Perhaps It Was My Thinking Cap?
I went out to a nice little coffee shop down the street earlier this evening. I took my laptop and started writing a new draft of my screenplay for my advanced project. After I left, I came back to Liberty Towers and wrote for several more hours.
I followed the advice of Broadway legend George Abbott. I had no idea what to do with my characters or where to go. And so, following Mr. Abbott's advice, "Have them do something! That way we'll have something to change!" I wrote, and what I wrote, I liked ... and if I don't like it when I'm done, I'll change it.
I wouldn't have remembered Mr. Abbott's advice if I hadn't been re-reading William Goldman's book, Which Lie Did I Tell?, for the past week or so. Honestly, Goldman is probably one of the greatest writers in the film industry whose name most film students will probably never ever know. The man is a genius and a saint - yes, a saint. His advice and wisdom has already helped me considerably in my writing.
Tonight, when I hit a roadblock, I thought to myself, "Write the next scene. No matter what you feel, you need to write the next scene." And when I wrote each scene, I thought to myself, "Why do you need this scene? What do you need to accomplish with this scene?" And the scene wrote itself once it had a purpose.
By the end of my session, I had written several scenes and I'm pretty sure I like them all. There'll be changes, no doubt, but I think I finally found the proper thread with which to weave my tale.
The film will no longer be a satire, but a family drama with elements of social commentary. It still feels poignant to me, and hopefully it will read that way for those who will critique it on its way to production. Hopefully, within the next few days, I'll have a draft to take to Amos.
I'm on a double tomorrow on bar. Heaven help me.
Speaking of God, I saved the file for the screenplay under the title of the two words William Goldman put into his journal one night after being asked to do the impossible in one of his screenplays: "How God?"
It felt appropriate.
I followed the advice of Broadway legend George Abbott. I had no idea what to do with my characters or where to go. And so, following Mr. Abbott's advice, "Have them do something! That way we'll have something to change!" I wrote, and what I wrote, I liked ... and if I don't like it when I'm done, I'll change it.
I wouldn't have remembered Mr. Abbott's advice if I hadn't been re-reading William Goldman's book, Which Lie Did I Tell?, for the past week or so. Honestly, Goldman is probably one of the greatest writers in the film industry whose name most film students will probably never ever know. The man is a genius and a saint - yes, a saint. His advice and wisdom has already helped me considerably in my writing.
Tonight, when I hit a roadblock, I thought to myself, "Write the next scene. No matter what you feel, you need to write the next scene." And when I wrote each scene, I thought to myself, "Why do you need this scene? What do you need to accomplish with this scene?" And the scene wrote itself once it had a purpose.
By the end of my session, I had written several scenes and I'm pretty sure I like them all. There'll be changes, no doubt, but I think I finally found the proper thread with which to weave my tale.
The film will no longer be a satire, but a family drama with elements of social commentary. It still feels poignant to me, and hopefully it will read that way for those who will critique it on its way to production. Hopefully, within the next few days, I'll have a draft to take to Amos.
I'm on a double tomorrow on bar. Heaven help me.
Speaking of God, I saved the file for the screenplay under the title of the two words William Goldman put into his journal one night after being asked to do the impossible in one of his screenplays: "How God?"
It felt appropriate.
posted by Dave at 1:06:00 AM
1 Comments:
Please God...tell me it's not OUR family this is based on!!!!
from Dave's Dad
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