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© Robin Kelly 1997 - 2005
© Robin Kelly 1997 - 2005
© Robin Kelly 1997 - 2005
Conflict
Drama is conflict. Without conflict there is no drama. As well as falling down over the character thing most scripts from new writers fail to have any conflict. Or believe that making the characters argue and bicker is conflict. It's not. It's natural to avoid conflict in real-life but avoiding it in our scripts is fatal. Often our main character is a version of ourselves so we are reluctant to give them too much trouble or put them in any danger. But that makes for dull scripts. You've got to give your characters hell before you give them an happy ending or the happy ending won't mean anything.
Conflicts are usually described as intra (from inside the character), inter (from another character they have a relationship with) and extra (everything the main character doesn't have a personal relationship with such as weather, society, a group of people, machines or ghosts). It is also described, more gender specifically, as Man vs Himself, Man vs Man and Man vs Nature. Every story must have conflict on at least one of these levels.
Story
It might be helpful to have some idea of what your story is about - a theme. Try and be clear exactly what you want to say. On the surface my chemical company example above is about the environment but after working on the characters it's now really about friendship and personal responsibility. That's what's going to interest an audience not boring polemic about the environment. I still get to make my political points but in a more subtle and less preachy way. Knowing what your story is really about will keep you focussed. When you watch drama try and pinpoint the theme and what it's really about.
By following what the character would do normally rather than imposing plots on them then you will get your story. Just take it one step at a time ensuring that the character is psychologically true. What would the character really do next considering what's gone before? How would another character react to that? Aim for character-driven plots not plot-driven characters. Aim for simple stories and complex characters.
It's important that you get into the habit of doing an outline of your story before you start writing. Re-writing a bad outline is a lot easier than re-writing a bad script.
At the outline stage ensure that there is a strong story and you're aware of the main story beats or sections. This story has to start early. Ensure that there is a beginning, middle and end for the story as a whole and for each character's journey. Tie up the loose ends.
Matthew Carless, BBCi suggested one method to avoid plots that are too linear or not very interesting: "Get a large sheet of paper. At the top, put the story beat you are working on; let's call it "A" (you will probably have written a brief sentence of two). Now at the bottom of the page write the next story beat; call it "B". So now you know where you character has to start from and where s/he has to go to. At this point, keep in mind the "cause and effect" theory: "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction". Most good stories are created this way. Using this, work out one potential direction for your character and see where that goes, so you end up with a sort of flow chart with your main beats and little "mini-beats", etc. Now, go back to the top and work out another potential line of action - and see where that goes. And so on, and so on. Using this method, and applying it to both your main beats and some or all of your mini-beats, you will get a web of possible routes to story beat "B". Some of them will reach a dead end, others will not. You could send your character off down one dead-end route, only for them to realise that they should've taken the other route you planned out. Which means you can then ask yourself "what now are the implications for this character because she didn't take the correct route in the first place". This helps keep your plots alive and interesting and is a good way to keep your audience hooked. "
You would then do the same from story beat B to story beat C and so on.
"The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense."
- Tom Clancy
"Give me six hours to chop down a tree
and I will spend the first four sharpening
the axe"
- Abraham Lincoln
Structure
Now we move on to story structure, specifically the three-act one. It basically determines what happens and when it happens and is defined by the Main Character's outer motivation. The three act structure is the basis for all drama we see and more importantly that we subconsciously want to see. It isn't a formula for success or rules to be obeyed, it's just a guideline to ensure your story keeps moving and stays focused.
Calling the three-act structure the beginning, middle and end is maybe over-simplistic but it is fairly simple:
That definition is all you need really and following that alone will improve your script. However this is a more detailed version of the three act structure.
Act 1
(30 minute script about five minutes)
(60 minute script about ten minutes)
(90 minute script about fifteen minutes)
Act 2
(30 minute script about 20 minutes)
(60 minute script about 40 minutes)
(90 minute script about 60 minutes)
Act 3
(30 minute script about five minutes)
(60 minute script about ten minutes)
(90 minute script about fifteen minutes)
The three-act isn't the only show in town but if you want to write popular drama then I'd advise making the effort to understand it.
Dialogue & Scenes
Once you know your characters and have done an outline, it's time to move onto the actual writing. Writing dialogue is the fun part while the foundation work can be a chore but that foundation is necessary or your script will collapse.
Poor dialogue, like poor stories, is almost always the result of poor characters. Once you know your characters well and taken care to differentiate them in their attitudes then poor dialogue will be less likely.
Some things to bear in mind for your dialogue:
However embarrassing it may be, in case your family and neighbours hear, always read your dialogue out loud.
"George, you can type this shit, but you sure can't say it."
- Harrison Ford
"Good dialog is not real speech -- it is the illusion of real speech."
- Ernest Hemingway
Some things to bear in mind for your scenes:
That 'show don't tell' thing might need explaining as I've heard recently a very experienced writer and a new writer arguing that it's silly. It's not. If I have a character that says 'I love potatoes, I do, they're lovely, I'm really obsessed with them." That's 'telling' and it's boring. If that same character eats lots of potatoes, turns his entire garden over to growing potatoes and reads books on the history of potatoes then that's 'showing' and it's more interesting, it allows the audience to do some thinking for themselves.
Rewriting
"The first draft of anything is shit."
- Ernest Hemingway
The scripts you see made into shows have generally been re-written several times before they've been submitted to a production company or network and several times after. Not starting writing until your characters and story is sorted reduces the amount of re-writing enormously but you will still need to make changes. Unfortunately we can't always tell what changes we need to make ourselves. There are two solutions to this firstly go through the script reader's checklist in this section and secondly, if you can, get another writer/reading group to read your script. A third solution isn't just sending off your first draft and hoping they like the idea and plot. Ideas and plots are ten a penny and if your script relies on that then it won't even be read in full. One guaranteed trick to help you see your script's faults is to put it away for at least a month and then go back to it. I have done this and been horrified at how many obvious problems with the script I failed to notice at the time. You might be impatient for your career to begin but delaying it a few weeks isn't going to make any difference.
"You should send your script off when you're happy with it, when you're proud of it, when you believe in it. If you send a script to a company and they turn it down, they will in effect be turning that writer down. The next time you send it in to them, even if the script has been extensively rewritten, I'd be amazed if they read it again, or with any real interest. They'll just see the same writer's name on the "same" script and say "didn't we reject this bloke already?" So the script they first get should be as good as you can get it, in my humble opinion."
- Ashley Pharoah
Length
The other thing you're checking for when rewriting is time. One way to do this is to use the correct format and count the pages. Another way is to do a word count or rather, if you're using Word, go to File then Properties then Statistics. A script is about 230 words a minute so as long as your half-hour script doesn't go over 7000 words and your hour script is no more than 14,000 words then you should be OK. I find it much easier cutting back to time then bringing up to time. You'd be surprised how much stuff you can cut when you have to.
"The essential is sufficient."
- Carl Dreyer
"Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."
- Alfred Hitchcock
Format and presentation
I would recommend using the proper format for your scripts. To be honest British producers are unlikely to shred your script on sight if it's not in the right format as long as it's readable. However there is an obvious advantage in submitting a script that looks professional and that will put the reader in the right frame of mind. With Matthew Carless' Script Smart Gold Word template available for free there isn't really an excuse.
It's tempting to try and be original in our format or presentation to make our scripts stand out but there's plenty of room for originality and artistic expression in our scripts and that's where it will count. Scripts written in fancy fonts on luminous colour paper in ring binders will be very annoying.
As well as incorrect format the other off-putting thing in scripts is incorrect spelling. The occasional mistake isn't a deal-breaker but if the writer didn't bother to use a spell-checker then it's a fair asssumption that they didn't bother with character creation or story planning.
Should you have severe problems with spelling and grammar then try and get someone to proof it for you. An inability to spell isn't a barrier to becoming a writer - writer-director Guy Ritchie and TV legend Lynda La Plante are dyslexic. But by the time your script reaches a reader they should be able to get into your story without having to pause to make sense of the presentation.
Producers
Once you've written your script and re-written it and are happy it's good enough to be sent out then it should be sent out. On the one hand sending off a speedily written first draft while mentally spending the commission money and thinking of chat-up lines for when you meet Tamzin Outhwaite or Martin Kemp on set would be silly. On the other hand tinkering with and obsessing over your script for years without sending it off would be equally silly. Let that script reader's checklist be your guide and as long as you can honestly say there's nothing you've missed out then just send it. Don't let a fear of rejection or a fear of success cripple you.
"Better murder an infant in its cradle than nurse an unacted desire."
- William Blake
"Eighty percent of success is showing up."
- Woody Allen
"The more you reason the less you create."
- Raymond Chandler
If you want to write for a specific show on ITV, Four, Five or Sky then you will need to send your calling card script to that show and say you want to write for it. You can get contact details by finding out the name of the script editor and production company by watching the show. You can then get the address and phone number by looking in the Writers Handbook or Writers and Artists Yearbook or the PACT directory of independent producers.
If the show is on the BBC then you will need to send your script to the New Writing Initiative (NWI). The NWI now deal with all unsolicited film, radio drama and comedy scripts. They also deal with writers who want to write for continuing drama series (remember to say that's what you want) but they don't deal with original drama series and serials which you send directly to the department. (These are the addresses for all the BBC departments)
The BBC is the most accessible place for new writers, although independent production companies are always worth a try, and so they get about ten thousand scripts a year or 250-300 a week. That is tough competition and they can afford to pick the cream of the crop.
Each script has the first ten pages read (which is the same across most script reading departments all over the world) and if there is any sign of talent then the whole thing is read. Only 15% (1500) of those 10,000 gets a full read. You might think it unfair that your script isn't read in full but one really can tell within a few pages if the script is any good or not. If a story hasn't started early, if the characters are clearly underdeveloped, if the dialogue is full of clichés or simply pointless banter then there's not much point in reading on. All those things suggest the writer isn't quite ready yet.
"I think you can read the first page, the first paragraph, and know if someone is in control or not."
- Scott Frank
So the first step, which the vast majority of people fail, is to get a script read in full. The next step is to get encouragement to send in your next script – that happens with 7% (105) of those 1500 scripts read in full.
The next hurdle is to have a good enough script so you're invited in to meet producers and script execs. That's 2% (30) of those 1500 scripts read in full. That's 30 out of 10,000.
That wasn't meant to depress you but encourage you. The harder you work on your script then the more likely it will be that you end up in that 7%. Kate Rowland of the NWI says "the greatest crime is to bore me with your script." I agree. She also said: "it is not in our interests to miss a really good piece of work. I think new writers think we're doing it deliberately. The BBC wants talent, it is absolutely crucial."
The March 2002 edition of the excellent and essential ScriptWriter magazine had an interview with Oliver Dennis of indie Hewland. Some quotage:
"99% of scripts have come through agents. Frankly I was staggered by how poor the majority of these scripts were. The main problem with them was that they were very hard to get into. The script might introduce ten characters or more in the first few pages or there would be no apparent story. You need to hit the ground running with the story; you want a page turner. I have read so few that are page turners. I have to force my way through them.
"I'm looking for someone who can write snappy, witty dialogue and a story. I see very few examples of that. I'm looking for writers who can give their characters a voice, who can introduce characters in such a way that I don't have to keep returning to the first page to check who is who. I should be able to tell from the dialogue who is speaking. I also want the writer to give me a story, to get me hooked. It's all very obvious stuff but it's amazing how many forests have been cut down to send me useless scripts.
"Producers don't want to ask for huge changes to a script for the sake of it or in order to make their mark on a script. They do so because either there's a flaw in the storyline or a flaw in the writing. Now if there's a flaw in the storyline, the writer should probably have noticed and made more of an effort to change the storyline before they wrote it. Alternatively, if it's a flaw in the writing then it's the writers fault."
Ashley Pharoah, A-list TV writer, on the BBC Writer's Room messageboard:
"I've just got off the phone from talking to a producer friend who is currently producing a series for the BBC. She was pulling her hair out. According to her, ALL the scripts - and some of them were from quite experienced, well-paid writers - needed huge amounts of work. The first drafts were, without exception she says, unfilmable.
"I asked her what she meant. She said there was no clear sense of what the story-of-the-week was, so there was no sense of what the plot-points were or how the act structures worked, with the knock-on effect that there was very little narrative tension so the scripts got baggy and bloated and meandering. She said hours, days, were spent on fixing the basics of the scripts before they could move on and talk about real depth and quality.
"If I was trying to get into the business now I would do everything I could to make sure I had the basic story-telling skills. Because if you can write scripts that have beginnings, middles and endings - doesn't seem too much to ask! - that have STORIES and tension and movement the World is your mollusc.
"The ability to structure narrative isn't the sole preserve of the experienced. Some writers have it naturally, instinctively, some learn it quickly, and they should be hurried in to take the place of the mediocre. It annoys me that so-called experienced writers are being paid very well and they don't know the basics of their craft.
"What I'm saying is if they can't hack it they should be moved aside for those who can."
"A producer is only as good as her writer."
- Lynda Obst
Rejection
It's natural not to like rejection, unfortunately unless you learn to accept it and move on then you will never be successful. Every successful writer has built up a pile of rejection slips while they were learning their craft and finding their own voice. Remember there's no rush. One writer pointed out that for other professions like doctoring or lawyering, practitioners have to spend years learning their craft and screenwriting was no different.
Remember you are not your work - a rejection of your work is not a rejection of you:
The only difference between succesful writers and unsuccessful writers is that the former didn't give up.
You might be tempted to blame the scriptreader's lack of judgement and taste - as well as questioning their parentage. Personally I think mistakes are rare because they are desperate for writers but if you genuinely believe that the scriptreader was wrong - and other writers agree with you - then simply send it to another producer. One reader might make a mistake but if all the readers reach the same conclusion then that's a clue as to the true quality of the script. While self-belief is very important to a writer, self-delusion isn't.
"If you are the puppetmaster, you can not be out front sobbing at the performance. You have to remain clearheaded backstage and make sure that the strings do not get tangled."
- Nicholas Meyer
"A mistake in judgment isn't fatal, but too much anxiety about judgment is."
- Pauline Kael
The next project
You should always be thinking of the next project. As soon as your script has been posted off to a producer then you should be working on something else not basking in the glory of your achievement and rehearsing your BAFTA acceptance speech. Some writers even advocate working on lots of projects at the same time. Imagine the worst case scenario and your script is rejected - at least you will have a better script in the pipeline which will help you deal with the rejection. Imagine the best case scenario and your script gets you a meeting - the producer is going to want to know what else you've got.
Conclusion
For further reading check out the Links and Books page. I would also recommend reading Broadcast magazine, The Guardian newspaper on Mondays (or online) and subscribing to ScriptWriter magazine.
We learn by doing and actively solving problems and so while you should continue to read about writing, and watch/analyse shows there's no substitute for putting pen to paper. We all have a few bad scripts in us and the quicker we get them written and out of the way the better. Writers write.
Good luck.