchphrase, “Show me the money!” Learning the rules of screenwriting can be profitable for everyone, even if you choose not to utilize them. Below are a few examples of films that broke the rules and were still successful:

No one wants to write a box office bomb. Not only are they financial losses, they cause collateral damage to the studio, actors, and the writers who failed to know the rules.

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

1  Jenkins, J.B. (2006). Writing for the Soul, Writer’s Digest Books, pg. 187

2  https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/so-called-screenwriting-rules-part-4-8851dd1943de

3  https://thescriptlab.com/features/screenwriting-101/8886-15-simple-screenplay-rules-you-need-to-know/

Categories
5 For Writing

My 5 Rules for Writing

Snoopy

My favorite canine writer, Snoopy of Peanuts fame, received a boatload of rejection slips in his pursuit of a publisher over the years, and some of them are gems.

“Dear contributor, thank you for submitting your story to our magazine,” one publisher wrote to Snoopy. “To save time, we are enclosing two rejection slips…one for this story and one for the next story you send us.”

In publishing, it’s a dog-eat-dog world.

That’s why there is no shortage of advice on writing and getting published. For instance, five commonly quoted rules on writing and finding a publisher came from Robert Heinlein, the famed science fiction writer. Heinlein’s five rules are:

  1. You must write.
  2. You must finish what you write.
  3. You must refrain from rewriting, except to editorial order.
  4. You must put the work on the market.
  5. You must keep the work on the market until it is sold.

Four of these rules are excellent for both beginning and experienced writers, but I find Rule 3 on the strange side, as do many people; in fact, one online post about these rules comes with an Aspiring Author Warning—“Don’t try #3 at home.” From what I understand, Heinlein admitted that he did revise and rewrite, so I’m not sure where that rule even came from.

Regardless of the oddness of Rule 3, this time-tested list got me thinking about what rules I have subconsciously followed during my 38 years of writing since graduating from journalism school in 1977. So I came up with my “5 for Writing.

  1. Get writing. Find the time to write. Then do it.
  1. Learn by listening—and doing. Solicit feedback, discern what helps you.
  1. Finish your story. Edit and rewrite, but don’t tinker forever. Reach the finish line.
  1. Thrive on rejection. Get your story out there. Be fearless. Accept rejection.
  1. Become a juggler. After one story is finished, be ready to start another. Consider writing two at once.

Note that my Rules 1 and 3 correspond to Heinlein’s 1 and 2. Every list of writing rules probably needs those two because starting and finishing are the two greatest obstacles. As the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.”

As for Rule 2, it takes time to find a reliable circle of friends and colleagues who give you honest and helpful feedback. But it’s critical. Rule 5 may not be for everyone, but I work best when I’m juggling several projects. And if the idea of writing more than one story at a time makes your brain hurt, at least try to get multiple manuscripts on the market; it only increases your odds of finding a publisher.

Finally, my “thrive on rejection” rule was inspired by an old episode of the TV show M*A*S*H when Hawkeye Pierce said something to the effect of “I thrive on rejection.” Hawkeye was talking about not giving up when it came to finding a woman, but I have found that this philosophy also applies to finding publishers. (Both can be heart-breaking pursuits.)

In my forthcoming blogs, I intend that each installment will fall under one of these five rules—and if it doesn’t I’ll find a way to shoehorn it in. In the meantime, try to maintain the same indefatigable spirit of Snoopy—the only writer to ever have a mailbox run away from him when he tried to send off a new manuscript.

So what was Snoopy’s response to his many rejections? He once wrote back to a publisher by saying, “Gentleman, regarding the recent rejection slip you sent me. I think there might have been a misunderstanding. What I really wanted was for you to publish my story, and send me fifty thousand dollars.”

After a pause, Snoopy added…

“Didn’t you realize that?”

Now that’s a dog who thrives on rejection.

 

 

Categories
Dear Young Scribes

What is Deep POV, and why is It Important?

Have you ever tried to tell your friends about an experience you had, but they didn’t give you the response you hoped for? Maybe they didn’t laugh when you gave the punchline of the story. You then tried to cover up your shame by saying, “You just had to be there.”

 

If we write our books in a shallow POV rather than in deep POV, we risk that same “cricket chirping” response from our audience. We’re narrating a story that could come across as much more powerful if we chose to instead invite the reader to experience it.

 

Deep POV is a way of showing rather than telling. It’s a writing technique that has grown in popularity over the past couple decades or so. When we write in deep POV, we’re giving our readers the opportunity to step into our protagonist’s shoes. They’ll walk through the pages of the story as if they themselves were the character.

 

If we can accomplish this, the setting will come to life. The journey that the protagonist takes will have more of an impact on the reader. Why? Because the reader wasn’t simply told about an experience our character had; they journeyed along with them.

 

Readers today–especially fans of YA fiction–search for these stories. They long to open a book and become transported into a different time and place. They want to forget about their surroundings, and even forget that they’re reading a book. They’re searching for stories that sweep them off their feet in an entertaining, thrilling, and emotional rollercoaster.

 

How can we, as authors, offer this kind of reading experience to our readers?

 

Avoid all traces of authorship. Resist the urge to tell the story. Engage all five senses. And when you write, step through the scene as if you are the character. This means you can only show the scene through their eyes. Everything must be filtered through your protagonist’s POV.

 

Here’s an example:

 

NOT Deep POV: Anna saw the bouquet of roses on the dining room table and smelled their sweet scent. Who brought these? she wondered.

 

Deep POV: Anna stepped into the kitchen, overtaken by a floral aroma. Where did that come from? The scent grew stronger as she peered into the dining room. A smile slid onto her lips. There it was. A bouquet of roses, tucked into a glass vase at the center of the table. Where could that have come from?

 

Notice how deep POV requires more words. If we want to offer this experience to our readers, it will require more work. Showing a scene almost always requires more words. But the payoff is worth it.

 

In the example that isn’t written in deep POV, the words “saw”, “smelled”, and “wondered” brings the reader out of Anna’s POV. It tells the audience what happened, yes—but it does so in a narrative form.

 

This is the difference between telling a friend about a scene from a movie and letting them watch it for themself.  

 

When writing in shallow POV, we risk the scene from coming to life in the reader’s imagination. We risk not giving our readers the opportunity to build a strong connection with our protagonist.

 

You might say, “Books weren’t always written in deep POV, yet people still enjoyed them. Why can’t I write my book in shallow POV, too?”

 

Think of it this way: Movies weren’t always filmed in color. Yet, the use of color in today’s films brings scenes to life. It provides an even deeper sense of realism and escapism. Why use tools of the past when we’ve been given far more powerful tools to tell our story?

 

If you want your book to resonate with today’s reader, and if you want to sell your book to an agent/publisher, I recommend utilizing this deep POV writing technique. Most agents and publishers today will reject or ask for a revision if a manuscript is written in shallow POV.

 

No, this isn’t an easy task to accomplish. It requires far more work. But you’re painting color to a black-and-white story. You’re adding “scratch and sniff” pages to your book. The result? Your readers will be brought deeper into the heart, mind, and emotions of your POV character.

 

The motivations of your protagonist will become more clear. The character ARC, more realistic. And when your protagonist reaches his/her “epiphany moment” at the end of the story, so will your reader. Thus, the theme of your story will have far more impact to your readers than if it were written in shallow POV.

 

So if you can accomplish this—if you write your story in deep POV—you won’t have to risk the “cricket chirping” response. You won’t have to tell your readers, “You just had to be there.”

 

Because they were there. They lived it. You wrote a book that entertained, provided escapism, tapped into emotions.

 

And as writers, shouldn’t that be our ultimate goal of storytelling anyway?

 

 

What’s your opinion of deep POV? Have you tried to write a story that utilizes this technique? Share your thoughts in the comments!

 

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