It’s been a busy and in some ways trying few months since my
last post in March. As always I’ve been busy writing. Shortly after my last
post I completed the first draft of my next project due for release,
transforming the first part of one of my favorite screenplays into novel
format.
Transitioning a screenplay into a novel can be mundane work
at times – almost copy and paste to some extent. However, the devil is in the
details, and screenplays are notoriously scant on details. As a younger man I
never imagined that I would return to a screenplay to transform it into a novel.
Rewriting felt torturous at times when I first started to write screenplays. I
preferred to bathe in the invigorating creative pool that is the writing of a
first draft – the world building. Through the years I’ve come to enjoy
rewriting. There is so much that can be discovered, tweaked and improved or
just plain gotten rid of.
All three of my books, Monarch,
Psykosis and this current project,
are different in many ways. Monarch
was a massive undertaking that helped shape me as a man and as a writer. Psykosis was closer in length to a
novella than a fully realized novel, and after the time consumption on Monarch it was a real treat to work on.
My current project is a combination of the two. It’s a two-part story that was
initially a 120-page script. With Psykosis
I fell in love with the shorter format, but the current project, with its multiple
intertwining stories, has too much content to be relayed in less than two
hundred pages.
Once I completed the first draft of part one I had the need
to take a break and work on something else - to stretch my legs so to speak.
Thankfully, I always have other projects to work on and new ideas percolating
to the surface. Screenplays aren’t my main writing focus like they used to be, but it is nice to switch it up on occasion, especially if I’m not on a deadline
to release something.
Screenwriting has many challenges but the main one
undoubtedly is dealing with other people. It is a completely different type of
writing compared to working on a novel, and there are challenges when shifting between
the two. Trying to cram all that I have to say after working on a novel into
the restrictive format of a screenplay means my first drafts can be long-winded
in parts. Thankfully, I enjoy rewriting.
Dealing with others in the realm of screenwriting is a mixed
bag. You can learn a lot from writing with others, both good and bad. There is
bound to be friction at times but as long as the goal is the same then things
have a way of working themselves out. When goals are not shared things go awry.
Once you have to start trying to sell your hard work you have to deal with all
sorts of people. That is the real soul zapping aspect of being a screenwriter
and you have to harden your skin and be on point to even get your foot in the
door.
Switching between novel and screenplay writing has become a
way for me to stay balanced and fresh creatively. Once I tire of working with
others I can merely switch back to my literary ventures. And when I get sick of
living in my own little world I venture back out into the madness that is
writing for the screen.
I spent the summer outlining a miniseries and
the first season of a new TV series: one is a historical fiction miniseries; the other
is a sitcom. A writing partner and I recently finished the first draft of the pilot episode. It was nice to have a break from the novel series but I am chomping
at the bit to get back at it now.
Outside of writing some of you may be aware of my lingering health
issues. These issues have been affecting my writing ever since I began work on
the last movie I wrote, directed & starred in nearly a decade ago. These
issues began to really affect my quality of life about five years ago as I was
working on Monarch and have only
gotten worse since that time.
Earlier this year I decided to do something about my health.
Five weeks ago I had surgery and have been recovering ever since. While I am
still not back to 100% I am hopeful that I will be there by year’s end.
Regardless, I will keep chipping away at things. If the first part of the novel series was any example, I
should be finished with the second part by spring. Knock on wood.
The pilot for the sitcom will likely be rewritten well
before next spring and hopefully we can tickle a few of the right funny bones and get some traction on it. While I took point on writing the outline and the pilot,
when we actually start sending that out will depend on when my writing partner
and I are in agreement that it is good to go.
So, it’s been a busy few months. Even when injured or recovering
from surgery I can’t seem to stop writing. Is that a good thing? At least it
keeps me busy. Once I’m completely healed I can only hope I’ll be able to get
even more work done and make more time to do so.
