Writing/Rewriting

Just got back to London and am welcoming the jetlag stage since I'm always sleep deprived (can't seem to sleep more than 6 hrs these years...) slept a lot yesterday (in my own bed!) and woke up at the wee hours this morning...  I love getting up early cause it's the best time for me to write, so I pulled out my computer and started thinking how to tackle the rewriting of my scrīpt.  And after reading Dax's fabulous blogs, I thought I'd right a bit about writing/rewriting as well.

People often asked me about writing a scrīpt or directing a film... I always feel uncomfortable answering these "how to" questions.  a) I honestly don't think that I'm qualified to talk about screenwriting/filmmaking... mostly because I'm a paranoid, inferior worryhead, so I always think that my work is shit; and b) because my approach is relatively unconventional, so I don't want to corrupt any souls out there; and c) I think this craft is very personal, it depends on the individual (i.e. there is no one/right way of doing this.)  So instead of giving an 101, I'd rather just talk about my method (more like habits,) my challenges, difficulties, fears and frustrations, AND my demons.

Nowadays, people are so familiar with those scrīptwriting terms, "act 1, act 2, act 3," "twist" and "payoff" etc... many screenwriting books talk about them and thus demystify the art of filmmaking/scrīptwriting.  On the one hand, I think it's great that more people are now familiar with the craft, and can start writing their own stuff, that's always exciting.  On the other hand, these terms and structures inevitably regulate the form (or the art) of scrīptwriting, and thus "normalize" the outcome, if that makes any sense at all.  Most of the time when I watch a hollywood film these days (I don't mean to target only hollywood films, but they're the most accessible when it comes to showing a clear structure/form,) I get bored because I know exactly at what point what needs to happen.  It becomes predictable because most hollywood films follow a structure and are plot driven, so I'd be watching a scene knowing that a problem has to come up now in order to push forward to Act II, or a problem needs to be solved now as we're in Act III etc.  

At school, I was ingrained with these structures - "3 acts", "5 acts", "8 sequences", "12 sequences."  The thing is, I'm shit at Math ever since I was born, so I couldn't really understand them and definitely can't sit in front of the computer calculating these numbers.  I've tried...  I wrote two detailed treatments for two scrīpts but ended up giving up on both.   One because I lost all interest in the story since I've written such a detailed treatment, the other one I got stuck in "act II" somewhere for the longest time, as I realized that there is no way for the story to get to where I needed it to go, in an "organic" manner...  I probably could have finished them if I was adamant and stubborn enough, but I just wasn't interested no more.  More importantly, it was then when I realized that I'm not a plot-driven writer, but instead a character-driven writer.  

Treatment is an important device for writers (whether you're plot driven or character driven,) it's like the white lines on a track field, so you know where you're going.  So most of my writer friends would spend weeks and months writing and polishing a treatment before they start their screenplay.  But for some reasons, I don't work well with it.  My brain doesn't function that way (as proven by the two examples mentioned above.)  So what I do is that I'd write the first draft first, then I'd go back and summarize what I've written by writing a treatment.  It helps me to get on with my rewrite.  

Instead of writing a treatment beforehand, I do do other things to prepare myself.  Like Dax, I have my traditions before starting a project... a trip to Papyrus (since my beloved Staples ain't here in Blighty!) to pick out my brand new Moleskine notebook.  And me too, I'm a Pilot pen junkie, preferably black and purple for special notes.  Then for months on end, whatever I see, whatever I read, whatever triggers me, I'd put it in that notebook, as random as it maybe, sometimes it could be just one word, but they're all in there.  And honestly, I might hardly look at them during my writing, I completely agree with Dax though, that they'd help me, in a subconscious way.

For the first draft, I like the feeling of not knowing where the screenplay is going (well, I do know to a certain extent, but I have no idea how to get there.)  In a way, I'm experiencing the journey with the characters, I'm not "the creator", I'm not ahead of the game... after writing each scene, since I don't know where the next scene would be, then I'd ask where would I go if I were so-and-so...  It gives me a great deal of freedom and I feel true to the characters.  I don't recommend people to do what I do though, because as you can imagine, it takes a lot longer to write if you do it this way, because after each scene, it requires a whole lot of pacing back and forth (at least a whole day if not two, or three, or four even, to figure out where your character wants to go...)  But for me, it's the only way I could continue and stay true... if I know about the next scene ahead, I'd end up writing the current scene somewhat false, rushing the character through to get to the next scene... if that makes any sense...  So because of this weird writing method, I don't even know where Act I, II or III is... I just... umm... write...   But of course, I ain't no Jack Kerouac, so most of my first draft is just a long babbles, just shit... that's why I don't send my first draft to people (except two really good friends who know me real well!)

Though I have to say, this new scrīpt that I just wrote, I did have a rough treatment before writing it because I needed to show it to the financiers etc...  However during the writing of the first draft, I hardly looked at it (for the exact reason I mentioned above) and the draft was quite different from the treatment.  BUT I had to say, the good thing was that I knew about a few essential steps, so it helped me quite a bit during my writing.  Maybe that's why it took me about 2 weeks to finish my first draft, the fastest I've ever written...  I'm still learning too, so I think I might have found a new way for writing... maybe it's the fusion of the two... we'll see.   

Then after the first draft, it's time for the 3x5 note cards to shine.  It's time to summarize the scrīpt, in a treatment form and in the note card form.  The latter helps because I can put them all on my wall and move them around when I need to.  It's then when I realize what is lacking, which character needs to be developed more etc...   Having said that, I just cleaned up the wall next to my desk and pulled out my note cards as it's time for me to embark on the journey of rewriting (oh joy...)

I'll write more about this as I go on...  Man, this is a long blog... Dax, it's all your fault... =)