Nearly half done

52 pages in. Nearly half done with my outline. Still probably have 10 pages to go in script before I'm halfway through. I have off tomorrow so I'm hoping to write another 20 pages. I've honestly never written this close to an outline before. I find it easier actually because it's mindless. I'm literally just transcribing scene by scene. I never have to stop and say, what happens next, which makes my process much faster. Still rubbish though right now.

10 pages on a weekend...what!

dog is gone, wife is gone, the day hasn't started yet. I actually had the whole morning to myself and got 10 pages of this script done. It is coming down. The page count is now just about 120 when I'm through this outline, which is where I want it. Usually, my first drafts are around 100 pages, but I really wanted to have some meat on this script's bones so I could cut and manipulate as much as possible. I won't say I like it. It is a garbage draft after all, but it feels really good to write. I forgot how much I enjoyed it. All of the prep/rewrite/slave to another master bs is gone. I don't have to worry about this being good for anyone but myself. And that feels good.

Taste that Act I

Alright, so it's not great. It's done on first pass, and it actually ended up about right. in the end of my first Act, the girl finds a tooth which she attributes to her father's real killer. It happens four-ish pages into the outline, or 30 pages into the script, which is just about the sweet spot. Of course, by the time I'm done, I'll have whittled that 30 pages down to 15 or 20 and gotten into the action much quicker.

So, my thoughts on Act I. Dialog is really bad. By the end I was just putting placeholder dialog in which conveyed exactly what I wanted said in that scene, but it was really generic, on the nose, and just plain terrible. Still, since I only started this script on the 5th, and I've only written during lunch breaks for the past 2 weeks, I think it's pretty mighty to accomplish a whole first act in what amounts to a grand total of 8 hours, minus that day or two I spent on the web series and the time sucked from me when I had to do work over lunch. Compound that with the fact that I had to get back in rhythm after being away from the project for so long and I'm kinda proud of myself for the effort. However, I will be the first to tell you that it's sh*t right now. That's why I have garbage draft written all over it.

Why don't I write at home? I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with a wife, 2 bunnies, and a dog. Work is the least hectic place in my life. There is nowhere to hide.

Chopping Wood

23 pages into the first draft today. 2+ pages through the outline. It's coming down. I'm only looking at a 180 page screenplay now on the first draft, down from 400.

As predicted, I've been getting on a roll lately with the writing. Now that I know the characters, they keep speaking to me. Writer's block be damned. I'm writing mostly junk, specifically for one of my characters whose characterization is all wrong, but at least he's a minor character. Plus, that's stuff I don't have to think about for a couple weeks until I'm done with banging out this draft. I found a pace that works for me, since the only real writing time I have is during lunch, and I can crank out 5 terribly inadequate pages in that time. I'm very lucky that in my mind, pages don't have to start taking shape until the 3rd or 4th draft.

I'm still looking at more rewriting for the web series and producers engaging in rewrites for my feature and TV shows, but for now I can bowl ahead with the script and at least be writing something. I'm actually thinking about turning this into a book now. I think it could be good. Writing delusions, you are my best friend.

That was exhausting

Let me tell you, if you ever have a chance to deliver a new script in 3 days...pass. Luckily the script was only 17 pages long, 6 episodes (of which I only rewrote 5), but the pace was long and rewriting is always a crapshoot for me. I tend to write fast and then see what I wrote and say "this is good". I step back and come back and say...this is sh*t, tear it down and start fresh. That process continues until my fragile ego is beaten lower than a bow legged caterpillar and I eventually get to deadline with something I again think is good, but wish I had one more crack at.

It's always the same. I try to psych myself up that this time will be different. Maybe next time will be. Now, back to my baby, which I'm beginning to pitch around a bit and getting nothing but head shakes and sighs. Hey, it's not a commercial movie, but I've never cared about a project more. And when a story stays with you for years, it's something that needs to get out on paper.

Rewriting woes

the problem with rewriting based on notes is that you have to assimilate your taste with the taste of the producers on the project.

***NOTE: I think the producer of this web series is really open to ideas and I enjoy working with him very much because he will at least listen to an idea before he tears it down and is always up for spirited debate.***

Now, when you're always functioning on all cylinders and see the projects the same way, it's great and things get done quickly, but it's almost like sitting at work and having your boss tell you what she wants on you desk without describing it well. You might get it in one shot, or you could bumble around trying to figure out the right thing for an hour. It can get frustrating at times and it's very often like pulling your hair out.

Moved away

So, I had a meeting about my web series with its producer and now have to switch gears to focus on that for the weekend. Hopefully I'll be back to writing this script by Monday, but rewrites of real projects come before writing by baby.