Bruce Lawley's Lounge Discussions

Scott Silvester
Screenwriter

Hello, I just wanted to say "hello!" I am a screenwriter from New Jersey. I recently earned my MA in film from American University in Washington, DC. While in grad school I completed two full-length feature scripts. I recently sold a short film script and script doctored two other scripts. I'm just...

Expand post

Jim Duncan

Welcome, Scott

Shawn Speake

What's good, Scott! Welcome to our family. Which lounges do you like the best? https://www.stage32.com/lounge

Scott Silvester

Thanks, guys. Vincent, the features I have written are a comedy/drama and a straight drama. However I've written mostly comedy when it comes to shorts.

Stephen Barber

Welcome Scott!

Dave LaGrande

Welcome!

Sarah Campos
Where do you write?

I need inspiration for where to write. I always find myself writing at my desk in my apartment. It's getting old so I want to know where you guys sit down and write. I'd like to be inspired to write elsewhere than my boring desk with a bad view. The park? On a rooftop at sunset? In the car? On a mountain? Where??

Lawrence R. Kotkin

Great idea, Shawn. I'd go for that...as soon as I have a completed script.

Shawn Speake

Hey Steven! I started exchanging scripts with Shane Wheeler about a year ago, and his story memos were so good, I kept going back. He's in Detroit, I'm in Va. and Colorado. And we've only met face to...

Expand comment
Sherry Landrum

We should note that the conversation switched to another subject under "good places to write" to "collaboration." It's a very good subject. I'm engaged in a collaboration right now on a Musical. I've had to learn some new modes of creating lyrics. So far, so good.

Shawn Speake

That's great to hear, Sherry! I started to write a comment about that when I re-read the thread and noticed Sarah asked to collaborate. It's her post. No worries here!

Sherry Landrum

@Shawn Thanks.

Eddie G
Requested by Ratpac

Hey gang, just got a request from Ratpac for my comedy Black Friday. After several rewrites and revisions wish me luck..

Brian Walsh

Great to hear! Wish you the best going forward, Edward.

Charlotte Talley

congradulations

Elisabeth Meier

Good luck!

Becky Fink

Congratulations, Edward, and best of luck going forward! Keep us posted...

Bruce Lawley

Great news Edward, good luck with that

John F. Mollard
Requested by ipg

Coolness. My screenplay MACGUFFIN was requested by IPG.

Brian Walsh

Fantastic news John!

Becky Fink

Congratulations, John!

Bruce Lawley

Congrats John - very exciting!

Chidi Ezeibieli

Congrats!

CaSandra Mathis

That is only too cool, John! Best of luck to ya.

Raymond ( Ray) Thyer
" I Promise ".

I would like very much to receive feed back on my Screenplay- "I Promise" please note- In the cut and paste process of it "Spaces and Characteristics of 'Movie Magic Screenwriter 6' were lost and words flow continuously. I apologise for this and any inconvenience caused. Please comment if you will on any/all aspect. Thanks in advance, Ray.

Anthony Cawood

Ray, you'd be much better uploading a PDF of the script... doubt anyone will wade through the cut and paste version...

Raymond ( Ray) Thyer

G'day Anthony, thanks Mate for the advice, I have just done it. I hope folks will view it now, Cheers Ray.

Anthony Cawood

Well I will be doing as soon as I get back in front of my laptop.

Rob Wallace

I'll give it a go Ray.

Bruce Lawley

Hi Ray, did you export the script as a PDF? That's what I do from MMS6.

Rafael Pinero
Coming up with a twist in your Story

Hey everyone, this post might feel odd, I guess everyone here knows the ending of your script before you start writing, you might know for a fact that the couple will stay together or that the protagonist will die, etc... Do you guys have any problems coming up with a twist at the end in order to ge...

Expand post

Lawrence R. Kotkin

This brings up a question that plagued me.. okay, maybe just a bad cold, but I've thought about it: what constitutes a "twist?" What is the usual method to create one? I'm told that I do it quite well...

Expand comment
Elisabeth Meier

@Lawrence I would also call it a 'surprise' or the 'unexpected'. This you should create by not telling everything about a character (like in the 6th sense to take this example again). It does not make...

Expand comment
Jeffrey Bradley

Sixth Sense's biggest strength is that if the twist didn't happen, we still would have had an exciting, satisfying movie. With the twist, it's almost like we got two good movies at once. One about a b...

Expand comment
Lawrence R. Kotkin

Thanks Elisabeth.. Very good coaching there. Gave me a great idea for a short story, but with only the one withheld piece about him. Same character I'm playing with, but for the short film I have him...

Expand comment
Rafael Pinero

Exactly Jeffrey, sixth sense is a great film even if you take out the twist at the end. Thanks for all your opinions, this thread has been pretty helpful in many ways, I do still think though that in...

Expand comment
Helena Vann
Hello Everyone

Hi. I'm Helena and I'm a screenwriter. My passion is writing but I would love to learn more about the producing side of things and maybe a little of cinematography. My goal is to be a television writer but I'm really into writing web series at the moment. I'm looking forward to connecting with and g...

Expand post

Christopher Wisniewski

Welcome Helena! You'll love filmmaking. That is the true production side of things. checkout filmschoolonline. It's an affordable site, that lets you work at your own pace.

Helena Vann

Thanks. I'll check it out

Bruce Lawley

Good luck Helena! Web series are a great way to develop your craft and learn all aspects of the filmmaking process.

Shawn Speake

Hello, Helena! Welcome to the family!

Elisabeth Meier
Begin or end - what is easier for you?

It's an interesting question and seems to differ from writer to writer: What is easier for you to find the begin or to write the end of your story? To me the end is easy as I write and then suddenly know the moment when the story should end. I have difficulties where and how to begin. How is it for...

Expand post

Bruce Lawley

I like to have a basic 'road map' worked out, covering the beginning, middle and end... obviously things change as the characters start to make their own decisions over the course of the writing, but it helps to have something to work towards.

David Levy

I tend to know my beginning through the middle pretty well. I have an idea on how I want to end my concepts but at times it feels like a Fiat trying to cross the Rocky Mountains. Sure it will be rocky...

Expand comment
Heather Ostrove

Do you mean beginning as in the scene or where to start the story? I think of it like a joke, get in late and leave early. Meaning what's the closest I can come to introducing the character to you wit...

Expand comment
Ally Shina

They're both tough, the beginning because of the "first 10 pages to hook the reader" rule of thumb and the ending is always horrible when the resolution becomes a new story then it's like, the end but not really.

Michael Lee Burris

The excitement of ACT II can be hard in a "pitch". I actually think writing the skeleton of any screenplay or teleplay is pretty easy since I usually have most of the story in my head. Its the researc...

Expand comment
Shari D. Frost
My first script request - woohoo!

A great big on-line hug for Joey! He so goes the extra mile (or marathon, maybe!) to keep on top of the projects we're working on, and the projects execs are looking for. I got my first script request today because he reached out to me yesterday to make sure I knew about a particular pitch session/p...

Expand post

Pete Stone

Great news! It's all about finding the right match for sure. Congrats!

CJ Walley

Big congrats, Shari. A big milestone achieved :)

Bishal Nath

Congratz :) All the best for the scipt!

Bruce Lawley

Great stuff Shari (and Joey) - hope if leads to success

Shari D. Frost

Thanks so much everybody! I so appreciate all your support and this incredible community!

register for stage 32 Register / Log In