Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st script?

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  • Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st script?

    Hi Folks, I'm new to the forum.

    My script idea has been on the "back burner" for years, during which time my note book has gotten many infrequent entries.

    Now over the last 3 weeks, I've done 200 pages of treatment notes and in the last week I've done a step outline on 60 file cards. The step outline took 5 hours alone. I can also see all the plot structure in my mind's eye but I still need to figure the characters out further.

    I've been kept awake at night thinking about it, waking up from sleep to take notes and generally DRIVING my Wife mad! I expect that I'm into a "manic creative stage", has anyone else been like this? Is it a normal working mindset?

    It seems to me that the life of a writting can be a sleepless one. Should I have a film industry friend read my step-ouline to see if the script is worth doing?

    This is my first one.

    David :rollin

  • #2
    commit already

    stop playin' with it and finish the script. Write it then worry about if it's good enough to show to your friend.

    Outlines are personal things; what makes sense to you would be next to worthless to me.

    You've spent YEARS on one idea. Time to finish it and start a new one. You've got three months. Go.

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    • #3
      Manic-creative disorder is normal

      Keep your MCD when you get writing. It's probably a lot better than WB (writer's block).

      And no, you're not the only one. I'm SYBOMI (seven years behind on my ironing) thanks to my writing habit, which is ju-u-u-u-ust starting to pay off.

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      • #4
        Re: Manic-creative disorder is normal

        In my experience, the writers who continually rewrite their one "baby" never fully mature as writers. Forcing yourself to take on new challenges, find new problems and solutions, and generate more characters, situations, and events will only strengthen your writing.

        Finish that one, write a new one, and THEN come back for the next rewrite.

        You may be surprised.

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        • #5
          puke it out

          All first drafts are puke drafts. Just get it onto the page. The real work begins in the rewriter process.

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          • #6
            Re: puke it out

            David:

            If you haven't already, check out the thread titled "The difference between procrastination and steeping the tea" by Taotropics on the Frequently Asked Writing Questions. It's on a sticky at the top. I think you'll find some good advice there on this subject. I did.

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            • #7
              Re: Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st scrip

              You too?

              I got my golden opportunity and got my script to Spielberg and he hated it!
              How could he?
              I worked on it for weeks!

              :rollin

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              • #8
                My reply.

                I Just re-read my only screenwriting book. Like the author suggested, my step outline was done in three days. I'll get stuck in this weekend and see what happens. Thanks Everyone. David

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                • #9
                  Re: Manic-creative disorder is normal

                  In my experience, the writers who continually rewrite their one "baby" never fully mature as writers.
















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                  • #10
                    Re: Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st scrip

                    It might not be a bad idea to get advice on your step outline, not so much to see if you should write it -- (how can you NOT at this point?)
                    but to correct story problems in the outline stage.

                    Most of my outlines are incomprehensible to others, but I was taking a class when I wrote one script, and we had to turn in a coherent step outline as part of the process. I was surprised about how much valuable insight the instructor and classmates could give just from reading the list of story beats, seeing where the act breaks fell, etc.

                    Your first script is going to be a necessary part of your learning curve, so don't worry so much if it's worth writing. Even if it's not the world's best concept, you have to get your first script written to write the second. Then again, you're doing more prep work than most first-timers, so maybe yours will be one of the small percentage of fully-realized first scripts.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st scrip

                      Should I have a film industry friend read my step-ouline to see if the script is worth doing?
                      My 2 cents. No. Pitch him/her the idea.
                      You give them an outline and you could walk away
                      all balled up, wondering what the hell you were thinking. When they don't really "get it" in that form. Just do it.
                      The prep you've done so far, you could probably knock out
                      a first draft in 8 weeks, or less.
                      Get it as good as you can,
                      and then show it to your friend.
                      Then to someone else. Get more than one opinion.
                      Everyone has a different one.
                      But if two or three people make the same point about something in your script, then you better address it.

                      One more thing. Don't take too long writing one script. Like Oliver Stone said "Don't spend a year or two writing one screenplay, because they're just gonna piss on it."

                      L.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Is it normal spending all your time doing your 1st scrip

                        kitefrogette
                        I expect that I'm into a "manic creative stage", has anyone else been like this? Is it a normal working mindset?

                        desmas
                        What in this good earth is normal? Your must be a 100% committed to your story. Throw away all unimportant things in your life (but keep your wife) and get that darn screenplay out of your mind and on that darn paper before it kills you!


                        Do not let any one else see your work or touch your work until you are done and ready.

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                        • #13
                          thanks desmas

                          I needed to hear that, so I just bought my first laptop and now find myself online from home - another first. I'll take your advice and start today, my birthday.

                          David

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