Writing and RewritingComplications Ensue
Complications Ensue:
The Crafty Screenwriting, TV and Game Writing Blog




Archives

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July 2004

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

February 2005

March 2005

April 2005

May 2005

June 2005

July 2005

August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

November 2005

December 2005

January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

June 2012

July 2012

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

July 2016

August 2016

September 2016

October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

March 2018

April 2018

June 2018

July 2018

October 2018

November 2018

December 2018

January 2019

February 2019

November 2019

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

August 2020

September 2020

October 2020

December 2020

January 2021

February 2021

March 2021

May 2021

June 2021

November 2021

December 2021

January 2022

February 2022

August 2022

September 2022

November 2022

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

July 2023

September 2023

November 2023

January 2024

February 2024

 

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

I always wonder, when I hear about, say, Marc Cherry rewriting the Desperate Housewives spec pilot for six months, what that actually means. Was he sitting down at the computer for six hours a day tinkering? Because I don't see how you keep your perspective if you do that. Was he getting endless rounds of feedback from different writer friends? Chatting in coffee shops about themes? Chatting in coffee shops about old episodes of The Rockford Files?

Right now I'm fighting with a spec pilot. By Marc Cherry standards I haven't been at it long at all. But by, say, David E. Kelley standards, I feel like a slug. It's not the 10+ pages a day I can get when I'm working on a show, or the 5+ pages a day I'm used to getting on any given feature. (Of course, a spec pilot is about the hardest thing you can write, if you're doing it right.)

To be fair to myself, I've got a bunch of other irons in the fire, and those take some juggling. Since the spec pilot has no real time sensitivity just yet, if I have to choose between spending an hour on it, or an hour taking a meeting, or making phone calls, I usually try to keep the irons, uh, up in the air.

When you're working on a script for months ... are you mostly sitting in front of the keyboard? Mostly thinking? Mostly doing other things that urgently need attention?

Labels:

8 Comments:

All I can say is see Parkinson's Law: work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

A spec pilot with no concrete deadline would be very expansive I would think.

By Blogger wcdixon, at 11:05 PM  

I believe you just described how Marc Cherry spent those six months.

By Blogger jimhenshaw, at 11:21 PM  

How do you fund yourself writing a spec script for 6 months, especially if you're on the computer 6 hours a day?

By Blogger The_Lex, at 8:50 AM  

I think Marc Cherry got a loan from his mom.

By Blogger Alex Epstein, at 8:53 AM  

Speaking as someone who spent 10 years researching, writing and re-re-re-re-writing one -- and only one -- project, I can tell you that it's a little bit of everything. I researched for a bit (evolution, ancient mythology, demonology, Arthurian legend, the Illuminati, structural engineering, the US legal system, mental illness...) then wrote for a bit. I saw where I went wrong in the 10 or so pages I wrote, then researched & wrote some more to fix it. Then, after writing a few more pages, I learned some tricks of the screenwriting trade that would improve what I'd previously written, so I'd start over from page 1 and re-write everything I'd written to date. Then, a few weeks later, I'd see that I needed to do some more research and...well, I think you get the picture.

Ten friken years...I still shake my head when I think about it.

And then I cry.

KJC

By Blogger Kelly J. Crawford, at 1:21 PM  

Kelly

I presume you have other projects in the fire as well though...

By Blogger theblankscreen, at 7:21 AM  

Yep. Quite a few, actually.

By Blogger Alex Epstein, at 8:42 AM  

theblankscreen:

Nope. I have no other projects in the fire right now. Nore do I ever wish to have any other projects in the fire. Unlike most of you guys, I have no desire to be a career screenwriter. I have a very busy life, owning and managing several successful businesses.

I was just sorta thrown into showbiz head first back in the late 90s when a few folks who work in the biz told me I should turn a rejected manuscript into the pilot for a TV series. I thought it was a great idea, even though I knew virtually zip about screenwriting or how the industry works. Over the years I trained and mentored under some of the best in the business so I could craft and mold the project intelligently, and even though I have no interest in writing any scripts for the show, myself, I learned and studied hard so that I could recognize a good freelance script for my show when I saw it, and tweak scripts and story ideas with an intelligent hand.

It's no secret that I want Alex to be co-exec producer (showrunner) on my show, I want Denis McGrath to head the writng team, and I want Will Dixon to be my main director. I've already got an all-star cast lined up and a list of music industry mega-stars who want to contribute new and already existing songs to the show.

I'm getting lots of interest from prodco execs at some of the biggest companies in North America. The problem is money. I don't want to get into the details here, but you can read all about my frustrations on my blog "The Black Tower - A Rant".

Anyway, once the show has run its course in international syndication, I intend to leave the industry and go back to my life. Maybe open up an art gallery in Vancouver.

KJC

By Blogger Kelly J. Crawford, at 2:16 PM  

Post a Comment

Back to Complications Ensue main blog page.



This page is powered by Blogger.