1. Inspiration

You need to ignite the fire that once burned inside you when your great story idea was conceived. Watch your favorite movies again. Jot down notes about the elements in those movies that personally touch you. What made that scene so perfect? Why is that character so intriguing? What made the film’s climax so powerful? All you have to do is observe and write notes. You’re going to find a correlation in the notes you take for each movie, and it’s these similarities that you’ll want to craft into your script to get you excited about writing.

Beyond watching your favorite films, search online for the actual scripts (they’re easy to find). Follow along with the script as you’re watching the movie to see how the words are interpreted on the screen. You’ll be shocked at how simple a scene is written, even though it appears deeply complex in the movie. Doing this will eliminate the roadblocks that are keeping you from writing certain scenes that you feel won’t translate well onto the big screen. You’ll also learn how to correctly format certain script elements. Many new screenwriters are broken by the fear that their script will not conform to Hollywood standards. Getting hold of a professional script is the best way to improve the quality of your formatting.

2. Organization

You have these cool characters acting out memorable scenes in your head. You have a twist that you know will take your audience by surprise. Bits of clever dialog loop continuously on your tongue. You’re major plot points are thought out, and the hero’s journey is covered step by step. At this point you can dive right into your script and blaze a trail, which works for some folks. However, you’re not one of those folks, otherwise you’d have a finished screenplay. There will be a time, though, when you can blaze a trail, but first you’re going to need to take some time and write a simple road map to follow. A major road block for us writers is not knowing EXACTLY what we want to write. A good movie can’t be made without a script, which is the movie’s road map. Therefore, a good script can’t be made without some sort of organized framework. It’s as simple as writing a sentence or two for each important plot step from the start of your script to the end: in layman’s terms – an outline. You’ll discover that more than 50% of your outline (once it’s finished) had to be created along the way. This is proof that no matter how thorough you think your story is in your head, you need to physically write it down in order to get a genuine feel of the size and scope of your masterpiece. With a good outline in place, all you have to do is fill it in with scenes.

3. Discipline

This is where I fail as a writer, and from what my writing peers tell me, they do, too. Discipline requires sacrifice. You need to take your writing seriously, and when you’re writing you have to tell yourself, “I mean business!” Listen to Mozart’s “Jupiter Symphony”, or Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5″. These men were very serious about how they used their gifts, and you can hear it in the complexity and beauty of their compositions. They meant business, they wanted to show people how writing music should be done. Approach your writing in the same way. Set aside time to write each day, and be anal about sticking to your schedule. Treat it as a priority, which means you’ll have to pass on other plans that might pop up. This is the only way you can train yourself to be a consistent writer.

When you schedule your writing time, make sure it occurs when you’re feeling most creative. For me, I’m most creative in the mornings. More specifically, during and after my morning shower. For others, it happens after dinner, or in the middle of the night. You probably already know when your creative hours are at their strongest, so plan accordingly.

In closing, you need to remember that “writing” is a verb. An action. You need to take action and make your story a reality. How will you know how good a storyteller you are without writing? You can keep on hallucinating about how fantastic your story is, or you can honor the gift you have been given by sharing it with those who thirst to be entertained. You have no story until others can read it.

Breaking away from past award show formats, Sunday night’s ceremony introduced an extremely classy way to introduce the nominees in the actors categories. Previously, a celebrity or two would read off the names of those nominated, and then tear open the envelope bearing the winner’s name. This year was different. For the Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress categories, five past winners walked out on stage simultaneously, and each one would speak kind words directly to each nomimee congratulating them on their nomination. I reiterate how very classy and stylish this form of praise was, because although there could only be one winner in each category, to be honored and even thanked in front of their peers for the outstanding performances accomplished in their respective films was enough to make each nominee appreciate the Academy’s recognition for their creative efforts. The intent being to make each celebrity feel like a winner regardless of whether or not they were handed the Oscar. I hope this is done in future Academy Awards shows.

“Slumdog Millionaire” won in eight of the ten categories for which it was nominated; including Best Picture, Best Director – Danny Boyle, and Best Adapted Screenplay – Simon Beaufoy. “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” was awarded three Oscars. Sean Penn won for his portrayal of Harvey Milk in “Milk”: his second win in five Best Actor nominations. After being nominated six times in the past, Kate Winslet won her first Oscar in the Best Actress category for playing the role of Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader”. For his role as the Joker in “The Dark Knight”, the late Heath Ledger won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which was accepted by his parents and sister. Penelope Cruz was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”.

The full winners list can be found here:
Oscar.com