Back to the Future

Ambition, expectations and that sort of thing

Maximum Z Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, screenwriting, Star Wars, story
Great satisfaction comes from checking off each item

I want to write the next STAR WARS.

By which I mean I want to write an entertaining epic that appeals to all ages and results in an appreciation that lasts much longer than anyone anticipated. 35 years later and still going strong? Incredible!

I want to write the next RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

By which I mean I want to write a thrilling adventure that grabs you from the start, never lets go and takes you on the cinematic equivalent of the most intense roller coaster ride ever.

I want to write the next BACK TO THE FUTURE.

By which I mean I want to write a smart comedy that deftly handles one of the most complicated subjects out there, has a perfectly bulletproof script and is a textbook example of setup and payoff.

What else do these films have in common?  Sure, each was a box office smash. That would be nice too. High-quality sequels? Also a plus. But it all comes down to an original story that really entertains. Something the movie-going public hasn’t seen before and will remember long after they leave the theatre.

Difficult? Sure.

Impossible? Not necessarily.

Worth pursuing? Absolutely.

Set up, pay off

Maximum Z Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, rewrite, screenwriting
Yep. It HAD to be snakes.

I’ve said before how BACK TO THE FUTURE is one of, if not my absolute favorite script.  One of the many amazing aspects of it is practically the entire first act is setup, with the payoff throughout the second AND third acts.  I think it’s safe to say the story may be practically impenetrable, if you’re talking in terms of looking for a flaw in the armor that is it’s story.

While I’ve been working on both DREAMSHIP pages and the LUCY rewrite, I’ve been paying special attention to certain aspects in each to find out if there’s something that can be set up early, leading to the resulting (and satisfying) payoff later.  Hammering out story details during the outlining process has been extremely helpful.  It’s a lot easier to figure things out when you’re working with a scene of 1-2 sentences, rather than 3 whole pages.

As a result, planting story details throughout the first act hasn’t been too difficult, mostly because I know how I want them to play out as the story progresses.

Reading scripts over the past few weeks has been an eye-opener in terms of seeing who knows how to do this effectively.  Consider this yet another argument of why writers should read them. You should be able to see setup and payoff in action. It’s especially good when you don’t even realize it’s happening.  And take the time to think about whether the setups and payoffs in your script are just as effective.

Probably a good thing

Maximum Z Back to the Future, rewrite, screenwriting

It has been crazy-busy around our house the past few days, so writing activity was basically nil.

But even though I got the first three pages done since earlier this week, I noticed something rather important: they’re not what I need.

Since the story revolves around this one character, the way the story’s written now, it focuses on somebody else. Not the way I want it to go.

Imagine BACK TO THE FUTURE starting with scenes about Doc, rather than Marty. Sure, Doc plays an important part of the story, but the story ISN’T ABOUT HIM.

So now it’s back to the drawing board to at least reset the way it starts. It shouldn’t be that hard.

Then I get back to moving forward.

Not so fast, mental block!

Maximum Z Back to the Future, blog, characters, Dreamship, outlines, screenwriting, ScriptQuack, story

Once again, my productivity levels go up when I’m supposed to be doing something else.

This time it was V’s hockey practice.  While my incredible child was working on stopping shots in goal, I sat in the stands with pen and paper, determined to get through the latest bout of writer’s block.

I think I’m on my way.

I managed to come up with an exciting end to a scene that originally seemed kind of boring.  I came up with a better way to introduce the infamous bounty hunter much earlier in the story; this also necessitates and hastens the inevitable rewriting of Act One.  Which is okay.

But I worry the focus on the main character is being drawn away by the ever-developing subplots.  Granted, some of the short scenes I was coming up with are very, very short, but it’s really important that the reader/viewer is always thinking “Will Lucy succeed?”, and especially when she’s NOT in the scene.  (Case in point: I think there’s one or two scenes in Back to the Future WITHOUT Marty McFly.)

So for now, I keep plugging away.  I’m hoping to get to the midpoint by the end of the year.  There are a few weekend shifts as part of that, so that will definitely help.

-A very big thanks to everybody who took a look at this blog over the past few days.  I had a whopping 19 (most ever!) people visit on Wednesday, and that’s a lot.  I hope you’re getting as much enjoyment out of reading this as I do in writing it.

And as always, comments and questions are highly encouraged.

-I haven’t had a chance to start reading my Black List scripts yet.  That may fall under that weekend category as well.  Either GANGSTER SQUAD or THE 13TH MAN will be first.

-While work on LUCY is chugging along (ooh, a train reference!), I keep forgetting I have these great notes on DREAMSHIP from the fine folks at www.scriptquack.com (highly recommended, but I don’t think they’ve put up my testimonial yet).  I’d really like to enter it in next year’s Nicholl, so I gotta get my ass in gear and get to work.  Looks like I may have to go the Stephen King route and work on each one on alternating days.

That’s right.  This never ends.