filmmaking and real world

[dlevanchuk]

Fulltime employment takes out a large chunk out of my day, and only time I can actually sit down and write something up is late at night after work, or an hour or two before.

How do you balance your screenplay writing with the real world?

 

[2001 Productions]

Speaking for myself: evenings and weekends.

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

Yeah, I make time at night. Though sometimes (as I am doing now) I steal time from my employer.

 

[Infested Films]

Yeah, even with a full time job most people still have 2 days off. Write all day those 2 days.

If you can't sit to write, then simply put, your writing will never get anywhere.

 

[directorik]

Imagine those of us with 12/14 hour days. And as freelancers often no days off.

It ain't easy, but it needs to be done, right?

 

[FantasySciFi]

I keep a pad with me to write down ideas. On breaks and lunch, I might sketch some of the ideas out. Maybe a quick dialogue exchange if it's vivid. My MP3 player doubles as a dictation machine on long drives. And plane flights are a nice time to work--unless you have screaming toddlers (who always seem to be seated around me). Your laptop is your friend (especially if you take earphones with you!).

When I get home, I try to transcribe it before dinner. Depending on my evening, I will work on the script or do some research. It depends on my other priorities for that week. Most of my productive writing is on the weekends.

 

[Jamster]

Routine.

I use to work a job (hated it!) 10am - 6.30pm BUT straight after go to starbucks until 9 - 10pm mon-fri then 9am'ish to 5-6pm sat and 9-30am'ish - 4-5pm'ish sun = 30 hrs minimum a week for years! Plus watching movies, reading etc...

IF you want to learn BUTT in chair - all the best, Jim.

 

[mad_hatter]

...straight after go to starbucks until 9 - 10pm mon-fri then 9am'ish to 5-6pm sat and 9-30am'ish - 4-5pm'ish sun = 30 hrs minimum a week...

All at Starbucks? Man, they must have loved you! That's a lot of Latte's and Peppermint Brownies!

Evenings and weekends are obviously the best bet. How many hours a day do you work? If you can spare even an hour a day, if you've got the story all mapped out in your head, you could possibly knock out a screenplay in a couple of weeks.

...sometimes (as I am doing now) I steal time from my employer...

Surely that's not stealing, right..?

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

OK, not stealing, a trade then. Sometimes they call me at 3:00 AM because some critical computer process blew it's chunks in the middle of the night, and sometimes I sit at my desk most of the day write, or burn discs to mail to film festivals, etc...

 

[Chicken Joe]

If you can spare even an hour a day, if you've got the story all mapped out in your head, you could possibly knock out a screenplay in a couple of weeks.

That's what I do. When I am at work doing some routine things that I don't need to think much about, then my story is build up in my mind. I think about how it can go on, problems that need to be solved and maybe some pieces of dialogue. Sometimes I write down little notes about important details, that should be mentioned in the script.

At home, it just needs to be entered and of course it needs phrasing, revising, deleting bad passages etc...

 

[barnaclelapse]

I write for a living, so that kind of gives me time in general. Unfortunately I get bogged down in stuff that like reviews for the literary journal I work, editing my second novel and the like, so I don't get to focus specifically on scripts as much as I'd like. I also just took on an editing gig for a decent chunk of change. My big dream is to get back into editing my scripts when the editing gig and third draft of that novel are both done.

 

[trueindie]

I write for a living

Dude I'm so jealous. I feel like a little kid looking at another kid licking his icecream.