I'm done and can't wait to start!

I just got finished the Outline for my short screenplay Connected. I started on April 10th, 2005 and just finished. Was it hard? No! Was I lazy? Yes! I could have done this a lot faster but I think taking my time has made it that much better. I should be able to finish the screenplay in far less time. One of the "tools" I use for writing/outlining I got from the Screenplay Workbook.

The book is exactly what the name says it is. I only use two or three workbook sheets as I find the plotting ones to be a bit cookie cutter. The scene worksheet is the one I use the most because, well, there are more scenes in a screenplay then anything else. I like the way it breaks it down for you. At the early point of my screenplay this is all I need. The few lines it provides is more then enough. On the worksheet there is a section that lets you list the characters present in a scene. There are 12 line for you to fill in and I never thought I would need more then five of them. Well, one scene of my screenplay takes place in a court room. As I was writing this out I filled in eleven of the twelve lines. Do all these people speak? Not at all, but I thought it was important to list them so when I writing the screenplay I wouldn't forget them. I will be filming this short in the near future and didn't want to miss a small detail like the court reporter or bailiff and on the day the scene is to be shot I then relies that I'm missing the Magistrates Court clerk.

These sheets list enough to get you started but not enough to write out the who screen. This is all I need. It leaves room to discover more as you start to write your first draft. Another sheet I use a lot is the Character Development worksheet. This lets you give the develop your characters background down to their quirks and vices. Could I do all this in a mean copybook? Sure I could and I have but this way works for me. It keeps everything organized and in its place. I do use a regular copy book before I even get to this point to just sketch out ideas. This works for me, what works for you?