Stock Photograph Debate of the Day: Nature Enthusiast or Suicidal Hiker?

Hey guys! It’s 2013, and now that the holidays are over, it’s time to get to work on that screenplay you’ve been wanting to write. Today is a fresh start, where we can put procrastination and overcaffeination behind us, and become more productive, creative people who make up fictional relationships and events alone in front of a laptop (or typewriter, if you’re classy like that.)

With that, here are 13 ways for you to become a better screenwriter in 2013:

1. Refuel your idea bank. Have you ever noticed how heavily our dreams rely on what happened during the daytime? Even the most imaginative situations were inspired by something that we experienced or witnessed. The same concept applies to screenwriting. Take one day a week to do something interesting. Push your boundaries. Look at something in a new perspective. Get lost. Say hi to a complete stranger. What you see — and what you subconsciously take in — will affect your writing. It’s critical to keep refueling and seeking revelations and interesting observations so you can enrich your writing.

2. Declare that “writer’s block” doesn’t exist. “Writer’s Block” was invented so that writers could blame something external for their lack of productivity. In reality, it doesn’t exist. Take this perspective out for a spin, and you’ll realize that writer’s block is nothing but your brain telling you that you need to mix things up. If you can’t write a scene, that doesn’t mean some mythical writing god has blocked your creative channels, it simply means that your creative side is running low on fuel and you need to take a break, go for a walk, write something else, or list all of things that wouldn’t happen next in your story. Praying for inspiration or bemoaning your condition won’t fix anything. If you’re on a deadline, sit down and write the scene, even if it turns out terrible. Just put something on the page. Writing is re-writing, “writer’s block” or no.  [Read more…]