My first screenwriting tip!

It's been a few days since I've blogged so I'm going to mess your brains up with two separate blogs (exciting?)

My first tip is going to sound lame but here it is: START IT!

I can't emphasise this enough, start your screenplay. If it's a Feature length, TV pilot or a 30 minute sitcom it doesn't matter, get writing. I know so many people that have decent ideas but don't start the 'process' because their worried the first draft will be horrible - the first draft will be horrible but how are you going to get to the second if there's no first!

Again this sounds very amateur but it does go on! I bumped into a fellow student a few weeks back and here's how the conversation went.

ME: Hey have you started that crime/thriller script yet?
STUDENT: No not yet, I'm tweaking it what did you think of the treatment though?
ME: Yeah it sounds really good mate I just want to read it!!
STUDENT: Yeah I'll get round to it I know it has potential but it's a lot of effort isn't it, 120 pages like
ME: Yeah tell me about it

I saw the same guy the other day and by this time he could have a solid first act, hell if he was committed maybe a first draft:

ME: So hows the first draft of that cool crime script coming along?
STUDENT: Oh I ditched it
ME: You what!?
STUDENT: Yeah I'm not doing it anymore I've started a comedy
ME: Why?!
STUDENT: The thriller was just too much and this comedy is cool wanna hear about it?
ME: Not really, see ya round man *I go home and watch HEAT*

He had a really good idea and I mean really bloody good idea but he let it slip away because he couldn't be bothered starting to write (a writer!) The conversation is obviously shortened: it was to do with little things like he didn't know police ranking in the states etc but nothing a little research couldn't have handled

I'm not saying don't think out your plot, DO, to the max but as the saying goes: Get it written then get it right

After all a writer writes right?