What methods do folks use to get stuff done?

Do you say that you have to write x pages a day?  Do you say you have to finish x number of beats a day?  How do you keep yourself going?

For example, if I want to write a 100 page feature, then I can set myself a goal of writing 5-10 pages a day.  This would mean that I could write a script  in 10-20 days, so I can churn one out one a month.  Of course, this leaves only about a week to write the outline, tagline, and treatment.

tweak

I think the main thing right now is to write. When you feel like you need to stop, because your ideas are getting bad, or you're tired, stop, and pick it up again tomorrow.

I try and write at least 5 pages everyday. Sometimes I don't. I don't fret over it though.

Hello tweak,

I think your name sums up the point I'd like to make regarding writing: after you've written billions of words, you're probably starting to see some kind of progress.  You're probably starting to feel it in your bones.

The trick however is, as Mr. Steel pointed out, to keep writing.  Sometimes a person does need to leave something for awhile and come back to it-- especially if you feel you've worked it to death and sucked all of the life out of it.

One does need to stay passionate about one's work, or all is lost; however, at the same time that I say that-- in the same breath-- I have to say also that one needs to push their limits; or at least push their perceived limits.  If we are attempting to work at a professional level, we can't allow ourselves to stop.  That's the job.  Write.  We can't wait for inspiration to hit.  We have to FIND inspiration.

I love this post because it deals with what I struggle with daily.  Especially in the last ten days when I've been trying to churn out 7,000 words a day.  Pushing the story forward regardless of what I chose to "think" about; that is a frightening task.

So as far as methods go... My suggestion is to set yourself crazy goals.  No, not reasonable goals.  Crazy ones.  If you don't make the goals you set for yourself, you can say... yeah well, they were CRAZY anyways.  On the other hand, if you do surprise yourself and find yourself doing what you thought was unattainable, you will also find inspiration in that.  And it's that inspiration, after all, that we are all constantly seeking: it is the fuel that runs our creative vehicles.

Whether or not you hit your target, you can find satisfaction in knowing that you attempted your own wild and maybe even foolish challenge.

Sandra  

I wanted to add that I wrote over 20 pages today. I had what I call "creative diarrhea". I started around 3 and just finished - it's 11.

You can't let your muse find you. You have to write until you find it. I started today's work writing notes. What I wanted to happen, what I thought I could change, and then started on the script. I never stopped.

Just write. It doesn't have to be a screenplay. It can be a journal entry. It can be a short story. Character bios. An outline. Anything to get your mind in the mood.

Writing in front of the TV gets me in the mood. I watched 2 hours of ER today, and that worked. Some days it's Law and Order (the original). For you, it could be Survivor or Grey's Anatomy. Do whatever works for you. Maybe it's music. Or a certain band. Or genre.

I know a guy who only listens to soundtracks when he's working. If he's working on a horror, he'll listen to horror soundtracks. If he's comedy, it's a comedy soundtrack. Maybe that'll work for you. You won't know until you try it.

Just write. It may be bad. It may be stupid. But, it'll get your subconscious going and that's what you want to happen. Your brain doesn't do the work. Your subconscious does.

Good luck.

I don't set myself daily targets. I set myself deadlines for when I want to have completed particular parts though. For example, I'm currently passing my target - I gave myself until the 12th (tomorrow) to complete a certain scene in my current work. I finished it up this morning, made a few alterations around mid-day, and right now I'm working on the following scene. (A lot of other stuff to do today.. so I'm not doing excessive ammounts for fear of allowing other duties to slip past me.)

I think 'x' a day is about presumptuous. Sometimes things happen that you may not account for - like I wasn't expecting that I would be out from around 6 until, well, very late on Friday. So to give yourself deadline dates to reach key points works for me.

And furthermore, if you say, for example, 5 pages in a day - once you reach the 5, you may fall into the trap of thinking - I've met my target, I can stop now. You shouldn't risk doing that. Just keep writing until your fingers bleed or you run out of ideas. That's the only reason for stopping.

I say write everyday, even if it's just a page. Consider if you were aiming to write a 90 page script and you wrote a page everyday, you'd complete the script in roughly three months, which is actually great considering so many people take months to churn out a script writing for hours on end. A page a day is lazy writing though, at least as far as I'm concerned. When I'm writing a feature length, I'll start out writing 5-10 pages a day and slow to 3-4 pages a day around the middle/end of the script as the process starts to wear me out. I'm usually finished writing (the first draft) within three weeks. That works for me.

Still, I'd recommend writing everyday. If you're really disciplined, I'd say you can take a day off every once and a while but after one day, it's always tempting to put off your work then nothing gets done.

This is, of course, what you probably want to shoot for. What actually happens when you're writing isn't always what you planned.

I think it's good to have a goal set for something like five pages a day. Or if it's a novel, write three pages a day. And if you get into it on a certain day and write ten pages, awesome. But make yourself still write five pages the next day anyway. In other words, you can't do ten pages and say you're going to take tomorrow off since you got double the work done. Because, like James said, it'll be tempting to put off your work.

-Chris

Every writer has to find what works best for himself.  The advice I usually give is to write something every single day.  Rain or shine, night or day, even if it’s half a page, get something down.  As for myself, every day I do something that brings me closer to my goal.  Even if it’s just notes, I get something done.  If I’m working on a first draft (usually handwritten), I’ll typically spend 3-4 hours a day cranking out pages.  It’s not unusual for me to complete that first draft in about a week.  I’ve been at this a while, so that’s the groove I’ve made for myself.  Again, do what works for you.  

Also, I don’t necessarily believe in setting a page-per-day quota.  If I tell myself, “Today you will write fifteen pages,” and then I only write four, am I supposed to feel bad?  No way.  Don’t do that to yourself.  Getting a script written can be difficult enough, so don’t make it worse than it has to be.  So I’d advise you not to set quotas.  Just write something every day until you get it done.  That, friends, should be your only mindset: getting it done.  Every day.  Bit by bit.  

During times of literary intervals, I find myself reworking\polishing various parts of the script rather than waiting to complete it. Is this good practice, or should I complete the script first, then work on rewrites?

Quoted from vince65 During times of literary intervals, I find myself reworking\polishing various parts of the script rather than waiting to complete it. Is this good practice, or should I complete the script first, then work on rewrites?

Hey Vince; yeah, I do that too...However, I'm trying to get into the habit of writing through to the end and get the whole enchilada done from start to finish, printed out and on the desk, then circle back and polish up...The reason is I'll have better idea of how my story went, what worked and what didn't, and if I accomplished every thing I wanted to. If yes, then great, if no, then I will have a more solid framework and ultimatly a better understanding of my story and what needs to be revised.

Whatever works for you though is cool, and Good Luck!

Joe

I say write when you get the urge and it comes naturally, forcing yourself to try and meet some ridiculous quota will do nothing but wear you out creatively and turn you sour on the whole process.

Quoted from Blakkwolfe However, I'm trying to get into the habit of writing through to the end and get the whole enchilada done from start to finish, printed out and on the desk, then circle back and polish up...The reason is I'll have better idea of how my story went, what worked and what didn't, and if I accomplished every thing I wanted to. If yes, then great, if no, then I will have a more solid framework and ultimatly a better understanding of my story and what needs to be revised.

That is how I have been writing lately and I find it a lot more rewarding. I now write a basic treatment and then write it into a rough draft - paying more attention to some parts and less to others that I know will probably not fit in the finished script.
Once the rough draft is completed, I can read through it on paper and see where it is going wrong and what really works - if anything.
It can be annoying when Im writing something I just dont feel in the mood to write at that time - like a load of dialouge between characters that I just dont want to deal with at that moment - so I try not to force it knowing I will come back to it and read it, then fix it. I'll write a little dialouge that centers on what the convo is all about ( real basic stuff ) and work on it on when I feel that it is right.

But I would say I tend to some days write a couple of pages, the next I will go on a marathon. The problem with that is with me, it is usually alcohol enduced and I end up reading what I wrote thinking " What the hell is this all about?" I end up putting in other ideas ontop of what the initial idea was and it can either make things go great or it can just complicate or ridicule the whole plan.

I think it depends on the individual and what targets you set for the project you are working on.

Scoob, you have good insight.

There is no right or wrong way to do it.  One might work one way this year, and next year, they've found their strategies have changed.

Reworking is fundamental; whether you do it in stages after taking turns between works, or whether you work solidly on one piece for a year, it doesn't matter.  It only matters that you recognize that if something doesn't seem to be working, try something else.  Try everything you feel compelled by, but try and maintain a sense of focus for what it is you are trying to do.

Maybe you are focusing on becoming less focussed.  That's ok too.  You need to get out and see people.  You need to be a writer, not a machine.

My suggestion to anyone including myself is: If you feel stale, switch it up.  Ask yourself:  How can you do it differently?

Sandra

I try to finish 3 pages per day, but since I started major home renovations in October I have hit a wall.  I guess ripping up floors and handing over numerous checks to other people has put a clamp on my brain.

Just wondering If It anyone find themselves In the position of writing more than one screenplay at a time? Is this something that is done or should this really be a one screenplay at a time discipline?

I've heard people say never start another script until you've finished the first but if I get stuck I often start another while brewing ideas in my head.  The Coens famously wrote Barton Fink while stuck writing Millers Crossing so there's your answer I guess.

I read a book a few weeks ago and have sort of used that information and come up with my own writing disciplines that work for me.

But the guy made a good point. He said that you have to form the habit of writing like you would anything else. He said that he wakes up at 5:00am and sits down. 5:00am to 8:00am is his morning writing time. And he wakes up, sits down at the desk, and either writes or he doesn't. But he doesn't allow himself to do anything else but either write or just sit at the desk.

The point isn't to wake up at 5 in the morning and write until 8. The point is that we often use our lack of inspiration or lack of motivation as an excuse to get up and go do something more "worth while". And so, if you make yourself sit there for a certain amount of time every day no matter if you are writing or not, it'll become a set thing in your every day life and then the challenge won't be trying to motivate yourself to wake up, but to think of new ideas.

I usually have trouble coming up with new ideas. But I've discovered that once I get a good idea, if I run with it and develop it, a million other ideas will start shooting off in my head for films. And so rather than start developing multiple scripts at once, I'll make a note of the idea, and when I start to struggle with my main idea, I set it aside and work on the other.

That's how I deal with all my problems with writing now. That's how I deal with trying to juggle multiple scripts at once...I don't. I just move back and forth depending on which one I have an idea for.

The point is to train yourself to give a certain amount of time each day to writing, even if you don't have anything to write...just sit there and think. Maybe one of those boring times an idea will pop into your head.

So, it's a simple idea...if you wanna be a disciplined writer, you don't count scribbling down a few ideas or scenes in class as your writing time. No, you just simple show up.

Discipline comes from making the "show up" part a habit.

-Landon

I have head that so many times that It cannot be anything else but truth, I think I am still fighting the problem I have with it is that at the moment I am enjoying the learning experience and enjoying writing shorts, even allowing my mind to drift off to February 2011 when I am collecting my first Oscar But when I read Syd Field tell me that writing is a job and I need to put 3 -5 hours a day in then it stops sounding like fun - I already have a job and this is supposed to be a release from that. Don't get me wrong I want to do it I just need to get my backside into gear and do it.

So I take it then that while everyone is writing a feature they do not write any shorts now and again for submitting to SS? I have been trying to get an idea going since the start of Dec, i have been on page 12 since before Christmas but have written 2 shorts since then - I guess this is not helping.

I tell you it's the hardest thing for me to sit down and write. Unless I just come up with an idea and write it out that exact moment then I just can't seem to focus. Rubix made the point to just sit there even if you don't get anything done and I think that's what I'm going to have to do. Most of the time I end up sitting there as my mind drifts off into so many places except where I need it to go. So far I've only written one script and it took me a year. I'm working on another and I think it's been about three or four months now with two pages written that is the opening scene. Not that I don't want to write I just can't get myself focused to do it. So I think I'm gonna try that idea and just set aside a designated time to either write or sit there and watch the clock.

And doesn't just really suck when you're trying to focus on writing and you have a song in your head that you just can't get away from?

I just write until i feel the need to stop. Sometimes i write 2 pages one day, and not even touch the screenplay until a week later and write 20 pages. For me it just depends on how much I'm up to writing.

I don't really write out an outline per say for most of my screenplays. I do work out a beginning and a ending and fill in the rest.

^^ I'm the opposite - I plan my scripts a lot, probably even too much. I find that if I know what I'm writing, then the actual writing of a screenplay becomes a lot easier, and I have no problem writing 5 - 10 pages a day. For me, planning takes longer than the actual writing phase... I usually plan for about a month or two (and just let the idea develop both in my mind, and on paper), and then usually bang out the first draft in about a month, or just over.

I'm currently planning my new feature, and have been for the past two and a half weeks...

It seems the consensus appears to be to write every single day no matter what, and whether that is a time frame you make or a page quota, then you do what works for you.

However, there is an important part of the writing process being sort of left out here. Not writing.

"Now wait a minute," you might say, "how's that work?"

Very often, when I start something, I write on it non-stop until I write myself into a corner. That's the place you reach when the story just stops and either the characters can't do something, or they're doing something completely illogical for the sake of the plot. You can see them in your head staring at each other and asking themselves what the heck just happened or what they're doing here.

That would be the dreaded writer's block. What does one do in that instance? Some say do something else? Some just quit. What would be the ideal?

Step away from it. Give your brain time to process what did work and figure out where the story went terribly wrong. Whether this is writing something else or just giving your brain time to process, there's no wrong answer. Everyone is different, but not writing is just as important a step of the process as the writing. When you complete a script, it's important to take at least a week or two off of it, so you can recover from that high which is the right brained writing process and then reapproach your precious child like a relentless psychiatrist ready to tear it open and expose all it little problems...and then correct them. But without that "not writing" time, you won't sufficiently distance yourself from the story you slaved over so lovingly.

I get stuck at several points when writing something, and typically step back at several times. If the story works, I can knock it out in a couple of weeks. If it needs work, it might take years. My longest is seven years, because the story continually lacked something in the middle, and version after version after version failed to work. After watching several movies that followed the same basic plot that I was looking for, I was finally able to iron out the problems, but that work more than any other continued to be a work in progress, and once I did finish it to the point of being totally done, it remains one of my personal best.