Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve actually contributed a post, but I’m back!
When this project started two years ago, I really didn’t care to write anymore. At the time, I think I was just too deep in a rut in life that I didn’t have the time, energy, or inspiration to pour into a creative project that would never be seen beyond whomever I shared the script with.
That’s not to say that writers or other creatives shouldn’t create just for themselves; that just wasn’t what I wanted at the time. I needed a different goal that the screenwriting would simply be a vehicle for. Thus, this show was created and its first screenplay, Epitaph, was written.
Now that Epitaph has placed as a top 10 finalist in two separate screenwriting competitions, I feel like my skills have been validated. All I need to do now is think more business-like and adhere to everything I’ve been told about what attracts producers and decision makers to a script.
So, what I’m focusing on now is reducing Epitaph to 90 pages, since I’m deducing that length is what’s keeping me from winning the grand prize. Unfortunately, Epitaph is written in such a way that every scene acts as foundation for a later scene. Therefore, it’s not that easy to just cut something or someone out of the story and still have the script make sense in terms of plot, momentum, texture, and hook.
Nevertheless, it’s what I have to do.
Personally, I think that journey is one I’ll have to take alone. As much as I appreciate Brian’s input, I think cutting out another 30 pages from such a tight script is going to require almost a complete rewrite, and I think it’ll just be faster if I do it myself.
In the meantime, I have another script that I have a lot of faith in, but is also over 90 pages. However, it’s mostly dialog, so reducing shouldn’t be that hard. I’ve attached it below, and Brian and I will discuss our edits this week. I hope you’ll have time to read it and provide feedback.
Carina1.2-web