Screenwriting : Happy Wednesday! by Kelly Williams

I have three projects going on and my biggest blockade is money.

hello Kelly, I like the screenplay contest, I just finished entering my third script

Hi Mary, we are all newcomers in various degrees. This is a non-combative forum. Other can be a bit of competition. This is more supportive as a rule.

I don’t know of a specific spot on here.

My blockade was finding the spots in my script to make pivots/turns/intros. I did a straight through telling of a story (40ish pages).

That’s been picked up by a producer I already have a relationship with. So I needed to break it down (like lego) so I can rebuild it with some new blocks added.

I tried everything, I could see it. I had to go back and start again at my dot points and rebuild it from there. Now the fun part.

Aww, what a great conversation starter, Kelly Williams! Mary Sincler Craig is correct, we don't discriminate based on your level of expertise when participating in the Lounges - we're all on a creative journey, no one journey is just like another, and yet we are all constantly learning and growing. THUS - we're all in this together! If you have a question, don't be shy, just dive in! If you learn something, feel free to share it!

Great question, Kelly! I guess my biggest blockade is just scope. I want to write this series bible for HOSPITALLER but it's so sweeping and big in scope I'm rather overwhelmed. I do not particularly believe in my ability to sit and do it and do it well. but with support from all these peeps on Stage32 I'm building confidence and momentum! What's your biggest roadblock?

Currently while writing and directing other projects I've had a passion script (that's probably impossible to make until I'm capable of working with larger budgets), that I have some great characters for, but no idea where I want the plot to go. The biggest blockade has been after those first 30 pages, where I've set up the characters and an idea what I want to make them go through, but no idea how to pace that story.

I don't know if you would consider this a true blockade: balancing attention and time between honing my script, getting just hired on to do field work on a new project out in the desert,and wanting to continue creating my graphic novel. When you start working 10 hour days and have to complete daily reports, you become so tired sometimes all you want to do is eat and go to sleep

"The small win" - I think this blocker is more of a personal character defect than a project defect. It is receiving a positive boost of any sort after putting in great effort. Alike many of us who toil independently, I can reward myself mentally all day long... but gaining a nod of approval from others for a project well done is definitely a different flavor of mental reinforcement.

My current WIP is an animated fantasy feature. Being that's it a passion project for me, it's a very true blockade. The script runs too long, the motivations are too scattered, certain scenes aren't written entirely (which I've tended to do in previous scripts anyway). It's easily the most difficult script I've written so far to the point that I stepped away from it for 6 months due to utter frustration. Otherwise, it's going swimmingly. haha

Happy Wild Wednesday to you as well! Been trying to raise funds for my feature "Wounded" and it's been a slog for 3 years, started a crowd funding campaign against my will lol. any suggestions folks for getting it seen?

Those let downs can be really tough on motivation!

Lack of a willing & knowledgeable crew has a strangle hold on production.

Kids and day job to pay off the mortgage....but worry not, most of you'll get to that blockade pretty soon enough :))

Kiril, I hear ya! My head is buzzing, overflowing with ideas and unwritten scenes because the day job and parenthood gets in the way. I throw down some key words/ lines and hope that I still remember it when I do manage to snatch a few hours. On the plus side, when I sign off from the day job, I can switch off from it entirely and immerse myself in writing, which I find a great stress relief. In fact, that was how I started writing in the first place, as the stresses of life inspired me to create my own worlds, and torture my poor protagonists instead. Brown stuff rolls downhill ;-)

We’re here for you, Wally. Focus on the positives and important things in life. Enjoy a film or a piece of art.

Kat, I'm with you about the day job getting in the way...even if, for me, that job in a plastics factory enables me to have the money to get a screenwriting (and, in the future, TV writing) career going.

This workweek, I was able to steal a half hour per day to work on the four scripts of mine currently under construction. With the weekends, I'm able to do a whole lot more.

Planning on retiring from my machine-operator job on 12-30-2022 (I'll be 67 by then...unless the unthinkable takes place before then).

Once I'm done at the plastics factory for good, LOOK OUT!

Kelly, thanks for posting! All the VERY BEST to you!

I can totally empathize with that, Wally! I feel very lonely as a writer, too often! That's why I joined deviantArt way way back. I found a lot of similar people and it made me feel less alone. Lasting friendships with other artists is very helpful!

Kiril and Kat! same page! <3

I think talking about our blockades sometimes help us release them. All the best to everyone! Love connecting with you and reading your comments.

My tank is empty. I wrote 4 scripts over the winter and I told all the stories I wanted to tell for now. I'll start writing again soon, there's plenty more work to do. :)

But these moments of rest are important, too.