AboutRoger S. H. Schulman Expertise I can answer questions on the creative aspects of writing for features and television comedy: brainstorming, character development, plotting, story structure, dialog, rewriting, editing, etc. I can also address the business side of show business: pitching, writing and presenting treatments, "taking" meetings, common pitfalls, etc. I'm also well versed in the relationship between screenwriting and computers: software for scriptwriting, brainstorming, presentation, outlining, an d general organization. I'm also a producer, and so can answer questions regarding the ins and outs of television production, specifically the half-hour arena. Visit my scriptwriting blog at http://scriptwriting.blogspot.com.
Experience I have been working in Hollywood as a screenwriter for both TV and features for many years. I'm an Executive Producer and "showrunner" who has run several prime-time and cable comedies. I've written several featurs and contributed to many more for several major studios.
Organizations Writers Guild of America, West
Publications Newsweek, BusinessWeek, GQ, Connoisseur, UPI, New York Daily News, please visit my blog at http://scriptwriting.blogspot.com
Education/Credentials I have a Masters of Science in Journalism from Columbia University.
Awards and Honors Academy Award Nomination, Best Adapted Screenplay
British Academy Award, Best Adapted Screenplay
NAACP "Image" Award, Best Television Comedy
"Annie" Award, Best Animated Film
I'm an aspiring screenwriter. I have a screenwriter software program called,
Movie Magic Screenwriter and it's great, however, I noticed that it does not
show me how to create outlines for my prospective screenplays and I know
how important outlines are, they're like the frame of a house, without it, the
house will collapse. Years ago, I attended college and during my computer
lab, I came across a software program that showed me how to create an
outline. All it did was asked me countless of questions about my story idea.
The questions were quite engaging and psychological, and at the end, it
created an outline for me! It was fantastic! I wrote down the name of the
software program on a piece of paper, only to lose it! Ever since then, I've
been trying to locate it or find another similar program.
1. What are some of the screenwriting software programs that show you how
to write outlines by asking you a series of questions?
2. Are there any screenwriting software programs that show you how to write
both outlines and screenplays?
Best regards,
Julian
Answer You've hit the mother lode with me on this topic; I love screenwriting software and have beta tested many different programs.
You've also chosen what is in my opinion the best scriptwriting software, Movie Magic. I think it's far superior to Final Draft and use it on my current TV show. And Movie Magic will help you with your larger issue, too.
First, make sure you have the latest version of Movie Magic Screenwriter. Version 6 is a big upgrade over the previous version, and offers a whole new interface that helps with outlining. If you need to pay to upgrade, it's worth some money if you can afford it.
If you have Version 6, you're entitled to this template for free. It's not exactly what you're looking for, but it's a surprisingly helpful adjunct. You can display the template right next to your script and use it as a guide. And it's free!
If you want a separate program to help you get started on an outline, I like Power Structure. Unfortunately it hasn't been updated in several years, and because of that I feel it's way overpriced. But try the free demo and see if it's what you're looking for. I've tried a lot and still think it's the best.
At the top of the heap, the most expensive and elaborate program is Dramatica. This is not just a program, but an entire philosophy of storytelling, comprising books, several different software packages, free online forums, etc. I think this is overpriced as well, but if you like the storytelling philosophy, it can be of major help. Keep in mind it's arcane and deep, a whole world in itself. Personally I think the philosophy has a lot to offer, but the software itself is too difficult to use.
There's also John Truby's Blockbuster software. Your description of the software you once used reminds me of this.
I caution you to avoid a pitfall into which I frequently stumble: falling in love with playing around with software instead of getting any work done!
Finally, I want to urge you not to produce an outline simply by answering questions. This is exactly what Hollywood (and you) don't need -- more formulaic stories, more cookie cutter movies. Good structure is essential, but structure is just as you say, a framework. Everything else should be as unexpected, as freeform as possible. Frank Lloyd Wright made houses like boxes, just like double-wide trailers. Yet somehow they were different.
If you're in Los Angeles, check out the Writer's Bookstore, or visit them online. See what you think of some of the publications, then feel free to ask me about them. If I'm familiar, I'd be glad to offer my opinion.
