THE STORY SO FAR: PART 255: TUESDAY

THE WISDOM OF A SCRIPT DOCTOR

My son, Christian (the award-winning playwright) once introduced me to a former screenwriter/script doctor who had somehow persuaded the Trinity authorities to allow him to take up residence there. I think he made a donation or some such. Anyway, he was living in the kind of chambers that are normally reserved for faculty.

He didn’t write any more but traded in currency and was hugely successful at it. He was an extremely intelligent man. I think he also conducted occasional Master Classes on writing though he didn’t lecture on a regular basis.

Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland—by the way—is where I went to university, and where my son, Shane, went too. It’s normally called Trinity for short, or T.C.D. It was founded towards the end of the 16th Century so its buildings—subject to a few recent exceptions—have a wonderful feel about them.

I cannot recall the name of this individual so I’ll refer to him as SD (script doctor) for convenience. A script doctor is someone you call in when a screenplay is in trouble (a chronic condition given the paranoia that pervades Hollywood).

I spent several evenings—spread over a period—talking  writing with SD and didn’t emerge the happier for it despite his well of expertise and considerable hospitality. He was a strange, embittered man with an almost entirely negative view of life—not without charm, but hard to like. Whether I emerged wiser and a better writer from his informal tutelage is an open question. I rather think not. He was once of the most discouraging people I have met in my life—and the one thing a writer does not need is discouragement.

He also commented that no one over 50 could write for the movies because at that age one had lost touch with the young. Given that I had just passed my 50th birthday at the time, that particular remark didn’t exactly make my day.

Still, SD said one thing about writing thrillers—whether books or movies—which I have never forgotten. He said that, in essence, all such stories boiled down to getting one’s hero into trouble in the first part; getting him into even more trouble in the second part; and getting him out of trouble in the third.

And here am I thinking writing is difficult.

Actually, there is a great deal of truth in SD’s remark.

 

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 254: MONDAY

HOW TO ADD MORE, TO ACHIEVE MORE—WHILE ENDING UP WITH LESS

After allowing the screenplay to slow-cook in my subconscious over the weekend, I came to the conclusion that what I had produced so far was just not good enough. This wasn’t just a vague feeling but related to specific weaknesses that further reads identified.

Certain areas weren’t clear; some of the dialog lacked crispness; and there were a couple of continuity issues.

So much for finishing my work last week feeling thrilled that I had hit my target length. Length alone, albeit important, is only an element in the mix (as the actress might have said to the bishop).

Actress and bishop jokes were a feature of THE SAINT  books by Leslie Charteris. I read about 14 of them when in my early teens before gravitating to another genre—probably Science Fiction.

It’s actually quite intriguing trying to figure out how to eliminate two pages or so from a screenplay which you previously had thought was cut to the bone. However, this is where a couple of days away from one’s work—plus lots of sleep—makes all the difference.

Words, phrases, and sometimes whole paragraphs, leap off the page and scream: “I’m unnecessary,” or “I’m in the wrong place.”

Then they form a line and do a passable imitation of RIVERDANCE. After that, some are moved but most are—to put it bluntly—executed. Being a word is hazardous.

A writer just has to harden his heart.

No wonder we writers are so tough to live with.

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 253: SUNDAY

ARE MOVIES AS GOOD AS THEY USED TO BE?

I truly love a good movie and can well remember the excitement I used to feel as a child when the lights dimmed and “The Big Picture” started. Movies were so much better than real life.

As the years passed, I was to discover that real life is not without its merits—and could be every bit as exciting as a movie, and decidedly more dangerous; and that real sex beat movie sex every time. Nonetheless, movies have remained one of my favorite forms of relaxation.

Though I tend to have a fairly highly developed sense critique, I don’t watch movies that critically. I go to be entertained, not to carp—and if that means being tolerant, well so be it. That doesn’t mean that I enjoy bad movies—more that I’m not a perfectionist where movies are concerned. Also, my tastes are not particularly highbrow. I like Westerns, Gangster Movies, War Movies, Thrillers, Science Fiction, Musicals, and pretty much everything else except horror movies. 

Given all that, I thought KILLING ME SOFTLY with Brad Pitt would be a safe bet. I like Brad Pitt and the supporting cast included such favorites as Ray Liotta.

Sadly, I was profoundly disappointed. In fact, though all the performances were excellent, I found the movie itself to be slow, sordid, and stupendously boring. God alone knows why Brad Pitt (who was rarely on screen) was attracted to the project.

Are movies as good as they used to be? Clearly some are, and bad movies are scarcely a recent invention. Still, it is my general feeling that screenplays are not as good and that technology has a tendency to get in the way rather more often than it should.

One fundamental fact, of course, is that directors simply don’t get the practice they used to to. Under the old studio system, a director could easily make several movies a year. Today it is more likely that  he or she will make only a single movie every three or four years.

And practice makes perfect—or it certainly helps.

Where screenwriting is concerned, I suspect that globalization carries its share of the blame. If you want a movie to appeal to the widest audience possible, then there is a tendency to minimize complexity, sieve out subtlety, and reduce dialogue to a minimum.

Yes, I know film is a visual medium—but I’ll confess a weakness for good plotting and sharp dialogue.

But I’m a writer, so what else can you expect!

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 252: SATURDAY

TO SLEEP, TO READ, AND TO SLEEP A WHOLE LOT MORE--

MY IDEA OF A PERFECT SATURDAY

Saturday, as I’m sure I have written before, is my self-designated day of rest. I picked Saturday, not for religious reasons, but because that leaves Sunday available in case my idleness on Saturday fails to achieve the desired result. In truth, I normally do half a day’s work on Saturday but since it is entirely voluntary—as determined by my work ethic—I don’t classify it as work. Really, it all comes down to fooling my mind so that I start the next week reasonably refreshed.

Sleep tends to be my primary goal—and I find if I can sleep it out until mid morning or later, it makes the world of difference. As for reading, my idea of Hell would be a place without books; and I normally have at least one on the go and several stacked up ready to devour.

For sheer relaxation, I tend to read thrillers or military history—though I am not averse to reading an economics book if it is well written (and many are). Economics has become very statistical over the years—to its great disadvantage in my opinion—but, fundamentally, it is (and should be) a study of human behavior as it relates to our universal struggle to make a living. In the process, the human condition is well explored—and therein lies the fascination.

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 251: FRIDAY

TO FINISH OR NOT TO FINISH?

THE FINISHING LINE HAS A TENDENCY TO BE MOBILE

A fundamental rule, where writing is concerned, is that any manuscript you submit should be as good as you can make it within the constraints of your particular circumstances. If you are writing to a deadline, then your finishing date is set for you. On the other hand, if you are working to your own schedule, then the day you type THE END and mean it is much more of a moveable feast.

By this evening, I had produced a highly acceptable result and printed it out. But can I do better? That’s a question best answered after catching up with one’s sleep—plus a little perspective.

Even if you don’t have an external deadline, the practicalities of life mean that you rarely have the luxury of writing on until everything is just the way you want it. Money has to be earned, there are personal commitments to be met—and so it goes. Still, only a damn fool submits inadequate work.

One trick I use for evaluating work is to open the manuscript in question at random. If I then find something that strikes discordant note, it is back to re-writing. Of course, I also read the whole manuscript through many times—but I use random selection as an additional test.

Right now I’m too tired to do anything other than go to bed.

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 250

THERE IS SUCH A THING AS WORKING TOO HARD, AND TOO LONG.

SOMETIMES, IT’S WORTH IT

I have a feeling that somewhere a writing rule exists which says as follows: The shorter the length you are allowed, the harder is the writing.

Hard not to feel sympathy for those tasked with writing inscriptions for gravestones.

Born: May 23 1944

Died: Still working on it.

I’m getting considerable pleasure from writing less (as is required in a screenplay).  Every word subtracted is a victory. On the other hand, I have never worked so hard in my life.

It’s the wee small hours more often than not when I finish. My fairly regular sleeping cycle is wrecked.

Why is writing so absolutely fascinating? It’s like being in love—agonizing but wonderful; and destructive of sleep.

THE STORY SO FAR: PART 249

HOW LONG DOES WRITING TAKE UNTIL THE PROJECT FEELS RIGHT?

Once you have some years of writing experience under your belt, it’s fairly easy to estimate how long an acceptable draft will take—assuming no extraneous factors intervene—though they frequently do.

In fact, I belong to the group who believe life is a plot designed to stop writers from writing.

Feeding pets! Driving children to football games! Cleaning out the gutters! These are all distractions in a business which demands absolute focus. In fact, I have long recommended that a writer’s pet should be stuffed and small children should be kept in the washing machine (much easier to keep them clean that way-and keep the noise level down).

Do  I jest? Not completely… Actually, I’m quite nice to pets and small children, but you get my point.

The hardest part with a writing project is not producing a draft, but getting it right as far as you the writer is concerned. Satisfying other people is in the lap of the gods (though naturally you try). But, essentially, your own judgment—which can take some years to cultivate—is what counts.

I had intended to go for a long walk after lunch—the weather has continued gorgeous, at least as far as the afternoons and evenings are concerned. Instead, I re-wrote a screenplay scene which I felt should be more visual. I could have let it go, but my creative conscience was giving me a hard time.

The changes worked, but it all made for another very long day.

Late evening, after a walk, I watched the last episode of RETURN TO LONESOME DOVE. It was made in 1993—and, in my opinion, was quite up to the standard of Larry McMurty’s original. Quite what the copyright politics were, I have no idea, but this mini-series was written by John Wilder who did an impressive job.

I wonder is John Wilder any relation of Andrew Wilder (arguably best known for CRIMINAL MINDS).

The very talented Andrew wrote a screenplay for my first book, GAMES OF THE HANGMAN—which I have never seen.

Such are the ways of Hollywood. Such is a writer’s world.