The Last 10 Days

[Bono]

What have you done the past 10 days in terms of actual screenwriting?

We talk a lot of craft and business and everything -- but we rarely just share what the real versions of us are doing off this board.

Because I hope after all the posts and threads -- we are all writing or querying or reading scripts -- not just talking about a business we aren't doing.

A pro writer friend of mine told me once -- I'm not a better writer than you -- I just write more than you do and consistently. In other words a pro isn't just someone that gets paid to do it. They do the work always not just once in a blue moon. It was great advice.

BONO 10 DAYS RECAP

-- I wrote a TV pilot in 7 days or so. It came to me, it came out of me.

-- I'm rewriting my feature spec with my rep for the 3rd or 4th time now. But it keeps getting better. Dialogue pass.

-- I read a new friend's script and gave notes. She's super talented, glad to have met her.

-- Been emailing a few friends going back and forth on giving thoughts on their ideas.

-- Pitching new ideas to write to rep and others.

[TigerFang]

Re: The Last 10 Days

TigerFang 10-day Recap:

-- Polished my limited series TV pilot original spec and corrected its typos.

-- Polished a Public Domain feature to enter in 2 contests; after the umpteenth review and edit today, copyright registration happens tomorrow (“umpteen” sounds like a big number, but it’s still only in the ’teens).

-- Read more chapters of a book about one woman’s experiences during a brief period in World War II; to date, I’ve read four books on the same subject as part of the research for a novella.

-- Cultivated rights and permissions for historical photographs from a university library collection for a novella.

-- Continued with online Master Class videos; courses taken already: Shonda Rhimes, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and Neil Gaiman. Next up: David Mamet, then others. Say what you will about these “courses,” but IMO, it’s worth listening to what these eminent authors have to say about their craft.

[Bono]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Great work, Tiger! Glad someone is writing!

[DDoc]

Re: The Last 10 Days

I drank heavily, suffered from a fit of delirium tremens, and wound up in the hospital.










Just kidding...The Austin deadline is Monday so I've been trying to get my most recent script ready. Made quarters with one last year and I'd like to get to the semis this year. Anyway, I've gone back through a bunch of my prep notes, outlines, bios, Truby formula stuff, etc. Also finished all the books relevant to the story except for one. After this weekend I'll probably sit on it for a while and just read.

[DDoc]

Re: The Last 10 Days

TigerFang 10-day Recap:

-- Polished my limited series TV pilot original spec and corrected its typos.

-- Polished a Public Domain feature to enter in 2 contests; after the umpteenth review and edit today, copyright registration happens tomorrow ("umpteen- sounds like a big number, but it's still only in the 'teens).

-- Read more chapters of a book about one woman's experiences during a brief period in World War II; to date, I've read four books on the same subject as part of the research for a novella.

-- Cultivated rights and permissions for historical photographs from a university library collection for a novella.

-- Continued with online Master Class videos; courses taken already: Shonda Rhimes, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, and Neil Gaiman. Next up: David Mamet, then others. Say what you will about these "courses,- but IMO, it's worth listening to what these eminent authors have to say about their craft.

Do you have to pay for all those master classes?

[dpaterso]

Re: The Last 10 Days

HMMM. No screenwriting, as such (for a long time, not just the last 10 days). Added words to three prose stories, one Sci-Fi, two paranormals, I thought they'd be done around 30k words or thereabouts but they all want to be longer, dammit. Also did a few webcomic updates, which is like screenwriting and storyboarding at the same time, something different. Who knows what might get adapted into a screenplay? Everybody needs a fun hobby.

[fallenangel]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Fallen - Last 10.

- bought FadeIn software
- started punching in SLUG LINES for feature length outline I've been creating for past 2 years.
- started filling in scene description for each scene.
- been dabbling with dialogue for a few scenes.
- In parallel, started writing a short that represents the feature length story.

Next 20 days.
- Complete script skeleton with SLUG LINES and Description.
- Complete Short v0.1.
- Start writing ACTION and DIALOGUE.

Next 90 days.
- Finish first feature draft.
- Finish short final version.

2021 Summer.
- Finish final script (after notes, feed backs etc.)
- Produce short. Submit to festivals.
- Start sending out feature script.

2021 Fall.
- Start kick-starter to raise funds for feature.

--fallen

[JoeBanks]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Finished a rom-com spec that i've been working on for [censored] years. Final polish this weekend for AFF and Black List submissions

[Bono]

Re: The Last 10 Days

All good stuff.

JoeBanks -- what made you finish it now? I'm always curious why writers don't finish things -- I have plenty of reasons. I used to finish everything I wrote no matter how bad. Then I got a rep... and oh boy, so many dead Act One's of great ideas sit in a folder on my desktop...

[RogerOThornhill]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Mostly just thinking.

I have a client in mind for a 25-30 minute film...the client is of course unaware that he will be a client...but I think if I can make the concept work he'll eventually buy.

To make the concept work, I need to give an object not only a personality, but I'm trying to give the object a character arc. And thus the thinking phase continues. I can dress up the object and suggest some mood lighting for a little personality, but the rest I need to do by sound, function and interaction with the humans around it.

Perhaps the object doesn't quite get a character arc, but the way it is used and treated might change. It's a little obtuse yet, so I'm not really writing anything yet, just pondering the set-up.

[JoeBanks]

Re: The Last 10 Days

JoeBanks -- what made you finish it now? I'm always curious why writers don't finish things --

Mostly the quarantine. I only had about 30 pages left (after multiple takes on the first two acts over the past [censored] years) when everything shut down so there really were no excuses left for me to stay in and knock them out. Features are a ****ing slog even under the best of conditions.

[fallenangel]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Features are a ****ing slog even under the best of conditions.

Amen, brother!

[ZAZluvr]

Re: The Last 10 Days

Bono -- thanks for starting this thread!

The kids' schooling takes priority, so I find myself merely thinking about how to spruce up scenes I'm currently writing for my Willoughby feature spec while I'm playing the new and unique role of 1st grade and 6th grade teacher.

But when they go to bed or when I'm able to eke out time if they're occupied:

1. writing and editing my spec's three-act structure
2. writing scenes for said spec
3. realizing my script is going too fast and will be finished in 60 pages
4. returning to my three-act structure sheet and kicking myself for departing from it
5. writing scenes I should've written in item #2
6. reading scripts whose scene structures and writing style might pertain to mine (Mystic River, Bourne Supremacy, Silence of the Lambs)
7. visiting Nicholl's Facebook page too often to see if their feedback excerpts could at all possibly pertain to my political thriller ("Beautiful" and "touching" don't.)
8. waiting, waiting, for a manager to get back to me about the script I sent him... if he ever does

A pro writer friend of mine told me once -- I'm not a better writer than you -- I just write more than you do and consistently.

This.

[lostfootage]

Re: The Last 10 Days

I'm in between a 3rd/4th draft of a feature that I started writing in January. It's an anti-romantic comedy. It's where these two people make a go of it but they should definitely not be a couple, and they don't end up together. I want to send it to Austin also.

And also a half-hour TV pilot that's between a 3rd-4th draft. I want to do a quick draft of that and send it to Austin.

[sc111]

Re: The Last 10 Days

In all sincerity, I'm in awe of you all and your discipline.

With so much more time on my hands with shelter in place, I've wanted to get back on track with my writing.

However, the current social and political realities unfolding are, to me, stranger than fiction and I lose focus on my stuff rather quickly. With that said...

I'm (slowly) reworking the plot on one script.

I'm working (slowly) on finishing a novella that I intend to adapt for the screen.

Good thread by the way.