Month: January 2024

That worked out nicely

Maximum Z animation, comedy, determination, draft, encouragement, fantasy, feedback, notes, pages, perseverance, persistence, query letter, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bit of a shorty today.

It took several days of almost-constant work, including a good deal of editing, tweaking, and overall wordsmithing, including a marathon 6-hour stretch at the very end, but the rewrite of the animated fantasy-comedy is complete.

Total page count now stands at 106, which is still good.

Got a squad of beta readers currently working their way through it, and the initial responses have been very, very positive – which is always encouraging – as well as a handful of suggestions for minor fixes scattered throughout.

I’m quite happy with the end result.

Up next – concept art, character designs, a pitch deck, and researching potential targets for querying.

Writing is just one piece of the puzzle.

Allowing myself a brief respite before jumping back into the rewrite of the sci-fi collaboration, which also seems reinvigorated in terms of ideas and execution. The jotting-down of new material is well underway.

Overall, a mighty fine writing week. Hope it was for you too.

-really, really enjoying BLUE EYE SAMURAI on Netflix. Incredible stuff, and definitely NOT family-friendly.

No spit, but lots of polish

Maximum Z animation, characters, comedy, fantasy, feedback, notes, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

After receiving several sets of quality notes on the animated fantasy-comedy, the task of applying the most suitable and workable ones into a new draft is well underway.

I had a strong suspicion that the page count would increase, which it has, but as I approach the midpoint of the script, its not as high as I feared it would be. What began as a 97 page script is now 103, so a final tally of 110 or thereabouts seems like a fair estimate. There will most likely need to be some additional tweaks and edits when this draft is done, but for now it’s all good.

What’s also been exceptionally helpful is that each set of notes has a handful in common with the rest. Those are the ones I really took to heart. If two or more people make the same comment, then that’s something you need to really examine.

I was initially concerned that a higher page count would be a negative, but since most of what’s being added in is necessary, I’m not as worried. For a story like this, including a few more details should work in my favor.

Some of the notes were about the story logic, the main character, and the world-building. I’ll admit that some of the points being made were things I hadn’t thought about before, but now that they’d been mentioned, how could I not see it? This is one of those times when taking a step back and examining the bigger picture really pays off.

I’m always a little cautious when I start a new rewrite or polish. How much is going to change? A little? A lot? Can I do more than just a metaphoric rearranging of the furniture? I find it helps to map out what’s going to happen in the scene, along with figuring out the conflict and how the scene fits in in regard to the sequence of events. I’m doing what I can to ensure that where and when a scene takes place in the story is exactly right.

It’s also been somewhat surprising to be able to come up with new ideas for a scene, either a totally new one or a new take on one already in there. A lot of the notes ask questions that can only be answered by creating something new that not only answers the question, but helps solidify the overall story.

I’m not usually one for deadlines, but progress is pleasantly moving forward, so hoping to have this draft done in the next few weeks, followed by cleaning it up.

After that, I’ve got a few ideas for what to do with it.

Just some minor reshuffling

Maximum Z adventure, animation, comedy, determination, excitement, fantasy, ideas, notes, perseverance, persistence, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Almost two weeks into the year and my priorities have already changed. Hopefully for the better.

The original intent was to finish the rewrite of the sci-fi adventure, then start on a new project.

But then I got some phenomenal notes back on the animated fantasy-comedy AND a revived connection from a former collaborator about a project that’s lain dormant for a few years.

So now I’m splitting my time between those two, while the first two have been temporarily relocated to the proverbial back burner. As is my usual fashion, I’ll most likely jot down the occasional thought for the latter two between writing sessions for the former two.

I was initially resistant to the idea of rewriting the fantasy-comedy. It’s done well in some contests and garnered some potential interest, but given the opportunity to make it better, how could I resist? The aforementioned notes really opened my eyes as to what needed work – thankfully not a lot – and it feels like implementing those changes could have quite a positive impact on the script as a whole. Work has already begun and even though I’m still in Act One, I’m thrilled with how it’s going.

Regarding the script that’s been resurrected from the graveyard of abandoned scripts, my former partner had some ideas about it and got in touch with me to discuss it. His suggested changes seem to be more in sync with the type of story we want to tell, and my suggestion was to streamline and simplify the story to make it more relatable.

Both projects seem to hold a lot of potential, and I’m enjoying splitting my time between them. Both are established in terms of their stories, so these new drafts aren’t as challenging as if we were starting with an entirely new blank slate.

How do I feel about all these sudden changes of plans? Honestly, thrilled. I’m enthusiastic about all of them, and while I’d like to work on what I originally set out to, I’ve got no problem taking care of these other two first. If things go smoothly, there might even be the possibility of returning to the initial two sooner than expected.

We’ll see, but fingers crossed.

Catch ya later. Got some writin’ to do.

The “Business” part of “Show…”

Maximum Z development, directing, education, pitching, producer, professionalism, screenplay, screenwriting, script, television, writing , , , , , , , , , ,

A lot of screenwriters just starting out often think “All I need to do is write an amazing script, and the rest will fall into place.”

Not really. Having an amazing script helps, but that’s just the beginning.

Learning how to write a script, let alone an amazing one, is one thing. What to do when the script is done is a whole other topic.

Do you know how to pitch? What about dealing with contracts? How are your negotiating skills? These and many other business-oriented topics are vital. And if you’re thinking “Why should I care? My reps can handle all of that,” think again.

A rep can only do so much. A lot of the time you’ll most likely be doing a lot of the work yourself, so it’s smart and practical to know what’s expected.

If you want to further develop your business savvy, here’s a special offer you should seriously consider.

Seasoned writer/development executive Kaia Alexander runs the Entertainment Business League, which features a specially designed virtual course to help you prepare for working in the industry.

The Entertainment Business School Winter session is a 9-week course starting on January 29 running until March 29.

Among the many topics covered:

-If and when you need to create your own production company

-How studios and streamers make buying decisions

-How attachments work and how to get them

-How to pitch to buyers and reps

-How to network and build your community 

-How to get producers for your projects

-The way the pandemic has changed the industry

-How to negotiate like a pro and not leave money on the table

-Film financing and where to find investors, and how to vet them

-The roles of managers, agents, entertainment attorneys, publicists, producers, and development execs

-Entertainment business etiquette do’s and don’ts

-How to think about budgets

Also included are live coaching sessions, mixers, and industry guests.

You also get access to an impressive online portal with a library of business and finance documents including screenplays, pitch decks, show bibles, streamer/network pitch preferences, financial literacy downloads, legal documents, just to name a few.

Don’t live in Los Angeles? No problem. The class is done virtually, and each session is recorded and available afterward, along with email access to Kaia during the work week.

The early bird window for signing up is Jan 8-13, which includes a $50 discount using the code WOLFPACK50.

Space is limited, so don’t wait too long before signing up.