Monthly Archives: June 2010

Change is Comin’

I think this blog is going to change… primarily because I’m starting to change the way I look at my writing.  Instead of being a blog about a “Screenwriter’s Journey”, it will be a blog about a “Writer’s Journey”.  Why?    Because the way I look at writing is in a state of flux.

I have come to realize that not all stories can be screenplays.  Likewise, not all stories can be novels.  Stories are told in different ways and I don’t want to limit myself.

While waiting for reviews to come back on “Windfall”, I have been busy researching my next project.  A novel.  My plans, at this point, are to also write a screenplay based on the novel.    I think that this story can support both.

In July, I will attend my first Susquehanna Writer’s Guild meeting.  This is the only writer’s group in the area and they meet once a month to read and critique each other’s work.  It’s difficult for me to commit to this type of activity but I think it will help me.

New Direction…

Over 30 years ago, I wrote a novel.  Unpublished, but completed.  Got a couple of reads but no buyers.   After I wrote it, I quit creative writing, and got into business writing:  proposals, brochures, a company newsletter, product descriptions, etc.  And I did that for over 25 years.

A couple of years ago, I taught myself how to write screenplays and I’ve written a half-dozen of those.  No sales yet but I’ve had a couple of short films produced.

Now, I’ve got a new direction, at least new for me!   I’m going to do both.  First the novel.  And then the screenplay, based on the novel.  I’m working on an idea which I think will be great for both mediums.

This is a huge undertaking but one I’m looking forward to with anticipation.  The idea is gelling, the research is being done…

Staying Focused

I think one of the hardest things about writing is staying focused.  There are so many ideas to choose from. and so many directions to take those ideas.

Right now I’m working on a step outline for a new feature and I keep getting bombarded with all these other ideas.  So far, those other ideas are only a distraction, in that they take my mind off the current project.  The trick is, not stopping this project and jumping into another.

I was tempted yesterday to take my current idea into a totally different direction but, luckily, I stopped that.  It might happen, down the line, but right now I need to stay focused on one direction.   This direction needs to fail before I begin going off in tangents.

Stay focused.  Stay focused.  Stay focused…