Project Echo’s first draft is done. Saturday was the deadline to finish but some important life stuff came up and I had to postpone my writing until the next day. So yesterday I hunkered down and wrote for over 7 hours, whipping out 20+ pages (which was more than I had anticipated), and around 8:30 at night I crossed the finish line.
It feels great. For the first time in my life, I’ve written a feature length screenplay. And honestly, I’m a bit surprised - I think some part of me thought I would never really finish.
There is an enormous amount of work to do. The 1st draft is, to put it kindly, a complete mess. Incoherencies abound. I changed plot points, descriptions, and in one case, even the sex of a character in mid-stride, never going back to revise earlier scenes. BUT - and this is big one - I know it’s muddled garbage, and I think I can fix it. The important thing is that I have something to work with, something to look at on the page and objectively analyze.
The most surprising moment for me came as I was writing the final scene. As I brought the story full circle and watched my characters speak to one another for the last time, I began to cry a little (I know, I know, I’m just a big softy). It was completely unexpected and it gave me hope: no matter how bad the screenplay was in parts, I had written a story that had moved me to tears by the end, and that has to count for something.
So what’s next?Now I take two weeks off. I’m not going to touch the screenplay or even look at it for that period. I’d make it longer but I don’t really have the luxury of time if I’m going to have this puppy in production by the time I’m 30. After that I’ll begin work on the 2nd draft which, when I’m finished, I’ll begin to show people.
And now more puppy porn, just because I’m in that kind of mood.
03/08/2009 at 10:10 am Permalink
Congrats Evan! Have fun with your time off, and good luck when you come back. You are inspiring me to do some writing of my own…
03/08/2009 at 11:25 am Permalink
Hmm…I just have to say, LOLdogs don’t do it for me like LOLcats. Regardless, congrats again Evan!
03/08/2009 at 4:59 pm Permalink
You know what we English teachers say…the real writing comes in the revision. Congrats on making it this far and good luck in round two.
07/08/2009 at 3:15 pm Permalink
CONGRATU-FUCKING-LATIONS!
sorry for the explicit language, couldnt hold it.
p
07/08/2009 at 3:40 pm Permalink
Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
I’m actually finding it much harder than I thought I would to take 2 weeks off.
08/08/2009 at 8:42 am Permalink
you’ve seen old boy? nice……
10/08/2009 at 11:19 pm Permalink
Congrats!
09/09/2009 at 5:40 pm Permalink
Okay… It’s time to edit that baby. Get to work!
18/09/2009 at 6:20 pm Permalink
The Internet is waiting with bated breath.
Or maybe it’s baiting with weighted breath. One or the other.