Month: April 2011

Does whatever a spider can

Maximum Z comic books, Kick-Ass, screenwriting, Spider-Man, Wondercon

I’m trying to figure out a couple of major story details on DREAMSHIP, so the rewrite is on hold.  No way this thing will be done for the Nicholl, which I’ve come to terms with.  But the way things are developing now, this is going to be all kinds of awesome.

So while the creative side of my brain works things out, the analytic side has also been busy.

Like writers are supposed to, I try to read as much as I can. Granted, most of my most recent stuff has been comics-related, partially due to going to WonderCon a few weeks ago.

Since money isn’t exactly free-flowing, I splurged and spent $20 for the hardcover edition of KICK-ASS. I saw the movie when it was in theatres, and enjoyed it. Not a lot, but just enough. I knew it wouldn’t be a huge hit. The target audience was too small, and comic nerds are notoriously picky.

But the book itself is great.  The story for the most part is the same, but a few of the subplots are completely different, which actually works in its favor.  For example, in the movie, Dave hooks up with the girl. Not here.  And most likely to placate Nicolas Cage, Big Daddy’s part in the movie is much bigger, which also works.

Basically, I have no problem reading the book again, but not much desire to see the movie again.

The first issue of the second miniseries, KICK-ASS: BALLS TO THE WALL, was available at WC, but I’m opting to wait until the whole thing’s collected in a book again.

I’m more a DC guy than Marvel, but a few years ago, I picked up the first two volumes of THE ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN, which are basically small phone book-sized tomes reprinting approximately 20-some issues of said title in black and white.  And this one company is always selling them for half price, which is usually about eight bucks a book, which is a bargain.

I’d seen reprints of the first issue, and introductions of some of the classic villains in reprints and on TV, but this was my first chance to really take a look at the original source material.  Only drawback – no color. But still…

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko caught lightning in a bottle.  Once you get past some of the corny dialogue, the stories overall are a thrill to read.  The first issues have a raw quality, both in terms of character and execution.  But everything slowly becomes more refined as the issues progress.  Especially the art, but more on that in a second.

Lee seems to live for hyperbole, but in a weird way it really fits here.  The combination of Peter’s everyday life and Spidey’s adventures mesh really well (but the Peter-lamenting-the-hard-life-of-being-a-superhero routine does get a little repetitive after a while.).  It would be great to know how much planning went into character development before the writing and art were combined.

I’d also add that Spidey’s rogues gallery is definitely one of the best, comparable only to Batman’s. The Green Goblin (always one my faves), Doctor Octopus, the Sandman, Kraven the Hunter. Each one original and unique.

I read somewhere that Steve Ditko said a hero’s costume should have some kind of true uniqueness so you can always recognize who it is, no matter how small a part of the costume you see.  Definitely holds true for Spidey.

I wouldn’t call it a problem, but Ditko’s art in those first issues is almost too hard to take.  It seems almost rough and unrefined, but gets better and more details as it goes along.  It’s a world of difference between those issues from the mid-sixties and the smooth lines of John Romita into the early seventies.

When I was in college, people would often ask why I read comics. My standard answer was pretty simple: it’s good storytelling.

Screenwriting is kind of similar. I’m creating a totally unique and original world, just in a different medium. And having a blast in the process.

We can rebuild him

Maximum Z Dreamship, Nicholl Fellowship, rewrite, screenwriting

Some good progress on the rewrite today. I’m getting closer to the page 45 twist, and may have also come up with a few ideas on how to fix a few glaring plot holes.  Always nice when that happens.

While I do the work, I usually have a piece of paper in case of sudden inspiration, the word document containing the current outline, and the original script open in a separate window.  All three slowly working together, hopefully to result in something good.

Looking over my previous draft, I can’t help but notice how slow parts of it are. Here’s hoping this rewrite will avoid that.  When other writers start a page one rewrite, how much do they refer back to the previous draft?  Do you start completely from scratch, or take what you have and see if a little tweaking would do the trick?  Just askin’.

-My Nicholl-deadline-reaching may yet again be in jeopardy, but not because of the rewrite.  I’m waiting to hear back about a project involving punching up somebody’s script, at least in terms of the action lines.  One of the instructions was basically “do NOT touch the dialogue”.  It’ll be interesting to see what the writer says regarding making changes (read: fixing), if necessary, to the story.

Don’t count me out just yet

Maximum Z Black List, Dreamship, screenwriting

Really nice progress on the DREAMSHIP rewrite today. While I like what I had to begin with, what I came up with today is quite an improvement.

I also realized I was taking my ScriptQuack notes too literally.  I don’t have to accept everything they suggest.  While some of their comments definitely have merit, it’s ultimately MY script, and I can pick and choose which of their suggestions to use.

If I can keep up this kind of pace between now and the end of the month, I may make that deadline after all.  I’m not saying it’s definitely doable, but the odds are slowly working their way back in my favor.

-The stats feature for WordPress tells me what categories are leading readers here.  Several of the more recent ones are connected with some of the Black List scripts I reviewed earlier this year.  This reminded me I have about another 12-15 to check out.

I’d forgotten what great reads they can be, but they’ll have to wait until after the rewrite.  Time for a nice cup of GET BACK TO YOUR SCRIPT.

Ain’t lookin’ good

Maximum Z Dreamship, Movie of the Moment, screenwriting, The Walking Dead, writing group

The good news is I may have stumbled onto a great new angle for DREAMSHIP. The bad news is Act Two will most likely have to be completely rewritten, which will put the proverbial kibosh on getting it done in time for the Nicholl.  It’s possible I could get it done, but I’d rather take my time.

On one hand, I like how the story seems much, much stronger now. There are also a lot more possibilities regarding what could happen.  Those notes are proving very helpful.

But on the other hand, it would have been nice to get it done by May 2nd.  Ah well.  There’s always next year.

-Finally heard back from the lady who runs the writing group.  She does a lot of freelance work, so hasn’t done any writing since February. She wants to contact the rest of the group at the end of April(!) and suggest two potential dates in May(!!) to meet.  Since I’m still a newer member of the group, I don’t want to make any trouble by telling her that’s a terrible way to approach this.  Which it is.

Exactly what’s the problem with setting a definitive time and see who shows up?  Fortunately, I can still meet with my fellow former-groupmember and we can discuss our stuff.

Another member of the group appears to have moved back to LA, or is at least housesitting there through June.  She seems to be a very fast writer, mentioning that she finished and polished a werewolf script after our last meeting (which may have been in February).

I admire someone who can really crank them out like that.  I can’t, but I also don’t think her life is similar to mine (married with children), so maybe she has more free time to write.  I find it when I can.

Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s not.  But I still enjoy it.

-No Movie of the Moment tonight, but I’m almost done with Season One of WALKING DEAD.  Still loving it.  Great storytelling.

That’s something, I guess

Maximum Z Dreamship, Movie of the Moment, Nicholl Fellowship, outlines, screenwriting, zombies

As I’ve mentioned before, when I do the midday traffic shift, it usually results in some good output.  Something like that happened today.

I’m working my way through the first part of DREAMSHIP’s second act, and was trying to figure out how to approach a sequence from a different perspective. I think I may have reached a solution, so that’s good.

Not so good is a problem just like the one I was having while working on the LUCY outline: what does my antagonist want?  My ScriptQuack comments ask the same thing.  I thought I had an answer to that in previous drafts, but now I’m not so sure.  Once I can figure that out, putting more of this together should be easier – I hope.

I’m doing the midday again tomorrow, and the noon-to-6 shift on Saturday, so here’s hoping those are productive shifts as well.

Movie of the Moment: We started watching THE WALKING DEAD.  Wow.  Great stuff.  I especially like the ever-present feeling of ominous dread.  I’m dating myself, but I like how this is the same station that years ago played nothing but black and white films and their first original series was set in Pittsburgh during the Golden Age of Radio.  My, how times have changed.

There was a trailer for some set-in-space video game or something before it got to the menu page.  It got me thinking: somewhere out there has to be a spec script about zombies in space.  Think about it.  They don’t need air, but that whole vacuum-of-space thing might need a little planning.  The hard part would be to avoid having it come across as too cheesy.

But then again, that could be part of the fun.