MJB SCRIPT REVIEW | A QUIET PLACE

On my ever growing quest to learn and gain new knowledge and advice on my writing journey, I have been exploring online writing pages (Scriptwriters & Co, Scriptfella, etc) and podcasts (Indie Film Hustle, On the Page, No Film School, Scriptnotes, Just Shoot It), to which all of whom have provided an absolutely stunning wealth of knowledge for any budding scriptwriter out there. But one piece of advice that keeps on coming up time and time again from practically every successful and ridiculously even more successful writer is this;

SCREENPLAYS. READ AS MANY AS YOU CAN. READ. ABSORB. LEARN. BE INSPIRED.

So I have decided to follow this advice and read one screenplay a week ongoing, religiously and without fail. I started two weeks ago by creating a five year list of 52 scripts a year, suggested mainly from essential reading lists on various platforms, recommendations by said professionals on said podcasts and writing platforms, and then filling out with some scripts I simply felt I wanted to read (here’s to you FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR and hoping I can find CONDORMAN!). I started my journey with THE GOONIES last week (a cracking read by the way) and amazing to see the omitted material from the film (Troy getting much more proposed screen time) as well as the changes in characters.

But then I got to week two and A QUIET PLACE.

Sweet Lord, that is ONE HELLUVA SCRIPT. The rules that it bends, breaks, twists, tweaks and even creates are just nothing short of…mind blowing. Barely any dialogue and the very difficult situation of having to run everything almost entirely from action directions (ADs). Some pages don’t even have words…just a number

There’s even a monopoly board at one point.

In the script.

A monopoly board.

Just….WOW.

And it never lets go. Ever. Even once.

I have learned SO MUCH from this second script that I am fevered at how much I will continue to grow and learn from other incredible writers. I will continue to post recommendations for others and if you want a copy of the scripts, just check out the bottom of the blog where there will be a link to the script I have reviewed.

So please, seek out other writers scripts. Read. Grow. Learn. Share. We need to study great writing and get our own brand of original out there. The world needs it. This shared world for writers can only be a great, great thing for everybody