As any screenwriter knows, coming up with a good story is only half of the work involved in writing a screenplay.  The next step for any screenwriter to take in writing a screenplay is to decide where to write it.  This is probably the most crucial step in developing a screenplay because as you may already know by now, a screenplay must be written in an exact and precise professional format designed to meet the industry’s standards.

         Some screenwriters, especially those new to the screenwriting industry, may attempt to use a basic word processor; however, writing a screenplay this way can be very difficult and time consuming.  I highly suggest avoiding this option altogether because Hollywood agents and producers are extremely strict when it comes to accepting screenplays and if one line in your screenplay doesn’t meet the industry’s standards, you risk the chance of your screenplay being rejected altogether.  That being said, anyone serious about the screenwriting industry should invest in a Screenwriting Software. 

There are literally hundreds of different types of screenwriting software, however I suggest that you purchase software that is well-known and is used frequently by the industry’s top professionals.  The two top and most frequently used are Final Draft and Movie Magic.   Both Final Draft and Movie Magic are highly used and are recommended by Hollywood professionals as well as various well-known literary agencies.  So, which one is the best choice? 

Now, before you decide which screenwriting software is best for you, please understand that neither software will make you write or become a better writer.  The task of writing a good screenplay is solely your responsibility.  As a screenwriter, I’ve used both Final Draft and Movie Magic and even though both have their pros and cons, I personally I prefer Final Draft. 

When using Movie Magic, I have found that it helps shorten the length of my script, which is good (the less lengthy script, the better).  However, I have also discovered that it uses incorrect margins by default.  This may not seem like a big issue,   but in the screenwriting industry there are really strict guidelines when it comes to formatting a script.  Just one formatting mistake can be the difference between a rejection and a success.  Movie Magic seems to overlook that. 

Movie Magic also gives you the option of having some paragraphs in your screenplay run on through a page break, or cut off.  Although this may seem like a good thing (the more options the better, right?), it is not.  Again, in the screenwriting industry, there are certain formatting rules and when one of those rules requires a specific number of lines per page, the option of a run on through a page break or cut off should be disregarded. 

As much as I do like Movie Magic, I prefer Final Draft because by default, Final Draft uses correct margins, so that you as a screenwriter can focus on writing instead of having to worry about changing any of the writing settings when you open the program.  Final Draft also does not give you as many writing options as Movie Magic.  This may sound like a bad thing, but when Final Draft automatically formats your script according to industry standard, why would you want any other option?

         Although, I am partial to Final Draft, both Final Draft and Movie Magic are the best of the best when it comes to screenplay formatting software.  The decision is completely up to you which one to choose.  I do strongly suggest; however, that you do invest in one of them.  Both will save you countless hours of time and frustration because they do practically everything that you as a screenwriter would typically have to do on your own.  And if it were up to me, I’d go with Final Draft.  You will find that it is worth every penny.

Lately, I’ve found myself getting frustrated.  Not just with my writing, but with life, in general.  There have been so many times, especially lately, with the economy and life at home, that I’m so tempted to just give up on everything.  Today was one of those days…that is, until I read this verse and it got me thinking…Before long, I found myself writing my interpretation of the verse.  The result?  The several long paragraphs you see below and a new found sense of hope and encouragement.  Enjoy

The verse was :

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
—2 Timothy 4:6-8.

Paul actually wrote this verse right before he was carried out to be executed.  In fact, it was one of the very last things he ever wrote.  To me, this verse demonstrates “selflessness”.  Paul didn’t live for Jesus at the beginning of his life,; however, he made up for it at the end.  Growing up, Paul (then known as Saul), lived a very selfish life.  He only looked after himself and everything he did was in the sole interest of him and him alone.  As a adult, Paul helped to seek out and kill many innocent people.  Paul was a selfish, bitter man- that is, until he met Jesus.

When Jesus came into Paul’s life, Paul was completely transformed.  He was a new man.  And immediatley people began to see a change in him.  When Jesus became Paul’s main focus, Paul became self-less.  No longer was he concerned about the well-being of himself.  Instead, he was concerned about the welfare of others.

Paul knew that in doing so, he could lose everything, including his life, but it didn’t matter.  Paul had discovered the true meaning of love and had embraced the true meaning of life itself which is ”selflessness”.

Paul poured his whole life into serving Jesus and serving others.  He fought the good fight.

Now, if we judged Paul’s fight in the eyes of men, it would seem as if Paul lost everything.  He lost his status among high officials, he had no money, he was a wanted man, and eventually caught and put in prison.  All of these things are enough to make any man break down and give up, but not Paul.  Even while in prison, Paul wrote letters of encouragement to many people offering hope and encouraging them to stay the course and follow Jesus no matter what the cost.

Eventually, Paul was tried and sentenced to death.

Paul continued to write and encourage even though he knew his days were numbered.

As the day came for him to be executed, crowds of people begin to gather outside.  They hated what this man stood for and couldn’t wait to watch him die.

Inside his cell, Paul could hear the crowds getting louder and louder…

Paul knew it was almost time, so he wrote.

He wrote to his friends telling them not to worry and to continue where he had left off.

As he wrote, Paul could hear footsteps, distant at first, and then getting louder and louder.  They stopped at his cell door.

Suddenly, the door to his cell opened and Paul looked up to see the guards.  The end had come.

As the guards led Paul out of his cell and through the prison, Paul prayed for them.

They approached the door to the outside. The door was opened and Paul was led into the jeering crowd.

No one really knows what went on in Paul’s mind the minute he was led to the chopping block or the brief seconds in which the executor raised his axe.  But we do know this: Paul fought the good fight.  He gave his ALL for Jesus.

I’m pretty sure that the jeering crowd, the guards, and the executioner thought that Paul was a miserable failure that day.  Paul had fought hard to share the gospel with the world and he ended up losing his life.  However, Paul was a victor and he knew it.  During his final moments, Paul knew that he was about to come face to face with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords and receive his eternal award - the crown of righteousness.

Paul fought the good fight and today, his writings(which were inspired by God) and his legacy lives on and reaches millions of people all around the world.

This verse, though short and simple, is so profound.  It means that we should never give up, never tire of being a light for HIM.  And even when we don’t feel like being kind to others or letting “the peace of God rule” we should. We should strive to become, self-less individuals who think more of others than we do of ourseleves.  Life is a constant battle.  So let’s fight the good fight

I have a lot to say, however, since I don’t have much time at the moment, I’m going to say this fast.

I want to encourage everyone to stay encouraged and stay focused on their dreams.  Time is of the essence.  I saw a quote not too long ago on the movie ‘Gone with the Wind’ that said “Don’t squander time.  That’s the stuff life’s made of”.  How true that is.   I’ve had to learn that the hard way these past couple of months. 

The truth is, sometimes it’s hard to remain focused on your dreams.  But stay the course!  Life is short and the time you waste is time you can’t get back. 

Thanks for reading

Calie Renee

Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion –

If you are familiar with physics, then you’ve probably heard of the brilliant English physicist, Isaac Newton, who wrote the most influential book in Science history called Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Newton wrote this world famous book in 1687 and in its pages, he describes Universal Gravitation and the three laws of motion.

So, what does this have to do with character development?  Do Isaac Newton’s credentials also include screenwriting?  I’m afraid not.  However, experienced screenwriters have been using the third law of motion written in Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica to build strong characters in their screenplays for years. 

In Newton’s third law, he explains that a force upon an object is a result from its interaction with another object.  In other words, forces result from interactions and for every action, there is an equal or opposite reaction.  Interaction = action and reaction.

Although this law was intended to be used for scientific purposes, it can be a valuable asset to writing a good screenplay.  Allow me to explain:

Let’s say that some kind of incident/event takes place in your screenplay that affects one of your characters.  Naturally, the character is going to have some sort of reaction to it.  The character’s reaction to the incident/event is one way of revealing to your audience your character’s personality because it allows them to see that character’s temperament when dealing with that kind of situation. 

Here’s an example:

In Chris Nolan’s The Dark Knight, Batman is unable to save Rachel from the Joker’s sinister plan to demoralize the city of Gotham by overseeing the downfall of their role model and Rachel’s boyfriend, Harvey Dent.  As a result, Rachel dies and Harvey Dent, who is broken-hearted by the loss of his beloved-girlfriend, goes insane and turns into the notorious villain, Two-Face.

Now let’s compare this example with Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion:

Rachel’s death is the event (interaction) that occurs.

Her death affects Harvey Dent (action).

As a result of her death, Harvey goes insane and turns into the villain, Two Face (reaction).

Harvey’s transformation from role model to villain is his reaction to the action.

Harvey’s reaction to Rachel’s death reveals to the audience that Harvey wasn’t as “perfect” and as wholesome as the city of Gotham portrayed him to be.  When faced with the death of a loved one, Harvey reacted by becoming the very evil he had fought so hard to get rid of.

Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion is extremely important when writing your screenplay and developing your characters. In fact, you’ll find that Newton’s 3^rd Law of Motion is included in every successful film and screenplay.  Why?  Because this law pertains to everyday life- people are always acting and reacting to things that affect them.  Every event and every circumstance requires some kind of action or reaction.  How you act or react reflects your character and gives others a glimpse of who you really are.  It should be the same with the characters you create in your screenplay.

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you ever get tired of trying to please everybody, only to find that in so doing you’re not being yourself and that in the whole trying to please everybody process, you end up being miserable? Been there, done that. I have tried to be, say and act, many times opposite of how I felt just to appease my friends and family. I’ve put on the mask, played the charade, only to find myself miserable which ended up making everyone close to me miserable as well.

Not being who you really are, or who you were created to be can and will eventually bring you to a breaking point. Look, you were created in the image of God. You are unique. You are special. There is no one else like you on the face of the earth. You are who you are and you need to make the most  of it.

There’s just something about using words all put together in a beautiful way to express your mood, feeling or state of being. The written word allows others to experience what you were feeling at that moment in time. It can convey what you want to say and the message you have sometimes in a way, perhaps a vocal voice could not do justice.

OK, so I’m rambling here. I’m in one of those moods. The bottom line here, I guess, if there is a line at all, is that writing is cool. It is or can be an expression of who you are. And it works especially during those moments that you just don’t feel like talking, but need to get some stuff off your chest. Hey, you can even write about being ticked off at someone, letting out all of your anger, and then tear it up so no one ever knows the full extent of your anger. That sure beats blowing a relationship with spoken words you can’t get back.

I knew someone who did just that. Whenever they were really mad at someone, they would write down everything in an email they wanted to say (no holding back), and then rather than send it, they would go to bed. The next morning, after they had cooled off a little bit, they would go and delete the letter they had written. The great part about this is, they had let out their pent up anger, gotten over their moment of rage, and the other person didn’t have to hear or feel the whole hurricane force gales. A friendship was saved.

So, why not try it. Grab a pen, grab some paper, or nowadays just grab your laptop, and go create some written expressions. It may just be what you needed.

Every writer knows that there is nothing worse than having a paper due, a deadline for an article, being in the middle of a great story, or writing the lyrics of a killer song when all of a sudden it happens— Writer’s Block. Your thoughts just stop, go away or disappear.
They vanish into that unknown zone (probably the same place that socks go to once you put them in the dryer).

Every writer reading these words and even those that aren’t, have experienced Writer’s Block. It is, to say the least, an extremely frustrating zone to be in. But, there is hope. You can overcome this moment of complete frustration and stress. And here are a few suggestions to help you quit pulling out your hair and get back to your writing.

1)    Go for a walk. Not only will the fresh air do you good, but the exercise will calm you down.

2)    Take a bubble bath. Just relax your body and mind for a moment. You’ll be amazed at how well your mind will react to a little pampering. The bath will help to relieve stress and with less stress, you will be able to think more clearly (not to mention, you’ll smell better.)

3)    Listen to music. Music has been used through the ages to soothe ill moods (in the Bible, David played the harp and sang songs to King Saul to rid him of his bad moods). Classical music has been used in classrooms to stimulate creative thinking. Music also motivates. Think about it, how many times have you heard the Rocky theme song and felt like you could go conquer everything that got in your way? Music can help.

4)    Exercise! Go work out. I know many of you don’t even want to hear this one, but exercising is good not only for your body, but for your mind as well. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins into your body that actually gives you energy, and helps relieve stress and even depression.

5)    Write a different part of your story, song, article, poem or whatever. In other words, steer clear of the point you froze up on and move to a different point. If you got stuck on the chorus of the song, write another verse. If you got stuck in the middle of the story, go write the ending. The point is, get away from where you are for the moment. Change gears. It’ll get you up and over the hill.

These are just a few suggestions that will hopefully help you through your moment of anguish. Writer’s Block can be a pain in your aspirations, but it won’t last forever. As with all other stressful areas of life, this too, shall pass.

If you are writing a screenplay for more than just the joy of writing it (imagine that) and have any aspirations whatsoever on ever “pitching” your screenplay, then you need to know that there are standards by which your writing should adhere to. There are formatting standards and techniques as well as screenwriting “lingo” (terms and definitions) that you must be familiar with. The screenwriting business has a language all its own.

In order to be able to successfully pitch your screenplay, you must take the time to learn these standards. There are many screenwriting software products available on the market today, that help to make this process easier.

One such product, and as a matter of fact, the one most recommended by top names in the business such as Tom Hanks (“Forrest Gump”, “Saving Private Ryan”), Bruce Feirstein (“James Bond”), and Stuart Beattie (“Pirates of the Caribbean”), is Final Draft.
This software enables you to write without the worry of having to format. It actually formats your work into script form as you go.

Final Draft is an amazing product; however, it can be a little overwhelming when you are first trying to learn it. For this very reason, I have written and produced a step-by-step tutorial to help screenwriters who purchase Final Draft understand how to use the software.

The name of my tutorial is Final Draft Explained. You can check it out for yourself at www.finaldraftexplained.com

"Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible..."

During an interview for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps was asked how his dreams of becoming an Olympic gold medalist and one the world’s best swimmers came true. His answer? “If you dream as big as you can dream, anything is possible. No matter what you set your imagination to, anything can happen”. According to Michael, dreaming is one the only things he does better than swimming. So, he dreamed the biggest Olympic dream he could and guess what? It came true! Michael finished the 2008 Beijing Olympics swimming meet with not one, not two, but EIGHT gold medals giving him a grand total of 14 gold medals and making him the greatest Olympian of all time!

Michael Phelps, to me, is one of the best examples of how dreaming, positive thinking, determination, and hard work can pay off. Not only did Michael have a dream, he worked hard and was determined to see his dream come true - in other words, he ACTED on his dream.

You see, there’s a big difference between having a dream and acting on it. Anyone can dream, but it’s those who act on their dreams that see them come true…

There are probably some people out there who’d disagree with me- people that might even say that Michael Phelps just “got lucky” or probably had the means to pursue what he wanted to do all along. Those people are what I’d like to call “Nay sayers” or “Pessimists”. They have dreams, but are too rational and practical to ever see them come to pass. Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with being rational or practical- as long as you don’t let it get in the way of dreaming or following those dreams.

I’m sure as Michael Phelps was growing up, a lot of people thought he was crazy- and understandably so, becoming a world famous Olympian swimmer is a HUGE dream- one that takes years to see through. Michael probably had many people tell him that his dream was unattainable and impossible–Michael heard them, but he didn’t LISTEN to them. He didn’t let words of doubt and discouragement from other people affect him from pursuing his dream. Because of it, Michael Phelps is LIVING his dream!

The point is, everyone has dream. And whether some may want to or not, everyone DREAMS. Just remember that only difference between dreamers and those living their dreams is ACTION.

That’s right, the only difference between YOU and those who have attained their dream is that those LIVING their dream were determined and willing to work their butts off, despite their situation and DESPITE what other people thought.

So what are you waiting for? Dream. Dream big. And take action.

A- Always staying focused

C-clearing your head of all doubts and discouragement

T- Thinking only positive thoughts

I- Insistent upon working hard

O- Outlining the necessary steps needed to reach your dreams

N- Not stopping until you reach them

Calie Renee

This week is very important to me. It’s the week I begin to pitch my screenplay to various Hollywood literary agents, the week I wrap up my very own screenwriting software tutorial, and the first week I’ve been able to work on this website since it’s been launched.

Although the next few months are gonna be extremely busy, I plan up updating this at least once a week, so stay tuned!

*Proverbs 18:16*