A majority of my writer’s block comes from the overwhelming pressure to get it perfect the first time (or the time I’m currently doing it). I keep stopping myself because what I’ve currently got sounds too cheesy or melodramatic or whatever:

Ug! Seen this a million times!
Oh god, what a bunch of melodramatic nonsense.
This lowbrow humor won’t fly!

Pish posh to that! My new method to overcome this is to write it wrong. Instead of staring at a screen waiting for the perfect blahbidy blah, or rewriting the same line over and over, I will embrace the cliques and crap that are slowing me down.

Then, I’ll watch the scenes with a notebook and think, “Well, this really stinks! You know what would be funny/interesting/good here instead…” and jot it down. Think of it like putting place holder in your scenes. I’ll keep this crappy joke here until I come up with a better one.

Check it out, a picture of me ended up in the latest issue of Chicago Magazine! The Sex and Love issue.

DO THIS NOW!!
Go to your local news stand and grab the latest issue of Chicago Magazine (it’s the one with the hot babe on it. Ooh la la!)


Flip to page 59 for the article about the Midwest Teen Sex Show. Get a load of that pic of a dapper Guy Clark!



Read the article. “Wow, this thing is really well written! I’m floored with intrigue.”

Now flip to page 77 for the rest of the article. What’s this?! A picture of Britney and me and the back of Neil Arsenty’s head! How exciting! Take a moment to drink in the eye candy…

Ahhhhhhh. Totally awesome. Now put the magazine back, because this isn’t a library.

After a week of letting my mind clear, I went through the script and now have about 5 pages of notes. The notes are a healthy combo of scene specific and script-as-a-whole notes.

Act 1 Scene 5:
Do more of the embarrassing photos framed in office.
Running gag in the scene.
Maybe cut to the frame store? Frame store owner: I’m rich!

Act 2 Scene 8:
News report and action in the bar needs to balance each other better.
Reporter banter goes on too long.

Script as a whole:
Strengthen the relationship between inventor and his love interest.
Too much arguing. Needs to be replaced by “real action”.
Introduce the singing GPS earlier!
Infomercials need to be in the movie more
Too many holocaust references

Now it’s a matter of organizing my notes, deciding what to work in and what to eliminate. It’s very exciting at this point because I can really see it coming together. I hope to have the next rewrite done in 2 weeks.

I’m putting a tight deadline on myself so I don’t get into a pattern of endlessly sweating the details. Rewriting is a process of deconstruction and reassembly which can go on forever if you’re not careful.

2 weeks from now is the 4th of July. I plan on spending that day celebrating our nation’s independence and the completion of the second draft. USA! USA! USA!

The first draft for Master of Inventions is done and printed. What a relief. 76 pages. Longest thing I’ve ever written.

I will wait for this weekend to go through it. I need a day or two to clear my head. I’m so excited to read it straight through. Nervous too.

I’m a few scenes away from finishing the first draft. I’m surprised I got it done so quickly. There are some major glaring errors in this thing. That’s fine right now, because my goal for the first draft is to get it on paper and get it organized.

Nothing seems funny anymore (in the script, not my real life. ‘Wah I’m turning into Morrissey!’) I’ve gone over these bits and the notes so many times the material just doesn’t pop the way it use to. That’s OK at this point, because I’m still working on a coherent structure and story. I shouldn’t sweat the details right now. The comedy will be refined in later drafts. Here’s an analogy that involves a house:

You shouldn’t worry about the wallpaper before the roof has been put on.*

I’m expecting the comedy to seem stale by the time I give drafts my reader’s circle. Between them, table reads and rehearsals, I’m confident the comedy will be refound, and perhaps some even funnier bits will come out!

We shall see…

*The roof of the house is the top part. Wallpaper is the decorative paper put on the walls on the inside of a house. Therefore, one would be more concerned first about the roof being on the house because it would keep the elements out and be a much safer place for you and your family. The roof is put on the house even before some interior walls are created! Roof=important, and done early.
Wallpaper, on the other hand, is for the decor, which is important too, but could easily be held off until the end.** Everyone wants a well decorated home, but c’mon dude, first things first!

**Definitely wait until the roof is on your house and walls have been built before you start hanging up wallpaper. I cannot stress this enough!!!!