Learning Filmmaking, Part Four: How to Sit Down and Write

Assuming that you want to write a script or story for your movie on your own, the actual writing can be difficult to find motivation for. Instead of discussing screenwriting itself (which another part will cover), this article intends to get your butt physically into a seat and start writing.

First off, you have to acknowledge where exactly you are starting from. Do you have only the vaguest idea of what you want to write about? Did you already write an outline plotting out the major story turns? Or maybe you have the entire story envisioned in your head but you are not entirely certain how to translate it to paper. Which of these best describes your current situation? While it may seem like a disadvantage if you are not as well equipped in the pre-writing department, do not be discouraged; there is no correct way of writing. The only thing that matters is ending up with a finished product of quality. The means by which you achieve this is up to you.

There are several details that a writer should consider before setting up his/her work environment. If noise distracts you, set up in a place that is far away from daily commotion. Many people are continually distracted by television or the internet so, if you are one of these people, either unplug everything or get to a room with no media diversions. Background music can often help maintain a certain mood that you want for a story and possibly inspire you (Paul Thomas Anderson says Magnolia was partly a result of listening to Aimee Mann's music while writing). Just as many writers enjoy only the sound inside their heads to accompany their process.

Once you have found a location that matches your needs, it is time to sit down and stop making excuses. As you begin to be distracted, your mind will come up with small reasons on why you should temporarily discontinue. The 'temporary' part was conjured up as lame justification. It is half of the writer's job to refuse any temptation that brings them away from their work and they can do this by heading off any distractions. If you eat your meals immediately before you sit down, you no longer have the hunger excuse. The phone may become your worst enemy, so you may want to turn it off until you have accomplished a substantial amount. While you are closing yourself off to the world for a few hours, I guarantee you that not much in the outside will have changed (and even the parts that did change can probably wait).

Of all the excuses that the tired mind devises, writer's block is the deadliest. After writing for half the amount of time you intended to, you may say to yourself, "Writer's block is taking over, better take a break until tomorrow." Be strong against this feeling. Writer's block is merely a fancy way of saying, "I don't know exactly where the story goes from here and I'm afraid to make a commitment just yet." Instead of being afraid, take the opportunity to follow a brief impulse of taking the story into a different direction. At the very worst, the new direction might not work, at which point you erase it; the point is that you continued writing and spent the extra hour defining what your character/story is and is not. At the very best, you find yourself writing a much better story because you were unafraid of hunting for it.

Another form of writer's block may leave you with the feeling that you absolutely cannot go on. Every word you write feels shallow and contrived. The dark side of your mind pushes you toward taking a break, but which is better: writing something crappy while exercising your writing muscles or simply not writing at all? If you absolutely must get up and walk around, always keep your head on your characters. Put them through different scenarios and imagine five different directions the story could go. Your story has to become part of your life. The more it remains in your mind, the more it will flesh out into exactly what you want.

"Inspiration cannot be forced," some writers may say. This is true, but it does not give you the excuse to watch television endlessly until something hits you. An hour spent writing is always much better than an hour wasting time while you are waiting for inspiration. Shower Ideas (the ones that come to you suddenly while you are bathing) can be saved for the next draft of the story. Those ideas are always miraculous and must be followed, but at the same token you cannot stand in the shower waiting for them while your fingers start pruning.

The key to writing is gaining experience. The way you can gain the most experience is to challenge yourself to work onward even when times are rough. If you are able to keep your head on your story and avoid all distractions, you have a much better chance for success. Always remember that you can find your story as long as you are willing to chase after it.