Fiction Writing Archives - Page 14 of 16

The 7 Challenges of Writing a Screenplay

Posted on June 26, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

frustrated-writer — Image via susanarscott.com.

Nope, I am not going to talk about the challenges of trying to sell one. Not here. Because I’m not at that stage yet. Although considering the plausibility of my script events has been keeping me awake a bit (Plausibility is included in the list below)…

This post isn’t about finding that brilliant idea either. Yeah, your journey starts with that idea. But it is merely the beginning. Funnily enough, I didn’t use to know that. The naive, pre-writing career me used to think that the most frustrating part of being a writer was finding a great story concept. An idea worth pursuing, characters worth living with…

And while it is indeed a challenge to come up with a story that you won’t mind sharing your life with, the road after you have found your inspiration is not exactly smooth either.

Below are the current 7 challenges I’m facing:

1) Writing dialouge. Writing compelling, flowing, natural dialogue. Most of the time my characters have interactions in my head. When this just happens, I don’t intervene. I just write down whatever they say.

But keeping the dialogue engaging for 100+ pages is not exactly effortless. And it’s important to write a story that will hook you. But will it also hook the agents or studios or contest judges?

2) Finding the right title is one of the most difficult aspects of any kind of writing. But I find it harder when it comes to naming fiction.

And let’s face it, a lot of movie titles suck. If all fails, they go and name it after the characte(r), and it can work like magic if characters (and the names) are interesting and colorful.

Tango & Cash, to me, works as a title because the movie has enough conflicts and humor from the main characters’ differences and interactions. But I’ll admit that when I first heard it I thought it’d be about dogs. It’s not. It’s a cop action/comedy with Stallone and Russell from 1989. Tango and Cash are our characters’ surnames. Oh, the creativity…

3) Plausibility. Especially if you are adding some crime elements. I didn’t think I’d have to deal with this one until I started writing mysteries and thrillers. After all, grounding a drama/romance/comedy in reality isn’t that difficult.

But unfortunately one of my main characters in the romantic drama I’m working on has to go and do something extreme. And I need to be able to justify how he pulls it off.

Of course, in theory, I could change what he is “pulling off”. However, if I did that, the impact would lessen, the stakes would get lower and a lot in the story wouldn’t make sense.

If I get to sell this story, in one form or the other, I’ll tell you what inspired me to write it. And the inspiration alone needs me to write that extreme and make it worth.

On the other hand, some of the stuff we watch doesn’t make much sense. We love them despite the ridiculousness. If any fans of The Following are reading this, they will probably relate very easily.

I love, love that show. I can’t wait for season two. But even though it is set in our reality, you’ll see some of the most illogical, incompetent, amusing law enforcement behavior ever portrayed.

Yet despite those flaws, or maybe because of them (the behavior results in the villains winning over and over), the show is damn fun and addictive. But of course that show’s script comes with Kevin Williamson’s (Scream series, Dawson’s Creek, I Know What You Did Last Summer…) name and Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy are starring. My story doesn’t have such priveleges. Or any creepy yet charismatic villains (James Purefoy) going around slashing people…

But the existence of The Following does give me hope in the possibility of selling the implausible in the name of some delicious drama and conflicts.

4) The scene order. Do you go linear or non-linear? Do you write it in form linear with the occasional flashback? Do you do a crazy linear where it starts with the end and ends with the beginning? (Memento is a terrific example.)

Perhaps you just write different timelines for different characters and then have them interact, while the audience has to watch the drama like a detective solving a puzzle. 21 Grams, anyone?

The possibilities are endless. And eventually the director can play/mess with the order so that he will have his version.

But our goal is for our script to get to a director in the first place. It is crucial to write a winning version to get read and liked.

For the most part, I prefer a well-written linear story. I like to surprise and move and entertain in order, though I do have a weakness for some relevant flashbacks.

Some of my favorite linear films:

–Braveheart

-The Man without a Face

-A Perfect World

–Equilibrium (has flashbacks)

–A Royal Affair (through letters, the narrator takes us back in time and tells the story in order.)

-The Crow (has flashbacks- the character has returned from the dead)

The list goes on.

5) The ending. The ending matters. Big time. It might even matter more than it should. There are movies with a huge fan base, mostly related to the ending. The Sixth Sense, anyone?

The perfect ending makes you happy that you spent time watching the film. It shouldn’t be too happy if a happy ending would betray the story.

But make it too depressing, at the end of a depressing movie, you could question the writer’s motive. Was he trying to create tragedy for tragedy’s sake?

Then there’s the matter of being obvious. Ideally you shouldn’t see it coming from scene one, especially if it is a thriller/mystery. If it is a drama/comedy/action, it is more or less doomed in the predictability department.

Of course you can go with the modern romantic comedy trend and base the entire premise on the guy not getting the girl (or vice versa.) You might please a lot of cynics and romcom-haters this way, but a part of your audience will feel cheated. Just like you shouldn’t kill Bryan Mills at the end of a Taken movie (and of course he doesn’t die!), I think the main girl and boy should end up together – given it is really love and they aren’t hideous human beings. (Yeah, I’m talking about personality.)

And one other pet peeve…Ambiguity. A little open ending can be inspiring. But too much ambiguity can get in the way of closure.

No one said finding the right ending is easy.

6) Rewriting. You might decide to submit a previously written manuscript, thinking all you need to do is edit and format. But then you realize the whole thing will need to be rewritten because (fortunately) you are a better writer now, and you know at least a bit more about writing and selling. Of course realizing you have 2 weeks for all the rewriting, editing and formatting is one of the many “delights” of screenwriting.

7) Length. After you’ve poured your heart’s work onto the page, it might be troubling to realize that you are a couple dozen pages short. Or over.

This is one of my current problems. I do need to cut it much shorter (about 100 pages). But I find that shortening is easier than coming up with events that aren’t there. And since I’m doing a major rewrite anyway…

Right now rewriting (to match a deadline) and plausibility are my most troubling problems. After all a title can be changed. Directors can change the plans to suit their vision and for the most part, adding or subtracting a few scenes comes naturally when I’m going over the manuscript anyway.

To see how “valid” these challenges are, I recommend reading Breaking & Entering: Great Writing – A Love Story on Script Mag, a useful industry resource.

Now, it’s time to head to work and work on the screenplay for this writer. Wish me luck, and please feel free to share all your joys and frustrations about screenwriting or any kind of fiction writing.

Man of Steel’s Writer Character Lois Lane and Her Compelling Conflicts: Protecting Your Subject, Falling for Your “Subject” and More

Posted on June 20, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Thanks to Man of Steel’s story, this is both a “Compelling Movie Conflicts” and a “Writer Characters in Movies” post.

The 2013 Superman reboot Man of Steel is a pleasant addition to the superhero movies with its brilliant cast (Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Henry Cavill), a satisfactory (back)story and some great effects that unfortunately didn’t exist in the time of Christopher Reeve (Superman from 1978).

However one of the things that made me like this Superman movie a lot more than all the other Superman movies (and this coming from a Reeve & Donner fan) and many other comic book adaptations is that there are several compelling “writer” conficts that are relatable.

Now, you can read the plot and movie review here. But I’ll provide strictly Louis Lane-related plot points (and conflicts) below:

Lois Lane (Amy Adams) is an award-winning journalist sent to a military base in Canada to observe the weird craft (ruled out as a submarine) found. There she follows one of the new workers (Clark Kent, played by Henry Cavill) there as he finds the answers to his origins. He gets to save Lois’ life and then disappears, working to improve his abilities.

But when Lois’s boss refuses to publish her story (that doesn’t sound plausible), she leaks the story other channels, and then looks for Clark herself. Up to now, including the story, he’s a mystery man whose identity and background are unknown.

When she finds him (or he lets her find him), and Clark explains her the reason for his hiding the truth, she decides to keep his secret. But then Zod, the killer of Clark’s biological father, sends a threatening message: Either humans give Clark to him, or he destroys them all.

Lois is arrested by the FBI, but she isn’t exactly willing to talk. Clark doesn’t trust Zod, but he agrees to turn himself in for the safety (and freedom) of Lois.

Then Lois and Clark find themselves on the spacecraft of Zod. He tries to persuade Clark to join their plans of recreating Krypton on earth, but Clark doesn’t want anyone to be killed. On the craft, Lois gets to “meet” Clark’s father, and learns some critical strategical information.

From then on, Lois becomes an integral part of the team determined to stop Zod from destroying everything.

The Famous Writer Character: Lois Lane

amy-adams-lois-lane-man-of-steel — Amy Adams as Lois Lane, searching for Clark. Image via flicksandbits.com.

Lois in Man of Steel is the ideal journalist. She goes to whereever her leads (and curiousity) take her, no matter how dangerous things might be. She then writes about her experiences without holding back, and gets frustrated at her boss for not giving her the green-light, even though her story sounds, quite improbable. And when she can’t make herself heard through the publication she works for, she gives her story to a guy who is famous for writing stuff like that- even though this could cost her her job.

But when she learns why Clark has been hiding who he really is, she keeps his secret- even if it eventually leads to her arrest. When Zod asks her to come on board with them, she willingly leaves; and this has nothing to do with the story.

Of course the more Clark and Lois know each other as a person, they more connected they feel. So we have a mutually protective, risk-taking and loyal relationship combined with a lot of attraction.

And as much as things got very complicated and dangerous, all ended well for both characters. But things could have gone really wrong for Lois, had she been a real person and her “subject” not a superhero.

She could have lost her job, the guy she wrote about would probably be less sweet and understanding about her story, and none of them would probably survive such dangerous situations.

But it makes for a fun and appealing story. The romance is delightful because it includes friendship, chemistry, understanding, loyalty and bravery. Lois proves to be more into her story than her career (and her life), which is really admirable (though this would probably send her parents to an early grave.) And she has the courage to step up when the world needs her.

Of course Man of Steel isn’t just for writers. But with all the Loises I have seen on both TV and big screen, Amy Adams’ is the coolest and most likeable. She is also a lot more than a damsel in distress.

How far would you go for your story? For your subject (love)?

And did your stories ever bring you real life romance?

Equilibrium: Live Numb or Die Feeling (Die Being Yourself): Most Enthralling Story Conflicts 6

Posted on June 3, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Equilibrium is a universally compelling action drama that takes place in a post- WW3 universe where all wars and crimes have been eliminated, as well as all “evil” feelings of rage, violence, greed and such.

Oh, yes, there’s a catch. A gigantic one:

Along with the negative feelings and impuses that have been eradicated are also love, passion, friendliness and such. Nobody feels anything, complements of the government-supplied, obligatory doses of a drug.

What about stimulators, you might ask. Like music. Paintings. Personal taste. All forbidden. Nothing is custom, or individualistic. Nothing is colorful, or creative.

Everyone’s only an obedient, faded clone of themselves.

Oh, of course there’d be no point in watching the movie if it was all grey.

There are rebels, of course. People who refuse to take the drug are fighting against the totalitarian regime- with whatever means they can find.

Guess what the punishment is? Death by being burned. Or death on site during combat. They are seen as enemies of peace.

But the rebels have to fight, because what else is there? In a world where everything is soulless and grey, where there is no individuality, they prefer to go down fighting and feeling, as opposed to living without feeling. And who can blame them?

Now, until here, I painted the spoiler-free picture of the story. You can move on to my Equilibrium review for more on the movie . From now on, spoilers will flow –as we’ll analyze some of the most touching and relatable conflicts ever.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have shared a lot of relatable and powerful story conflicts on this blog.

But with a lot of them, it is easy (and logical) to assume that you wouldn’t end up like that.

For instance, unless you are a tycoon, I don’t foresee you in the danger Tom Mullen was in Ransom.

We don’t live in the 18th century, so there goes A Royal Affair.

Assuming you didn’t marry a religious nut out of gratitude and then cheat on him with your next door neighbor, you don’t need to worry about being in the shoes of the characters in The Ledge.

You get my point.

But how about having ever lived in a country where the rules and regulations stifled you? The government wanting to be too involved in your private life –e.g. abortion rights? How about having been ruled by someone who wanted to empose his/her religious beliefs onto the public?

Now how much do you relate?

Granted, Equilibrium is an extreme scenario – but how extreme or fictional, apart from John Preston’s fighting skills – depends on where you live(d).

So with that in mind, let’ get back to the story, with spoilers:

John Preston (skillfully played by Christian Bale) is a priest- meaning he leads the armed forces against the rebels. He has an unique level of empathy, but he uses it to guess the hiding places and manevours of the rebels, not to understand them. He is extremely loyal, proud of his job and he is excellent at it.

One “disappointing” incident in his life has been his wife who, to his surprise, turned out to be “guilty of feeling” and was sentenced to death. As he raises his two children, this incident is the only “alarm” his life has raised and is the under “scrutiny” of the ruler.

The “second” incident makes him question everything more: His partner (Sean Bean) a great officer with a stellar record turns out to be “faking” the “not feeling.” This adds to the “scrutiny”.

However this brings up memories of his wife; and add some strange behavior from his son and some missing of the dosage; and things get very complicated as John starts to feel – overwhelmingly.

Christian Bale in Equilibrium. — Christian Bale’s Preston trying to decide whether to take the drug or not. Image via tumblr.

Everything bottled up and subdued comes out.

Now, he daily has to go through the conflict his partner went through:

Do you kill fellow “feelers” to keep up the role, protecting yourself and your family? Do you do your job?

Do you deny your impulses because it is too hard to bear?

Because in all honesty, there’s no way he can quit his job without giving himself away.

Of course after he can’t give up on feeling once he realizes what he is missing, John starts sucking at his job. And after a while, it is only fair that he joins the movement himself – especially he also has to lose another person he cares about.

So he fights.

It is a big, difficult fight but he wins in the end.

The glory feels wonderful. Things will no longer be the same, in all senses of the word.

Of course the movie is so much more. A lot of it has to do with the cast, especially Christian Bale who does a superior job of reflecting his characters’ both internal and external conflicts. You feel for him, understand him and want him to win with all your heart.

The war was fought for the right to feel, as well as the right to be whoever you want to be.

We often have to struggle in our lives when it comes to the right of being who we are. Sometimes it is against (or within) our family, friends, school, society, bosses, country….How much we win can depend on the level of authority we are fighting for.

Sometimes it is small, sometimes it is big. But we fight everyday. For some, the battle is tougher and on a much bigger scale. The key is never to give up.

So what do you think of the conflict(s) of this movie?

Can you empathize?

Your Love Sleeps With Another Guy or You Lose Your Baby: A Royal Affair-Most Enthralling Story Conflicts 5

Posted on May 16, 2013 Written by Pinar Tarhan

a_royal_affair_mads mikkelsen — Mads Mikkelsen (the doctor) and Alicia Vikander (the queen).

Picture this: You are madly in love. It’s mutual. Together, you’re not only having fun – you’re realizing your dreams and you’re making the world a better place.

Then she gets pregnant.

Well, normally it’s great news. And his first reaction is a genuine smile. She’s really upset. Then reality sets in: She’s the QUEEN. Her husband, who she is NOT sleeping with, is the KING. And it is the 18th century.

What do you do? Run away together?

As a romantic, that’d be my vote. Even for the 18th century. It’s not like he can’t take care of them. He’s a doctor (Mads Mikkelsen).

But how does one exactly run away from servants, army, the nosiest step mother-in-law, and all the conservative council members who hate their humane ideas?

So she does the inevitable. She hates it. He hates it. But she does it.

And at least the baby is born, and she is healthy.

A Royal Affair- Mads Mikkelsen and Alicia Vikander. — Pretty much the last happy moment in the film…

But then what?

Yes, eventually they get caught.

*** (I’ve not given anything that hasn’t been shown in the trailer yet, but read on at your own peril. I’ll give away the ending.)

But the tragicomic thing? They don’t get in that much trouble because of the baby. The others just use the baby to make sure the unstable king is persuaded to get rid of the doctor and the queen.

People are so obsessed with power and money. Then there’re the hilariously misinterpreted religious beliefs (“let’s not give the king’s son a vaccination- he’s royal so he’s immune by God’s doing”)…

They could have made it, but eventually, it comes down to friends selling out friends for money or to save their own butts.

The story doesn’t have a happy ending. The queen is sent to exile, the good doctor to execution.

The funny thing? The whole affair is the king’s fault. Yes, I’m serious. For one, he treats her absolutely horribly. He sleeps around with hookers, calls her a boring cow, sends away her best friend/maid…. Oh, and he is generally mental.

The doctor is brought in to restore some sanity and common sense in the king, and it starts to work. But then the king does something mad again. He tells the doctor to make the queen fun.

Seriously.

Sure. Go ahead. Tell your hot, older, wiser, sane, free-spirited and forward-thinking doctor to spend time with the young, beautiful, neglected, free-spirited queen.

I told you it was the king’s fault.

I wish they had taken the risk, and run away. They just didn’t envision the good they did coming back to bite them in the a**.

But all is not lost. Thankfully, her children (the first one is from a horrible one and only night with the king) receive her letters when they grow up, persuade their dad and make sure they grow up in a better country.

Oh, yes, the king was upset his friend was executed. He had no idea that was going to happen. Yes, he was crazy.

So, how is that for a story conflict?

Of course the conflicts start before this. And they keep coming after. But it is one of the most frustrating, heart-breaking and challenging conflicts I have seen. And it is based on a true story.

From a writer’s, and movie-lover’s perspective, the whole story/movie is gold.

From a romantic’s perspective, it is a nightmare until the affair. The relationship between the doctor and queen, even before the affair, is amazing. It’s a nightmare again when she becomes pregnant.

Yes, the movie is absolutely recommended. I’m still disappointed it didn’t get the Oscar for Best Foreign Film this year.

What would you do in a situation like that?

Don’t forget – 1700s, it is an affair, you are the queen or the doctor. There are no easy ways out.

If it were your story, how would it end?