THE HOWARD HAWKS METHOD

Recently I was watching some interviews and heard something interesting from Mark Duplass and David O Russell. They don’t physically write their first drafts. Instead what they do is use a voice recorder (David uses a Tascam, forgot what Mark uses) and they talk out the entire screenplay. Then after they transcribe it into final draft and then do their rewrites.

The point of it is they hate looking at a blank page, so instead they trick themselves into writing by just talking out the entire screenplay, dialogue and all, sometimes they’ll even put on an accent if the character has one.

So just giving out some unique methods if any writers on here wants to try that out.

Also…if y’all know anyone else who does this or has a unique method feel free to share

I've been using speech to text for years. After finding out David O. Russell also does it, I will no longer be doing it

Lmaoooooooooooooo

That’s very interesting. I’ve been thinking off writing a short story for a while so I may try this out

Definitely give it a try, I hope you write something dope 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Don't do it op, you gon find yourself snapping at your cast and crew for no reason

I do sorta a variation of this. I voice record any ideas that come to me with my phone. And I voice record a lot of dialogue ideas whether I’m creating dialogue in my head or actually having an interesting conversation.

Another technique is that whenever you're writing, always end your session in the middle of an idea or scene that you've been itching to expand. That way, during the next writing session, you pick up where you left off, and might even have some fresh additions to make.

But notice I gave two total opposite examples, lmao Mark who (at least to my knowledge) is regarded as being super nice. And David O Russell who’s the biggest prick ever

Yup!! This!!

David be moving like his filmography isn't half-duds at this point

Bro as much as I hate David (from the s*** I’ve heard) I actually don’t DISLIKE the films ppl hate, like Joy and Amsterdam for example

Joy prolly needs a rewatch then Still haven't seen Amsterdam lol

I feel the same with American Hustle, which did get critical acclaim but seems to get hated on a lot.

I’ve found making bulletpoints of the different events in a notes app helps me. I split it by acts

I write after I have it all mapped out so that it keeps me from writers block

American Hustle is cool. Didn’t love it like some did. For me his best is 3 kings, fighter and of course silver lining

James Cameron would just write an entire novella before he got to the screenplay. He gets the world and atmosphere out before setting a story in it. Idk if we have access to those examples. We've seen his sketchbooks which are the same things though.

You outline outline outline huh?

Awesome process

Just for plot points then I let dialogue and conversation happen naturally. It just helps keep me on track so I know where to go next and don’t get stuck

My first drafts always tend to be short cause I’m zipping through plot points I need to hit then I can go back and write in scenes that add more context

Do you do what Alex Gardland does?

(2:50)

Basically he puts a basic outline (plot points) on his screenplay page. Then he’ll write out the first plot point in screenplay format, after delete that outline note and move on to the next scene.

It’s more so his map is right there as he’s writing and doesn’t need to search through multiple documents/windows.

This is what’s interesting about writing/art…there’s no right or wrong way. Cus for me my first drafts tend to go long because I don’t really have a map so I’m writing to figure out the possibilities and to find the core of the story

That’s probably a cleaner way of doing it than me lol. I have it in a notes app and can check off a plot point after I’ve written it so I do go back and forth

I agree, everyone has a different way of doing it but as long as your method works for you that’s all that matters