way too personal

That's nowhere near specific enough for anyone to offer useful advice, ace. Tell us in greater detail exactly what your problem is - you write too much pain? I don't know what that means. What exactly are you having trouble with?

Just out of curiosity, are you planning to rework any of the scripts you posted in Share your Work? You got some amazing feedback there and you'd do well to fix what you already have before starting something new. The samples you posted need a lot of work to turn them into good writing samples that have a hope of being read. Why not try to fix them?

I cleaned up the language in your original post. Keep it PG-13 please.

I agree, fix what you have then move on, you'll find that the more editing you do, the better your writing becomes.

clockwork said:

That's nowhere near specific enough for anyone to offer useful advice, ace. Tell us in greater detail exactly what your problem is - you write too much pain? I don't know what that means. What exactly are you having trouble with?

Click to expand...

I agree, more information please.

Step 1 - Write a post free of errors that sounds like cogent English.
Step 2 - Transfer that ability to the scripts you have in progress.
Step 3 - Focus on one story and make it stellar.
Step 4 - Return to step 2.

I'm going to do something I rarely do here, I'm going to take a stab and guess what you're talking about.

While I whole heartedly agree that you should tweek the original before going on to the sequel, if you're stuck in fighting my inner demons mode, it'll show in your work.

Instead of beginning the sequel, get your inner pain out first. Forget the script, just write until you get it all out. If you can, seek a pro to help you through it.

Before you can fix your first one or begin a sequel, you have to stop fighting yourself. Once you do that, you'll see your work more clearly.

I think what you're talking about is good fodder for a screenplay but these are questions you have to answer for yourself if your characters are going to be true to life and have worthwhile things to say. Did you ever consider that such issues should be hard to write about? Isn't that what makes them interesting and emotive experiences for an audience - because a character has to struggle with his demons in order to succeed?

You should do all you can to channel that fear and anxiety into your characters. But nobody here can advise you personally on how to deal with an emotional problem, especially when the details are lacking. If you're going through a rough time you should talk to friends, family or a trained professional.

Here's a personal story from me. When I was in six grade my long time best friend turned on me, we found out my father had a chronical and degrading illness that forced him into early retirement and my mom was diagnosed with two chronical illnesses as well. That entire year I was bullied by that person who had been my longtime friend and she pulled many others into the fray.

Needless to say it really hurt.

She moved away and I more or less forgave her. When I hear her name it dredges up those memories, but I've let go of the pain, the anger, and the hate.

She has since contacted me, which came as a huge suprise and we started out on fresh ground. I still remember what happened, but I've disconnected from the pain those memories bring, I've disconnected with the poison.

I remember the emotions and I can draw on them, but they don't rule my life. Their's a barrier between me and them because I have truly moved on. You can release the pain, frustration, anger, hate, and resentment without losing that story part of it, you can let it go and gain full control over your life. Just because you remember something, doesn't mean you have to hold onto the emotions that go with it.

We usually write about what's important in our lives. That's typically a SUBconcious decision, but can be a concious decision, as in your case.

So the theme of your work is 'forgiveness'. The questions surrounding your theme are 'why forgive?' "who does it benefit to forgive?" "What does forgiveness accomplish?" and of course "HOW" to forgive.

You have chosen to write your screenplay AS therapy. Since you have not 'worked through' this issue, you are hoping it will resolve as you write. That is the strategy you have chosen.

You seem to be asking for resolution to the questions posed by the problem in your life/screenplay. But you have already chosen the strategy of writing as a method of reaching your resolution - so you are acting counter to your strategy by asking for resolution here.

You could abandon the screenplay untill you recieve the resolution you are seeking, and incorporate that resolution into the storyline - that would be another strategy to meet your need.

The actual resolution you seek can be found in any number of self-help books, philosophies, religions and metaphysical paths. Good luck on finding the one that is right for you.

I found mine.

I forgive you for ignoring your previous thirteen scripts, which need to be edited, but I don't forget.