This (and last) week:
- Completed character bios
- Wrote most of the first act (or so I thought)
I knew something was wrong with what I had written. I felt content about my treatment, but when I began writing it all became mind-numbingly bland. The writing is the fun part so color me surprised when there was no spark. The robotic first act felt so forced that by the time I landed on page 20 I had what I can only describe as 3 pages of solid stuff. (Ooooh - pop the champagne!)
Time to crumble it all up into little tiny bits to sift through and rediscover what is actually working. Instead of band-aiding what I have written so far and forcing it to play nice, I will instead look at everything from a different point-of-view and begin the massive overhaul of every plot point.
It puts me far behind schedule-wise, so I have to work fast. Which shouldn’t be a problem since ultimately my only goal is to produce a script that brings me complete and unparalleled joy and a content peacefulness deep within my soul. The kind of script that, upon completion, I will want to clutch to my chest and spin around barefoot, squealing gleefully as “Lazy Days” blasts from a nearby speaker in the bucolic public garden where I soak up the radiant sun.
And I don’t think anyone would begrudge me that…
Monday, July 27, 2009
Matchy Matchy
My big screenplay issue now is that what I've written isn't making me laugh yet. I'm caught up in the older time period with very different characters from my past project (and I'm fairly certain that people were funny in other eras... I've seen O Brother Where Art Thou.) I'm afraid I'm making everyone too matchy matchy with only a modicum of difference in their personalities.
I also need to push more interesting events in the shops. And though Cheers teaches us that humor can be cultivated in a single large room, without the showmanship of Mr. Ted Danson, I’m twisting in the breeze a little here.
I'm at the end of act one now, but my wish list includes:
- Purposeful scenes
- Unexpected | interesting turns
- Genuinely funny dialogue
- An autographed poster of Adam Ant (shoot for the moon)
I also need to push more interesting events in the shops. And though Cheers teaches us that humor can be cultivated in a single large room, without the showmanship of Mr. Ted Danson, I’m twisting in the breeze a little here.
I'm at the end of act one now, but my wish list includes:
- Purposeful scenes
- Unexpected | interesting turns
- Genuinely funny dialogue
- An autographed poster of Adam Ant (shoot for the moon)
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Micro Managed Cluster of Excess Minutiae... n' Stuff
This week:
- Completed fine-tuning my treatment
- Developing character bios
So… it’s sitting there like an elephant in the room and no doubt your eyes dropped down to see that I was developing my character bios LAST week. “Why,” you may ask, “are you still working on them THIS week?” Firstly, I am not a machine. And B. I don’t like your tone (you’re not going to win any friends with that attitude). To be honest, I’ve been immersed in the critical step of getting to know the characters before I turn them loose for general consumption. I need to understand what makes them tick so I can dole out the really good dialogue. And don’t get me started on the naming. But relax, I’ll have it completed shortly (so you can get off your high horse).
Anyhoo, as for the treatment, I kept forgetting that “fine-tuning” isn’t writing all the actual scene details. What should’ve been a swift account of events became a micro managed cluster of excess minutiae. I think we’ve all learned a valuable lesson on the art of script brevity this week.
That being said (and I prefer to move on without belaboring the whole virtue of brevity in writing, except to say it is best to state your point and move on, not to dawdle and become verbose or say the same thing over and over numerous times) I spent a great deal of time researching the era that I’m considering for my screenplay. I’ve narrowed it down to a five-year period in the early 20th century. It’s hard to commit to just one year, what with the lure of the horse and carriage, World War One, prohibition, the founding of Dadaism, and, to cap it all off, a healthy dose of Typhoid Mary. Throw in shark attacks in NJ and I think we’ve got ourselves a picture!
- Completed fine-tuning my treatment
- Developing character bios
So… it’s sitting there like an elephant in the room and no doubt your eyes dropped down to see that I was developing my character bios LAST week. “Why,” you may ask, “are you still working on them THIS week?” Firstly, I am not a machine. And B. I don’t like your tone (you’re not going to win any friends with that attitude). To be honest, I’ve been immersed in the critical step of getting to know the characters before I turn them loose for general consumption. I need to understand what makes them tick so I can dole out the really good dialogue. And don’t get me started on the naming. But relax, I’ll have it completed shortly (so you can get off your high horse).
Anyhoo, as for the treatment, I kept forgetting that “fine-tuning” isn’t writing all the actual scene details. What should’ve been a swift account of events became a micro managed cluster of excess minutiae. I think we’ve all learned a valuable lesson on the art of script brevity this week.
That being said (and I prefer to move on without belaboring the whole virtue of brevity in writing, except to say it is best to state your point and move on, not to dawdle and become verbose or say the same thing over and over numerous times) I spent a great deal of time researching the era that I’m considering for my screenplay. I’ve narrowed it down to a five-year period in the early 20th century. It’s hard to commit to just one year, what with the lure of the horse and carriage, World War One, prohibition, the founding of Dadaism, and, to cap it all off, a healthy dose of Typhoid Mary. Throw in shark attacks in NJ and I think we’ve got ourselves a picture!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Singed Bangs
So far I have:
- Completed plot points|beat sheet
- Completed 3 Act|Arc chart
- Completed full treatment of scenes w|description of action
- Started my blog for fun and profit
I am currently working on:
- Fine-tuning and checking my treatment
- Developing character bios
I have found it painfully difficult to type up my screenplay and wave a lit sparkler at the same time. Fourth of July has been a challenge to say the least. The option to hold the sparkler between my teeth was even less favorable. [Mental note: Next year, opt for the flame-retardant hairspray.]
- Completed plot points|beat sheet
- Completed 3 Act|Arc chart
- Completed full treatment of scenes w|description of action
- Started my blog for fun and profit
I am currently working on:
- Fine-tuning and checking my treatment
- Developing character bios
I have found it painfully difficult to type up my screenplay and wave a lit sparkler at the same time. Fourth of July has been a challenge to say the least. The option to hold the sparkler between my teeth was even less favorable. [Mental note: Next year, opt for the flame-retardant hairspray.]
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