65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

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  • 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

    This is what I get for not outlining. My plan for the script has taken too many left turns from what I thought it would be. I feel like I've wasted so much time and now I'm realizing I need to go back to square one and really figure out what story I want and outline it. This is a mistake I won't make twice. Anyone else fall into this trap? It's gut wrentching to think about going back to page one.

  • #2
    Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

    I write a lot without outlining, but I never get as far as page 65. More like page 15. So, well done for getting that far.

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    • #3
      Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

      I'm taking right now the UCLA online screenwriting course and the biggest revelation I have had is the outlining part of screenwriting. I just don't mean basic outlining of the I.I. and the three act breaks, but fully outlining almost every scene in your script. Who is in the scene, what they are doing, and the most important part, what the point of the scene is. I had never done this before and it would take me a long time to finish a script. Now, with my detailed outline I sit down and write and write. Of courser your outline will change once you start writing, but with such a thought out outline, your road map is pretty well defined. Because of this outline, we will, at least in theory, be able to finish a full script in 10 weeks.

      If I may channel my present teacher for the moment -- Do you know what the goal of your main protagonist is? We also spent quiet a bit of time coming up with back stories for the main protagonist that we now know them quite well, thus we can better judge what their motivations will be in what every scene they are in.

      Anyway, good luck and outline the most as possible. I really wish I would have realized this years ago.
      Never let the competition know what you're thinking... and never tell the unseen masses your story idea.

      -- Rule 85, Ferengi Rules of Acquisition (updated by cmmora)

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      • #4
        Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

        I've outlined. I've not outlined. There are pros and cons with both. What I've recently been doing is to write the story as a short with maybe only the end or overall reason for writing it in mind, then expand on it in rewrites. It's sort of like an outline, but the living dynamic I get from it is stronger.
        Standing on a hill in my mountain of dreams telling myself it's not as hard, hard, hard as it seems.

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        • #5
          Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

          That's what you get for trying to take a car trip without a map.

          Figure out where you're going and how to get there and it'll always be an easier journey.

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          • #6
            Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

            It's not too late.

            Compartmentalize your story, break it down into sequences.

            See how these sequences relate to each other.

            Decide what doesn't work and trim it.

            Figure out what's missing and plug it in.

            -Derek

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            • #7
              Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

              I don't think you 'wasted time'. Think of it as 'percolating'.

              Sometimes you come up with some very interesting twists and turns that way, and can keep your story from being too structured and predictable.

              Don't think of it as a 'waste of time'. Think of it as a 'luxurious idea formulating'.

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              • #8
                Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                This may seem anathema... but why not keep going and see where you end up? Sounds like there's things going on in the subconcious that you might not have even considered going into this.

                If nothing else, you can always go back and cut what doesn't work, keep what does and throw some lightning at the creature...
                "Forget it, Jake. It's Hollywood."

                My YouTube channel.

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                • #9
                  Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                  PainTed-

                  First script I wrote, got to page 45 and realized I had to start over completely. Although like one of the posters hinted at, I was able to salvage some of those 45 pages, though not much. I didn't have a sound story structure. Though even when I do, throughout the course of writing, it ALWAYS changes. Which I'm sure happens to most of us. Find your major story beats and keep the stuff that pertains close by in case you can plug it back in.


                  Something else I do when I lose focus is work on another story. Take a few weeks off to distance yourself, and come back with fresh eyes. You might have a clearer picture of what you want and where you want to go with it.

                  Best, zim

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                  • #10
                    Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                    At least you've something useful about your writing process. Reminds me of the quote: "Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

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                    • #11
                      Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                      I have been there many a time, though not as far as 65 pages. We all seem to think that divine inspiration will somehow occur and straighten out the mess that we knew, at the outset, was just a mess ... but it does not happen.

                      "The fact that you have seen professionals write poorly is no reason for you to imitate them." - ComicBent.

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                      • #12
                        Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                        Still, there's a big difference between the outline and the script. What the outline doesn't do is bring out nuances of character - that happens on the page, and you suddenly find yourself creating new scenes and perhaps a new direction. That's fine.
                        "What's worse than being talked about? Not being talked about."

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                        • #13
                          Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                          the current script I'm working on, I kinda knew where I wanted to go, and sat down to write without an outline. I di 85 pages, most of which was pretty crappy and disjointed. From that work, I could sit back and do my outline, sequences, scene titles, etc, knowing much better where things were going and the motivations of the characters than if I hadn't done the 85 pages. Now I'm writing according to the outline, and taking bits from the 85 pages into it. So it's not a waste of time to me, more part of the thought process.

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                          • #14
                            Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                            I hate outlining for various reasons, including what Shaneblackfan said about character. I always find a few major plotpoints, but never an intricate, beat by beat structure. Nothing against the outline, BTW. Everyone's brain is different.

                            As a result, I always have at least a 100 discarded pages from every script that I carry in another file. I like to think of these as 'the 100 sucka$$ pages that got me there'.

                            So, don't worry about your 65. Better to know they're not working than to think they do.
                            https://actbreakdown.com

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                            • #15
                              Re: 65 pages and realized I don't even know what story I'm writing

                              Originally posted by amandag View Post
                              I hate outlining for various reasons, including what Shaneblackfan said about character. I always find a few major plotpoints, but never an intricate, beat by beat structure. Nothing against the outline, BTW. Everyone's brain is different.


                              Corona
                              I love you, Reyna . . .

                              Brown-Balled by the Hollywood Clika

                              Latino Heart Project's MEXICAN HEART...ATTACK!
                              I ain't no punk b1tch...

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