Copyright (c) 1999, all rights reserved. For details see this page's source code, or refer to http://www.online-communicator.com/faq20_12.html (this page, below)
1.0 About the misc.writing.screenplays FAQ
1.1 FAQ Contents, by major section headings:
(This revised version is still incomplete. The contents shown here
list only the completed sections now available online. As the
remaining sections are completed, they will be added to this section)
1.0 About the misc.writing.screenplays FAQ
2.0 About the misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup
5.0 The Craft of Screenwriting: Format and related issues
1.2 What is this document for?
This multi-part document is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
file for the misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup, which will
generally be referred to hereafter as m.w.s.
This document should address common issues raised by writers at
all levels of ability, but especially beginners and intermediate
writers, based specifically on observed message activity in m.w.s.
The purpose is twofold: to provide a useful and unique resource for
all screenwriters; and to reduce redundant messages on the
newsgroup, by providing answers in advance for the most commonly
asked questions.
This is not intended to be a complete course in screenwriting,
nor to be the "final word" on any subject whatsoever.
To the extent possible, this document uses attributed quotations
from m.w.s. user messages. As a result, this should not be just
another document about screenwriting, but should reflect the
knowledge, and personalities, of the users of the newsgroup.
1.3 Where did this FAQ come from?
The document you are reading is the first top-to-bottom creation of
a new FAQ file for m.w.s. in years. The first m.w.s. FAQ was begun
in 1995 by Steve Smith. Any sections herein retained from that
document are attributed "(SS)".
In mid-1996, Rich Wilson accepted the volunteer role of editor
(or "maintainer"), and created a permanent home for the original
FAQ file. In 1997, newsgroup user Chris Owen authored a "Mini-FAQ"
to augment the original FAQ. Also in 1997, the editor began posting
short revised FAQ sections as newsgroup messages. User comments and
additions helped shape this document as it was being fleshed out.
The current version was first posted as a web page in 1999.
It is a work in progress and will likely remain so for some time.
1.4 Who owns this FAQ and how can it be used?
The current editor and maintainer is Rich Wilson, who is also the
author for any sections of text lacking other specific attribution.
Many people have provided information, and their contributions have
been noted and credited wherever possible. Contents of all sections
of this document, including portions written by other authors, are
protected by copyright (c) 1999. This claim applies to all sections
of this FAQ, even if they are located at separate URLs.
Personal, private, non-profit use by individual Internet users
is both allowed and encouraged, noting the restrictions below.
Restrictions: No publication or other commercial application,
including reposting by third parties on the Internet or elsewhere,
duplication on CD-ROM or any other medium, is allowed. This
includes Usenet, World Wide Web, FTP, Gopher or any other means. Do
not link to this page or any parts of the m.w.s. FAQ via frames
from other websites. Printed publication of any section of this
document is also prohibited, except by individuals for their
personal reference. This restriction includes classroom use via
xerography or other means. The editor and most contributors are
professional writers who make a living from their knowledge and
their words, and provide this information as a public service.
Please do not exploit their generosity or abuse their trust.
1.5 Where and when can I find the FAQ on the Internet?
The m.w.s. FAQ comprises many sections and a very large quantity
of data. Due to its size, tentative plans are for it to be posted to
the newsgroup, in sections, roughly once every six months. The most
recent version can always be found on the web at
http://www.online-communicator.com/faqs.html
2.0 The Newsgroup Itself
2.1 What is Usenet? How does it work, and who runs it?
A newsgroup like m.w.s. is part of Usenet, which in turn is just
one of many services available on the Internet. Usenet is an
ever-changing network of computerized message servers, and is a
very different animal from the concept of a "home page" on the WWW.
When you read messages from m.w.s., you download them from a
"news server" operated by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The
software you use for reading newsgroups may allow you to move
smoothly from Usenet messages to the WWW and back again; but you
should understand that these two services are otherwise totally
unrelated. Usenet messages are not stored in the same place, or in
the same way, as web pages.
Because of the expense of providing Usenet service, most ISPs
only store messages temporarily before deleting them. When an old
message expires on your ISP's news server, it is said to have
"scrolled" off the server. The "scroll rate" varies from one ISP to
another. Also note: some ISPs take longer to display newly-posted
messages. Please allow time for your message to appear, and do not
send it multiple times if you do not see it immediately.
If you wish to test the speed of your ISP's news server, do NOT
post test messages to the m.w.s. newsgroup! Instead, subscribe to
the misc.test or alt.test newsgroup, and use that group to test
your news software and/or your ISP; such testing is the very
purpose of those groups.
2.2 What is "bandwidth" and what does it have to do with m.w.s.?
Usenet is a largely automated system. When you post a message to
your ISP's news server, it is immediately duplicated and
transmitted to the thousands of other news servers, all around the
planet, where the m.w.s. group is carried. Even if nobody ever
reads that message, it will have taken up space on the Internet.
(By contrast, a web page only travels across the Internet when a
user specifically asks to see it; in that respect, the WWW is a
more efficient way to deliver an identical amount of data.)
The amount of electronic "space" needed to transmit messages of
any kind is called "bandwidth," and despite advances in technology,
most people try to avoid wasting bandwidth in Usenet. For that
reason, most discussion-oriented groups like m.w.s. frown on the
posting or attaching of large files to newsgroup messages.
Remember, such files are duplicated and transmitted thousands of
times around the Internet even if only a few people ever read them,
resulting in a large waste of bandwidth.
Most users of a discussion group like m.w.s. object to non-text
attachments such as image or sound files or executable (program)
files. The latter are collectively known as "binaries," as
distinguished from pure text messages. Binaries not only take up
space, but they may also interfere with newsreader software or even
carry computer viruses.
There are other aspects of "netiquette" related to bandwidth
consumption, such as the general guideline that users try to keep
public discussions "on-topic" -- that is, related to screenplays in
some way. Because a group like m.w.s. has no official moderator or
referee, some users may go off-topic more frequently than others.
But ultimately, most people who are truly interested in the goals
and topic of the newsgroup find that they get more value from the
group if they work together to keep things focused.
2.3 Can I post my screenplay to the newsgroup?
No. A screenplay is a huge document by Usenet standards. Most users
find such postings to be an imposition on themselves and/or on the
group. Besides its potential for wasted bandwidth, the file may
slow down other users' access to other messages. Also, the files
created by most writing programs may result in binary files that
cannot be read by other users' newsreader software.
However, the newsgroup should be a place where you can seek out
opinion. If that is your goal, post a public message to the group
that asks for willing readers; then send the screenplay by e-mail
to anybody who replies. You can also publish the screenplay at a
specific page on the web, then post a short announcement on the
newsgroup to let people know where it is, and ask them to read it
there.
One consideration for most writers is that, once you post a
document anywhere on the Internet, you have increased the chances
that a stranger might "steal" it. So, most writers avoid sharing
material on the net until after they have registered it. (See the
business section of the FAQ for more on that.)
2.4 What is the name and history of this newsgroup?
The name of the group is misc.writing.screenplays and is often
abbreviated m.w.s. or MWS.
The misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup is a subgroup under the
misc.writing hierarchy. Most of its early users came from among the
misc.writing "parent" group, and from subscribers to the SCRNWRiT
listserv. After a formal discussion period, the vote to create
m.w.s. occurred on Tuesday May 16, 1995.
In 1998, a user submitted a formal Request For Discussion to
Usenet, seeking to create a subgroup of m.w.s. devoted to sitcom
writing. But discussion in the appropriate Usenet newsgroups, and
within m.w.s., showed a consensus sentiment strongly in favor of
keeping a single unified screenwriting group, so the issue was
dropped and never came up for vote.
2.5 Is there a charter for this newsgroup?
Yes. As approved by vote at the group's inception, it read:
"The misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup will be open to
discussion of the art and business aspects of writing screenplays
both for feature films and television. Specific topics may include
but are not limited to:
Finding an Agent
Querying Production Companies
Latest formatting trends
Creative screenplay writing
Screenwriting software
Screenwriting books
Tools available to the screenwriter
Collaboration issues
Tips from the pros
Rationale:
Screenwriting is quickly becoming an extremely popular form of
writing, with distinctive differences from novel writing and
playwriting. The screenwriting mailing list has very nearly 500
subscribers and features nearly, if not in excess of, 100 posts
daily. This forum will serve as a place for those interested in
screenwriting to solve problems and share ideas without having to
sift through a hundred emails each day. It is hoped this forum will
be a place screenwriters will use to discuss their art and business
without fearing to leave their email boxes for more than a couple
of days."
2.5.1 Who supervises the newsgroup?
There is no moderator for the misc.writing.screenplays newsgroup.
No company pays people to answer questions there. There is no single
individual responsible for keeping it alive and healthy. Its health
is up to the collective volunteer efforts of users like you.
2.6 Who are these people? Are there "real" screenwriters here?
Yes. Many people who read and write messages in m.w.s. have
sold stories or scripts that have been produced for film and TV,
both in the U.S. and in other countries. Many users also write
plays, novels, and other forms of fiction; while others may write
professionally for non-entertainment media such as multimedia,
video, print, etc. In short, there are many "pros" in the group,
including people whose names you may have on a film or TV screen.
(Understandably, some of them participate only under pseudonyms.)
Other members of the group may not have sold a screenplay yet,
but may be at a high level of growth and achievement (like winning
contests); some work professionally in other roles in the industry,
including producers, directors, script consultants, etc.
There are fairly many messages posted from "newbies" (newcomers
to the industry, to the newsgroup, or both). Newbies may be the
Oscar-winning writers of tomorrow, so it is a mistake to assume
that a naive user is necessarily an untalented one.
Another label sometimes used is "wannabe" ("want to be"); it
is sometimes applied to people who fantasize about screenwriting,
but fail to apply themselves seriously to the task; or who lack
basic writing abilities that one might hone through hard work.
The word is often used negatively, but it's important to remember
that even if a person doesn't succeed as a professional writer,
he/she may still be a supportive and helpful member of the group.
2.7 Guidelines for effective use
2.7.1 Get to know the group
If you have read about Usenet already, you probably know that
one key to getting the most out of any group like this is to
read the message base for a long time -- at least a few weeks --
and to take every message with a grain of salt. You may find
that many or most of your questions are answered by discussions
already in progress.
2.7.2 Don't expect perfection
Eventually, one can begin to recognize higher-quality answers
coming from some sources than others. But even so, remember that
it is rare to find a user who is *always* wrong OR *always*
right. Likewise, some users are more combative than others, but
over time, one can find positive qualities in almost all users.
2.7.3 Trolls and how to deal with them
You may encounter the term "troll" in Usenet messages. The
term is used by analogy with the method of fishing, in which
baited lines are simply dumped from the back of a moving boat,
waiting for fish to bite. A troll in Usenet is a person who
"baits" the group by posting a message to which he/she has no
real interest. The person gets pleasure from seeing other people
get stirred up as a result of his/her message. The message
itself is also sometimes referred to as a "troll."
It may happen that people are sometimes wrongly accused of
being trolls. Ultimately, one has no choice but to trust the
good faith of most users, and hope that they will provide
guidance. Also, if the group is healthy, it becomes
self-moderating, with individual users speaking up to stop
trolls, correct misinformation, or reduce arguments that may
arise.
2.7.4 Flames and how to deal with them
Arguments in newsgroups sometimes escalate to what are called
"flames" or "flame wars." In short, flames are arguments that do
not center on a content issue (such as a disagreement over a
writing tip), but instead become centered on the personalities
of the participants.
Flames are destructive to morale, and take energy away from
other, more fruitful discussions. It is unfortunate that flames
appear to be inevitable in newsgroups, partly because it is in
the nature of this form of communication, where no personal
visual cues are present.
In any case, it is possible to walk away from personal
insults, and that is a good path to follow -- particularly if
one is interested in a professional writing career. One never
knows when the person on the other side of a discussion might be
a potential employer or friend in the business. More
importantly, it is simply good for one's spirit to try to remain
open-minded, forgiving, and flexible. Call it Karma if you want.
2.7.5 User identities
There is no absolute agreement on this topic, but a majority
of users use an identifiable e-mail address, and at least part
of their real name, when posting messages. The editor is among
those who post their full names on all messages. You will
probably find that people will give you more trust and
credibility if you put your name behind your words.
Not everybody who uses a pseudonym is necessarily
untrustworthy or unreliable. Conversely, some people who sign
their full names post messages with factual errors or other faux
pas. Still, in the latter case, other users appreciate that the
person has at least taken responsibility for his or her words,
good or bad.
So, this issue is not easily resolved, but it is something to
think about. The Internet has more than its share of fakes, and
more than its share of misinformation. That is why the "grain of
salt" is useful when reading any message, no matter what source.
2.8 Sources for more information on Usenet and misc.writing.screenplays
The m.w.s. FAQ files and related newsgroup resources are at:
http://www.online-communicator.com/faqs.html
Other Usenet resources:
http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/8211/nnqlinks.html
http://www.netannounce.org/news.announce.newusers