Lesson 3 Assignments

[Timothy Barley]

Tim Barley’s Finished Act 2

What I learned from doing this assignment is that the work flows much faster when you adhere to the high speed writing rules!

1. I am somewhere in the A- range for using the rules. I continue to spell and grammar check as I go along. This might be an excuse to try to make small edits, or it may be OCD. Not sure which.

Rule 1 (empowerment): Grade A: it’s easy to empower yourself when it doesn’t HAVE to be perfect.

Rule 2 (draft writing understanding): Grade B: not always accepting that it’s JUST a draft.

Rule 3 (speed over quality): Grade A: totally have this one down!

Rule 4 (starting w/o answers): Grade A: I may not have the answers, but I have notes!

Rule 5 (keep moving): Grade A: done and done.

Rule 6 (can’t now/will later): Grade A: see rule 4

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Act 2

What I learned doing this assignment is that it reinforced my question about whether the entirety of Act 2 can take place in one location if all the beats and intrigue elements are there. Because that’s what I’ve essentially got.

Consistently use (at least in last 2 weeks): Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on.

Consistently use: Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts.

Some use Rule 3 : Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts.

Some use Rule 4 (still slows me down sometimes, but this is part of why I’m taking this course): Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. (Part of reason for taking this course to get through a blocked piece in a later episode…)

Have more faith in this one since I started taking course: Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future!

[Laurie Brown]

Laurie Brown Finished Act 2

What I learned from this assignment is that it’s hard for me to not edit for grammar and spelling but I continue to try.

Rule 1 (empowerment): Grade A: I feel very empowered by this class. However I work on FEELING empowered before I sit down to write.

Rule 2 (draft writing understanding): Grade A: I am writing as a draft and the indication I take to be evidence that I am is that new material is cropping up and more layers emerging that I didn’t expect, even while following the outline.

Rule 3 (speed over quality): Grade A: YES!

Rule 4 (starting w/o answers): Grade A: Only after years of Hal’s classes do I have the confidence (finally) that everything will work out. Let go.

Rule 5 (keep moving): Grade A: YES. Can barely stop me now.

Rule 6 (can’t now/will later): Grade B: Problem is I forget.

[Avi K]

Avi Kapurala’s Finished Act 2

What I learned from doing this assignment is: It’s a first draft! It’s a first draft! I’m writing a TV pilot for the first time in my life and there’s more to be proud of than worried about!

Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on. A

Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts. A

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

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

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

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

[Wendy Weising]

Wendy Weising’s Finished Act 2

What I learned doing this assignment is that because the draft is pretty simple, if I need to change something that’s bothering me, I can do it quickly.

Rule 1: B

Rule 2:A

Rule 3:A

Rule 4:A

Rule 5:A

Rule 6:A

I can’t get over how easy it is to write when you have an outline.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by  Wendy Weising.
• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by  Wendy Weising.

[P.G. Sundling]

5. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

It’ll be easier to figure out how much I have to cut after doing a fast first draft, instead of guessing in advance. Doing a straight adaptation, I was able to do at least 10 pages today.

1. Rate your use so far on each of the High Speed Writing Rules:

A. Consistently use.

B. Some use.

C. Need to start using.

Rule 1: A

Rule 2: A (I wrote in drafts already, although first draft was good quality)

Rule 3: B (I tend to act out scenes and speak them out loud to detect bad dialogue)

Rule 4: A I did that, which is why I’m working on module 3/4 instead of finishing modules 1/2.

Rule 5: A I keep moving.

Rule 6: A I have absolute faith in that.

2. Continue to write scene after scene until you have Act 2 complete.

3. Do a quick edit, but don’t spend time trying to make the words perfect. We’ll do that in the final draft.

4. Tell us any insights you had using the High Speed Writing Rules or writing Act 2.

The bar in act 1/2 has an arc in the series, just like the main characters. I’ll need a draft to come back and capitalize first instance of new characters. I skipped editing down stuff in act 2, so I can edit it down in a later draft for that purpose.

• This reply was modified 2 years, 7 months ago by  P.G. Sundling.