I'm new here. Just signed up today. Been a reader for a few months now. Been a writer since '03. Been a good writer since... not yet.

I have a problem. Perfectionism. I can't finish a script. I've tried and the closest I've come is 41 pages.

My first script, Hell on Earth has been re-written 68 times. I promised that this version would be my last and haven't worked on it since. That was 5 months ago.

I'd say that I'm pretty good at polish work and individual scenes. My friends say I'm good with tone, but they are my friends, so...

I have 117 projects on the back burner. My current three projects are 2 TV pilots and a zombie movie.

Beyond that, I don't know what else this is to say except hi.

Hi. =)

Welcome!

Quoted from Mr. Blonde My first script, Hell on Earth has been re-written 68 times. I promised that this version would be my last and haven't worked on it since. That was 5 months ago.

68 times?  Is that a full re-write or just changing a few scenes here and there?

Quoted from Mr. Blonde I'd say that I'm pretty good at polish work and individual scenes. My friends say I'm good with tone, but they are my friends, so...

You've come to the right place.  People give good and honest feedback here.  They'll tell you if you're good with tone or not.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde I have 117 projects on the back burner.

Holy cow!  Do you just keep a massive list somewhere?

Nope. Full re-write. I always restart right at the beginning. Every time, the beginning is different.

Yeah, I was hoping that, but I'm kind of worried about posting stuff here.

Yeah. My flash drive.

Mr. Blonde,

Congratulations on your work! Perfectionism - I know, it can be a gigantic thorn in the side. We all do it. Well, most of us here can certainly sympathize.

My advice here is this:

Try not to do what I call "fine edits" on what will ultimately be torn down.

You know? You build this gorgeous scene, but the scene sucks within the context of the greater story and you've spent days editing it. Nothing wrong with working something over - that's the name of the game, but always ask yourself: What am I working over? Why? Why now? Why this now?

It's often the case too, that you get well meaning individuals that come back with a critique (myself included) with loads os unimportant notes regarding typos etc... It often doesn't matter in the early stages of a wip.

Again: Welcome to the boards! Including your perfectionism!  

Sandra

Thank you, that is very nice.

That's what I do. Scenes. I can write four major scenes for a script if someone could connect the stuff in-between. Or, I can polish a script if it's already written.

But I have discovered that I am incapable of finishing a script.

Honestly, Hell on Earth isn't even my story. It's my brother's story. It's taken me 6 years to translate a story from my brother. It's really quite pathetic.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Thank you, that is very nice. That's what I do. Scenes. I can write four major scenes for a script if someone could connect the stuff in-between. Or, I can polish a script if it's already written. But I have discovered that I am incapable of finishing a script. Honestly, Hell on Earth isn't even my story. It's my story. It's taken me 6 years to translate a story from my brother. It's really quite pathetic.

I REALLY .... REALLY-REALLY-REALLY HEAR YOU!

That's why we can really appreciate the writers that churn it out day-after-day. And make a living at it. And people call them hacks. I'd LOVE to be called that. It would be the most endearing word in the world. I'd let my husband use it during sex even.   Hackysack.

Sandra

Hacks are usually the most dependable, too.

Typically, they're movies are entertaining crap, but not often bad.

David Koepp is one of the best examples of that.

Money is money, even if you get called a "hack" for it.

Sweet Jesus, 68 rewrites!!  If you aren't happy with a script after that many rewrites I think I'd move on lol.

Anywho welcome to the boards mate and I know where you're coming from about not finishing anything, I've got quite a few scripts that I've started with excitment but then drfited away from after a few scenes.  I always say I'll go back and someday I probably will.

Yeah. I'm pissed at myself about all the re-writes, so if you do ever get back to it, don't re-write it 68 times! =)

P,S. I actually started on it last night. A whole 6 pages.

Welcome, mate. I only joined a few days ago myself and I'm really enjoying it on the boards.

If you prefer writing scenes than entire scripts, I think your safest bet is to join a writing staff rather than work on your own. There are tons of sites that do that. Have you heard of Monster Zero Productions?

No, I haven't but this is where my second problem comes into play. Lol.

To put it nicely, I don't work well with others.

Even for fun, I had to have a friend of mine come up with an idea so we could write because if it were my idea, I wouldn't be capable of sharing it. =(

I'm trying though.

My brother is writing Green Berets and I'll just polish it, all the way through. It should work. =)

Well, in a weird way you're not really working with others on these sites.

You choose (or get given) a storyline to write, you write it and then email it to the creator of the show, and another writer picks up from where you left off.

Welcome to the site mate.

I start a lot of projects and then leave them aftyer a few scenes or when I'm at work I'll write half a treatment for what I think is the next great film only to open up my laptop at home to realise that I have no idea what to write.

Recently, I'm having a bit of a loss of confidence. I think it's down to not writing much for the last couple of months. Everything I read back that I've done sounds dreadful in my head. Reading other works, both produced and unproduced is a massive help when you're either struggling to finish a piece or playing with your next idea.

Good advice, guys. I really appreciate it.

And, thank you for welcoming me here.

It's good to know that I'm not the only one in here who's having a ginormous clusterfuck of a writing session today. =)

Quoted from stebrown Reading other works, both produced and unproduced is a massive help when you're either struggling to finish a piece or playing with your next idea.

Agreed.  You'll either have one of two reactions:

You'll read something so amazing that it'll inspire you to be just as great.

or

You'll read something so awful (most likely produced) that'll leave you thinking you can do so much better.

It'll most likely be the latter, because believe me, there's a lot of crap floating around out there that's, for one reason or another, been purchased.