What is your writing resolution for 2009 ?

Randall_Oelerich

Randall_Oelerich

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What is your resolution for 2009 as it relates to screenwriting? Read another book on screenwriting? Contact a certain number of potential agents, write a new script, attend a seminar, balance writing time with exercise (mine), other?
 
Write my first feature screenplay before I turn 21 in December.

I made an oath to not shave or cut my hair until I'm finished. I'm already looking a little crazy...

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To drink less coffee when sitting in front of the computer. So far I've only been up an hour and I've already had two cups - not looking good.
 
only two cups 'o joe in an hour in the morning? hell you're a lightweight, i can put down 3-4 at the local coffee shop i go to most mornings!

Yeddi said:
To drink less coffee when sitting in front of the computer. So far I've only been up an hour and I've already had two cups - not looking good.
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Randall_Oelerich said:
only two cups 'o joe in an hour in the morning? hell you're a lightweight, i can put down 3-4 at the local coffee shop i go to most mornings!
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Are you calling me soft Randall? haha :) If you are eating with those coffees that's cheating.

Unfortunately it's not just in the morning, it is all day. Maybe I should switch to green tea or something... :zombie_smiley:
 
My resolution is to get something sold this year. Kinda lofty, but everyone has to have a dream.
 
I do need to do more eating with the coffee, o/w I get nauseous. Just that the dark roast coffee at Caribou Coffee tastes do damn good, the baristas are easy on the eye, and free wifi and a fireplace; I should just rent a room in the back and I would be set!

Yeddi said:
Are you calling me soft Randall? haha :) If you are eating with those coffees that's cheating. Unfortunately it's not just in the morning, it is all day. Maybe I should switch to green tea or something... :zombie_smiley:
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I'm going to pipe in and add a bit to this. Unless you set daily goals you will not succeed. I'm as guilty as anyone...or I used to be. I've set goals so far out into the future that they have no urgency. Even if I set a goal to accomplish in one week that gives me 6 days to screw off and one day to buckle down and get it done. It's all B.S. Complete B.S.

So make your goals on a daily basis...then at the end of each day analyse what you did and if you didn't accomplish what you said then you have to find a way to make up the lost time.

So your daily goal has to be to write at least one hour per day...everyday! Not two days a week. Seven days a week! That is an easy goal to accomplish. Instead of surfing the net, reading email, texting, watching TV or whatever...write! Instead of going out to lunch...write. Write! It doesn't even have to be 60 minutes in one block of time. Just 20 minutes here and 10 minutes there...etc.

Spend your free time writing! Otherwise come the end of 2009 you will be where you are right now!
 
My resolution this year is to create better characters... Don't get me wrong... I can create a decent character but there's always room for improvement.

One of the things I'm trying right now is to keep a journal for several of the main characters of my new script... I realized on the last script that my writing flows to the point of euphoria when I've tapped into character and theme. Once I'm in THAT ZONE, the writing is a piece of cake and I don't even have to tweak and polish nearly as much.

So it occurred to me that maybe if I attempt to write a few things down every day AS THE ACTUAL CHARACTER -- It might help me get there faster. Been trying it for a couple of weeks now and it feels like it's working. The truth of the matter is though that whether it's working or not -- as long as it feels like it is -- then it is.

Unk
 
UnknownScreenwriter said:
My resolution this year is to create better characters... Don't get me wrong... I can create a decent character but there's always room for improvement.

One of the things I'm trying right now is to keep a journal for several of the main characters of my new script... I realized on the last script that my writing flows to the point of euphoria when I've tapped into character and theme. Once I'm in THAT ZONE, the writing is a piece of cake and I don't even have to tweak and polish nearly as much.

So it occurred to me that maybe if I attempt to write a few things down every day AS THE ACTUAL CHARACTER -- It might help me get there faster. Been trying it for a couple of weeks now and it feels like it's working. The truth of the matter is though that whether it's working or not -- as long as it feels like it is -- then it is.

Unk
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Hey UNK,

Thought you might want to try this:
When I'm writing up my character bibles the first I do is assign them a star sign (now I'm not a big believer in the whole balls of gas dictating life thingy) but what star signs are, are basically a list of characteristics that are often found within certain personality types. I use this as my basis, so as well as getting some of the main characteristics of a character, you get all the trivial crap as well that helps build character like lucky numbers, flowers and colours etc. that you would be unlikely to use but you just might. I build the more intimate and particular details from there. I will also go on to google images and find pics to make mood boards or a collage of pics that represent that character, what they look like, what type of clothes they would wear, car they drive etc. But I'm really visual so this works for me well.

Back to topic.
 
1. Master writing directly for micro-budget short and feature film.

2. See a feature produced.

3. Publish my screenwriting book.

4. Win an Oscar!

Okay, so it's a little lofty. Better to fall short of lofty goals than those within easy reach!

aw

www.alexwhitmer.wordpress.com
 
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My goals for 2009 are to

-Finish two screenplays by end of 2009. Writing my first as I speak. (Not as in finish, but at least have 2nd drafts)

-Finish reading the Amazing book "Inside Story" (Thank you Kylekmd), by next weeks end.

-Develop the theme and character arcs for my two screenplays

-Read more screenplays

-Writing more indepth coverages where I work as an intern
 
Kess said:
Unless you set daily goals you will not succeed.
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I disagree. Looking only short term ensures that you miss the big picture. Its important to set long term goals as well as short term goals. Ideally, several of your short term goals should add up to your long term goal. The whole being the sum of its parts.
 
my writing goals for this year are... to start and finish a feature-length script, and to learn as much as i can along the way.
 
I read a short novel in grade school that stuck with me in great detail, until a few months ago when I snagged a $.99 copy off Amazon, re-read it, and realized that it had stuck with me because it was a clever suspenseful dystopic story with some very cool concepts and opportunities for creative art direction. It also made for sufficiently entertaining adult reading, and comes with such a great title that (since the rights are available) I'm writing a screen adaptation.

Then I'm creating boards, models, and concept artwork, maybe one or two digital vfx shots, assembling and rehearsing the pitch package, going out, and selling the bastard.

That's the resolution.
 
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