Screenplay Completed!

Suddenly I am wondering what took me so long. Fear is an amazing thing, and it must have been that, methinks, but some wise friends told me to loosen up a bit and get things flowing.

Since moving to the prairies (where it's supposed to be hot and dry - my personal favourite - but is decidedly neither thus far) I seem to have opened up again. The confined idea of living on an island, engaging in public service and behaving properly for the most part with family only in the distance served, as it turns out, to tighten me up beyond belief. There are still parts of my body trying to relax (note to self - book body work), but the finest news ever is that my creativity is sparkling again.

I want to move on with projects, not dust them. I want to paint, cook, refinish furniture, arrange flowers, and generally invent things. And more importantly, I want to share them. So e-mails went off to two producers and my agent today, in the hopes of having someone read the finally finished - one year later - SERIOUS. It's the story of a reporter in a small town who is curious about a number of recent suicides. While he's investigating, his son is being set up as the next victim.

Here is a sample of the open spaces that give one room to create.


I know. It's taken in winter, but you get the idea. There's a LOT of space here!

Really Writing...

At last, I am into the swing of things and pounded out 25 pages this weekend. What a great feeling. There is hope of completion now, and I'm anxious to get some readers on it.

I also sent a scene off to an expert for an accuracy check. It feels good to be on it. Tra-la, tra-la...

Day 3 - Bingo!

This 3-day event has come to a close on the best possible high note! The last thing this afternoon was a pitching session, where we got to tell three producers about our scripts, and get feedback on the pitch itself. The last one our table got to speak with was a woman who works on budgets under $2 million. We all went around. She said my story was compelling, and I said it was doable for that budget, and that was it - she was on to the next writer. At the end she talked a bit in general and slid in this sentence so quietly I wasn't sure I'd heard it. "I'd like to read your (motioning towards me) script, because I worked as a journalist in the past, I have a child, and I can identify with a small town. I like this."

Blink.

What'd she say? Did she say what I think she said?

Yes she did! BIG GRIN.

I was the only one who got asked on the spot. (She said, humbly.)

Every other producer we met except one took our one-sheets with them, and most of the script requests will come from that, so I don't know what else will come up for me. There will be lots for the others in the class, that's for sure. There are tons of good projects.

Gary says that this gal makes a lot of movies, so that sounds pretty cool to me. She said she sometimes partners with writers (which I think means there won't be money until it makes some, I'm not sure). It doesn't matter. A LOT of these people have just said, Get something MADE and you'll have a lot more luck going in.

She could change her mind as soon as she reads the one-sheet for all we know, so it's one of those mini-successes that we take a moment to celebrate and then move on. Also it means I'll be writing my ass off when I get home, as the script is not ready.

Two fellow writers offered straight away to read it for me, which is awesome. There is so much support in this group. I'm so happy, I just may go out and buy a purse!

Great to be back at Script Work!

It's not the joy of getting assignments done so much, as it is the joy of discovering what the assignment is meant to show you. I think that must be the sign of a well-constructed course. Or a writer hungry for instructions. Or both.

Thinking about the part each character plays individually brings another level to story. If I keep discovering more levels, I don't know when the actual script will get written. I have a decent starter kit, but the opening scene has already changed, which changes the all-important first ten pages, and because of what I'm inventing for the characters, the rest will change quite a bit too. My hope is that with all the groundwork in place, the script may pretty much write itself. Then all I have to do is wordsmithing. Tra-la.

Of course, if you stay tuned, you may find that this is not the way it goes at all, but this we will discover together. Anyway... assignments 4, 5, and 6 are completed and have been posted for feedback from a colleague. Now I must take the time to get some groceries in the house and then I need to back-track to assignment 3, which is the full screenplay beat - by - beat. When I accomplish this, the darn thing may just be able to write itself. Ever onward, I am proud to report this progress, and I remain truly yours, gentle reader.