NaNoWriMo - WTF?

I hadn't heard of it either, until yesterday. But something led me to it. Like the fate of the cows to the slaughter. I have been thinking that perhaps a wee break from screenwriting wouldn't be a bad idea. I've been wanting to write a book for a decade now. But it's daunting for a screenwriter. Where's the structure? Where's the snappy dialogue and the craft of minimal phrasing with maximum punch. There's the fear that I would ramble endless given the freedom, and at some point forget what I was even talking about.

What was I talking about? Oh ya... writing a book. SO a friend told me that November is "write a book in a month" month. I googled, and found this NaNoWriMo site. There all these people all over the world who are peeking with excitement, forming community groups in their regions (yes, there are over 900 New Zealanders on the band wagon!) and preparing to write a book in 30 days, along with over a hundred thousand other international writers. Woowza.

I was intrigued. I read a bit more... http://www.nanowrimo.org/ and then in a rush of reckless abandon, I signed up and have commited to writing a 175 page (50,000 word) novel in 30 days. I don't have a story. The book I want to write (eventually) is not one that can be rushed. Obviously, as it's taken me a decade to work out the story. It's an epic sci fi, and one that's near and dear to my heart, so 30 days is not going to do it justice. So what to write about for the next month? What to write. What.

My coworkers suggested various forms of stories about working in the visual effects business. It's something I know. Of course, it will have to be completely made up, and have no resemblance to any person, living or pixel, as I am not quite ready to retire (ie get fired). But it's given me some ideas, and this is where I'm leaning. I have 2.5 days to figure it out.

And then the madness begins.

Interested? Wanna take the plunge? It's just for a laugh. Like a fun run for cancer, but you're running for yourself, so that in the end, you have a book. It's basically a kick up the ass. No one even has to read it. It doesn't have to be good. In fact, from all I've read, it's supposed to be utter shite. A first draft. You win just by pouring the words into the word counter on the site. If you reach 50,000, you win! Along with everyone else who makes it. All cheering each other on. Good times. You know you want to.

If you do have a moment of madness and sign up, make me your buddy. I need all the encouragement I can get! And I'll do the same for you. My username is lysebeck.

On your mark...

Feeling like a Cliche

Today's a blue day. I'll warn you right now, my disposition is not sunny. It's raining, I'm tired, I have ground hog day syndrome, and yet, there's a burning fire of discontentment inside me that won't let me rest. I hate that. I want it to piss off and let me be content to try to live a mediocre, less than average life. But no. I have bought into all the crap that says "Live today as if it's your last." "Live a life of meaning." "Do something that scares you every day." "Shoot for the stars and land on the moon." "If you're going to try, go all the way." "Rejoice in the road less traveled."

Well f*ck yous.

Today is a day like many others. A day that will be forgotten amongst the endless forgettable days I have lived. It is not an extraordinary life I lead today. I have done nothing I'm proud of, or scared of, except maybe drink some iffy milk past it's expiry date. There are no stars to shoot for, on account of the gray overcast sky. And screw that road less traveled. No one's on it for a reason. It sucks.

I warned you. I get like this sometimes. You know, the whole, "What's the point?" argument.

The good news is that this too, as everything, shall pass. I will forget this forgettable day. I will laugh at something ridiculous, I will cry at something happy, and I will feel the wonderful amazement in all that is possible from one little life. I will be so bloody full of good cheer and giggles that you, and I, may wonder who the hell it was that posted this miserable drivel.

But not today. Today I feel the need to shit on optimism. I am enjoying pissing downstream (I'm blue, not stupid) in the winds of hope. Screw ambition. Ya, baby, feels good to be a lazy bad ass no-goonick sometimes. Where's that drink?

stay loose and write fast

About 10 days ago (Damn, feels A LOT longer!?), I answered a post on Inktip for a Canadian writer, and sent in my script as a writing sample, and got a contract (thanks Steven at the guild for all the great advice!) to write a one hour action movie for TV. It still makes me giggle, as A) I've never written for TV before B) the audience is all male, blue collar, beer drinking, fight loving, sports lovers. C) They start shooting in Nov. Which is when we deliver the effects for Avatar, and I'm already working 70 hour weeks without the writing gig. But when it rains...

And what the hell, you can sleep when you're dead, which, at this rate, might come sooner than I think.

But I'm having a blast. Despite the fact that I'm writing this on spec and as a writer for hire (read free till they use it, and I own nothing) this has been an invaluable experience for me as a writer. Quick story changes, working with notes from the producer/network, trying to write what they want to see, in a style in which they want to have it in.

And for the first time, I'm working with a "consultant" (not exactly writing partner, as I still write everything, and the producer has said there is no credit available for him, but of course, i'll split my dosh with him if we get paid) to help me out. He's a marial arts expert and a fight correographer. As well as an ex-prison guard and ex-cop. ha! How awesome this that?! So, he's agreed to help me, and it's been awesome to work with him, bounce ideas around and get some cool action scenes from him. I think knowing exactly what our arrangement was from the get-go, and who was doing what, playing on each other strengths, has really made this work. We're both having a laugh.

And I love action movies. Seriously, I will nearly every time, pick an action movie over any others to go see. And I love writing action. You can let your imagination run so crazy, and do lots of dumb ass sh*t. It's fun. And my producer has told me that there can't be enough action. Our audience doesn't want a lot of chit chat or any of that drama nonscence. Fair enough.

But the story isn't quite locked down, although I have complete the first 45 page draft. We're not quite sure exactly how to play our main character. It reminds me of many Fox movies I've worked on. It's not decided until it's done. And it's not done until we run out of time. That's cool. I can stay open. And write like the ever changing wind.

I'm planning some time off when it's all over (Dec??) to calmly work in my garden.

Belated report on an awesome day

I have lost all sense of time. I think the workshop was last week... no wait... the week before. Nevermind, it was awesome. The NZWG put this workshop together (many thanks Steven, Sean and Benedict!). And here's how it went...

First up was Linda Niccol, co-writer for "Second Hand Wedding". If you've never seen it, you should. It's adorable. Linda gave us some gems for writing for low budget. I was pretty engrosed in what she was saying at the time, so didn't make many notes. But a few tips stood out to me...

1) It's easier to get investors to come on board if there's nothing too controversial in the story, and no sex, no drugs, no swearing. (Shit. I love swearing.) No big sets, no special set dressing, no special effects, limited characters and limited extras.

2) Write to location. It's easier to write scenes for low budget if you have a particular, feasible location in mind.

3) Make the story character based. Make memorable characters. Add drama and conflict, with backstories, and lots of layering for the characters.

4) A good logline, synopsis and treatment are escential for marketing and getting financing. Be creative with your marketing. Put yourself and the project out there. Note: Linda took an add out (she's in advertising) and that's how they got an investor. haha!! Cool.

Linda was charming and funny, and a pleasure to listen to. She answered questions with an openess and honesty that was much appreciated.

Next up was Steven, our fearless leader of the NZWG talking about contracts and dispute resolution. He made this potentially dry section of the day full of laughs and valuable info, that even the most un-business-minded writer would have to stop and take notice. Steven mentioned a few things that I'd never even heard of, like "moral rights" of the writer. Which apparently, is one of the first things you have to give up, but hey, good to know what it is you're giving up. Basically what I got from the contracts section was IF I ever get to that point, I should send my contract to Steven for him to check before signing anything. Awesome.

Then came the conflict resolution tips. And I liked them so much, as I think they are good rules for life, I wrote them down, and will include them all. (the stuff in parenthasis are my little additions. I couldn't help myself.)

1) Be calm and assertive. (a powerfully rare combo.)
2) Have all the facts at hand, in writing. Keep coorespondance and timelines. Be organized. Ducks in a row.
3) Secure an agreement that there is a problem to be resolved. (God, how horrible it would be to be the one in angst, and no one cares!)
4) Work towards a resolution (not just looking for an ear to moan to)
5) Never underestimate the power of shutting up. (I bloody love this point! Must try to take this one on board more.)
6) Know what you want. Know what matters the most short term and long term. (seems obvious, and yet...)
7) Know what comprimises you're willing to make. (ah, yes... comprimises. Everyone's got to give a little bit.)
8) Seek mediation sooner than later. (don't let things fester. It will get infected, and then you'll just need a bigger needle.)
9) Approach the mediations proffessionally. (don't be a drama queen, or a pathetic bitter person)
10) Set a time frame to meet. Be realistic and fair to both parties. (Don't make the date on your mortal enemies wedding day.)
11) Agree to disagree on stuff. And then LET IT GO. (No one likes a vengeful, bitter whiner. And it's not good for your insides. Live and learn.)
12) The solution must be acceptable to both parties. (fighting is a two way street. Know that the situation didn't blossom into this mess without some help from you.)

Then we chowed down on pizza (thanks Steven) while chatting with enthusiasm. There was lots of great energy in the room at this point. I was feeling buzzy myself.

Next up was Graeme Tetley. After hearing this man talk, and enjoying his energy, I have become a most enthusiastic fan. I am late to this party, joining his many long standing fans. He has had 7 films made, and more are under his bed. I wrote very litte in my notebook while Graeme was talking. I was too engrossed. But I did scrawl a few things quickly...

Often the contradictions that you find in research are as interesting as the commonalities. (Here he was talking of the interviews and accounts that he gathered when researching for "Out of the Blue". I thought this idea was facinating.)

Graeme likes using music in scripts. (I'd never really thought of that.)

And when being asked to do some revision which you think is a load of shite, the best thing do to is "smile and nod". Awesome.

Graeme had much more to say, stories were told, and advise was given. But I was caught up in the moment, and as I have such a poor memory, this is all I can recount.

Our last session was on pitching, with Jane Wrightson (a big cheese at NZ On Air) and Paul Swadel (a new big cheese at the FIlm Commission). You could feel the power emulating...

I took the most notes here, not because it was any less interesting. But there was a lot of practical advice and lists given that were easy to write down. Valuable as.

Paul gave me my latest moto... "RTFO" which is Refuse to fuck off. I like it.

Paul gave these pointers on pitching...

1) Know who you're pitching to
2) Why are you there? (not sure how you wouldn't know this... to get your film made, no?)
3) Give the person you're pitching to the tools to take the pitch to the next level (their boss)
4) Say your name and the name of your project often.
5) Slow down and punctuate.
6) Take notes.
7) Pleasentries are important. (I tried that once, and mentioned how much I enjoyed his previous movie to a producer, but turned out he hated it! oops.)
8) Show your credentials, don't undersell yourself, but stay humble. (ah... credentials...if only I had some to show.)
9) Tell the story. Say the genre, the hook, the main characters, what happens, the conflicts and what's at stake.
10) Good to get them asking questions. Get them engaged.
11) Get a commitment for when they'll read/call.

A few other pointers that came up in the discussion...

Structure of the script is important (ha! I say.)

Know why is your idea different. Know what the idea is. What your story is about. (you know, I thought I knew... and then when I tried to tell someone, I floundered. I think this is a really important point. try to tell someone, anyone, a random person on the street is ok, what your story is about. See how you do. In fact, several books I've read on screenwriting, and selling it, tell you do to this. I see why. It will show a multitude of sins.)

Don't bash other projects. (doh!)

Write what you love, and let that love and enthusiasm come across in the pitch. (not just your shaking hands and bundle of nerves. Focus on the story, and not the importance of your presentation of the story. I tell myself...)

Know the audience for the film your writing. (I can't believe how often this question has been asked of me. I always think... it's it obvious?! But I guess they want to hear it from you...)

Loglines are crucial. Make sure the logline matches the script. This will tell if you really know what your story is about.

A synopsis should say who, what they want, and how do they get it in 4 paragraphs.
1) 1st act.
2) 2nd act, beginning
3) 2nd act, end
4) the end

(which I hate to admitt this, but it goes to prove Malcolm's theory that the 3 act structure is in fact, a 4 act structure. OK, Malcolm, but it's still a structure!!)

12 points to tentpole moments. (OK, I don't really know what this means, but I wrote it down, so it must have seemed important. Can anyone shed some light please?)

It's important to appear proffessional, and confident that you can pull off the idea.

The Film Commission looks for writers notes which are 2-6 pages of the writer talking about where the story comes from, and what was the passion for telling this story. It should be written by the writer, and can include notes from feedback sessions, etc. (I think this is brilliant!! You get to straight talk all the morality and preachiness that you so pain stakingly had to leave out of the script, and just infer and hope that someone got it. You get to talk of the reason that you wanted to write this script, and what gave you the idea. I never thought anyone would actually give a crap about this. It never seems to come up, ever. And I always wonder why. I love to hear this stuff. What the motivation was for the script in the first place. And low and behold... the Film Commission wants to hear your inner workings. Awesome!!)

Some things that the writer's notes could include are:

1) character and structure
2) Script assessment and what the writer will do about it.
3) the forward plan
4) outline the problems with the script, and if there's any ideas on how to fix these problems (I don't know about this one... both Jane and Paul were quite enthusiastic about this point. But I think why would a writer submit something that they thought still had problems. Wouldn't you want to re-write and try to work all that out before you shot one of your silver arrows?)

More tips included:

- It's good to know what the budget is for the film. Perhaps in a cover letter from the producer.

- Make the inciting incident happen early.

- Make sure your protagonist is active an on a journey. No passive protags.

- Go to events held for producers or directors, like Spada confrences. You'll be the only writer there. (the trick is to be able to talk to them and not stand in the corner as some writers tend to do...)

Some advice for low budget (under $200K)
- no night shoots (I hadn't thought of that one)
- limited chars
- no special effects
- 1-2 locations. (wow, that's sparce!)

Then there was some chat about why the Film Commission needs a producer attached to a project before they'll look at it, and it all kind of went a bit strange and then quiet. My guess is so that they can weed out the crap scripts, as a producer won't want to support one of those either. Otherwise, think of all the drivel that they'd have to read... Unpopular to say, but I can't say that I blame them really. Doh!

And that was the day. It was great. I was buzzing from the energy of it all. A few of us went for a drink after, and buzzed some more. I was inspired. I am thinking of tackling a NZ story next. I say thinking and tackling, because I'm Canadian. I feel cheeky writing a NZ story. But I am thinking of writing about a Canadian living in NZ. A low budget film. Seems to be the call of the day.

Ready for the next wave...

It occurred to me today, that now that my re-write is done, I suddenly have spare time! I slept in until 6:15am today. Luxury. I had an invigorating run (read: struggle up the hill) with the dogs. I made breakfast. And what I wasn't doing, was working on my script. I wasn't reading it for the 100th time. Making notes, tweaking dialogue. I didn't turn on my computer. I didn't even go into the office. It felt strange.

So now... I plot. And send. And wait. And hope. And plot some more. And send some more.

I have some friends who are helping me plot and send. Bless their cotton pickins.

And here's the kicker. I think that the film making industry is ready to look at specs again. At original ideas. In case you've forgotten, "original" means something that hasn't been done before, new ideas, not a rehash of a comic book, a bad tv series from the 80's or a toy franchise. New heroes. New concepts. Out-on-a-limb, taking a chance, no merchandising made yet, stories. Ones that make us feel something more than motion sickness. Ones that (god forbid!) encourage us to think. Ones that the studios can't predict how much money they will make on the opening weekend.

I say that the time has come because there's been talk. Noise is being made about how we, the movie going public, and we, the ones involved in film making, have had enough of this regurgitated drivel. It was fun, it served it's purpose in a financially scared market, but it's time is up. We need to move on. We're starved for something original. Our juices are flowing. A new day is rising. Film critics, renown directors, and certainly writers are all ready for the next wave. Not to mention the public with their ticket purchasing power. And where there's a demand, there is product.

The question is will the studios change with the times and return to a more risky, but innovative approach? Or is there a bigger change a-foot in movie making in general? Will movie makers forge on ahead, as some have been doing recently, and make movies their own way? Without the studios. Here's two examples of two such director/producers. My humble hat off to both for their passion and their drive to give us something wonderful and original.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/07/peter-jackson-movie-fans-are-fed-up-with-the-lack-of-original-ideas.html

http://geektyrant.com/2009/07/exclusive-interview-director-sandy-collora-the-road-from-batman-dead-end-to-hunter-prey/

What happened to Wed, Thurs and Friday???

The days are starting to blend. I have to focus really hard to remember what month we're in. I'm gaining weight. It must be deadline time. Working 60-70 hrs/week now in my paying job. Feeling the pressure sinking in behind my eyes. 16 more weeks of this. Now, I'm not complaining... much. This is the wave in vfx. You ride it or get off. But I am having trouble finding the energy to finish the next draft of my script. That said, motivation is high. Aug 1st is the Page Awards next announcement for the semi-finals. Now, I've not got much hope for moving into that, BUT if I did, then I can submit a new draft, so being a good boy scout, I'm planning on being prepared. Plus, for extra motivation, my friend and producer is pushing me to get her the next draft, so she can push it. There's real motivation for you. So I plan to get my ass out of work at a decent hour today (yes, it's Saturday) and sit down at my desk, and lock myself away until the thing's "done" like dinner. The good news is, after an incredibly beneficial feedback session with my writing group pals, I have a very clear idea of what needs to be addressed. Gratitude abound. And the changes, if I can pull them off, will finally make me happy with the story I'm trying to tell. Good as gold.

Contests...

What's your take on contests? Are they worth it? Do they work? How high do you have to place in order for anyone to notice?

I got my name on a contest website. Quarter finals. Top 10%. 4400-ish enteries. If I go any further, then I can submit my shiny new draft. If I don't, then I'm happy that it made it as far as it has. I guess. Well, not really. That's kinda bull shit. I want to win. God, I've entered a slew of contests this year, spent a small fortune, and I'm really not sure yet if it was a smart investment.

I believe that we are entering contest announcement season.

It has me checking my emails like a Russian mail order bride.