Lesson #2:
SCRIPTWRITING BASICS
Studying
with
Trayce

BE A STORYTELLER FIRST!
....AND THEN A WRITER!
'SCRIPTWRITING BASICS'
IS DIVIDED INTO (6) SECTIONS
EACH WITH AN EXERCISE
FOR YOU TO COMPLETE
It's fine to glance over all the sections first. But you won't understand the lesson if you don't take time to do the exercises! Recommended: Do just one section / exercise per study session and really think about it. Remember: This Is Normally A Semester Long Class!
.
DID YOU DO LESSON : FILMMAKING BASICS ?
1. WHAT KIND OF
STORYTELLER ARE YOU?
DO YOU
.
-
Love telling stories about your family, or what you saw other people doing?
-
Analyze the storylines of films? (To the point of annoying other people!)
-
Like to do puzzles or games that require 'cognitive skills'? (The core skills your brain uses to think, read, learn, remember, reason, problem solve, and visually process !)
-
Fancy yourself an amateur psychologist, keen on the little things that people say and do that give away their inner lives?
-
Watch every CSI show? (Crime Scene Investigation) Love studying physical environments and objects to piece together the stories they tell?
-
Love history and doing research?
ASSIGNMENT (60 min)
1) Write down (5) things about yourself that might help you become a good (or better) Storyteller. You can include traits not listed above.
2) READ ARTICLE:
'(6) Tips For Beginners On
Creating Good Writing Habits'
'(11) WEIRD HABITS OF WRITERS
THAT YOU'LL LAUGH AT & LOVE'
These articles can help you improve both your study and writing habits.
3) Write down (5) habits you already have (even if you don't yet regularly stick to them), or can imagine starting, that could help you stick to regular study and writing sessions.
MY WEIRD HABIT!
"When I'm just sitting down to write and struggling to get focused, I literally like to warm myself up! I'll wear a knit cap and cozy socks and drink hot-hot tea in a thermos -- even on a hot summers day (I might be wearing shorts!). It helps me feel contained inside of myself. Once I get going I usually peel off the cap and socks."
- Trayce
2. LEARNING TO ENJOY
'PREWRITING'
Before you get started as a Writer, I want you to first get started as a 'writer' with a lower case 'w'. This is the notetaker writer who jots down his/her (or the team's) ideas and thoughts, not meant to be shown to an audience, but used to help record and structure discussions. This is called 'Prewriting'.
Prewriting will help you generate ideas before you start writing and get stuck! Here are stages your writing should go through:
I. Prewriting
II. Write 1st Draft of Script
III. Share Draft To Get Feedback And Then Edit IV. Write 2nd Draft And Get Feedback
V. Final Draft (However many drafts it takes)
ASSIGNMENT (60 min)
'PREWRITING'
1) Below are (3) different resources explaining what 'Prewriting' is. The resources cover the same information, but in different ways. One might inspire or make more sense you, so check them all out. You don't have to understand or use all the techniques. Using even one technique will get you going !:
WATCH VIDEO (1min):
READ ARTICLE:
'Prewriting Techniques'
REVIEW SLIDESHOW:
2) Choose your own one word Topic* (Examples: Dog / Work / Dinner / Subway, etc)
Pick one of the Prewriting Technique you learned about (i.e. brainstorming, freewriting, listing, clustering, or questioning). Use it to come up with as many ideas as you can for a story about your Topic (that includes ideas about how to describe Characters and location).
(*This is an exercise! You can choose a
different topic when you start writing your script.)
EARLY HOLLYWOOD WAS ALL ABOUT
'PREWRITING' IN TEAMS!
FIND OTHER PEOPLE
TO BOUNCE IDEAS OFF!