Screenwriter Robert Gosnell on One Can Only Speculate

One Can Only Speculate

There is an old vaudeville era joke, about a man who tries to sell an axe. It's a very special axe, he explains to his prospective buyer, because this is the very axe that George Washington used to chop down the cherry tree.

"Of course," continues the seller, "it's had three new heads and four new handles, since then."

This joke came to mind while mulling one of my impossible screenwriting dreams: to sell, and have produced, the first screenplay I ever wrote.

That screenplay, written on speculation, has undergone many more changes, over the years, than the famous George Washington axe that huckster tried to sell. In fact, in many respects, it barely resembles its original incarnation.

One of the more positive roads which have been opened by the internet is that of enabling novelists to self-publish, market and sell their work. Were that not the case, my own book might never have seen the light of day.

While screenwriters also enjoy the advantages of internet marketing, allowing us to reach more prospective buyers much more readily than in the past, it falls short, in that we still must rely on agents, producers and studios to make a sale, just like in the old days.

And, just like in the old days, the most valuable tool at our fingertips is the "spec" script. In order to be noticed, we must write. In order to have our work produced, we must write well. After that, persistence, luck and timing determine our fate.

While the underlying dread of spending weeks, months or even years on an effort that may never be seen by more than a handful of people can dampen a screenwriter's motivation, the added benefits cannot be overlooked. Only by writing continuously can we improve. So, if our spec script's ultimate fate is to sit on a shelf and gather dust, it doesn't mean it was all for naught. It means our next script will be better, and the one after that better still. Practice does, indeed, make perfect. Beyond that, there also comes a sense of achievement, a growing confidence in one's ability and an increasing comfort in mastering a challenging writing form.

So, maybe it isn't George Washington's axe, but after three new heads and four new handles, it's probably a better axe than it was to begin with.

Today's excerpt from "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay" takes a further look at the screenwriter's best friend: The "spec" script.

 The “Spec” Script

The term "spec script" means you're writing it on speculation, and that means, you'll spend a lot of time and energy doing work with no promise of any reward at the end, aside from personal satisfaction. Maybe, it'll sell, maybe it won't. Maybe, it'll serve as a great writing sample that will lead you to a paid assignment. Maybe it won't.

I can tell you what it will do. It will make you a better writer.

Every script you put behind you provides an education, whether or not it ever gets produced. A half-dozen spec scripts that go nowhere can be just what you need to take your talent to a level that finally gets your great American screenplay on the screen.

If what you want to be is a professional screenwriter, you must remain diligent; constantly married to your keyboard, constantly churning out new work. It takes commitment.

The great satirist Art Buchwald once told the story of a man who wanted so much to win the lottery, he prayed every night for it. Each evening before bed, he would fall to his knees and beg God to "Please, let me win the lottery!" Finally, after months of this, he was in the midst of his ritual prayer, when he suddenly heard a big, booming voice from out of the heavens:

"Give me a break! Buy a ticket!"

The hapless fellow in Art Buchwald's story discovered that God himself couldn't determine his fate. Winning the lottery requires an investment. In that case, it's only a buck. In your case, it's time, effort, commitment, dedication, brain-drain and sweat equity. And, a little talent doesn't hurt.

Unfortunately, some aspiring writers see their first spec screenplay in a "lottery ticket" light.

"I'll dash out a great story," they imagine, "submit it to the market and wait for fate to sweep me up in its arms and propel me to fame and fortune!"

Okay, anything is possible. Maybe, they'll write that script, land a major agent from ICM who will get it directly to the green-light guy at a big studio, make a quick sale, deposit a huge paycheck and revel in glory on opening night as Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep bring it to life on the big screen, (probably in 3-D) amid whispers of Oscar nominations. Maybe, it will happen that way for them.

Or, maybe they'll win the lottery.

If you submit your spec script to an agent, and he likes your work, one of his first questions to you will be "Do you have more?" Maybe, it took you a year or two to get that first hot script sharpened to perfection. It can't take you a year or two to write the next one, but it has to be at least as good.

***

As you may have gathered from this excerpt, our spec script is only the first step in a screenwriting career which encompasses a varied and complex set of requirements. Writing a screenplay does not make one a screenwriter, any more than pouring drano down a clogged sink makes one a plumber.

Yet, every journey must start with a first step. For a screenwriter, that first step is a "spec" screenplay. Don't be afraid to take it. It can lead you to wondrous and exciting new places.

________________________________________

Robert's book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay" is currently available at:
Amazon digital and paperback
CreateSpace 
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Find Robert at:
Website (with information on classes)
Email

BIO: 

A  professional screenwriter for more than thirty years,  Robert Gosnell has produced credits in feature films, network television, syndicated television, basic cable and pay cable, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Robert began his career writing situation comedy as a staff writer for the ABC series Baby Makes Five.  As a freelance writer, he wrote episodes for Too Close for Comfort and the TBS comedies Safe at Home and Rocky Road.  In cable, he has scripted numerous projects for the Disney Channel, including Just Perfect, a Disney Channel movie featuring  Jennie Garth. In 1998, he wrote the  Showtime original movie, Escape from Wildcat Canyon, which starred Dennis Weaver and won the national "Parents Choice Award." Robert's feature credits include the Chuck Norris/Louis Gosset Jr. film Firewalker, an uncredited rewrite on the motion picture Number One With A Bullet  starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams, and the sale of his original screenplay Kick And Kick Back to Cannon Films. Robert was also selected as a judge for the 1990 Cable Ace awards, in the Comedy Special category.

In 1990, Robert left Hollywood for Denver, where he became active in  the local independent film community. His screenplay Tiger Street was produced by the Pagoda Group of Denver, and premiered on Showtime Extreme in August of 2003. In 1999, Denver’s Inferno Films produced the action film Dragon and the Hawk  from his script. In 2001, Robert co-wrote the screenplay for the  independent feature Siren for Las Vegas company Stage Left Productions. His feature script Juncture was produced by Front Range Films in March of 2006. 

Robert  is a principal member of the Denver production company "Conspiracy Films." He is frequently an invited speaker for local writers organizations,  served on the faculty of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in 2002, and in 2007 was chosen to participate as a panelist for the Aspen Film Festival Short Screenplay Contest. Robert  regularly presents his screenwriting class "The Elements of Screenplay," along with advanced classes and workshops, in the Denver area.

Screenwriter Robert Gosnell on What It's Really All About - Part Two

What It's Really All About - Part Two

 "If there were only one truth, you couldn't paint a hundred canvases on the same theme." - Pablo Picasso

How about that? I share something in common with Pablo Picasso! Who'd have thunk it?

If you read my previous column on the Master Theme, you've already gathered that I, too am an advocate of theme, not as it applies to painting, but as it applies to story telling.

Every story has a theme at it's core. Sometimes, the theme is simple to identify, such as "love" in a romantic comedy, or "survival" in a disaster film. Other times, in a story of more complexity, it can be tricky to nail down. But, it's there, and everything relies on it.

If a story is not relevant, in some way, to the human condition, then there is no story. It's that simple.

However, the Master Theme, once identified, is only the first piece in the theme puzzle. It's fine, to know what the overall theme of our story is, but we now must determine what we're going to do with that information.

That's where the Active Theme comes in. This gets us down to the nitty-gritty of telling our story, because we now must take a position, and reflect that position in the story we want to tell.

That is the subject of the following excerpt from my book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay." It is the second of three excerpts dealing with the exploration and application of theme. Next time, we'll get into the "Characters Take on the Theme," to demonstrate how our Active Theme is reflected by the characters in our story. 

The Active Theme

Once you've determined your Master Theme, the human value that will be explored, you now must decide what your story will say  about that value.

What is your story's position on "love," for instance? Love is blind? Love conquers all? Love makes the world go 'round?

Simple stuff, but it can go much deeper. There is physical love, dysfunctional love, obsessive love, family love, destructive love, love of self, love of home, love of country, love of ideals, and on and on. So many ways to go. And, any of those variations can provide your Active Theme.

Let's take a common genre that does double-duty as a Master Theme: War.

Now, you might not consider War to be a value, since it also doubles as a genre, but there is a human value inherent to it, and that is conflict. Since the act of war is the highest level of human conflict, it is rife with thematic possibilities.

Within the War theme can be many common Active Themes. As we've seen in the examples of "Gone With The Wind" and "Saving Private Ryan," Active Themes within the Master Theme of War can be as varied as love and sacrifice.

Let's look at some classic war films, and the thematic choices made by the writers and filmmakers.

Most war movies made in the 40's and 50's were basically propaganda films. John Wayne, Audie Murphy and stars of that ilk were always the "good guys" while the enemy, be they Nazis, Japanese or whoever were not only "bad guys," but they were portrayed as less than human. Evil for evils sake. Beyond redemption. Unfortunately, this level of blatant bias reflected the morals and politics of the time.

Our leads, the "good guys," were always heroic, righteous and victorious in a just cause. The message they sent was that War is noble. War brings honor.

War makes heroes of men.

Now, enter the 70's, when attitudes began to change, thanks in large part to that nasty Vietnam conflict. Movies like "Apocalypse Now," "Platoon," and later "Full Metal Jacket" delivered just the opposite message of the earlier rah-rah war stories. They showed us the "dirty" side of war, and what it does to those immersed in the conflict; how it hardens them and brings out the worst in human nature. They told us that...

War makes monsters of men.

Same Master Theme, but completely different Active Themes.

Here's yet another take. "Catch 22" and "MASH" told us that war is ironic, even laughable; worthy of ridicule. Insanity forced upon the average man against his will. In other words...

War is absurd.

Some genres have obvious Master Themes, and a good example is Romantic Comedy. In this genre, "love" is always the Master Theme, otherwise, it isn't a romantic comedy. It isn't a romantic anything. The Active Theme, however, is more flexible.

In "The Graduate," the story faithfully hit all of the required Rom Com beats: Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. The ending, however, was a far cry from the warm, fuzzy, "happily-ever-after" endings we had grown used to in the earlier films of the genre, from the 40's and 50's.

The ending of "The Graduate," in fact the entire film, was bittersweet; a struggle, emotionally, physically and morally for our leads. The ending didn't tell us that Ben and Elaine would live happily ever after in wedded bliss. It told us they were taking a huge chance, throwing caution to the wind. Don't believe it? Watch the film and look at the uncertainty creep over their faces as they ride away on that bus.

Love is risky.

It was risky throughout the entire story, and it was still risky at the end.

Now, take a look at "There's Something About Mary." Everyone loved Mary in some warped, dysfunctional way. Not your mother's romantic comedy. The Active Theme, here, was...

Love is obsessive.

But, the Master Theme is still love.

"Slasher" films also embrace simple, basic Master Themes. In a slasher film, it's either about survival or revenge, depending on who we're rooting for; the killer or his victims. Therefore, the Active Theme isn't likely to vary much in this genre, either.

Perhaps a character learns that only by enlisting the help of others can she defeat a crazed killer, telling us that...

Survival is achieved through unity.

Another approach might have our hero fighting back to stay alive, concluding that...

Survival is achieved through conflict.

The messages remain pretty simplistic and familiar in slasher films, but there is always a message.

Hollywood studio pioneer Samuel Goldwyn once quipped:

"If you want to send a message, call Western Union."

I suppose, today, it would be "send a tweet." With all due respect to Mr. Goldwyn, every story has a message, whether we intend it to, or not. It's part of the package. Even Jerry Seinfeld's "show about nothing" was always about something. The Active Theme, what your story has to say about your Master Theme, is your message.

There is usually more than one Active Theme being played out, within a story. "Rocky," while primarily a story of redemption, also contained a Love theme in the subplot between Rocky and Adrian."The Wrestler" explored the same two themes, Redemption and Love, except as a tragedy. In both films, our central protagonist was attempting to overcome long odds to make a comeback, and in both films, love was a sub-theme. In "Rocky," our hero succeeded in achieving redemption and winning love. In "The Wrestler," Randy "The Ram" failed at both.

Believe it or not, the same two themes were explored in the classic 40's noir film "Casablanca." In this case, Love was the dominant theme, while Redemption the sub-theme. In "Casablanca," Rick won redemption, but lost at love. Once you start playing with those combinations, you unlock a Rubik's Cube of possibilities.

***

Robert's book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay" is currently available at:
Amazon digital and paperback
CreateSpace 
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Find Robert at:
Website (with information on classes)
Email
IMDB Page

A professional screenwriter for more than thirty years, Robert Gosnell has produced credits in feature films, network television, syndicated television, basic cable and pay cable, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Robert began his career writing situation comedy as a staff writer for the ABC series Baby Makes Five. As a freelance writer, he wrote episodes for Too Close for Comfort and the TBS comedies Safe at Home and Rocky Road. In cable, he has scripted numerous projects for the Disney Channel, including Just Perfect, a Disney Channel movie featuring Jennie Garth. 

In 1998, he wrote the Showtime original movie, Escape from Wildcat Canyon, which starred Dennis Weaver and won the national "Parents Choice Award." Robert's feature credits include the Chuck Norris/Louis Gosset Jr. film Firewalker, an uncredited rewrite on the motion picture Number One With A Bullet starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams, and the sale of his original screenplay Kick And Kick Back to Cannon Films. Robert was also selected as a judge for the 1990 Cable Ace awards, in the Comedy Special category.

In 1990, Robert left Hollywood for Denver, where he became active in the local independent film community. His screenplay Tiger Street was produced by the Pagoda Group of Denver, and premiered on Showtime Extreme in August of 2003. In 1999, Denver’s Inferno Films produced the action film Dragon and the Hawk from his script. In 2001, Robert co-wrote the screenplay for the independent feature Siren for Las Vegas company Stage Left Productions. His feature script Juncture was produced by Front Range Films in March of 2006.

Robert is a principal member of the Denver production company "Conspiracy Films." He is frequently an invited speaker for local writers organizations, served on the faculty of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in 2002, and in 2007 was chosen to participate as a panelist for the Aspen Film Festival Short Screenplay Contest. Robert regularly presents his screenwriting class "The Elements of Screenplay," along with advanced classes and workshops, in the Denver area. 

Screenwriter Robert Gosnell on What It's Really All About

What It's Really All About

Ever been to Disneyland, or Walt Disney World? They call them "theme parks." Uncle Walt's theme for his parks, which turned out to be what is possibly the world's greatest marketing tool, was simple. Life is a fantasy.

It isn't, of course, but isn't it wonderful to step into a world where we can pretend, just for a little while, that it really is? Even when we have to spend two hours standing in line for a five-minute ride, it's worth it. Really, how can you put a price on living a fantasy, even for five brief minutes? They do put a price on that experience, of course, and a pretty hefty one, but as time has proven, Walt built it, and we continue to come.

Every story has a theme, and stories written for the screen are no exception. Otherwise, we wouldn't have theme songs, would we?In the handsomely crafted "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," the song "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" expressed Butch's theme, reflecting his persistently upbeat, positive attitude in the face of adversity.

The characters we create in our screenplays have a theme, as well, or at least, a position on a theme. They don't simply serve to connect the dots in the plot. In order to be well-developed, they must have virtues and flaws, thoughts and opinions, values, prejudices and agendas. Based on these characteristics, they will take a stand for, against, or somewhere in the middle, when faced with the issues presented by the story's theme.

Themes aren't always easy to pin down, but they are always present. Always. That's why it's so important to acknowledge and honor them in our writing.

In my book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of
Screenplay," I break down the theme puzzle into three parts, the first of which, "The Master Theme," I present in today's excerpt. In my next two blogs, I will offer up the second and third parts of my exploration of theme: "The Active Theme" and "The Character's Take on the Theme" as they apply to the screenplay form. 

The Master Theme

As simply as I can state it, the Master Theme is what your story is about.

Yet, when I ask a new writing student what his story is about, this is generally how the reply starts:

"Well, it's about this guy...."

Gotta stop ya!

No, it isn't! It's about a value. It's about love, revenge, redemption, greed, power, honesty, fear, sacrifice, bigotry, fame, faith, hope, depression, addiction...and the list goes on.

It is about a quality which is pertinent to the human condition. "This guy" is simply the character responsible for carrying out that theme.

"Rocky," for example, is not about boxing, it is about redemption.

"Saving Private Ryan" is not about war, it is about sacrifice.

“Gone With The Wind" is not about the Civil War, it is a love story.

Most disaster films are about survival, although "Titanic" is a disaster film which is actually a love story at its core. The disaster threatens the relationship, as the Civil War was an obstacle for Rhett and Scarlett.

Most courtroom dramas are, by their nature, about justice. "Twelve Angry Men," "Judgment at Nuremberg," "Inherit The Wind," "And Justice for All" and "A Few Good Men" are all classic examples. Yet, "The Verdict" was a courtroom drama which was actually about redemption, and "To Kill A Mockingbird" was a courtroom drama with a Master Theme of bigotry.

Now, I know, we've been relating stories by starting with "It's about this guy..." for centuries, but that's telling me the story, not telling me what it's about.

From a writer's perspective, I need to know where the emotion is coming from. I need to know what's at stake. I need to know why I should care. And, I need to know it without hearing someone recount the entire story in a thirty-minute dissertation and letting me figure it out for myself.

There is a simple exercise I learned in my early days in the craft, and it's particularly helpful in finding the Master Theme of your story. It goes like this:

Tell me your story in a page.
Now, tell me your story in a paragraph.
Now, tell me your story in a sentence.

Now, tell me your story in a word.

Once you've narrowed it down to that one word, you've found your Master Theme. That's what your story is about.

At this point, you might be asking yourself, "Do I really need to know this, before I write?"

The answer is, you probably already know it, instinctively. When you formulate a story in your head, your Master Theme is inherent to the story; built in.

When we get hit with that flash of inspiration, it's never,"I know! I'll tell a story about love!"

I get that. It starts with a concept, a character, a situation, a bit of action, or the visualization of a great scene that reaches out and grabs you from the recesses of your brain.

What I am advocating is that there is value in identifying the Master Theme, and in keeping it at the forefront of your mind, as you develop your story. Why? I've already told you.

Everything in your story relates to the Master Theme.

When that inspirational moment that triggers your story drives you to the computer, that's when you have to sit down and fill in the blanks. One flash of inspiration does not a story make. You now must start constructing beginning, middle and end; setups, complications and climax, characters, plot and subplots.

You need a common thread to guide you, something that links all of the elements of a story together, and that is the Master Theme.

For me, it's my security blanket, when I'm developing a story. It's the theme that determines the message, and the message that determines the ending. All it really takes is to be aware of your theme and apply it to your story elements. It just makes things easier.

Robert's book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay" is currently available at:
Amazon digital and paperback
CreateSpace 
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Find Robert at:
Website (with information on classes)
Email
IMDB Page

A professional screenwriter for more than thirty years, Robert Gosnell has produced credits in feature films, network television, syndicated television, basic cable and pay cable, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Robert began his career writing situation comedy as a staff writer for the ABC series Baby Makes Five. As a freelance writer, he wrote episodes for Too Close for Comfort and the TBS comedies Safe at Home and Rocky Road. In cable, he has scripted numerous projects for the Disney Channel, including Just Perfect, a Disney Channel movie featuring Jennie Garth. 

In 1998, he wrote the Showtime original movie, Escape from Wildcat Canyon, which starred Dennis Weaver and won the national "Parents Choice Award." Robert's feature credits include the Chuck Norris/Louis Gosset Jr. film Firewalker, an uncredited rewrite on the motion picture Number One With A Bullet starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams, and the sale of his original screenplay Kick And Kick Back to Cannon Films. Robert was also selected as a judge for the 1990 Cable Ace awards, in the Comedy Special category.

In 1990, Robert left Hollywood for Denver, where he became active in the local independent film community. His screenplay Tiger Street was produced by the Pagoda Group of Denver, and premiered on Showtime Extreme in August of 2003. In 1999, Denver’s Inferno Films produced the action film Dragon and the Hawk from his script. In 2001, Robert co-wrote the screenplay for the independent feature Siren for Las Vegas company Stage Left Productions. His feature script Juncture was produced by Front Range Films in March of 2006.

Robert is a principal member of the Denver production company "Conspiracy Films." He is frequently an invited speaker for local writers organizations, served on the faculty of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in 2002, and in 2007 was chosen to participate as a panelist for the Aspen Film Festival Short Screenplay Contest. Robert regularly presents his screenwriting class "The Elements of Screenplay," along with advanced classes and workshops, in the Denver area.

INTRODUCING A NEW COLUMN By Screenwriter Robert Gosnell

I'm so pleased to bring you Robert Gosnell's opinions, thoughts, and tips on screenwriting.

Novelists will get a great deal of information out of his columns as well, so don't pass up these opportunities to see inside the mind of a multi-produced screenwriter.

Crash On The Information Highway

I love movies, and as politically incorrect as it may be to admit publicly, I love television, too. I can't help it. We grew up together. As a youth, I was enthralled by stories, in any form. I not only watched films and TV and read books incessantly, but I also enjoyed sitting quietly in a room full of adults and listening intently to the stories they told.

So, when I made the somewhat radical decision to abandon my  blue-collar existence and become a screenwriter, it seemed like a logical choice. I had searched for years, as many of us do, to find my "true calling," and now I had found it. But, I had a problem.

I knew the "what," but I didn't know the "how." To echo Hamlet's lament, "there's the rub!"

At that time, writing for the screen was a relatively elite vocation, so the availability of information was, to say the least, limited. Therefore, my first obstacle was a pretty basic one.

What the hell does a script look like?

Since my initial goal was to write situation comedy for TV, I picked one of my favorites, a show called "Barney Miller," and made the acquisition of a script from that show my immediate target. But again, how?

"Simple enough," I decided. "I'll write to the show and ask them to send me a script." Ignorance is bliss.

Astonishingly, I received a reply, although not the one I was hoping for, from the prolific and talented writer/producer Tony Sheehan. It was a rather lengthy letter, explaining in diplomatically phrased detail why my desire to write for "Barney Miller" was an impossible dream. "Barney" was a tough show to get a handle on. "Barney" wasn't soliciting outside writers. In short, I would never write for "Barney Miller."

Mr. Sheehan had missed the point, entirely! So, I wrote him back.

I explained that I chose his show because it represented the quality of programming I was aspiring to write. I never expected an invitation to actually write for "Barney Miller." I just wanted to know what a sitcom script looked like!

To my further astonishment, a couple of weeks later, I received a "Barney Miller" script in the mail, with this brief note from Mr. Sheehan:

"Dear Mr. Gosnell,

I guess, the second time's the charm."

I'm sure that Mr. Sheehan doesn't know, to this day, that his generosity kick-started my career, but I certainly never forgot it.

After churning out some spec scripts and doing some research, I made my trek to Hollywood. Over the years of honing my craft from the trenches, information became more readily available. I learned not only from books, seminars and classes, but most importantly, from mentors and peers who were kind enough to share their knowledge and experience with me. Eventually, I hit pay dirt, and have had the good fortune to write for feature films, independent films, TV and cable. I vowed, way back then, that when I reached a point where I felt confident in my ability to pass that information along, I would do so.

A few years ago, I began teaching a screenwriting class of my own. It was a surprisingly rewarding experience, not only because it gave me a forum to share the information I had garnered, over the years, but because it challenged me to dig deeper and expand my own knowledge of the craft. Soon after, the thought of writing a book on the subject began to creep into the recesses of my brain.

And then came the internet, and suddenly, there became available a flood of information on the subject. There are blogs and posts and websites, online classes and seminars, contests and "script doctors" of every manner. "Experts" are springing up from out of nowhere. I mean, literally, nowhere. For a time, I put my thoughts of writing a book out of my mind. Why jump into the middle of that mess? Why become just another voice in that cacophony?

However, when I started reading and analyzing the information being offered, I was appalled to discover how much of it was  misleading, incomplete or just, plain wrong, and that many of those experts were not experts, at all. So many people who have never written, sold or had produced a screenplay are now out there teaching people how to write screenplays. The blind are leading the blind...and charging money to do so.

Having scraped and clawed my way through the trenches of Hollywood to reach my goal, I found this approach offensive. That, as much as anything, re-ignited my desire to write "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and the Elements of Screenplay." If nothing else, I hoped to set the record straight, at least to some degree. Even at that, I don't consider myself an expert. I don't claim or pretend to have all the answers, or to know the one-and-only secret to success. Perhaps, I could make more money if I had the brass balls necessary to make that claim, but I just can't do it.

However, I have gathered a lot of information on the subject over my thirty-plus years in the business, and I felt compelled to share it. At the least, I've actually done what I teach, and that has to count for something.

In recent years, I have also been enlightened on another perspective that previously had escaped me. Some of my screenwriting students are novelists; many of them successful. Their goal, now, is to adapt their novels for the screen. These dedicated writers opened my eyes to the similarities and the differences between the forms. A story is a story, but a novel is not a screenplay. How to make the "twain" meet?

That is the purpose of today's blog; my first. In an excerpt from my book, I will present an issue which is common to all stories, but approached in a manner which is unique to the screenwriting form. I hope that novelists, screenwriters and those who aspire to either or both will find something of value within it.

So, sit back, relax and allow me to introduce you to "Physical Proxies."

Physical Proxies

Once you have established your character's backstory, you must now find ways to reflect that backstory in a character's actions and words. If you want to reveal a character's inner-workings visually, then you must do so with, guess what? Action.

The internal thought or emotion you want to reveal must be delivered in a manner which is visual, and allows the actor and director to interpret it. For my own edification, I've termed these actions "Physical Proxies."

There's really no mystery to it, or anything new. It's simply a reflection of the old "show, don't tell" rule.

Let's utilize a scene from "Rocky" to examine some physical proxies.

Early in the story, Rocky has been offered the fight with Apollo Creed, for the championship. Mickey, the boxing trainer, wants to be Rocky's manager. The trouble is, the men had an earlier run-in, when Mickey took away Rocky's locker at the gym and gave it to another fighter, whom he deemed a "contender." Rocky, however, was a "tomato," who fought like an ape, and should retire.

Now, here's Mickey, showing up at the door of Rocky's shabby little apartment, hat-in-hand.

Once inside, Mickey follows Rocky around the apartment, making his case. He talks about his experiences and shows Rocky pictures of young Mickey as a boxer.

And, what does Rocky do? He keeps moving away from Mickey. He throws darts at a dart board. He gets a beer from the refrigerator. He walks to his bedroom. Finally, when all else fails, Rocky goes into the bathroom and closes the door.

These are the physical proxies Rocky employs to express what he's feeling. Here's a big, tough, heavyweight fighter, and what is he doing? Avoiding confrontation! He can go toe-to-toe with brutes in the ring, but emotional confrontation makes him uncomfortable.

This scene is just such an emotional confrontation. The more Mickey persists, the more uncomfortable Rocky grows. He's squirming, before our eyes. That's a reveal of a characteristic which is demonstrated throughout the story, not just in this scene.

Rocky keeps telling Mickey that the fight is set, and he doesn't need a manager. That's the text, but we know what's really going on. Mickey gave up on him. Mickey told him to quit. Mickey hurt his feelings. You could see it, churning around inside him. You knew the reason he was saying "no." Nobody had to tell us, because Rocky showed us.

The only time it was really addressed verbally was when Rocky, still trying to avoid the subject, steps into the doorway of his bedroom. Mickey follows him in and there sees a poster of the heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano on the wall. Mickey remarks that Rocky reminds him of Marciano. He moves like the champ. He's got heart. Rocky's deadpan reply:

"Yeah, I got heart. But, I ain't got no locker, do I, Mick?"

There it is, in glorious subtext. It's personal.

Another fine example can be found in "Forrest Gump." In this scene, Forrest and Jenny, the girl he loves, have returned to the house where Jenny grew up, which is now abandoned. Jenny, venting her anger, begins to throw rocks at the house, one after another, with a growing fervor, until she sinks to the ground, weeping.

Forrest moves to her and sits beside her. Then, in Voice Over narration, we hear Forrest say:

"Sometimes, I guess, there just aren't enough rocks."

While it was never stated verbally in this scene, is there any doubt that Jenny was abused in that house? We can only imagine what indignities she suffered, but we certainly know that bad things happened to her, there.

That information, that backstory, was expressed through action. The throwing of rocks became the Physical Proxy to express the anger Jenny was feeling. Talking about it could never have had the same impact as this action.

Think of it as mime, if you like. Think of it in terms of a silent film. Ask yourself:

"What if there is no sound? How can I show what my character is feeling?"

If your character is well developed; well rounded, the right action for that character to express his inner feelings will be there. Rocky was a brute with a soft spot. Tough and crude, yet also sensitive and vulnerable.

Those conflicting traits going on inside him caused him to react to a given situation in his own unique, personal way. When he could no longer control his anger and frustration, he struck out physically, but always at inanimate objects. Never at people, unless he was in the ring. He struggled to conceal his inner feelings, fearing that expressing them would show weakness.

Rocky's Physical Proxies were his, alone. The better developed your characters, the more mannerisms and characteristics you can create to visually express their feelings.

~ ~ ~ 

A professional screenwriter for more than thirty years, Robert Gosnell has produced credits in feature films, network television, syndicated television, basic cable and pay cable, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of Canada.

Robert began his career writing situation comedy as a staff writer for the ABC series Baby Makes Five. As a freelance writer, he wrote episodes for Too Close for Comfort and the TBS comedies Safe at Home and Rocky Road. In cable, he has scripted numerous projects for the Disney Channel, including Just Perfect, a Disney Channel movie featuring Jennie Garth. In 1998, he wrote the Showtime original movie, Escape from Wildcat Canyon, which starred Dennis Weaver and won the national "Parents Choice Award." Robert's feature credits include the Chuck Norris/Louis Gosset Jr. film Firewalker, an uncredited rewrite on the motion picture Number One With A Bullet starring Robert Carradine and Billy Dee Williams, and the sale of his original screenplay Kick And Kick Back to Cannon Films. Robert was also selected as a judge for the 1990 Cable Ace awards, in the Comedy Special category.

In 1990, Robert left Hollywood for Denver, where he became active in the local independent film community. His screenplay Tiger Street was produced by the Pagoda Group of Denver, and premiered on Showtime Extreme in August of 2003. In 1999, Denver’s Inferno Films produced the action film Dragon and the Hawk from his script. In 2001, Robert co-wrote the screenplay for the independent feature Siren for Las Vegas company Stage Left Productions. His feature script Juncture was produced by Front Range Films in March of 2006.

Robert is a principal member of the Denver production company "Conspiracy Films." He is frequently an invited speaker for local writers organizations, served on the faculty of the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Conference in 2002, and in 2007 was chosen to participate as a panelist for the Aspen Film Festival Short Screenplay Contest. Robert regularly presents his screenwriting class "The Elements of Screenplay," along with advanced classes and workshops, in the Denver area.

Robert's book, "The Blue Collar Screenwriter and The Elements of Screenplay" is currently available at:
Amazon digital and paperback
CreateSpace 
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords

Find Robert at:
Website (with information on classes)
Email
IMDB Page

Movie Bytes Helps You Find Screenwriting Competitions

I've been on their email list for quite awhile and find it really handy, and now (or at least I've just discovered it) they have a queue for checking up on your contests/deadlines.

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Trending: MovieBytes Contest Queue

The following competitions are the "most queued" upcoming contests on MovieBytes:

1. PAGE International Screenwriting Awards
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8. Script Pipeline Writing Competition
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The MovieBytes Contest Queue is a quick way to keep track of the contests you've entered or are considering for the future:

http://www.moviebytes.com/contestQueue.cfm?qPage=true