protagonist

A lot of moving parts

Maximum Z antagonist, comedy, determination, development, fantasy, ideas, outlines, patience, perseverance, persistence, protagonist, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, subplots , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Progress on the new spec has been slow but steady-ish.

Biggest development was finally figuring out the reason why my antagonist is doing what they’re doing, and that in turn will have an impact on the rest of the story. Still working out some of the details about the subplots connected to that; some directly and some not so much.

As I work my way through all of it, more subplots for the overall story are popping up. It’s gotten to the point that I’ve put together a pair of lists – one for the protagonist and one for the antagonist, each listing their respective subplots (along with some important details about their storylines).

Both have grown exponentially, and I have to be careful not to overdo it. I don’t want things to get too confusing. The last thing I want is a reader to stop and ask questions, or have something left unexplained. Things need to be easy enough to understand, but not too simple. I try to make sure everything plays a part.

Honestly, this is one of those parts of the process I enjoy – just figuring stuff out. It’s a challenge, to say the least, but it’s oh so worth it to take the time to make sure all the pieces fit together the way they should. This probably explains why the development and outlining take me so long – trying to get everything organized and set up in the right places.

As I work my way through all of these potential ideas, there’s a good chance a lot of them will be dropped – wouldn’t be the first time – but it’s easier to cut and revise than to try and jam something in that feels forced. Sometimes I get lucky and discover a viable connection set up earlier in the story, which is more likely serendipity than me being exceptionally cunning.

A reader on my fantasy-comedy had commented there was a lot going on over the course of the story and they were wondering if I’d be able to pull off keeping things organized. But when they were done, they admitted to being impressed with how all the subplots played out both individually and how they all came together in Act Three. They could tell I’d put in a lot of effort to ensure that happened.

That’s what I’m going for with this one. There really is a lot going on for this story, which is why I’m really taking my time to figure everything out so it all works the way it’s supposed to.

Narrowing things down

Maximum Z acts, antagonist, ideas, protagonist, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , ,

Sometime in the fall of 2024, I started working on this new script. As is my standard practice, I came up with the main plot points and then started filling in the blanks.

Made some good progress – to a point. Act One came together pretty quickly, so now it’s all about Acts Two and Three. Those are proving to be a bit more challenging, so work has slowed a bit. But not stalled, which is important.

Part of this stems from not wanting to have things come across as too similar to the films that inspired the idea (so much that they’re the comps). Obsessing about finding the perfect solution won’t help, so I’ve opted to write down any and all ideas, see which ones are the best fit, and then figure out a way to put that “familiar but different” spin on them.

As is usually the case, there will probably be a ton of ideas that end up unused, but better to have a lot of those rather than fall short.

I already had a list of possible scenes/ideas, and have started expanding on each one while also considering how it could involve or affect the protagonist, the antagonist, or possibly both.

It’s also very important to not get frustrated about how long this is taking. It’s better to spend time figuring things out now while still in the early stages rather than have them cause problems later. Also good – not having everything locked in. Flexibility is a good element to work with.

And by coming up with a lot of ideas, if something doesn’t work in one spot, maybe there’s somewhere else in the story that might be a better fit. Wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.

I’m making a deliberate effort to really take my time with this one, and am confident it’ll all pay off.

A little re-educating never hurts

Maximum Z accountability, acts, development, draft, education, genre, ideas, outlines, patience, progress, protagonist, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, title, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’d already been working on the new spec for a bit when a friend offered up the chance to be a beta tester for his new screenwriting course.

It offers a lesson a day to help you get your first draft done. He admits the course is geared more towards newer writers still learning the ropes, but thought I might enjoy it – as well as provide feedback about my experience with it as needed.

I figured “Why not?” and signed up.

Just a few days in and I like how it’s going.

I’m following the lesson plan, which so far has involved the very basics – What’s your idea? Which genre is it? Tell us about your protagonist. Do you have a few ideas for the title? What’s the logline?

It would be really easy to blow all this off and just jump ahead, but I said I’d adhere to the guidelines, so that’s what I’m doing.

In some ways it’s helping take some of the pressure off and avoiding the trap of the whole “just write it!” mindset. Taking it nice and slow, and being slightly more reflective than usual is reaping some benefits. Getting the more manageable tasks out of the way has also resulted in a few more bursts of creativity – which is especially helpful as I continue to work on coming up with story ideas.

It’s almost zen-like in the approach.

I also like the accountability factor. It’s great for me to work on this, but I want to help my friend make the course as effective as I can, which is why I’m being diligent about completing each day’s lesson. I’d call that a win-win.

This is a 60-day course, and I’m still in the single digits and about to get into the outlining phase. Like I said, I’d already been working on this, so I have a lot of the first act in place – it’s the second act that’s proving to be the challenge.

But I’m not stressing about it. One lesson/task a day equals slow but continuously steady progress.

If things work out the way the course intends, then I should have a pretty solid first draft in just under two months, which is fine by me.

Then the rewrites begin, which will probably a totally different course.

There will be questions

Maximum Z appreciation, community, feedback, notes, protagonist, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing , , , , , , , ,

I’ve recently been involved with a few script swaps – some motivated by me asking for notes on a new draft, some instigated by new connections.

I always enjoy giving notes because it allows me to see the talent and creativity on display from other writers, and also enables me to develop my analytical skills which I can then hopefully apply to my own stuff.

Like I ask my readers, I try to identify what works for me and what doesn’t. Regarding the latter, it’s never “I don’t like this” or “this is wrong”; more of a “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here” or “I’m a little confused about this. Can you clarify it?”

The biggest contribution I can make is to ask the writer questions. Lots of questions. They know their story much better than I do, especially since they’ve been involved with it since day one and this is the first time I’ve ever seen it. That means there’s a good chance something they may think is obvious isn’t to me, so I need to ask about it.

I’ll also make suggestions of how something could be done – especially if it accomplishes the same thing they already have on the page, just in a different manner. “What if your protagonist did THIS instead?” or “What if THIS happened?”

Taking it one step further, I’ll never tell a writer “This is how I would do it” because it’s not my script. It’s their script and needs to be in their voice. If my questions and/or suggestions help them in any way, then mission accomplished. What writer hasn’t gotten a note that makes them think “I never thought of it that way before”?

Like with contest judging, notes are all subjective. You might get notes you think are absolutely 100 percent spot-on, and some where you think the reader barely made an effort. And even when a note seems totally wrong to you, it’s still worth asking “Why did the reader say this?” (AKA The Note Behind The Note). Is there something in what they said you could still use?

Remember: the reader is there to help you make your script as good as it can be.

Also important: no matter what a reader says about my script, I always make sure to thank them for taking the time to do it. Reading a script and giving notes on it is a real commitment, and they should know how much you appreciate that (along with offering to return the favor, if you haven’t done so already.)

Reading scripts is already important to becoming a better writer. Reading a script and asking the writer about it helps both of you become better.

Did it before. Can do it again

Maximum Z acts, animation, characters, comedy, determination, fantasy, notes, perseverance, persistence, progress, protagonist, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, structure, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The biggest note I’ve received on the animated fantasy-comedy is that my protagonist needs to be more involved; be the thing that drives things forward, and how what she does affects those around her.

The challenging part is figuring out how to do that while keeping a lot of important story details.

Challenging, but not impossible.

Just as I imagine this task becoming more insurmountable the more I think about it, I’m reminded that I did a major overhaul on my western that involved the same thing. The protagonist needed to be more proactive in driving the story forward.

The end result had A LOT of changes that required a new approach. It took some time, but I was able to accomplish that, and the script ended up being better for it.

No reason to think I can’t repeat it this time around.

Thus the revising is underway. Slow, but steady.

I’ll get there.