The trip to Irvin Kershner's home was over an hour, so I often asked someone to join me. My brother still talks about things Kersh said during one one visit. Over the years I invited colleagues and videographers and student workers who helped with the publications I was editing, to come with me. Kersh was kind to each person and asked about their lives, often teasing them a little before working with me on my writing.
Melissa, one of the student workers who helped with dental publications, was my guest a few times. On this visit she had told him that she enjoyed movies and wanted to direct, but she was also interested in becoming a psychologist. His reply, "You want to direct? You're young. Go, pursue a career. Then if you want to direct, you can."
In class, Kersh would review students' work and would comment on the depth of the writing. "Have any of you been through a war? Starved? Even missed a meal? Until you've lived, it will be almost impossible for you to write a story that means something." This message was frustrating to the writing students, many in their early 20s.
In addition to creating a story with depth and a meaningful theme, finding a new idea is rare. I'm sure I've written about Mac Norman's visit to the master of professional writing class and will sort that out as I create a new website, but it fits here.
At the end of his presentation Marc Norman, who co-wrote "Shakespeare in Love," left us with this thought: "It's hard to come up with original storylines." He said that this why he has worked for others for much of his career.
To illustrate, he told us this story. Even at a very young age Mr. Norman's son understood how challenging it was to be a screenwriter; he'd felt what it was like when his dad was between projects. So at the dinner table he'd try to be helpful. He'd say "Dad, I have this idea for a movie, this huge scary monster comes and eats a city..." Then Mr. Norman's son grew up and was away at college. One day he called home, "Dad, I have an idea for a screenplay; it's about the young William Shakespeare." Mr. Norman told us that when the resulting screenplay won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay he presented his son with a nice check. I love that story!
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So now back to the writers' room. My cowriter and I have talked about whether our sessions have been positive, and they have. While we plan to enter our screenplay in the 2013 Nicholl Fellowship competition, we're already beginning to talk about ideas for additional screenplays and are deciding which one we want to cowrite.
I've told him how difficult it is to become a full-time screenwriter while also working full time. I've also emphasized Frank Wuliger's often repeated words to the USC School of Cinematic Arts students who would soon graduate. The only road to success he's seen is to make screenwriting a priority in year 1; to put a roof over your head and take a job as a waiter so you can put all of your creative energy into writing. He told us that living life and working a high-powered job take so much energy and time that it is nearly impossible to become a screenwriter. However, I earned an A+ and a "Well thought through" on my midterm and final tests in his class. For me this required drafting and finalizing a plan or roadmap into the industry to pursue while working full time.
One more quick example that gives hope to me and to everyone pursuing a dream. I remember attending an orientation session with new dental students (I was an editor for the school publications); and the dean for student affairs at the time told the incoming dental students how challenging dental school would be. He told the story of one dental student who was married and had small children. He said that the student had accomplished what everyone had predicted would be impossible; he had balanced work and family life and had been equally successful as dental student; husband and father.
Here's how he did it: immediately after each class ended, he reviewed his notes before leaving the classroom. Then, when school was over at 5:00 he stayed in the building and re-reviewed all notes from the day and notes from the preceding week. At 6:30 or 7 p.m. he'd disconnect from school, go home to be husband and father, 100 percent of his energy focused on family.
For me, writing alone after work just wasn't happening for me. I'd spoken with several colleagues until I found someone who is at the right place and is as motivated as I am to learn and master the craft, and to complete a screenplay. The creative energy remains at a high level and instead of classroom deadlines (25 pages by next Thursday); we will soon be creating firm deadlines to move forward.
The writer's room: end of week three
Week three has ended and hours of prepwork have been completed. Storylines have faded away, and led by the main spine of story (the protagonist's arc), others have become stronger with some of the more fine details emerging.
This weekend I'm importing info from our 3x5 cards into Final Draft. I've given my cowriter scene breakdowns from several screenplays I studied in Don Bohlinger's class; described to him what a sequence is. His assignment for tomorrow (Monday) is to begin work on a single scene; the scene that ends Act I.
So much goes into this; and elevates the work.
This scene will:
Introduces a character
Propel the storyline forward
Create hope and immense challenges for each of the characters
Most challenging in the writing will be:
Must be kept simple (edit and then edit some more)
First time dialogue is placed on the page, don't talk to or down to audience, tricky!
Last Thursday, my co-writer, who is learning about screenwriting for the first time, said, "Hours and hours of work and thought go into creating the screenplay. Then when the audience sees the movie, it seems as if it came together effortlessly and easily; as if it had been written it in a few days." I love that! A much more interesting way of saying what I've thought while struggling with the attacking octopus two thirds of the way through writing and feeling creatively wrung out in a good way; "Screenwriting the most challenging writing I've ever attempted."
Writing a scene, the most challenging assignment so far; it will be fun to blog about it tomorrow.
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