I had an idea for a character back in high school, at first it was just the name, my user name actually. I’ve gone through several iterations and revisions to where the only thing that remains is that character name and the genre. I’m getting ready to self publish the first book in the series.
I also had this thought for a lot of time, that what I say is "There are no bad ideas, you just have to execute them properly", and when I have an Idea that might not work now, I keep it until I see how can I use it properly.
As a screenwriter/would-be filmmaker, my tool for having many story ideas is using writing apps full of story prompts and downloading them on my phone. When I use them, I choose a prompt and decide what medium will work for that specific prompt (i.e., feature film, sitcom, web series, stage play, one-hour drama, anthology, novel, etc.). I always have story ideas with these apps and increase my creativity.
Creating ideas is the easy part. Finishing ideas is the hard part. For anyone that needs ideas, consult with an ADHD creative because we come up with infinite great ideas, but don't finish them because we get distracted by other new ideas. In a perfect world, the ADHD people would submit ideas (the macro) into an infrastructure that has an aptitude for development (the micro). Thus maybe collaboration could offer some a solution. I'm new to it & just started writing my first screenplay. So I'll consider it a success if I actually get to type "the end." Creatively I've had an active life (songs, open mics, jokes, poems, movie plots, etc) but I never finished a project to it's fullest potential. This screenplay is the 1st project that I keep wanting to come back to. So that's new. I never thought it was possible for characters on a page to feel real. I'd heard writers attach personal meaning to their characters, and I used to doubt their sincerity. But after only 1 week & 38 pages, it's very real. I'm becoming attached to the characters & my minds eye starts to picture them as clearly as the real people in my life. They have vastly more meaning than I expected was possible. That's been the most surprising part for me. My inspiration to start writing was an interview on this channel too. One writer said, "it's just a story." That hit me like a freighttrain. I thought, "I could do that." Whereas before I was deterred by details: formatting, multi-act structures, don't live in LA, no experience or formal education in film. Add up the list of what I don't know and it's like why would I be so audacious to think something I'd write could become a top screenplay or an all time great film? But as characters develop and as their story evolves, does any of that matter as much as telling a fun story? This screenplay is the most fun I've ever had artistically. Thank you for your inspiration. I'm so thankful for the joy this story has brought me. Sincerely my imagination is having n absolute blast. I found something I really love. Each time the devil on my shoulder starts to plant doubt, I go back to that core reductionist fundamental of "it's just a story" & frankly I can't wait to see how this one ends.
Can u please interview the author of alternative screenwriting. Its about structure of independent movies and its compares the difference betwenn Steven Spielberg movie and steven sodeberg movie.. Mainly focus on latter kind of movies which makes it so differnet book. Can u please bring him here?
I think as we get older, we get better at discriminating what constitutes a good versus bad idea... We just about can't help building an understanding of how to better or more effectively refine ideas, at least within our general "Style" or that paradigm we usually have that "fingerprints" our best work as something only we (individually) could've done at the time... Personally, I try to avoid throwing away quite ALL the "bad" ideas... They can frequently be reworked into something passable as a joke... a quip at work... or some smart-ass remark for friends or family. Some of my worst ideas have created laughter when spoken out loud to someone as if I authentically WAS offering up an idea or suggestion... and that can break a lingering heaviness in the mood... SO even bad ideas can have a place, though with the caveat that you understand some of the principles of comedy... LARGELY it depends on your "audience" (especially an intimate one) understanding "dead-pan" deliveries and humor. It's a good way to get slapped or punched in the face if you're not sharp on those skills... and with "reading the room"... haha... For just "randomly generating a good idea out of thin air"??? No, nothing gets easier about that. It's LUCK... 100% pure stupid luck. Those ideas are rare and fleeting. It's like finding a diamond. You can certainly find diamonds if you know the ground to go looking. I can do it, and so can just about anyone else. Get any dozen or so people out to the right ground, and we'll ALL (12) find diamonds... and most of them will be relatively "crap"... If we just spend the time, rooting through the dirt and finding diamonds, however... eventually... one or two of us WILL find a diamond worth thousands... and then tens of thousands... and eventually someone will find a diamond worth a million or two. They ARE still out there and plural.... BUT we're going to root through MOUNTAINS of dirt and "relative crap" to get to a million-dollar diamond... and there's no guarantee (even at the law of averages) that any particular one of us is going to be the one who finds it, no matter the skill involved. We'll all get better at "grading" what we DO find, but that's not going to change it. Whomever picks up the million-dollar diamond will do so by PURE CHANCE... plain old, stupid luck. Stephen King (as an example) wrote "The Green Mile"... AND it largely PARALLELS the story of "Powder" which came out YEARS ago. Both John Koffy and Powder were psionic healers. Powder had a few other abilities, which Koffy didn't necessarily, and certainly didn't exhibit... BUT they BOTH felt the pain of others. Both struggled through life because Earth is a violent place that's full of suffering and pain. BOTH were also killed out in the end, and their tragedies were largely lamented... King just put his own special twist to the tragic tale, and I'm fairly confident that similar stories have been based on similar ideas and principles for centuries before... Even (arguably) "Carrie" had very similar thesis and values... and was also written by King... It's also very possible, that just in the time of getting older, we have the time and energy devoted, even only casually (like a hobby) to refining ideas, at least some of which over a much longer haul of our lives... AND those can eventually be brought out as they become apparently completed, at least as far as satisfies ourselves... and we can let them go to inspire others as much as entertain. ;o)
Exemplary storytellers simply do the work. All of it. "Reflect upon the Past. Embrace your Present. Orchestrate our Futures." --Artemis 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ "Before I start, I must see my end. Destination known, my mind’s journey now begins. Upon my chariot, heart and soul’s fate revealed. In time, all points converge, hope’s strength re-steeled. But to earn final peace at the universe’s endless refrain, We must see all in nothingness... before we start again." 🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨ --Diamond Dragons (series)
I would say so yes. As cliche as it might sound, gained experience brings more possibilities. And what I’ve recently found out, is that you can draw influence from basically anywhere. The fact that Judge Dredd was inspired from the 70’s movie Death Race and in return Robocop was inspired from Judge Dredd is just awesome. That example also tells me that by discovering and exploring new art in many forms can really expand the horizons when it comes to formulating ideas.
Yes and no. More good ideas. My 13 year old self was nothing but puerile childhood power fantasies that were very cringe worthy. My 50 year old ideas have much more nuance, depth, and resonance even if they are similar.
I had an idea for a character back in high school, at first it was just the name, my user name actually. I’ve gone through several iterations and revisions to where the only thing that remains is that character name and the genre. I’m getting ready to self publish the first book in the series.
John is such a cool guy. He's a friend of mine. So awesome to see him here!
My mind flows more freely through ideas as I've gotten older. Cheers Film Courage!
I also had this thought for a lot of time, that what I say is "There are no bad ideas, you just have to execute them properly", and when I have an Idea that might not work now, I keep it until I see how can I use it properly.
I am still coping internally with reality.
As a screenwriter/would-be filmmaker, my tool for having many story ideas is using writing apps full of story prompts and downloading them on my phone. When I use them, I choose a prompt and decide what medium will work for that specific prompt (i.e., feature film, sitcom, web series, stage play, one-hour drama, anthology, novel, etc.). I always have story ideas with these apps and increase my creativity.
Creating ideas is the easy part. Finishing ideas is the hard part. For anyone that needs ideas, consult with an ADHD creative because we come up with infinite great ideas, but don't finish them because we get distracted by other new ideas. In a perfect world, the ADHD people would submit ideas (the macro) into an infrastructure that has an aptitude for development (the micro). Thus maybe collaboration could offer some a solution.
I'm new to it & just started writing my first screenplay. So I'll consider it a success if I actually get to type "the end." Creatively I've had an active life (songs, open mics, jokes, poems, movie plots, etc) but I never finished a project to it's fullest potential. This screenplay is the 1st project that I keep wanting to come back to. So that's new.
I never thought it was possible for characters on a page to feel real. I'd heard writers attach personal meaning to their characters, and I used to doubt their sincerity. But after only 1 week & 38 pages, it's very real. I'm becoming attached to the characters & my minds eye starts to picture them as clearly as the real people in my life. They have vastly more meaning than I expected was possible. That's been the most surprising part for me.
My inspiration to start writing was an interview on this channel too. One writer said, "it's just a story." That hit me like a freighttrain. I thought, "I could do that." Whereas before I was deterred by details: formatting, multi-act structures, don't live in LA, no experience or formal education in film. Add up the list of what I don't know and it's like why would I be so audacious to think something I'd write could become a top screenplay or an all time great film? But as characters develop and as their story evolves, does any of that matter as much as telling a fun story?
This screenplay is the most fun I've ever had artistically. Thank you for your inspiration. I'm so thankful for the joy this story has brought me. Sincerely my imagination is having n absolute blast. I found something I really love. Each time the devil on my shoulder starts to plant doubt, I go back to that core reductionist fundamental of "it's just a story" & frankly I can't wait to see how this one ends.
Superb
Can u please interview the author of alternative screenwriting. Its about structure of independent movies and its compares the difference betwenn Steven Spielberg movie and steven sodeberg movie.. Mainly focus on latter kind of movies which makes it so differnet book. Can u please bring him here?
I think as we get older, we get better at discriminating what constitutes a good versus bad idea... We just about can't help building an understanding of how to better or more effectively refine ideas, at least within our general "Style" or that paradigm we usually have that "fingerprints" our best work as something only we (individually) could've done at the time...
Personally, I try to avoid throwing away quite ALL the "bad" ideas... They can frequently be reworked into something passable as a joke... a quip at work... or some smart-ass remark for friends or family. Some of my worst ideas have created laughter when spoken out loud to someone as if I authentically WAS offering up an idea or suggestion... and that can break a lingering heaviness in the mood...
SO even bad ideas can have a place, though with the caveat that you understand some of the principles of comedy... LARGELY it depends on your "audience" (especially an intimate one) understanding "dead-pan" deliveries and humor. It's a good way to get slapped or punched in the face if you're not sharp on those skills... and with "reading the room"... haha...
For just "randomly generating a good idea out of thin air"??? No, nothing gets easier about that. It's LUCK... 100% pure stupid luck. Those ideas are rare and fleeting. It's like finding a diamond. You can certainly find diamonds if you know the ground to go looking. I can do it, and so can just about anyone else. Get any dozen or so people out to the right ground, and we'll ALL (12) find diamonds... and most of them will be relatively "crap"... If we just spend the time, rooting through the dirt and finding diamonds, however... eventually... one or two of us WILL find a diamond worth thousands... and then tens of thousands... and eventually someone will find a diamond worth a million or two. They ARE still out there and plural.... BUT we're going to root through MOUNTAINS of dirt and "relative crap" to get to a million-dollar diamond... and there's no guarantee (even at the law of averages) that any particular one of us is going to be the one who finds it, no matter the skill involved. We'll all get better at "grading" what we DO find, but that's not going to change it. Whomever picks up the million-dollar diamond will do so by PURE CHANCE... plain old, stupid luck.
Stephen King (as an example) wrote "The Green Mile"... AND it largely PARALLELS the story of "Powder" which came out YEARS ago. Both John Koffy and Powder were psionic healers. Powder had a few other abilities, which Koffy didn't necessarily, and certainly didn't exhibit... BUT they BOTH felt the pain of others. Both struggled through life because Earth is a violent place that's full of suffering and pain. BOTH were also killed out in the end, and their tragedies were largely lamented... King just put his own special twist to the tragic tale, and I'm fairly confident that similar stories have been based on similar ideas and principles for centuries before... Even (arguably) "Carrie" had very similar thesis and values... and was also written by King...
It's also very possible, that just in the time of getting older, we have the time and energy devoted, even only casually (like a hobby) to refining ideas, at least some of which over a much longer haul of our lives... AND those can eventually be brought out as they become apparently completed, at least as far as satisfies ourselves... and we can let them go to inspire others as much as entertain. ;o)
Can't write books on here.
Exemplary storytellers simply do the work. All of it.
"Reflect upon the Past.
Embrace your Present.
Orchestrate our Futures." --Artemis
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
"Before I start, I must see my end.
Destination known, my mind’s journey now begins.
Upon my chariot, heart and soul’s fate revealed.
In time, all points converge, hope’s strength re-steeled.
But to earn final peace at the universe’s endless refrain,
We must see all in nothingness... before we start again."
🐲✨🐲✨🐲✨
--Diamond Dragons (series)
Do you throw away all of your bad ideas?
No bad ideas just bad execution
Oh heck no! Sometimes they just need to bake a little longer.
Is it easier to come up with good ideas the older you get?
I would say so yes. As cliche as it might sound, gained experience brings more possibilities. And what I’ve recently found out, is that you can draw influence from basically anywhere. The fact that Judge Dredd was inspired from the 70’s movie Death Race and in return Robocop was inspired from Judge Dredd is just awesome. That example also tells me that by discovering and exploring new art in many forms can really expand the horizons when it comes to formulating ideas.
Yes and no. More good ideas. My 13 year old self was nothing but puerile childhood power fantasies that were very cringe worthy. My 50 year old ideas have much more nuance, depth, and resonance even if they are similar.
Hello I love this Channel I am à writer and I want to know how can I sell my sceneplay
Bad Idea + GPT4 = new beats, short film, novela, web series, feature, ???