Today’s guest blogger, Bradford Richardson, started in features as the Lead Graphic Designer for the Coen Brothers’ Fargo, then The Big Lebowski. His other projects included Tim Burton’s unfinished Superman Lives. He transitioned into screenwriting and became a two-time Austin Film Festival Second-Rounder and a two-time Top-Ten Finalist in Screamfest LA Horror Screenwriting Competition. He recently won 2nd Place in Debra Eckerling’s Write-On Online Script Concept Competition, with his new romantic comedy concept, Walter Crisp’s Girlfriend Do-Over. Bradford proves that it’s not the size of the blog that matters; wisdom can be short, sweet, and universal. He has truly captured Blake’s voice:
I‘ve heard that the number one reason screenwriters don’t finish a first draft of their idea is that they fall out of love with it.
That got me thinking… (creaky rusty gear noise)…
Writing a detailed Blake Snyder Beat Sheet for your idea while you’re still in love with the concept is the best guide to completion of the first draft, especially if you’re like me, and inevitably decide to despise your idea somewhere in the middle of writing that draft.
Then I realized… (grinding gears)… DRUM ROLL…
What if falling out of love with your idea while writing the first draft is merely a natural part of the creative process?
Once you’ve pulled back the magic curtain, taken off the rose-colored glasses, rolled-up your sleeves, and started bolting your Beat Sheet scenes together into the roller-coaster framework of a whole story, you’ve reached beyond the love which inspired the original concept to a place of self-respect and personal responsibility—where finishing what you’ve started is the greater goal.
So hang in there, screenwriter! Recognize the inherent ups-and-downs of the creative process, use your love-inspired Beat Sheet as the guide to reaching your goal… and never quit!
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It’s such an honor and a thrill to have my thoughts posted here on
Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT!
Excellent! Thanks for the wise words.
I love this. Thanks for sharing your epiphany!
Thanks Brad,
I know what you are talking about with the falling out of love part, but I got a slight twist for you.
After I’ve got 15 beats and 40 scene cards, that I’ve put a months work and research into, I’M MARRIED AND LOVE AIN’T GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.
I just keep writing! and it does not matter if I love it or not, I’ll finish, register a complete script, and see what a studio reader says about it.
So I get rejected 15 times, it’s just like LOVE and high school. One fine day, I’ll score.
Captain
Thank you, Scott and Amy! Captain, I like your posts. It’s clear how hard you work, and how dedicated you are to success. Let’s never quit!
Way to go, Bradford! Yes. Totally. It is totally part of the process, I agree. There’s “falling out of love”, there’s “it’s not good enough” and all the rest of those ‘encouraging’ thoughts. Then one day I thought, “what do all the movies ever made, all the TV/Web shows ever existed, all the books/blogs ever written have in common?… That nobody quit in the middle of it.” So now I”m gonna stop writing here and I’m gonna go back to my novel.
Woohoo,Dangerous Brad! I love what you say here! This is golden advice in the true Blake tradition! I think if we can just forge ahead and beat out our script ideas, it will keep us excited and in love long enough to make it through the first draft! Here’s to a year of some great scripts! We will never quit! Thanks and Hugs
Thank you, Debbie!
Yep… The best kept secret in Hollywood: (drumroll) ….
… work….
:-) Every artist has ups and down, but it’s the commitment to working at it (no matter what you’re feeling or what else is going on) that separates the greats from the amateurs.
Yes, that too, Denesa! : )
MUAH
Great post, Bradford. I wholeheartedly agree. Hating your work is a natural part of the process. I know my new novel is good when I get to the part where I start to hate its guts with a passion. If I got through an entire novel and the rose colored glasses are still on then I’m pretty sure I’d have a piece of crap on my hands. :) I have a quote on my wall to remind me of this when I’m in the throes of hatred passion. “Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery and triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory.” Ghandi
If it doesn’t have that struggle in the middle, then something’s not working. So keep that in mind the next time you want to abandon your current project for something shiny and sparkly and new.
Thank you, Jessica! Great addition!
P.S. I’m so glad your Editor LOVES your new novel!
P.S. Holy heck, I ripped-off Ghandi!?
I have about 20 pages left on I screenplay I love, but have taken two years to get this far. I think I don’t want the love affair to end.
I will finish it this weekend.
Funny story I forgot to add. While I was in middle of revising my currently novel, I hit a wall. I called my editor (who I’ve worked with for 4 books now) nearly in tears, telling her how awful it is and how it’s never going to work. And she said, “Now, I KNOW it’s going to be good.” I sniffled, confused, and asked her what she meant. She said said, “Well, you call me with every book, telling me you hate it and it will never work, and that’s usually means you’re on the brink of figuring out what to do.”
Looks like she figured out my process before I did! For me, the struggle is the sign I’ve almost got it. :) So power through, cats!
Anything with Blake’s Cat (and all those involved) brings me here to this site. Anyway, blame it all on FB this time when I saw the post with “Today’s guest blogger, Bradford Richardson…”. lol *waves to Bradley* – Ahh, any excuse to feel good. *bows to Blake’s cat on the way out*
Cheers guys, Kaz :)
Peter Arpesella, I look forward to hearing more about your novel!
@Bob Conder – Man, I hear you! Do the old, “Writing Down the Bones,” trick. Spew those 20 pages out with no self-editing. Trust me, you’ll feel more & more exhilarated the closer you get to writing “THE END” on your first draft. Then there’s this weird magic which happens the moment you do write, THE END, you can clearly see your story as a completed whole and you know exactly where it strongest and weakest. Rewriting is fun!
Go, Jessica! Love that story!
Hi, Kaz Drysdale! I agree.
@Annie, MWAH!! Back at’cha!
Y’all keep writing to the “beat sheet formula.” See how far it gets ya. Good luck.
Good star, Bradford! Great column!
Hey, Jack Smith! Hopefully you’ll get as far as the writers at Disney Pictures, Pixar, and DreamWorks who use the beat sheet, like Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois, who dedicated their award-winning “How to Train Your Dragon” to Blake, and the writers of “Bolt,” who named their on-screen character, “Blake,” and on and on. Good luck to you, kind sir!
BJ,
I’m sure glad you chimed in about Jacks comment, and of course I think it’s just fine for Jack to give his opinion, BUT I’d like to say that my screenwriting career is doing just fine with the beats and Save the Cat methods.
Captain
Just thought I would report “IT IS DONE, FINISHED, FINALLY TYPED THE END.”
And I do like the writing to the bones method, self editing while I am writing is the tough part.
It is moments went I see support and commraderie from other writers I find the strentgh to dig deep amd make it happem.
Thanks Everyone!
Spectacular, Bob! Impressive.
Great posts, Bj and Captain!
Thank you!
To Brad and my peers,
I resolve this new year, God willing and no Hurricanes, to finish at least 3 scripts and maybe 4, thus quadrupaling my chances for success.
Why? because I’m 66 years old this May and scared of the time I wasted in my life not writing.
Captain
Go Captain!
I have to give it to Blake, I write the 15-beat Beat Sheet to solidify the idea, then I use it as a road map to remember what inspired the passion for the project and where I thought it needed to go. Drafts are meant to be re-written, but a good beat sheet lives on to help create the treatment and finished script.
Thank You again for being a great mentor, Blake…
Exactly, Don! If my Beat Sheet isn’t working, then my idea isn’t working either!
Go, Captain!
Thank you so much for this post. I realized after about 85 pages that I was just so sick of my characters, I wanted them all to shut up, so I put them away. But of course, I then beat myself up for the next six months, because I didn’t finish it. I think I’m ready to get back to it and kick my main character’s a**! Thank you. ;)
Aloha Bradford–love your blog…believe me, most writers seem to go through a love/hate relationship with their projects…but most writers have also told me there is nothing like the sweet satisfaction of completing one! Keep rockin’ Bradford! xoxo k
Hey Bradford — can you recommend a good book writing the horror screenplay (besides Blake’s great books of course!)?
Thanks in advance!
Bradford, thank you for sharing about the transformation from puppy love/will-you-still-love-me-in-the-morning? phase to full blown respect for the Story. We are, after all, just messengers for the stories implanted into our heads and hearts.
And, Captain, you are an encouragement to me. I’m catching up with you this weekend, and will only be 13 years younger than you. I feel that same sense of gotta get this done. Keep it going!
Dena!
85 pages! OMG! 90 pages is a screenplay and will get read much quicker than 120 pages. Go back to ALL IS LOST, kill somebody, you are really sick of, and then end it with everybody’s mouth wide open. By the way, you did the right thing by putting it away, because when you read it this time you are going to find out how good you really are.
Captain
Thank you Captain! I don’t know what I’ve been afraid of…I’m ready now.
I don’t think it’s so much we fall out of love with our Characters.
If you took that moment of inspiration to build real engaging gripping characters with a gripping story to at least the point where they facinate you. It should take nothing more than re-reading your work to fall back in love and continue just because you want to see where they go from there. If we can watch the same movie or TV show a zillion times and continue to laugh or cry in the same spots, because we love them, why shouldn’t we stay in love with our own creation?
I think people are mistaking the work for falling out of love. After you’ve already made the world and got its end the fun is over. Now you have to finish the grueling task of making sure everyone else is facinated and sees your world as clearly as you did. It’s alway fun to play with our children and go how cute. The hard part is when it’s time to discipline. Nobody likes it, nobody thinks it’s cute, but it has to be done. But don’t think you stopped loving them cuz the euphoria wore off.
BJ
Really? I’ve seen “Bolt” more than once, a favorite. I never noticed a character named Blake. Was it a TV guy? Maybe the “stick a pin in it” guy.
I’m already guilty of giving my villian the last name Snyder and having the main character speak of a boy named Blake.
“Blakes kind of a jerk, isn’t he?”
“Yeah. Hardly anybody likes Blake, but he’s a great tackle.”
“I guess it helps to be a jerk when you slam into someone.”
“I’d rather have him on my team than play against him.”
I loved his humor, so I hope he would’ve liked that. I don’t think there’s going to be many who don’t want to dedicate or Roast Blake in some way.
And we love him for his slamming to make a winning team!!!
Read about — and see! — Blake the Screenwriting Pigeon from “Bolt” here: http://www.epopp.com/savethecat/2008/12/23/great-year/
An inspirational blog especially as I just began to think that I was gonna put my idea to one side because it’s c***! I keep avoiding the writing – thinking I have to go to film school first…. have to save millions of pounds to take some time off work to write….. excuses, excuses, I just need to get the beat sheat back out and dig deep…. I have this fantasy that all other writers are fully qualified graduates of film schools etc. Is this true?
Love the marriage reference! Having being married darn near forever, you do start out with stars in your eyes, somewhere along the way start to notice each other’s faults, and then get back to the starry-eyed thing.
Just picked up a screenplay I was working on for Kairos but due to day job + rehearsing one show + being in another one didn’t get it finished by the deadline. Figured it was just as well, by then I hated it. But looking at it with fresh eyes, I thought “Hey, this is pretty good.” My past practice has been to write when I’m not doing shows, but doing 6 shows in a row (all of which overlapped – in rehearsal for one while the other is running) I’ve finally figured out I’m going to have to juggle all 3 somehow because I’m not willing to give acting or writing up (or music for that matter, but that’s already in the schedule). Would love to give up the day job, but it pays the bills so I can indulge in the other 3. Ah well. I’ll work on it.
Hey Captain – I do my best writing during hurricanes! Not much else to do when power is out for days at a time :)
Go, Dena!
Dan, check out screenwriter, William Martell’s blog for 1-13-2012, On The Red Carpet With Jason Voorhees: http://sex-in-a-sub.blogspot.com/
Next to Blake, William is the best “How To” screenwriting guide I’ve encountered. He’s got an e-book on Horror screenwriting.
Plus, contact SCREAMFEST LA, founder Rachel Belofsky: https://www.facebook.com/Screamfest No one knows Horror screenwriting like Rachel. She’ll know better than I what book/s to recommend.
Also, check out the wildly educational commentaries at, Joe Dante’s TRAILER FROM HELL website: http://www.trailersfromhell.com/
Susan M.re: Comment #40. Well said! I think you’re exactly right.
Bryan, Funny! And true.
Karen P., When I get super busy at my day job, I set aside 1-hour in the morning to write new lines with no self-editing, and 1-hour in the evening for re-writing/editing. It adds up!
Cynthia Mc. Jeese, you’re creative plate is FULL! That’s awesome! Sylvester Stallone wrote ROCKY while working full time for 7-11. In 15 minute increments during his breaks, on a yellow legal pad, while sitting on milk crates.
Bradford – I did not know that about Sly! Yay! Gives me hope! Used to write backstage between scenes, but my directors figured out I could play more than one part at once so that was the end of that. One of my characters in this show is an Army psychiatrist…for the first part of the scene I’m sitting in the semi-darkness with a legal pad…hmm…I wonder…we run through Jan 29…that could add up!
I think it’s great you’re continuing Blake’s work with the web site.
Bradford,
Thank you. Just what I needed to hear as I’m moving through pages. You’re paying it forward.