The Unavoidable Delay

I pride myself on delivery on or ahead of schedule, but, recently, family matters arose that were impossible to avoid. That led to, essentially, four days of lost productivity in the midst of completing a contracted first draft. Fortunately, the producer was forgiving and understanding. That said, a delay can have a greater effect than simply postponing completion.

After an outline is completed, and I swear by outlines and beat sheets, you should know that, the task of breathing life into the script is not so daunting. I know what my characters are doing, and I have a good idea of who they are. But, when taken away from the rhythm of the story, it becomes a more difficult task. All the second-guessing and doubt that accompany a rewrite are suddenly part of the initial draft, and it takes time for the characters to reintroduce themselves to me. Suddenly, my main character, Jake, is less talkative, more stubborn to speak. When he does, it's plain and simple language, different from the colloquial and friendly conversations we had before. If speaking to the characters in off time sounds crazy, you're probably not a writer.

I don't mention this to provide fuel to the procrastinator's fire, however. Deadlines are deadlines and, barring emergencies, must be met. Just because you don't feel like writing doesn't excuse you from writing. We all do lots of things we don't feel like doing. In the words of William Goldman, "Life is pain. Anyone who tells you different is selling something." So, no excuses, get back to writing. Which I have done, myself. Back on schedule, with a delayed completion date, but writing. Just not as easily as I did before.

The moral of this, I hope, is that if you are working and the writing is going well, for the love of all that is cool and awesome, DO NOT STOP. Keep the flow going from day to day. Ignore the fact that it's a weekend, or that there's a great movie coming on. Keep the story moving. You can procrastinate later.

The Benefit of Management

So, a little practical talk today. When I first began writing screenplays, my only thought was how to make a good movie. As I grew, I learned more about the craft of screenwriting and the mechanics of structure, how to make scenes use tension of some sort to propel the action... all the things that make a good script, well, good. What I quickly realized is the difficulty of getting a script you are happy with into the hands of people who can actually make the movie, which is a whole different set of hurdles.

I got lucky with my first produced film, a movie made for very little money, but Elle was received well, and the director wanted to make a second film with me on the script. That's both flattering and potentially profitable for all involved. But, since our first film was behind us, it was time to bring a more professional air to the proceedings and contract discussions have begun. And here is the second arena in which I count myself lucky. I have a management team behind me. It gave me the option of sending the contract to them, a gig that they did not procure, but I'm happy to give them their cut. Why? Because they have the resources and expertise to ensure that the project is a WGA signatory film and that both I and the director have a clear understanding of pay, payment schedule and any penalties levied if I am not compensated appropriately. "You give your first script away," one of my managers said. "Not your second."

There's the vicious Catch-22 of most agents and managers, in that you can't get representation without something produced and you can't get anything produced without representation. Fortunately, the company I signed with was new and willing to take a shot with me. Several rewrites of a script they liked later, and I'm a better writer for the experience. I don't know how common it is to find a team of people who get your work and do everything they can to make it better so we can sell it and all become rich beyond our imaginings. or, at the very least, make a living doing what I love... making movies. No matter, I count myself lucky.

At the end of the day, I value their input and appreciate their services. I can't recommend enough finding someone within the industry to give you pointers and help you with legal matters. There are plenty of hazards in navigating the waters of the film business. It's a whole lot easier with a crew.