Screenwriting/ screenplay help

[Hettieinvestigates]

Hi MNers

Are there any screenwriters on here? Does anyone have any ideas how I might go about getting any screenwriting experience/ breaking into this area?

I have a couple of ideas and a completed episode of a tv series I've worked up, but I have no idea what to do next??

Screenwriting is something I'd love to do but I wonder if I've left it too late in life to make such a drastic career change (just turned 40). I know it's a difficult industry to break into - am I fooling myself??

TIA

I am an author but trying to break into screenwriting too. I would keep writing more sample scripts so you have a few things to show agents. If you can get to the London Screenwriters Festival in London in September do. It's a great place to network and learn more about craft and the industry.

Thankyou for the response and advice schmalex. Good luck with your screenwriting. Seems like a tough area to break into - but nothing ventured and all that

If you look at the BBC Writersroom website there is a lot of advice on screenwriting as well as details of opportunities (competitions) which are a good way into the industry, both TV and film.

Thanks LARLAR - loads of great stuff on there

The classic book is Screenwriting by Syd Field. He does go on a bit about some old movies that I don’t love (Chinatown), but his advice is great. I love his method of writing scenes/events on cards and moving them around to build a story arc. I’m trying this with a novel and it really helps overcome that hollow what-do-I-write next feeling.

And 40+ is not too old! Come on. All that matters is a great story.

Oh, also if you google Beau Willemon (House of Cards) he says the best thing is to write about something that really grips YOU, because studios often don’t know what they want until they see it, and good, original work will stand out.

I found the OU course Advances Creative Writing pretty useful, it teaches you how to adapt stories into screenplays and plays for radio. Also second BBC WRITERS room, follow the, on Twitter there are lots of resources and opportunities.

Books -
Into the Woods by John Yorke

Good luck, the older the better!

I agree that the John Yorke book is very good.

Thanks so much for the advice and encouragement everyone. I'll definitely take a look at those books. Writing scenes on cards sounds really useful, I can see how that would work for a novel too, will be giving that a go.

I produced my first feature film last year (being released next year) and I've just started screenwriting this year. I'm trying to get my first tv series concept made - from what I've learnt so far, it's supposed to be nigh-on impossible to get a spec script picked up.
HOWEVER, I've found joining Stage 32 quite useful - although they do offer paid pitches and paid webinars, there are also some free webinars and youtube videos of interviews that have been REALLY useful. I also google 'how to pitch a script' on youtube and that came up with some interesting stuff.
Stuff I've discovered -

• competitions help get you noticed, even if you don't win the grand prize. I entered two competitions with this script - one got to the quarterfinals, the other didn't make it to pitch, but got to the special mentions, which means that on Friday at the pitching event, there'll be a one-page description of the project and an interview in a programme presented to the six BIG companies attending the event. Who knows where that might lead?
• Scrivener's good if you like the notecard planning, and that's what I use at the moment, but apparently Finaldraft Pro is the industry standard.
• Formatting's a bitch.
• Apart from the Writer's Room, also take a look at the BAFTA/Rocliffe website as stuff comes up on that.

If you want to see how I've developed my project so far - and it's still very much early days, pm me and I'll sling you the website. (don't want to get accused of touting for views!)

Good luck with it all - I'm 43 and only just starting out on this path, and take a look at Lisa Joy (writer of Westworld) - she was a lawyer turned writer!

Thanks Dangly. That sounds amazing. What an achievement to be having a film you’ve produced being released, and then getting to the quarterfinals with your script. Thanks for the offer of a DM, I’ll do that now