Welcome to the Tennessee Screenwriting Association

TSA Screenplay Challenge (TSASC)!

Introducing--

The TSA Screenplay Challenge (TSASC)! In preparation for our annual screenplay contest that is coming up in the fall, we have come up with a special challenge to help you along the writing process and get a script done in time! So what's it about? Let's first look at the TSASC timeline--

Between now and May 19th: Come up with the following--

Logline (in one or two sentences, describe who the protagonist is and their conflict--should include the following):
Genre (horror, sci-fi, drama, comedy, etc)
Protagonist
Protagonist's Goal
Conflict

May 23rd: Develop logline into a one page synopsis: Based on the above elements you've already established, write down a basic one page story outline for your screenplay. A good way that this can be done is by writing it in three paragraphs, one for each act, that describes in a general way the main story events for that section of the script.

May 30th: Develop synopsis a four page step-outline: This is where writers will begin to flesh out their story in greater detail, constructing their story as much as they can prior to actually writing a script. A step-outline is scene-by-scene outline of your story where each scene is described by only a single line. Each line should tell the very basic elements that will be included in the scene, both plot and character depictions, that move the story forward. A single page should be used for ACT 1, a second page for the first 1/2 of ACT 2, another page for the second 1/2 of ACT 2, and a fourth page for ACT 3, as shown in the diagram below:

_{----(page 1)----|----(pg 2)----|----(pg 3)----|----(pg 4)----|

----Act 1-------|-------------Act 2----------|-----Act 3----|}

This four-page step-outline can be developed into a more detailed outline or treatment. Remember to include those important emotional decisions that your protagonist will make during the course of the story; those are the things that will grab a reader and make your characters come alive. Try to put as much as you can into into developing the outline so that the general flow of your story is worked-out. That way, when you go to the next step (writing the script), you can focus on scene dynamics and dialog. Also, keep in mind that your script should be only about 100 pages long (shorter if it's a comedy!) So each page of your step-outline will describe what occurs during 25 actual screenplay pages.

July 1st: Begin writing script: Start with FADE IN and go from there! The challenge is designed so that your writing schedule should be as flexible as you want to make it. As long as you write ONE PAGE A DAY, you should have a completed screenplay by the deadline. If you'd rather write 7 pages a weekend or 25 pages on the last day of the month, go for it!

Oct 31st: Finish up: By this time, writers should have their script done, and a full month before the deadline of---

Dec 1st: TSA Screenplay Contest Deadline: During this process, writers are encouraged to present material at TSA meetings or post on the forum to see what's working and what's not. NOTE: After July 1st, writers can only present one section of their screenplay at a time; ie you can't present the first fifteen pages of your story twice. Take notes the first time, but DO NOT RE-WRITE until you have completed the script. Continue forging onward and bring in the next fifteen pages. Don't get bogged-down in the re-write until your script is completed.

Also, writers don't have to start from scratch. If you already have a work in progress, then feel free to use that.

The goal of the Challenge is to complete a script. Will it be ready to send out immediately? Probably not. But that shouldn't be the focus at this point. The first draft is about getting the story set down. Some parts will be great, and some parts less-so. Don't fret. Embrace the joy of creating without worrying whether it is perfect; by writing with a good outline as your guide, you will be on a good path. You can worry about "perfection" later. Have fun and be excited that you will have a finished script at the end of this process!

SCRIPT-COM 2012 SUCCESS!

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Script-com is a huge success. Thanks to Tom Schulman, Robert Orr, Robert Franke, Will Akers and Steve Womack.

Thanks to all who made the time and the trek to attend! We had Tennessee writers from all over the state and the country attend this event. And they brought excellent observations, questions, advice and energy to this exchange of experience and ideas.

Thanks to Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, and special thanks to Andy Van Roon and Film-com for supporting the TSA as we take Script-com to the next level!

And finally, kudos to all TSA members that gave their time and talent to make this happen . You've marked the kick off to Film-com week as a "must attend" event. BTW... attendance more than doubled.

Read about the event

I'M PRESENTING! WHAT NOW?

Our weekly meetings are generally three half hours of presentation and feedback. Members sign up to present material. This can be pitching an idea, reading a premise sheet, a two page synopsis or ten to fifteen pages of a working script for a cold/table read.

The reader then takes feedback in the form of a question and answer period. This where the TSA rubber meets the road. So what kind of questions should a reader be ready to answer about their story? The best advice is, Reader, know thy story". Here is a "List of Questions" that a presenter will likely be asked during a meeting, and so therefore they should consider as they write.

Finally simplicity is genius. Presenting material to the group is the best way to exercise and develop pitching skills. Understanding your story is not being able to drone on and on about the complexities of character, setting and plot. Quite the contrary. As Shakespeare noted, "Brevity is the soul of wit".

Here are some of the questions a reader can expect and should be prepared to answer. And Finally, don't be afraid!

Do you have a three-act structure?"
Can you sum-up Act 1 in no more than four sentences? Act 2? Act 3?
What is your protag's main goal? What makes this hard to achieve?
What course of actions does your protag instigate to achieve success in the story?
Is your protag GIVEN answers/solutions/goals, or is he forced to ACQUIRE those things? [Should be the latter]
How often is your protag FORCED to decide on a SINGLE course of action in the story? [The correct answer should be no more than once]
What does your protag learn about life, herself, or the human condition that she didn't know at the beginning of the story?
What movie(s) are like your story in style or structure?
Does your protag appear within the first 3 pages of your story?
Does your protag have an interesting or character-defining introduction?

FROM THE 2012 PRESIDENT

Greetings TSA Members!

I'm Bill Middleton, the new president of the Tennessee Screenwriters Association. I've been attending TSA for about four or five years now, but only in the last couple of years have I become more involved.

Just to tell you a little bit about me-I'm a Nashville native and grew up in the Hermitage/Donelson area. I've been a regular moviegoer since childhood. Having grown up on movies like Star Wars and directors such as Steven Spielberg, I was quickly spoiled on good movies. So spoiled that I hated going to bad movies. It was such an unpleasant experience to sit through a bad movie. One year, Enemy Mine was playing and I decided to see it based on the flashy Sci-Fi trailer. I cringed nearly every minute in my seat and could not wait until the credits rolled-I hated that movie! (click for full article)

YOUR NEW 2012 TSA BOARD

At our January 11th meeting we selected the 2012 TSA Board and elected the executive committe.

Your board for 2012 is Bob Giordano, Richard Black, Doug Steier, Rebecca Ford, Bill Middleton, Jenny Barnes, Jeff Chase, Shannon Howell, Pete Kremer, Allen Carver. From that we group we selected the executive committee.

President - Bill Middleton

Vice President - Allen Carver

Secretary - Rebecca Ford

Treasurer - Jenny Barnes

Please offer a big thanks to the volunteers that make the TSA a success

ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS

The 2011 TSA year has come to a close. It's been a good year for us at TSA. We accomplished a lot. We started with a seminar and capped it with a very nice holiday get together, hosted once again by our long time member and friend Chris Farran and his lovely wife Dale. Many sincere thanks to Chris and Dale!!

In between we established a Facebook page; Cafe Night; revitalized the web page; held a second mini-seminar with the Pitch Fest folks; shared a party with Film-com and we established The TSA Forum allowing peer review around the clock and from all corners of the globe.

Our most important accomplishment is Membership. The rolls are growing and seems to be going international. I know that is because you, the writer is what makes the TSA valuable! Peer review! So attend meetings and get into the forum!!

The TSA now has members that are working Hollywood writers attending weekly meetings. You know who you are! From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. You're generosity of time and story experience has taken members' material and understanding of the craft to new levels. Know that you are appreciated!

THE BOARD AND OTHER NEXT YEAR STUFF

It's time to elect a new board and executives to guide the TSA through 2012. Elections will be January 11, 2012. Please be there to cast your vote or consider serving! We have a lot of cool stuff coming up. And we need to keep promoting the craft and support those things that make the TSA a unique and beneficial organization. That would be YOU!!!!

Please be at the January 11th meeting !!!

We have new members that have pages up on the forum and they want your input. You are what makes the TSA valuable! Offer your unique viewpoint to fellow writers. And post your stuff. Get in the conversation. Go to www.tennscreen.com/tsa_forum We'll be introducing a new pitching/spit-balling format during regular meetings so you can get some help developing those ideas that need a nudge. We're going to call it "RIFFING"! Stay tuned!!

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! We're going to be come the champion of structure in Middle Tennessee! Classic American Narrative Structure (or CANS)has been the backbone of American film and in use by the American studio system since the advent of talkies in the 1930's. There is a wide variety structures being touted, taught and sold. But in our estimation, CANS is the skeleton that supports them all. Robert Franke introduced us to the approach and it changed the way we look at structure. We'll be having seminars in the very near future. 2012 is the year of Structure for the TSA!! Learn IT! Live IT!! LOVE IT!!!

WGAw: THE HOTLIST: JUNE 2011

The Hotlist keeps Guild members abreast of the latest New Media trends by featuring some of the most cutting edge content on the Web. It is a guide to the Web’s Most Cutting Edge New Media Content. So why should Guild members be the only ones in the know? Check out June's postings.

WRITING OTHER PEOPLES STUFF

So how does a screenwriter make a living? Do they sell spec script after spec script because their ideas are so novel and exciting that execs in Hollywood subordinate their own ideas?

TSA Meeting Well it's true that spec scripts are bought and optioned every day. But, chances are just about every exec, director or producer has their own brilliant, new idea. They are busy trying to get it funded and produced. So if you want to write movies for a living, what will that career look like? (Read more and check out a past TSA writing challenge and the cool results)

Richard Black, a regular TSA member and last year's president, has landed an option for his script, The Bible Codes-The Four Horsemen. He attributes this success to his strategy utilizing his InkTip Preferred Newsletter subscription. (InkTip is a TSA sponsor.)