scenes

More like chiseled in frosting

Maximum Z baking, creativity, outlines, plot, problem-solving, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, script, story, writing
Didn't work out right the first time? Go back and do it again.
Sometimes you just have to go back and do it again

Y’know one of the best things about putting together a story?

If something doesn’t work, you can change it (and most of the time, the change is for the better).

Most of the details in my western outline seemed pretty solid, and they were transferring nicely to the steady output of pages.

Then I got to the culmination of a big sequence – it involved a shootout. Something seemed out of place. I read the thumbnail sketch of the scene in the outline again.

Wait a minute.  Where did the one character get a gun?

A quick check of some previous scenes. There was no opportunity for that happen.

So now I’ve got a choice to make: keep it as written in the outline, or try something different.  Keeping it would mean going back and changing several scenes, which could also potentially slow the pace of the story. I opted for something different.

The end result was a shortened scene that retained crucial story and plot points, which gave them more of an impact. I also went with ending the scene ‘bigger’, keeping with the overall tone of the story.

There’s a good chance this will also result in having to rework parts of the big finale, but for now I like the way it plays out.  Besides, there’s another chance for a rewrite for the better.

So even though you think your story’s ready to go, chances are more than likely you’re going to reach a point where something has to be changed, fixed, altered or just plain rewritten.  Don’t see this as a negative – welcome the opportunity with open arms.

You want each scene to advance the story in the most effective way possible, and now you’ve given yourself the chance to do that.

Ask yourself if this is the best way a scene can be done. If not, what can be changed so it not only does what it’s supposed to, but does it better than your original version?

Then do the same for the next one, then the one after that, until you reach the end.

Simple, no?

Going for that streamlined look

Maximum Z antagonist, creativity, editing, outlines, podcasts, productivity, protagonist, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, story, structure, westerns, writing ,
No, no. The car.
No, no. The car. Aw, never mind.

With most of the querying out of the way, I’m now focusing on two things: getting the podcast up and running, and fine-tuning the western outline.

There’s not much to say about the podcast, except it just hasn’t been a priority. I could have spent more time on it, but opted to get the queries out, which was very time-consuming. It’s looking more likely now to be a February launch.  Stay tuned for more details.

Regarding the outline rewrite, although I had a pretty solid outline already done, it still needs a lot of work.  Up first: tightening things up.  There are just too many scenes.

Using the existing outline, I’m now figuring out ways to move story details and plot points around so everything moves along faster.

For example: the earlier draft didn’t really introduce the villain until around page 17 (he’d been lurking around in the shadows up until then). I’ve since moved things around and now he shows up around page 4, which also includes a follow-up scene to show just what kind of a bad guy he is.

There was also the decision whether or not two scenes could be combined into one. I’ve gone back and forth on this. Scene 1 advances the story/continues to set things in motion, while Scene 2 provides some backstory about the connection between the hero and the villain. Although each has merit on their own, I’ll probably remain undecided up until the end.

Happy to say I’m still enjoying the whole thing.

-Movie of the Moment Two-fer!: THE OTHER GUYS (2010)   I don’t really care for a lot of Will Ferrell’s films, but this caught me totally off-guard. It was actually funny and had a good story. Surprisingly entertaining.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS (2011) Another clever film from Woody Allen. Probably doesn’t hurt that I love Paris too. Kind of wish he’d write characters other than those from the upper classes.

Ready. Set. Edit!

Maximum Z Aardman Films, editing, outlines, proofreading, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, writing
And I'm off!
Although the starter’s pistol might be a bit much…

My worries may have been for naught.

Fixing those angst-inducing scenes?  Not as tough as I expected. (Maybe I actually AM getting better at this. Wouldn’t that be cool?)

Final page count – 127, but the last page has 3 lines of text on it, including FADE OUT, so paring this down seems a lot more doable now.

So off I go to toil away with my trusty red pen.

In the meantime….what’s on YOUR writing agenda this weekend?

-MOVIE OF THE MOMENT – ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (2011) I don’t usually go in for modern-day Christmas movies, but this was an Aardman production,  which meant the writing  would at least be of good quality.

The plot – Santa’s nerdy younger son must deliver an overlooked present by Christmas morning.

Overall – fun, enjoyable, but not sure I would classify it under ‘the holiday season just isn’t complete without watching this’.

My biggest problem was how they handled the ‘all is lost’ moment at the start of Act Three. It felt like Arthur’s motivation was rejuvenated because the plot required it to be, not because of what was happening. If they had made it feel more organic, I would have probably liked it more.

Still, while some scenes fell neatly into expected/almost-cliched story points, there were others that pleasantly caught me off-guard.  I also liked how there was a lot of the wonderfully dry British humor (which could partially explain why US audiences haven’t embraced Aardman films).

If you’re looking for grown-up-friendly kid films this winter break, this and THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS would make for a good double feature.

Perfect! Brilliant! Oh, wait…

Maximum Z creativity, Doctor Who, plot, Radioslot.com, scenes, screenwriting, story, The Script Adventurer!, writing
Not bad for a first attempt. Try again.

For some inexplicable reason, my brain decided to cooperate and I was able to navigate a somewhat twisty-turny route that got me to the end of Act Two. After some self-inflicted nervous anticipation, it actually worked out better, and admittedly easier, than I expected.

But all is not sunshine and roses. There’s one short sequence that still bothers me.  As it reads now, it comes across as too comedic, almost even silly, and it doesn’t seem to match the tone of the rest of the story.  At the time it seemed great, but in retrospect…not so much.

My first instinct is to dive in and change it. But before I do that, I need to approach it from several angles. Does it move the story forward in terms of plot, character and theme?  What other way (or ways) could this happen so it still maintains the overall feel of the story? How could this play out so it surprises and entertains  the reader/viewer?

Granted these are things that should apply to every scene and sequence throughout the entire script, but they’re always in the back of your mind when you’re narrowing your focus.

-As far as I know, there are still some slots for this fantastic opportunity. If you can attend, I highly recommend it.

-I recorded a special summer movie preview edition of The Script Adventurer! earlier this week with some movie-loving chums. It was a lot of fun, and will air Monday at the usual time (1PM PST on radioslot.com).

I also found out how to break the bonds of your computer and listen to the show on your smartphone. Open your phone’s web browser, go to radioslot.com, click on ‘Listen Now’, then click ‘Listen Now’ under the Talk Slot section. On the right side of the space marked ‘Now Playing’, there should be 4 little icons. Click the left-most one – WinAmp. And voila! My dulcet tones should be working their way into your earholes. Let me know how it works for you.

Ain’t 21st-century technology grand?  But sadly, still no jetpacks or flying cars.

Not necessarily the slog I was expecting

Maximum Z creativity, editing, rewrite, scenes, screenwriting, writing
On the plus side, I’m that much closer to being finished

I didn’t consider how much work was in store for me when I started this edit/polish. Not to say I thought it would be easy, but I was ready to jump in feet-first and charge ahead.  At first it was extremely daunting. “This is gonna take forever!”

Fortunately, it got a little easier. Change this. Move this around. Words, phrases, chunks of scenes were being tossed aside. Doesn’t serve a purpose? Out it goes. Why is this scene even here? Why did I even write that? Is this fixable? Yikes! How can I rewrite this so it still fits?  Could I introduce a character here, rather than 8 pages from now?  All this and more over the past few days.

But it hasn’t all been stress and cartoony sweat drops.

Reading through the pages with a more critical eye has really helped me get a better idea of how to put a scene together. It’s getting easier to see what works and what doesn’t. Simply put, it comes down to “What’s the best way to get the point of the scene across?”

It’s also been surprising how I’ve become a bit more adept at figuring my way out of a progress-halting situation. Rather than fret and worry about how this is messing up my progress, something in my brain activates and helps me work my way through it.

I’m happy to say it hasn’t been as strenuous as I thought.  Then I think about whether any agents, managers or producers will like it

Now THAT’S stressful.