perseverance

RIP, darlings

Maximum Z Billy Wilder, determination, editing, perseverance, persistence, rewriting, scenes, screenplay, screenwriting, script, writing, writing process , , , , , , , , , , ,

One of my biggest challenges when it comes to rewrites has always been letting go of what’s on the page now and making whatever changes are needed.

It’s taken time to learn to get better at this.

Such was the case with the current rewrite.

I was going through the previous draft, marking up what needed to be done.

I got to a scene that I loved, but ultimately realized that it simply didn’t need to be there. Broke my heart to take it out, but I had to do what was best for the script, not me.

There were a few scenes that had to be adjusted a bit as a result of that, which in retrospect was a pretty good thing. Those scenes are now tighter and help keep things moving along.

And it’s not like I can’t use the content of the cut scenes again. They’ll just be stored away for potential use in the future – for this script or possibly another.

Cutting that one scene has also resulted in being more open to doing more with other scenes. I’ve enjoyed working with the mindset of “Is there a different way to do this?” and then exploring the possibilities. It’s not uncommon to go through several versions before finding the one that works.

Don’t know how long it’ll take to get through the rest of the script, but I’m quite happy with how it’s going. This in turn makes me want to work on it more, so there’s a chance it could even be done sooner than expected.

I honestly think the end result will be a much better script. All because I was willing to get rid of/change material I thought was already good.

Did it before. Can do it again

Maximum Z acts, animation, characters, comedy, determination, fantasy, notes, perseverance, persistence, progress, protagonist, rewriting, screenplay, screenwriting, script, structure, westerns, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The biggest note I’ve received on the animated fantasy-comedy is that my protagonist needs to be more involved; be the thing that drives things forward, and how what she does affects those around her.

The challenging part is figuring out how to do that while keeping a lot of important story details.

Challenging, but not impossible.

Just as I imagine this task becoming more insurmountable the more I think about it, I’m reminded that I did a major overhaul on my western that involved the same thing. The protagonist needed to be more proactive in driving the story forward.

The end result had A LOT of changes that required a new approach. It took some time, but I was able to accomplish that, and the script ended up being better for it.

No reason to think I can’t repeat it this time around.

Thus the revising is underway. Slow, but steady.

I’ll get there.

From the archives: A support staff of one

Maximum Z community, determination, marketing, multitasking, patience, perseverance, persistence, professionalism, relationships, representation, screenplay, screenwriting, script, social media, time management, Twitter, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
At least you’re a shoo-in for Employee of the Month

Been busier than expected the past few weeks with a lot of things related to my scripts: learning how to put a pitch deck together, commissioning concept art, and getting the ball rolling on the crowdfunding campaign for the short film.

Although exhausting (and admittedly eating into my time to actually write), it’s all necessary to help move things along. It also reminded me of the sentiment expressed in this post from May 2016.

Enjoy.

When it all comes down to it, you know who’s going to do the most to help you and your career?

That’s right. You. Nobody else.

Sure, there will be others who might be able to give you a helping hand now and then, but the responsibility of getting stuff done falls squarely on your shoulders.

This goes beyond just writing and honing your craft. You need to build up your network. Establish connections. Get to know people. Chances are a majority of these will be online and via social media.

Seeking representation or someone who might be receptive to your script? Do your research. Find out who’s looking for what. (And for crying out loud, DO NOT take the “Does somebody have a list I could use?” route.)

“But I’ve got no time to do all that!” you might protest.

Of course you do.

The key element here is time management. You already set aside time to write, don’t you? Well, you have to do the same for everything else. If you can devote part of your day to work on your script, then there’s no reason you can’t dedicate a few minutes to focus on your career.

A surefire way to give yourself more time – stay away from casual websurfing, or at least ration it. So much online material is nothing but a big time-sucking rabbit hole. “Just five more minutes” can easily turn into “Where’d that hour go?” Funny videos are all well and good, but probably won’t do much to help you get your career going.

On Twitter? Connect with 5 people a day. Interact with them. Ask about their projects. Make it about them, not you. If they ask about you and yours, keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm them with details.

Part of some online community forums? Take part. Ask questions. Start discussions. Get to know the other members. A lot of these folks will probably have more experience than you, so learn as much as you can. Very important – don’t be a troll.

Is there a professional writer out there whose work you admire? Send them a note saying just that. DO NOT ask for any favors right out of the gate. Establish a relationship. You’ll eventually know if they’re open to helping you. Sometimes they might even offer it without you asking. It happens.

All of these are going to take time to not only accomplish, but also to develop. Be patient. It will take time. You wouldn’t rush through getting your script done, so apply that same logic to developing and advancing your career.

It’s all on you, so make the most of it.

As determined as ever

Maximum Z ambition, blog, books, career, determination, disappointment, discipline, encouragement, frustration, goals, motivation, perseverance, persistence, podcasts, San Francisco, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, writing , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This is the 1200th post of this blog, so a little reflection is in order.

I started this endeavor in 2009 with the intention of chronicling my journey towards becoming a professional screenwriter. As you can probably tell from the lack of industry announcements that include my name or a script of mine, it hasn’t happened.

Yet.

Has it been frustrating? Most definitely. I’ve come close a few times, including having two managers and some of my scripts being considered at a few production companies. Daydreams of signed contracts and checks clearing were inevitable, but as often the case, things fell apart along the way.

I allowed myself a moment or two of “woe is me”, then got back to working on my scripts.

Like I recently wrote about, they’re significantly better than my earlier ones, and I’ll do what I can to make the next ones even better.

But for as many negative things that have happened, there’ve also been a decent number of positive developments along the way.

-publishing three books collecting a lot of the interviews I did on this blog

-being a guest on a friend’s podcast about writing, which led to co-hosting the next iteration of said podcast, and now being the sole host

-being invited to be a panelist talking about screenwriting at the San Francisco Writers Conference, then a panel moderator, to coordinating the whole Writing For Hollywood track

-writing a short script with the intention of actually filming it, with the wheels now in motion to see that come to fruition. Watch this site for the forthcoming announcement of the crowdfunding campaign.

It really has been a rollercoaster ride navigating my way through trying to make things happen. There’s been a lot of disappointment and frustration along the way, but I’m fully committed to seeing this through. It might not happen as fast or as soon as I want, but I’ve no intention of giving up.

Support from the screenwriting community has made quite a difference in helping sustain that. From giving and receiving notes to words of support and encouragement, they’ve all played a role in helping keep me going.

And while I’ll admit to feeling those tinges of jealousy when somebody else publicizes their writing-related wins and successes, I’m also extremely happy for them because I know they’ve worked hard to get there, and hope they’ll do the same for me when it’s my turn.

And I do plan on my turn happening.

Someday. Hopefully soon.

(Silent) wheels in motion

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Mega-shorty today.

A lot’s been going on over several fronts, including this weekend’s San Francisco Writers Conference.

Much as I’d like to announce these recent developments, I’m opting to keep most of it under wraps for now. Details and updates will be posted as they warrant, if at all.

Nothing earth-shattering or drastically life-changing, but there’s definitely some potential in them thar hills.

Still, pretty excited about all of it.