[…] Not sure how this link came my way, especially given the fact it was published in January this year, but I’m always glad to read about Joss Whedon whose film (Toy Story, The Cabin in the Woods, The Avengers, Much Ado About Nothing) and TV (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Dollhouse, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) credits are impressive to say the least, not to mention having created one of my absolute favorite series Firefly. Plus there’s this: I have no definitive numbers or proof, but the anecdotal evidence I have gathered from teaching college students for several years suggests that Whedon …read more […]

It might not just be your Air Force Father (title!), it might also be that you grew up with pen and paper and typewriter where you HAD to write in order. This was a huge problem for me when I was a kid in school when I had to write essays for tests, but in about 10th or 11th grade, I managed to talk my teacher into letting my type my essays in the computer lab and there was a MASSIVE improvement in my grades because I could write what I knew and was confident in first and deal with the boring stuff later. Creative people don't always think in sequence. I've actually found myself writing out some scenes I know I want to see in my film before doing the prep work, once I see it work, I know what the feel is, what the tone is, what the characters are like... I can start seeing the characters in my head, I can imagine them in other scenarios, I'll let my imagination run with that and find out more and more about that world, and it's okay if I don't use those exact scenes. I've actually written random scenes that I later realized where part of the same story. And sometimes they'll say things to me that are little hints about what else is going on, or they'll reveal some part of their true nature that I wasn't even aware of when I was writing. Sometimes I'll storyboard sequences without knowing what the story or the grander context is. You're giving yourself hints and clues to build the rest of the story on. Maybe this is because I got into prep so late, but by writing... not a complete script, but doing a vomit draft first, where I'm just transcribing the movie in my head, I have a very clear sense of direction, I know what the movie is, what it isn't, the mood and the style, and the prep becomes... I don't want to say easy, but the groundwork is already set and so it's easier to build up and out on that, it grows exponentially quicker with less resistance. Inspiration and insight are tricky: when you get a great idea in your head, it's so potent but it disappears so quickly, you HAVE to get it down. It doesn't matter if it's a scene or an idea or a quick exchange of dialogue, the second you have something and you know it's good, put it down. You can figure out how (and if) it fits in later.

Chris, what I hear you saying is writing is kind of like that saying: All roads lead to Rome. It doesn't matter what 'path' we take, just as long as we TAKE a path. Chronological order or out of order. Write fun stuff first or hard stuff. Prep or no prep. Just get started and commit to not stopping before you get done with a first draft.

Absolutely. There was an episode of "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" with Jerry Seinfeld and Michael Richards where Jerry tells him the same thing "I don't accept the judging of process, we're all trying to get to the same island. Whether you swim there or boat there or surf there, it doesn't matter." Or Alan Rickman on the set of Galaxy Quest telling Tim Allen "I realize now that you screaming about your farts is your process and it's just as legitimate as my process or anyone else's." (I don't remember the exact quote, but it's on the Blu-Ray). And there is something to be said about trying other approaches, taking your prep class last year (a full year ago!) made me realize what problems my approach at the time had, and gave me the tools to fix them. Back when I was trying to be a comic book artist, I just did the pages I wanted to do and that was a huge problem for me because I had half-completed stuff, but I knew what was going to happen way down the line and could set it up, which was a big help. When I storyboarded "Pretend We're Kissing" a few months ago, I realized that I had to go in order or else I'd never get the thing done, so I did, and I got it done quick but it wasn't that much fun, it was more like being a cog in a machine The trick really is to make every step the most fun that you can, at least it is for me, otherwise I couldn't do it. Just plan so that each step will be "I get to do this," not "I have to do this." If every scene is fun to write, then every scene should be fun to read, then every scene should be fun to make, then every scene should be fun to watch. And hey, it's an easy reason for anyone to join in on your movie, "it sounds like fun!" You SHOULD save the hard stuff because, once you figure out how to make it fun, it won't be hard! We all saw Mary Poppins, turn the job into a game.