Now that the script is floating around, being read by various trusted friends, Writing Partner has returned to pondering why the hell I write the way I do. Lots of fragments, combined with unecessary commas.
"That's my style," I said. "Suck it!"
He thinks, like so many people, that just because I'm an English teacher I'm sitting around at my Victorian writing desk with my quill pen studying Latin and knitting between scenes. He thinks I am the worst English teacher in the world because I don't know proper grammer. But I do know proper grammar. I obsess over proper grammar. Misused apostrophe's make my brain explode.
I choose to break the rules, like e.e. cummings or Faulkner. It has a purpose. I write the way things sound in my head.
Bill Martell's script tip for today includes this tidbit:
"Treat your dialogue exactly like you treat your scenes - start when the sentence gets good and finish when there's no more information. That means you'll probably end up with what my third grade teacher Mrs. Klauser called 'sentence fragments', but we aren't trying to get an A in English, here, we're trying to create realistic sounding dialogue. Remember that the root word of conversation is converse, and that dialogue is going to be a verbal battle between two people - they are bound to cut each other off before they finish their sentences."
Thanks, Bill. This English teacher agrees with you.
So in honor of my writing style and this arbitrary number of posts (143) I would like to take a look back at the history of this blog.
Times I've told people to "suck it" or "get bent": 4
Scenes posted: 3
Unecessary commas used: 4,762
Fragment sentences used: 328,989.4
Times I have referenced Bill Martell: 5
Times I have referenced Bill Marsili: 0
Times I have actually mentioned white board markers: 2
Times people have come here looking for information about white board markers: 7
Times I've said the words "totally" or "seriously": 16
Posts written while I was supposed to be doing something more important: 143
Emily, you look like a helpful person. I'm cruising through the screenwriters' blogs - loving your posts by the way - and wondering if you can answer my silly question. Here goes: if I'm to write a screenplay from my cosy office here in New Zealand, do I need to purchase the First Draft software (or something similar) as my template? As in, does everyone just do that as a matter of course? I guess the answer is yes but want to hear it from someone who looks like they have some of the answers (and doesn't look too scary). By the way, thanks for the reminder that the root word of conversation is converse. Interesting. I shall remember that. Conversation is indeed a battle. In my family anyway! Regarding your use or otherwise of accepted grammar rules... grammar, schlammar! Who even uses grammar correctly these days anyway? I'm sure it will be confined to the history books eventually. I trained as a teacher and journalist before settling into being a children's author, mother, wife, cook, cleaner, pick up afterer etc. When my father was alive, he would criticise my grammar constantly. Well, most things about me actually, but particularly my grammar - saying "you're a teacher and a journalist, you should know grammar!" However, my excuse then and now is "It's like a plumber who goes out and works at plumbing all day. They come home and want a break from fixing plumbing." Basically, I'm with you on this.
ReplyDeleteBottom line is screenwriting is storytelling.
ReplyDeleteIt ain't english. It ain't purdy. But if it gets the job done...
Well, there ya go.
Totally dig your blog. Seriously.
ReplyDeleteAlso: If all the language was proper in screenplays all of the time, all we'd have are Merchant/Ivory stories. We need variety!
So: write screenplay for make benefit glorious writer of Emily!
- E.
So this is what you do when you're not at "the sausage fest?"
ReplyDeletehmmmmmmmmmm....
Emily high fives everybody.
ReplyDeleteWord Imp, there are different schools of thought on the Final Draft/Movie Magic/other programs issue. The best resource for that is probably Alex Epstein's blog, Complications Ensue, which I link to on the sidebar.
The bottom line is, you don't NEED Final Draft or MoveMagic, but they really help. There are other programs that are cheaper, but those really are the best. I use MM.
Once you use a screenwriting program, MSWord will just annoy you.
But the Latin! And the knitting! But!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have a Victorian writing desk, but you know I wouldn't turn one down if it happened to show up under my tree one snowy morning.
Anyway I'm totally in love with the sentence fragment, oh yes oh yes. In dialogue and in prose. Hee.
(the knitting Latinist former English professor)
Word Imp - if this is the first time you're working in the screenplay form, might I suggest a free screenwriting program like CELTX?
ReplyDeleteYou can learn on it, and if you continue the screenwriting thing with more scripts THEN invest in FD or MMS.
Certainly the price is right...
I thought of you as I typed that, Maggie. I was picturing Jane Austin, but I was thinking of you.
ReplyDelete