I now know how hard it is to scrap a project after putting hours into it. My screenplay was going nowhere, and I was freewriting for hours on end to come up with ideas to get just the five basic plot points of the story. I'd get to the midpoint of the story and then nothing seemed to work. I forced a few ideas, but nothing felt right. I wasn't comfortable moving forward with those ideas because I knew the end product wouldn't be very good. Everything I tried felt forced.
So I tore my pages out of my notebook and started again.
It's the same idea, but I've gone in a different direction, and the process is moving much smoother. I'm hoping in a week or so, maybe less, I can actually start writing my first screenplay. I should have all of the pieces in order. I'm actually getting kind of excited because this is a new writing medium for me. All because I had the guts to tear out those pages in my notebook and throw them away. Writers need to know when it's time to move on to another project, even if the one that isn't working has been a real time sink. It stinks to not get a payoff from all those hours, but sometimes it's necessary. Even a new direction with the same idea can be counted as a new project because that new direction needs all the nurturing of a brand new idea.
That's it for this week. Until next time, keep reading and/or writing.
