From Bob Gill, the founder of Scripters World:

Scripters World went online April 1, 2000, but it all began a few years ago--I had finally decided to write that book that I had been thinking about for years.   After much thought and discovering the wealth of material on the internet, related to the craft of screenwriting, I concluded my best choice would be to write it as a screenplay.   So I began to locate and study all that was available on the internet.   I figured I would learn all I could from the web then turn to the library system and finally buy books, take workshops, attend seminars, etc.   As it turned out, the internet provided almost everything that was needed to learn the basics of the craft.   My own analytical abilities and the need for order resulted in a curriculum.   But there was something else on my mind, since I had started to think about creating something like Scripters World.   Having the information wasn't enough to help someone learn the craft, more was needed.

A couple years ago I joined a screenwriting group.   We critiqued each others work and utilized IRC as a place to do the critiquing of individual scripts and have topical discussions.   It was usually very productive.   But I also discovered that even though some people had accumulated a great deal of knowledge about the craft they still did not understand certain aspects or were unable to bring it all together.   It was frustrating to constantly be teaching the basics.   And the sad thing is that I was one of those who needed the help.   As a result, I created for myself a simple step-by-step system to produce a screenplay.   First: learning the basics about script format, industry standards, story structure, characterization and much more.   Then developing an outline until it had all the elements of a great story that would work well as a screenplay.   Finally beginning the screenplay in segments, finishing each part before going on to the next part (First 15 pages, Act 1, Act 2, Act 3).   Of course, there are adjustments and re-writes, but you get the idea.

The reason for developing the outline to a high level is to keep the re-writes to a minimum.   I learned quickly that it was much easier to edit and make adjustments to an outline than it was to do the same with a completed screenplay.

Another thing that led to the creation of Scripters World was the fact that most of the websites I found that might offer good help usually did so for a price.   There is nothing wrong with paying for one's education, it's a natural thing, but my situation required creative solutions and fortunately the internet made it possible.   I guessed there would be others who might have the same need.   That's why I developed Scripters World to function without the need for profit.   I have a lot of time at the moment because I am convalescing and I have experience working with HTML so the only cost is my time.   I committed to not promoting anything for profit on the website, just to drive home a point; that there's more to life than making money at every turn.   Being responsible and working for a living is required by God and man, but there is also a time and a place for everything under the sun.   Scripters World is hopefully going to provide a little shade and a place to rest, while learning the craft and writing a screenplay, with no fenders yelling with all their ad icons and promotions.

Fortunately, there are others who agree with me, who have knowledge and a willingness to volunteer some of their valuable time as SW Mentors.   We utilize a private password protected message board for posting segments of the student's projects for mentors to examine and we use IRC for group discussion of topics and projects. The system is flexible and not too time consumming for both the Mentor and student.   The system is designed so that there is no one-on-one commitment because each step is developed as a single unit and the same Mentor isn't required to be a part of the entire screenwriting project.   This helps the student and the Mentor.   It benefits the student because it allows the whole process to be free.   It benefits the Mentor by giving them a very flexible schedule, since talented, knowledgeable people are usually very busy people.

So, there you have it, a little about how Scritpers World came about.

Have a great day!

Bob Gill