scenes

Setting out in a new direction

Maximum Z comedy, creativeness, development, editing, ideas, originality, plot, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, subplot, Uncategorized, writing , , , , , , , , , ,
hikers
Aha! Just the path we’ve been seeking!

As part of the overhaul of the comedy spec outline, I’ve been trying to come up with ways to make this draft significantly different from previous ones.

I’d managed to work my way through one of the subplots, and was now focusing on another one. But something felt very…off about it. It felt too preditable, in a tropey, tired cliche kind of way.

So of course, it had to be changed. But to what? That required a little more thought.

I tinkered around with a few ideas. Since this IS a comedy, what would be funny? That inspired some new trains of thought, with ongoing emphasis on “different”, “unique” and “original”. Finally, totally out of left field, one popped and stuck.

Boy, did it.

The more I thought about it and considered the possibilities, along with determining if it fit into the subplot and the overall storyline, the more it seemed to work. I honestly couldn’t recall seeing this idea in a script before.

Okay. This new idea creates a new objective for the storyline, so now it’s all about the “how things develop/how we get there”, PLUS figuring out how to present it in a way that’s original, unique, and funny.

Some more tinkering occurred, and it was all slowly coming together. There’s still some more work to do on this part and the rest of the script, and that’s totally cool.

The finished product will be significantly different from what it was before, and that’s really what this overhaul is all about.

Sometimes it can be tough for me to discard ideas and elements from previous drafts, but have found that totally wiping the slate clean and starting anew, or at least really pushing myself to come up with new ideas, is paying off much, much more than anticipated.

-Can’t let today go without acknowledging the ongoing and unwavering support I’ve received from the woman I’ve been extremely fortunate to be married to for the past 23 years as of this Sunday.

Writers – never, ever underestimate the importance of a partner who’s there for you through good times and bad. They are one of, if not your most valuable resource, and make sure they know how much you appreciate them.

Happy anniversary to my wonderful K. Love ya, baby.

Out with the old…

Maximum Z comedy, crowdfunding, editing, originality, outlines, output, productivity, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, spec, writing , , , , , , ,

wrecking ball
Just clearing away some stuff I don’t need anymore…
Seeing as how I’ve designated this latest go-round with the comedy spec as an “overhaul”, it’s only fitting that that’s what actually happens.

I’d decided I was absolutely not going to use the previous draft as reference material. This approach was going to be more than just the slapping on a new coat of paint and rearranging the furniture.

Granted, there were some select parts that survived the trip from the previous draft to the new one, but only because they’re vital components of the story, which makes them still relevant. Everything else, however, would be fresh and new.

And as you’d expect, that’s been slightly tougher. Tough, but not impossible.

Developing changes in a rewrite can really test one’s mettle and determination. Sometimes I’ll feel stuck and think “How’d I do it before?”, but then I fight the temptation to dig up the previous outline, reminding myself I’m in overhaul mode. Looking at the previous draft would counteract what I’m working towards now – to try something new.

There’s always a different path to where you’re trying to go.

I suppose part of it is the occasional lazy writer approach of considering what’s come before as “good enough” and not really changing it that much, but if it were “good enough” to begin with, I wouldn’t be working so hard on changing it this time, right?

Some days I’ll produce a wonderfully long sequence in no time flat, while some will yield a meager handful of bullet points of important moments that need to happen within the context of that scene or sequence, and took a dreadfully slow hour just to come up with.

Despite all of this, the results so far have proven encouraging, with work about to begin on a totally-from-scratch sequence. Forward progress is slow, but steady – as it should be.

I suspect the end result will be significantly and pleasingly different from its previous incarnation. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

-two new items posted to the Maximum Z Bulletin Board!

-Screenwriter Kay Tuxford, director Prathana Mohan, and producer Edward Timpe have launched the crowdfunding project for The MisEducation of Bindu, a new and original take on the typical high school film. The script was a Nicholl semifinalist, so you know it must be some high-quality stuff. Donate if you can!

-Starting today and running until September 30th, screenwriter Max Adams is offering up a limited time half-off special on script consultations. Go to the contact link on the website to email her for details.

At least 11 choice “re-” words

Maximum Z ambition, antagonist, characters, comedy, creativeness, determination, goals, ideas, jokes, objective, outlines, passion, patience, perseverance, persistence, productivity, protagonist, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, self-confidence, spec, story, storytelling, stress, time, tone, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
teacher
No, class. “Relapse” is not one of them.

Progress on the latest draft of the comedy spec is coming along. Slowly, but still coming along.

Among the highlights:

–repairing the script. Previous drafts had some notable and sizable problems on several fronts, so this is all about fixing them, or at least figuring stuff out to make it better overall. This is the main priority.

–revising the story. Some of the scenes still work. The ones that don’t are out, with variations and totally new ones being developed and considered. A work in progress is a beautiful thing.

–reviving older ideas. I keep all the notes and items jotted down over the course of working out the story, so there’s always a few items worthy of dusting off. This time around is no exception.

–reorganizing the tone. Notes on a previous draft stated how uneven the story felt; like it was a few opposing ideas competing for attention. Currently working on streamlining things to make it all mesh better.

–refurbishing characters and/or their traits. From the protagonist and antagonist to supporting characters to those appearing in one scene, everybody gets some kind of modification. Some big, some not-so-big.

–reinvigorating the jokes. With comedy already being a subjective topic, I’m trying to come up with stuff I think is funny. Influences abound, and I want my sense of humor to be what runs that particular engine.

–remaining calm. Finishing this draft won’t happen overnight, and trying to force creativeness or rush progress is the absolute wrong approach. Preferred method – taking it one step at a time.

–resuscitating self-confidence. Writing a comedy’s tough enough to begin with. I’ve done it before, and despite a few missteps along the way, feel pretty solid about my chances this time around.

–relinquishing the self-imposed pressure. Naturally, I want to have a good, solid script when I’m done (hopefully it won’t take many more drafts). Stressing about getting to that point won’t do me any good, which leads to the final point…

–relaxing and recharging the writer. A good portion of my available time is spent writing or at least thinking about it. Working on it too much runs the risk of burnout, which would be completely counterproductive. Therefore, I allow myself time to simply step away and do something totally non-writing-oriented.

And when the time is right, I return to the rewrite.

Whew! Took me a while to refine this, but I don’t recall being so resplendently relieved to be done. Even better, none of it had to be redacted.

One curtain falls, another rises

Maximum Z comedy, determination, entertainment, fun, goals, inspiration, motivation, patience, perseverance, persistence, polish, preparation, productivity, project, pulp fiction, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, spec, story, storytelling, writing , , , , , , , , ,
stage
Don’t go far, folks. Next show is on the way!

Among the sizable slew of ongoing projects of which I’m currently undertaking, finishing the edit/polish/rewrite of the pulp sci-fi spec was pretty high up near the top of the list.

Mostly because it was something I felt I absolutely had to do; sort of a “get it out of my system” thing.

And for now, it is. Finished. At least until the next sets of notes come in and the whole process starts all over again. No big deal. Par for the course.

Overall, I like how it turned out. As has been the case before, it was also simply just fun to write. That helped. And some of my readers from the previous draft were quite enthusiastic about what a fun read it is. That also helped.

Even though the story’s pretty much set in place, every once in a while inspiration would strike, or a suggestion would be made, and I’d come up with a way to potentially improve a particular moment, scene or sequence.

So off it goes to some very savvy readers, and my attention redirects to the much-interrupted overhaul of one of my low-budget comedies, which has been a sizable challenge on its own.

Creating amazing tales of thrills, excitement, and heart-pounding fantastic-ness? No problem. Trying to craft a smart, funny story? A challenge, to say the least.

Then again, I do loves me a good challenge.

Just the tune-up it needs

Maximum Z action, backstory, Clint Eastwood, half-marathons, momentum, networking, notes, persistence, pulp fiction, rewrite, running, San Francisco, scenes, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, storytelling, writing , , , , , , , , , ,
eastwood engine
Clint knows what needs to be fixed

The latest batch of notes on the pulp sci-fi spec have been analyzed, some even incorporated, resulting in the latest draft.

Thing is, something still seemed a little off about it. But after having spent a good chunk of time on it, I opted to give myself a little break and skip jumping right back in, and instead put it aside to simmer while I focused on a few other projects.

A couple of weeks have passed since then. The time felt right. I opened it up and simply started reading in the hope that maybe the solution would simply present itself along the way.

A lot of it still held up. It’s still a fun, fast-paced action-packed story.

But what really stood out this time was how there was a lot of unnecessary text on the page. It wasn’t a matter of overwriting; more of a “maybe a little more than you actually needed.”

I went back to page one and started editing, line by line. A word here, a phrase there. More and more of my darlings were being lovingly obliterated from existence, creating a somewhat tighter story that didn’t sacrifice any momentum (so far).

Some of the notes also mentioned the occasional lack of information in terms of backstory. I occasionally have the habit of thinking I’ve included an important detail or at least allude to it, when it reality – nope.

Using this fine-tooth comb approach has also enabled me to identify and plug up holes in the plot. Sometimes I might stumble onto a minor issue I didn’t even realize was or wasn’t in there, and am able to take care of it. Again – tighter and continued momentum.

This draft continues to progress nicely, and I’m hoping to wrap it up soon – but still making a point of taking my time and thinking my way to each solution.

-I’ll be running the first half of the San Francisco Marathon this weekend. While a time of 1:55 would be great, as long as I beat the 2-hour mark, I’ll be fine.

-If you’re a screenwriter in the San Francisco Bay Area or northern California region, and want to meet other screenwriters, the NorCal Screenwriters’ Networking Shindig on Sunday, July 30th, might be just what you need. 2-4pm at Kawika’s Ocean Beach Deli (734 La Playa – a block from the ocean!). Cost – FREE! Drop me a line if you’re interested.