I Think It Just Might Work

Okay, here's the deal. I'm about ten percent of the way through the screenplay. The weird thing is, I know this. Yes, there will be a good number of edits and whatnot down the line, but knowing exactly where I am in the first draft is something I'd never been able to do before. Maybe there's something to these "outline" things after all.

In this case, of course, I'm working from a book. So, it's more of a hyper-detailed outline. I think this could turn out quite well. But that's largely because the story itself is so intriguing. My job, in essence, is to not botch it too much in the conversion. Which is where the whole edits and revisions part comes in.

Also, I had a bit of a week off from teaching, so it was good to have that break in order to start into the script. Starting is tricky, sometimes. But now I'm into it, and I don't think it'll be too very long before it's completed. Well, before the first draft is completed, anyhow.

More posts later. Now I must eat spaghetti.

JF

Well then...

So, I didn't make my goal of writing 100 pages of screenplay in April. But I'm strangely okay with that. I was far too bogged down with a ridiculous workload to be able to accomplish what I had set out to do. I didn't know it at first, but there it is. But there are a couple spots of good news as well.

First, that workload is officially over for the nonce (at least until I get another class or until the end of May--or if I find other work in the meantime). So, I have some time to dedicate towards writing specifically.

Second, I came out of April with a lot of ideas about where to go with the screenplay that I started. I need to pursue that, but I think it'll have to be set on the back burner awhile, because...

Third, I was recently in contact with an author I highly admire, and he gave me the go-ahead to try for a screenplay of his most recent novel. I don't know exactly what will come of it, but I think there is definite promise here. If any of you are familiar with the legalese of a writer adapting someone else's novel for the screen (while not being the producer as well), I'd be quite grateful for your input, because I'm not at all sure of what specific things need to be signed, looked at, and so forth.

So, here's to new projects and taking back up old ones.
*sips some Tullamore.*

JF

ScriptFrenzy Is Just One of the Things

So, I've fallen a little behind schedule with ScriptFrenzy, a small amount due to spending time with people this past weekend, but mostly due to the extraordinary amount of grading required for the new version of the Composition classes I'm teaching. It was more than I was expecting, there is a lot of brand new content, and I have the largest two classes I've taught since starting at this job. Fortunately, the other courses I was teaching have ended, but these two are still a vast timesuck. So, I figure a few pages behind isn't so bad. Also, if all else fails, I'll have the last couple days of the month to pump out the whole thing (since these classes end just before then).

Currently, I'm 15 pages in, but I should be at about 33 (a third of the way through the month already, apparently). So, I'm a little under halfway to where I should be. But there's still ample time, and hopefully in the next couple days I will finally be fully caught up with these two classes. Then I can really get back to all of this.

As a sidenote, our car has been having even more issues. So, I'm going to have that looked at today. I'm a little concerned about what they're going to say, but we'll just see how it goes.

How has your week been going?

JF

Starting Into This

Well, time constraints plus more time constraints got in the way, so that beat sheet never got completed.

But on the bright side, I'm currently five pages into my script (about right on schedule). I can tell already that there will be a lot of revision work to do once it's done, but I'm going to try to keep pace here, and finish the thing. I need to actually get through the draft to the end before I get nitpicky on the details. Being nitpicky has prevented me from completing far too many writing projects in the past. I need to just stick to it, and see what happens.

Any words of encouragement are welcome. I suppose heckling and disparaging remarks along the lines of "You'll never make it" could also be serviceable substitutes for encouragement. I'll leave that up to you though. For now, I'm on track, and I hope to stay that way.

Another update will occur quite likely within three or four days. Maybe sooner, if I'm feeling over-ambitious.

JF

ScriptFrenzy Prep Work

Well, although no one's agreed to go along for the script-writing ride with me, I'm still going to do my best to stick it out. I have a couple--technically three--decent movie ideas, each in an entirely separate genre. But I think the sci-fi one will be the easiest to write at this stage, as it's the most fully developed (plot wise) in my mind.

My next step, which I need to get a good head start on before April rolls around (rather soon, if my calendar is right), is completing a beat sheet.

For those of you unfamiliar with the terminology, a beat sheet is, essentially, the screenwriting equivalent of an outline. It details what will be happening scene by scene. I don't usually do outlines, but when writing for movies the outlining becomes far more important than it is for silly trinkets like essays. The reason? Time constraints. Movies (feature length movies, that is) are expected to be a certain length. If the thing is too long or too short (i.e. over 130 pages/under 80 pages), it's not likely to even be looked at seriously if at all, unless you're already established in the industry.

Anyhow, my task--you know, apart from the extensive grading I should be working on instead of writing this post--for the next day or two will be to put together a rough beat sheet that will serve as my guideline for what to write where throughout the month of April.

I'm still all for anyone joining in. Let me know if you decide to.

JF

But Not Quite Yet, and ScriptFrenzy in April

Hello again. It seems that I have become busier over the past couple months, despite my thought that the hectic pace would diminish somewhat. Such is life. For now. I have taken on new classes and am currently running at over the official maximum allotment for how many students I'm technically allowed to have in my online classes. So, that's a more-than-full-time job. It's running me something like sixty hours a week. Ridiculous, but some people have it worse. It's almost bearable, except the fact that I am realizing more and more how much time I used to have and didn't do anything with. But I think sometimes I work better when I have too much to do--procrastinating on one thing spurs me to accomplish something else, be it laundry, catching up on some reading, or perhaps writing (but not doing the dishes--I still don't like that and wish we had a dishwasher, because I'm lazy about that unless the rest of the house is clean first).

I do plan to get back into writing, and I've found some positive motivation. I've been tinkering with one very specific idea for a screenplay for awhile now. Last year in mid-November, I remembered NaNoWriMo existed, so I was naturally annoyed I hadn't remembered a fortnight earlier. But in working through their website, I stumbled upon ScriptFrenzy, a sister site that runs its event throughout the month of April.

The challenge: write 100 pages of a play/screenplay/teleplay/script/etc. in 30 days. I'm going to do it, despite (read: largely because of) my busy schedule. If you've been wanting to write a screenplay or something similar, or just to try to write one, I humbly ask you to join me. My username on there is "ieromik" but you can probably find my by my email address too. I could use the encouragement/motivation to have some of you along for the ride (I'm lookin' at you, Bethany--you could use some distraction from that other writing, I think; you've been going at it like mad, so take a breather).

I also discovered that NaNoWriMo has had another project for awhile: Camp NaNoWriMo. It's essentially the same deal as NaNoWriMo (i.e. write at least 50,000 words--a novel--in a month). The difference is it's themed as a summer camp, meaning it's not in November. Rather, it's going to happen in June and August. My plan is to participate in both of those. I'll probably throw out a reminder for that when June is a bit closer, because I'll definitely need some of you along for that ride (still looking at you, Bethany--that should be the middle of working-on-one-of-your-sequels time; also looking at Timothy for similar reasons).

For now, who's with me on ScriptFrenzy? Any takers?

JF

EDIT: Anyone?

Not Yet to Whirl and Flatulence

While I do intend to create stories from the suggested words (see previous post), it will be awhile yet before I do that. Time seems to be always working against me. Long ago, time was dedicated as one of my archnemeses. The other is the sun. But soon, I may be able to shove myself up from under all of this, pushing through the heavy clay and into the sod atop it; and then, up further and finally into the moonlight (as sunlight would naturally be counterproductive).

I do so hope to see you there. And yes, Timothy, I did use a semicolon there. Deal with it.