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How to Evaluate Your Script Evaluations: My Post on Bang2Write

Posted on June 17, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

In an ideal (and lucky world), your script evaluations would all be positive, and you could start worrying about your pitch after you got your consider or even better, recommend.

But more often than not, you’ll either get a pass or consider with reservations despite your best editing efforts. And different script readers will disagree on pretty much anything.

So you won’t be able to jumpstart editing before deciphering what everyone means, and whether you should consider every tip.

I’m happy to announce that my tips on the subject was published on Lucy V Hay’s Bang2write, a blog I religiously follow.:)

You can click to title to read the article there: 5 Ways To Evaluate Your Feedback by Pinar Tahan aka @zoeyclark

Happy Evaluating!

The Biggest Dialogue-Related Challenge in Screenwriting

Posted on May 10, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

“Good dialogue clearly conveys emotions, attitudes, strengths, vulnerabilities, and so on, while revealing the details of your plot and advancing your narrative.”

Susan Kouguell, from her article Tips on Writing Dialogue That’s Truthful.

Dialogue is one of the hardest parts of screenwriting. Just look at its functions perfectly stated by Susan Kouguell. Good dialogue needs to do all that.

And what does good dialogue mean?

Good dialogue flows.

One way to assure that is by not writing on-the-nose dialogue.

But if it’s never on-the-nose, then you’ll also bore your audience to tears or annoy the hell out of them.

Think about five characters who never ever say what they mean and never mean what they say for 90+ pages. Frankly, I’d end up wanting to strangle them. There have been many movies where I hated the characters for this reason.

However if it’s always on the nose, then you’re destroying your chances for conflict. Also a no-no. It’s a hard balance to strike.

Thanks to some great feedback, I (mostly) dealt with my tendencies to write on-the-nose dialogue. In my defense, I don’t want to eliminate it completely because it’s not realistic then either.

Because people who do mean what they say and say what they mean, at least more than half their lives exist. Exhibit A: Me. I might have to get a little diplomatic or more polite depending on the situation, but if something is wrong, I never, ever say “nothing.” And if I’m upset or not happy about something, I never say “whatever.” Yeah, I’m weird like that.

It needs to be fresh. Witty is great too, if you can pull it off (and it fits the mood).

You can’t write a page-turner by putting the same old clichés everywhere. But then again, it should also sound natural.

All the freshness and wittiness in the world can’t save your script if your character doesn’t sound like an actual person. (If it’s not an actual person, say a robot, an alien from another galaxy or some other special circumstance, never mind.)

And perhaps most importantly, your characters should sound distinctive.

Now, it makes sense. Because in reality, we all have unique speech patterns, our preferred catch phrases, speed, ….. The list goes on.

That said, I’ve always found it easier to “separate” the voices for people who are from different backgrounds. Because the more different they are, the easier it’s to write lines that sound unique to that person.

Think about Pirates of the Caribbean, for starters.

Jack Sparrow: pirate, eccentric, (a little) nutty, morally ambiguous, witty, male.

Elizabeth: a young lady with a free spirit. She’s also well-educated and brave.

Norrington: soldier, by the book, with a distaste for outlaws, not usually able or willing to think outside the box.

How hard can it be to write their lines (and how they speak those lines) so that they are distinct? Making the lines funny and/or smart enough can be the challenge here. But differentiating characters’ way of speaking? Not so much.

The Biggest Dialogue-Writing Challenge in Screenwriting

So what is, at least for me, more difficult than writing dialogue that’s not on-the-nose, fresh and that hopefully flows?

Making my characters sound distinctive, when their backgrounds and life expectations aren’t so different.

What if your story has to have characters of the same background, identifying with the same culture, who are from the same part of the city, who are of the same sex and age?

When writing dialogue for such characters, I rely on their actions and how they respond to situations. I take advantage of their favorite words/catch , how often they swear (or not) and their personalities.

But what I often find, just not within my own dialogue but within others’ as well, is that I can identify characters according to what they say and their actions, rather than how they say their lines.

As I work on my skills to create more distinguishable dialogue, I asked some of my fiction writer friends how they handle this. Their responses are below:

Glenn Hefley:

“Physical actions are good. I like those more than catch phrases — not sure the preference of my readers, but I like them more. Having one start, then stop and think, then finish in a different direction is my favorite separator – equal to the guy who doesn’t reply for longer than is comfortable.”

Gretchen Mure Rodriguez:

“People tend to use certain words (slang or otherwise) more than others or have quirky habits- how they stand, twirl their hair etc.”

Anna Marie Spackman:

“I always think of motivation. My best friend and I may sound similar or say similar things, but we are motivated by different things, so the way we respond to a given situation will be different.”

***

We started with a quote from Susan Kouguell, so let’s end with one from her.

“Readers should be able to identify who is speaking without needing to read each character heading. Characters’ voices must be distinctive and not interchangeable with other characters.”

Susan Kouguell, from her article Tips on Writing Dialogue That’s Truthful.

Yep, no one said being a screenwriter is easy. How do you handle your dialogue? How do you ensure your characters’ voices are distinctive?

Must-Read Helpful Articles on Dialogue

Column D: Writing Dialogue -The Nose Knows by Drew Yanno

6 Reasons Dialogue Is Your Enemy by Lucy V Hay

Tips on Writing Dialogue That’s Truthful by Susan Kouguell

Dialogue Is The Least Of My Problems by Lucy V Hay

Wendy’s LA4HIRE: Best Screenwriting Tips for Great Dialogue by Wendy Kram

More Than Words: Screenplay Dialogue by Lucy V Hay

Script Mistake # 4: Fatty Dialogue by Lucy V Hay

Screenwriting Problems Tackled: When No One Likes Your Main Character

Posted on February 12, 2015 Written by Pinar Tarhan

nightcrawler-poster — Did someone say an unlikable protagonist? Image via ropeofsilicon.com.

I’ve previously posted The 7 Challenges of Writing a Screenplay, and I’m proud to say I’ve tackled a lot of them successfully in my rewrites. Length is no longer a problem, and having gotten rid of a lot of exposition, my screenplay is a lot leaner.

Right now, I’m facing another problem: I have two protagonists, and one of them is deemed unlikable by half the people (professionals and friends) who read my screenplay. The good news is, some of the “dislikers” are happy with how interesting the events and pacing are, and have told me they don’t have to like a character to enjoy a story or movie.

Why can one main character be unlikable?

My character comes off as too selfish, and that makes it hard for the audience to root for him. He also doesn’t lose everything despite everything he does.

Except, he is not the only main character. His problems and behavior are central to the story, yes, but it’s a script with two protagonists: these two characters start the story as best friends, but extreme circumstances force them to be each other’s antagonist.

And the second protagonist couldn’t be more likeable. He’s strong, passionate, flawed, loyal to a fault… Yet no one seems to notice.

Yes, there are changes I can make to make the unlikeable guy more likable, but most positive changes would change the heart of the story, and I can’t allow that. Because you see, this is the story I want to tell.

When you understand that character, and he is not unlikable to you

And it’s hard for me to see the character as completely selfish, because history (meaning his back story) has proven him to be pretty selfless, or close to it, in the past. He is just having a major crisis, with a pretty debilitating problem, and is acting irrationally. This in turn suggests another problem: plausibility. Like most screenplays, mine requires a decent amount of suspension of disbelief. Not because the events couldn’t/wouldn’t happen, but they are a bit on the extreme side. But if they weren’t, the story I wanted to tell wouldn’t exist.

That’s not to say I don’t respect my readers’ feedback. I do. My last coverage evoked some great questions, and I’d love to discuss it with the reader. I just need to adjust my budget first for further consultation.

On the other hand, one professional reader not only liked this “unlikable” dude, but named him his favorite.

And I’ve just finished watching two webinars from Writer’s Store where industry experts (including Script Mag’s Jeanne Veillette Bowerman) emphasized that you can root for a character if he’s interesting enough, even if he’s evil. One given example was Hannibal Lecter. (In her webinar Creating Dynamic Characters.)

Now, I’m in no way claiming my character is that interesting (completely different genres for one. For two, my character won’t be portrayed by Anthony Hopkins:D) But in a way, my “selfish protagonist”, is the antagonist of the story in several ways.

If audiences can root for Hannibal or the killer in Se7en, they can tolerate my selfish character. Next to them, he comes off like a newborn kitten for crying out loud!

Good news: There Are Many Successful Movies with Unlikeable Protagonists

Let’s mention some recent successful movies with borderline horrible, obnoxious main characters. Please note I might spoil the movies a little.

Gone Girl: I seriously can’t decide whose character I detest more. Ben Affleck’s or Rosamund Pike’s? And it’s not like supporting characters are sweet either. Engaging movie (for the most part), great second act but come on! I’ve never spent so much time during a movie wanting to punch all the characters. I wouldn’t want them as my neighbors, friends, distant acquaintances…The cops in the film included.

Side Effects: Sure, Jude Law’s character becomes more and more likable as the story progresses, but what about Rooney Mara’s? And I definitely lost a little respect for Law’s character when he got back with his wife, no questions asked. After the way she treated him? Come on! I don’t need a long fight scene, but just give me a sign of difficulty for crying out loud!

Nightcrawler: Different and compelling movie, sure. But Louis Bloom has to be one of the most obnoxious protagonists ever written. Louis Litt from the TV series Suits is a selfless angel compared to Bloom. Seriously!

And we are never given a back story on why he is such a sociopathic prick. Actually Nightcrawler steps on and chews out so much renowned screenwriting advice, it will get its own post. (or at least another post.) The point is, the only thing I liked about that character was that it was played by Jake Gyllenhaal. I didn’t root for him. I didn’t respect his cunning. I think the fact that he’s so unlikable, and still gets what he wants (despite not being as slick and smart as he believes) is what makes the movie fun to watch.

What does this mean for you and your story?

I haven’t sold this story (with the selfish protagonist) yet. I may never be able to sell it. Maybe it’ll be optioned and/or bought and never made. Maybe I will have to wait until I have the resources to make it myself. Like all the screenplays out there, the possibilities are just too many to count.

The point is, I’m not giving up on it. It has its strengths, and it has its weaknesses, and I’m doing my best to eliminate the weak parts. I’ll do my best to sell it afterwards. But I believe in it, and I’m not giving up on it. I’m also determined to improve it without changing the core.

You might need to adapt too, but you also need to keep believing in yourself. I watched this wonderfully helpful webinar by Marilyn Horowitz (How to Sell Your Screenplay in 30 Days Using New Media through Writer’s Store) where she reminds you that you need to be your biggest fan. You need to be professional, yes, but you also need to believe. It has to be the kind of story you would pay to see. If you wouldn’t, why write it?

Write the kind of movie you’ll want to see. Be as objective as you can. Improve it as much as you can. Then start pitching and querying.

And good luck!

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.