Life Update & Let's Talk About Muse, Baby

I took last week off - rather unexpectedly.  My mother went in for back surgery this past Wednesday and she's doing really well - which is a huge relief.

First, a writing update - ScriptFrenzy is coming to a close and sadly I did not reach my goal of 100 pages.  I started with one idea, got about 15 pages in, and realized it wasn't going to work for me.  I came up with a new plot, which I quite liked, and started working on it.  Unfortunately, real life has been getting in the way.  I'm going to continue work on it - I like where it's going.  I just have to figure out a way for time travel to work.

While I was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, I picked up a short story that I'm working on for an anthology.  It's unsolicited - but a girl has to start somewhere.  My father asked me what I was working on and when I gave him a run down of what was happening, he gave me a suggestion - a small, little thing that will actually turn the story on its head.  And I'm grateful.  It's a fun idea for a dark story and I needed that kick in the pants. 

Thanks Dad!

So maybe we should talk about the finicky thing most of us call a muse.

You know some writers don't believe in such a thing? 

I'm not sure what they considered a muse but I think of it as any little thing that gets your creative juices flowing - an overheard conversation, a name, a misread sign.  Whatever it takes to spark a story idea.  Some people look at it differently, I'm sure, but that's what I consider a writer's muse.

The question then becomes where do you find your muse?

And the answer . . . . everywhere.

Sometimes the best thing to do is be around other people who are just going about their lives.  Why do you think there are so many writers in Starbucks?  I started a new chapter of a story I was working on at the time when I was out with my friends bowling.  You can't coop yourself up at home claiming "no distractions" because sometimes it those distractions that feed our soul and awake our muse.  

Go out into the world and be inspired.  Let any little thing spark your imagination and then get it down on paper before you forget!

Good luck!

Focus

This week, I want to talk about focus.

You know, that thing that sometimes evade you when you have something you want to do or know you should do, but just can't seem to get it together to do it. But there are different kinds of focus: there's the focus that gets your work done and there's focus in your story. Let's talk about the latter one first.

STORY FOCUS

No matter your POV (Point-of-View), the story needs to have a focus. I was recently thinking about my NANOWRIMO project from last November. In the second half of the novel, if I can be so brave to call it that, the focus shifts a bit. The story is told in third person, but mainly focuses on Clara - the main character. In the second half, there are many passages revolving around Clara's mother, Bethany.

The parts of the story that focus on Bethany have a purpose, of course, but I wonder if putting the focus on her will interrupt the flow of the story. I'm not sure I would take these passages out, even if it did. I would try to find a way to fix it internally. The parts of the story that focus on Bethany and her past, explains the family's past and the way that magic works in this universe.

All in all, I like, but I still worry about leaving it in or leaving it as is. It's something I will have to think on, especially when I pick the story back up on the beginning of May to edit it again.

GENERAL FOCUS

Right now, on the computer, I have three windows open: one for work (actual work, the one I get paid for), one window with my LiveJournal open on it, and this one - which has tabs for Blogger and Celtx.

I jump from window to window, tab to tab as needed.

How's a girl supposed to focus when there's so much to do?

Granted, I don't need to be on LiveJournal (or FaceBook, that was earlier). But it's a nice little distraction in between spurts of writing. It's much easier for me to use a computer for my writing (not always convenient, but easier). So the question remains, how to stay focused?

I don't actually have any advice for this except to power through it. Sometimes I write with music on, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have the television on, other times I need silence. Sometimes I just need to check FaceBook every five minutes and other times . . . well, other times I'd rather run away screaming then deal with it.



Whether the focus on your life is in your story or in your surroundings, remember to keep focuses. There are things that need to get done and if you don't do it, who will?

ScriptFrenzy Update & Self-Awareness

This week has been an interesting review of my mind as a writer.

I mentioned before that the idea for my screenplay is one that I've had for a while. I've been working on it all week – except yesterday. Yesterday, I spent the day thinking about what I was writing, my original idea, and what I was really trying to accomplish.

The script started out well enough. But after a few scenes, the script veered wildly from the story I was originally trying to tell. The thing is, I really like my story and I want to tell it. I currently have 13 pages. (I'm supposed to have 25-28 pages by the end of the day.) I've decided to redirect the script to accommodate the original story and not the one I went with when on a writing tangent. So at this point, I'm keeping the first three scenes and then jump from there. I'm going to keep the other pages. (This is for ScriptFrenzy after all. They count towards the 100 pages goal.)

While thinking about it yesterday, I came to the conclusion that I subconsciously did it. (I've been known to do that.) I love my idea. I want to see the finished product (a completed script). But I'm also . . . wary of my story. The underlying love story in this script is not something I've done before. There are a lot of things to consider. And the further I get into the story, the closer I get to introducing the storyline.

It's almost like I have to get out of my own head to plow through and write what I really want to write.

I'm a bit of a self-saboteur, so we'll see where it goes.

Are you a self-saboteur? How do you get past it?

12 & 1/2 Hours and Counting to . . . ScriptFrenzy 2012!

Another Saturday, another post!

I'm getting better at this, at least.

Tomorrow is April 1st, which marks the start of ScriptFrenzy 2012. I'm also currently working on a short story (non-commissioned) for an anthology that is due in June. There are a couple of other anthologies I've found to write (also non-commissioned) that I was go to forgo ScriptFrenzy. I was thinking that it was too much to do with my regular job and my commitments.

But I've decided to muddle through. ScriptFrenzy will be the first priority, since the deadline is sooner, and the short story will be for when I need a break. With just over 12 hours left until this thing starts, I still lack a plot for my script. I'm going to spend the rest of my writing day coming up with a plot and reading articles/blog posts about script writing.

By my post, next Saturday, I should have 23 pages done. Ha! Let's see how it goes.

Good luck to everyone doing ScriptFrenzy this year. And for those of you who aren't, keep writing.

ScriptFrenzy Update & Freaking the Freak Out

ScriptFrenzy is inching ever closer. I do not, for all intents and purposes, have a complete plot. I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete. Reading is helpful. I read the script for the pilot episode of "How I Met Your Mother." I was pleased to see that the finished product was very close to what was written.

Now, I've read interviews and articles about different television shows about how they are still writing, rewriting, and rewriting again as they are filming the episode. I imagine that's true for movies as well.

It makes me wonder, though, how writer's view their scripts for television verses movies. To me, writing for television seems to be like writing a book - a chapter at a time - where everyone gets to see the chapter. So there's no way to overall edit the book, like you normally would. So, continuing with the metaphor, writing/filming a movie would be more like writing it all before anyone gets to see it.

I think writing for television would be interesting though. I feel as if you'd really get to delve in to the characters, and let the audience get to know them as well.

Also, it is my understanding, that are usally several writers on a television series. Ultimately, I think it would be easier, and possibly more fun, to write for television because you'd have people to bounce ideas off of.

****

I have an appointment next month to tour a nearby campus. They have a Movie Making Program. It's a small program, very limited, as far as the amount of people they'll take. One minute, I'm very excited about the whole process and the next I'm sick to my stomach. Going back to school would completely change every aspect of my life and I'm not sure I'm ready for that. I'll go to my meeting and go from there.

Wish me luck.

Untitled Writing Post - March 18, 2012

So, apparently, I already suck at this.

I am looking forward to ScriptFrenzy. It starts two weeks from today. I'm not set on a plot yet, and I still have some reading to do before I know for sure what I'm doing.

I've started using Celtx.

So far it's a great program. They make it very easy to write. Everything's there that you need. And when the program is downloaded (for free, might I add) they have programming for many different writing projects.

It makes me very happy.

While I'm learning what I'm doing, I've taken an idea that I've had for a while and trying my hand at scriptwriting. I always thought that it would make a great novel, but I've never tried to write it before so maybe this will work at better.

If not, I'll try again - maybe use it for the idea for Camp NANOWRIMO in June.

I wanted to use my weekly writing blog post to talk about a certain aspect of whatever type of project that I'm currently working on. Unfortunately, I don't have anything picked out. It's been a crazy week and I have been work on a script.

I've been looking into a proper script writing class. I haven't been able to find anything close or exactly what I'm looking for. I'm not really interested in an online class. I would very much like an in person class, even if I had to travel an hour or two once a week. I'll keep looking, but until then, I'll keep researching and writing.

I'm very optimistic about everything at the moment. And that is . . . . nice.

ScriptFrenzy 2012: Step One - Accepting the Challenge

So, it has - rather belatedly, I might add - come to my attention that I need to be writing more - like nearly everyday. It's why I like NANOWRIMO so much. I have a goal - shared with others - to accomplish. I'm apparently not very good with personal goals. So, let's try it again:

Goal One: Participate in Scriptfrenzy. (We'll talk about that in a minute.)

Goal Two: Post something writing related on this blog at least once a week.

Every Saturday might work, too, now that I think about it. Goal Two set!

Now, back to this first goal. I've never written a "proper" script before. I don't count little skits in high school, although they probably should be. There were only ever a few of them and I remember they were pretty well received. They were always for a class project, too, and I can't remember getting a bad grade on any of the tiny skits I wrote during that time. So script writing shouldn't be too difficult. I sort of know what I'm doing.

Right?

Right?

Ha!

I've been doing a lot of reading over the last couple of days - mostly on formatting. I've never read a "proper" script before either. Lucky there's some on the internet that people can read. It's an interesting notion, to read the scripts from movies and television that I've probably watched a hundred times with thinking too much about it.

ScriptFrenzy wants participants to write 100 pages of script. I'm not sure about that, but I'm pretty sure I've just completely talked myself into this. I make no promises. We'll see where it goes.

Challenge Accepted!

Wish me luck.