Diary of a Spec Script - All new blogging series

First, Happy New Year everybody! Hope everyone had a safe and happy night of partying.

Now, one of the things I pride myself on with this blog is that I'm able to offer an active, relatable perspective on screenwriting, from someone actively building a career in it. With it, aside from the usual story advice, I'm also talking about what the industry is like; how to conduct yourself; what your expectations should be and where you can go to get things done. As I learn something, I share it with you.

I figured, therefore, what would be the next logical step in giving you an on-the-ground perspective on screenwriting? I've already talked about networking, momentum, decorum and being placed on schemes - what's next? Then it hit me: document the writing of a script. An active documenting, rather than something hazy and retrospective. Take the reader through the ups and downs, successes and blockages, that come with writing something. Sometimes I'll write like a jackrabbit; other times, a tortoise.

The gameplan is to cover the whole process: research and gathering ideas; building the story engine; treatments and outlines; redrafting those; writing the actual script; redrafting that; getting notes; actioning them until, finally, the script can be sent out. The blogs won't be of a consistent length: sometimes I'll have a lot to talk about and discuss; other times, not.

This won't be so much a long screenwriting lecture, or even a definitive guide on how to write a pilot - there'll be elements, but my goal here is more to demystify the process for newcomers and show you what can happen as an idea turns into something visible. While books and even pro screenwriters can talk about the process, I don't think there's yet a major work on what it's actually like to go through the days it takes to write something. Plus, it allows me to interrogate my own process and consider what it is I could/should do different or better in future when I write.

 Will this cut into other content here? No. Other blogs will come out as well on different subjects. It also will not be a daily thing - at least, not for the first stretch concerning research. Might be every few days, in fact. Once we get into some writing, it will become more regular. 

Intrigued? Ready?
Ready.
Let's do this.


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