Screenwriter's muscle

Have you ever seen those hefty body builders on the screen or on the pages of magazines and dailies, flexing their glittering muscles to the delight of their audience? I have. I remember the Mr. NYSC contest of my set. One of the guys, oiled himself to shimmer, did ten electrifying push ups on stage. He won because we all love his attitude and bulging biceps. It must have taken him an effort to build those impressive muscles.

As a screenwriter, what is your muscle?

In the whole skeletal framework of screenwriting, in what area are you most gifted? Yeah, when you first started out, you needed to just write but as you mature in your screenwriting experience, you must find your spark… your muscle. It is like knowing who you really are.
It is taken for granted that every seasoned screenwriter must know the structure as well as other elements but by law of natural sorting, you will discover competence in one or two elements. What have you discovered?

1. Are you a concept macho?
You are good at conceptualizing a story idea into a palette. You are stylish and not given to lengthy letters but you can capture the essence of a theme in lean visual words. You love to communicate your thought to a screenwriter who can turn your two words into 120 pages.

2. Are you a plot macho?
You are probably good with jigsaw puzzle. You know how to juggle scenes to create the maximum emotional impact. In fact, you’re so good you can make the same story either comic or thriller. You know the principle behind attention grabbing and utilize it well.

3. Are you a witty-dialogue macho?
I love this kind of fella. You write dialogue that is crisp, unpredictable, fluid and witty. That’s not all, if you have ten characters you ensure they all sound dissimilar. Now, this is an amazing talent and you ought to be proud of yourself.

4. Are you the unforgettable character- creating macho?
What do people look for in a film? Character. And you’re ace at creating 3-dimensional characters. Characters we remember long after the film is over. If this is your turf, celebrate it.

The essence of knowing where your muscle lies comes handy when you’re working with a team. You can quickly volunteer to do that which you are good at. In the end, the audience will give you a standing ovation for your shimmering muscle.