Deep Exhale

Well, I've done a couple things this week. After finishing the first draft I proof read the entire thing. I was looking for typos, but more importantly I was looking to see how the whole thing flowed as one piece. I thought it worked pretty well. It lost some momentum in the third act, but I have a few ideas of how to correct that. I even came up with a whole new scene, which I think really aids in one of the lead character's character arc. Beyond that however, I've decided I'm going to spend some time detoxing for the whole thing. I'm going to do my best not to work on or think about it for a whole week. This way I'll be able to look at it with a fresher pair of eyes. I also sent the screenplay out to five of my good screenwriting friends to get notes from them. To take my mind off of it, I have even started preliminary work on a different screenplay. It's great! Until next time, good night and good luck!

I DID IT!!!

Huzzah! The first draft is complete! This is very exciting. It's wonderful to see an idea I've had for years finally all down on paper. There is still a LOT of work to be done of course. The draft came in at a whopping 142 pages! My goal is to bring that down to 120. Also, as I went along there were new ideas I had that I wanted to incorporate earlier in the script. Finally, I think I've actually matured as a writer since I started the script, so I'll be going back and buffing this up where needed. That's all for now! Until next time, good night and good luck!

The Inspiration of Music

One of my favorite parts of movies is the music. It's wonderful ability to set the tone, mood, and tempo is fascinating! As such, I tend to do a lot of my writing while listening to some kind of music. Most of the time, I'll listen to just one song on repeat for the writing of an entire scene, which could be up to a couple hours! Haha! It really does help to put my mind in the right place, pulling me emotionally from one beat to another. I recently finished writing a very pivotal moment between two of the main characters, where they, for the first time, are able to connect. Initially unsure how to approach the scene, I went music hunting first. I came upon a beautifully piece of music from The Assassination of Jesse James score. The primary emotion I felt while listening to the piece of music was relaxation. I really liked the idea that the first thing that needs to happen for two people to really connect is they need to be comfortable and relaxed around each other. From there I thought, "how do two people come to a felling of relaxation around each other." The answer I decided upon: humor! With that in mind, I wrote the scene where both characters would first laugh about something together. After that, I felt I was able to move the scene into some more serious waters, without it feeling forced or unnatural. Thank goodness for music! Until next time, good night and good luck!