To all the screenwriters... - Writers Forum

dduckett · 12-22-2006, 09:06 PM

Greetings!

I have recently joined the forums, and overlooked the scripts and plays topic! I am not sure who all is aware of the program CeltX www.celtx.com but I suggest you check it out. It is completely free, and a wonderful program for writing screenplays. I use it all the time, and in fact have written many tutorials for it which can be found http://forums.celtx.com/viewtopic.php?t=2744&start=0 (some of them deal with creating storylines too). I hope this is of assistance to many of you! Good luck on your scripts

P.S.- I have read the forum and rules, and if this is considered advertising I have no problem taking it down.

mammamaia · 12-23-2006, 12:16 PM

it's admirable that you would take the time to do that, david... but since you are, in effect, 'teaching' others how to write something properly, you should take more care to not have all those misspellings and other goofs in your writing... it doesn't inspire the reader to take you all that seriously...

in addition, some of the sample script you provide isn't done correctly at all... for instance, you capitalize character names after they've been introduced, which is never done in a real script... and your scene-setting description, character intros, and action are not at all well done, sorry to say...

another major problem is telling newbies they can use camera directions/angles in their scripts... that is absolutely verboten, unless the writer is also the producer and director... in spec scripts, 'using the cameras' will usually get your script dumped w/o being read past the first page...

if you'd like detailed examples of all of the above, let me know and i'll be happy to help you clean it up, so it will be a good 'tutorial' for beginners...

love and hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

dduckett · 12-23-2006, 01:54 PM

I have taken an enterprise to help all screenwriters, and if my tutorials are full of mistakes, then admittedly, they do no good.

Nothing like a good critique

I would be happy to work with you to improve these tutorials (and thus improve my writing abilities). It is hard to find a foundational/flawless script. The internet is such a large place, that my research in writing a script is flawed. The question from here, is what's the best way for us to contact one another to improve these tutorials?

I appreciate everything Mammamaia, and Happy holidays!
Dave

Kimba · 12-23-2006, 06:02 PM

I'm getting a "sever not found" message when I click on the link. You might like to edit your message a bit so the ) isn't part of the URL

dduckett · 12-23-2006, 08:12 PM

Doh, thanks Kimba

EDIT: On a second glance, I clicked the link and it worked fine. Is anyone else having this problem?

mammamaia · 12-24-2006, 12:58 PM

just drop me an email, dave... i'll be happy to help you correct your tutorial... btw, a pal of mine who's a working screenwriter and fellow mentor at times, is just putting the finishing touches on his 'tutorial' site, that i edited for him... and his 'must-have' book for all newbies has just hit the stands...

Quote:

A just-out must for all aspiring screenwriters...
‘Q and A: THE WORKING SCREENWRITER--An in-the-Trenches Perspective of Writing Movies in Today's Film Industry’ by Jim Vines (special price signed copies available from: jim@theworkingscreenwriter.com )

hugs, m
maia3maia@hotmail.com

Kimba · 12-24-2006, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dduckett

I am not sure who all is aware of the program CeltX (www.celtx.com), but I suggest you check it out.

I actually meant that URL. It comes up as:

http://www.celtx.com)/

dduckett · 12-24-2006, 11:58 PM

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were referring to the latter. I'll certainly fix it (thanks for pointing that out!)

mammamaia · 12-25-2006, 02:53 PM

dave... i got your im too late to reply last night... i don't do chats, but you can email me any time... we can work on your tutorial that way... it's how i work with all the material people send me when they need help/editing/whatever...

hugs, maia
maia3maia@hotmail.com

dduckett · 12-28-2006, 01:50 AM

Note: I am revising these tutorials completely! I see what Mammamaia is referring to, and am embarassed of my multiple mistakes. I seemed to be more concerned with gathering new material than perfecting what I already had. Anyways, I'll be fixing those tutorials, and I will post when I complete it.

Thank you all!