Superman, Courtesy of Warner Bros.
Are you a superhero or a mild mannered reporter?
Understanding your strengths as a screenwriter turns them into your superpowers. Avoiding your personal Kryptonite and learning your Screenwriting Strengths means you can choose ideas and genres that showcase what you’re best at, and that’s pure Career Rocket Fuel.
When frustrated screenwriters say to themselves, “To hell with Hollywood, everything they make is crap. If that’s what they want, that’s what I’m gonna give ‘em. I’m gonna write one of those pieces of crap and sell it for Big Money,” THEY INEVITABLY FAIL.
They’re faking it.
The material is flat. Dry. Forced.
Even if it’s well crafted, something’s not quite right.
What didn’t excite you can’t possibly turn us on.
When writers fake it, they ignore the very keys to their success.
Remember when you were a kid and nervous about fitting in? Mom said, “Just be yourself.”
As usual, Mom was right.
The secret to being yourself as a writer is knowing what you do best, as well as what really matters to you.
What you’re good at and what you want to say.
Identifying your strengths is the key to choosing “What to Write Next?”
“What to Write Next?” is the single most important decision a writer makes. When you understand your Screenwriting Strengths, these can become a factor in making that crucial choice.
Ask yourself some key questions:
- What aspect of screenwriting comes easiest to you?
- Your Favorite Genre to write in, the one you write in most often, and why.
- Your Second Favorite Genre to write and why.
- Your Least Favorite and why?
- What genres are you most attracted to in the movie theatre?
- What genres do you enjoy when streaming from the comfort of your couch?
- What do you enjoy most about screenwriting – creating new ideas, pitching, developing ideas, research, writing dialogue or description, creating characters, developing arcs, theme, outlining, structuring a script, scene construction, coming up with plot twists, writing action scenes, or?
I am most happy when I am working on or writing:
- Action
- Ideas/Premises
- Description
- Visuals
- Dialogue
- Story Lines
- Characters & Relationships
- Character Arcs
- Conflict
- Fantasy Elements
- Theme
- Outlines
- Typing FADE OUT
- Or _________________________
“If as a screenwriter I never, ever again had to work on _________ I would be thrilled.”
If I had a magic wand and could create your Perfect Imaginary Screenwriting Partner, POOF! what would be their greatest strength as a writer?
These questions can help clue you into your Screenwriting Strengths
In other words, if you’re great at fluent, resonant dialogue between men and women, possibly you’re barking up the wrong tree trying for the fart humor, potty jokes and slapstick of say a traditional Adam Sandler vehicle.
If you’re stumped by structure, avoid twisty suspense thrillers. And time travel stories. They depend on brilliant structure to succeed.
If you crave character development, delve into buddy stories, dramas, character-driven material in your Second Favorite Genre, psychological thrillers and romances.
Do you write awesome, rock ‘em sock ‘em action? Take a crack at adventure, capers, sci-fi, epics, horror, sports or westerns.
Say you’re the King of Comedy, what comic genres and major comic movie stars best match your particular style? Put your spotlight there.
Even the type of dialogue you excel at – or struggle with – is a strong clue to your strengths as a writer and the genres you should be writing in or avoiding.
Have you got an amazing ear for authentic kids’ voices? How do family films or coming of age stories sound?
Do you channel teen talk, love inventing a futuristic vocabulary or whip out witty wisecracks? Focus on those genres that require that specific skill to be outstanding.
Discover the Genre you Excel at and Stick to the General Vicinity
Often aspiring writers fret about being able to show their range, hoping that scripts in a wide variety of genres will impress potential reps and industry insiders. But It’s important to play to your strengths.
You don’t have to write broad comedy after broad comedy, but if that’s your favorite genre, but it might not be such a wise career plan to toss in a serial killer thriller. Write a smart comedy, a character driven comedy, a dramedy.
You want to become, “that writer who has amazing comic set pieces,” or “that writer who creates great characters.” You want to become the “go-to guy,” so that when someone who has an open writing assignment – a paying job – needs a writer to make their thriller scarier or punch up a comedy or add depth to a drama –