Happy Friday!
My writing partner and I are teaming up to create short animated comedy bits to share with you each week.
Click here to view the clip.
In my NYU class, two of my students have completed a first draft in six weeks! Kudos to Aksana and Claire!
The process that we use in the class is:
1.Write a treatment. The treatment is written using the structure discussed in my books, How to Write A Screenplay in 10 Weeks and the 4 Magic Questions of Screenwriting. The goal is to write the story in the present tense with no more than three paragraphs for each act.
2.The next step is to vet the treatment and then to convert it into scenes and sequences. Then by using the 3-act four-part structure, the scenes can be organized for maximum conflict. In the method, there are 12 sequences, each containing a group of scenes that answer a specific question.
3. Using the Mythic Journey Map, the scenes are laid out in the proper order.
4. Students can then write 15-25 pages a week. This is the fun part, because it’s easy to write when you know what you’re writing about!
5. Once the draft is completed, students prepare a scene by scene outline with page numbers. This document becomes a personal blueprint that allows the student to remain objective so that the revision work will be efficient.
6. Put the draft away for a few days, then reread using the outline. Make notes on the entire script BEFORE you begin revising it.
I love this class not only for their talent and enthusiasm, but also for their mutual support of each other!
Here’s to your successful writing,
Professor Marilyn Horowitz
