Working on the doco.

That's why things are quiet on the script front. Hoping to get back to the script once I'm up to speed and things ticking over with the doco. Which maybe will be a couple of weeks. Hard to say. Busy busy.

Back on it.

And it's nice to be back. After the gap am reading through my notes and reassessing structurewise. Using the 'fresh eyes'. Also, getting back up to speed with what I only half remember, to tell the truth...

Clearing up.

I didn't write today but I consider my writing karma good as I spent two hours sorting out the mess my writing space had become... like an archaeologist I dug through three layers of projects/notes, brushed and labelled them, so to speak.

I think a certain level of mess is inevitable with writing but things had really got out of hand. Am going to work on containing the mess rather than letting it breed, from now on.

Day three. Page thirteen.

So, going quite well, quantitywise. Qualitywise - well - feeling a bit sticky today, doubts setting in... but I'm trying to look at the first draft as a glorified outline. I think that's what it is, actually, unless you've managed to actually write an outline that includes every single beat - which is something I've tried to do before but never managed. This time I'm trying to follow my nose a bit more (with very broadly sketched outline) and see what happens.

Another thing, not really sure how the length will pan out, really hoping I don't get to the end and find I'm only on page 60 or something!

Day two. Page eight.

Technically, page 9 (halfway down) - but I'm giving myself that halfpage up my sleeve for slow days.

Working this way is working so far - I'm kind of outlining as I go a little bit (though I do have a rough outline and know where I'm going to end up, know what the last shot of the movie is).

So far, actually kind of fun.

It is begun. Page four.

Frakkin' awesome!

I have now begun my digfeature! Entitled 'The Secret' (might as well share the title. Working title, incidentally, it will definitely change). Four and a half pages today. So technically page five. Plan is to write four pages a day, six days a week. Though documentary will have to take precedence now and then.

My goal with this is to relax and have fun and write faster than I ever have before. So far it's going okay. Though I must admit had a few 'it's not perfect' crises even today.

But really trying to focus on this as a learning/fun experience. Really focusing on leaving perfectionism behind. Wish me luck!

More outlining today.

It's going fast. The key seems to be saying yes to myself (hope that doesn't sound too... whatever).

Back and back at it!

Hey there...
(if there's anyone still out there)
I'm back! And back at it!

I'm actually quite excited because I've had a new idea for a digifeature that is very shootable on a shoestring budget. So I've put my other script to one side for now and I'm working on the new one. The idea is to write and shoot this script quickly. Within a year. Not to worry about perfection, just to aim for 'pretty good' instead. And failing that, to aim for 'finished'. I'll take 'finished' over 'unfinished - but - theoretically - perfect' any day.

So, I'm outlining at the moment. The plan is to start writing the first draft in a week's time. Writing at the rate of four pages a day. So let's say goal is to finish the first draft by the end of May.

Hiatus.

That is, I'm off overseas for a few weeks - back mid April. With the current script it's back to the plotting drawing board, I think, for a bit. So am putting it on ice till my return. I've had a lowbudget idea I just might noodle away on while I'm gone though. Maybe. Something I think will work well to develop in tandem with this one (as they're so different). See you in a month or so (if anyone still remembers I exist by then!)

Blurgh.

And a whole lot of nothing today. This could be because I've done 11 pages over the last two days - and I always seem to have problems the next day whenever I've written more than four pages - or it could be that I have plot issues to sort out. Which I do. Either way, I've called it a day early because I can see I'm not going to get anywhere today. Did make a couple of small plot decisions but... let's just say, a good day to have off.

Page 85.

Which is good, pagecountwise, but it's all very clunky with exposition shovelled in. That's kind of how I think a first draft should be - just shove in the exposition and get the draft finished - but I don't like having to do that. But at least it's getting down on paper - or on bytes. I have had some thoughts based on today's writing about some conflicts that can happen between my characters, so that's good. Still, wish it was better...

Page 80.

Wow! Five pages! Actually five and a half. This might actually be a daily record for me. Started off pretty gruesome, it was all dire, just focusing on getting the plot down and damn the quality. Quality, incidentally, was embarrassing. But somehow that transformed into two good scenes by the end of my pages, which were actually quite fun to write too. So phew. This half isn't all going to be unrelieved awfulness!

I have been thinking that I've been spending far too much time trying to come up with a 'good' first draft, and thus wasting a huge amount of time. Even though I know in theory that first drafts are always bad, I haven't been able to help trying too hard to overachieve with this draft. Lately I've been thinking about how much time I'd save if I really didn't care or invest in the first draft being anything much but finished. I'd actually probably get two drafts done in the same time, and ironically probably end up with a better script in that time.

Working on getting to that approach.

By the way, though I'm at page 80, that doesn't mean I'm near finished - looks like this draft is going to run very long )(which I actually see as a good thing - lots more freedom to cut).

Time to get back to the draft.

I've written most days this week but for some reason didn't feel like posting... maybe that's because it's all felt a bit slow. Anyway, I've been collating an outline for the second half of the script. Today I looked over what I've got and realised it's time to get back to the draft again. I still have some holes - mainly in the third act - but I think the outline's at the point that I have to get back to draft level to work out the details. I'm not exactly pleased about that because I'm off overseas for a month in a couple of weeks - and I had it all planned out that I was going to 'finish' (ha!) my outline before I went, so as to hit the ground running (yeah, right) with the draft when I got back.

Just typo'd 'draft' as 'drat'. Freudian?

Anyway, if I don't manage to find an excuse, it's back to the draft grindstone tomorrow.

Drat.

Good day's writing.

Three productive hours! Have moved things forward substantially. After a lot of procrastination this morning, actually.

I always forget, when it's going slowly, that a good day's writing can show up at any time, unexpectedly. One of those things you can't predict. Be nice if you could.

So... relief.

More plotting.

Going okay with it. Actually was back at it the last couple of days though I didn't post. Second half is taking shape. Feels awfully slow though!

Back on it.

Urghh... first day back always the hardest.

Nice to be back on it though. Am out and about shooting some stuff this weekend so probably won't be back on it till Monday.

A lot of nuthin' at first but finally moved forward a bit by the end of the session.

Slow. But. Moving. On.

Busy.

Just not with a script. Sorry. Will be back on it in a week or two I think.

Drafting day 22. Page 74.

Four pages of exposition. Which is slightly concerning, but I wanted to get down the info of my epiphany so it's safely in the script to be digested in the next draft. Still, that's an awful lot of exposition... and I think I might have to do some plotting next as I'm not sure of the dramatic shape of the next scenes (or of the script from this point, actually).

Drafting day 21. Page 70.

Had an epiphany! Yay! Something that really makes sense of the motivations of one of my characters. In a way that I hadn't actually even realised was missing till I had the epiphany. The best ones are always when you go 'how could I have been so dumb as not to have realised that before?' Anyway... it's only day 2 back at it and it looks like things are kicking off! One day that wasn't so good ain't so bad really...

Today's scene that I'd resigned myself to being not that good, kind of wrote itself. Still a logic problem there but I can look at that when I've finished the draft.

And very pleased about the thing I came up with today. One of those things that you only come up with when you're in the throes of the actual draft, I think.

Drafting day 20. Page 66.

Mostly rewriting the last few pages. Feeling slow and uninspired. But hey. Back into it. Moving forward. And most of what I've written to this point is not bad at all.

Back on it.

Have been distracted a bit by another new (non-writing) project - but finally reread my script so far, with gritted teeth; pleasantly surprised. Lots of good ideas in there. Lots to work with. So, back on it tomorrow. Another scene to write, then it'll be back into plotting the second half.

Done it.

Sent it. Fingers crossed.
Now back to the grindstone...

Still ticking along.

Should be there, all mailed off, by Friday. Touch wood.

Ticking along.

My spec thing is going okay. This morning I was contorted in a tense ball, all insecurity and angst, although I was slowly moving forward with the comedy... and I took a moment to ponder how ironic it was that this angst was for the cause of funny...

Anyway, after going down a few dead ends I hit on a solution. Phew.

Another angle I was working on yesterday though has bitten the dust. Would require too much research for a spec.

I'm realising I have specific rules for pitching (which is essentially what this is) - one is, it mustn't be research-heavy (as it may all be for naught anyway), and another is, it doesn't get as polished, for the same reason. That is, I'll get it in the ballpark and then send it. Rather than agonise over the finetuning.