Monthly Archives: October 2009

Writing is Rewriting …

Several months ago I was revising an SP and I got stuck.  I got frustrated with it and put it away, began to work on a different project.  Now I’m back on that problem SP and, yes, it’s a mess.  But I can see the problems now (too many flashbacks) and I’m in the middle of  fixing it. 

I bring this up to remind everyone that sometimes we need to put some space between us and our work.  Getting too close to our work is a real problem, at least for me!

WRITING IS REWRITING.  I’ve read those three words so many times, and I’m starting to understand what they mean. 

When I first began this journey, I was inflexible and instead of admitting I had a problem I defended the first draft.   At first rewriting was torture, like getting my fingernails pulled out. 

But, over the years, rewriting has  gotten easier (I think) because I can see improvement with each draft. 

Rewriting!  A necessary evil.  Accept it and get to work.

The More I Learn

I remember when I was writing my first screenplay!  I just knew it would sell right off the bat and, besides that, not only was it going to sell but several major studios were going to be pounding down my door for my next one. 

Now, five SP’s later, I realize just how wrong I was and how much more I have to learn.  It’s a process.  I finally understand that.  Realizing that seems to take a lot of the pressure off…  At least for me.

If you are just starting off, give yourself time to hone your craft.   Realize you are going to make mistakes.  And when you make them, learn from them.  Realize success won’t happen overnight.

Then, one day, maybe a studio or two will be pounding on your door!  (And mine, too!)

More Eyes

When I write I get so close to my work that it is hard to be objective.  Problems just don’t jump out unless I give myself time to step back and get some distance from the project.   Having another project to work on makes it easier to leave the project for a while.   Just a short break will often be enough time so when I return I can read it with fresh eyes.

Sites like Zoetrope and Trigger Street are good places to go to get “more eyes” on my work.   (Links to both of these sites are provided under “My Favorite Links”.)    When you visit one of these sites, you will need to review other screenplays in order to submit your work.  But in reviewing other screenplays, you will learn a lot about writing.  You will see mistakes other writers make and then, as you hone your craft, you will learn to avoid making the same mistakes.

Over time, I have  developed relationships with other writers who I trust.  We read each other’s work, offer constructive criticism.  This is another way to get “more eyes”.

Right now my screenplay “Dreams are Real” is on both Zoetrope and Trigger Street.  Receiving reviews is often confusing for me.    One reader will love my work and the next will hate it.  One person will say, “your characters are so real, I love them” and the next might say “so and so is superfluous”,  and then another might say “your characters are flat, I just never felt anything for them”.

When I read things that people don’t like about my work, it is easy to feel defensive.  But I remind myself that reviewers invest time reading my screenplay and the comments are meant to be helpful. 

So I look at it this way, if one person says a particular character of mine is superfluous, I can choose to listen to or ignore the remark.   But if EVERY reviewer tells me that, well then there just MIGHT be a problem and I might have to do something about that character.

Bottom line.  I’m appreciative for all the comments I receive.  But I realize I’ll never be able to make every reader happy.  So I write to make myself happy and hope that every thing else will eventually fall into place.

Struggling with WHAT to Write…

I love to write.  That much is a given but lately I’ve been struggling with what to write.  No, I don’t have writer’s block…  Well, maybe I have a “kind” of writer’s block…

When I first started to write screenplays my focus was on getting one completed.  Now I’ve got five done and they all need revision.   A screenplay is always in a flux of revision (until it is made into a movie!).

So I have to decide, which of the five to revise.  Do I work on the one that is the most polished?  Or do I work on the one that needs the most work?  I’ll let you know when I decide!

I know in January I am going to start writing a new screenplay.  MoviePoet is having a second log-line screenplay contest in 2010 and I will enter it.   The assignment for the contest might include a required element so I can’t start writing until I know what the element is.   Besides the spirit of the contest is “new screenplays” so I don’t want to start writing until January.

I have two ideas for this screenplay and I’m fleshing out major characters, beats, etc.  But if the contest has a required element that doesn’t work for one of these two ideas, then I’m going to be back to square one in January, as far as the MP contest goes!

Next week-end is the next round for the NYC Midnight competition.  So next week-end I know what I’ll be working on!

Also, I need to write something for the December MP short script contest. but I have a while to worry about that.  No ideas yet but I really haven’t given it much thought.

And right now I’m writing this post and …

I just got an idea.  I’m going to go over my five screenplays, find “excerpts” to upload on this site and maybe by doing that I’ll know which one I want to spend some time with!

A Writer’s Schedule

It is my opinion that writers should have a schedule that is flexible enough to allow  for the spontaneity that comes with family and friends and personal interests.  But stringent enough to give a writer the discipline required to hone their craft.

Now, I’m going to tell you about my “writer’s schedule” but because it works for me doesn’t mean it will work for you.   Each of us experience our lives in different ways.    Our obligations are varied, our families and the demands on us are diverse, and we have a vast assortment of  personal needs.  Not to mention financial, emotional, spiritual, etc.

My husband has a good job with the state of Pennsylvania which allows me to work part-time.  Now, we would have more money if I worked full-time and, believe it, it has been discussed.    But there aren’t many full-time job opportunities where we live so we’re grateful for the part-time work … it buys gas and food and, right now, working part-time works for me and my family.

Working part-time allows me to drive my son to and from school, have dinner on the table at a decent time each day, and gives me a flexible enough schedule to get some serious writing done.  But working part-time also has “costs”.  We have two older cars, we don’t go out for dinner as much as we used to, we shop resale stores and garage sales, I am a “coupon queen” at my grocery store, etc.  There are costs and payoffs!    Next year things might be different. 

So, getting back to the writer’s schedule…

First it helps that I have a really supportive spouse and son.  This translates into the fact that they are very independent males.  Both have hobbies which don’t require “me”.  I’m sure they love me but they don’t need me to give them massive amounts of attention.  This works from a writer’s standpoint…

We’re up at 5:30 every morning with breakfast around 6:00.  At that point, I have an hour and a half to write and get ready for the day.   At 7:30 I drive my son to school.

I’m back home by 7:45 with an hour and a half  “writing time” staring me in the face.  I welcome it.  I look forward to it.  I need it.   And I use every minute of it to write, write, write!

At 9:30 I leave for work and put in my ”time”.    At 3:00 I pick up my son from school.  When we get home, I think about dinner.  We eat early because my husband is home at 4:00 and by 6:00 the rest of the night is for me.  I write for an hour or two, watch a little t.v. and go to bed at 9:00, often with a book about writing.  The next day it starts all over at 5:30 a.m.

Week-ends include laundry and grocery shopping, family activities, etc.   As we watch movies,  I enjoy them but study them at the same time.  I read books about writing.    And, just about every free moment is reserved for writing.

This is my writer’s schedule.  Right now it works for me.  Next year it might change.

p.s.  I challenge all writer’s to put their writer’s schedule down on paper like I have done.  It might help you find more “writing time”!