Pretending to be a screenwriter is easy. Anyone can do it. Coming up with a good idea however, can be a bit harder. Even more difficult? Finding a way to put all the pieces of your story together to create a compelling narrative. But the most difficult task of all is convincing someone to give you that big break - to transform you into that honest-to-goodness professional screenwriter.
Here’s one way to do it:
“My guess would be that the “Midwestern Guy” would be the Main Character and the “Beverly Hills girl [...]done horribly wrong” would be his Impact Character. The fact that they “find each other” suggests some sort of romantic Subjective Story Relationship throughline. The Overall Story, though, is strangely absent.
At first, I wanted to post this only because I liked the picture and could empathize with the guy, but I think the fact that there isn’t any Overall Story is what makes his “pitch” highly unoriginal. The setup of the other three throughlines is so familiar that one has trouble understanding what makes this idea a “great movie.”
Then again, maybe he does have something, but just ran out of space on the sign.
Either way, I want to see that scene.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 the lost writer // May 11, 2008 at 10:51 pm
im thinking of taking a year off and heading to hollywood to make it as a screen writer/actor. i’m just curiouse about your oppinion on this matter. i love writing and acting and if i dont do that i’m most likely going to end up teaching highschool english.
2 Chris Huntley // May 12, 2008 at 10:27 am
Not to burst your bubble, but Hollywood is harsh. It chews up and spits out wannabe actors, writers, directors, etc. by the busload. Unless you are HUNGRY and are COMPELLED to “make it in Hollywood,” I’d recommend polishing your teacher’s credentials. I understand the lure and “magic” of the Hollywood mystique, but it is brutal. Unless you win the Hollywood equivalent of the Mega Lotto, it is likely to take you five to ten years to be “discovered.” Even then, you must fight to get work and moonlight as a waiter or other low-paying, flexible schedule job to supplement a sporadic, inconsistent, and often thankless “career” in showbiz. That is the reality of “Hollywood.” You know the fantasy.
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