rewriting

Questions? I got lots of ’em.

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Steadily working my way through an always-growing queue of scripts in the “to read” pile. Most are for pleasure, while the remainder are for notes.

A majority of my notes usually tend to involve asking questions because something might not be clear to me. This is all part of my effort to try to understand what’s going on with what I’m reading, as I try to figure things out and get a better grasp of what information the writer is trying to convey.

If I don’t understand something, I’ll just come out and ask.

It can range from “I’m not sure why this character was doing that. What was their reasoning behind it?” to “What’s this character’s arc? How do they change over the course of the story?”

Having the writer provide the answer helps them figure out the solution, or at least opens the door for them. More so than I ever could, at least. I don’t want to be the type of note-giver who’s all about “This doesn’t work. I think this would work better.”

(I have seen more than my fair share of notes that include that sort of comment, and I don’t particularly care for them.)

The questions usually come about because something wasn’t clear enough to me. And if I don’t pick up on it, chances are the audience won’t either. Everything we need to know should be there on the page, whether written out or as subtext.

If more than a few of your readers ask the same questions or make the comments about something in particular, that’s an issue you’ll definitely need to address.

A reader wants to like the script they’re reading. They make comments and ask questions in order TO HELP MAKE YOUR SCRIPT BETTER. As the writer, it’s up to you how to interpret them. Sure, you don’t have to incorporate everything, but ask yourself “why did they say/ask this?”

It can be tough to read your own script and see what works and/or doesn’t. You’re too familiar with the material. This is why getting notes can be so invaluable. The reader hasn’t seen this AT ALL, so it’s all entirely new. If they come upon something in your script that stops the read because it makes them think “Wait a second. What does that mean?” or “Why did that happen?”, then you’ll need to fix that so it addresses the issue and makes sure it doesn’t happen for whoever reads it next.

Sometimes a writer will respond to my questions saying nobody had mentioned or asked about that before, but they could totally see why I was asking. This in turn helped them figure out a way to make the changes they felt would eliminate the reason for the questions in the first place.

Which is why I asked them.

Writing this weekend?

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bask in that applause

Just a few thoughts to keep in mind.

No matter what you write or how much, be proud for just sitting down and doing it. That’s an accomplishment in itself.

Hope you have a great time and that it goes quickly. You should enjoy writing, and love having written.

If you’re editing and/or rewriting, be confident you can make it even better.

After calling it a day, reward yourself with a small self-indulgence. You’ve earned it. Cookies are good. As is a drink. Cookies and a drink, doubly so.

Not able to write? It’s okay. Schedules get busy. Do what you can. If you don’t write, that’s okay too.

Be careful about overdoing it or feeling burned out. Take it easy, recharge those batteries, and have at it when you’re ready.

Go get ’em, chums.

I’m rootin’ for ya.

That last burst of adrenaline

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A few weeks ago, I ran my first in-person half-marathon in just over two years. Despite the fact that it was raining for a good part of it, it was fun and I had a good time.

Added bonus: I always tend to get caught up in the energy and excitement of an in-person race, and this time was no exception. I even ran at a pace a smidge faster than I’m used to; faster than I ever expected to.

So when I got to the home stretch and saw the finish line up ahead, I kicked it into high gear and pushed myself to cross it as soon as possible.

Which I did, I’m happy to say. I’d beaten my expected finish time by about 12-15 minutes.

Suffice to say, I spent the rest of the day feeling pretty good about it.

(I also have a strong suspicion I won’t be able to duplicate that feat anytime soon, but you never know…)

This brings me to my current writing project: a rewrite of my animated fantasy-comedy.

Although progress has been a little slower than I would have liked, I’m currently working my way through Act 3, and making what I consider to be some solid strides. If I can keep my output steady, there’s a good chance I could be typing FADE OUT by early next week.

Even now as I develop, plot, outline, and then actually write each scene, the excitement of “Almost there!” continues to build.

There’s definitely something be said for how a writer feels as they wrap up a draft. I’m already aware of changes/edits/tweaks that will have to be made, so when I’m done, I’ll stash it away for a few weeks and shift to another project (of which there is always a few). Then come back to it with fresh eyes and a red pen, read it through, marking it up as I go.

All part of the process.

-Shameless self-promotion: my book GO AHEAD AND ASK! VOLUME ONE is available in both print and ebook. Want a signed copy? Let me know.

AIC mode – re-activated

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The past few weeks have been quite the whirlwind of activity on several fronts.

First and foremost, after much work and effort, I released my book GO AHEAD AND ASK!, VOLUME ONE. Responses have been enthusiastically supportive. Plans already in place for Volume 2, which is tentatively set for a late June/early July release.

In case you were wondering, there wasn’t any post last week due to traveling to help the inimitable Ms V wrap up her freshman year at college and transport her home. This also included my running my first in-person half-marathon since February 2020. Finish time of 1:59:06, which was much better than expected – especially considering how much it rained during the race.

But all this activity also meant I didn’t get much writing done, so now it’s time to get back into a somewhat normal routine.

As in – setting aside time to write, or using a phrase I’ve heard bandied about more than a few times:

AIC – Ass In Chair

I’ve got several projects that I’d like to work on, and the only way to make any progress on any of them is to just sit down and do the work.

However much time I can spare each day will be fine, and you can be certain I’ll do my darnedest to get the most out of that time as possible.

The results have already proven beneficial, including a drastic reworking of the latter half of Act Two for one script. This had been nagging me for a few days prior, and it felt great to work my way through to a solution that seems much stronger and more effective than what it was before.

I know all future writing sessions might not be as productive, but I’ll take whatever progress I can get.

Here’s hoping your upcoming AIC times are just as good.

3 months in, and…?

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2022 is now 1/4 over. How’s it been for you, productivity- and results-wise?

Are you making the progress you’d hoped you would? Any goals achieved or finish lines crossed?

If so, great!

If not, don’t be so hard on yourself. Sometimes things take longer than we’d like them to.

The important thing is that you’re putting in the effort, and that any progress is good progress.

It can probably said with absolute certainty that lots of writers started the year with the mindset of “I’m going to accomplish X, Y and Z!”. Like with most things, numerous factors play a role, so results will vary.

It’s great to give yourself some long-term goals, but setting up some short-term ones can really help boost your morale. Create goals you know can achieve, like setting aside a specific amount of time per day for writing and writing-related activities, or that you’re going to write X pages a day.

Accomplishing something is all about putting in the work, and that takes time.

Look at it from this way. If you’re not where you thought you might be around now, you still have 9 months to work on getting there.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

This applies to more than just writing a script.

Pace yourself. Know what you’re capable of, but don’t be afraid to give those limits a little extra push.

Good luck, and hope you have a wonderfully productive next three months.