CydM at 2013-07-29 18:25:48:

Yes! It's good to hear you're confidence is building as you dig deeper into your own concept. We don't have the excellent guidance of Scott on our side, but many of us on GOYOQ are scratchin' our heads and saying, "Oh, is that was I meant with that logline? Huh, whaddya know." It can be a process that's a bit unsettling at times, but I'm sure you're going to have a stronger script because of it. How are you approaching the watching of movies? Are you doing so with script in hand, or reading the scripts afterwards? Are you finding the written script a whole bunch different from the finished project, or is the tone of the film the same as the script? There was an article in The Atlantic traveling around this week about Stephen King and some of his thoughts on writing not included in his book. It was interesting. He feels readers come to books for the voice first and story second. The audience wants to feel they're in competent and inviting company, and a storyteller that says, "Come inside, I've got something you'll enjoy." Are you finding anything similar to that in the scripts you're reading and films your seeing? Enjoy this next week of digging and re-learning basics you once thought you knew but are seeing with fresh eyes. And enjoy movie binging. It sounds easy but that's not always the case. Still rootin' for you.

NEGenge at 2013-07-30 07:56:45:

I remember watching an advanced skating camp once with all sorts of high-level coaches, choreographers, sports psychologists, the whole whizz-bang gamut of things to help take athletes to that "next level." Invariably, however, every session began with "let's go back to the beginning." One session really struck me. This hugely well-known coach, working with an Olympic champion, made her skate around the rink. Just skate. "Think of nothing but your knees! Is that the deepest they can go?! Push! Yes! Out, not back! Yes!!! Close your eyes! You *can't* close your eyes?! Of course, you can! You know this rink better than your home - close your eyes! Now, again, push, *out*!" For two full hour-long sessions, he made her just skate. Three days later, she's gushing about how much everything else has improved. She feels stronger. Her choreography is so much better. She's excited for the big jumps instead of afraid of them. Ya-da-ya-da-ya-da. Why? "Because I can really feel the ice again!" Which she immediately attributed to the two hours of "knees," all of which came from just skating around and around *better* - like she'd been told to do in the beginning, and which had gotten lost under all the other layers of instruction she'd received over a decade. Hope everyone on the Quest is finding their writing legs all over again!

Scott at 2013-07-30 13:48:51:

That's a great anecdote, NEGenge. My oldest son attended the New England Conservatory and there the instrumental instructors will often have entering first-year students simply play one note at a time, over and over again for extended periods. It's about paying attention, it's about muscle memory, it's about technique. For some writers, it's all about instinct and too much or even ANY reflection on the process can inhibit them. That's certainly okay if how and what they write is productive. But for most of us, a certain amount of time spent pondering the craft is, I think, beneficial. And certainly being exposed to different technique and insider writing tips can be helpful. Here's hoping we all find our "knees" during GOYOQ!