Computer Lets Screenwriter Do Job at Home

When Steve Sharon wrote the screenplay to the Clint Eastwood thriller “The Dead Pool,” he didn’t rely much on outside help. He typed away on a computer in his Huntington Beach home.

He didn’t even use a typing service or a research assistant.

“I can do the typing just as quickly myself,” he said. “And I prefer to do my own research so I have a fuller understanding of whatever it is I’m writing about.”

But he does have his own special--and rather costly--computer equipment. And he has attended several seminars on screen writing techniques. “Always check the background of the person teaching the seminar,” he suggests. “If they’ve sold some screenplays, it probably gives them more credibility, but that’s not necessarily a prerequisite.”

Sharon, 33, also said novice screenwriters probably don’t need to invest in a large library of screen writing books. “There’s nothing new being invented about writing screenplays,” said Sharon. “If you’ve read one good book, you probably don’t need any others.”

The business of screen writing is very unusual, Sharon said. “A screenwriter is someone who creates his own problems and then tries to solve them as creatively as possible.”