Do you multitask or micromanage?

Joe Calabrese · Jul 20, 2005

Just want to get a snapshot of the working habits of all of us.

Do you write one script at a time?

or

Do you have several irons in the fire? What are you working on?

Currently, I am:

- going over producer's notes in prep for a scifi-thriller rewrite in Aug.,
- a adaptation of a horror novel into a spec to be done by Sept. 1st,
- a treatment/outline for a horror spec to write early next year
- going over review notes of a 1st draft romcom spec. Start 2nd draft in Oct.
- working on a 1st draft of an action spec to have done by end of Summer.

Sometimes I feel so ragged and worn and think my head will explode, but I can't see just writing one story, completely focused, before starting the next one. I would only have 2 scripts a year at most if I did it that way.

dpaterso · Jul 20, 2005

The shotgun approach

I work on several projects simultaneously, sometimes in the same day, depends where my flighty butterfly Muse wants to take me.

A quick count--

2 new screenplays growing
3 screenplays being reworked
2 new novels growing
2 novels being reworked
1 screenplay-to-novel adaptation
(All of the above have been added to/edited this month.)

Plus 25+ short story openings in my 2005 subdirectory demanding to be finished!

Which may seem a tad bizarre but I've learned to bow to my Muse, if I try to fight it and concentrate on just one project then I get even less done. Although, on those occasions I've been asked to write something, I have concentrated and have met the deadline.

Each to their own. There is no wrong way, there's only what works for you personally.

-Derek
Derek's Web Page - stories, screenplays, novels, insanity.

Boo_Radley · Jul 20, 2005

I normally work on anywhere from two to four at once. Right now:

- 1 Action/Thriller
- 2 Horror
- 1 Cop Action/Drama

To start in the next few months:

- 1 Sci Fi/Thriller
- 1 Western
- 1 Comedy

icerose · Jul 20, 2005

On novels I usually have several going at once. Anywhere from 3-5.

Right now.

1 thriller script
5 WIP novels
2 novels in edit stage
2 scripts being read and I'm waiting.

Is on my ajenda at this current moment. Granted I don't focus on every novel at once but I do try tend to shift between them as I lose steam on one, or get stuck, that way I am always writing something and it works really well for me.

Sara

sspunisher · Jul 20, 2005

Man that's heavy. I'm new at screenwriting, but not at writing and I've never, ever worked on more than one project at a time. Maybe that's the difference between a professional and an amateur, but I just can't jump around like that.

Some people might jump around to refresh their minds, which is understandable, but usually when I take breaks, it's just to get away from writing. I might sit there and day dream about a part of the story where I'm stuck on, and that's how I get some of my best ideas.

Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse · Jul 20, 2005

I jump around a fair bit - project to project. It just helps each one I think too. I think for me, it has something to do with fear of failure too. For example, if I am only working on one thing and it ends up terrible - thats a situation I would dread. But if I am working on 5 and 3 come out in the plus and one of them is as hot as mustard, then I feel great.
It can help make you a more rounded writer too.

TheRuleofThirds · Jul 20, 2005

I'm about the same way as Derek and Joe.

--1 war screenplay in the works/being revised
--2 ideas being actively developed (a scifi and a drama)
--20 shelved ideas
--3 or 4 shelved scripts

Why's it seem like horror and action/thrillers are the only things being written? I know Derek's got his Western going (very commendable), scripter's got his drama, and I've got a war going, but we're like the only aberrant writers venturing off to try something different. If we're supposed to be writing timeless scripts, it sounds like there are sure a bunch of fad-scripts being penned. :Soapbox:

nganok · Jul 20, 2005

Shaft goes to Hollywood

2-Dramas
1-Crime Drama
1-Fantasy/Sci Fi
15 ideas or concepts

I usually feel as though I have to totally drown my mind and imagination into a script so I tend to only work on two at a time. One sometimes. When I write - I'm thinking about that one story and alternate pathways all day even when away from the keyboard. I guess I'm a loner on this one.

TheRuleofThirds · Jul 20, 2005

My life's been revolving around Blade Runner today for some reason. I kinda read "Crime Drama" and "Fantasy/Scifi" all at once. So...I think I want to think of a futuristic crime drama, now.

zagoraz · Jul 20, 2005

You guys make me look like a slacker. I write one script at a time, with the brainstorming, treatment/outline first draft process usually taking about two months. Another month of polishing follows, and I have a presentable draft in three months time.

Right now I'm working on:

First draft of offbeat buddy comedy

Second draft of comedy/drama awaits revision in my top bedroom drawer.

Also awaiting word on a comedy script I submitted to Nicholl and Slamdance.

GonnaBeFamous · Jul 20, 2005

Joe Calabrese said:
Just want to get a snapshot of the working habits of all of us.

Do you write one script at a time?

or

Do you have several irons in the fire? What are you working on?

Currently, I am:

- going over producer's notes in prep for a scifi-thriller rewrite in Aug.,
- a adaptation of a horror novel into a spec to be done by Sept. 1st,
- a treatment/outline for a horror spec to write early next year
- going over review notes of a 1st draft romcom spec. Start 2nd draft in Oct.
- working on a 1st draft of an action spec to have done by end of Summer.

Sometimes I feel so ragged and worn and think my head will explode, but I can't see just writing one story, completely focused, before starting the next one. I would only have 2 scripts a year at most if I did it that way.

I wrote all 3 of my very first scripts in a row as rough drafts within about 2 1/2 months. Now all my rewrites are simultaneous because I take a month off between each revision so one is left out while I work on the other 2 and then I alternate. Weird, but it seems to be very effective so far. I've overhauled 2 of hte scripts by the 2nd and 3rd revision and they look much better then they did before.

Honestly though I don't think I'm going to write more then one script at a time again. I'll be so run down from finishing these 3 I'm going to take it easy from here on out. maybe just do one script a year and half, unless I sell or option a script or get a development deal. Then I'll have more motivation.

GonnaBeFamous · Jul 20, 2005

zagoraz said:
You guys make me look like a slacker. I write one script at a time, with the brainstorming, treatment/outline first draft process usually taking about two months. Another month of polishing follows, and I have a presentable draft in three months time.

Right now I'm working on:

First draft of offbeat buddy comedy

Second draft of comedy/drama awaits revision in my top bedroom drawer.

Also awaiting word on a comedy script I submitted to Nicholl and Slamdance.

Are you unemployed? In 4 months time I will have 3 presentable drafts not one and they aren't even the same genre 2 are comedies and one is a horror. My ability to spit them out that fast is due to time and focus. I probably speent an average of 2 hours a day writing or thinking about my screenplays. Often just sitting there and thinking about it when im doing something else or late at night an idea will come to me, when I'm unemployed It seems so easy to write because your mind is so focused on your screenplays. I have a feeling that when I become employed I'll be so mentally drained I won't feel like having breakthrough thoughs late at night before bed.

GonnaBeFamous · Jul 20, 2005

zagoraz said:
You guys make me look like a slacker. I write one script at a time, with the brainstorming, treatment/outline first draft process usually taking about two months. Another month of polishing follows, and I have a presentable draft in three months time.

Right now I'm working on:

First draft of offbeat buddy comedy

Second draft of comedy/drama awaits revision in my top bedroom drawer.

Also awaiting word on a comedy script I submitted to Nicholl and Slamdance.

I wonder how common comedies are being written. It seems like it takes a special person to produce comedy spec scripts. Ive written 2 that I think are pretty funny(at least to me

).

Boo_Radley · Jul 20, 2005

zagoraz said:
You guys make me look like a slacker. I write one script at a time, with the brainstorming, treatment/outline first draft process usually taking about two months. Another month of polishing follows, and I have a presentable draft in three months time.

Don't feel like a slacker, man. I've been writing screenplays for about five years now...I've completed five in that time, and started and stopped probably ten times as many, and I've only submitted one screenplay in all that time. Now, given my busy work schedule (I'm a program manager for a homeless shelter which takes up a LOT of my time), my four year old daughter and a girlfriend with two kids of her own, I'm amazed I've accomplished even THAT much, but to any other screenwriter in the world I'm sure I'm WAY lacking in productivity lol

zagoraz · Jul 20, 2005

We have a lot in common. I've been writing about five years as well. Currently working on my 6th screenplay. I wish I would've put more time in in the early years, but I was so damn frustrated with how shitty my first two scripts were that I almost didn't write the third one. I'm glad I did, because by the time I got around to my fourth script I was actually proud of it. Funny how it's a different experience for everyone, but at the end of the day we all face the same blank page.

GonnaBeFamous · Jul 20, 2005

I don't know about the whole the more you write the better they get. I think my 1st script is the best. So good in fact right now that after about 3 more revisions I think it may have studio or high budget independant potential... I'm just daydreaming though(such is a writer

) but if i didn't have confidence then I would have given up a long time ago. One reason I have confidence in it is its so real and funny becasue it's based on something that happened to me that I dramatized into movie format. I think there is a lot of potential with this one and thats why I got to making my next 2 rightaway cause I was so inspired by how it turned out. Once i learned how to write screenplay by reading a screenwriters bible and working on the other 2 I learned I had made it too flat for being a movie, now it's been totally overhauled after 2 more revisions and I really like it already. :hooray:

Mac H. · Jul 21, 2005

Joe Calabrese said:
Just want to get a snapshot of the working habits of all of us.

Do you write one script at a time?

or

Do you have several irons in the fire? What are you working on?

I tend to have one project that I'm 'officially' working on, and a couple of others that I tweak and re-write. The one that I'm officially working on is the one that I feel guilty about not putting time into.

But since I have an extremely low productivity, it's probably not the finest example of a work ethic imaginable...

Mac

Do you multitask or micromanage?

Joe Calabrese

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

Boo_Radley

100% Death Proof

icerose

Lost in School Work

sspunisher

Nicholas S.H.J.M Woodhouse

swooping after you

TheRuleofThirds

practical experience, FTW

nganok

Life is Just a Dream

TheRuleofThirds

practical experience, FTW

zagoraz

GonnaBeFamous

GonnaBeFamous

GonnaBeFamous

Boo_Radley

100% Death Proof

zagoraz

GonnaBeFamous

Mac H.

Board Visitor