Author: Maximum Z

Color me pleasantly surprised

Maximum Z action, adventure, characters, creativity, ideas, outlines, plot, screenwriting, story, subplot, westerns, writing
Totally wasn’t expecting that

Since figuring my way through the climactic portion of Act Three is still stressing out my creativeness, I did what any good writer would do in this situation: go back to the beginning and edit like a madman.  This will give my creative muscles a good workout while subconsciously working out the end.

Overall: the opening definitely needs some reworking, and there are a few places here and there that could stand a little adjustment, but for the most part – a lot more fun than I remember. Trying really hard not to sound egotistical, but I had to occasionally remind myself this was something I wrote.

Me.

Gosh.

Not working on this for so long enabled me to take a really good look at what I have so far. Interestingly, even though I knew what was coming, there was still a lot in there to make me want to keep going and see what happened next.

In all honesty, I’d also forgotten how much I wanted to utilize a lot of elements that make up the thrill-generating, pure adventurousness of the Western genre.  Those are definitely in there, with a lot of potential to be built up even more, but for now it’s all about the story. If that’s not rock-solid, then everything else is irrelevant.

The whole time I was looking this over, I found myself focusing less on ‘would it look cool on the big screen?’ factor, and more on making sure the characters were being proactive and realistically moving the story forward (especially the title character), and that each plotline was being established.  Maybe this is my brain quietly telling me my storytelling and writing skills are improving.

Something also very important to work on as this whole project moves forward – that the story grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. But I suppose that should go without saying…

Keeping track of this, that and the other thing

Maximum Z creativity, editing, outlines, productivity, rewrite, screenwriting, story, writing
Forget something?

Working from the end of Act Two into Act Three is certainly proving to be an exercise in staying organized, story- and detail-wise.

It’s one thing to jot down the idea behind a scene in your notes, thinking “I’ll fill in the details later,” and totally another when it’s time to fill in those details.

Case in point: I write “daring escape!” to sum up a scene. Now I have to figure out not only HOW the escape is daring, but have to put it together in a way that’s exciting, original and entertaining, reinforces how it fits between the scenes before and after it, all while making sure it also works within the context of the story, characters and theme.

Quite a lot to keep in mind, isn’t it?  And this applies to EVERY scene in your story, no matter how big or small.

Not only that, but while you’re putting a scene together, it’s easy for some details to slip your mind. How can this character be involved here when I had him trapped over there? Hey, this character is just sitting there. How can I involve them?

This also re-emphasizes that most of the heavy lifting comes while putting the outline together. It’s a lot easier to fix a sentence or short paragraph rather than a few pages of script, especially when you come up with a scene or sequence you absolutely love, then discover it just doesn’t work.

It’s also a great opportunity to experiment. What if this happens? How about if the character does THIS instead of this? Let your imagination run wild. Pull out all the stops. Just make sure it all makes sense in terms of moving the story forward.

Work your way through the details during the outline phase, and you’ll find the page-writing phase will go much more smoothly.

It’s a routine, not a rut

Maximum Z confidence, productivity, screenwriting, writing
Time to get to work!

It’s all about moving forward.

After way too much procrastination, I sat myself down and worked on the end of Act Two. What I came up with is okay; more of a temporary placeholder than anything else. But it also reminded me why I need to get my ass in gear and set aside time each and every day to write.

And this is something you should seriously consider, especially if you’re not doing it already.

Getting into a daily habit of writing is beneficial on several levels: It develops your skills. It sharpens your thought process. You make headway in whatever you’re working on. It opens your eyes to story details you otherwise might have missed.

All this from however long you can spare. If you don’t want to measure it by time, think of it in terms of what’s on the page. A certain number of scenes or pages per day. Maybe to the end of this particular sequence. Whatever works for you.

Not only will you get that much closer to getting done, but you’ll feel pretty darned good about yourself for making that progress.

It all boils down to making that commitment, and sticking with it. You’ll be amazed the good it will do you.

Writing even when you aren’t

Maximum Z productivity, running, screenwriting, writing
This guy is actually working very hard

Things have been really busy around here lately, so I haven’t been able to set aside as much time as I’d like to sit down and work on Act Three. (Hopefully this doesn’t sound like I’m making excuses.)

Although I’m not actively writing per se, no matter what I’m doing, my mind is always working out some sort of detail about the story.

Case in point – I’m back in training mode for another half-marathon (Sept 17), so I have to run at least 2-3 times a week. I wear my iPod when I run, but if I’m stuck on a particular part of the story, chances are pretty good I’ll tune out what I’m listening to while my mind tackles the problem. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

That’s probably how most writers minds operate – constantly.

It’s not easy to establish and maintain a steady writing schedule, so kudos to those who do. But if you’re not writing as much as you’d like to, it’s pretty likely you actually are somewhere in the recesses of your mind. You just have to make sure you set aside time to dig it out and put it on the page.

You may even be pleasantly surprised with what you’ve come up with.

What are you waiting for?

Maximum Z directing, filmmaking, opportunity, productivity
Yes, this could be yours (megaphone optional)

As much as I wax poetic about decades gone by, I’m incredibly glad I live in the Digital Age. You probably are too.  How else would you be reading this if it weren’t for the Internet?

Modern technology has made it possible for a screenwriter to not have to live in Los Angeles in order to have a career. Sure, you may have to to go there for meetings, but you can literally write anywhere you want.  And you can do even more than that.

Another benefit has become that you can get people to notice you and your work via an online presence, or as my incredibly-talented marketing-savvy wife would say, “create your own brand”.  You think you’ve got what it takes?  Let’s see it in action.  Put it out there for the world to see. Cliched as it sounds, the possibilities really are endless.

Most likely you’re reading this on a computer that has an abundance of tools at your disposal to produce your own material. You can make something in any number of forms – a short, a web series, etc.  You can post it on YouTube, submit it to Funny or Die, even use it as a work sample or calling card.

If people like it, they’ll let you know.  If that’s the case, chances are they’ll also want to see what else you’ve got.  Why not build up your own arsenal of product?

Undergoing a project like this also gives you something else a lot of people may not have: experience. You think it’s easy to put together a 15-minute film?  Getting the story done is just the beginning. Now you’ve got a zillion other things to worry about. Do you have the necessary equipment?  Where are you going to film?  Can you find the right actors?  Do you need more light?  The list feels endless, but the upside is that you will know what it’s like to be more than ‘just a writer’.

Don’t worry if your first efforts aren’t high-quality. Like the first draft of a script, most likely it will suck. But you’ve got to start somewhere, and more often than not, you’ll learn from your mistakes. Nobody does a phenomenal job their first time out. Like every other skill, the more you do it, the better you’ll get and the easier it will get.

The Internet makes for an incredibly even playing field, but it’s up to you to put yourself into the game.