Sunday, December 18, 2011

Distraction or inspiration?

Working as a screenwriter is hard. Imagine, if you will, inventing a location, populating it with believable and fascinating characters, and having it all fit into 110 pages which will capture what a story might look like once it's turned into a VISUAL form by a huge group of strangers called a Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Art Designer etc etc etc.

My head is about to explode and the deadline is the end of next week.

But I'll tell you what is the most difficult? Even worse than the tyranny of the blank computer screen (and this is what screenwriting is ALL ABOUT, so there's no point in whinging, but it's my blog, so I will) - the worse part is when I have to sit with the people who are paying me, and I have to listen to them discuss (for hours on end) the ways in which my characters could be better formed, and my story better constructed. They are often right, and often helpful, but that still doesn't lessen the bizarre hatred I feel for these "advisers" and "script doctors" and "consultants" who tell me that the character I've created is doing something out of character in my story.

Never before have I realised to what extent my experience as a mother can help me in a business setting. Keeping calm, cheerful, understanding and thankful in the face of hours of nerve-rattling disagreements - looks like it's my specialty.

The best part of screenwriting? Meeting amazing new people in the name of research. Anni - writer and artist extraordinaire - is my current inspiration, and has also introduced me to the joy of Miranda July:

11 comments:

Mary said...

As long as you believe in yourself the way we do.

x

Tania said...

I have a dead lion tomorrow, yet I have indulged over at yours and now, Miranda July (what a joy!). I do worry for the hostage. Does the hostage need to wait for evaporation or some straw sucking/draining device for rescue?

May you successfully slay your own dead lion, Mrs.

Suse said...

That is one stressful video. I need to know the ending!

Good luck for the deadline. You'll ace it, I know.

The Coffee Lady said...

How is she going to get that tray off safely?

Paola said...

I might have a problem but watching that video actually made me nervous, not free ...

Stomper Girl said...

I love Tania's dead lion. Motherhood is a great teacher, and how great that you recognise that when there can be this idea that time spent away from working whilst mothering is time lost in terms of career. Does that make sense?

Anyways. Good luck with not exploding your head and meeting the dead lion.

Duyvken said...

That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I need a silvery capelet.
And good luck to you in all those meetings. Laying your children out on the slab and having to stay for the autopsy must be awful but I love that you can draw from the universal pool of mama energy to make it through.
You are a star!
xxx

Julia said...

I'm thinking a long straw and a commitment to drinking a liter of grape cran-apple juice is the only way to rescue that dress.

Good luck with your deadline, and looking forward to hearing more about the script!

Julie said...

Eleanor, have a lovely festive season, thank you for your blog this year, and your comments, which always provide a little joy.

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