Year: 2012

Figuring my way out/through

Maximum Z Disney, goals, ideas, motivation, Movie of the Moment, outlines, problem-solving, rewrite, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, writing
The solutions are in there somewhere. Just gotta work at finding them

In an attempt to keep the outline momentum going, I’ve been making a sincere effort to squeeze in some writing on a daily basis. Sometimes it may only be 30 minutes or an hour, but I can’t keep making excuses as to why I’m not writing when I’ve got the opportunity to do so.

Lighting a fire under my ass is the only way. This thing ain’t gonna write itself.

And this is especially true now because I’m a few scenes into Act Three, and it’s quickly becoming all uphill from here.

I’ve got a semi-workable previous draft to work from, but some of the story details have been changed.  My next task is basically figure out what happens next using the practical approach: plot out each storyline, then weave them all together into an intricate, compelling and satisfying finale that ties up a lot of loose ends.

Daunting, but not impossible.

Also doesn’t hurt that I’m working a double shift on Thursday, which means lots of time to make some good headway. Dare I even consider reaching The End? We’ll see…

-Movie of the Moment. WRECK-IT RALPH (2012) – the latest from Disney*. If you were part of the 80s arcade experience and stayed involved with video games into the present, then you’ll probably enjoy this.

I liked it, but more for how the story was told, rather than what it was actually about.  It was impressive how there were a lot of setups throughout Acts One and Two that all paid off during the climax of Act Three. (I’ll be keeping this in mind for my outline).

Maybe the one thing that really stuck with me was that during the second half of Act Two, the focus seems to move away from title character Ralph and more towards supporting character Vanellope. I’m trying to figure out how it could have stayed more on Ralph.

As always, the voice talent is perfectly matched with their characters – especially John C. Reilly as Ralph, Jack McBrayer as Felix and Jane Lynch as Calhoun.  It was also surprising to see Sarah Silverman have a much bigger role than expected.

I’d categorize this as another movie I enjoyed in the theatre, but don’t feel like I need to own it. Same thing applies to BRAVE from earlier this year. Still, Disney always does high-quality work and it’s a feast for the eyes on the big screen.

*I originally thought this was a Pixar production, but it’s not. Proper edits have been implemented.

“She pressed a couple of 38s against my chest…

Maximum Z Doc Savage, pulp fiction, screenwriting, storytelling, The Shadow, The Spider, writing
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?

…and then she pulled out some guns.”*

*I heard this joke years ago and still find it extremely hilarious. To commemorate Mickey Spillane’s birthday, I once used it at the end of a traffic report on a public radio station. The program director was not amused.

With company coming, I was forced to finally get around to unloading some more boxes from our semi-recent move. These just happened to hold books I’d amassed over the years. Many of which could be classified under the category of ‘the pulps’.

It’s been a long time since I read any of them. If you’ve never experienced the sensation of immersing yourself in a world of tough guys, brassy dames, femme fatales and itchy trigger fingers, then you’re really denying yourself one of life’s simpler pleasures.

There’s a definite charm to this kind of storytelling. Since the writers got paid by the word, not only did they have to be prolific, they had to also make sure the writing was strong enough that you’d want to keep coming back for more.

I also love how even though the stories are from the 30s, 40s and 50s, once you get past the time capsule aspect, they still read as fresh and exciting.

But I’m positively ecstatic when it comes to ‘men of mystery’ stories like The Shadow, The Spider and Doc Savage.  Give me a stack of those, a comfy chair, and maybe a properly-made gin and tonic, and I am one happy guy.

I never really made the connection before, but I suppose the scripts I like to write could kinda-sorta be considered variations on pulp stories. Or at least leaning in the direction of the fantastic.

A rip-roaring adventure involving flying pirate ships. A revenge-seeking woman in the Old West. A scientist battling monsters to literally save the world.  They all sound pretty pulp-y to me.

At first it seems too challenging. “I’ll never compare to those guys!”  But if you take the aspects of what you like in those stories, put your own personal spin on them, and let your imagination run wild… voila!

A pulp story all your own. In my case, one in screenplay form.

Remember the old adage: Write what you know.  You probably know more than you realize.

Back to basics

Maximum Z Emily Blake, loglines, screenwriting, scriptshadow, writing
Feels like I just did this

Work on the outline revamp is temporarily on hold while I divert my attention to something equally, if not more important – the logline.

This thing has been through countless revisions, and the last time I had rewritten it, it seemed…okay.

Not so.

It was too wordy, and didn’t sum up the story the way it needed to.  So back to the interwebs I went for guidance.

There are lots of opinions about what constitutes a good logline, but the general consensus is that it should include the hero, the hero’s goal, what’s at stake, and the antagonist.  Some suggest adding the ‘ticking clock’ factor, but that could make it unnecessarily longer. Use at your discretion.

The logline should also convey what sort of story this is going to be. If it’s a comedy, it should sound funny. An adventure should sound exciting. You get the idea. Let them know what they’re in for.

The logline should pique their interest so much that they can’t resist wanting to read the script.

Sometimes a writer will include some kind of vague generalization, or a phrase that evokes emotion, such as “…and learns about himself in the process.” Personally, I don’t care for those. It’s like the writer doesn’t trust the story enough to interest you, so they throw that in. The items listed above should be enough.

Since I’m always open to feedback on anything I work on, feel free to take a look at my assorted loglines (right there under the ‘Scripts’ tag up top) and give me your two cents.  Do they work? How could they be improved?  Don’t be shy. I’m happy to do the same for you.

-The screenwriting blogs have been very busy the past couple of days with this whole “Emily Blake vs Carson Reeves/Scriptshadow” conflict. I’ve been an avid follower of both, and think it’s a shame it’s come to this.

Scriptshadow is a great resource for learning the craft, but if this is something I’m spending an exorbitant amount of time and effort on, then I want to the one responsible for reaching that goal.  And $1000 is WAY TOO MUCH to charge for notes.  I had to make sure I could afford this before I submitted. (Incidentally – definitely worth it)

My original plan was to submit DREAMSHIP to SS and see if anything happened. But now I’m not sure I want to.  I’ve been pretty good about working on my own, and I’ll probably stick with it.

I’m also planning on following Emily’s lead and subscribing to Done Deal Pro. $24 a year is a pretty good deal, and probably worth my time.

Lo, the cowboy ponders his fate

Maximum Z adventure, confidence, creativity, Django Unchained, ideas, originality, outlines, productivity, Rossio & Elliott, screenwriting, script, story, Tarantino, The Lone Ranger, westerns, writing
Guns + horses + good story = winning combo

Ah, air travel. When it works in your favor, it’s a very pleasant experience.

When it doesn’t…well, let’s just say it’s a good thing I had a pen, some paper, an outline to work on and an abundant supply of spare time.

I worked my way through the first act of my western-adventure, making changes and setting up setups where applicable. I still like how this is coming together. All that work fine-tuning the previous script is really paying off for this one.

But there’s one thing still nagging at me. Some significantly high-profile westerns are headed our way: Tarantino’s DJANGO UNCHAINED at Christmas, Verbinski/Rossio/Elliot’s THE LONE RANGER next summer and Chan Wook-Park’s THE BRIGANDS OF RATTLEBORGE sometime next year (in theory). All very different takes on the genre, and no reason why none of them won’t be successful.

So while I plug away at my story, the angst that plagues every writer kicks in: is it still worth the time and effort to do it?

In the end, there’s only one definitive answer:  Of course it is.

This is a story I’m very enthusiastic and passionate about, so to not write it would simply be a big mistake. It’s got familiar elements but based on an original idea to make it fresh and exciting.

And if those three films are successful, that could potentially create a demand for more scripts of that nature.

Which is where mine comes in.

All the more reason to hunker down, dive in and make sure this thing is done right.

What’re YOU working on?

Maximum Z adventure, feedback, outlines, productivity, rewrite, screenwriting, script, westerns, writing ,

Just curious.

I’ll go first.

Returning to the outline of my western-adventure while waiting for feedback on latest rewrite.

Now you.