New GITS Initiative: Monthly Screenplay Workshop
Over the weekend, Go Into The Story turned 7 years old. As that birthday approached, I thought it was a good time to step back and reflect about the blog. As part of that process, I invited your feedback here and here. The response has been great via the blog, email, and Twitter. So each day this week, I’d like to present some initiatives that have surfaced during this process. A few of them I’m just going to go ahead and take on. Some, however, I’m going to request your additional feedback.
New GITS Initiative: Monthly Screenplay Workshop
This one I’m going to need some help on because there are some tricky issues. However based on somebody’s suggestion, I think this is a very cool idea: Each month, I’d have the good folks at the Black List suggest a script from a GITS follower that shows promise, but needs work. With that writer’s approval, I would upload the script for members of the blog community to read — including myself — then we would workshop the script on the site with me moderating and steering the conversation. This would not only benefit the script’s writer, it would also help participants develop their own critical analytical skills.
There are some logistical concerns. First off, I would not want to get into requiring some sort of legal agreement from participants where they waive their right to any claims on the writer’s script if s/he used one or more of their suggestions for the story. The whole point of this in some respects is to engender a free flow of creative expression, so having something like a waiver release hanging over our heads runs contrary to the spirit of the initiative.
Another issue: I would insist we embrace my take on constructive critique. This blog attracts creators, not haters. I’ve worked every day for 7 years to foster that type of environment. No controversy here, rather just solid tips, techniques, tools, insights, and information to engender writers to write and create stories. So everyone involved in the workshop would have to embrace the spirit of wanting to help the writer make their story better, not run anybody down, neither writer or fellow commenters.
I realize with every initiative, there is a risk, but I’m willing to consider a monthly script workshop, even with some of the concerns inherent to it for two reasons: (1) Helping writers is fundamental to what Go Into The Story is about and this would do that in a direct, intentional way. (2) A monthly script workshop would help both the writer of the script and the participants in the workshop process as they learn how to brainstorm, problem solve, and interact with other writers in a positive evaluative environment.
Finally let me say this. I have run dozens of workshops and I am really good at it. So when I say I would help “steer” the workshop process, I mean precisely that. That month’s writer may receive a flurry of ideas coming from widely divergent perspectives. I know how to sort through the mass of comments and work with a writer to help filter that feedback, zeroing in on the best and brightest suggestions, and set the writer on a path into and through a new draft. I’m not bragging. Whether it’s Black List screenwriting labs or Screenwriting Master Class workshops, this is just something I can do well. Combine that with the quality of the people who are frequent GITS commenters and perhaps others who lurk here, but would really enjoy and benefit from such a workshop experience, I am pretty confident this initiative could work.
What do you think? If we did this, would you be up for it? Would you be willing to have your script workshopped? Would you be willing to participate as someone critiquing a script and providing suggestions? Do you have any thoughts on how to handle my two concerns listed above? Do you have any other suggestions to help bring this initiative into being?
If so, please head to comments.
To read about the new proposed Movie Analysis series, go here.
And there’s this: Would you be interested in a Quest Writing Workshop?
If enough people enroll, I will conduct a three-day Quest Writing Workshop in Santa Monica, California in July. This is a chance for you to work with me on your story directly in a live setting.
Possible weekends:
Friday, July 17-Sunday, 19
Friday, July 24-Sunday, July 26
For more information, go here. If you are interested, email me.
Onward!
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