Education

I’m considering getting a journalism
degree as a base point for a screenwriting career. I noticed you did the same
thing. Do you have any regrets about getting your bachelor’s in journalism,
or was is the best option available to a future screenwriter?

–Larissa Barlow

As I’ve mentioned in previous columns, I think journalism is a good bachelor’s
degree choice, particularly if film studies aren’t available. Journalism teaches
efficient, structured writing, and good work habits. But it’s by no means the
only undergraduate major that helps.

An English degree is a great and obvious choice, particularly one that combines
literature and composition. Depending on the specific program, a major in communications
could be good, if it had a strong focus on writing. But any field in the humanities
would really work. A quick survey of my writer friends reveals political science
majors, religion majors, art history majors, and probably a dozen other specialities
I don’t even know.

More than anything, I’d advise majoring in something that really interests
you. While you may aspire to a screenwriting career now, who knows what the
future will bring? A physics degree is no obstacle if you decide to apply to
graduate-level film school. In fact, it would probably be intriguing enough
to an admissions panel that they’d be eager to meet you.

I’m a teenager. How young were
you when you knew you wanted to become a writer?

–Ruhalia Knight

I probably knew I wanted to be a writer when I was seven years old. My mom
had a manual typewriter, and I spent the better part of a week trying to type
a story about a boy who lived on Mars. I only made it about 12 lines. The story
kept changing because I often hit the wrong keys, and would have to stop and
think about what words I could make with the letter I had mis-typed.

It wasn’t until college that I started to think about writing for movies.
In the era before the internet — and internet-based advice columns — I read
what I could find in bookstores, starting with Steven Soderbergh’s screenplay
for SEX, LIES AND VIDEOTAPE. I remember being fascinated by how simple movie
scripts were. It seemed easy, or at least a lot easier than any other form
of writing.

I was wrong, but I was hooked. I learned everything else about screenwriting
after I moved to Los Angeles in 1992. I was 22.

I have an 11-and-a-half-year old who seems to watch movies
and TV shows more as a writer or director rather than as a viewer. She’ll second-guess
the plot,
for example; and also sometimes think that shots should be made in a certain
way. Do you have any suggestions for such a young aspiring filmmaker?

–Wordwitch

First off, kudos for recognizing her interest. By far the most helpful thing
a parent can do is to encourage their kids to explore what they like, and to
appreciate what they’re able to create. Her talent is like a tiny flame. It’s
your job to keep supplying the kindling she needs to burn, but avoid the temptation
to throw on too much too soon. You risk overwhelming her if she’s not ready
to move on to more sophisticated things.

If she has a favorite TV show, try taping an episode, then transcribing it
together. She’ll probably be fascinated to see what scenes look like when they’re
written down on paper. She may have ideas for her own scenes that are better
than the originals.

Likewise, you might help her find some fan fiction on the internet for her
favorite shows or movies. A lot of fan fiction is terribly written – and some
of it is very X-rated, so you’ll want to pre-screen – but if it inspires her
to write her own, fantastic.

If you happen to have a Mac and a DV video camera, iMovie is a no-brainer.
She can make little movies to her heart’s content, especially if you’re willing
to help when asked.

If she’s more interested in the design side of things, like costumes and sets,
try to get her involved with a children’s playhouse, or even a local community
theater. There are lots of jobs she could probably do, even at her age. Personal
bias, but I don’t think enough kids learn how to hammer or sew these days.

And keep in mind that her school district might have special drama or creative
writing programs. Ask her if she’d like to join one. Just remember: always
support, but never push. At some point, all kids rebel against their parents,
and if they associate you too strongly with the activity that gives them happiness,
there’s a chance they might walk away from it altogether.

I am 14 years-old and am very interested in screenwriting.
I have read numerous books on the subject. I have four questions:

1. At 14 years-old, what else should I be doing besides reading
   screenwriting books?

2. What screenwriting software do you use and why?
3. In your years of experience, do you find that your creative
   vision makes it to the big screen, without being altered too much?

4. How old were you when you wrote your first script? How old
   were you when your first script got purchased?

Thank you in advance for answering my questions.

–Adam

Usually I answer one or two questions per reader, but I remember when I was
fourteen I had a lot of questions, so I’ll make an exception.

First, at 14 years old you should be watching everything and everybody. I
don’t mean movies. Watch people, try to figure them out, try to listen to the
cadence and content of their speech. People are simply characters without a
plot. They’re your best place to start. And no one thinks a 14-year old is
paying attention, so they’re likely to let you watch and listen.

And of course you should write. But I wouldn’t get too hung up on writing
a whole screenplay just yet. Write snippets. Write stories. Just write whatever
you feel like.

Second, I use Final Draft for the Macintosh. I love it, but there are other
good programs. And remember, a tool is only as good as the person using it.

Third, a screenwriter’s creative vision often does suffer on the way to the
screen. A screenplay is a blueprint, and the actual movie that gets constructed
may not live up to your highest hopes. I was thrilled with GO, but then I also
produced, so I had a pretty big hand in how it would be done. Other projects
haven’t always met my expectations, and it’s usually because choices were made
that I wouldn’t have made. That’s the reality when you’re not the final voice
on a movie.

Fourth, I was 22 when I wrote my first script. I wrote it in film school,
and it was overwritten like most first scripts are. It’s never been produced,
and honestly it never should be. But it got me started. The first script I
was paid to write was HOW TO EAT FRIED WORMS, which is just now making it to
the gate. The first original script I sold was GO.

When I look back to stuff I wrote when I was 14, I’m usually impressed by
the vocabulary and horrified by the subject matter. I wrote about the stupidest
things, most of them related to Dungeons & Dragons. But it’s important
that I wrote those early things, because it gave me the confidence to make
a living at it now.