SCREENWRITING JOURNAL
Write notes Be inspired Keep track of your screenwriting journey
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM
JUNE - AUGUST 2021
WORK ONLINE OR PRINT NAME: DATE: 1st June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."
-Earl Nightingale
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 2nd June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: Announcing our Short Film Fund Finalists!
Get to know your Protagonist
Go for a long walk and start asking your protagonist questions about their youth and upbringing. Write down some of the things they told you.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 3rd June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Ensure your character has a point of view.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 4th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Who is your protagonist and what is their problem?"
-William C. Martell
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 5th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Career Checklist
Write down a list of things that you could do that would help advance your screenwriting career, no matter how small. Check-off each one as you complete it.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 6th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Every writer I know has trouble writing."
-Joseph Heller
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 7thJune 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 8th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Don't create to satisfy other people's criteria. Amuse yourself. Take the tedium out of the medium."
-Sam Baron
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 9th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Love Letter
If your protagonist had to write a love letter to someone, what would it say? Would they be able to open up, would they be reserved, would we see a side to them that we wouldn’t otherwise see? Try writing one for them to find out.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 10th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Dialogue is sharpest when it works on multiple levels, so focus on subtext.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 11th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"If you only have one hour a day when you're not with your kids, you have to make it count, so you really nail it."
-Daisy Haggard
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 12th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"If you wanna do a film where you have a big scope, you've got to make your characters relatable and genuine."
-Jennifer Lee
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 13th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"If you want to write movies, I strongly suggest watching a ton of movies. When someone says they are a TV writer and they don't own a TV, I just want to roll my eyes until they get stuck that way." -Kay Cannon
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 14th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: Announcing our Short Film Fund Winners!
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 15th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Making people believe the unbelievable is no trick; it's work... An overturned tricycle in the gutter of an abandoned neighborhood can stand for anything."
-Stephen King
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 16h June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Pack your bags
What four items does your protagonist never leave the house without? Could any of them become interesting MacGuffin’s (objects that are integral to the plot)? Write down some props that might come in handy for your hero later on.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 17th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: The worst thing you write is better than the best thing you did not write.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 18th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Build a community of friends and likeminded creators and shoot as much as you can."
-Nora Kirkpatrick
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 19th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Backstory Checklist
For fun, write down a list of significant moments in your MC’s life. Imagine how they shaped them, changed their path, or created new personality traits. Check-off any that have a direct impact during your story.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 20th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Some sage said the job of great art is to 'comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable'. Don't be afraid to stir things up, it is more likely to get you somewhere worth going." -Edward Saxon
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 21st June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 22nd June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Once you crack the script, everything else follows."
-Ridley Scott
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 23rd June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Secrets & Lies
What big secret is your protagonist desperate not to reveal and what lies have they told in order to keep it hidden? Are your antagonist and secondary characters keeping secrets too? Jot some ideas below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 24th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Don't make excuses for why you can't get it done. Focus on all the reasons why you must make it happen.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 25th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"First, find out what your hero wants, then just follow him."
-Ray Bradbury
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 26th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Chicks don't do chick flicks. They do whatever flick interests them, whatever subjects.
-Betty Thomas
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 27th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"I'm the guy who gets uncomfortable. That's why I was able to write 'The 40-year-Old Virgin' and 'Knocked Up'. I believe in those guys."
-Judd Apatow
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 28th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 29th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Feedback can be scary. Pay attention to the details during a pitch: when do they smile, where do they look confused."
-Stephanie Palmer
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 30th June 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Best Mate, Marry, or Murder?
Which of your characters would you want to be your best friend, which would you want to marry, and which would you murder and why? Answer the same questions for your characters. Are there any interesting or surprising outcomes?
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 1st July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: 30 Days until our Feature & TV Pilot Regular Deadline
Writing Tip: Give your characters secrets. It will help create depth and provide conflict.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 2nd July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"It's been said over and over again by writers of scary stories that a writer can't scare a reader unless that writer scares himself or herself first. So, you can't excite anyone in the audience unless you're excited writing the script." -Dan O'Bannon
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 3rd July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Reading Checklist
Compile a short list of successful movies that share similarities to your script, whether it’s by genre, style, or plot. If you can find the screenplay online, download a copy, and check-off each one after you’ve read it.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 4th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Just writing for yourself won't work (commercially), but only writing for seeming commercial success won't either. What the world needs is for you to be boldly and uniquely you, not a copy of someone else." -Erik Bork
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 5th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 6th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"I should know. It took me 12 years of struggle before I made Masoom. What I survived on? Hope. And belief in myself. They are your best friends."
-Shekhar Kapur
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 7th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Catchphrases
Do your characters have a catchphrase, saying, or mannerism that they use throughout your story? If so, what would be the most inappropriate time for them to use it? If not, try thinking of a memorable quote that audiences will echo below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 8th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Let your character make the decisions for you.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 9th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"To me, screenwriting isn't just exit, enter, speak your lines. It's really about establishing a rhythm, and directing on paper, to some extent."
-Shane Black
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 10th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Writing is a job, a talent, but it's also the place to go in your head. It is the imaginary friend you drink your tea with in the afternoon."
-Ann Patchett
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 11th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers."
-Ray Bradbury
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 12thJuly 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 13th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Use the outline as your first creative step. The charcoal sketch an artist makes before they break out the oils and brushes."
-William C. Martelll
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 14th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Most Unlikely
Play with audience expectations by figuring out which character would be the most unlikely to help your protagonist when they really need it. Who would be the most unlikely character to betray your hero? And who would be the most unlikely person to fall in love with them?
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 15th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Always leave your audience wanting more!
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 16thJuly 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e. do not cave into endless requests to have 'essential' and 'long overdue' meetings on those days."
-J.K.. Rowling
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 17th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Hook Checklist
Imagine the trailer for your movie. Make a list of the most memorable visuals, lines of dialogue, character defining scenes, and ‘what happens next’ moments. Are there enough of them? Are they strong enough? Do they reveal too much or not enough?
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 18th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Screenwriting is like ironing. You move forward a little bit and go back and smooth things out."
-Paul Thomas Anderson
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 19th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 20th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"The writer's job is to get the main character up a tree, and then once they are up there, throw rocks at them."
-Vladimir Nabokov
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 21st July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Climate Change
Pick any scene from your screenplay. Would changing the weather result in a different outcome? Could using weather amplify the tone and mood? How might altering the environment help or hinder your protagonists progress? Jot some ideas below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 22nd July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Don't forget your antagonist!
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 23rd July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"You don't write because you want to say something, you write because you have something to say."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 24th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Write what should not be forgotten."
-Isabel Allende
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 25th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
-Benjamin Franklin
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 26thJuly 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: 5 Days until our Feature & TV Pilot Regular Deadline
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 27th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"I love the adventure of telling all types of stories and trying to conquer each one."
-Jon Chu
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 28th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Super Power your Protagonist
What useful superpower or ability could you give to your otherwise ordinary protagonist? On the flip-side, what superpower would be the worst thing possible? Have fun, get creative, and jot some ideas below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 29th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Strong scripts use their opening shot to encapsulate a story's theme.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 30th July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: 24hrs until our Feature & TV Pilot Regular Deadline
"Essentially, a story expresses how and why life changes."
-Robert McKee
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 31st July 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: Last day to enter our Feature & TV Pilot Regular Deadline!
"Being a winner was very exciting. In the months following I have been approached by numerous industry people interested in scripts of mine. Delighted I decided to enter." - Ben Cleary - Oscar Winning Writer/Director
"Shore Scripts is an essential resource for our development endeavors. We consistently are introduced to extremely talented screenwriters and always find gems in their submissions each season." - Kimberley Browning - Judge/Executive producer at HBO Access & Hollywood Shorts ENTER NOW
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 1st Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."
-Albert Einstein
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 2nd Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 3rd Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"I get a lot of letters from people. They say: "I want to be a writer. What should I do?" I tell them to stop writing to me and get on with it." -Ruth Rendell
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 4th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
A villain is just a victim without backstory
What tragedy, sequence of events, or spoken words led to your antagonist becoming the bad guy? How would the audience feel about this character if they knew this new information?
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 5th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Being a good writer is 3% talent and 97% not being distracted by the internet!
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 6th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Writing pilots is tough. Making pilots is tougher. If you don't love your idea at the beginning, you will hate it by the end. Take your own taste seriously and pitch only what you would watch." -Peter A. Knight
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 7th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Networking Checklist
Do a search for any screenwriting, movie, or film production events that you’re able to attend, whether online or in person, and jot them down below. List three things that you’d like to get out of each event, three new contacts you made, and a note to keep in touch!
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 8th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Set a goal each week for your writing and work to reach it. Wake up every morning and treat it like a job. It's all about regularity."
-Sharon Grenham-Thompson
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 9th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 10th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"If you want more diversity in the industry, you need diverse people writing scripts and developing them."
-Patty Jenkins
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 11th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Backtracking
Take the first scene of your script. What was happening just before you began your story? Would inserting some new and interesting information give a new perspective, change the tone, or add more conflict? Write down some ideas below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 12th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Don't use scene descriptions to communicate character backstories.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 13th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Writing involves seeing people suffer and, as Robert Stone once put it, finding some meaning therein. But you can't do that if you're not respectful. If you look at people and just see sloppy clothes or rich clothes, you're going to get them wrong." -Anne Lamott
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 14th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect."
-Anaïs Nin
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 15th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last event, and then-that's it."
-Billy Wilder
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 16th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 17th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"You can only write regularly if you're willing to write badly... Accept bad writing as a way of priming the pump, a warm-up exercise that allows you to write well."
-Jennifer Egan
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 18th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Kill Em’ All!
What would happen if you killed off your protagonist during act one? Who would become the new hero? How would the story change? Is there a more hero-worthy character that you’ve overlooked? Jot some ideas below.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 19th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Writing Tip: Imagine that your characters are saying their thoughts out aloud for the very first time.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 20th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"You don't have to experience something to write about it."
-Lijjia Zhang
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 21st Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Formatting Checklist
Make a list of passes to give your script. This could be anything from a proofread, checking scene heading consistency, correcting the layout, to editing out redundant wording, etc. Check-off each one as you complete it.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 22nd Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"If you write badly, at least you have something to rewrite. If you're scared to write badly, you have nothing."
-Tony Grisoni
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 23rd Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 24th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"The intellect is a great danger to creativity...because you begin to rationalize and make up reasons for things, instead of staying with your own basic truth-who you are, what you are, what you want to be." -Ray Bradbury
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 25th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
Evil Twin
Have fun by creating an evil twin for one of your characters. How could you use them to add in more obstacles into the story, toy with character’s emotions, create humor, or in general, wreak havoc!
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 26th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: 5 Days until our Feature & TV Pilot Final Deadline
Writing Tip: You cannot dream yourself into a character, you must hammer and forge yourself into one.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 27th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"You can get a lot of good stories about mundane things. If you just dig deep enough."
-Nick Van Der Kolk
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 28th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"There is no greater agony that bearing an untold story inside you."
-Maya Angelou
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 29th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE:
"Story is just a prism through which we look and try and understand ourselves."
-James Dormer
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 30th Aug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: 24hrs until our Feature & TV Pilot Final Deadline
Notes
Use this page to jot down ideas, inspiration, and to-do items.
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM NAME: DATE: 31stAug 2021
PROJECT TITLE: UPDATE: Last day to enter our Feature & TV Pilot Contest!
"After winning Shore Scripts, I successfully optioned my winning screenplay to Dobre Films who are part of Shore's roster. They also helped me get representation. Shore has been instrumental in connecting me with producers and creating ongoing career opportunities" - Louis Ackerman - Writer of Flesh & Blood "By curating a shortlist of undiscovered screenplays, Shore Scripts has created a fast track for new writers to be discovered by producers and executives who might otherwise miss their work. As independent producers, we are always happy to see pathways to success for outliers." - Joanna Laurie & Stephen Woolley - Judges/Oscar Nom Producers/Number 9 Films ENTER NOW
WWW.SHORESCRIPTS.COM