by Jenna | Mar 25, 2023 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to two questions about choosing projects and getting feedback.
“I have four different topics that intrigue me. All could be short non-fiction books. How do I commit to one? It seems like each day a different one appeals more. I start on one, then wonder if another would be easier or more fun.”
Here are the main ideas I discuss in my response:
- Reflecting on what kind of writer you are, and the kinds of challenges you face.
- The “grass is greener” feeling
- Using your inner knowing to pick the project you want to work on first.
- Using “decision criteria” to identify a list of criteria to litmus test your writing choice.
And this is the second question I answered:
“What do you do after you have finished writing your script — how to edit, get feedback, etc.?”
Here are the steps I suggest in my response:
- Set your script aside for at least a few days.
- Read through your draft and make notes.
- Make a short reverse-outline of the script.
- Make notes about what’s working and what’s not.
- Tackle the big stuff first.
- Correct smaller items as needed (but not in scenes you might cut!).
- Set it aside again, then read and repeat.
- Once you have a draft you feel good about, then look for feedback.
When it comes to choosing projects to work on, to finishing and getting feedback on your scripts, trust your inner knowing about what resonates and what doesn’t.
Photo from Canva
by Jenna | Mar 17, 2023 | Science Fiction, ScriptMag Articles
A new article over on Script Mag featuring my discussion with Eric Heisserer, the series creator and showrunner of Shadow and Bone, and the screenwriter behind Arrival and Bird Box, about how he came to work on the show, his approach to the adaptation, how he runs the show, and world-building in fantasy.
“The important thing to focus on is preserving how the source material made you feel when you read it, and to hold on to that feeling and making sure it’s preserved in your adaptation.” -Eric Heisserer
[read the article on Script Mag]
Photo courtesy of Netflix © 2022
by Jenna | Feb 18, 2023 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about how to keep up confidence in writing:
“My biggest challenge is making regular time to write and work on a script. My question is about keeping my confidence up that I can do this.”
Here’s the high-level overview of my response:
- Being confident means feeling self-assured, believing in yourself and your abilities, and trusting that you can rely on yourself.
- Build confidence through experience and by taking action.
- Protect your confidence by making smart choices about who you interact with and with whom you share your work.
- How you talk to yourself really matters.
- Taking consistent, regular action to write builds confidence.
- Starting and finishing scripts makes a big difference.
- Facing and solving tough story challenges teaches you that your storytelling skills are improving.
- The evidence you take in matters.
- Choosing to believe in yourself ultimately comes first — it’s a choice.
When you take creative risks, however small, and build on your successes, you gradually learn where and how you can trust yourself.
by Jenna | Feb 8, 2023 | Science Fiction, ScriptMag Articles
A new article over on Script Mag featuring insights from my interview with ‘The Ark’ co-showrunners Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner. Topics discussed:
- the evolution of sci-fi as a genre
- collaborating to create their new show, ‘The Ark’
- the impacts of streaming
- writing sci-fi
- the importance of great characters
- visual effects
and more!
[read the article on Script Mag]
Photo by Aleksandar Letic/Ark Tv Holdings, Inc/SYFY
by Jenna | Jan 21, 2023 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about giving up a writing group, or not, including looking at the larger issues buried in the question: 1) Losing enthusiasm for writing, and 2) having a writing group functioning as their “only outlet.”
In the article, I shared some reasons our inquirer might have lost enthusiasm for writing, so they could see what might resonate, including:
- Nearing the end of a script, and resistance and procrastination rising to keep them “safe” from putting work out there.
- Feeling burned out by running a writing group for others.
- Being affected by other life responsibilities or challenges.
- Processing feedback (positive or negative).
- Taking a wrong turn with the script and having their intuition balking.
- Tiring of the story or losing connection to it.
The article includes some thoughts about solutions for each of these.
I also addressed the aspect of having their group being their “only outlet.”
My ultimate answer to the reader’s question about giving up their group is that sometimes groups arise for a reason, or are with us for only a season. It’s okay to let go of experiences that are no longer serving us, redesign them to better meet our needs, or recommit with renewed intention or energy. A thoughtful inventory of what’s working and what’s not will most likely point us in the right direction.
Writing groups can be wonderful places to feel connected to other writers who get you, cheer for you, and encourage you to keep moving ahead with writing. Writing groups can also become performative, perfunctory, burdensome, or even become a substitute for writing.
Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels
by Jenna | Dec 17, 2022 | ScriptMag Articles
In this month’s “Ask the Coach” article, I’m responding to a question about how much to develop a story before starting to write pages.
In this article, I talk about screenwriter Jeff Howard’s take on the value of outlining and developing a story, particularly for screenwriters, including being able to:
- Get back into a script more readily if life interrupts
- Meet contractual obligations to outline once working professionally
- Layer a story more effectively (easier to do at the outline stage)
- Maintain a consistent tone throughout the entirety of the script once you’re writing pages
My ultimate answer to the reader asking the question was: Yes, do the development work first, along with my reasoning based on their specific question and a recommendation on how to proceed.
It’s always tempting to want to skip over the hard part of solving those issues and just writing what you know so far, but you may well be writing yourself into a corner.
Photo by Ron Lach
