Countdown to “The Quest”: Day 5
On Monday, July 16, a mere five days from now, you will have the opportunity to Go On Your Own Quest [GOYOQ]. If you are just now entering this conversation, you may go here for details.
I am posting a series of items this week to help prepare those of you who want to spend the next 24 weeks digging into screenwriting theory, and prepping and then writing the first draft of an original screenplay alongside the participants in “Go Into The Story: The Quest.”
Today: Screenwriting Theory.
Back in 2001, I decided to explore teaching screenwriting. That decision was yet another one of my ‘spirit of the spec’ moments — have an inspiration, feel my way through it, then act on it to see what happens. I taught my first course in the winter of 2002 on the UCLA campus and since that initial session, I have led over 100 classes, working with over 1000 writers. In fact, Go Into The Story derives from that experience as I discovered I enjoy discussing the craft of screenwriting and that I’m really good at teaching it.
One of the most fascinating things I discovered when I first started teaching screenwriting was that it made me ask this question: Do I have actual opinions, ideas, and theories about screenwriting? When you are forced to write lectures about something, you learn quickly whether you have a perspective / take on the subject or not. I discovered I did.
Over time, I developed curriculum and wrote lectures for Intro to Screenwriting I, Intro to Screenwriting II, Intermediate Screenwriting I, Intermediate Screenwriting II, Advanced Screenwriting, several different 4-day seminars, and a host of 1-week classes. Since launching Screenwriting Master Class in January 2011, I have written over 100 lectures and created 20+ courses including the 24-week workshop The Quest.
What the experience of putting together and teaching all of those classes did was compel me to dig deeper and deeper into the craft of screenwriting, starting with my own writing process, immersing myself in the writing processes of other writers, re-reading Aristotle and Joseph Campbell, discovering and devouring the ideas of Carl Jung, testing out those ideas in actual classrooms with actual writers, and in my own writing, all the while continually reflecting about and refining my understanding of the craft.
All of that led me to a conclusion: I do have an approach. It is different than anything I’ve seen in that it is fundamentally character-based. Everything starts and ends with character. I have pulled together all that theory into eight Core classes which constitute the first of three parts of The Quest. Those Core classes are based upon eight principles of screenwriting, each of them grounded in character.
Why am I writing about this today? Because for those of you who are planning to Go On Your Own Quest or even considering it, I recommend you take some time to ask yourself the same question I asked myself:
Do I have actual opinions, ideas, and theories about screenwriting?
Step back from your writing and consider what you think about the craft. What are the key principles that guide you as a screenwriter? What do you believe to be important and/or essential to your own theory of screenwriting? What have been the major influences on you in terms of how you think about screenwriting? How has your understanding about screenwriting theory changed over the years?
Some writers never think about how they write. They just write. If they are successful approaching the craft that way, great.
But my experience is that most screenwriters do reflect on what they think and believe about the craft. If you attend a seminar with working screenwriters at the WGA or go to any of the screenwriting panels at the Austin Film Festival & Conference, you will find screenwriters elaborating on their theories. Even if you follow professional screenwriters on Twitter, between their pithy witticisms and snarky commentary, you can be sure to see recurring bits of wisdom about writing.
How about you? Have you pondered what you think about in terms of your own screenwriting theories?
Beginning Monday, July 16 and for eight weeks, one of the ongoing topics of discussion on GITS in conjunction with Go On Your Own Quest is screenwriting theory. That schedule:
July 16–22: Plot
July 23–29: Concept
July 30-August 5: Character
August 6-August 12: Style
August 13-August 19: Dialogue
August 20-August 26: Scene
August 27-September 2: Theme
September 3-September 9: Time
That mirrors exactly the content into which I will be leading the participants in “Go Into The Story: The Quest,” providing them with a comprehensive, coherent, character-based approach to screenwriting.
For those GITS readers who are interested in GOYOQ or anyone, for that matter, who wants to spend time reflecting about and discussing screenwriting theory per each of those eight subject areas, we should have a lively ongoing conversation here as well for the next two months.
But before we launch into that, why don’t you take a few hours today, tomorrow or this weekend and ask yourself: Do I have actual opinions, ideas, and theories about screenwriting? If so, what are they? What are my thoughts about screenwriting theory?
You may be surprised at what you learn about yourself as a writer.
Tomorrow: Screenwriting Practice.
UPDATE: On the “Go Into The Story: The Quest” front, I have reviewed all of the requested material from the group of 21 finalists and spoken with each writer in individual video conferences. Today I am mulling over who I will invite to be members of an inaugural group of Questers. Plus I am considering some other interesting options.
I will be sending out emails to all of the 21 finalists tomorrow, then on Friday at 6PM Eastern here on GITS, I plan to announce the writers I have selected to participate in “Go Into The Story: The Quest”.
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