what's what in the wide world of my 'puter.
The quote of the day:
My family can live for quite a while on that money, provided we eliminate ammunition and cable.
-- from "Maximum Bob"
Running news:
2 miles. What up with that?
So perhaps you have noticed that I have avoided talking about writing recently. I have been an unhappy writer of late--I've been writing, but a nagging voice at the back of my head kept saying, "Diane, you still have a major problem you haven't solved in here." (This is on my rewrite of the Thesis Script.)
A guy I met through Wordplay who also hangs out at AOL's Screenwriters chat on Friday nights read my first 60 pages and gave me his feedback. Once again: great characters, weak plot. He noticed one problem that has nagged me a lot but which no one else has ever pointed out as bothering them, so I'd begun to think I was worrying unnecessarily. No--someone else has noticed it; it's a problem.
He did say something, however, that got me thinking, that got me wondering how I could totally rip up the First Act again--which would have the overall effect of making things a lot cleaner and (hopefully) the Second Act would move a little easier.
Today I'm going to play with Second Act ideas, to see if I am correct about this. I am not rewriting the first 30 pages on a whim.
Oh, Christ, yes I am: tightening up the First Act is always a good idea.
For those of you who've been writing and asking if I've sold a screenplay (or if you've just thought about writing and asking): No, I haven't. Believe me, when I do, there'll be banner headlines.
I have two scripts, which I refer to as the Thesis Script and the Rewrite Script (or the Irish Script). I've been rewriting both of them, for my happiness, not for a class.
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Copyright 1998 Diane Patterson
Send comments and questions to diane@spies.com