Write a Screenplay in One Month: Week Two
by Jaden
photo: unknown / flickr
The time has come for me to post my progress.
I have only written 5 more pages in the past week, bringing me to a total of 25 pages, and then I slammed into that dang wall called the second act.
My brain does not function linearly. When I write a script, the beginning and end come to me like divinations from the all mighty; as a lowly human being, I have to figure out what to do with the middle.
In this way, writing a script is like living life. Mysteriously, we are all born and die; what happens in the middle is for us to decide.
Pray I will be back on track by Week Three. I have 65 pages to pound out in 18 days. Holy guacamole! Will I succeed?
Backtracking, I worked on the outline this week to help guide me.
By the looks of the comments sections, it appears I am not the only one who derailed this week. Anyone still writing their script?
FLASHBACK/FORWARD:
Week Zero, Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four
TRIVIA: Did you know that script pages are terrible for fire kindling? They stink and don’t burn well.
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15 Responses to “Write a Screenplay in One Month: Week Two”
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Hi Jaden,
Hope you can rev up in the coming week! The middle is the hardest part, that is where my outline fell apart, however, somehow I got back into it and am on a roll. Up to 57 pages. Have had to stop and pinch myself. Wrote ten pages each on Mon and Tues of this week. Not sure I’ve ever been this productive. But like you say — just get it written! :-)
Don’t remember who said this, but some famous writer once said that at a certain point that well-formed characters will take over if you just let them. Someone who barely had a name at the beginning — but who had a clear role and job in the heroine’s life — has turned out to be a secret hero in this new script! (Oh boy, was I surprised when I realized this!)
I also spent a lot of time walking and thinking about what I wanted to express in this piece, which is that sometimes a ‘real life’ and real happiness are right under your nose, not where centuries of conditioning have taught us to believe they are!
Working out the turn into Act III. Again, life and work may derail the train, but I’m still trying to stay with the idea of ninety pages by August 31st.
Could I attribute this productivity to something beyond the ordinary? Yes, without a doubt. I also spent a rainy Saturday watching Charlie Chaplin movies on TCM a couple of weeks ago — so have the idea of action (do do do rather than talk talk talk) implanted in my head.
Hope everyone will keep at it even if the one month deadline can’t be met?! SFH provides a good place to meet and discuss the work, which is great.
Muzz — Yay! I am so happy that you are cruising along at such a high productivity rate. Great! I am also glad that I still have company on this journey. 57 pages?! Nothing like a little competition to get the fire under my bum.
A FRIENDLY competition — and camaraderie!
What say all?
Laughing. Of course, of course…
One other thing that has helped me enormously is this: we have been watching movies like crazy for a couple of years now, and I’ve been reading scripts as I can get them (some download sites, like Drew’s Script-o-Rama).
We’ve been buying old VHS tapes on the street (the East Village is great for this) on our daily walks and watching those too.
This week, I watched Billy WIlder’s THE APARTMENT (for the umpeenth time) and then read the script (for the first time). It’s a wonder!
I’m not writing yet, but I can clearly visualize the beginning and the end. On the other hand, I think I’ll have a hard time with the middle, trying to create stuff that’s not in my brain yet.
Keep up the great work Muzz and Jaden!
Thanks SizzlyP!
Muzz, sounds like you are living my alter life in NYC. I’ve been drinking VHS movies like it’s nobody’s business, and catching a few on TV here and there, whatever comes in through the ol’ rabbit ears. I’m going to do a mass review of them at the end of this little writing free-for-all.
I still haven’t started the actual script. The treatment is done, but all that’s keeping me from starting is opening a brand new page and figuring out how to start. I really don’t have much to complain about since what I’m writing is technically a short film, and about 40 mins of that is bringing the live album I’m writing around alive. So a lot of what I have to write isn’t like… my own words.
But I have all of tonight and most of tomorrow since my car will be in the hospital making me stuck in the house. So at LEAST I can start it.
Muzz– I love The Apartment. I’ve only seen it once, but it made it’s way to like my 2nd favorite classic. I’ve actually stopped watching movies the past few weeks. For no real reason in particular, I’ve just been favoring my Arrested Development and Psych DVDs instead. I’d love to write material worthy of being on those shows.
t.sterling — Glad you are still with us.
I haven’t seen The Apartment, I don’t recall, so I will have to put it on my list.
[...] Week Two [...]
[...] See ya at Week Two! [...]
Jaden,
I have faith in you. You’ll get it done. If not, then spend a few days in bed thinking of things. It always works for me! You know I would rather be thinking of it all then rush rushing about. Then it seems to get done.
[...] Week Two [...]
I kept forgetting to mention how much I love this picture. Not just because this mysterious woman is topless… although that may have something to do with it. Perhaps it’s a picture of a dream I’d like to have. Stacks of scripts I’ve written, and a girl looking out of a window just because. It’s the little moments in life like that I cherish. One of those non-chaotic and solemn moments. I never wake up in the morning like that, much less anything like what’s depicted above. But I can dream.
t.sterling — Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the image. Yes, it is dreamy and peaceful. It’s not too far off from what my mornings look like.