Exactly how I look after finishing a draft, even though the flour wreaks havoc with my keyboard
It took a little longer than expected, but the revamped outline for the pulpy adventure spec is finally done.
As is my usual practice, I won’t take another stab at it for at least a couple of months partly because I’m feeling a little burned-out on it. This has been my primary focus for the past couple of months, and I just need a short break from it.
The other reason is I’m getting ready to jump into rewriting the Christmas-themed mystery-comedy. Notes are in place, so hopefully it won’t take too long.
But getting back to the outline, my original thought upon finishing it was the standard “It’s better than it was, but still needs a lot of work,” but experience has taught me that this may not necessarily be the case anymore.
I like to think I’m a stronger writer compared to a few years ago, so while I would never consider the material as it reads now as perfect, it may surprise me when I return to it as to how much better it is than I remember.
At least that’s what I’m hoping for.
On the other hand, I could read it and think “Where did that come from?”, “Well, that’s not going to work,” or even “Hmm. How much wine did I have that day?”
Taking it another step further, taking this break will enable me to pretty much forget a lot about the story, so I’ll be able to read it with fresh eyes and potentially come up with fresh ideas about how to improve it.
All things being equal, I like the way it turned out and am looking forward to getting back to it.
But first things first. Time to shift from the fight against monsters wreaking havoc to seeking out answers behind seedy goings-on in a holiday metropolis.
As you work your way through the various stages of assembling your story, how much do you take the audience’s needs and wants into account?
You’re obviously writing something you would want to see, but do you ever consider the viewing tastes of someone who’s not like you whatsoever?
While I may write high-concept tales of adventure that would definitely appeal to 12-year-old me, it’s also my objective to try to craft those stories in such a way so they could entertain anybody of any age.
(Strong examples of this kind of storytelling? Most of the Pixar catalog.)
Here are just a few things to take into consideration:
-Are you treating the reader/audience the way they should be treated? Which means with intelligence. I’ve always hated when a story feels dumbed down, and suspect most other moviegoers do as well.
-That being said, is your story simple enough to the point that anybody could understand what’s going on, or at least have a general understanding of it?
-Regardless of what genre your story falls into, how much are you taking advantage of the elements of that genre? Since you’re most likely already a fan and probably have a good idea of what’s expected, this is your golden opportunity to show the rest of us what’s so appealing about it. Play on those strengths.
-With modern audiences more knowledgeable and movie-savvy than most writers realize, it’s more important than ever to come up with material that’s really new and original. What is it about your story that really sets it apart? What can you offer that we haven’t seen before?
As we start with an idea, develop it into a story that will eventually end up as a script, a lot of us daydream about the resulting movie, and how totally awesome it would be for it to be a big hit.
We can just picture the tremendous box office, rave reviews, non-stop awards, a king’s ransom of a paycheck, being begged to pick from a smorgasbord of new projects, all stemming from this story we cranked out with our own little hands, now practically guaranteed a place in the pantheon of pop culture.
“Everybody’s going to love it!” you imagine.
The reality is – they’re not, and a lot of that stuff won’t happen. But don’t let that stop you from trying.
The best we can do is write a solid, entertaining story populated with interesting characters who find themselves in unique situations, and hope people like it.
Couldn’t make this any more Freudian without going NSFW
As the events of Act Three of the pulpy adventure spec outline slowly develop, it’s becoming more clear that retroactive edits/fixes/tweaks will be necessary for parts of Acts One and Two.
Act Three goes beyond making sure each of the main characters has something to do. The actions they take should be tied directly into the main story, represents them overcoming their own personal obstacles and wraps up their individual storyline, all in the most satisfying way possible.
Hence the need to go back and make those changes. The more I can set up and effectively reinforce each character’s storyline, the better the payoff will be, both for them and the overall story.
I’ve always stressed the importance of setups and payoffs throughout a script. Everything we’ve seen in Acts One and Two should come to its appropriate conclusion in Act Three.
I’ve read a lot of amateur specs where something is set up early on and ends up either totally forgotten, treated as an afterthought or pays off with less of an impact than it should.
This is what you’ve been building up to for the past 90-plus pages.
I’ve been invited to take part in The My Writing Process Tour, which is kind of a blog/chain letter thing. One blogger asks another to take part and answer some insightful questions, then link to writers/bloggers we’d recommend.
I was nominated by Henry Sheppard, aka Adelaide Screenwriter, from the Australian metropolis of Adelaide. He’s always offering up some fantastic material, including articles, interviews and shorts. Definitely worth checking out.
As for me…
1. What am I working on?
Three items currently hold my attention: revamping the outline of a pulpy adventure spec, the rewrite/polish of a Christmas-themed mystery-comedy and resuming the hunt for representation.
2. How does my work differ from all others of its genre?
Even though I’ve written in several genres, the one thing I always try to convey is a sense of fun and excitement. It takes a lot more effort than people realize to really engage a reader that way.
I want you to enjoy the story beyond just “this is good writing” and more like that amusement park thrill ride you rush to get back in line for as soon you get off.
3. Why do I write what I do?
My formative years were the late 70s/early 80s, so I had the benefit of being heavily influenced by the likes of STAR WARS, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and BACK TO THE FUTURE. To me, those are textbook examples of what smart storytelling should be, and it’s what I strive for in my own work.
I’ve stated before about being a fan of the genres I write, so not only am I trying to write something I’d want to see, but I try to create something I haven’t seen before.
4. How does your writing process work?
It all starts with an idea. Is there a story behind it? If so, what happens over the course of that story? How could I tell it in an original way?
Once I have a general idea about that story, including knowing how it starts and ends, I set up the plot points (statement of theme on page 3, inciting incident on page 10, etc), then fill in the gaps between them.
If it’s a genre-specific film, I try to incorporate elements that are part of that genre while trying to avoid tropes, or at least approach them from a different perspective.
I do a majority of my work in developing the outline, and it makes a huge difference. It gives me a better overview of the whole thing so it’s easier to keep track of character development, storylines, subplots, setups and payoffs. I won’t even consider starting on pages until I think the outline is solid.
Because of my schedule, I write when I can. When it comes to pages, I try to produce at least 3 a day. Sometimes it’s more. It’s gets easier the more you do it. They add up fast, and before you know it, you’ve got a completed draft to go back, edit and rewrite.
I’m also extremely fortunate to have several friends and trusted colleagues I can turn to for feedback. They pull no punches in telling me if something doesn’t work.
Lastly, I’ll rewrite and polish the script until I think it’s good to go.
Over there on your right is a list of blogs I think make for some excellent reading and advice. I’ve added three definitely worth checking out:
Bonus! If you’re looking for some reasonably-priced professional analysis for your script, you might want to consider:
-Doug Davidson’s Four Star Feedback. Doug is the only writer to win a Nicholl Fellowship with an animation script (2004), but he happily covers all genres.
Absolutely nothing is going to divert my attention from this.
As a screenwriter working on making it as a professional, that’s been the underlying message for every one of my scripts.
I strive to create stories so involving, compelling and entertaining that each one immediately sucks you in and grabs your attention to the point where you have no desire whatsoever to stop reading.
You need to find out what happens next.
This is what I want when I read somebody else’s script, and it’s definitely what I aim for when I write mine.
Throughout the entire process of putting a story together, from the first spark of an idea to finishing the so-many-I’ve-lost-count rewrite, it’s a goal we’re consistently seeking to reach.
Being as objective as possible, take a look at your latest draft. How does it make you feel? Do the pages zoom by, move at a snail’s pace or just kind of plod along?
Does reading it excite you? Make you want to keep going? Can you easily visualize what’s happening?
Do the characters seem so developed that you actually care about what happens to them?
Always be challenging yourself as a writer. “Is this the best it can be?” “How can this be better?” “Would I pay to see this?”
You want your script to be irresistible, so do what it takes and put in the effort to make it that way.
Anybody can tell a story, but only the truly dedicated are willing to devote the time to learn how to tell it in the most effective way possible.
Maximum Z 