The Three Wells Of Screenwriting by Matthew Kalil (book review).
Suffer writer’s block? With ‘The Three Wells Of Screenwriting’, author and scriptwriter Matthew Kalil explains some techniques that can be used in all mediums that need writing and get you inspired.
One thing that I’ve always had is a long diversity of films I’ve watched and Kalil says that’s very healthy to ensure you’ve got a broad knowledge and if you do ‘borrow’, then its more likely to be from obscure films than Oscar winners. Oddly, I don’t do that, I just like watching a diversity of films and love it when I find some surprising gems. Currently recommend the comedy/musical 1956 film, ‘Girl Can’t Help It’ if you want to raise your spirits.
His noting that his young niece plays with all kinds of odds and sods in creating stories is something I did when young before developing my story technique on paper. I suspect that is probably true of any of you writers here and I suspect you encourage your sprogs when they show similar behaviour.
Kalil’s description of drawing up memories, both good and bad amongst others, to be used for potential story content is an aspect of method acting but principally used to draw up the emotions to be able to cry or laugh in character. Being aware of your characters surroundings when writing them helps to bring them to life.
I would disagree with him that Sollozzo was the head of a Mafia family in the scene in the diner in ‘The Godfather’. Apart from anything else, his nickname was ‘The Turk’, so not even Sicilian. It’s all very well choosing favourite films but the Geek in me says know your details or at least check. I’ve got a lot of films I like.
Narrowing them down to 10 would be extremely difficult. That doesn’t mean I don’t use some like a favoured safety blanket but I think that’s true of many film fans. I would be more inclined to say the more films the better and better to recommend films you think particular people you know would probably like than just your own favourites. If I didn’t do that, I doubt if I’d be reviewing across the board.
Kalil’s thoughts that writers should act like actors and live the scenes and stories is something I consider as a normal occurrence. I would be inclined to remind yourself what you do when you enter a computer game and looking around, learning the rules and carry the map in your head where possible. The same thing in any story medium. Kalil does draw attention to scripts have less descriptive detail although I think some has to help the director setting up the scenes as to what is needed.
After all, in many respects, the scene/set is a non-speaking contributor to what is going on and the characters/actors can’t work in blandness. The director is the one who brings it to life but needs a starting point.
I should point out that at the end of each of the ten chapters there are tests to focus your grey matter to try out. I didn’t so much skip over them but realised I was doing most of them already and the answers were easy to do. If you’re a developing writer in any medium, you will find this book useful to either refine skills or present something you didn’t see in that light. As a short book, it also means you can go back to it and dig in from time to time when writing gets blocked.
The fact that I can argue over some aspects also signifies that I’m paying attention and don’t have an active writer’s block. If you do, read and learn here.
GF Willmetts
February 2022
(pub: Michael Weise Productions. 154 page small enlarged paperback. Price: $15.00 (US). ISBN: 978-1-61593-286-3)
check out website: www.mwp.com
