BWTV-AI Module 4 – Lesson 4: Write Act 3 First Draft!

[Denice Lewis]

Denice Finished Act 3, First Draft

What I learned doing this assignment is how much fun I’m having. Although I don’t have access to Lessons 4 and 5, I finished the first draft because I didn’t want to stop the impetus. I’m 20+ plus pages short, but it doesn’t bother me. I trust the process.

[Sylvia Krawczyk]

Can’t reply again so here it is…

BWTV-AI Module 4 – Lesson 4: Write Act 3 First Draft!

Sylvia’s Finished Act 3

What I learned doing this assignment is…I’m not certain if perhaps my outline was too short. I write out what it says using the HSW skills and things o very fast—which I am astonished. But they are not the 10 pages suggested. I move forward to see what happens next…

[Jerry Robbins]

JR Finished Act 3
What I learned doing this assignment is to keep spitting it out, even if you are half asleep and have worked a fourteen hour day at your day job already. I doubt this is much good. Trying to follow outline.

Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on. A. hanging in there
Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. A. Consistently use.
Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts. A. no quality here.
Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. A. Consistently using.
Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. A. I'm moving but just throwing stuff down
Rule 6: Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future! A. We hope so.

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Jerry Robbins.

[Deanne]

Deanne’s Act 3 First Draft

Insights:
> Using placeholders is liberating.
> So far, my first three act breaks came in with fewer pages than my outline to that point. That might change as I add in more character development and expand number of lines spent on highlighting the mysteries and open loops, and add more scenes to smooth out bumps. But it’s possible the expansion will take place in other acts instead.
> It’s easier to push forward when I know I’ll have more opportunities to address problems and figure out better scene structures in future drafts.

Rating my use of speed writing rules:
1. B 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. A (a couple B’s are more B minus, but not C )

[Kristina Zill]

KZ finished Act 3

What I learned doing this assignment is to keep going, even if it really is only 30% quality.

My outline was weaker for this act, so it was harder to write.

• Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on. B. Some use.
• Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts. B. Some use.
• Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. B. Some use.
• Rule 6: Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future! A. Consistently use.

[Sunil Pappu]

Sunil Pappu Finished Act 3

“What I learned doing this assignment is… to speed write 10 pages of the entire act in less than 2 hours. I aimed for 30% quality knowing I would have to rewrite 70% of it in my subsequent drafts and that really helped put things in perspective. There are places I just copied what I had on my outline and moved on.”

• Rule 1: A

• Rule 2: A

• Rule 3: A

• Rule 4: A

• Rule 5: A

• Rule 6: A

[Lenore]

Lenore Bechtel Finished Act 3

My rating on the high speed writing rules remain the same, as I hope they will each day this week because I consistently use Rules 2 through 6 and don’t intend to use Rule 1 unless I need it.

I don’t think I learned anything new doing this assignment, but I’m pleased that the speed writing seems to come easy for me.

I was in the flow again today because of diligently following my outline. I could never write this fast if I had to stop and think what comes next. My outline tells me—yay! I wrote a 12 page Act 3 in three hours and forty-seven minutes. I’m now on page 53.

I’m sure I’m going to have to do some cutting to keep this script down to an hour pilot.

[Jeff Chase]

Jeffrey Alan Chase Finished Act 3

What I learned doing this assignment is I’m amazed at how I am buzzing along on my script. The outline I was “forced” to write makes the pages come easily.

Rule 1: Use empowering self-talk. Cheer yourself on. – ALWAYS USE

Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts – ALWAYS USE

Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts – ALWAYS USE

Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers – ALWAYS USE

Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out – ALWAYS USE

Rule 6: Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future! – ALWAYS USE

[Phyllis Strong]

Phyllis’ Finished Act 3

What I learned from Act 3 is I’m getting faster–wrote 12 pages in a day, but still struggling with some of the rules for speedwriting. Here are my grades:

Rule 1: B

Rule 2: A

Rule 3: B

Rule 4: A

Rule 5: C

Rule 6: B

[Art Blum]

Writing the scenes made me see much better my story coming together. I learned the little character moments were more powerful than the action stuff to me.

Rule 1: Use empowering self-talk. Cheer yourself on. I consistently cheer myself on.

Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. Consistently.

Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts. Consistently.

Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. Consistently.

Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to stall out. Consistently.

Rule 6: even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future. Consistently.

[Bob Creager]

Bob’s Module 4

What I learned: It took a bit of effort to get the hang of high speed writing but it worked very well. A breakthrough for sure.

I wrote non-stop for the complete script and did not pause to post to the forum after each lesson but I did read the lesson before doing the Act.

[Gayla Betts]

Gayla Betts Finished Act 3

What I learned doing this assignment is that it gets easier and easier to write high-speed, and it also sparks creativity (so lots of notes for the future), and again, emphasized how important a good outline is, and to not deviate for this draft.

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[Barbe LaPierre]

Barbe’s Finished Act 3
What I learned doing this assignment is I love using this technique. Get it on the page. Fix it the next time around. Once it’s on the page everything else is just editing.
• Rule 1: Use empowering self-talk. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. A. Consistently use. (Keep going!)
• Rule 6: Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future! A. Consistently use.

[Margaret]

Margaret finished Act Three!

What I learned doing this assignment is to accept the 30% quality and keep moving!

My outline was weaker for this act, so it was harder to write.

• Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on. B. Some use.
• Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 3: Choose speed over quality for EARLY draftA. Consistently use.
• Rule 4: Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. A. Consistently use.
• Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. A. Consistently use..
• Rule 6: Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future! A. Consistently use.