Getting it done!

This is the longest continuous stretch of writing that I have been on. I am approaching two weeks now of writing something each day and I feel really good about the story I am building.

A lot of my struggle comes from process. How does one go about fabricating a compelling story out of thin air? There is no right or wrong way, only what works for you.

After reading countless screenwriting books, blogs and forums I have tried several different methods. All of them have some merits but they just weren’t working for me. So after trying and failing numerous times I arrived at my current scheme and things are moving along quite nicely. It is a good feeling to see progress on my story and most importantly feel good about how it’s shaping up and where it’s going.

This go round I started with a two page short story. I revised that a few times to get a good high level idea of the story I want to tell. I then took that and translated it into a beat sheet. Blake Snyder’s beat sheet to be exact. Love him or hate him I don’t really care. I can sit down with his template and go beat for beat with any successful film made to date. It works and I like it.

As I revise the beat sheet it turns into an outline. Still using the beat sheet framework I begin to add scene blocks under each beat header and add story notes and “trailer moments” I want to include but not sure where they go yet at the end. I think I am on my fourth revision and as you can tell excited about my progress. I hope to begin writing the actual script by the end of the weekend.

I am excited, motivated and can see the scenes in my minds eye. I am having fun.

Have a good weekend.

-Jim