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Day 13 Assignments
Reply to post your assignments.
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23 Replies
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Rebecca Finished Act 4
Vision: My success in this program will lead me to be the go-to writer for producers looking for incredible scripts for successful movies enjoyed by a vast viewing audience.
I learned from this assignment that the lessons learned while writing Act Three propelled me through Act Four. The script is too long, but I can pare it down in the next draft. To write forward, don’t read backward.
How’s it going? I finished writing Act 4 in two sessions. Using the outline as a guide, I wrote the first draft in FIFTEEN days. AMAZING! I’m now reading through the first draft to spot problems and ways to reduce page count.
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Wow, Rebecca! Congrats on finishing your first draft in 15 days! I finished mine in less than three weeks but didn’t write anything for one of those weeks (vacation).
It’s also great you have too many pages after the first draft, because you can always cut pages in the next drafts. I have the opposite problem. Not enough pages. So, I’ll be including all the little details in my next drafts that will add to the length. All my scripts seem to be around 90 pages when all is said and done.
I’m looking forward to draft 2 and I’m sure you are as well.
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Farrin Rosenthal Continues Act 4
Farrin’s Vision: To do what it takes to become a highly paid A-List Hollywood writer whose produced movies will entertain audiences around the world.
What I learned doing this assignment is how you can’t really start a second draft unless you finish the first. I’ve never had a problem finishing any first draft I’ve written. Why? Because I either had an outline to work from or at least knew the ending of the story. When you know how it ends you can fill in everything that leads up to that point.
At I continue writing act 4 of the first draft, I had the last scene written before the climax scenes before it. I did not know exactly what was going to happen in the climax. There is a fight, but what happens in the fight? How exactly would it play out? The only way to know is just dive in and write it!
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Jeffrey Alan Chase Continues Act 4
My vision: I am an “A” list writer who is known for high concept ideas, great execution, a string of successful movies and is always ready to share his knowledge and do what he can to help another writer on the way up.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: I was able to fly through Act 4 with the guidance of my outline. Several times I tried to stray away from it but slapped myself around a bit and continued following the outline. I’ve finished Act 4. Was searching for a great 1-page epilogue and – it just appeared…I think because of all the work I’d put into the outline, thinking through my story. Having fun with the editing now. Need to cut 20-25 pages.
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Leona Heraty Continues Act 4
My Vision: To be the best family comedy screenwriter in the industry where my screenplays are produced into fabulous movies, making audiences laugh a lot and making me independently wealthy!
What I learned from doing this assignment is…just keep going! When I had something I wanted to go back and change, I resisted the urge to do it. Instead, I wrote a note in the description to go back and change it later. It helps just to keep writing fast!
Title: Tara vs. the Termo-Lytes
Genre: Comedy (Sci-fi)
Concept: A teenage tour guide with no sense of direction and an extreme fear of bugs takes a wrong turn and leads her group to an abandoned country club that’s overrun with giant mutant termites.
How things are going for me: I’m making progress! I’ve written about 53 pages so far, and I’m proud of myself for just keeping going! The high speed writing rules work for me and I’ll be using them from now on during early drafts of my scripts! Hurray! -
My Vision: I want to be a great award-winning, successful writer, known for her genre, who creates the most beautiful films that inspire others to feel deeply, pause, and ponder ways to make the world a better place
Title: THE NUN AND THE WITCH
Genre: (mystical /Sci-fi )
Concept: A dedicated nun destined to become a saint, bonds with a witch to achieve a sacred task to battle the evils of hatred consuming the heart of humanity, only to find out that time is running out.
HOW IT WENT. I finished ACT 3 and Act 4. Will look back over for simple typos and wait to see what we do in the second draft.
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Pat Fitzgerald Continues Act 4
Vision: I have the talent and tenacity to create contest winning screenplays, and I will go on to have my scripts optioned and produced.
What I learned: The first draft is all about figuring out what will and will not work in the story. And I have finally realized that one of my characters must be written out. They were nothing but a copout way to further the plot. The other characters will be enriched and the story will be deeper without them.
How it’s going: It’s getting easier to move forward without the temptation to look back and tweak.
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KRISTIN CONTINUES ACT 4
VISION: I want the personal, professional, and financial freedom and joy that come from writing so well that I’m in demand, selling beyond my wildest dreams, and making worthy projects—on a big scale and with my active, collegial participation.
WHAT I LEARNED in this assignment: As I go through, transferring the scenes to the script, and then fleshing them out, I feel what’s missing. It really is a temptation to freak out or try to fix it. I’ve got many red notes in my working outline!
HOW’S IT GOING? If all I think about is the mission for this draft, then it’s going well. This really is an exercise in NOT thinking the way I’ve always been trained to think. Also, I really do believe that it’s easier to fix things in the outline stage, so I’m comparing the outline process against the script/scenes process, and realizing I can go back to the outline, fix “structure problems” there and then work them into the script. Interesting to consider “when to stop” the outline and write the first draft. A person could get stuck anywhere along the process and stay there.
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Sandra Continues Act 4
Vision: I am doing what I love to do as a writer with several successful produced movies.
What I learned doing this assignment is that I was able to keep empowered and write 3 pages per day, and focus on lowering my quality standards. I still catch myself wanting to wordsmith (i.e. correct misspelled words), however I can stop and move on to something else.
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ROBERT SMITH CONTINUES ACT 4
MY VISION FOR MY SUCCESS FROM THIS PROGRAM:
I want to be a great writer who delivers entertaining, informative, and uplifting scripts that sell and get produced.
WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT IS…?
I am just writing and writing and writing without a care in the world about it and the draft is taking shape.
HOW IS IT GOING FOR ME?
Beautifully. I took the advice of writing in chunks of time because I have a lot of things right now that are completing for my attention. But it is happening. Thanks for the great advice, Hal.
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Lori Continues Act 4
Vision: I want to be a professional screenwriter recognized by the industry as the go-to for family-friendly scripts and have multiple successful movies produced.
What I learned: “Don’t think that an early draft has to have some kind of quality requirement. Our goal is 30% quality. You can easily achieve that just by doing a poor job of writing every scene in your outline.” I am quoting Hal here from the lesson. It made me laugh, but it was the encouragement I needed to press on.
How it’s going: I’m reminding myself that I just need to finish the first draft, not create perfection.
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Tracy Finished Act 4
I learned that I still had some room available, and I can try to add more details to enrich the characters and fill in some back story I though I’d have to abandon.
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Joe McGloin continues Act IV
Vision: I am a talented, highly regarded, efficient, relaxed, happy, WGA screenwriter
What I learned doing this assignment is to just keep going and things naturally fall into place
How it’s going: Still lots of dialogue, but coming up on the exciting conclusion. Everything moving fast. Pretty cool.
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Amechi Continues Act 4
MY VISION
I am going to be in the top 1% of action/comedy writers in the industry who writes major action films.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that finishing an early draft is never about perfection. There is always room for improvement. -
Terrie Continues Act IV
Vision:
I get paid to write screenplays that get made into crowd pleasing successful films using a process that allows me to keep up my equestrian hobby.What I learned doing this assignment is go just a bit slower to honor the outline.
When I try to write scene in 5-10 minutes I miss some elements of the outline for that scene. 15-20 minutes per scene seems to be good for me right now. Working in chunks – one scene then shift my focus to something else and come back to write the next scene seems to work well for me.
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Tom Continues Act 4
My Vision: To be a reliable writer who comes up with viable alternatives quickly.
Doing this assignment, I learned things don’t just fall into place. They must be setup and paid off realistically.
The more of these exercises I do, the easier they are.
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MOD 5 LESSON 13
JACK P – CONTINUES ACT 4
EMPOWERMENT: I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO FINISHING THIS DRAFT!
MY VISION: I will do whatever it takes to write a produced script that is recognized by the industry and leads to multiple successful movies.
WHAT I LEARNED: This is an asynchronous process for me. I
completed the 1<sup>st</sup> draft before completing the assignments. I just
kept moving, and I forgive myself for not following the rules. I have a
draft that is at least 30% quality (maybe even 31% : }) and I am following up
with the assignments. Nothing bad happened, nobody slapped my wrists with a
ruler, and I am learning new insights from the assignments that I can use in
Draft 2. Hooray! -
Claudia Continuing Act 4
Vision: To become such an excellent writer that I know every script I write will be well received by the industry, that my scripts will sell and be produced, and I’ll live the life of my dreams.
To also become so empowered that fear is to be laughed at, instead I relish and look forward to pitching, meetings and much more.How’s It Going: While I’ve always written from an outline / beat sheet this time is massively different. I have such a clearer picture of what I want in each scene and I’m able to write it so much faster then I could have imagined. I used to feel amazed at myself for getting three pages written (old scripts)… now I feel bad if I’ve only written 5 and shoot for 6-10 or even more each time I sit down. I don’t know I’ll be able to, but I’m really hoping to finish the 4th Act tonight.
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Micki’s Continues Act 4
My vision: Be recognized as a writer that will work with the industry and would do what it takes to be that WRITER.
What I learned from doing this assignment is being patient with this process. Don’t know if it is 30% or not. I feeling it is more like 20%. I will have to wait to go back over it with Module 6.
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Andrew Kelm Continues Act 4
Vision: I am going to do whatever it takes to be a great writer of TV and movies who is sought after by people I respect within the industry and has multiple successful TV series produced.
What I learned doing this assignment is… Another seven pages and within sight of the end; on page 85. I have a voice in my head now that says, “no, keep going,” every time I think there might be something missing or inconsistent with a previous scene. It’s very helpful, and I am feeling good about where this is going. The outline is holding up pretty well, and I love seeing stuff appear on the page I had no idea was coming.
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John T’s Continues Act 4
Vision: to become a reliable box office success and entertain audiences all over the world.
What I learned doing this assignment is that Act 4 is the easiest to write a first draft for. What fun!
So after going ahead and finishing Act 4, it was a breeze launching into the Resolution pages.
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Erik continues Act 4
My vision is to achieve true excellence as a screenwriter which causes me to be a consistently working writer, with actual movies made from some of my scripts, and to become wealthy as a screenwriter, develop relationships in the movie industry where I am recognized as a truly original writer, and to become indispensable in the market in which I want to write.
What I learned doing this assignment… The idea of finishing as a skill is so important and is one that writers should not lose sight of. This high-speed first draft has really reinforced that for me. First-draft writing also makes the prospect of finishing easily attainable.
The writing is going well and you can swear by the high-speed writing rules. It increases confidence even when the quality is 30%, and as I said before, because the writing can just flow, the quality feels better than 30%.
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Gisele Frazeur’s ACT 4 continues
My vision: I am going to work diligently to become a brilliant, reliable screenwriter who is sought after, regularly produced, highly paid, and awarded. Artistic fulfillment and financial freedom will result from the achievement of this goal!
What I learned doing this assignment is: Being this close to finishing the first draft is both frightening and exhilarating at the same time!
Title: On the Scent
Genre: Thriller
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