14Shari at 2013-09-21 02:10:19:

As a child, I badly wanted her dress. Her dialect gives you the feeling that she’s really from somewhere else. I think the Wizard of Oz holds valuable lessons for screenwriters. To find the Wizard of Oz, Glinda the Good Witch advises Dorothy: “ It’s always best to start at the beginning and follow the yellow brick road” When we start out to write a script, the beginning for screenwriters could be to get-to-know-your-protagonist first, and let the outline be your yellow brick road to a finished scrip. At the first fork in the road, Dorothy asks which road to go? Of course, people go both ways, says the Scarecrow. We can travel either way, but, which way will serve your story best. If you can’t make up your mind just like Scarecrow, you just gotta choose and experience if it delivers what you want. There’s nothing wrong with trying. If a choice doesn’t work out well, go the other way. The stiff Tin Man reminds me of the stiffness in our thinking, circling around in self- imposed boxes. The Tin Man uses oil to loosen up. What can we screenwriters do to free ourselves of limited thoughts and ideas? The Tin Man misses a beating heart. If our script doesn’t tick, it misses a heart, too. A lot of actions can take place, and, still nothing really happens. How can you make the script more appealing and alive? What needs a workout? The dark forest with its lions, tigers and bears gets darker before it gets lighter. We have to bear a lot before we finish a good script that’s attractive for potential buyers. This might be writing lots of drafts before we find our way into the story. It’s part of the journey. Cowardly Lion reminds us to find the courage to tell the story in a way that serves it best. The snowfall in the sleepy poppies field worked like magic to wake Dorothy up from a deep sleep. What contrast, odd thing, miracle, surprise, or something else could shake the script up if it feels boring or predictable? You gotta get the stream flowing. Can we just like Dorothy’s friends, who find the courage to save her, find the courage within us to write the story for the sake of the story. It’s not about us anymore. The wicked witch is the biggest struggle screenwriters face, a battle that takes place inside us. It’s the little nagging voices that makes you doubt, complain, hold you back, trick you to choose the predictable story wave, etc… The dead of the wicked witch means you found a way to handle those voices and fulfill your journey. Dorothy finds her way home by the insight she gained. Wanting to get home wasn’t enough just like wanting to be a screenwriter isn’t enough, you need to do the work. Dorothy realized that if her heart desires weren’t in her backyard, then they weren’t there at all. Epiphany, look into your own heart. Can you find in your heart the burning desire to write, no matter what?