On hiatus

Till Saturday the 2nd August. Various other aspects of life demanding my attention.

(Insert Austrian accent here:) I'll be back...

Insomnia

Name of a great movie, and also why I'm not writing today.

Woke up at 1.30, 2.30 and 4.30 and then couldn't get back to sleep. Not really sure why. Sitting here having a crack at the script and can't focus. Could write anyway but I'd just have to junk it all tomorrow. Brain on strike.

So, sorry to disappoint anybody out there, but not working today.

Day off today

Got stuff to do.

Blog name

Am thinking of switching my blog title/url to "The Daily Screenwriter". Thoughts? Or better as it is?

Page 41 of the first half rewrite

Just to be precise.

Spent most of my session today figuring out what the next sequence was going to be. Have two subplots that need to be pushed further to a turning point that is currently on page 57. I think the idea I had this morning will work for both of them. We'll see. I wrote a placeholder scene that was kind of crappy for one beat I need, will come back and sort that out further down the track. This idea I've had is basically a sequence of scenes, I know I'm going to write them too long in this draft, never mind. Don't like my pages getting out of whack in terms of turning points etc, but realise it doesn't matter in the long run - better to write a scene too long, easy enough to cut it down later. Reordered scenes slightly too.

So, an okay day's work.

And more rewriting

Man, I seriously prefer rewriting... rewrote maybe three or four scenes. Came up with some tweaks that will make them work much better. Now have to figure out how the next sequence is going to work, as I'm realising I need a build to the next turning point that isn't really a build right now. Also have cut some scenes with a character that mean I'm going to have to create a new scene or two to bring that subplot back up to speed. It's kind of second draft within the first draft. Maybe I should look at rewriting as I go more often. Though it's potentially dangerous for me, need to watch perfectionist tendencies don't get out of control. So far not interfering with momentum though, just firming things up.

Am on page 38 of the rewrite, incidentally.

Bit more rewriting

And a bit of a mea culpa re focus - kept trying to decide whether to cut my session short to go see a film in the Film Festival. (Yes, I know, pretty dumb. Went to the movie in the end. No, not worth it.) Tweaked two scenes and rewrote a third. So, hmm, not that productive in terms of quantity. Should've got up insanely early in order to have a full length writing session if I really wanted to go to a movie. Note for next time.

However, was able to get some work done despite only being half there - I think yesterday I kind of cracked the relationship dynamic I'm working on, so today I knew pretty much where I was going. Even though not terribly inspired. In terms of the major scene I rewrote, it was mostly cutting - even though I'm just going through fixing up a subplot, it was like doing a second draft, in terms of having a new perspective when you revisit scenes. I realised that my characters were yap yap yapping about who they were and what their moral code was, basically - cos I was figuring it out myself at the time. Now that I pretty much know where those characters are coming from, I just cut all that out. So now the beats in that scene are just the essential ones to move the story along. Which feels much better. I realise that half the reason the dialogue in that scene wasn't working too well was that it simply didn't need to be there at all. It wasn't the characters talking, it was me talking, trying to figure them out.

It's possible some of that stuff will need to go back in later - but I kind of doubt it.

By the way - my (half finished) script is now three pages shorter than it was when I started rewriting.

So. Will be back at it tomorrow, full steam ahead, no split focus, I swear!

Lesson learned!

Comments problem

A reader has told me they sent a comment to my blog yesterday - but I never got it. So if you've commented and your comment hasn't appeared, that will be why. I have no idea why this is and am looking into it. If anyone has any ideas what might be up, or has made comments that haven't appeared, please let me know. Somehow or other.

Update: This appears to have been a login problem and hence a one-off. Let me know if there are any other comments problems though.

More rewriting

Quick post today cos I have to rush off.

Rewrote four short scenes today. It was really hard at first, I kept thinking about how far my script is from where it needs to be, and how much rewriting I've got ahead of me...

Finally got into the groove though and the scenes I rewrote are definitely heading more in the right direction. So I'm feeling okay about it now.

Day off today

Because it's Sunday.

Rewriting

Back to the script. Rewrote two scenes. I've got roughly three more to rewrite before I'm back writing new pages.

I'm finding rewriting is a bit harder than the original writing. Looking back over my opening and seeing scenes that really aren't working, ouch. Just have to ignore them and move on...

Might be getting RSI. Just some forearm soreness/tension. Anybody got any ideas on how to deal with that? I sit on a sofa while I'm writing and sit my laptop on my lap. Do I need forearm rests or something?

Happy film festival everyone!

Back plotting

Fairly productive day today. Had storyline notes for everyone except my protagonist. Had a look at what she's doing today. Came up with some things that tied things together, figured out roughly where she's going and what's going on in this sequence. I find that a lot of this is just painstakingly applying logic. This, therefore that. It's just that there is such a vast quantity of logical steps to make up the world/story that you have to constantly keep going over it for 'obvious' things you've missed. I am always pleased when I work out something 'obvious', feels like a solid step forward.

I wasn't sure I'd really be ready to start back on pages on Monday, but today that seems... not unachievable.

When I do go back to pages I am going to rewrite some of what I've done till now - I've made some decisions that involve changes earlier in the story, too many to ignore.

Blog was useful today. Really didn't feel like writing this morning, but if I had two days off in a row, what WOULD people think??

So I did, and it went okay.

Day off today

So there.

More plotting

Phew. Cut up my plot points, arranged them in subplot/character lines. You wouldn't think that would be that much work... but had to think about each plot point and whether it should be there. Came up with a few more too. Just working on second half of second act right now. Lots of stuff going on. Have more plotlines need to think about tomorrow. Feels like lots of balls in the air, brain really stretched! But all feels quite fruitful. This is actually feeling like harder work than last week, when I was writing pages. It's feeling more fruitful though, I feel like I have a lot more story going on.

Just reread that paragraph, it's a bit repetitive, brain fade in action I guess.

Me tired. Stop now.

Plotting

Today did some character notes on my romantic lead which led to plot points. I guess action is character after all. Have printed out the various plot points I have for the next section, tomorrow will be sticking them on a board and seeing how they work together. Have a few choices yet to make, couple of different ways things could go. Feel like I'm well on track to be doing pages again next week.

Plotting week

It's official - this week I am going to work on plotting rather than press ahead writing pages. Today I ended up making lots of character notes. Realised that my characters have been rather neglected. Came up with some good realisations. One of my characters is still very one dimmensional though. Have rethought one of the character arcs in the first half too. Not sure if I will rewrite that before calling the first draft complete, or put it on the backburner to tackle next time around. Don't like that plotting isn't measurable the way writing pages is. But at least giving a written account of it here makes it feel a bit more real.

Day off today

Need it. Brain, reboot now!

Plotting again

Today decided to take a break from writing pages and look at where the story has gone and needs to go. That has been helpful. I'm feeling more optimistic about this draft now. Though still have a lot more plot decisions to make before I go back into the draft. Will plot again tomorrow, probably. Unless I decide to have a day off.

Page 69

Halfway down. So that's three and three-quarter pages. Not very happy with how it's going really, having to make choices I'm not sure about, but I think that's what I need to do right now, just keep going till this draft is done.

Page 65

Three quarters of the way down.

So that's two and three quarter pages. That's all I could manage. I think that was because I had a lot of difficulty with deciding how the scene would go. Not sure I've got there. It's more of a placeholder scene, but it's a placeholder scene that will do.

I'm starting to wonder if the rest of the script is going to be slower, because I'm kind of moving into uncharted territory plotwise a bit.

Had a brief look over my script and was slightly disheartened that it's quite uneven. Though of course it is a first draft and all that. Just gotta get it done!

So, my midpoint is page 64/65. I think it will move slightly earlier as I redraft and tighten up the first half.

Page 63

Right at the top.

So. I'm back on track. The sucky scenes I wrote last time are still sucky. Have decided to just keep going rather than get bogged down in fixing them up. Finished the second one and it continued to suck. Oh well. But then I moved on and came up with a montage idea that I think will work well. Hopefully. At least it didn't suck as much as the sucky scene!

I think part of the problem is one of my central characters, I haven't really thought him through as a personality, what he wants, etc. But I think, at this stage, the time to do that is the next draft. Really don't want to lose momentum, as momentum is the thing I've had problems with in the past (hence this blog).

I haven't been reading through my script as a whole at all, just going back over the last few pages before moving on, but maybe I should. What do other people do?

mea culpa

Oops. No writing today. Entirely my fault. Bad planning.

Will be more organised from now on.

Page 59

Quarter way down the page.

Not so happy with what I wrote today. Those scenes need to be there but I'm not sure about the purpose of the first one, maybe it will actually need to go somewhere else, and with the second one, I'm still figuring out what the beats in there should actually be. Am at the midpoint at this point. Don't really like these scenes right now, and that's disappointing. I know it's just a first draft, but still...

I wonder if having a day off didn't help. I actually wanted to be writing yesterday. I think I will wait till I really feel like I need it before I have another day off.

Day off today

Cos I've written 8 days in row, so perhaps I need one. Maybe. Still working out how often I actually need a day off.

Page 54

The top thereof.

At this point am feeling a bit overwhelmed by keeping various subplots going and figuring out how much of what when. I could sit down and read the whole thing... but don't want to get caught up with liking what I've done so far either too much or not enough. Right now feels like the script's going to be way too long, at this rate. Although it's possible that I'm wrong about what my second turning point is, and that's the reason it's stretching out and I don't seem anywhere near my midpoint yet... oh well, will just keep going and see how it all pans out. That's what rewriting is for...

Page 50

Smokin'!

For the record, have now made it to the first quarter of page 50. (Maybe it's too obsessive to start recording each quarter page - but in the interests of scrupulous honesty, I'm going to start.)

It's all ticking along really well right now and I'm really enjoying it. Was tempted to keep going today, but in the past writing more than five pages a day has kinda done my head in, so I'm stopping for now.

Page 45

Oh yeah baby!

Back on the road. Quick look at yesterday's notes, realised was almost up to speed, did a quick list of things that needed to happen first half second act. And now I'm away.

Plotting

A writer is the only person who can say "I've been plotting" and it doesn't mean they're evil (necessarily).

Anyway, I've been plotting. Realised I need to be clearer about where I'm going in the second act, it was just going to take a bit of time before I did more script but it ended up taking the whole time. I'm pleased though. Have been able to think through some things, have scenes and sequences I didn't have before, have even started to have ideas for the third act (which has been a bit of a blank before). Was just going to look at the first half of second act but have looked at the whole thing. Might do this tomorrow too. Was fun, ran out of time but felt like I could have spent the whole day on this.

And - yes - I'm now blogging as 'the daily screenwriter' rather than just 'writer'. 'Writer' was just too generic. And 'daily' - well, I'd better live up to my name now!

The Chocolate Fish Awards

Awards update: December 3, 2008.
Overseas Fishies opportunity: The first six people from overseas (i.e., not New Zealand) who start regularly posting their progress on my site will be sent a Fishie on completion of their draft. (Normally I send Fishies to New Zealand only). You will need to start posting before you've reached page 45, and post at least weekly, to be eligible for a Fishie. This will probably be a one-off experiment, so get in quick!

Anyone who posts regular updates on The Daily Screenwriter as to the progress of their script draft will - on completion of said draft - be sent a Chocolate Fish Award, henceforth to be referred to as a Fishie.

This is a genuine (though cheap) Chocolate Fish you can actually eat, that I will mail to you. Send me a post with your address when you’re finally done, I won’t post your address on the site but will post the Fishie! But you must post here regularly – at least weekly - with your page count to be eligible. Don’t just send through a post to announce when you’re done. Feature screenplays only. Within New Zealand only.

You don't have to be someone I already know, anyone at all can nab a Fishie, just as long as you're posting, and writing.

I’m not sponsored to do this (yet), just wanting to encourage posting – and drafts!

This offer stands till the end of 2008.

Let the Fishing begin!

Page 42

Yeah, I know! But I had to spend some time figuring out where it was all going... and I'm quite tired today... excuses, excuses. So. Quite happy with pages generally, but there are some rough patches in there, rougher than most of the script so far. But I am working out story as I go. And it's generally coming together. Not actually worried as to how it's going. Just, one of those slightly less productive days.