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 the awesome-ness of the finished... 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 about my craft. I’ve had to... 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 of potholes? Is that a thing people... 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, you can write your 900... 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. What should I call him now... 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 if my writing is matching the... 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 finally finish the... 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 have to add another “900″... 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 she started online schooling,... 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 going to write a screenplay... Read More