I’ve quite a challenge ahead

Maximum Z acts, antagonist, characters, comedy, determination, fantasy, jokes, momentum, notes, perseverance, persistence, protagonist, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, The Hobbit, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With the first draft of the action-comedy out of the way, attention now turns to a rewrite of the fantasy-comedy, prompted by a few sets of recently-received and very thorough notes on it.

Each set boiled down to the same points:

-the story works

-good, solid characters

-the jokes hit (but maybe fine-tune them a little)

-biggest takeaway – this doesn’t need a major overhaul or significant rewrite; more reworking most of Act Two and the start of Act Three to put more emphasis on the protagonist and her journey

That sounds like a lot, and I agree.

Fortunately, the notes also included an incredibly helpful suggestion: create a scene map from the start of Act Two to around the middle of Act Three. Then label each scene by the one thing that materially changes. They included a list of six applicable options from which to choose; sort of a “which one best applies here?” It’s a really cool idea.

The scene map is done, so now it’s all about determining the proper label for each scene. I suspect there may also be some revising/overhauling of a few of those as part of the process.

This set of notes also added in the sterling advice of “Ask of every sequence: what becomes impossible to return from after this?” That really resonated for me, and will also add to keeping things moving forward.

Based on a friend’s notes, there should also be a change in how the protagonist goes about achieving her goal and – very important – making her the one driving the action. She needs to be more active than reactive.

This one feels especially challenging, but taking it one scene at a time, along with the potential changes listed above, may be the strongest approach. The biggest hurdle will probably be rewriting scenes to put more of the focus on my protagonist and show how she’s moving things forward, along with the aforementioned change.

It certainly seems that the number of moving parts involved is increasing – for the better.

There were also some very helpful comments about other important components, including emphasizing the “two sides of the same coin” aspect of the protagonist-antagonist connection, and tightening things up to enhance the momentum of the read.

This rewrite really feels like it’s going to be a major one, so time to step up my writing and storytelling skills.

I’ve got dragons to slay. Wish me luck.

And that’s three

Maximum Z action, antagonist, comedy, confidence, determination, draft, goals, pages, perseverance, persistence, protagonist, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, subplots, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

My goal for this year was pretty simple: complete two rewrites and at least the first draft of the new action-comedy.

Rewrite #1: done

Rewrite #2: done

First draft: done

This first draft was the closest I’ve ever come to actually churning out a proverbial vomit draft. As has been documented here over the past several weeks, it was primarily just writing down what was in the outline with a bare minimum of going back and editing.

It ain’t pretty, but I got there. To put the most positive spin on it – it can only get better from here.

I won’t say that it’s bad, but more like this first effort is severely lacking. It needs an absolute shit-ton of work, along with adding in somewhere in the neighborhood of 25-30 pages. I already know a lot of what’s missing and what needs to be added, so no panic mode as of yet.

At the top of an continuously-getting-longer list: fleshing out both the protagonist and antagonist, building on the subplots, and at least a few more sequences to enhance the overall story.

The foundation is there. Now it requires some major work on revising the blueprints.

All of this is going to be challenging, but I’d much rather have an awful first draft to work with than no draft at all.

So what now? Going to let this one simmer while I conduct a bit of an experiment on a previous script. When that’s done, I’ll return to this one, red pen in hand and ready to have at it.

I was pretty certain I’d be able to get the first draft done, and my sights are now set on finishing a second (and much-improved) draft.

And I’m quite confident I can do that.

Rough week. Yet I carry on.

Maximum Z action, Austin Film Festival, career, comedy, determination, disappointment, draft, encouragement, fantasy, film festival, frustration, notes, perseverance, persistence, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, spec, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If establishing a writing career involves hills and valleys, this week was a valley.

A really long valley. With snakes. And poison ivy.

Among the events worth mentioning…

Being let go from a side gig I’d enjoyed doing and a few more “Not Selected” notifications for my short film on the festival front – including Austin, which I knew was a longshot going in.

Sometimes things just don’t go the way you’d like them to, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Weeks like this can be really tough on one’s motivation. Nothing seems to go right. You feel totally helpless, and maybe a little hopeless.

There are lots of ways to get through this. You just need to figure out which one works best for you.

Some might decide this is the last straw and stop completely. Or opt to hit pause and take a little break.

Or, like yours truly, think that things will (have to?) improve and start working on helping that come to fruition. It ain’t easy, but it’s better than the alternative.

As is my standard M.O., some time was spent wallowing, and then it was back on the proverbial horse to take care of stuff that needed doing, including…

-Got some solid notes on the fantasy-comedy, with more on the way (plus a Zoom call for more in-depth notes).

-Came up with a twist on an older script that would really change things up.

-Passed the halfway point on the action-comedy spec. This “write now, edit later” approach is great.

-A few more festivals to try with the short film. Hoping in the end it gets into at least one or two. Fingers crossed.

I sincerely hope I don’t have another week like this, but there most likely will be. Probably more than once.

When that happens, I’ll muddle through to the best of my ability, then get right back into the thick of it.

Here’s hoping the number of hills in my future outweigh the number of valleys.

It’s only work if you’re not enjoying it

Maximum Z determination, encouragement, enthusiasm, excitement, Marx Brothers, perseverance, persistence, podcasts, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

I had a great discussion on my podcast this week with an author who also works as a writing instructor. Among the many topics we covered was how a writer should look forward to actually writing, as opposed to seeing it as just another item on their to-do list.

Hopefully a majority of writers fall into the former group. I like to count myself as one of them.

It may be challenging and frustrating, but writing is somewhat of a vital component in this equation.

How often have you heard somebody say something like “I’ve got a great idea for a story. I just need to write it.” and then it stalls out or falls apart somewhere along the way?

If they’re that enthusiastic about it, why aren’t they putting that ass in a chair and doing the work?

Because that’s exactly what it is – work. And it ain’t easy. It’s how you approach it that makes a difference.

As much as I love coming up with the ideas, I’m just as excited to put all the pieces together. It always takes longer than I’d like, but that’s how it usually goes for me. Even if all I manage to write that day is one page or even just one scene, I’m glad I put in the effort.

I’ve always thought you can tell when a writer is excited about their material because you can see it reflected on the page. The writing is vibrant and descriptive; it draws you in and makes you want to keep going. But if the writing is drab, flat, and you quickly lose interest, then it’s pretty likely the writer probably wasn’t into it that much.

Who wants to read something like that? Nobody.

This isn’t to say that your writing needs to be jaw-droppingly amazing, but at least make an effort to entice the reader and hold their attention. When you read it, does it make you want to keep going or can you feel your eyes starting to droop?

Be willing to put yourself through the time and effort to write a script because you’re practically compelled to get that story out no matter what it takes. You get a real thrill out of figuring stuff out on paper or pounding away at the keyboard, all as your page count slowly increases.

Embrace the enthusiasm and excitement you get from creating and writing to enable your readers to experience the same electric sensation. Your material will be that much better for it, and your readers will appreciate and enjoy it that much more.

A few words about contests

Maximum Z Austin Film Festival, Black List, career, community, contests, Nicholl Fellowship, PAGE International, screenplay, screenwriting, script, social media, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

Social media has been quite abuzz for the past week or so with the latest announcements from some script contests of note. Many a writer is celebrating – and a few lamenting – their individual results.

To every single writer out there, regardless of how your script did – be proud and take a moment to celebrate the fact that not only did you finish a script, but you were also confident enough to put it out there and see how it fared.

If it advanced – great! If not – that’s a shame, but IT DOES NOT MEAN YOUR WRITING IS BAD. Sometimes a reader connects with a script, sometimes they don’t. It’s totally out of your control.

That’s how contests go. I’ve seen a lot of writers say that their first-time entry advanced and an almost equal number saying that a script that placed (or won) last time didn’t advance whatsoever this time.

It’s always a crapshoot.

A lot of writers pin their hopes on doing well in a big contest, seeing it a possible entryway into working in the industry. I don’t know the actual numbers, but I believe that has happened maybe a few times over the past 20ish years, and a wide range of results for everybody else.

I used to be part of that starry-eyed group. I’d send in my script, hoping for the best. Most of the time, I’d get the email of “Thanks for entering! Unfortunately,…”. Maybe I’d be lucky and advance to quarterfinals or even semifinals, with a very rare finalist every once in a while, but never the big prize of overall winner.

After yet another letdown, I vented my frustration online, to which a friend replied “Contests are a waste of time and money. How many contest-winning scripts have actually been produced? I’d rather write a script that somebody wants to make than one that wins a contest.”

That last part really stuck with me.

So much that I’ve drastically cut back on entering contests, which has also saved a significant chunk of change. Those fees really add up.

Apart from a few free entries courtesy of membership in the ISA, I didn’t enter any this year. If I do any next year, it’ll most likely be PAGE and Austin (despite my AI experience from last year). The whole Nicholl-Black List thing seems ridiculous and exclusionary, not to mention not very cost-efficient.

I’m not going to throw shade on any writer who continues to enter contests. If you like doing it, more power to you. And I make a point of offering congratulations to writers I know who advance. For writers I don’t know, I offer a ‘like’ or a thumbs-up or whatever. Even a little recognition goes a long way in helping somebody feel proud about what they’ve accomplished.

Contests are okay, but just not as much for me anymore.