momentum

Finding the right next one

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Progress continues for developing the story of the new spec, with a few important details solidifying, along with weighing options for the overall setting (Is it too familiar? If it changes, how much will that affect the rest of the story? Is that a good thing?)

But the one thing really coming into play this time around is figuring out the best way for one scene to lead into the next – to the point that it needs to seem like it was only logical that this next thing is the only thing that could have happened, and so on and so on. It’s challenging.

This is where watching films and reading scripts really comes in handy. Taking a look to see how other stories have accomplished this can make quite a difference. Granted, a lot of the scenes involve being set up earlier in the story, so not only is there a payoff somewhere down the line, they also tie in to how the story is developing AND move things forward.

A leads to B, which leads to C, which leads to D, etc., etc.

It’s also important to stress that the events of the story need to flow organically. B needs to be the only thing that could have followed A without it feeling forced or “this happens because I need it to”. Making sure of this is a big contributing factor to all the time being spent on the story.

I’ve discussed this with several other writers, and many said this is a positive thing. Putting so much effort into this now leans towards the story’s foundation being pretty solid, and establishing that steady A-to-B-to-C movement will help things flow.

Something else I’ve noticed in a lot of the films and scripts is that the scenes are VERY TO THE POINT. There is no time wasted whatsoever. The scene starts, they get to the point asap, then move on to the next one. I’ve seen the opposite in a lot of scripts, including some earlier drafts of my work. I’ll be making sure this doesn’t happen this time around.

Even though there is still a lot to figure out for this story, there’s also a lot coming together – at a slightly faster pace than usual, which is something I’m not used to. There’s even been a random moment of clarity or inspiration when I’m not expecting it, which is always great.

My automatic reaction to when that happens is “does this work within the context of the story and accomplish its purpose?” and if not, is there a way to adjust it so it does? Even if I end up not using it, it might still have the potential to be used in one form or another somewhere else in the story (or in an entirely different script).

And what might be the best thing of all is that I’m simply having a great time putting all of this together. Like I said, it’s challenging, but still fun. Wish it could go a little faster, but I think it’ll be worth the wait.

Just a little escapist fun

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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.

Perplexing puzzle pieces properly placed

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puzzle

Hope you enjoyed the recent interviews (this one and this one). While I truly enjoy being able to promote another writer’s work, I admit to having somewhat selfish motives – progress on this outline overhaul had slowed, and I was feeling frustrated about it. Anything to get my mind off it was welcome, and those interviews fit the bill.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely happy to have done them and am glad the interviews got the responses they did, but now it was time to turn my focus back onto myself.

When I took on this project just after the beginning of the calendar year, I figured this part of the process would be smooth sailing, and there was no reason I wouldn’t have been able to crank out a new draft by about this time.

Ha, ha! Silly writer.

When one sets out to completely redo a project, there’s a teensy-weensy chance it could take SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER than expected?

Shocking, but true. Exhibit A – yours truly.

The past few weeks involved deconstructing the story and attempting to put a new one together. Some similar elements, but many new ones. Every time I’d come up with an idea, I’d go about trying to incorporate it into what I had. End result – a lot more misses than hits.

This is where things started to get interesting.

I realized I was still clinging to too many components of the previous draft; the screenwriting equivalent of a new coat of paint on a house in need of major repairs. So I brought in the wrecking ball and tore that thing right down to the foundation. I knew which details I wanted to keep, but now just about EVERYTHING needed to be drastically changed. Somehow.

To avoid falling into the trap of lingering previous draft details, I’d constantly ask myself that magical question of “How can this be totally different from what it was before?”.

I interpret the idea of “totally different” as “total opposite”. Any time things seemed too familiar, my internal editor would shout out “NO! Turn it around!”, and I’d go back and do a 180.

The story was THIS before? Well, now it’s more like THAT. That initial portrayal of the protagonist? You wouldn’t recognize them now.

The building blocks were being formed. Slowly, but steadily.

With the story gaining and building muscle, the same couldn’t be said for the characters. They didn’t feel developed enough. Why do they do the things they do, and how does it impact the story? Doesn’t matter who. From the protagonist and the antagonist to somebody who’s only in one scene, everybody’s a cog in this machine.

Just as an example, I already knew how the antagonist’s story ended, but still saw their “why they do this” and “how did they get to this point” as somewhat lacking, which created more obstacles.

Using those questions and this “total opposite” approach, I decided to do just that and work my way backwards. Start at the end and figure out what would have gotten us there, and what would have gotten to that, and so on and so on. For never having tried reverse-engineering a story before, the results were pleasantly surprising.

Then there was the protagonist. I knew what their external goal was, but the internal goal was a tougher nut to crack. I took a closer look at the emotional aspects of the story. How would this character react to what’s going on? Is it what I would do? Is it what somebody like them would do? Do their reactions and responses seem realistic (in the context of the story)?

I went through what I had of the story so far, and slowly began to see that I’d already set up important moments along their emotional journey, and what could potentially be part of it. A little fine-tuning and things really began to gel.

Tinkering. Rearranging of scenes. Gaps getting filled in. Long-discarded material finding reborn relevance. Unanswered questions (for both myself and the story) being answered. Ooh, I could spin this around, and the new version works even better than before!

A totally new draft of this script is taking shape right before my eyes, and on so many levels. I couldn’t be more psyched about it.

It’s been a while since I’ve felt that electric excitement of putting a story together. Didn’t realize how much I’d missed it.

Sure, it took me a lot longer than I wanted to get to this point (emphasis on A LOT), and I won’t even speculate as to how long until the outline’s done, but I’ve definitely made some solid progress over the past few weeks, and the momentum continues to build.

Full speed ahead, chums.