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From the archives: My brain’s helping hands are ready to go

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No job too small! (schedule permitting)

There’s been a slight uptick in my recent coffee chats with connections new and not-so-new. A majority of them have been of a more “just catching up”-type nature, but a few have included the exchanging of script notes and related items. That prompted the re-posting of this gem from July 2018. Enjoy.

Thanks to my ever-expanding network of savvy creative types, I get lots of chances to be on both the giving and receiving ends when it comes to reading scripts.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to get exceptionally helpful notes from a lot of really talented folks. All this feedback has somehow managed to influence my writing for the better, and for that I am overflowing with gratitude.

So the least I can do when somebody asks me “Will you read my script?” or “Can I pick your brain about this idea?” is to say “Of course.”* Maybe I can offer up a few scraps of advice that might somehow work to their advantage. If anything, I can at least point out where a fix in spelling or punctuation is needed. For a script, anyway. That counts, right?

*caveat – it’s taken a lot of work spread over a long time for me to build up my network and establish connections, so I don’t mind if somebody I actually know drops me a note with such a request. If our only connection is being connected on social media and we’ve never interacted – at all, you’re little more than a total stranger to me. So heed that one word and be social. It makes a difference.

I had the pleasure of such an experience this week. I’d connected with another Bay Area creative, and we’d been trying for a while to arrange a face-to-face meeting. After much scheduling, cancelling and rescheduling, we finally made it happen.

This person had an idea for a project, wanted to talk about it, and see if I was interested in being involved. I stated at the outset that I had enough work on my own for now, but would be open to giving notes – time permitting.

After the initial introductions and our thumbnail backstories, we focused on their project. I won’t go into specifics or details about it, because those aren’t the important parts.

What was important was:

-this was a story they’d had inside them for a while, and even though they knew it needed A LOT of work, they were still happy with simply having written it all out

-they were totally open and willing to listen to my suggestions. Some they liked, some they didn’t. Totally fine.

But the more we talked, the more the seeds of ideas were planted in their head. Even though a lot of the details we came up with, including possible paths the story could take, ended up being totally different from their original incarnation, it was easy to see that spark of excitement reignite inside them.

Seeing that happen with somebody you’re trying to help is more satisfying than you can possibly imagine.

We parted ways, with them really rarin’ to go and start developing the latest draft. They added that they really appreciated me being so willing to help out.

I just like doing that sort of thing. I never had that kind of person-to-person help when I was starting out, so why not do what I can for others? Granted, the internet and social media didn’t even exist then, so it’s a lot easier now.

I got a few emails from them the next day showing me what they’d come up with since our meeting. Same concept, but a totally new approach (and, in my opinion, provided the opportunity for a lot of new possibilities). This also included a more thorough write-up of “what happened before the story starts”.

Even though it can be tough to read emotion in text, it was easy to see the spark was still burning strong within them. The way they talked about their plans for what comes next, I could tell they were actually looking forward to working on this.

It was nice knowing I had a little something to do with it.

We exchanged a few more emails (mostly me asking questions about story and characters and them providing sufficient answers), and I wrapped up with “Keep me posted.”

Their response: “Definitely. Thanks again. You’re a good dude.”

That was nice too.

Temporary self-isolation. Caffeine optional.

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That’s a lot of screenplays being developed

Nice to be back. Hope you enjoyed the interviews over the past few weeks. Despite the absence of my personal anecdotes, I’ve been pretty busy with a few assorted projects, with rewriting the dramedy spec being first in line.

Earlier this week, Ms V had a soccer-related activity a little farther away than usual, so rather than schlep all the way home and back again, I opted to stick around and do some more work on the rewrite.

Fortunately for me, there was a coffee shop nearby with the always -welcome free wifi, so I ordered my latte, sat down, and dove right in.

Yes, it’s practically the ultimate cliche to work on a screenplay in a coffee shop, but honestly? It ended up being a pretty productive evening. Did some major rewriting of several sequences, cut a few pages, and came up with some new approaches to scenes earlier in the story. Definitely a solid use of my time.

Even though I have an actual office space for writing at home, sometimes being outside of the house proves to be just as beneficial. Maybe it’s the ability to focus squarely on the writing. No distractions like laundry or having to take the dog outside.

I also find that when I work somewhere else, I’m a lot less likely to screw around and waste time online. Social media and email get put on hold, and all attention is focused on the work. It helps you get a lot more done than you realize.

This is also where the wifi angle factors in. Listening to music while I write helps me think. It acts as a kind of a white noise and counters all the potentially distracting sounds being generated around me. Being able to stream it comes in mighty handy.

Another benefit – the coffee. Sure, I can make it myself at home, but a barista-prepared drink always seems to taste a little better.

No matter where you get your writing done, the important thing is to find a location that works best for you (and there might even be more than one) and provides you with the best opportunities to get the work done.

I don’t usually ask other writers about their actual writing habits and situations. Some might thrive in their home work space, while others wouldn’t think of ever writing anywhere but at the local library or their neighborhood coffee joint of preference. But I’ll admit to being curious about it. Feel free to mention it in the Comments section down below.

(Need a last-minute gift for that screenwriter in your life? How about a gift card to their local coffee shop? National chains or local, doesn’t matter. It would be very well-received.)