In this article I’d like to talk about a great (and easy) technique that screenwriters can use to write a great screenplay.
When I used to work as an agent, screenwriters would always ask me the secret to success when it came to writing a great screenplay.
At first I had no idea how to respond to this question. All the successful screenwriters that I knew had found success in different ways. Their writing techniques were all drastically different and they wrote their screenplays in dramatically different ways.
Some screenwriters like to use more of an organic approach and write their screenplays in a fluid way, writing their screenplays as they go with no plan or structure. These screenwriters then cut their script later on.
Other screenwriters like to plan their screenplay out from beginning to end and work everything out first before they put pen to paper.
Both of these techniques can be effective in their own way. But there is one technique that I’ve seen used by some of the most successful screenwriters that seems to produce the highest quality writing overall.
This technique was also used by Sylvester Stallone among many others. And in case you’re tempted to write Sylvester Stallone off as just a muscle bound action star of the 80s and 90s, think again…
Sylvester Stallone is an incredibly talented writer and story teller. He wrote the Rocky movies and the Rambo movies as well as a whole host of other movies. He even won the academy award for best screenplay for Rocky.
I remember going to a black tie event in Hollywood for screenwriters once and Sylvester Stallone was there. He gave a speech about writing screenplays and working in Hollywood that was more inspirational than technical. But one thing he did say really stood out.
Stallone told the assembled audience that when he wrote his screenplays he listed every single event of every character in his story from beginning to end.
This included his characters going to the bathroom, taking a shower, going to sleep, making love, meeting a girl, getting something to eat… every single detail as this was the essence of life. Then, after a couple of events, he would state: this character has a problem… it could be emotional, physical, psychological, financial, but they have a problem.
Stallone’s list would look something like this:
– Rocky wakes up.
– Rocky has breakfast.
– Rocky goes to work.
– Rocky has a problem.
Now there’s one thing that Stallone understands better than most other screenwriters out there. That is, conflict is the essence of story and all great stories are packed with conflict.
Stallone then said he would leave his list to sit for a week or two and then come back to it, asking himself this one question on each event on his list.
How can I make this event/situation as interesting as possible?
– Rocky wakes up (how can I make this interesting? Rocky wakes up, half-asleep and crashess into the bedside table).
– Rocky has breakfast (how can I make this interesting? Rocky doesn’t eat an ordinary breakfast, he cracks three raw eggs into a glass and drinks it).
– Rocky goes to work (how can I make this interesting? Rocky doesn’t have a regular job, he actually works for a loan shark.)
– Rocky has a problem (how can I make this interesting? Rocky is broke and has no money).
As you can see, the process is incredibly simple but it generates fantastic story telling.
It’s hard to go wrong when you make ever turn and event in your screenplay is as interesting as possible, filled with tension and conflict and drama.
For a great video on the making of Rocky told by Sly Stallone himself, you can check out the following video on YouTube.
If you’re trying to write a great screenplay, or improve the quality of your script, which is a must if you want to get the interest of agents and producers, then this technique is probably the best and easiest way to create a great screenplay that I’ve seen.
*Jennifer Sloane has worked as a screenplay agent in Los Angeles and Nashville for the last five years. Jennifer loves good movies, music and animals. A former television and movie executive, Jennifer currently heads business development at Script Mailer (a company that connects screenwriters with agents and producers in Hollywood).