Writing for the Cinema, Part 2

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

This is a continuation of the presentation of the author of The Rector and The Actress. Michael Hicks Thompson gave to our writer’s group, recently. We covered three of Michael’s tips in my Writing for the Cinema, Part 1 blog post on Tuesday. You may catch up there by going to this link. If you have read Part 1, then let’s continue with his tips on writing cinematically.

Structure. “Books and movies can employ the same beats – beats that can create certain rhythmic feeling inside us. This lets us know that the experience we’re having feels familiar, yet new, all at the same time.” Michael then shared with us the way to do that is with structure. “If you want your story to feel cinematic, you will need to do 2 things:

1) Read this book: Save the Cat, Blake Snyder

2) Download and use 3-Act Diagram. It’s the roadmap for the best storytelling. Once you have mastered this you can deviate. Michael uses the program Scapple to create a mind-mapping outline to streamline his book

Tension, according to Michael, should be included in every chapter, every paragraph and every sentence if possible. It should be anything interesting to keep your readers nose in the book. We have all read books that keep us on the edge of our seats. Tension between the characters plays a big part in that and a big part in the movie that could be made from the book. How many times have you finished a movie and seemed to be exhausted? Ninety minutes of tension can do that to you.

Action. Michael says there are two things an author would rather have more than anything. One is book sales and the other is a movie deal. Action will get you there. Every big story cries out for some BIG moments. A fight? Car chases? Maybe a dramatic courtroom scene. You probably just thought of your favorite ones as you read this. They punctuate the action and grab the reader.

Create Character Arcs. The technique of having your main characters change over the course of the story is a must. Every story should have such an effect on the main character that changes occur. This, character arc, is a technique that one should study.  Again, Michael reminds us to study the craft.

Michael Hicks Thompson is willing to travel to conferences, deliver this and other Keynote addresses, or workshops. Please contact Michael through his web site, michaelthompsonauthor.com for more information and a quote. This 2 part blog does NOT include all the information in the "7 Secrets of Cinematic Writing." Thompson saved his best, I'm not allowed to include it here. You'll need to bring Thompson to your next conference to see his cinematic writing presentation, his Dramatic Irony presentation, or his "7 Secrets to Mystery Writing,” as only Michael can deliver.

From Writer to Screenwriter

By Kate Hallock

As a writer I love stories, and consume them regularly, in any medium books, movies or television. Until recently, however, I only ever tried to write stories, for readers. Most writers I know also write their stories for readers. But as writers we should feel comfortable writing stories for any format. So I challenge you to take either a story you’ve already written or the new idea that you are most excited about and write it up as a screenplay instead of a novel.

There are a few huge benefits to doing this:

1. You will increase your knowledge of the craft of writing.

Anytime you venture into a new type of writing, you learn about yourself as a writer and about the way stories work. This knowledge will serve you in all your future projects no matter what form they take.

2. It may help you shape your story.

By turning your existing novel into a movie you may start to see some flaws that you didn’t see before. Maybe one of the characters is coming across flat, or a scene just doesn’t work, that you never noticed before. By seeing it in a new light you may find ways to improve your story.

3. You double the chance of getting the story out there.

Instead of limiting yourself to publishers you can now try to sell the same story to a production company. It’s not easy to get in the door, but neither is the publishing world.

4. You can now add screenwriter to you author bio.

Once you tackle a screenplay you become a screenwriter. An occupation that is underserved in a world full of writers.

I recently decided to take on my own screenwriting endeavor and I found two resources to be immeasurably helpful.

The first is a book called Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. This book takes you from idea to finished product in an easily digestible way. Even if you never write a screenplay his insights on structuring a story and plotting make it worth the read.

The second is the word processor Scrivener. For the price it is a hugely helpful tool for all types of writing. When I first thought about attempting a screenplay the formatting alone was enough to keep me from giving it a go. But using Scrivener takes the guesswork out. You simply click on Screenplay and it formats everything for you. For example it knows when you need all caps, so you are not endlessly turning on and off caps lock.

There’s no reason that any writer cannot become a screenwriter. By using these tools you can tackle the few key differences between writing a novel and writing a screenplay. After all a good story is a good story. And who knows, you may just be responsible for the next mega blockbuster.

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KATE HALLOCK is passionate about great stories, whether in books, movies, television or her own mind.  She writes YA fiction. Her blog M3 Devo, short for Monday Morning Movie Devotional, takes a look at biblical truths found in mainstream movies. You can check it out at www.M3devo.com Or  www.Katehallock.com. You can also follow her on twitter @katehallock29