I really like hearing about people's writing processes. I find it interesting. In case any of you find it interesting, I had a very up and down writing day today....
I tried writing this current screenplay from the beginning with only a vague idea of where I was going. I don't usually write like this. Usually I outline, outline, outline and then write. But I decided to try something new and wow it ended up being a mess! I start writing from the beginning and that around page 40 I really needed to try to plan where I was going. Instead of doing this, I just started writing scenes I knew happened. Then I just had all these floating scenes and ended up having to write connecting scenes and now I have a first draft (except for the first couple and last couple of scenes in which I still don't know what happens). But it's a very incomplete first draft.
The best of all this is looking at my almost finished first draft I realized I had a major problem in the middle. The screenplay weaves two stories and in one them -- nothing happens, for pages and pages. Everytime we cut back to them they're walking and talking and nothing else happens. But I took a nap today (it's too hot in the afternoons lately to do anything else, I have no A/C) and had a revelation about their story. It's a big change so at this point I think I'll just almost start over in the re-write. I wish I had come up with this idea before I wrote the whole thing! Better late than never....
Anyway, writing it from the beginning and not entirely plotting the whole thing I figured I'd come up with the ending when I got there. And guess what, I still don't know what happens. So now I have to sit around and ponder that. What have you guys done in the past when you get to the end and don't know what happens? I actually have a final climactic scene where my protagonist and antagonist confront each other but I don't know how it's going to end up....
But I guess for now I'm really just going to tack a couple scenes on the beginning and throw together some ending (who knows, maybe I'll like it) just to say I have a complete first draft. I already have pages and pages of notes about the massive second draft overhaul ahead of me. Because I'm usually such a frantic outliner I've never done such an extensive re-write. But re-writing is writing no? Isn't that what they say?
So anyone have any advice for some of the problems I'm having? Any tips? Also, how's your screenplay going? Did you not figure out your main character was gay till page 82? I want to hear all about it.....
I tried writing this current screenplay from the beginning with only a vague idea of where I was going. I don't usually write like this. Usually I outline, outline, outline and then write. But I decided to try something new and wow it ended up being a mess! I start writing from the beginning and that around page 40 I really needed to try to plan where I was going. Instead of doing this, I just started writing scenes I knew happened. Then I just had all these floating scenes and ended up having to write connecting scenes and now I have a first draft (except for the first couple and last couple of scenes in which I still don't know what happens). But it's a very incomplete first draft.
The best of all this is looking at my almost finished first draft I realized I had a major problem in the middle. The screenplay weaves two stories and in one them -- nothing happens, for pages and pages. Everytime we cut back to them they're walking and talking and nothing else happens. But I took a nap today (it's too hot in the afternoons lately to do anything else, I have no A/C) and had a revelation about their story. It's a big change so at this point I think I'll just almost start over in the re-write. I wish I had come up with this idea before I wrote the whole thing! Better late than never....
Anyway, writing it from the beginning and not entirely plotting the whole thing I figured I'd come up with the ending when I got there. And guess what, I still don't know what happens. So now I have to sit around and ponder that. What have you guys done in the past when you get to the end and don't know what happens? I actually have a final climactic scene where my protagonist and antagonist confront each other but I don't know how it's going to end up....
But I guess for now I'm really just going to tack a couple scenes on the beginning and throw together some ending (who knows, maybe I'll like it) just to say I have a complete first draft. I already have pages and pages of notes about the massive second draft overhaul ahead of me. Because I'm usually such a frantic outliner I've never done such an extensive re-write. But re-writing is writing no? Isn't that what they say?
So anyone have any advice for some of the problems I'm having? Any tips? Also, how's your screenplay going? Did you not figure out your main character was gay till page 82? I want to hear all about it.....
