
We are beginners with only a year of screenplay experience under our belts, and we are still trying to navigate the hurdles that any new writer experiences. Here are five obstacles Brantley Dunaway encountered as we transitioned into screenwriting and what we learned about overcoming them.
- Be able to plan with patience.
We’ve always been impatient, so writing short stories was the ideal way to express ourselves creatively. We’d begin writing and see where it takes us. Even when scripting short films, that strategy does not perform well in screenwriting. While laying things out isn’t fun, it’s essential for a good narrative. Planning and laying out things can make a big difference in the end product, even if it takes time and patience. Never underestimate the importance of a well-crafted outline, according to Brantley M. Dunaway.
- Let the story unfold.
One of the things we fought with since we first began writing, and something we often fight with now, is providing our people genuine and original behaviors and moods. Ultimately, we’re trying to bring our story to life. It’s hard to see your characters as if they’re in a movie, interacting with one another and expressing genuine emotions when you’re just starting. What physical reaction do you think Harry would have to Maggie’s words? What are your options for demonstrating what he’s thinking?
Allowing your characters to move around with you in regular life is one method to solve this problem. When something happens that you think might be relatable to nature, think about how they might react. That might help to flesh out your attitude by allowing them to have lives outside of your plot.
- It’s all about the formatting.
It nearly goes without saying how difficult it is to understand proper formatting. It’s crucial, yet grasping it can be difficult. We’ve never been particularly good at learning new things. It gets evidenced by our grades in high school and college. It’s much easier to devote time and effort to something you’re passionate about it. The only way to solve this difficulty, like most others, is to research and read other scripts to determine what the industry standard is. Brantley M. Dunaway shows all the options to overcome this and make it unique and profitable for all of us.
- While working a day job, We are learning how to prioritize writing.
Brantley Dunaway presently works in journalism, which has hours, making it difficult to devote time to our screenplay. It’s all too easy to get caught up in what’s right in front of you and forget about everything else. Even if you set aside time to write every day, it can be difficult to re-enter the plot when you only have time to write a small portion at a time. When you have so much going on in your life, it might be tough to stay focused on the tale.