I'm very new to all this and I am looking forward to the personal challenge of writing, for comedy and pleasure more than anything. My concern is that the end product may be something I wish to send off for professional review, if that time comes then I will need to know how to present my work correctly. So I want to start off on the right foot. Is there any software "addins" or templates etc for use with Microsoft Word at all? Or indeed any useful free resources/examples which identify the rules for writing for TV correctly? I want to write warped comedy, for TV. That's my goal. But I have no idea on format or structure that is industry standard. Please help this warped comedy virgin!
Hello Rob, Welcome to the Writing Forums. I can't advise you on screenwriting tools, although others here undoubtedly can. I do know it is an extremely difficult area of writing to break into, at least in the United States. It might possibly be a bit easier in the U.K., though. Posting your own writing for comment should not be among the very first things you do here. It is worth taking the time to see what other people have done to improve their writing, and see if some of it applies to your writing as well. That is part of why we require members to review other members' work before posting their own for review. On the other hand, there are no restrictions, other than content and copyright rules, on showcasing your work in your member blog. Also, be aware that posting a piece of writing on any public site, including this one, will greatly diminish your chances of selling it for publication. Removing the writing later does not alter that fact - once posted, it is irreversibly considered published. So do not post anything more than a small excerpt of any piece you are planning to submit for publication. If you haven't explored the site yet, you should probably do so soon. Newcomers often gravitate to the Lounge, the Word Games, or the Review Room, but there is much more to be discovered if you poke in the corners. Remember to check out our FAQ as well, and be sure to read through the forum rules, too, to avoid any misunderstandings or hurt feelings. Respect for one another is our principal mandate. As for the Review Room, new joiners often wonder why we do things a bit differently on this site than on other writing sites. We emphasize constructive critique as a vital writing skill. Training your eye by reviewing other people's work helps you improve your own writing even before you present it for others to see. Therefore, we ask members to review other people's writing before posting work of their own. The Review Room forums on this site, therefore, are true workshops, not just a bulletin board for displaying your work (and on that note, please only post each item for review in one Review Room forum). Also, please use the same thread for all revisions and additional excerpts from the same piece of writing. See this post, Why Write Reviews Before Posting My Work? for more information. And while you're looking around, don't forget to check out our Weekly Short Story Contest and Weekly Poetry Contest. They actually run more than one week apiece, but any member may enter, and all members are urged to vote for their favorites. Enjoy your stay here, and have fun!
Hey there, holteenderrob! I started using Celtx - a free program - and while I found it to be manageable I have recently switched to a decidedly less free program - Final Draft. Final draft, though you have to pay for it, offers many template examples for a variety of different shows. Whatever you decide, good luck! I hope your enjoy yourself here.
Hi! I have also used Final Draft and found it cery helpful. I am sure I originally used it as a free demo, but I have no idea where I got it from (possibly on a free CD from a computer magazine)
Cheers guys! Final Draft looks like a Goa! I've got Final Draft now, just getting my head around the format! Do you tend to write out your ideas in a full uneditted format and then edit later in final draft later? I can see myself struggling with the process a bit i don't want ideas to be slowed down by having to sort my words out correctly in set formats as I'm going, I think I'm gonna just go with it and edit the hell out of it later on.
