Beginning to End?

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  • Beginning to End?

    For over a year my incentive to write my script was just getting to the end. I was so excited about my ending, I couldn't wait to get to the best part.

    But a lot happened along the way. I cut out at least 40 pages I don't know how to replace. Since I didn't know where to go but knew where I wanted to end up, I went to the end and started working backwards.

    Now I feel doomed. Do you always write consecutively (more or less)? Does it ever work to write the end first?
    Better peanut lover than red!--Spirit of 1877

  • #2
    Re: Beginning to End?

    Having a great ending is always a good thing. Often that's the hardest part of the script to come up with. Writing out of sequence is perfectly acceptable. I do it and I'm betting a lot of other people (with more credibilitythan me) do it as well.

    Good luck.
    "If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you"
    "If I didn't have inner peace I'd totally go psycho on you guys all the time." - Carl Carlson

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    • #3
      Re: Beginning to End?

      I don't write pages til I have things fleshed out in a scene-by-scene outline. Working on the outline I'll jump around making giant changes as needed. When I get to actually writing, things have been pretty well hammered out -- though I'm always surprised by how much things vary from my plan.

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      • #4
        Re: Beginning to End?

        Originally posted by badassliz

        But a lot happened along the way. I cut out at least 40 pages I don't know how to replace. Since I didn't know where to go but knew where I wanted to end up, I went to the end and started working backwards.
        Maybe looking at it this way will help, maybe not but here is my suggestion.

        Don't view this idea as a script with pages, view it as a story. in order to have an end (which you have) it must be the end of something? that "thing" that it is the end of is your story.

        mainstream movies generally work like this - we meet the hero or protag in his or her ordinary world for 10 minutes - then there is a life changing event!... the movie ends with ten minutes in the hero or protags "new" ordinary world i.e. what has happened has changed them forever and their new ordinary life is completely different from their old ordinary life... they have a new lover... a new career, one less enemy, etc...

        if you have an end - it must be the end of something - look at the "reality state" your hero or protag is in when the story ends then consider what their reality was when they woke up that morning or several morning ago before the "big event happened"... then connect the dots in the most interesting way you can.

        movies aren't pages - they are stories. if you have "an end" it must be the end of a story. if it's just something fancy that would look good on screen, don't call it an end, call it an event.

        good luck.

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        • #5
          Re: Beginning to End?

          Originally posted by badassliz
          Now I feel doomed. Do you always write consecutively (more or less)? Does it ever work to write the end first?
          On the current WIP, I wrote the opening scene, the ending, and the big reveal first. If I don't go ahead and write out what is currently playing out in my head, I forget half of it. Especially the good dialog parts. So I just go with the creative flow and put the jigsaw puzzle together after I have all the pieces. I worry about it making sense in the rewrite.
          It's kind of fun to do the impossible - Walt Disney

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          • #6
            Re: Beginning to End?

            Originally posted by SCRYPTREADER
            the movie ends with ten minutes in the hero or protags "new" ordinary world i.e. what has happened has changed them forever and their new ordinary life is completely different from their old ordinary life... they have a new lover... a new career, one less enemy, etc...
            Not to quibble, but ten minutes is one hell of a lengthy denouement.

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            • #7
              Re: Beginning to End?

              So basically I should stop worrying and start writing. Thanks.
              Better peanut lover than red!--Spirit of 1877

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              • #8
                Re: Beginning to End?

                Just write the damn thing, and stop thinking about it.

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