feedback

Typing with frostbitten fingers

Maximum Z Battlestar Galactica, editing, feedback, goals, half-marathons, mystery, Netflix, productivity, rewrite, running, San Francisco, scenes, screenwriting, script, spec, story, weather, westerns, writing
Yeah, kind of like that
Yeah, that’s kind of how it feels

Technically, it’s not winter yet, but you wouldn’t know it around here.

32 degrees in San Francisco? Amazing, but true. Not to mention harsh, bitter and just plain unpleasant.

At least it’s not snowing. Traffic is hellish enough around here when it rains. I can’t imagine what would happen if Bay Area motorists had to deal with snow. And don’t even get me started on what some of the larger hills would be like.

So with several layers in place and a large cup of coffee at my side, I’ll do my best to stay warm while recounting recent goings-on from my slice of the frozen tundra.

-Work on the mystery spec continues. Page output varies from day to day. Have to keep reminding myself it’s an early draft, so everything doesn’t have to be perfect this time around. The “this plot point happens on this page” concept is already out the window, but for now, it’s all about just getting it written. Fixes come later.

-Notes on the western spec from friends and trusted colleagues continue to pour in. A wide variety of comments to take into account for that inevitable rewrite.

Several people had the same comment/suggestion about a significant story point, which has made me seriously reconsider how it plays out. I’ve been foolishly stubborn about not wanting to change it, but taking everything into account, the alternative may actually be the best fit.

-Slowly working my way through Season One of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA on Netflix Streaming. Worth the wait.

-Signed up for my fifth half-marathon of the year, taking place on Dec 28th. Which means I have to go outside and train. Safe to say that shorts will not be involved.

As much as I’d like to hit 1:50, I’ll be happy with anything under 1:55 and actually more concerned with not freezing my ass off.

Stay warm, friends.

Those two magnificent little words

Maximum Z confidence, encouragement, feedback, goals, kickstarter, motivation, movies, mystery, rewrite, screenwriting, script, spec, story, westerns, writing
...but not really
(…but not really)

Actually, those words are “Fade Out,” as in The End of The Script, but you get the idea.

You reach that point in your work, type them in, and hit ‘save’. You take a second to sit back and savor the moment – an incomparable feeling of exhilaration.

Which is exactly what’s happened with the latest draft of the western spec now complete (added bonus – slightly ahead of schedule). I’ll allow a few minutes of satisfaction as it heads into the next round of feedback.

As expected, changes had to be made and darlings had to be killed, all based on some suggestions from the previous draft and a little last-minute inspiration. The end result – a stronger story with the characters getting a little more dimension.

At least that’s how I’m reading it.

So rather than be concerned about potential reactions, I’ll be distracting myself by jumping right into work on the mystery spec. If I can maintain my writing regiment of “whenever I can”, I’m hoping to have a first draft done by the end of the year. Fingers,  crossed, anyway.

-If you can spare a couple of bucks, please consider donating to this. I’ve never been there and don’t live anywhere near it, but think it’s incredibly important to help small, independent movie theatres stay in business. There are two weeks left, so give if you can.

Seeking the feng shui-ness of your script

Maximum Z characters, editing, feedback, outlines, plot, problem-solving, proofreading, reading, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, script, spec, story, storytelling, structure, westerns, writing
A place for everything, and everything in its place
A place for everything, and everything in its place

Got some great notes for my western spec. Some of the suggestions involve significant moments I hadn’t considered – now I have to figure out where these should take place. A daunting task indeed, but also not too challenging.

It’s one thing to plot out a story, but knowing how to do it effectively is a little more complicated.

You can’t just throw stuff in there and hope it sticks. Information has to be doled out appropriately so it not only fleshes out the characters, strengthens and advances the story and the plot, and most importantly, keeps the reader/audience interested.

If you’ve put together a solid outline (as you should before moving on to pages), all the help you need is right there in front of you. Take a look at how your story develops. Do things happen the way you want them to, and do they happen when you want them to?

As you work your way forward, are you seeing potential opportunities for where something could be added or possibly changed? Would that scene from way back near the beginning work better somewhere later on?

Once you find somewhere that scene could go, is it a good fit within the flow of how the story’s developing? Does it keep that forward momentum going while providing us with some kind of necessary information?

Take the time to figure these kinds of things out. It may be frustrating now, but once you work your way through it, you’ll have a better script and wonder what it was you were so worried about.

Pause, think, act – OR – What’s the rush?

Maximum Z anxiety, encouragement, feedback, goals, motivation, problem-solving, proofreading, query letter, rewrite, screenwriting, script, stress, writing
One wrong step is all it takes to mess everything up
One wrong step is all it takes to mess everything up

As nice as it would be for everybody to get on the ball and work within our timeframes, it just doesn’t work that way. Waiting is truly a necessary evil in this business.

In our overeagerness to get things moving, sometimes poor judgment prevails, despite a pre-established conscious effort – “I’ve seen other people make these stupid mistakes, but that’s not going to happen to me.”

I hate to break it to you, but in one way or another, yeah, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

But we learn from experience, and move forward, knowing what not to do.

Most of the time.

The spectre of “act first, think second” can still rear its ugly head when we’re least expecting it.

You send out your latest draft, only to then see all those typos you forgot to fix. That query letter to an agent has the wrong name in it. Things of that nature.

Yes, you want to get things moving, but if you don’t slow down and take a good, hard look at your material, then you’re defeating yourself before you even start.

“But this is perfect!” you protest. “It’s ready to go!”

According to you, maybe. Many’s the time I thought my latest draft was the definitive final one, only to find out from outside sources how it could be better.

Don’t think something has to get out right now. It’s going to take time to get a response, let alone have things start happening. Better to hold off and make sure it’s the best it can be, rather than send something out too soon and look unprofessional.

Find a tone and stick with it

Maximum Z characters, comedy, creativity, feedback, jokes, mystery, outlines, protagonist, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, tone, writing
Something in this seems a little out of place
Something in this seems a little out of place

I used to dread getting feedback. It always meant having to go back and rewrite something.

Fortunately, I’m well past that and now appreciate how necessary both feedback and rewriting are.

Feedback makes you learn to value the necessity of hearing how somebody else interprets your work, and more importantly, how to be objective when it comes to really understanding what they have to say.

While working on the outline of my mystery rewrite, I looked for opportunities to put in an occasional joke (read: cheap laugh).

The problem, according to my top feedback-provider, was that the jokes, while understandable for their intent, were totally wrong for this kind of story. They make my protagonist come across as an idiot and the action comes to a screeching halt each time. And since this is more mystery than comedy, they shouldn’t be drawing attention to themselves like that.

There were other notes besides this one, but this one really struck a nerve – in a good way. I’ve been working on rewriting the jokes to make them a better fit within the context of the story, rather than have them be glaringly obvious and out of place.

As you create the world of your story, you have to make sure all the elements combine to make a believable scenario. This goes way beyond the story and the characters – take everything into account.  If something seems out of place, fix it or get rid of it.

And if you’re not sure, that’s what feedback is for.