strategy

Change: embraced

Maximum Z crowdfunding, determination, development, editing, progress, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, strategy, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ping-ponging between my three projects continues, with a little bit of progress for each.

A lot of this whole endeavor comes down to not only rewriting, but how each rewrite is put together. What to keep, what to cut, and most importantly: what to change.

For the most part, there’s nothing huge or drastic, but just enough to make a difference.

Is this scene necessary, and if so, where does it fit best into the story?

Is there a different way to present it so it’s not the same as its previous version but still accomplishes what it’s meant to?

What would be a more effective way to show the protagonist in action while driving the story, but also reinforces their arc?

Notes for each project are dotted with questions that need addressing (e.g. WHY DOES SHE DO THAT? WHICH IS SHE MORE LIKELY TO DO?, etc.) – all with the intent of helping me figure things out.

Also very helpful – a collection of notes from readers with questions, comments, and suggestions. Some have had quite a lasting impact.

It’s becoming easier to make these changes. Some long-term darlings have been sacrificed, all for the greater good – resulting in what is hopefully a better and stronger story.

It’ll be interesting to see what the end result for each project is, with every day seeing a few steps forward.

–

Good news for the crowdfunding of my short film SHECKY! We hit our initial goal, which was all about post-production. There are still a few weeks left, so a stretch goal has been added with whatever’s raised going towards helping out with film festival fees.

All the tier rewards remain in place, with the addition of a new one that includes a personalized video of me telling you a terrible joke. And in case that sounds weird, it’s keeping with the style of the short’s story.

So if you’re a supporter of indie filmmaking, the telling of terrible jokes, and the screenwriting community, I hope you can chip in. Every dollar really does make a difference.

Thanks!

Not perfect. Just written.

Maximum Z action, comedy, draft, education, outlines, perseverance, persistence, rewriting, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, spec, story, strategy, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Some decent progress this week on two of my three big projects for this year.

The one that really resonates is the continuing work on the outline for the new action-comedy spec. Came up with a few more scenes and sequences, while the laborious task looms of fitting them all together in the most effective way.

But something became very obvious while working on one sequence:

Too much effort was going into the details of the scene, and not enough on “what’s the point of this scene?” I was creating more work for myself than necessary, trying to get everything right the first time out.

Silly writer. That’s what rewrites are for!

One of the most important parts of the first draft is just to get the damned thing written. There’ll be lots of work down the road, so why stress about something that’ll most likely be changed in one way or another?

This has really helped my frame of mind. There’s still a ways to go, but the road feels a little smoother.

On top of that, while taking a few breaks along the way by watching some personal favorite films, I noticed how so many scenes really adhere to the “get in late, make the point, move on to the next one.”

I’m going to try and apply that to how I put scenes in the outline together, and then refine it even more as I move on to actual pages.

There’s always something new to learn, and this is no exception.

-Crowdfunding for post-production of my short film SHECKY continues! We’re at 73%, with just under a month to go. Hope you can chip in – and take your pick from some sweet tier rewards!

…and looking ahead

Maximum Z action, Back to the Future, comedy, community, crowdfunding, determination, development, fantasy, feedback, perseverance, persistence, post-production, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, spec, story, strategy, thriller, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last week was all about 2025.

This week, to paraphrase the words of Dr Emmett L Brown, we plan for… the future!

-First and foremost, nailing down the story of the new action-comedy spec, and churning out at least 1-2 drafts. I’d say it’s about 2/3 of the way there. Still some details to work out, but I like how it’s developing.

Also nice – several readers have already volunteered their services to give it a look and subsequently tear it apart. In a helpfully critical way, of course.

-The other big thing is doing a major polish/revision on my western and fantasy-comedy specs. They’re good, but there is definitely potential to elevate the quality of each.

I’m also very fortunate to have a manager who’s really psyched about helping me on all fronts, from feedback on pages to getting the scripts out there.

As last year wound down, several columnists and podcasts talked about planning a strategy for achieving writing goals over the course of the year. A few really hit home for me, and I’ll be putting my own spin on that approach.

Looking forward to seeing how it all goes.

-Another significant project for this year is seeing the completion of post-production on my thrill-omedy short film SHECKY. The crowdfunding is just about halfway there and as of this posting, hovering around 71% funded.

Several readers of the blog have chipped in, and I once again put out a sincere request to anybody else who can contribute and is willing to do so. This is a long-in-development project for me, so any help I can get to reach that finish line is highly appreciated.

There are also some fantastic tier rewards, including invaluable feedback on scripts, directing reels, and acting reels. Click on the link above to take a look around and see if anything strikes your fancy.

-Lastly, my hosting of The Creative Writing Life Podcast continues. Guests are already lined up into February, and I’ll see what I can do about finally adding some theme music.

Those are the big ones for the next 12 months, and no doubt other things will show up.

Exciting times are ahead, chums. Make your 2026 as amazing as you want it to be.

Planning ahead

Maximum Z action, Austin Film Festival, comedy, contests, determination, feedback, notes, perseverance, persistence, rewrite, screenplay, screenwriting, script, spec, strategy , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The aftermath of last week’s post about my more-than-questionable notes from Austin, along with a few sets of quality notes from actual humans, AKA trusted colleagues, on that script and another one, has made me realize that both scripts are pretty good, but have a lot of potential to be much, much better.

A lot of my focus these days is regarding the new action-comedy spec (which has seen some good progress over this past week), but after much consideration, I’ve concluded that it would be in my best interest in 2026 to not only get that one into fighting shape, but to also do some major work on the other two.

These rewrites will be especially challenging because this is when “kill your darlings” and “embrace the change” will be at the forefront of this strategy. I’m going to get in the mindset of being totally willing to make whatever changes are needed – but nothing too drastic. I don’t want to lose what was appealing about them in the first place.

There are still some notes to come in, but come January 1st, each day will see some kind of work on one of those scripts. Until then, it’s all about the new spec with the hope that I have a semi-decent outline by the end of this year.

Another aspect of this undertaking is totally skipping contests. I’d already drastically cut back, so this isn’t too much of a change. Better to have some really solid scripts ready for the following year, or at least as better samples for my manager to put out there.

I was initially hesitant to give this a try, but a very talented writer I know gave this a try and had some pretty amazing results. Not that I expect the same, but there’s no reason this will not only help my scripts improve, but also my overall writing skills. And it’s significantly better than not doing anything.

Fingers, as always, will be firmly crossed.

No restraints! (up to a point)

Maximum Z action, comedy, community, development, outlines, problem-solving, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, sequence, short films, spec, story, strategy , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

While my short film is now in the hands of the editor, that allows me more time to get back to working on the outline for the new action-comedy spec.

It’s coming along, but choices have had to be made in terms of how far to take things regarding the story and how things play out.

Do I play it safe and hold back, or do I throw caution to the wind and go all out?

Believe it or not, this was a tougher decision than expected. I don’t want to overdo it, but I also don’t want things to be boring. There’s pushing the envelope, and then there’s way over the top.

But then again, this is an ACTION-COMEDY, with an emphasis on both parts, so maybe there’s some kind of middle ground that would work.

It also helped to get the opinions of a few other writers, who all said for this kind of story, you pretty much have to ramp things up, but to also not let things get out of control, which makes it feel like you’re throwing everything at the wall, which reeks of desperation – which I do not like, or want.

What I do want is for the reader/audience to really get the impact of everything that happens because it all works within the context of the story while also reinforcing/supporting the action and comedy. Not an easy path to navigate, but I feel up to the challenge.

So that’s the plan. Most likely it’ll be initially putting it all together in a simple and straightforward way, then go back and figure out the best/most effective way to have each scene and/or sequence showcase the action and comedy when applicable. Sort of “How can this be more exciting and/or funnier while still accomplishing what it needs to?”

I also suspect that once everything is in place, that’s when the real fun begins. Even with all of this figuring things out, I’m really enjoying putting this one together and look forward to unleashing it on the world when it’s ready.