All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
I guess mine is similar to FrankM, but for some reason I struggle to see my story through the readers eyes. Obviously I know what's going on, and I always think it's clear but then I submit and there is confusion. This is happening less now but when I first started as SS it seemed everything I wrote wasn't clear enough.
An interesting thread. Seems that are two general areas of discussion:
1. What keeps one from writing? 2. What keeps one from writing well.
What keeps one from writing?
- Self loathing of the work. Don't get me wrong - I have a healthy ego, but can't tell you how many times I gave up or paused way too long on a project because of the "woe, that sucks" in my head rather than just keep plugging along and fixing it later. The old perfection is the enemy of the good scenario. It's so easy to get bored with your own work - even develop a loathing for it as if it were the enemy of your peace of mind.
- Choice. Most of us don't have to write so distractions from that are easy targets for me. I can dilly dally for ever on a script that is something that is in the hobby category - but when given a deadline (e.g., like an OWC, a revision requested from a producer, etc) I am 100% more focused on getting the task done and wala - product is produced. Maybe sheet - but it's done.
What keeps one from writing well.
Going to mull this over - just got distracted by something else
I've been seeing statements like this lately and I seem to have the opposite problem. I get so caught up in my work—or at least certain scenes—that I focus too much on those and less on the rest of the story to have a complete project. Then writer's block develops and THEN I start loathing my work
Quoted Text
- Choice. Most of us don't have to write so distractions from that are easy targets for me. I can dilly dally for ever on a script that is something that is in the hobby category - but when given a deadline (e.g., like an OWC, a revision requested from a producer, etc) I am 100% more focused on getting the task done and wala - product is produced. Maybe sheet - but it's done.
This is true for me too, but I think it is for a lot of people. When given a deadline, you HAVE to finish a project whether you want to or not. Or you'll be disqualified, fired, etc. However, even if you think it's crap, someone out there, even your target audience, might like it. Just look at the Writer's Tournament for example. A lot of people felt awful about their submissions, but then received a bunch of good feedback. But, when writing a script on my own terms/deadlines, yeah, I get distracted too, usually by other ideas
This is true for me too, but I think it is for a lot of people. When given a deadline, you HAVE to finish a project whether you want to or not. Or you'll be disqualified, fired, etc. However, even if you think it's crap, someone out there, even your target audience, might like it. Just look at the Writer's Tournament for example. A lot of people felt awful about their submissions, but then received a bunch of good feedback. But, when writing a script on my own terms/deadlines, yeah, I get distracted too, usually by other ideas
Yes - that was surprising for me as well - I thought the quality of the scripts was easily as good as a regular OWC despite the limited time frame - tells ya something. It's more a matter of focus than it is of time.
I have about 7 features roughly planned out, one of which I'm 60 pages into (been working on it for a couple years), have a few short scripts I have ideas for, want to re-write my October OWC entry along with an entry idea I had for the January OWC.
Discipline and focus are definitely my weaknesses.
I have about 7 features roughly planned out, one of which I'm 60 pages into (been working on it for a couple years), have a few short scripts I have ideas for, want to re-write my October OWC entry along with an entry idea I had for the January OWC.
Discipline and focus are definitely my weaknesses.