My Writing Process, Then vs. Now

by Naomi Write + Co. in screenwriting

I used to take a very different approach to writing screenplays.

But over the years, as I’ve learned more about screenwriting and the industry, my process has changed. Today I want to share how and why, as it may help you shorten your own learning curve.

That’s not to say that my approach is the only way to get your ideas down on paper.

But comparing what I choose to do differently now (after many years of trial and error) may give you some ideas about what’s working or not in your own process.

My writing process then

Back when finishing my first screenplay was just a twinkle in my eye, my writing process was vastly different. Actually, I’m not sure you could call it a process because that implies some kind of organized system that results in movement, forward motion. And what I was doing was a lot of staring and feeling stuck.

It went something like this:

1. 1. 1. Think of an idea for a screenplay.
      2. Cackle to myself, “Brilliant! It’ll practically write itself!”
      3. Find a fresh page in my notebook. Wait for The Muse to send me an opening image. If none comes, choose one (somewhat) arbitrarily.
      4. Stare at the page for a while, wondering, “what happens next?” Write down two or three scenes that should (I think?) happen in Act 1.
      5. Stare at the vast blank space where Act 2 should be. Write down the three or four scenes that feel like they go somewhere in the middle.
      6. Stare a little more.
      7. Mentally review what I know about screenplay structure (at this point mostly gleaned from Syd Field’s “Screenplay.”) Get frustrated trying to figure out what those big turning points should be.
      8. Think of another screenplay idea that seems even better and easier to write – no really, this one will practically write itself! Shove the first idea aside while I chase the shiny new idea.
      9. Repeat.

Now, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with this process…

But it didn’t result in many completed screenplays.

I had to embrace a few key lessons before I could turn that corner toward being able to finish the screenplays I started.

The lessons that changed my writing process

There are a lot of things to learn about story structure, plotting, scene-writing, building characters, and everything that goes into making screenplays work.

But if I think about the lessons that have made the biggest difference in how I approach a new project, it’s these:

1. 1. 1. Spend more time figuring out what the movie is before you start writing.
      2. You don’t have to start outlining at the beginning of the story.
      3. Theme is your friend.

Spend more time figuring out what the movie is before you start writing

Now that I have a little more knowledge and experience, I can see the biggest problem with my early process was that I was trying to move faster than my own understanding of the story. I simply didn’t have a fully formed movie idea before I dove in.

And it wasn’t that I didn’t think it was important. At that time, I just didn’t know what a fully formed movie idea was.

I’d have a seed of an idea. A spark of inspiration. It might be a funny or intriguing, “what if?” It might be an interesting milieu or character idea inspired by some article I’d read. Whatever it was, I’d have the beginning of something… but I didn’t realize it was just the beginning. A good start, maybe, but that’s it.

When I finally understood what I needed to get a handle on, it triggered a big shift in the way I evaluate new ideas, and where I aim my attention early on.

This might mean identifying what type of story it is, the overall shape of the journey, the “kernel” or clarity statement, getting clarity on Act 2 (since Act 2 is the movie), or even figuring out the high-level but precise pitch (e.g. “It’s Die Hard on an airplane!”).

It can look different for every screenplay, but it comes down to wrapping my brain around the core idea or essence of the movie I’m aiming to write.

When you have a solid grasp on what it is you’re trying to write — what the movie truly is — then pretty much everything else in the process becomes So. Much. Easier.

You don’t have to start outlining at the beginning of the story

Since we’re storytellers, and often the spark of inspiration is something in the setup of the story (the “what if” or “why now”), the natural instinct is to try to figure out the story from beginning to end. Start at the opening image and work forward, right?

But that’s not how I tackle a story now. First of all, I focus on figuring out the throughline of the story via the major plot points. And only once those feel pretty solid do I get more granular and think in terms of sequences, and then scenes… and none of these individual stages are required to be worked through in linear or chronological order!

With major plot points I’m most likely to start by figuring out the Break into Act 2. Since that’s the start of the Act 2 Adventure, to me it’s the easiest turn in the story to know early on. And once you know that, it’s just a bit of brainstorming to come up with an Inciting Incident that pencils out the right way.

Then, it’s dealer’s choice – you may know what the Climax is, and can reverse-engineer the Break into Act 3 from there. Or maybe you already have a good idea for the Midpoint, and knowing that leads you to the rest of the major plot points.

Theme is your friend

Understanding Theme has also made a huge difference in how I approach writing screenplays. I’ve already written pretty extensively about it and if you’d like to learn more about what Theme is and how to use it in your screenplay, this post answering reader questions about Theme is a good place to start.

Approach your writing process as an experiment

Every writer’s process is unique to them, and if you’re not completing as many screenplays as you’d like, or at the pace you’re aiming for, then it may be time to really look at your process, gauge what’s working, and then experiment with some adjustments.

Questions like these can help you evaluate how it’s going:

• • • Is what I’m doing truly helping me?
    • Do I need to do this step in order to move forward?
    • Will this step provide useful information that I need or want to have before I proceed?
    • Am I doing this step because everyone else does it, because I think I “should”, or because someone else told me to?
    • Is there any chance I’m giving myself “busy work” when really I could move forward without this step?
    • (If you’re on the fence) Could I skip this step for now and come back to it if I really need it later?

And if you need help with your current project (or one you’d like to figure out how to write), set up a 1-on-1 session with me.