Recently, a local writer friend and I decided to do a script swap to read each other’s WIP. To be honest, I was a little afraid to let her look at my script and I believe the feeling was mutual since this was her first attempt at screenwriting. I’ve been there.
As writers, we are often protective of our work. Our projects represent our time, beliefs and we put all our heart into the work. Fear of rejection is part of human nature. We don’t want others to trifle with our art, dreams, or hearts.
But if we care about our stories, we need to be open to feedback from others. The temporary discomfort is worth it to help improve our stories and make them better. Be open to honest feedback about your writing
- Negative feedback can be helpful in the long run.
- Writing a story is a learning process.
- Is easier for others to see the holes in our stories.
With that said, writers must know what screenwriting is and isn’t. We are writing a story only; we aren’t acting, directing, or producing the story. Those are other people’s jobs, we are just the writers and need to understand that screenwriting is a team effort.
Writers must learn to just tell the story and get out of the way for others to do their part in our storytelling because screenwriting is all about teamwork! Unfortunately, when writers attempt to write the first screenplay, they often cross the line. They attempt to tell other members of the team how to do their jobs by including directing and acting, and production cues into the narrative. Years ago I had to learn that screenwriting takes teamwork.
Teamwork!
The writer’s job is simply to write a cohesive, well flowing story and then get out of the way for the other team members to do their job. Screenwriting coach and producer David Trotter writes,
“Many writers who are new to the business believe that they must use fancy formatting techniques in order to get noticed by Asians and producers. Therefore they add arty editing directions, clever camera angles, truckloads of caps, and so on… Be judicious and keep your focus on the story and characters.”1
When readers, studios, or producers read a screenplay full of camera angles, artsy transitions, and special effects cues, it makes it harder to read the screenplay. In the end, it takes away from the actual story the screenwriter is trying to tell.
But when you stick to the story and characters, it makes your screenplay easier to read the story easier to follow. When the writer sticks to telling just the story, it enables the director to understand how to direct the story, it allows the actors to use their acting skills to bring our characters to life. And in the end, it will help the producers keep the film within the budget. The key to great storytelling is to tell a great story and then get out of the way. To illustrate the point look at the Marvel Avengers franchise. Each of the movies was written by screenwriters, but directed, and produced by other professionals.
Although they received great fanfare for directing the Infinity Wars saga, the Russo brothers had nothing to do with writing the screenplays, they were only paid to direct the movies.
Another example is my childhood favorite, the Star Wars Saga. Although he wrote and directed the very first film in the series, George Lucas had nothing else to do with writing or directing any of the other original films.
Disney now has all rights to the Star Wars franchise and can hire their stellar writers and actors to bring the characters George Lucas first created nearly a half-century ago to life. Lucas did his part, and now he has left the story to others in the business who can create new adventures and put everything together for a whole new generation of fans.
Put It All Together!
Although screenwriters write stories, it isn’t our job to bring them to life. As hard as it is to let go, once our script is sold or optioned, our babies have left the nest, and it’s up to other professionals to put it all together for us.
- Studios
- Producers
- Directors
- Actors
- Production crew
Hopefully, now, it is easier to see how show business takes teamwork!
1 Trotter, David. Screenwriter’s Bible. 7th edition, Silman-James Press, 2019, Pg. 134.
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 MartinThomasJonhson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
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