The Writer's Advantage by Laurie Scheer

Author:Laurie Scheer
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Screenplay writing tips
ISBN: 9781615931989
Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions
Published: 2014-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

HOW TO FIND THE QUINTESSENTIAL TEXT

Begin by asking those around you — your peers, parents, children, friends, etc. — what their favorite movie, TV show, book, or web series is within your genre. Often parents can pass along favorite pieces of media from their generation to their children and children can do the same for their parents. In the case of many standard quintessential texts, it’s because of familial information that has been passed down within generations that these pieces of popular culture are considered classics or standards beloved by many. If one generation says “You can’t miss this!” — whatever “this” is — pay attention. You should listen to them. Whether you agree with them later, after you’ve read or viewed the text, is up to you. Having the knowledge of the text is what is key here.

After you’ve gathered the above recommendations, it’s now time to begin with an internet and/or library search for your genre. Let’s say you are writing a script that involves a road trip. When I do a search for “road trip movies” I discover links to articles such as “30 Great Road Trip Movies — Entertainment Weekly” and “20 Great ‘Buddy’ Road Trip Movies — Boston.com.” When I peruse these sources I see a number of titles. None of the lists are exactly the same, and that’s because of their source. Mainstream resources like Entertainment Weekly are going to represent a broader, general audience versus other resources that are cited. An established organization such as The New York Times, while also a mainstream source, will mention slightly different titles due to their specific audience needs, as will a site constructed by or for the fans of that particular genre. Pay attention to the source. There will be, however, titles that crossover and appear on all of these lists. Make it a point to know those titles.

Also, visit Wikipedia and search for your genre. In the case of “road trip movies,” Wikipedia has them listed under “Road Movies” and further breaks them down according to style, topic, or setting, audience factors, and format/budgeting. Here you’ll find more lists of road trip movies and again, once you have processed and honed in on the type of road movie you’re writing, then compare this information to your other resources. In the case of road trip movies, some of the titles that appear on ALL of the lists (in no particular order) are Easy Rider (1969), Sideways (2004), National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), Thelma & Louise (1991), The Motorcycle Diaries (2004), It Happened One Night (1934), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), Lost In America (1985), and Midnight Run (1988).

Next, make a note of the movies you’ve seen on this list and become acquainted with those you are not aware of by either reading about them and/or viewing them. You’d be surprised of how many times I have heard a pitch for a specific genre and the writer is not aware of an important text from their genre. For

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