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What's Your Take On Legal Pad Screenwriting?
Here's the latest script for an hour-long drama web series called STREET that I'm writing and planning on filming in my home country Nigeria. The first season will consist of (4) 45 minute episodes. I'm midway through the second script also written on legal pad. Anyway, I've found that writing on a legal pad works best for me before transferring the script to Celtx ( I don't use Final Draft). My writing process is much faster on the legal pad and I pushed out the first 45 page episode in a week because the pen just flows.
I take my legal pad with me in the car, at home and when a scene pops up I put it on paper right away. And when I'm not on the pad, I just write on my iPhone then transfer to paper as soon as I can.
So just thought I'd share my new and effective writing process.
What's your writing process? What's your take on legal pad screenwriting?
Be the first to comment.
Tags: What's, legal, on, pad, screenwriting?, take, your
Views: 293
Comments
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Permalink Reply by Double Espresso on -
Old school, I like it.
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Permalink Reply by AfterTheBeast on -
Awesome! Personally though I can't do it that way. My handwriting's terrible and I can type way faster than I can write. Also my writing process consists of setting aside a specific time, usually at night, to just sit down and write. I can't multitask and just start writing stuff anytime. (Although if I get a good idea, I'll usually jot it down via a pen so I remember it later).
I use Word or word pad and just type it in screenplay format as I go. Never have used a screenplay program. Maybe someday I'll try it on a typewriter...
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on -
It's good to read various perspectives on this topic and I couldn't shoot without a properly formatted shooting script on a screenwriting program. Also, every minute you spend on Word/typewriter is 30 seconds on Final Draft or Celtx. :)
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Permalink Reply by AfterTheBeast on
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Ah, but I submit that a properly formatted shooting script doesn't require a screenwriting program...just the proper know how. And I skip the hours spent writing on paper, so it's probably sixes... : )
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Permalink Reply by Aaron Garcia on -
I do both, but I do have a habit of writing scenes in a notebook, and then when I re-type it back into Final Draft, I use that as time to write the second draft. I'm constantly editing what I wrote in the notebook. Forces me to really fine tune what I'm writing.
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on
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Agree Aaron. :)
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Permalink Reply by Jason Brasier on -
Nothing wrong with it man. Not at all. My process always starts on paper. Its where I rearrange and get my idea out. This is also where I write out and develop my characters and backstories. Then I take that move to the computer and outline the entire story or each episode if I am doing a series, in detail.
After I have written my outline the first time, I got back over it 3-4 times to make sure it flows correctly. Once that is done, I start my screenwriting process. Which follows the same path. Write it out, deconstruct, and reconstruct. Writing is rewriting. :)
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on
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Nice process. I don't outline. I visualize my character in my head, down to what he's wearing and just let it flow. I play each scene out in my head from start to finish and if it makes sense I'll write what's in my minds eye. If it doesn't make sense, I keep tweaking in my head until it does before putting it on paper.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Rodriguez on -
Yo Rich,
For jotting down fanstastic thoughts and ideas that might otherwise be forever lost to the ages--keeping some handy-dandy device like a legal pad at one's fingertips is, in my humble opinionn, is the way to go -- I only wish that I were better at making it a habit rather than an occasional practice--many of the great comic voices such as George Carlin and others, say they owe their whole careers to doing just that: having a legal pad or recorder with them at all times so that when stuff suddenly comes to them--bam! there it is.....
As for writing scripts, whether freeform or structured, I've, graduallyy converted to composing right at the keyboard--and now don't think I could go back to writing on paper if I had to....for years I had been a firm believer that there was a magical connection between the writing implement and the hand that was holding it, and the brain, that mechanically punching keystrokes of though just couldn't replicate......not so much anymore, in fact, not at all, really....another sad reality of mine, is that if I jot something down, MAYBE I'll be able to find it and that's a very generous MAYBE--but if it's saved to a harddrive and backed up on a cloud or whatever.....it's there forever, AND the ease of finding things just by searching for a single, preferably obscure, term that you know is in there somewhere....it's a whole different universe....than trying to find something I wrote years before--a lot of the time, the paper I wrote it on may not even still exist.......
Thanks for the topic, Rich--always keepin' us thinking.....Yo! WSN!!!
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on
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I hear ya Bob and thanks for your voice. My penmanship has diminished over the years due to technology as you can see and I'm probably the only one on earth that can read my handwriting.
An aside: I remember growing up we got extra allowances for good penmanship, our parents way of encouraging us to write, write, write. That's the good ol' days. :)
There's something intimate about pen and paper connecting. Trust me I wouldn't trade technology for a notebook, but my screenplay is a fulfilling excuse to go pen/paper. :)
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Permalink Reply by Bob Rodriguez on
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This morning on a drive time talk show Steven King was saying words to the effect that when he doesn't have something handy -- I guess he meant a computer -- not exactly sure (and here's a quote) "The legal pad is my favorite tool."
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Permalink Reply by Rich Mbariket on
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God bless him. :)
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