Welcome to Quarter 2 of Intro to Screenwriting. Do you need to go back to Quarter 1? Quarter 2?
Day 91
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 92
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 93
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 94
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 95
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. You should be around the beat “All is Lost” or “Dark Night of the Soul.”
2. Take a look at the beat sheet summary to remind yourself what that means.
Day 96
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 97
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 98
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 99
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
2. Your charaters should be ready for Break Into Three/The Finale! Review the story beats.
Day 100
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 101
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 102
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 103
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 104
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 105
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 106
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day.
Day 107
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. You have about four days after today to reach the end of your screenplay.
Day 108
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. You have about three days after today to reach the end of your screenplay.
Day 109
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. You have about two days after today to reach the end of your screenplay.
Day 110
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. You have about one day after today to reach the end of your screenplay.
Day 111
1. Continue working on your screenplay. Try to write AT LEAST two pages a day. Have you reached the end of your screenplay yet?
Day 112
1. Take today to look over your screenplay. Is there anything you need to finish or change? Don’t forget: this is only your first draft. It’s okay if this is not polished, it just needs to be complete from beginning to end.
Day 113
1. Once you have finished your first draft, print it out. We are going to use the hard copy for the next stage of your project.
Day 114
1. Read through your screenplay. We will not be making changes today, but you are allowed to make notes on the hard copy in pencil if you see anything on the readthrough that catches your attention.
Day 115
1. Now that you have worked so long and so hard on your screenplay, we are going to set it aside for a little while and let it rest. Meanwhile, we are going to study some screenwriting techniques that may be helpful when we return to your screenplay.
2. The two biggest elements of a screenplay are action and dialogue. Today were are going to begin by studying dialogue and how to improve it. Go to the page “Writing Better Dialogue” and read from the top to Exercise 7. Pay particular attention to the point that if you have two characters who agree about everything, they might as well be one character.
3. Complete exercise 7. Since you haven’t already done it, make up a silly fake name for yourself and write about a page of the worst dialogue you can imagine.
4. Continue reading until exercise 8, then stop.
Day 116
1. Go to the same page as yesterday and scroll down to exercise 8. You will need to create two characters, one child and one adult. Then complete exercise 8.
2. Scroll down and read the section about “winning dialogue.” Watch the clip. Stop when you reach exercise 9.
Day 117
1. Go back to the dialogue exercises and scroll down to exercise 9.
2. Complete exercise 9. You will have to choose two characters for this exercise. I recommend choosing characters from a movie or book that you like and using them. (This is a dialogue exercise, not a character building exercise.)
3. Read about hiding dialogue and watch the clip. Continue reading until the interlude.
Day 118
1. Scroll down to exercise 10. Choose two more characters and complete exercise 10.
2. Read about ignoring dialogue and watch the clip. Keep reading until “The Opposite Again” and then stop.
Day 119
1. So the three types of conflict in dialogue that we have discussed so far are winning (someone is trying to get someone else to do something), hiding (the characters are trying to conceal something from each other) and ignoring (they’re not really listening to what the other person is saying and is instead focused on their own priority).
2. Looking at how professional screenplays are written will help you flesh yours out. Today read from a script for a finished movie. Scroll around until you find some dialogue and read at least 5 pages. Choose from:
3. Can you identify whether the dialogue you read employed winning, hiding, or ignoring?
Day 120
1. Today read from a script for a finished movie. Scroll around until you find some dialogue and read at least 5 pages. Choose one of the screenplays you did not look at yesterday:
2. Can you identify whether the dialogue you read employed winning, hiding, or ignoring?
Day 121
1. Watch the video about language as a window into human nature. The idea of creating (or avoiding) mutual knowledge relates to the idea of dialogue hiding something from the other person. Can you see how veiling true intentions in innuendo often creates more interesting character situations than using overt language?
Day 122
1. Go back to your screenplay and choose a scene with a lot of dialogue. Identify which type of dialogue conflict (winning, hiding, ignoring) will create the most interest in the scene. Try rewriting the dialogue in a way that increases the dialogue conflict according to its type.
Day 123
1. Go through the hard copy of your screenplay. Identify each section of dialogue and mark it either W (winning), H (hiding), or I (ignoring). If you don’t think a piece of dialogue fits in any of these categories, try to decide whether it should be one of the three. Stop at the midpoint.
Day 124
1. Continue through the second half of your screenplay to the end, marking sections of dialogue as before. Does identifying the conflict in the dialogue allow you to see ways to improve your dialogue?
Day 125
1. Today read from a script for a television show (choose from below). Scroll around until you find some dialogue and read at least 5 pages.
2. Can you identify the type of conflict in the dialogue? How did the writer create that conflict?
Day 126
1. Today read from a script for a television show (choose one you haven’t read from below). Scroll around until you find some dialogue and read at least 5 pages.
2. Can you identify the type of conflict in the dialogue? How did the writer create that conflict?
Day 127
1. It’s time to revisit your screenplay again. On this first revision we are ONLY going to be focusing on improving the dialogue. Read (approximately) the first five pages. You should already have identified the conflict in the dialogue here. Rewrite any dialogue in these pages.
2. IMPORTANT: Don’t save over your first draft. Save your second draft as a new document. Then you don’t have to worry about whether the changes you are making are better or not, because you will still have your first draft available to you.
Day 128
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue (but conflict does not mean just arguing!)
Day 129
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 130
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 131
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 132
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 133
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 134
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
Day 135
1.Continue your revision of your screenplay dialogue. Read the next five pages or so. Rewrite any dialogue you come across, and try to improve it. Remember to use conflict in your dialogue.
You’ve finished Quarter 3. Please move forward to Quarter 4!
