It’s Never Too Late to Try Your Hardest

This is the 10th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here Day 21 – 19,092 words down  I’m packing for the Sundance Film Festival! I can only imagine how disappointed I would be with myself if I hadn’t taken on this challenge and I was going back to Sundance without accomplishing much of anything this year. I am so friggin’ happy that I finished the first draft of my very first screenplay. One more look at... Read More

The Unbearable Heaviness of Editing

This is the 9th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here   Day 20 -  I printed out the screenplay yesterday.  I took a picture and texted it to my sister and a couple of friends.  It felt pretty cool.  Scary – but cool. They all asked to read it.  I told them I needed time.  I wasn’t ready for feedback yet. As a writer, I’ve come to know my own quirky, creative process and the incredible vulnerability I feel... Read More

The End – Roll Credits?

This is the 8th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here   Day 19 -  I finished the first draft!!!! I am printing it out as we speak, er, as I write this!  It’s short in the word count department, but the beginning and the end of my story met in the middle and the pieces are in place. It’s definitely a first draft.  A really rough first draft. I know that there are huge plot holes, (ha ha, plot holes, instead... Read More

Procrastination

This is the 7th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here   Day 18 -  Wednesday 9:32am I’m having trouble getting moving on the screenplay this morning.  Usually I’m done or almost done by now.  I haven’t even opened Final Draft yet.  I don’t want to. Why?  Don’t feel like it.  It’s snowing outside and I just want to sit by the fire and watch movies all day.  I say to myself, “Sandy,... Read More

Edward Burns Reads My Blog :-)

This is the 6th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here Day 16 – I got a tweet from one of my favorite writer/director/filmmakers, Edward Burns yesterday. It made my day.  I had just been whining about how maybe I shouldn’t have gotten back onto Twitter and Facebook (I took a 3 month Social Media Sabbatical) because sometimes it just sucks the energy right out of me.  And then I get this note from Ed.  Or Burnsie.... Read More

Shitty First Drafts & The Hierarchy of Goals

This is the 5th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here Paula does a spit take Day 14: Word count= 13,378 (That’s 478 more than my schedule!) I’m starting to worry that I won’t be done with the story by the time I’ve hit my word count. I have the opposite of writer’s block.  I have too MUCH to write. That’s a really nice feeling.  The story is moving along, however boring it seems.  I’m not sure... Read More

The Shittiest Screenplay of Them All, Days 7-11

This is the 4th blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here my Sundance coffee mug Day 7- 6:30am I woke up thinking I was behind a day in my writing. My house guests left yesterday morning for the airport, but I decided to go skiing and watch movies all day, so no writing for me.  I did a little happy dance this morning when I discovered that in my Master Graph Schedule Thingy I had not scheduled any writing yesterday. Yippeeeee! 10:30am I... Read More

Charts & Graphs & Woody-Oh My! Screenwriting Day 6

This is the 3rd blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here “When all your schemes about making a masterpiece are reduced to – I’ll prostitute myself in any way I have to survive this catastrophe. ” Woody Allen on filmmaking Day 6 - In an effort to avoid writing today, I spent a great amount of time creating this graph that will show me exactly how many words I need to have written each day.  This allows my brain to not... Read More

I’ve Been Lying to Myself – Screenwriting Day 4

This is the 2nd blog post in my screenwriting series, it all started here Writer’s block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink more alcohol. ~ Steve Martin. I am ahead of schedule 4,000+ words. *I wrote this screenwriting blog series about 6 months ago–it took me this long to get the BALLS to post it.* Day 4 - Today I will have about an hour at a coffee shop while my youngest daughter is at a class. Since... Read More

Can You Write a Screenplay in 22 Days?

me skiing at Sundance Film Festival 2011 *I wrote this screenwriting blog series about 6 months ago–it took me this long to get the BALLS to post it.* I should start by telling you how I fantasized about writing a screenplay for more than ten years.  Then, about three or four years ago, I actually began saying, out loud, that I wanted to write a screenplay.  As in, out loud to other people. But only in a joking way. Like, “One day I’m... Read More