Epiphanies and Other Disasters

A New York literary agent told me, if you can get some attention with your writing but still don’t sell, you’re doing 80% right and need to figure out what the 20% is you’re doing wrong.

I’ve been trying to do that ever since. I bought “The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need,” and two more after that. I even bought a grammar book. Another one. Not that I think I need help with grammar. (Except for those stupid hads.)

So, I hadn’t looked at last script I finished for six weeks. This is very hard for me to do.

1. Because I can’t look at it without rewriting.
   
2. Because I don’t like to wait.

Conventional screenwriting wisdom says finish a script, put it away for a while, and you’ll come back to the rewrite with a fresh outlook. Like I said, I hate to wait, so I have never, NEVER, done this.

One of the improvements in my work fostered by SAVE THE CAT is that I moved more quickly on to the next script. I fell in love with new characters. Got enmeshed in a new story, and moved out of the previous script’s world. Voila. Didn’t feel like waiting anymore.

Yesterday, I was preparing to send my WESTERN THAT IS ACTUALLY A FAMILY DRAMA to two more contests, so I’m reading it and it’s been a nice long while and it occurs to me –

WHAT I DO WELL is character development. Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told. I write people, readers love to love. Arc, please, I can make them arc like that thing in St. Louis.

And dialog. Yep. Each one sounds different from the other.

WHAT I’M NOT DOING WELL is well, I noticed these well-defined, loveable characters seem to be milling around talking to each other a lot. What!?! How’d that happen?

I’m reading and thinking is anything ever going to happen in this story? Oh wait, there it is in Act 3. Jeez Louise. This can’t be happening, I say to myself.

Self says back, It’s a character drama.

Oy.

I check with First Reader and he says, there’s stuff happening. They’re figuring this out and that. Learning about this other.

Oy.

So, maybe I should take my loveable characters and send them on a scavenger hunt around Europe to uncover an ancient conspiracy. Except that’s been done. Maybe my recent DaVinci Code viewing is why my story seems quiet in comparison. Maybe it’s because I noticed when they stopped to talk, the film slowed down, even though they were talking about interesting stuff.

Who knows? Apparently, not me.

Oh well, I’m progressing along the learning curve like a tortoise walking backward. At least I’m still having fun, I say to myself.

Self says back, This is fun?

Just shut-up and open your hymnal to #190 Mishandled Elliptical Constructions.