Author: Maximum Z

Hacking my way through the rewrite jungle

Maximum Z confidence, creativity, Dreamship, editing, feedback, ideas, rewrite, screenwriting, story, writer's block, writing
Yeah, it can feel like that sometimes…

Man, this rewrite is just zooming along, especially with the much-appreciated, very helpful feedback I’ve received. Spending so much time plotting things out before churning out pages really paid off. I tried to make sure any possible questions that arose could be easily answered through the course of the story.  One or two small issues may still need a little work, but looks like they can be handled without too much heavy lifting.

Nevertheless, confidence levels still running high.

Most of the edits took no time, but the biggest challenge was changing how the antagonist’s story ends. This has been in place since day one, but I’ve received more than a few comments saying it seemed too intense compared to the rest of the story.  So change was necessary.

I must have spent around two hours trying out at least a dozen scenarios until I finally came up with something I like. It may need a little fine-tuning, but the execution is pretty solid and I think it fits in nicely with the rest of it.

You know how a writer’s mantra is/should be “write every day”? I’ve tried to adhere to that as much as I can, and it really feels like it’s paying off in terms of being able to think my way out of potential writer’s block situations. Getting stuck trying to figure something out isn’t as much of a hassle as it used to be.

Cliched as it sounds, your creativity really is like a kind of muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. And you don’t even have to break a sweat.

Who doesn’t appreciate a gold star?

Maximum Z criticism, feedback, found footage, Movie of the Moment, screenwriting, self-confidence, writing
Deep down, this is all we really want to hear

As a screenwriter, I’m naturally predisposed to self-doubt and the inability to know whether or not my stuff is any good.  I thrive on feedback (as should we all).  So whenever I get a word of encouragement, it’s an electrifying jolt of confidence-boosting.

I’m not expecting standing ovations and ticker-tape parades, but if somebody says “Hey, I like this thing you wrote,” then I’m going to feel pretty good about it, not to mention be motivated to keep going and try harder so next time they say, “Hey, I really like this thing you wrote.”

I submitted WOK & ROLL to an online script showcase on Friday, then woke up Saturday morning to find an email from somebody who liked it. It doesn’t look like this is anybody who can actually make anything happen with it, but positive comments are positive comments. I appreciated it.

I also got some encouraging feedback on DREAMSHIP. He broke it down page by page, offering suggestions on how to improve this and that. Can’t say I disagree with any of them.  Anything to make the script better.

That’s one of the benefits of joining a writing group or being part of an online group.  You get the feedback you need (and you will need it), and you get to help somebody with theirs. Sure, you won’t use all of their comments, but hearing somebody liked something you wrote may be the unexpected shot in the arm you didn’t realize you needed.

-Movie of the Moment – TROLLHUNTER (2010), a clever take on the found-footage genre from Norway. I liked this a lot. The premise: A college film crew looks for a poacher, only to discover he’s a one-man government taskforce assigned to keep the country’s troll population under control. And it ain’t easy.

This managed to avoid the ‘constant filming’ issue; handily so.  Great use of sound to enhance the suspense, especially in scenes where you can’t see anything.  Despite only a handful of scenes involving CG, each looks seamless and really packs a punch. Even more fun if you watch at night with the lights out.

Grab ’em early and don’t let go

Maximum Z Indiana Jones, Lucy Steele, Men In Black, outlines, Raiders of the Lost Ark, screenwriting, story, train, westerns, writing
And this is just the beginning…

I printed out a months-old version of the LUCY outline yesterday as part of the plan to launch a massive rewrite to incorporate some recent ideas. As I was looking it over, it dawned on me – the opening sequence just ain’t strong enough.

The way it’s written now, it would last about 3 pages, which really isn’t enough. The opening sets the tone and mood of the whole story. If I can’t hold your interest here, then you’re not going to want to work your way through another 100+ pages.

Think of the opening sequence in RAIDERS. It runs about 10 minutes, and does a phenomenal job of establishing the character of Indiana Jones.  I need to do the same thing.

This is where that ‘having fun while you write’ thing comes into play. And I get to do it with trains in the Old West.

Throw in a bottle of RC Cola and some Moon Pies and it’s an ideal writing session.

-Movie of the Moment – MEN IN BLACK III. Fun, clever and a definite improvement over the previous sequel. Setups and payoffs were obvious from the get-go. Josh Brolin did a great job as a young Tommy Lee Jones.  If this opens the door to a MIB IV, they should go the FANTASTIC VOYAGE/INNERSPACE route and do microscopic or nano-technology-based aliens. You heard it here first, folks!

This also confirmed for me once again that Smith needs to stop playing it safe and really try something new. Wasn’t he Tarantino’s first choice for the lead in DJANGO UNCHAINED? But he’s got a good thing going that brings in big bucks, so I don’t see that ever happening.

Inner movie geek to the rescue!

Maximum Z creativity, ideas, movies, originality, plot, screenwriting, story, writing
What can we expect when we see YOUR movie?

No doubt you’ve heard “write what you know”. But how often do you hear “write what you love,” or “write something you would want to see”?

If you have a favorite genre, try writing something in that style. Put your own spin on whatever it is you have a strong appreciation for.  I’m not at the same level as STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK or THE LORD OF THE RINGS, but that didn’t stop me from devising my own thrilling rollercoaster ride of an adventure. Hence DREAMSHIP.

“Familiar, yet different” is another mantra. Use well-known examples as a model or guideline for your story, but figure out how to make it different. You don’t want somebody to read your script and think “blatant ripoff”. What would make  it completely your own?

The more appreciation you have for a style or genre, the more it will show on the page. You want your work to capture the mood or essence of what it is you liked about it in the first place. Reach inside and use it to enhance your story.

Chances are you could easily fall into that trap of writing something very cliched, so while you’re still in the planning stage, take a step back and think “What would be a more interesting way to do this? What would I as a moviegoer NOT be expecting? What have I NOT seen before?”

The great thing about writing something like this is that you already know what works and what doesn’t. And even better, you have can fun with it. Because if it’s not fun, then why are you doing it in the first place?

Perfect! Brilliant! Oh, wait…

Maximum Z creativity, Doctor Who, plot, Radioslot.com, scenes, screenwriting, story, The Script Adventurer!, writing
Not bad for a first attempt. Try again.

For some inexplicable reason, my brain decided to cooperate and I was able to navigate a somewhat twisty-turny route that got me to the end of Act Two. After some self-inflicted nervous anticipation, it actually worked out better, and admittedly easier, than I expected.

But all is not sunshine and roses. There’s one short sequence that still bothers me.  As it reads now, it comes across as too comedic, almost even silly, and it doesn’t seem to match the tone of the rest of the story.  At the time it seemed great, but in retrospect…not so much.

My first instinct is to dive in and change it. But before I do that, I need to approach it from several angles. Does it move the story forward in terms of plot, character and theme?  What other way (or ways) could this happen so it still maintains the overall feel of the story? How could this play out so it surprises and entertains  the reader/viewer?

Granted these are things that should apply to every scene and sequence throughout the entire script, but they’re always in the back of your mind when you’re narrowing your focus.

-As far as I know, there are still some slots for this fantastic opportunity. If you can attend, I highly recommend it.

-I recorded a special summer movie preview edition of The Script Adventurer! earlier this week with some movie-loving chums. It was a lot of fun, and will air Monday at the usual time (1PM PST on radioslot.com).

I also found out how to break the bonds of your computer and listen to the show on your smartphone. Open your phone’s web browser, go to radioslot.com, click on ‘Listen Now’, then click ‘Listen Now’ under the Talk Slot section. On the right side of the space marked ‘Now Playing’, there should be 4 little icons. Click the left-most one – WinAmp. And voila! My dulcet tones should be working their way into your earholes. Let me know how it works for you.

Ain’t 21st-century technology grand?  But sadly, still no jetpacks or flying cars.