Screenwriting vs the Dogs!

Distractions are everywhere.  Today is no exception.

I am sitting here trying to scrib off some lines for a spec script I am working on, and for one reason or another, the dogs are barking.  Maybe they hear something outside, or maybe they just want to annoy me.  Either way, I am not getting much done.

Whereas your house or your office is normally the best place to find raised levels of production, sometimes distractions are just too frequent.  Barking dogs, the phone ringing, your grandmother talking about 1947, and the  TV shows that you would normally never watch are suddenly  masterpieces that you can’t miss.  Sometimes, you just need to get out of the office space you have built, and become part of a public office.  There are so many choices out there however and it may be difficult to choose one.

When choosing a place to write, you may try and find a location that provides a comfortable surrounding and a quiet workspace.  Sometimes however, noisy places provide just as much comfort. I have found several locations to fit the mold.  Here’s a list of three  places that I find less distracting and more inviting:

1. THE PARK:  If you have a park in the neighborhood where few kids frequent, this is a great spot to be creative.  Soak in the air and glance at the nature that surrounds you.  If in NYC, Central park is inspiring, besides its abundance of patrons, dogs, and kids.  Any park that is situated along a river is pleasantly inviting for a creative experience.  These outdoor areas offer the sounds of nature, and can provide you with  change of scenery and fresh air.  However, if you don’t have a battery that will last long on your laptop, and you aren’t the type to write by hand, I suggest-
2. A COFFEE HOUSE: Preferably a lesser known or local cafe versus the corporate chain.  I find that  the customers that  frequent such places are more likely to be the writer types.  Surrounding yourself with this type of character is beneficial to the comfort factor that encourages production and creativity; and I do find  establishments that encourage the arts and are locally owned to be more compassionate to an easily distracted soul like myself .  Locally owned businesses are like freelance writers; they are the underdogs in the overall scheme of the things and therefore I feel more at home in their environment!  A coffee house in general however, will provide you with a place to plug in your computer, a hot beverage, a pastry, and artistic surrounds, but if you find any coffee house to be distracting, why not try out-
3. THE MALL: I know what you are thinking here; no distractions at the mall?  But the truth is that there is so much going on at the mall at all times, that its easy to just sort of assimilate into the crowd and do your own thing. That’s not all!  There are also so many different types of people at the mall, that I can’t help but feel that this is a great space for finding inspiration for characters and ideas for dialogue.  Trust me,I have utilized things I have overheard at the mall for several of my half-written gems!  You may not like the mall, but you can’t overlook its scenery.  Plus, if you need a piece of pizza, some yogurt, or a useless accessory for your phone, you can find all of these things under one roof.  And, you may even score some free wi-fi along with ample amounts of benches and AC outlets.!

There are many many more places I could name, but I just wanted to get the ball rolling.  If you can recommend another one that’s off the radar, or just want to comment about my rants about local business, please leave a comment.  See you outside!

>the dayscribber<

MOTIVATION for the SCREENWRITER

This is a quick post for the budding screenwriters out there who are having a tough time writing today.
If you work alone, like I do, its easy to get distracted and procrastinate. I am doing it right now!
But here are some words from me to you to help you get motivated:
A SCREENPLAY IS NOT GOING TO BE PUBLISHED UNTIL IT IS COMPLETE. And its not going to be complete if you don’t work on it.
That’s it. Take what you want from that. Continued progress and success to you!

>The Dayscribber<

FADE TO: A Screenwriter’s Routine.

How many of you out there are self-disciplined?  Do you have the strength to get your writing done without being distracted by the noise of everyday life?  I  am not always such a person;  easily distracted by the most subtle  of sounds.   I  find it very difficult to concentrate and stay focused when things are going on around me.   What’s worse, is that I am distracted by the silence I encounter when I am alone; the ringing in my ears, I have concluded, are a means for my subconscious  to distract me from my goals and destroy any chance I have for success.  Go figure!

So knowing how I already behave going into the world of screenwriting, I have made several attempts to alter my habits and have tried to incorporate certain proven methods into my everyday existence.  These methods and habits may just allow me  to  hone in on my concentration and keep my levels of focus at their optimum.  Without such methods, I find myself to be wandering through the desert of imagination instead of picking apples  in the orchards of creativity. Such analogies are trite, but so are bad habits.

Many writers claim that the best way to break our old habits, is to create some new ones.

But what are appropriate habits for an easily distracted writer to have?  What method will not only force him to be more  productive, but will ultimately provide him a routine that will induce creativity?

CONSISTENCY !

Having consistency as a habit is sort of like providing your brain  a map ; it will almost always know where its going because it has taken that road before. So what then should you be doing consistently?

Here are three things I try and do on a consistent basis.   I find that these routines have helped me be more productive in my budding stages of being a writer:

• Write something as soon as you awake.   And It doesn’t matter what you write, or even how much, as long as you transfer  some thoughts from your head  to a written or typed form.  It can be something new, or an addition to something you’ve been working on(recommended.)   I find that getting up, going to the computer, and typing a few extra lines of a script I am in the middle of, motivates me to want to do more.  And I can do more during the day, after I truly wake up.  Getting that little bit of writing done first thing sets the tone for the rest of the day, and motivates me to want to get shit done.
• Read a portion of a professional screenplay everyday. I find that reading part of a  screenplay everyday reminds me that I have a lot of work to do in order to improve my style  and master the craft.  I also find that other writings inspire me to write, specifically if it’s a screenplay from a film that I enjoy.   A light comedy  has a tendency  to distract me from the stress I  have placed on myself  to finish my work, and  laughter can be a remedy for any ailment, including procrastination.
• Set and achieve a specific goal for each day by applying a reward system and self-discipline . I find that having goals is my new goal;  it gives me more things to to strive for.  Your goal for the week may be to type 30 pages, but your goal for the day may just be  5.    But the real goal should be the reward that you give yourself for achieving a goal, no matter how large or small the task. For example, I try not to eat certain snack foods until I complete a certain amount of writing; If I don’t finish it, I don’t have that snack(well, sometimes!) If you can be strict on yourself however, and apply effective methods of self-discipline, the rewards you set will motivate you to achieve your overall work goal.

So wake each day and type something.  Set your goals for the day and reward yourself for achieving these goals.   Read a portion of a professional screenplay. And then achieve some more goals!  A script won’t be published if it isn’t written…

In an upcoming forum, I will discuss other techniques for getting through the day.  Please feel free to comment and or offer further insight.  FADE OUT:

INT. CLASSIFIEDS – SCREENWRITERS WANTED – REALLY?

This is not a classified ad for a screenwriter position.  It sure looked promising though, didn’t it?  It probably offered you a brief moment of hope.  Well, that feeling you may have had when you clicked on this post is a feeling I get when perusing for possible job leads on the inter-tubes.  And I wanted to talk about the ads that cause these promising feelings.  I want to know if they are worth my time or just a waste of time;  after all, I am still just an amateur with no proven skills.   Are these ads legit? Do they offer valid hope for an inexperienced writer?  Are they legit even for the experienced writer? This is what I want to know, and perhaps you clicked here because you want to know too.

So I search the inter-webs, almost on a daily basis, looking for that one opening, that portal, that brief window of opportunity that will allow me  into the world of professional screenwriting.  But here’s the problem that I encounter; I have no published writing samples.  Everything that I have written to this point, has been on my own time, in my own space. And as a newbie to the world of blogging, I have very limited experiences to share with a potential employer that would  even remotely express the capabilities that I feel that I have as a budding writer.  I start this writing off, this way, so that I may try and  work through some ideas on how to  get myself into that world, without having the experiences that almost anyone in the field of production would be looking for.  I am posting this in hopes that others who have replied to ads like those seen on sites like Craigslist.org can offer their experiences and offer some insight as to whether or not they have found success or have been left to ponder as I do.

The first thought that comes to mind in relation to this subject is, “Can an unpublished writer land a gig through an online ad.”  What I don’t know is just how many people are replying to such ads.  If you are an aspiring writer with little or no experience, and you have responded to any of these ads, please share your experience with me. I want to know the success rates of such experiences, and whether or not I am kidding myself by believing that I can find a gig this way.

The next thought I have  is about self-publishing.  I have enough things written from my own spare time that I feel could  build up my presence on a web page, or on a blog, should I choose to post them.  By publishing things in this manner,  I should be able to create a more accurate picture relating to the nature of my talents.  As someone who has been very reluctant to share his work with anyone over the years however, it is a daunting task to just post such work on a public forum with the hopes of gaining positive feedback, or constructive criticism.  But one of the  recurring thoughts that an aspiring writer like myself has, is that  “if I don’t show my work, then no one will see it;  and if no one sees it, I can’t prove my talents and build web presence.”  And my guess, is that without web presence, or a portfolio of completed works, it will be a very difficult task to get noticed by those production companies or independent film makers who seek screenwriters for their projects.  But I just don’t know all the avenues just yet, and this is one purpose in posting this topic.

So, if you have an opinion on this topic and/or suggestions as to the proper way  way to build a portfolio of work without being officially published, please share it with me . This journey isn’t just for me, it’s for all of us talented writers who are scared of the implications of the business end of the creative world, and who haven’t yet taken that leap forward into the world of professional screenwriting; a place we strive to be part of.

And that is where I start this journey; by asking questions to both the experienced and the aspiring writers out there, in an attempt to get some answers to the questions that people like myself have in regards to the screenwriting profession.  I have another blog just getting going at the dayscribber. It is brand new like this one, so be patient.  If you like what I have to say here, follow me on both; it is bound to get better, all the time.

FADE OUT:

INT. DAYSCRIBBER’S MIND – PRESENT

As he types on his LAPTOP, the soothing sounds of REGGAE blend with the humorous opinions of JOY BEHAR and THE VIEW; he is after all staying with some family, and they do enjoy their TELEVISION.  Where his production levels are slightly stunted, his IMAGINATION is  in full motion; there is after all, no better inspiration for writing than one’s own FAMILY.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. DAYSCRIBBER’S JOURNEY – THE NEXT ENTRY