Haven’t seen a new post from you in a while on this blog. You must be busy busy busy with the trilogy. Well, I just wanted to let you know that my second screenplay is not finished. When I finished the first one, I thought it was such an accomplishment. This second one has turned out to be no less satisfying. Again, I don’t know how it was that you inspired me to start writing screenplays, but you did. And for that I am really grateful. (Screenplay writing has replaced the crossword and sudoku for me when it comes to mental exercise. On the other hand, I have no life on the weekends now…
I think I will try to complete a third one before I start actively looking for an agent. I hope all is well with you!
I wish I could say I’d been busy on the trilogy, but the truth is I’m now working full-time, so most of the spare time I do have is going toward script reads, friends, DVDs, and attempts to work on the trilogy (emphasis on “attempts,” since I’ve managed about one chapter in the past month). Blogging has sort of gone by the wayside for the moment.
Congrats on finishing script #2! I’m glad I inspired you to start screenwriting (but yeah, writing can sometimes cut into one’s social life). Before you start looking for an agent I’d strongly recommend getting notes from someone who knows something about scripts (or from several someones) and probably doing another draft or two. It’s helpful to have a second pair of eyes. We writers can get so close to our work that it’s hard to be objective.
JT said,
on July 1, 2008 on 10:26 am
Hey Raven,
First off, congrats on the full-time job. I hope it’s something that you are enjoying and that your writing will not be a casualty of making a million dollars a year. ‘
As for rewriting my drafts, oh trust me, I know how to rewrite. Part of being a lawyer was writing briefs for court and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting until the story was clear and the argument was cohesive. You’d be surprised how much of a storyteller you have to be to be a good lawyer.
As for a second pair of eyes, I have been very blessed to meet a director of shorts here in NYC who has become a friend. He has been very helpful in all aspects: dialog, story, themes. And of course, Blake Snyder (who you recommended) has proven invaluable in getting the “beats” of my stories just right.
Do you find a lot of your personal life (or at least themes from your life) creeping into your writing? I find it’s happening (subconsciously) in my writing and wondering if this is a natural thing… lol…
Thanks for the congrats. I do like the job, but it’s a little short in the “million dollars a year” department.
I’m glad you found a good second pair of eyes. The feedback you can get from somebody who knows what they’re doing is invaluable.
As I get older I’m finding more themes from my life creeping into my writing. I’ve never exported whole incidents from my life into my fiction, although I know some writers do, but certain issues I might be dealing with come through in some of the larger themes in whatever I’m writing at the time. I’ve also become more interested in writing more realistic fiction, which for this former epic fantasy fan is a big switch. I still write speculative fiction, but the settings are a lot closer to the setting I live in in real life. That change just happened within the past year, and I haven’t been able to explain it, but it seems to fit into the “themes from my life” category.
It’s very natural for writers to include their personal life in their writing. Many writers start with a thinly fictionalized autobiographical work.
on June 30, 2008 on 8:52 am
Hey Raven,
Haven’t seen a new post from you in a while on this blog. You must be busy busy busy with the trilogy. Well, I just wanted to let you know that my second screenplay is not finished. When I finished the first one, I thought it was such an accomplishment. This second one has turned out to be no less satisfying. Again, I don’t know how it was that you inspired me to start writing screenplays, but you did. And for that I am really grateful. (Screenplay writing has replaced the crossword and sudoku for me when it comes to mental exercise. On the other hand, I have no life on the weekends now…
I think I will try to complete a third one before I start actively looking for an agent. I hope all is well with you!
on June 30, 2008 on 11:41 am
ooops… meant to say NOW finished… lol
on June 30, 2008 on 4:29 pm
I wish I could say I’d been busy on the trilogy, but the truth is I’m now working full-time, so most of the spare time I do have is going toward script reads, friends, DVDs, and attempts to work on the trilogy (emphasis on “attempts,” since I’ve managed about one chapter in the past month). Blogging has sort of gone by the wayside for the moment.
Congrats on finishing script #2! I’m glad I inspired you to start screenwriting (but yeah, writing can sometimes cut into one’s social life). Before you start looking for an agent I’d strongly recommend getting notes from someone who knows something about scripts (or from several someones) and probably doing another draft or two. It’s helpful to have a second pair of eyes. We writers can get so close to our work that it’s hard to be objective.
on July 1, 2008 on 10:26 am
Hey Raven,
First off, congrats on the full-time job. I hope it’s something that you are enjoying and that your writing will not be a casualty of making a million dollars a year. ‘
As for rewriting my drafts, oh trust me, I know how to rewrite. Part of being a lawyer was writing briefs for court and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting until the story was clear and the argument was cohesive. You’d be surprised how much of a storyteller you have to be to be a good lawyer.
As for a second pair of eyes, I have been very blessed to meet a director of shorts here in NYC who has become a friend. He has been very helpful in all aspects: dialog, story, themes. And of course, Blake Snyder (who you recommended) has proven invaluable in getting the “beats” of my stories just right.
Do you find a lot of your personal life (or at least themes from your life) creeping into your writing? I find it’s happening (subconsciously) in my writing and wondering if this is a natural thing… lol…
on July 1, 2008 on 4:58 pm
Thanks for the congrats. I do like the job, but it’s a little short in the “million dollars a year” department.
I’m glad you found a good second pair of eyes. The feedback you can get from somebody who knows what they’re doing is invaluable.
As I get older I’m finding more themes from my life creeping into my writing. I’ve never exported whole incidents from my life into my fiction, although I know some writers do, but certain issues I might be dealing with come through in some of the larger themes in whatever I’m writing at the time. I’ve also become more interested in writing more realistic fiction, which for this former epic fantasy fan is a big switch. I still write speculative fiction, but the settings are a lot closer to the setting I live in in real life. That change just happened within the past year, and I haven’t been able to explain it, but it seems to fit into the “themes from my life” category.
It’s very natural for writers to include their personal life in their writing. Many writers start with a thinly fictionalized autobiographical work.