Veering from the screenwriting path

Take a look at my posts. Many of them are rather long winded. I take five hundred words to say what can be said in less than half that. That’s just the way I am. I prefer lengthy writing that is intricate and nuanced. I enjoy telling a story and framing my message a certain way.

I found that the screenplay was an excellent and well designed format. As a visual person whose eye natu­rally obeys the rule of thirds when having an everyday conver­sation, it seemed perfect for me to delve into screen­writing. However, as time wore on, I came to an under­standing about my own creative tendencies. Although I am a visual person, my writing is more internal. My writing deals more with the internal states of people, what lies in their hearts and minds.

Film is a visual medium. Film is an excellent way to depict actions and movement. That isn’t to say that film cannot be cerebral and emotional. But it is most suited to the physical realm. As good as an actor may be, we cannot even begin to see the thoughts that fly through a character’s mind. And unless you want to create a film where the audience is listening to voice-over after voice-over, there is no way to get those thoughts through to the audience.

I actually wrote an article for The Story Department about whether or not screen­writing is for you. And I as time wore on, I began to question whether or not screen­writing was for me. Even­tually, I found that the screenplay was a very limiting format. I discovered that I was much more of a literary person. Although I have a visual creativity and cine­matic sense about things, ulti­mately my favorite form of expression is through my words. As much as I enjoy both watching and creating films, the way I want to tell my story requires a long winding journey through the mind of my char­acters. To me, a story is worth much more than the sum of its parts, and it is more than just the actions of the char­acters. More important are their moti­va­tions, thinking processes, and states of mind. I found that the novel has more room for my char­acters, more space for me to craft my world. I am not limited to 120 pages.

With that conclusion, I put down my identity as a screen­writer and began down the path of the novelist. Instead of watching Taxi Driver and The Assas­si­nation of Richard Nixon, I began reading Truman Capote and Catcher in the Rye. Instead of reading How Not to Write a Screenplay, I began reading Imme­diate Fiction. And so goes the story of how I veered from the silver screen to the pages of a paperback novel. But fret not, I am sure that I shall return to the screenplay after I pen my masterpiece.