Class is in Session...

I signed up for an online screenwriting class with Gotham Writers' Workshop. I'm hoping this is going to keep me more focused than I am on my script. And I'm very afraid right now that I'm going to be way behind on my deadline.

But that's life, right? So all I can do now is remain focused. I am working on a 500 word synopsis for the class right now and I have my first 5 pages ready to submit along with that for the next class.

One of the twists that I'm adding is making me believe I need to change my point of view on the story. Right now I'm telling it from the male point of view and his life after release from prison. But now I'm starting to believe I need to be telling it from the female leads point of view and her struggles about his release.

I'm just entirely confused and that's what is making me very scared about completing this project on time. I know it's a self imposed deadline... but one day, in the real world of movie making I'm going to have actual deadlines where I'm going to have to rise to the occasion. So I need to get that practice in now.

I'm going to finish up the synopsis and see if I really do need to completely change the pov. I hope not. Because then I'd only really be able to salvage about 10 % of the script. And the writing for that will be a huge undertaking.

It's Decided...

I have to start fresh. Brand new beat sheet. Brand new story line. Some of the stuff from the previous draft will still be used. Probably about 40 % of it. But there's just no way around the fact that this is definitely going to be a major over haul. Hopefully for the best.

I'm off today and my room mates are at work probably until 7. I have a store meeting at 6. So that gives me plenty of time to get the beat sheet done and crack into the script.

I'm excited about the ideas I've had for the script in the last two days. I'm going to soften one of the characters up tremendously. She never had much of an arc and was just too cold for some readers to connect to her on any kind of level. And that's not good. Even if she isn't the main character. People have to find a way to connect with the characters in some way. And I think the new direction I'll be bringing her in will definitely improve on that.

I'm excited about the plot twist that I'm going to use. I've been going back and forth and actually doing it. But I think it will offer up a lot more conflict with the main character and the forces in his life that he's currently up against.

I'm just excited that finally the gears are turning and hopefully that will mean a very productive day today.

I'll post again this evening after the meeting with an update on anything I might have accomplished.

I think it's going to be a good day!

I've Had an Ephiphany...

Just five minutes ago I had an epiphany. I was blow drying my hair and I was thinking about my story and what is it about it that has caused me to go blank at this point.

I have too many story lines going on. Too many spinning plates on the sticks and I can't keep them all going.

And just like that I realized what I must do. I'm going to have to take some of those stories (and the mother's story line is a good one) and file it away and build a script around that.

And I realized I was trying to put too much drama into it. I need to scale back a bit.

All though it's been raining non-stop here for three days... I think the sun is shining brightly inside my little creative world.

Frozen...

I can't believe it. I sat down to write today and I'm completely frozen! I don't like anything that's in the script right now. And I don't know how to get back on track with it. I'm absolutely paralyzed at the keyboard.

I think it could be that I need to face the fact that I'm just going to have do a page one re-write to really fix the things that need to be fixed. I am, after all, completely changing a plot point which in turn changes situations before it happens and certainly changes the outcome of things in the end.

I may need a whole new set of note cards. And I think I'm going to sit down and make up a brand new "beat sheet."

I just can't believe it. I open up the screenplay and I just stare at it, my words staring me down and telling me how horrible it is. (And it is horrible... some of the dialog I just read is beyond bad!).

So, my decision today is that from 5pm to 7pm or so I'm going to completely re-map the script so that I can come up with a better game plan because this just is not working. I have to have this re-write completed by December 1st and it's already November 12th!

Whoa Whoa Whoa...

I'm SUCH a slacker. I haven't really done any writing until today. I set my alarm for 630. I woke up, took a shower, and sat down to write until just now. So points for me for getting back on track.

I'm going to try and continue this early morning routine for as long as I can. Hopefully it'll become a habit and it'll be easier to wake up so early.

I have to do it. I have my training supervisor at work asking why have I not become a manager. I have my manager asking when am I going to take over a store. I have my district manager asking the same. They all know I do not want to do it. I don't want the long thankless hours (which I've already been doing).

I know that if I took that next step into management that that would be it for me. And that's not what I want for myself.

Getting Ahead of Myself...

Wow... I have got to slow down. Or just stick to the schedule of things that I want to happen in order for this to succeed.

What I have done is found myself perusing various websites to find out how much a camera, lighting, etc. is going to cost me. And I find myself dreaming of these cameras that are way out of my budget.

But I don't even have the script finished! So what the hell am I doing? I need to get back on track and figure out the camera stuff later. It's not something that's going to help me now.

I even found myself justifying the Canon XL2 and it's hefty price because I could use it to film my sister's wedding in June. HOW RIDICULOUS IS THAT?! Then I realized it was probably a bit more than I would need and found myself falling in love with the Panasonic AG-DVX100B. Which I think is used to shoot the excellent FX tv show: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

But I have to stop the madness!

So I'm determined to put those camera ideas away so that I may stay on the projected course of completing the second draft by November 1st.

But the Canon is just so pretty!