The SUCK Syndrome

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  • #16
    re

    I don't even look at the couple of very first ones. I have thrown them out. Now I keep count starting with the first decent one. So when I say "it's my first", it means it's the first I can re-read without crying out loud. It's sucky, of course, but not beyond hope.

    Though I must admit some of those first ones, and even second ones, aren't finished... because the Suck Syndrome is my middle name.
    It's not really because of the second act... just because I realize the idea, the plot, the execution aren't up to par. The basic concept is warped. And it happens exactly the way you've described. First I'm excited, I work on it, I believe in it, and then doubts come crawling in, and away in the Scenes Graveyard folder it goes. I sometimes stop at 60, sometimes earlier, sometimes right after completing the outline.

    I try to drag, force, cajole myself up to 80-90, because then, so close to the end, I'll think of how much work is already done, and will be able to finish simply because otherwise it would seem like too much wasted time. Unless the SuS hits real hard. But it seems to be the only solution. Imagining the sale with mid to high 6 figures helps sometimes, too

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    • #17
      re

      PS remembered to say about the driving force... how often it happens that you have to choose between a small-scale, not-high-concept, not really mainstream and marketable story which is personal, meaning you will tell it with passion, and a mainstream idea which is high concept or close to it and you can just see it as a perfect popcorn movie... but it's mechanical to you... just a nice set of bolts and nuts

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      • #18
        Mr. Martell's comments

        All of Mr. Martell's comments were insightful, but I think the most important one, for me at least, was to finish the script. At least if you have an idea you truly want to explore - even if you're not sure how to explore it.

        I have a script that I'm gonna re-write. But the structure is utter crap. Here's what the guy I paid money at Script Pimp said about it: "thematically rich", "starts strongly" "falters in the second act." They said it was a great, high concept idea, but I needed to move up the plot points.

        But what I needed to do was to write a draft that failed, and to see where it failed.

        Now, I knew this when I was writing it. But there were two ways to approach this material, and I wasn't sure which way to go (it's mostly based on an obscure short story by Dostoyevsky, which I really like, but his view of it was, quote: "A good idea, which I failed utterly in the execution). I kept thinking to myself - there's a lot here, but this isn't working.

        If the core idea is something I'm passionate about, I don't mind writing a draft that has a second act that gets ash canned. I knew when I wrote that first draft, this is all going to be re-written. But I still wrote it, because I like the idea. If you like the idea, I think you should write a draft. On the way you may pick up stuff you like, and discover what you need to jettison.

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        • #19
          First Scripts

          I dunno, maybe I'm different. I love everything I've written. I just read the first script I ever wrote, and I LOVED it. That's part of why I write: to read it. No one else writes what I write, so if I don't do it I'll never get to read it.

          Partly it's because the story for that script was in my head, and in outline, for 10 years before I wrote it, so the characters and structure are all right there. But the second script is just as good (to me). And so are the other three. And the seven I have in outline. I guess I'm my own primary audience.

          Having said that, I can so relate to the mid-second act doldrums, where the wind goes right out of your sails. What I usually do is start another script, because I always have at least three lined up in outline waiting for their chance. But at some point it has to be finished. I spent the last several months finishing up drafts of three that were unfinished. I made myself do it before I would let myself get on to the next one which I was dying to write. They all benefitted from the time lying fallow, and I could approach them fresh. The completed first drafts are rough, but they exist, and now I can get to rewriting them when the script I've just started falters.

          Don't know if any of that made sense, but it's the view from where I live.

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          • #20
            Re: First Scripts

            I *heart* Ancon Ranger.

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            • #21
              Re: First Scripts

              sooner,

              you're invited to my weekend barbecue anytime.

              we'll talk about our very worst efforts, you know...the stuff most of us write during those times of desperation when we're fed up with trying to make our really good stories work and we give in and try to follow some dumb-ass formula a day late of what was wanted last year or whatever that's the magic bullet according to some new wiz who really means well and we should listen to sort of or not much. we'll trade stories about mentors and goals and then we'll talk about the nineteen or twenty-two year-old interns who grade our papers and have the power of the almighty it seems though they know so damned little about anything, especially writing, but we may keep talking and realize they may know more than we're giving them credit for...sometimes. we may even admit that scripts we've submitted did indeed suck if we drink enough beer. we'll talk about how insane the whole system is over cold cheap brews but we'll admit how much we've learned from it cause in the craziest way, the whole system works in a bad movie kind of trip where you do walk out of the theatre pleased if you can sit through the whole thing but are surprised that it actually made sense and at least the popcorn bag never went dry and that's half of a good movie experience anyway.

              and we'll have some potato salad (if you bring it) to go with the beer and with whatever meat on sale happens to hit my grill and we'll definitely talk about whatever fire is lighting up the keyboards...that really good story that's the basket holding all the eggs. but when college football begins around noon, it's time to focus on important things. i mean if va tech wouldn't have gotten killed by west virginia, the close game with pitt would have...they still may have a shot at the bcs bowl instead of...

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              • #22
                Re: First Scripts

                AnconRanger - not so much a stream of consciousness as a sluice.

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                • #23
                  Re: First Scripts

                  Which is exactly why I *heart* Ancon. More than a little modern-day Thomas Wolfe do I detect. Wolfe was from North Carolina - coincidence? I think not! Obviously the Carolinas are a breeding ground for good writers! You had me spellbound til the college basketball part. *cough* lol, great post as always, Ancon.

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                  • #24
                    Cleo - I think every writer feels that first script is the BEST
                    story out there and should get produced. We, of course, don't
                    understand our structure is off, there's no character arc,
                    the dialogue's flat...all we know is that the story rocks.

                    It's only later, as we learn, as we absorb techinques, content,
                    formatting...only then do our eyes open to the truth-

                    Suck-ola

                    when it comes to that first script. But guess what? It's a
                    finished first script, from beginning to end. You stuck thru
                    the pain and sweat. You did it.

                    That's more than most, sucky script or not. You can fix a
                    bad script, but first you have to write one all the way thru.

                    Keep on writing - Charli

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                    • #25
                      Well put, Charli. Yep yep yep. Getting that first draft DONE is what allows us to write that second one. And god forbid, a third. And fourth. And each one gets better. I personally have a rule - I never look back. My first script, sucky as it is, has some good things I could lift and use again. Or, I could go back and rewrite it now, with my new, improved skills. But I feel I must keep swimming forward. I have new stories to tell but only so much energy and time. Never look back! Never surrender!

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                      • #26
                        agreed.

                        Wasn't the easiest thing to do for me. I hit that delete button alot writing my first scripts. You spend an eternity writing a first draft 90 pager. Not worth it.

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                        • #27
                          I think a big part of the whole cringing at my own work thing is the insecurity of an unproduced screenwriter...the riskier business on earth--and you can't estimate the possible chance of gaining profits at all..

                          Daria

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                          • #28
                            Always finish the script if you can, don't just jump to a new idea, you'll run into the same problem with the new script probably. Of course if you're running into major roadblocks when writing it's something that should have been picked up on in the outlining stage. I firmly believe a strong story writes itself.

                            Of course, if the script is a total dog then dump it, specially if your structure or what not is wrong, can't build a good house on bad foundations

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                            • #29
                              the hard part is when you KEEP sucking. That hurts.
                              lol, great post Martell. especially, the "in bed with an underwear model" could apply to female scribes too, since those male underwear models aren't bad!

                              I think Martell's right though, the more you put yourself in it, the more you'll naturally go back, rewrite, and want to make it better.

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                              • #30
                                re

                                Sometimes it's just as simple as sales potential. At first you are enamoured with an idea, but then the magic wears off and work begins, and the little nagging voice "you'll never sell it" comes into action. Especially if, as Martell said, you have few emotional ties to the story..

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