writing

Ch-ch-changes

Maximum Z characters, Doctor Who, rewrite, screenwriting, story, writing
Sometimes it’s necessary, no matter how hard you fight it

Working on this rewrite has definitely helped me improve as a writer.

I started the process thinking “Okay. I’ll change what I have to in order to make this better.”

But the more I worked on it, the more I thought “I like it the way it is. Maybe I don’t have to change anything.”

Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!

The whole point of the rewrite is to CHANGE IT TO MAKE IT BETTER. Look for ways to improve what’s already there.

Maybe it’s something small, or maybe it’s something that completely changes the dynamic, but no matter what, you do what’s necessary to make your script stronger.  Even if you don’t want to, which makes it that much harder.

Case in point: DREAMSHIP has a supporting character I love. He was a blast to write, and I thought he had a pretty solid backstory, but some high-quality feedback opened my eyes to the fact that there needed to be more to him. How could I fix that? I ran through various scenarios until I found what I needed: flip his personality around.

And much to my amazement, everything I had come up with before not only still worked, but now even more so. He’s got more depth as a character, including a more satisfying arc, and I’ll be able to create more conflict with him in later scenes.

Lesson learned: I didn’t want to change something I considered ‘just fine the way it is,’ but I had to accept that those changes had to be made. Sure, they were hard to deal with at first, but they improved the story.

Now I’m not as hesitant about making changes, and my script is that much better for it.

Busy, busy, busy!

Maximum Z multitasking, outlines, reading, rewrite, running, screenwriting, writing
Sometimes it can feel like this

September is starting off with a lot going on for yours truly.

-We’re in the process of relocating (staying in our much beloved City by the Bay, but changing addresses), so most spare time is dedicated to purging all unwanted stuff, and boxing and transporting what we can to the new place until the movers come later this month.

-I offered to read somebody’s script and make comments/suggestions. Really should get started on that.

-V’s super-busy with soccer, so I wear my chauffeur hat 2 afternoons a week. Nothing like mapping out the rewrite of an outline while sitting in a parked car. Being plugged into Pandora helps.

-I’ve got a half-marathon coming up on Sept 16 (The Giant Race) and another in L.A. at the end of October. I’m averaging about 9 minutes a mile, which isn’t bad, but I’d like to break 1:55, so I train when I can.

Suffice to say, my plate’s a little on the full side for the next few weeks, so progress has been slowed. It’s too difficult to say when I expect to be done with the DREAMSHIP rewrite. Wish I could devote more time to it, but I do what I can.

Do you have a lot going on? How do you handle it? Curious to know how others divvy up their time.

-Oops. Almost forgot. V’s working on her first book report – Book One of LEMONY SNICKET’S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. She really likes it; even quietly admitted she liked reading. We couldn’t be more thrilled.

I suspected this would happen

Maximum Z baking, creativity, rewrite, screenwriting, script, writing
Baklava has nothing to do with this post, but I could really go for some right about now

My creativeness did it again.

Looking over those notes* I got the other day has triggered the inevitable: more ideas for more scenes, or at least trying a new approach in some of them.

I originally thought the necessary rewrites would be quick and painless.

Ha. Silly boy.

The more I think about how to implement the suggestions from those notes, the more I devise potential alternate ways of telling the story while still keeping everything intact.

As always, it’s all about making the story stronger.

Going through this process also reminds me I don’t have to be hesitant to change things around. Chances are I could come up with something even better. Never know if I don’t try, right?

Most importantly, I want to avoid that burned-out feeling I was getting as I neared the end of the edits and polishes the last time around. If this ever starts to feel like work, then it’s time for a short break.

Which, knowing me, would probably trigger more ideas.

*Can’t believe I forgot to mention where I got the notes – right here. Definitely worth your while.

Not done yet

Maximum Z feedback, rewrite, screenwriting, writing
Into the breach! Again!

Time to take a little break from working on this outline. I got some really good notes back on DREAMSHIP from a highly recommended reader, and he did a great job of pointing out what works and what doesn’t. So the next couple of weeks will be devoted to making changes where necessary.

My initial thoughts were along the lines of “This is going to take FOREVER!” But taking another look at his comments, it might not be as big a hurdle as I thought. There are definitely some parts that need work, or at least a little creative tinkering, which I think I can handle.

And it probably goes without saying that the query letter stage is also on hold for the time being. For now, it’s all about making the script better.

After I sent him the script, I admit I succumbed to that short-lived fantasy of getting notes consisting of “This is terrific! Don’t change a thing!” Who hasn’t?

But I’m also realistic about this, so I was relieved he didn’t say “This sucks,” or words to that effect. When the first part of the summary reads “A lot of good stuff here,” that’s a sort of mini-vindication for my time and effort.

Part of me was dreading having to go through another rewrite or three, but there are countless stories of working writers having to churn out dozens of rewrites in order to make the script better, so if this is what I have to do to move things forward, so be it.  The more I can do to hone my craft, the better.

Not gonna lie. There was a brief period of “woe is me”, complete with an air of melancholy, but I’m over it now.

Nobody said this was going to be easy. And it isn’t. And there’s no way I’m going to stop trying, either.

Color me pleasantly surprised

Maximum Z action, adventure, characters, creativity, ideas, outlines, plot, screenwriting, story, subplot, westerns, writing
Totally wasn’t expecting that

Since figuring my way through the climactic portion of Act Three is still stressing out my creativeness, I did what any good writer would do in this situation: go back to the beginning and edit like a madman.  This will give my creative muscles a good workout while subconsciously working out the end.

Overall: the opening definitely needs some reworking, and there are a few places here and there that could stand a little adjustment, but for the most part – a lot more fun than I remember. Trying really hard not to sound egotistical, but I had to occasionally remind myself this was something I wrote.

Me.

Gosh.

Not working on this for so long enabled me to take a really good look at what I have so far. Interestingly, even though I knew what was coming, there was still a lot in there to make me want to keep going and see what happened next.

In all honesty, I’d also forgotten how much I wanted to utilize a lot of elements that make up the thrill-generating, pure adventurousness of the Western genre.  Those are definitely in there, with a lot of potential to be built up even more, but for now it’s all about the story. If that’s not rock-solid, then everything else is irrelevant.

The whole time I was looking this over, I found myself focusing less on ‘would it look cool on the big screen?’ factor, and more on making sure the characters were being proactive and realistically moving the story forward (especially the title character), and that each plotline was being established.  Maybe this is my brain quietly telling me my storytelling and writing skills are improving.

Something also very important to work on as this whole project moves forward – that the story grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go. But I suppose that should go without saying…