screenwriter

PUBLIC SPEAKING: 10 Hacks to Improve Your Skills

by

Who’s not afraid of talking in front of random people ?

And if I hear  ‘Hey I’m not !’ It’s because you’ve done it before.

So here is the deal, you have an important pitch, an interview in front of a panel of people or even bigger…. a public speaking gig and you don’t know how the hell you’re going to survive this.

BREATHE. You’ve got this.

Here are 10 ways to get you started.

1. Be prepared

Oh gosh. There’s nothing worse than getting in front of people when you don’t know:

a) what to expect.

b) when you don’t know your subject.

So first, do some research. Find out what you have to talk about.

Secondly, ask for how long you’ll be interviewed for. 

My best interviews are the ones when the host told me as many details as possible beforehand.  Then I know what I will be talking about. I can get my bullet points ready. When I say BULLET POINTS I mean it. I don’t prepare a speech ever. I prepare KEYWORDS.

For an interview, I try to prepare all the questions they could ask me.

For a pitch or a gig, I prepare all the major points to highlight.

Prepare your subject inside out. Know it. Own it. Breathe it.

2. Feel the room

Before going to a new classroom, I FEEL the space.

I send greetings to it and to the people to come.

I become one with the walls, the desk, the stage, the mousepad and the computer. I prepare a magic bubble.

When my energy settles in, that’s it baby, I’m in.

But what if you don’t have access to the room beforehand?

Can you google the room or place? Can you arrive a bit earlier?

If you can’t, simply close your eyes and visualize the space, the people, and see yourself completely at ease in it.

Image by EnergieDeVie from Pixabay

If you have a pitch, pitch it to everyone you know.

Let them ask you questions and answer them.

If can’t answer their questions, do your homework and get ready.

4. Choose comfortable clothes

Make an effort for your audience as if you were going on a date. Because it’s kind of a date anyway.

However you don’t want to wear something that is not you. If you never wear high heels, it’s not the time to try them out. Just be the best version of yourself. Enough to breathe confidence.

Don’t think too much of how you look though. Focus on what you are for, on the message you need to deliver. Focus on your audience not on how you look.

5. Pump up the volume

Before you get dressed, blast some Led Zep and dance, get some steam off.

Enough to feel so damn good. You need to have a high level of energy.

Have you ever come across a teacher or a speaker that has no enthusiasm whatsoever? It sends you right to sleep or make you think of your to do list. The last thing you want is to bore your audience.

Enthusiasm is contagious. Remember this.

6. Tell yourself a white lie

Don’t say ‘I’m nervous’. Your brain is listening and as a result, it will make you sweat and stutter.

Instead tell yourself: ‘I’m so excited’. Your brain will also be listening and will help to go through it with ease.

7. Send love to your audience

They’re not your enemies. They want to learn from you.

They want to be inspired, to be motivated, to be enlightened. They want to spend a good time with you and you with them.

So send them love, you’re on the same page.

If you can, make eye contact with them, smile, send them good vibes. I promise you they’re going to feel it.

I teach a lot. And as it happens, I really love my 100+ students each year and the former ones too. I love their beautiful bright minds and as a result, I get brilliant results from my students, no one drops my class and they send me so much LOOOOve.

Image by Photo Mix by Pixabay

8. Be entertaining

Boredom is your worst enemy.

The brain is sensitive to contrast. Therefore, in your speech, try to be lively.

Speak slow and then fast, crack a joke, be thoutful. Change your tone.

Mix your presentation. Have slides, film extracts, games, jokes and  try to improvise if you can.

Don’t bore them with details or long anecdotes about your life. They don’t care. It’s all about them baby.

9. Be respectful

Be respectful in your speech of course but also with their time. They’re hear to learn something. They want a takeaway. 

Figure out what they need and give it to them. They need to come out of your speech totally transformed.

One of the best seminar I have assisted in my life was ‘Breaking into Script Reading’ with Lucy V. Hay. I was a different person when I came out of this. Life changing.

10. Have a blast and do it again

My first live gig, I’m not going to lie to you. I was awful. 

My first class, I was nervous as hell, my body was shaking, I was stuttering and sweaty. A nightmare.

Fortunately, I had no choice, I had to show up every week, so after a while, the shaking stopped. It took me years to feel at ease. Now I can say that I am a truly blessed teacher who has a blast with her students.

After my awful first gig, I had another one and another one and another one. I started to chill. Even better, I started to enjoy it. A few years back, no way I was going to say that!

Practice makes it perfect they say. I say practice makes it better.

And also, don’t forget that those events are wonderful opportunities to meet wonderful people. They can create new openings, new job opportunities, new luck in your life, so go for it!

By the way, here is my last gig and gosh I loved doing it. I hope they’re going to call me again next year!

Being A Writer Is Not Easy, But Don’t Give Up

by

Some of my friends told me they wanted to give up on their writing career. I know that they have been working very hard for more than 15 years. They wrote screenplays and published some novels. Yet, they don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

They feel like giving up.

It’s understandable. Burnouts, disappointments, and rejections can drive you to the point where you feel like letting go of your dreams. (See post: How to Recover From Burnout) Especially now when competition is tougher than ever.

Myself, 17 years ago, I gave up on my writing. And I tell you what, during that time, I felt as alive as a zombie in The Walking Dead. Dead inside.

Being a writer is tough. Chasing our dreams is hard but it’s also the only way to feel alive. So before you take a reckless decision, please let me give you 10 things you could try to have your mojo back.

1. Let The Bad Momentum Play itself Out

When it rains it pours. When I lost my home, my country and became homeless, I also got sick and soon after, my husband passed away. Indeed, when it rains, it pours. Yet, what saved me was my work and my writing. 

Putting all my rage and my despair on paper somehow kept me alive. I surrendered to the process of writing and somehow it made it feel slightly more bearable.

Surrender to your despair, to your sadness, to your fatigue. Don’t internalize it, it’s the worst thing you could do – it will soon become some kind of physical disease. So express it, write it and WAIT.

When you have a bad momentum, don’t fight against it. Instead surf the wave, let it take you where it wants. Don’t swim against the current, you’ll lose. Instead wait until it brings you to that peaceful beach.

2. Rest Is Success

I read a fantastic book that should be taught in every school: Why we sleep by Dr Matthew Walker. He explains how detrimental lack of sleep is to our body, mind and spirit such as:

  • Depression
  • Heart attack
  • Diabetes
  • It causes accidents
  • Obesity
  • Ageing etc…

Sleeping is far more important than you think. Do yourself a favor and have a minimum of 8-9 hours sleep. Go to bed early, have a nap. After a week, I promise you, you’ll feel stronger mentally and physically.

And more importantly, you’ll be more creative.

3. Find Out What Trigger This Feeling

Once rested, it’s time to reflect on what made you feel this way. Be honest with yourself. What triggered it?

A rejection?  A nasty comment online? An unexpected bill? A launch that didn’t work (again)?

Trace back what caused your misery and expose it to the light.

Now answer this question: Will it matter in five years time? If the answer is no, brush it off. 

4. Do Something Else

Maybe you’re sick of your writing, you don’t feel excited about it anymore. I tell you what: it’s time to try something new.

The idea is to give you a proper break. Trying something new will create new neuropathways and will excite your brain cells. You’ll feel a bit more upbeat. 

Soon enough, you’ll get an epiphany while doing paddling, martial art or painting. 

5. Go On A Social Media Detox

I ditched my Instagram. I also switched off ALL my notifications, and deleted most of the apps on my phone.

Do you know what happened?

My stress level went right down. Now, I’m only checking my phone when I’m ready for it and not when I’m told to do so.

So liberating!

6. Inject 5 Fun Things To Enjoy Everyday

Tell me the truth, is your life full of duties?

If so, it’s not surprising that you want to give up.

If you don’t plan some kind of reward in your day, your life will soon become like in The Shining: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy“.

Here is the secret though: you have to plan it. If you don’t, I promise you, you’ll do another duty because there is always something to do.

It can be anything you want but it has to be fun FOR YOU.  The idea is to plan each day, five things that makes you happy. You’ll get your motivation back sooner than you think.

7.Walk

Walking is the best sport you could ever do.

It increases your energy levels, improves your mood, your memory and sleep, maintains a healthy weight, reduces stress, strengthens your immune system and so on…

Start with 10 minutes a day and increase the duration after a while. 

It will make a huge difference to your health and creativity.

8.Take It One Step At A Time

Now let’s talk about your writing goals.

The key is this : One step at a time.

This is crucial. Take baby steps. 

When Stephen King was asked: ‘How do you write?’ He replied: ‘One word at a time‘. 

Simple. It’s okay to dream big but in terms of daily action, it’s best to have small, manageable, happy goals. 

If I tell you, write the best screenplay ever now! Your body and mind will shut down automatically.

Now if I tell you: write a scene, AND it doesn’t have to be good, you have the right to get it wrong but just write it. I’m pretty sure you can do that without a sweat. If you do that everyday, you have the first draft of your screenplay finished in two or three months.

Don’t make perfection a goal. Instead, make daily action a habit.

9.Take Imperfect Action

This one is my favorite mantra. This is the first thing my friend and co-writer Kary Oberbrunner taught me and it changed my life. Take imperfect action.

You don’t need to know all the answers, you don’t need to look perfect, you don’t need to be the best writer in the world.  You just need to show up and be yourself.

Do you want results? Do one action a day towards your goal. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it has to be regular.

The more actions you take, the more opportunities you get. It’s not witchcraft, it’s science.

10.Success Is An Accumulation Of Small Powerful Moments One After Another

When you look at people who succeeded, they didn’t get successful overnight.

It takes a long time to build a career.   

It doesn’t matter when you started writing. My point is these people kept practicing again and over again. They accumulated mini-wins one after another. So don’t look at the big picture. Aim for the mini wins. That’s what makes the difference.

One last word… Writing is an adventure. When we read a book or watch a film, we’re looking for answers to this question: How do you survive in this society?

Of course, we don’t say that out loud to ourselves but this is what we’re looking for.

We also write to understand ourselves and others. And we also write to give our understanding of life to others. It’s an important mission. It’s a calling. So don’t give up on it please, the world needs you.

Ps: I would like to dedicate this post to one of my faithful reader, Patricia, who kindly sent me a very nice email. I replied but my email bounced back. I wish you to get better soon.

Bonus

Here some mantras you could use to get your mojo back:

  • I am doing my best
  • My possibilities are endless
  • I have the power to create change
  • There are endless opportunities around me
  • Everything happens for a reason
  • I am exactly where I need to be
  • Small steps are also progress, great things take time 

Interview with Phil Clarke

by

Phil Clarke (aka Philmscribe) is a UK-based script consultant and screenwriter with over twenty years service to cinema.

After years working at the coal face of film on such features as Sleepy Hollow, Enigma, The Beach and two of the biggest box office franchises: Star Wars and Harry Potter, Phil turned to writing – both for the page and the screen. His screenplays have been optioned both in the UK and Hollywood and his books have been published worldwide.

 
Sophie: Phil, thank you so much for accepting this interview.

Phil: Pleasure!

Sophie: Why is it so important for a screenwriter to work with a consultant?

Phil: It’s that vital second pair of eyes. Writers of their own work often are unable to see the wood for the trees. They are understandably too close to the project. Consequently, they only have a subjective view of the story and script. Someone who has no affiliation or attachment to the project but who has demonstrable industry experience and has made it their career to learn about screencraft and has helped countless others can provide that all-important objective viewpoint. 
 
When a novelist attached to a publisher releases a book, it’s not published sight unseen. It’s checked, proofread, edited, revised. Often an editor is assigned to the author who works with them to tighten, clarify, hone the story’s telling. Why should screenplays be any different?

Sophie: You often say that the writer’s voice is important, why?

Phil: First, let me try to explain what the writer’s voice is, for those who might not be aware…. It’s the overall style of the writing. How the writer phrases a sentence, communicates story aspects to the reader. Word choice, tone setting etc. For instance, we can tell the difference between reading a book by Stephen King and one by Hilary Mantel… and not just from the contrasting genres. 
 
And the key reason why the writer’s voice is so vital is that producers and production companies aren’t solely looking for that one-off project; they’re seeking a writer with a clear, assured, fresh writing style. Why? Because even if they don’t particularly go for the script, they may think you’re perfect for another project they have on the pile. So essentially, your spec script is a calling card for you as a writer. It’s a writing sample. This is how many professional screenwriters get their break. 

Sophie: Do you think screenplays competitions are still worth it? And if yes, which ones? Which events a screenwriter should attend?

Phil: Some are, for sure. Although you do need to place highly. At the end of the day, you need to ask yourself why you’re entering a script contest. Do you want to get your script optioned or sold, get it in front of those who can actually make your project? Or do you just want an ego boost? Many writers, if they’re truly honest with themselves, just want the latter. They want to get that First Place or Honorable Mention award even if it’s from Backwater Nowhereville Script Competition. But it’s not really worth anything. These small script contests can’t offer a way in, can’t truly link you to the people who are willing to stump up the dollars to option or make your project. 
 
And while we’re on the subject of script contests: please watch out for script contests’ free feedback incentive. As a freelance script consultant of many years standing, I have seen countless examples of this “free” feedback sent to me from confused clients. It’s as if they’ve not really read the pages. And often those that are hired to provide these ultra-brief notes aren’t experienced enough to give such notes. You don’t know who you’re getting them from, so why should you trust what they say? Another reason why you should seek out a reputable script consultant who has proven industry nous, who has a face, a name, an identity you can talk to rather than “free” feedback (which isn’t free as you’ve paid to submit your screenplay!)
 
Here’s a list of the good guys when it comes to script comps. But beware: these are tough to win. If you do manage to place highly in these, then you should give yourselves a pat on the back as you’ll likely get a very solid shot at becoming a pro within the industry. 
 
Nicholl Fellowship
Final Draft Big Break
Screencraft
Page
Bluecat
Script Pipeline
Austin
Scriptapalooza
Save the Cat Screenwriting Competition
Image by olilynch @ Pixabay

Sophie: Who is/was your mentor and what has she/he taught you?

Phil: I never had one single individual who acted as a mentor; it was more of a collective. The years spent working for movie productions, on the sets of major films, seeing first-hand how the likes of Tim Burton, Terry Gilliam, George Lucas, Chris Columbus, Michael Apted did their thing was a huge learning experience for me. I was fortunate to closely shadow Chris Columbus on the first two Harry Potter films, was with him on-set, in the rushes theatre watching dailies, in the production office, in editing, and accompanied him to all departments during principal photography and this priceless level of access – not to mention having the chance to bend his ear and get his take on filmmaking and writing and having him read my early work – allowed me to fully understand the filmmaking and script development processes.

I’ll never forget the best piece of advice he gave me. At the time, I was poring over paradigms and screenwriting formulae, and when I asked him about the validity of these, he turned to me and said: “Just write an entertaining story.” It was his way of telling me not to rely on these overworked plot structures, but focus on telling a story that entertains. If you can do this honestly, then you’re on the right track.

Image by qimono @ Pixabay

Sophie: What inspires you?

Phil: Great writing. Indomitable perseverance. Plucky underdogs. Unwavering self-belief. Beautiful cinematography. Effortless prose. Unyielding passion. 

Sophie: Which screenplay do you wish you had written?

Phil: Oooh good question!  Hard to pick just one.  Those that come to mind right now — Se7en. Back To The Future. Raiders of the Lost Ark.  There are also some I wish I’d written as I feel I’d have taken them in a different direction… but out of respect, I think I’ll keep these to myself!

Sophie: What is the project that challenged you the most? How did you get through it?

Phil: That’s a tough one to answer. I can’t really go into specifics about a particular script, but consistently the projects that tend to challenge me the most are those for which I’ve been hired to perform an Anglicisation Edit. I do have quite a number of writers who don’t count English as their first or main language but have written in this tongue and wish for me to improve the authenticity of their dialogue and action. This can be quite the task, particularly when the writer’s intention isn’t clear. Consequently, there is a lot of back and forth to establish intention so I can communicate exactly what the writer requires. 

Sophie: What do you do when you get stuck on your writing?

Phil: Ask questions. Work out WHY I am stuck. What am I struggling with. Then study the answers I’ve come up with and within these should be the way forward on how to get unstuck. Sounds simplistic, but it works. 

Image by Lukasbieri @Pixabay

Sophie: Are you writing at the moment? Can you tell us something about it?

Phil: I’m always writing. Whether it be lengthy reports on scripts, script commissions, polishing other people’s projects, rewriting, creative email correspondence, articles on writing etc etc… But I assume you mean, writing my own creative projects. The answer’s yes though only when I can spare the time as my clients’ work comes first, always. Right now, I’m doing some major world-building on an ambitious time travel idea. That’s about all I can say right now.

Sophie: If you could share one secret about screenwriting, what would it be?

Phil: These days, I don’t believe there are any secrets about screenwriting. There is no magic formula to success, no shortcut to making it. You just need to do the hard graft, keep practising, keep honing your craft, work on your storytelling abilities and writing style and build that portfolio of solid, engaging, entertaining work. Secrets suggest there’s some kind of hidden way, that all the people who have made it and are working in the industry are aware of it and aren’t sharing. Not so. 

As well as a writer for hire, Phil works as a script consultant; his clients have won or placed highly at major script competitions, had their projects optioned, while others have gone on to be produced, the best debuting at Cannes.
 
He can often be found spouting screenwriting advice or talking all things film on social media via @philmscribe on Twitter & Instagram, www.facebook.com/philmscribeconsultancy and writes an occasional newsletter packed with writing tips, news, interviews and exclusive offers that goes out free to all subscribers (known as Philmscribers!) – those who are interested can sign up at the bottom of any page of his website: www.philmscribe.com