Monday, June 30, 2008

Page 40

Okay, it feels like a slight cheat, cos before I was halfway down page 36 and now I'm just at the top of page 40- but it seemed like a good place to stop. After a slow start, where I was wondering if I'd manage my four pages today, it all unfolded pretty easily. I have general beats for each subplot but haven't figured out where they're each going to fall in the script, so when I reach a new scene I usually have to stop and figure out which scene would be next. I'm trying to take some advice I heard years ago from an editor on a Vincent Ward movie (the one with the snow and the pilot) - Don't cut to what you'd logically see next, cut to what you want to see next. I wasn't a writer (or editor) at the time, but I've never forgotten that advice.

4 comments:

Benedict Reid said...

The Navigator. The boy in that, Hamish McFarlene, lived next door to a friend of mine when that film came out. I remember having a talk with him in which he said how cold and miserable he got. I belive I heard he became a second assistant director in order to make sure someone was there to protect the actors.
Not so much a comment on your writing. But it is my Navigator story. Good movie.

Helen Rickerby said...

Or do you mean 'Map of the Human Heart'? That's also the one with the hot-air balloon and the sex. I liked it at the time. Would I still now? Not sure.

But I think that's really interesting advice - and I think it works with other kinds of writing too. Cutting to something that might be a surprise, or might resonate or clash with what came before, but which makes the two things stronger together than they would be apart. I'm ranting a little now, so will stop.

But good on you for writing your three-and-a-half pages today.

Helen Rickerby said...

Just noticed that Ben said The Navigator is a good movie. I must disagree.

Sean_Molloy said...

Actually I disagree that it's a good movie. But I do think it's a good comment.

There you go, there are some movies I don't like.

(Although the Navigator does have good points...)

(It is an interesting film.)

Bah.

PS: Congratulations on reaching the top of page 40.