story

Spark: re-ignited

Maximum Z animation, characters, comedy, determination, enthusiasm, excitement, fantasy, rewriting, screenwriting, story, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Despite how busy I’ve been the past few weeks, one of my ongoing projects has been the animated fantasy-comedy. It’s been rewritten and polished many times, but I knew it still needed at least one more draft.

A slow but steady influx of exceptionally helpful notes will make a significant contribution to this effort.

More than a few of the notes had the same thing to say, and after some intense analysis and evaluation, incorporating the intent of those notes into this new draft could have a major impact on really elevating the quality of this script.

I don’t say this from a place of ego or hyperbole; just about all the notes said the script was really good, but with a few tweaks and adjustments, it could be really, REALLY good.

How could I refuse?

Although extensive rewrites are sometimes necessary, going into this draft having a much more established idea of what I need to do – along with a few ideas of how to do it – fills me with a renewed sense of excitement and enthusiasm.

Suffice to say I am really looking forward to taking this one on.

This is the part of the writing process I’ve always enjoyed – having fun with putting it all together. It probably also helps that I love the story and the characters, and want to present it all in the best possible way.

I’m also glad I decided to skip this year’s contests because now I have more time until the next round of deadlines to get this thing into shape (along with saving a decent chunk of change).

The initial round of planning and outlining is already underway, with confidence levels running strong. Definitely looking forward to see how this all plays out.

No spit, but lots of polish

Maximum Z animation, characters, comedy, fantasy, feedback, notes, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, story, storytelling, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

After receiving several sets of quality notes on the animated fantasy-comedy, the task of applying the most suitable and workable ones into a new draft is well underway.

I had a strong suspicion that the page count would increase, which it has, but as I approach the midpoint of the script, its not as high as I feared it would be. What began as a 97 page script is now 103, so a final tally of 110 or thereabouts seems like a fair estimate. There will most likely need to be some additional tweaks and edits when this draft is done, but for now it’s all good.

What’s also been exceptionally helpful is that each set of notes has a handful in common with the rest. Those are the ones I really took to heart. If two or more people make the same comment, then that’s something you need to really examine.

I was initially concerned that a higher page count would be a negative, but since most of what’s being added in is necessary, I’m not as worried. For a story like this, including a few more details should work in my favor.

Some of the notes were about the story logic, the main character, and the world-building. I’ll admit that some of the points being made were things I hadn’t thought about before, but now that they’d been mentioned, how could I not see it? This is one of those times when taking a step back and examining the bigger picture really pays off.

I’m always a little cautious when I start a new rewrite or polish. How much is going to change? A little? A lot? Can I do more than just a metaphoric rearranging of the furniture? I find it helps to map out what’s going to happen in the scene, along with figuring out the conflict and how the scene fits in in regard to the sequence of events. I’m doing what I can to ensure that where and when a scene takes place in the story is exactly right.

It’s also been somewhat surprising to be able to come up with new ideas for a scene, either a totally new one or a new take on one already in there. A lot of the notes ask questions that can only be answered by creating something new that not only answers the question, but helps solidify the overall story.

I’m not usually one for deadlines, but progress is pleasantly moving forward, so hoping to have this draft done in the next few weeks, followed by cleaning it up.

After that, I’ve got a few ideas for what to do with it.

Embracing my inner Stan

Maximum Z adventure, Austin Screenwriting Competition, creativity, entertainment, fun, Nicholl Fellowship, PAGE International, pitching, rewriting, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, Stan Lee, story, writing, writing group , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic book writer while others were building bridges or going on medical careers. Then I realized that entertainment is one of the most important things in people’s lives. I feel if you’re able to entertain, you’re doing a good thing.”

That’s a quote from Stan Lee that has been ringing true a little more often for me lately.

When another writer asks me “What do you write?” or “What do you like to write?”, my go-to answer is “fun, popcorn adventures.”

Serious dramas, character studies, and examination of the human condition just aren’t my thing. If I can give you 100ish minutes of pure escapism, I’m a happy guy.

“Write something you would want to watch” I always tell newer writers. I go to the movies to have fun and enjoy myself, so that’s what I like to write.

I’m a member of an online writing group, and I always felt very self-conscious when I’d submit pages. Other members were PAGE and Nicholl-winning writers, and I’ve got an animated story about a young witch, her talking cat, and the state of New Jersey. Who wouldn’t feel a bit silly about that when other scripts are about dysfunctional families and dissolving marriages?

Interesting side note to that: some readers had a tough time adjusting to the fact that it was an animated story, while others marveled at how fun and creative it was.

I think it was going to Austin that helped me turn the corner on how I viewed the overall picture.

When you get together with a whole lot of other writers, discussing your script is an automatic part of the equation. I was quite proud of how my script had turned out – both as a script and for the competition, and wanted to convey that pride while talking about it. So I did. When somebody would say “What’s your script about?”, I’d smile and tell them without a moment’s hesitation.

It’s safe to say just about every reaction was a positive one. Each person thought it sounded great, plus a few “I’d like to read that”.

My current project is a rewrite of the sci-fi adventure. Similar kind of situation. Scientists. Monsters. Diabolical plots. Typical me kind of stuff. It’s still very rough, but you can see my enthusiasm for it on the page. Why not take it and run with it, head held high, so to speak?

I submitted the first ten pages to the online writing group, pitching it exactly how I wanted to, including the apt descriptor “This is a fun, silly romp.” I wanted the other members to know what kind of story they should be expecting. Hopefully some of them keep that in mind. It’ll be interesting to see what the reactions are.

Like Stan Lee says in his quote, I used to downplay what my scripts were about because I thought people might look down their noses at that sort of thing. But after seeing how others have reacted to my scripts and what I like to write, I realize that a lot of the time people want to hear that sort of thing. They want to be entertained.

There’s just as much of a demand for fun popcorn escapism as there is for serious drama.

I can appreciate the latter, but am much better suited for writing the former.

And in keeping with the spirit of the post – Excelsior!

From the archives: Writing in your own voice

Maximum Z audience, Billy Wilder, characters, craft, creativeness, development, dialogue, Marilyn Monroe, originality, professionalism, screenplay, screenwriting, script, Some Like It Hot, story, storytelling, style, subtext, voice, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,
“Hmm. Billy’s new script. Something about men dressing up as women to hide from gangsters? Hope it’s funny.”

I’ve seen a good number of articles and online comments recently about how a script should convey the writer’s “voice”. That prompted this blast from the past from June 8, 2018.

Enjoy.

“When I’ve done script notes for writing colleagues, no matter what the genre is, I can usually tell who wrote it – because of the way it reads. Each writer has their own particular style, so each of their scripts has its own corresponding “sound”. Or I’ll get notes back on my material which often includes a comment along the lines of “this sounds like something you’d write”.

This isn’t just about dialogue. It’s about a writer’s overall style, or how they tell the story of their script. You don’t just want the reader to read your story; you want them to experience it. Which can be accomplished by adding that extra layer.

Everybody develops their own individual style, and it takes time to find it. The more you write, the more you’ll be able to hone your writing to reflect your own individuality.

Just a few things to think about:

-How does your script read? Is the writing crisp and efficient, or are you wasting valuable page real estate with too many lines of  your loquacious verbosity? Taking it one step further, do you use the same words over and over, or do you relish any opportunity to give your thesaurus a solid workout?

-How is your story set up and how does it play out? Is it simple and straightforward, or complex and full of deliciously tantalizing twists and turns? Are you working that creativeness to show us things we haven’t seen before, or is just page after page of the same ol’, same ol’?

-Is it a story somebody besides you would want to see? Just because you find the subject matter interesting doesn’t mean it has universal appeal. However, there is the counter-argument to that in which you could attempt to have your story include elements that would satisfy fans of the genre while also appealing to newcomers.

-Can’t ignore the population within the pages. Are your characters well-developed and complex, or do they come up lacking? Do we care about them, or what happens to them? Can we relate to them?

-What are your characters saying, or not saying (subtext!)? How are they saying it? Do they sound interesting or dull as dishwater? Very important – do they sound like actual people, or like “characters in a movie”?

Remember – the script is a reflection of you. A solid piece of writing shows you know what you’re doing. Offering up something sloppy is simply just sabotaging yourself.

Who hasn’t heard a variation on the line about a script being a cheap knockoff of a more established writer? While I can understand admiring a pro writer’s style, why would you attempt to copy it? It probably took them a long time to find their own voice, and by trying to write like they do, you’re denying yourself the opportunity to do the same thing for yourself.

Or to put it another way: they didn’t take any shortcuts to become the writer they are today, so why should you?”

Just a little escapist fun

Maximum Z adventure, burnout, characters, concept, deadline, frustration, midpoint, momentum, outlines, perseverance, persistence, plot, productivity, progress, reading, relatability, rewrite, scenes, science fiction, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, situations, spec, story, storytelling, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Despite the recent frustration of figuring out how a sequence should play out, I’ve been having a good time with the rewrite of the sci-fi adventure spec outline.

I’ve been working on this off and on for a while – this is probably the sixth or seventh draft of it. While some of the details have changed, a lot of it remains the same. The core concept of it all was what appealed to me from the start.

I get a certain charge out of coming up with these crazy scenarios and high-octane action sequences, not to mention coordinating and laying out all the pieces of the puzzle that is the plot. I always tell writers to “write something you would want to watch”, and this one definitely falls into that category.

Although my stories tend to lean more towards the fantastical, I try to make sure the characters and situations feel real and relatable – or at least as much as they can within the world of the story. Despite the extraordinary goings-on, it’s still about how somebody reacts to what’s going on around them.

I’m currently at the midpoint, so there’s still a ways to go, but like I said, I’ve got a lot of previous drafts from which I can cherry-pick material. There’ll probably be a few more rounds of rewriting, revising, and reorganizing, but I’m still enjoying it.

It’s quite easy to get burned out from working on a story by working longer than you expected to, but I’m fortunate not to have hit that point yet. If anything, I’m more jazzed about it probably because it really feels like it’s finally all coming together.

Not setting up a definitive deadline for having a completed draft, but if I can maintain this pace and output, there’s a strong possibility it could be by the end of the calendar year. Hoping so.

In the meantime, still having a grand old time with it.

Hope your writing this weekend is chock-full of the same sensation.