I left a pretty amazing office shared with colleagues I've described as thoroughbreds in their field (philanthropy), to join a space shared by writer/editors and a media team. We've been in our new offices now for about three weeks.
Though moving from a private office to a cubicle is definitely not an upgrade I'm now occupying a space shared by longtime friends. There's a window and during the day I glance up and see the sky changing. It's the first time I've felt time pass connected to the changing sky. I'm glad to have experienced this during the winter—the sky morphs from the brightest blue to hundreds of variations of cloudiness. Even while working on a deadline I sense the movement of the sun across the sky as the afternoon passes, at about 2:30 I have to move when it shines into my eyes. The sun moves and clouds appear and spash themselves across the sky, hiding slivers of blue in bright silver or the whitest white, or covering it with angry greyish black.
When the clock told me that it was mid-afternoon in the old office I'd long to see the sky and would walk down a long hallway past multiple offices to pause for a few minutes near the front desk. Looking outside I'd see the sky and I was happy; the mental fogginess caused by hours of staring at a computer screen lifted. I realize now that what I'd cherished every day was actually as rigid as a snapshot, even if taken during the most beautiful time of day.
Another unexpected positive—I realize that work is a place to contribute and support and achieve, but it is transient compared to my life. Home has become more important to me and I feel more creative, good things are happening and I'm not forcing it.
My friend and I decided to work on our Nicholl entry at lunch. At 11:05 today I told him (we share a cubicle wall), "Only 55 minutes 'til noon. Are you still excited about the screenplay?" "Yes!"
We met in the small conference room and started where we left off yesterday. I'd written the main characters' names on an iPad along with a few important facts about the story. Today discussed the individual characters and I continued to make notes.
How far would one of the characters go to break the law? What was his relationship with our protagonist? How did he treat her? He's a pretty bad guy. Why did she love him for so many years? How did they become a couple (she was 16 and he was in his early 20s)? Why did she fight for a relationship that was so painful and abusive?
As we explored the characters and their motivations, I continued gathering facts that would provide the building blocks necessary to tell the story and then later to write the screenplay.
We talked about the importance of images (planting and payoff), and agreed that a uniform that will be worn by at least three of the characters has unique and equally powerful meaning when worn by each of them.
I mentioned a couple of movies I'd studied and we discussed the way these movie were structured and how this might help or hurt the story we are telling.
I wanted to see what my friend thinks about the creative process and how it extends to the director and actors. Being too controlling will not work.
He's a musician who has toured globally with an orchestra and he talked about musicians' artistry. Just as the musical groups he has performed with enjoy performing a piece a differently each time, I said that nothing would make me happier than writing dialogue that will inspire an actor (I can say it this way, no what about this? No this would be more powerful.).
While just two days ago my friend had wanted to begin writing screenplay pages he has become intrigued by the preparation. After experiencing the process yesterday, at the end of our first session he said that we're nowhere near ready to begin writing.
Just before our lunch hour was over today I sketched out the three-act structure to show him, and said that we're collecting the pieces needed to complete the structure. Then the short story (7-15 pages), then create scenes and sequences on index cards, and finally the screenplay.
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