Lesson 4

[Kristina Zill]

KZ’s Next Act 1 Scenes

Vision: To master screenwriting so that I can turn my ideas into salable screenplays, and to master working with producers so that I can help those screenplays get made into movies.

What I learned doing this assignment:

My usual method of writing is to ponder aspects of the story; in fact, to spend quite a bit of time pondering — sometimes months. I’m one of those people Hal mentioned in his recording who can write a great script — but it’s going to take a long time. It’s difficult for me to just fly through the script and write according to the outline. If I come across parts in the outline that need work, then I start pondering.

The scenes in the outline that are the most dramatic are the easiest to write. Those I CAN fly through. But the weak scenes, if I write them as-is, I’m just layin’ up sin and suffering for myself further down the road. Just as, by not creating a strong-enough outline, I’m having trouble with some scenes now.

That said, I have been using the 5-minute timer method to get out of my usual pattern. And it works! In the wee hours this morning, I pondered a part of my script that needed help, and I came up with a much more dramatic, satisfying way to write it. It’s still true to the outline, but the motivations and timing were off before, and now I solved it.

Other than that slight detour, I’m all-in with the 5-minute and 10-minute writing sprints. Here’s a trick I’m using that helps: Rather than do sprints inside my official Final Draft document, I created a separate file called 5-Minute Sprints. I write in that doc and if I’m satisfied with the scene, I paste it into the official file. If I’m not happy with it, I keep doing sprints until it works. I’m enough of a perfectionist that I don’t like sullying what I’ve accomplished so far.

I still have a ways to go to really nail the High Speed Writing technique, but I’m getting there…

[Paul McGregor]

Paul’s Next Act 1 scenes.

4. Vision of success from this program: I want to write scripts that become movies that change people’s lives.

3. I am nowhere near the number of pages recommended for this assignment. I’m finishing Act 1 with just 20 pages written. There is a lot to develop in Acts 2 and 3, so maybe having that short Act 1 is not all bad.

5. What I learned from this assignment is that applying the fast writing skills is helping a lot. Just having these scenes down on paper prompts ideas for the gaps I have later in the Outline. And it also gives the (mistaken?) impression that I’m making progress.

END

[Danielle Dillard]

Vision: To write touching family stories that teach and entertain.

I’m still working on my scenes. So far, it’s going well but I could work a lot faster. I’m still working on that part of it. But what I’m learning the most is how to do exactly that as I go along.

[Raquel Solomon]

Raquel’s Next Act 1 Scenes:

Raquel’s High-Speed Writing Rules:

Vision: I want to go deeper into my writing to create screenplays where characters of depth are placed in compelling journeys with a fresh voice that Hollywood producers as well as independent film companies know they must make!

I learned that I am able to speed write and giving up contemplation is freeing.