Billie Mernit is the author of 'Writing the Romantic Comedy' and reads movie scripts for his day job. I always learn something from his blog *- and todays missive is no exception.
'Cinematic storytelling -- the term that's come to define this particular approach to screenwriting -- involves a kind of three-step process (though these steps are often enacted simultaneously):
1) you conceive your story in filmic terms,
2) you see the movie in your head, and
3) you write the story in a language that vividly communicates that movie's sounds and images.'
I wonder how many writers use this very visual and sensory approach to pre-screening the scenes of the fiction before writing them down?
Romance - certainly.
Suspense - almost certainly. In my case, yes. It is a key part of my work.
Perhaps this is the fundamental appeal of genre fiction as opposed to MOST literary fiction - the reader is invited into a fully realised world.
Part of creating the 'fictive dream' is surely to provide a fully engrossing and vicarious experience?
Interesting. I have learnt a lot from screenwriting techniques over the years - and am still learning. Thank goodness.
3 comments:
Thanks for that, Ray-Anne. I need all the help I can get if I'm to attempt writing this script by April.
If you have the time there are tons of articles on the net about screenwriting craft, which is MUCH more structured and choreograghed except of course you can become easily sidetracked by the plethora of advice.
PLUS you can read produced screenplays for FREE on lots of sites such as these:
http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/dircut.html
http://www.simplyscripts.com/
so, if there is a film you admire or your work is similar to, it could be worth tracking down a late draft.
Best of luck.
Thanks Ray-Anne, I have a look at these sites. I must be mad trying to do this as well as everything else.
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