Thank God! We finally got around the cranking out the last few beats of the outline. It’s changed a half-dozen times since we last reported on it and it runs on for a bit. It’s still not as long as some outlines are, as we don’t beat out every single scene of the script. We figure we can fill in the gaps as needed as we write around the highlights of what is in the outline. And as I’ve mentioned, Rick and I are never bound to the outline we start with. One thing we don’t want to do is write ourselves into a corner. Flexibility is key when it comes to writing that first draft of your script (and second and third drafts as well).
So what’s next? Well, first of all, a couple of days off! No thinking about writing for a day. Just enjoy some time catching up on binge-worthy TV shows, spending time with family, or whatever else might arise.
Then we begin the process of writing. As we write, we’re going to post the script, as rough as it might be, here. We’ll post the differing versions on a regular basis (so you might see version 1.1, 1.2, etc.) so you can see where changes might have been made as we go back and edit the script. It’ll give you a good idea of what our writing process is, and how we go back and edit as we write.
Some writers like to do a “garbage draft”, where they just write without really thinking about what’s on the page. The idea is just to get through the entire draft, and then come back later and clean it all up, make corrections, and so on. Rick and I operate a little differently. What typically happens is that I might write a page or two, then I’ll send it to Rick, and he’ll review it, edit it with his changes, and then he’ll write another couple of pages, and send it back to me. I’ll do the same to his portion, edit, then write some more. Wash, rinse, repeat. We’ll keep up that process, and usually, if we stay on that pattern, we’ll have the finished script done sometime between 45 to 60 days, sometimes longer if we run into situations where we have to take some time off. For example, we’re starting this script just as end of the year holidays are approaching, so we might take a whole week off from working on the script to enjoy Thanksgiving or Christmas. I think our goal is to finish by the end of the year, but if we don’t, it’s not the end of the world.
I’ll try to update the outline on this site, but I’ll need to break it down into two or three posts because of the length. Anyway, time to celebrate!
Lake Regret Movie 