story

Returning to the sprucing-up stage

Maximum Z comedy, determination, development, draft, editing, output, pages, perseverance, persistence, productivity, rewrite, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, spec, story, storytelling, writing, writing gigs
painting
It’s going to take just a little bit more than a new coat of paint

It all started with a “Scripts Wanted” listing.

A small prodco with an even smaller budget was looking for a particular kind of script. I felt that one of my earlier efforts was a perfect match, so I sent it in.

A few days later came the response “Just not what I’m looking for.” A bit disappointing, but that’s the way it is. No big deal. I’ve moved on.

It was at this point I realized it had been quite a while since I’d actually read the script. As far as I could remember, it was in good shape.

So I read it.

The result? It’s better than I remember, and a lot of the jokes still work. But what it really needs is just a good, solid edit/polish. There’s definitely some fat in need of trimming, and a lot of that is just extra and/or unnecessary words.

The draft I’d been using for years was 109 pages, which is a little excessive for a comedy. I’ve completed the initial edit, which brought it down to 105. A more thorough red pen edit is underway, and after going through the first third, another page has been cut out, bringing the current total to 104. The hope is to cut out at least another 2-3 pages.

There are at least two sequences (so far) that need rewriting to accommodate some of this editing, and the solution to one of them (a key part of the story) came to me a lot faster than I was expecting. That’s always nice. There’s no reason I couldn’t be done with a much more presentable draft in a week or less, which is also nice.

Since this script is from way back when, it was quite the experience to look at how I used to write with the advantage of having all the knowledge and skill I’ve acquired since then.

Go through your own catalog of completed scripts. Almost-completed and first drafts are allowed. When was the last time you looked at one of your earliest efforts? How does it compare to your most recent project?

I bet it’s super-easy for you to spot the differences between then and now. You might be surprised at how much you’ve improved, or possibly even laugh at how bad you used to be. Happens to everybody.

Whenever I would pass this script along to another writer, I would always precede it with the caveat “This is one of my earlier scripts, so the writing’s not as good.”

After this edit/polish, I don’t think I’ll be saying that anymore.

Take us along for the ride

Maximum Z characters, comedy, craft, determination, development, dialogue, entertainment, goals, horror, pages, passion, persistence, plot, project, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, tone, writing
roller coaster.jpg
Hang on tight.

Here’s a two-part question for you. Pencils at the ready, please.

Up first – Are you enjoying the actual process of writing your script?

Sure, we all like “having written”, but what about getting there?

Do you get a thrill from figuring out your story? Mapping out the plot? Developing characters and crafting dialogue?

Do you get so engrossed and involved in your writing that when you check the time, you discover a lot more time has passed than you thought?

If you’re really excited and enthusiastic about your script, you’re going to feel that way even before you start writing it.

Now for the second part of the question:

Is all the aforementioned excitement and enthusiasm evident on the pages of your script? Could someone read it and think “Wow, they really like this stuff.”?

While it’s often said that you can gauge a writer’s grasp of the craft just by looking at the first page, you can also tell if they’re really into their story by how it reads.

Does it grab you from the get-go? Is the tone of the writing a solid match for the tone of the genre? This is not a case when “good enough” will cut it. What would you think if you read a horror that was “sort of” scary, or a comedy where all the jokes fall flat?

Exactly.

You want the reader to be as thoroughly entertained as you were in putting it together. You want them to be as compelled to keep turning the page as you’d be if you were reading it yourself.

A lot of the time you’ll hear a writer wrote something because “they had a story they had to tell”. That story was so strong and powerful inside them, they had no alternative but to write it out.

As creative types, that level of excitement and enthusiasm exists in all of us. We’re all eager to tap into it, but need to take the time to learn how to do it properly so it can be done in the most effective way possible.

Pencils down.

Knocked down, but not staying there

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Skating Waiter
Just give me a sec to get back on my feet. Bonus – drink remains unspilled

The Chinese restaurant script got the standard “Just isn’t what I’m looking for” response from a producer.

Years of experience has taught me how to properly respond to this kind of situation.

“Well, that sucks. Okay. Moving on.”

Thus the struggle continues to gain a new foothold on this constant uphill climb. But I’m in it for the long haul.

Sure, it’s frustrating to get yet another “no” about a script, but getting upset about it won’t do me any good.

And what better way to get over it than by working on something else with the intent of making this one that much better? And there are plenty of something elses to keep me occupied.

A revamping of the outline of an older script continues, with pleasantly productive results (along with some phenomenal feedback on the logline). More insightful notes have come in for the comedy spec. Setting up a few more get-to-know-you meetings with other local writers*.

(*A meeting last week with one writer about her current project resulted in me being able to offer up some suggestions to another writer feeling frustrated about his. He, in turn, felt very encouraged with a renewed sense of hope, and was excited about some possible new avenues to try. I’m just happy to help.)

Hearing “thanks, but no thanks” still stings, but only for the briefest of moments. It’s taken a very long time for me to get to this point.

A few months ago, all that pressure I’d been putting on myself just went away. And I’m a lot better for it now.

And patient.

Success will happen when it happens.

But having it happen sooner rather than later would still be much appreciated.

New steps on an old path

Maximum Z comedy, confidence, craft, development, draft, editing, feedback, fun, goals, outlines, pages, productivity, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, writing
road
A return journey to a long-ignored route

Over the past couple of days, as notes for the low-budget comedy spec were being compiled, I considered jumping right in to the rewrite, but instead opted to take a break and put it on the back burner for now. It’s been the focus of my attention for a while, and I didn’t want to risk burning out on it.

No big deal. All of the material will still be there when I get back to it.

So what now? Work on another script, natch.

But which one?

I just didn’t have it in me to work on the few that were still in plot-development stage, nor did my brain feel totally ready to tackle assembling the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle that is the mystery-comedy.

Since I’ve been on a bit of a low-budget kick, I delved into my stash of long-ignored stories to see if there was a suitable candidate.

And I found one. A comedy I haven’t worked on for a good number of years that would make for another great low-budget production.

It had gone through several better-than-I-remembered drafts of the outline, each one with elements similar to the others, but also with its own uniqueness. Looking them over, there’s a lot of material to work with and develop into a new version.

Plus, it’s a fun story, which is always enjoyable.

(Moral of the story – never throw anything away.)

Working on the previous comedy spec also helped boost my confidence regarding my comedic writing skills. It’s not perfect, but better than it was. There were already some good jokes among these earlier drafts, and coming up with new material is still somewhat of a challenge, but not as daunting.

So the next couple of weeks will be all about combining, editing and fine-tuning this story, and then cranking out some actual pages.

Exciting times, chums.

Break out the sledgehammers!

Maximum Z comedy, editing, feedback, networking, notes, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, story, Uncategorized, writing
renovation
Just like me during a rewrite

A few more sets of notes on the comedy spec have come in, and they are good. And helpful. Which is very good.

The value of having connections with experienced and knowledgeable writers once again proves to be a huge asset. Networking, people!

But back to the topic at hand…

It doesn’t appear that a major reworking is in order, but there’s still a lot to do. This is definitely more than just a new coat of paint; more like a thorough renovation. More than a few comments covered the same issues, so working on those and the resulting ramifications will be the starting point.

One of the biggest obstacles when it comes to a rewrite (for me, anyway) is that nagging thought of “How am I going to make this better?” Especially when there’s already something there on the page.

It’s tough to get rid of the old stuff. You worked so hard on it, and now you have to get rid of it? Or change it? Sometimes you gotta just jump right in, totally let go and kill all those darlings. Sounds gruesome, but it has to be done.

And as I have often found in the past, once those changes are made, the new version is usually significantly better to the point that you barely remember that much about the old one. Plus, making those changes gets a little bit easier each time.

Into the breach!

A few additions to the Maximum Z Bulletin Board:
-The filmmakers behind the short film Goodbye, NOLA have set up their crowdfunding project. Donate if you can.

-Author Jeff Guenther proudly announces the release of his new World War 2 thriller In the Mouth of the Lion.

Got something you’d like to promote? Drop me a line.