I HATE writing!

cinematography · Feb 20, 2005

My peers tell me I’m a very talented writer, but there is almost nothing that I hate doing more. I f**king HATE writing! If I had a choice, I would stick with directing, cinematography, and nothing else. But since I don’t have this freedom, I’m stuck writing this damn feature film script. Grrr... The experience has been almost painful. I feel like kicking something.

If you were made to do something that you absolutely hated, how would you handle it? What kinds of rituals would you go through to retain your sanity?

Unknown Screenwriter · Feb 20, 2005

hmmmmmmmm

cinematography said:
My peers tell me I’m a very talented writer, but there is almost nothing that I hate doing more. I f**king HATE writing! If I had a choice, I would stick with directing, cinematography, and nothing else. But since I don’t have this freedom, I’m stuck writing this damn feature film script. Grrr... The experience has been almost painful. I feel like kicking something.

If you were made to do something that you absolutely hated, how would you handle it? What kinds of rituals would you go through to retain your sanity?

You're a talented writer but hate to write. I've been there. I want to shoot my own film this summer but there's nobody to write it but me... I also hate the actual writing part so I try to find comfort in the execution and results I achieve especially when I think I'm really onto something... When you're really onto something, it makes the actual task of writing a little easier to accept.

Over the last year, I've found that preparation makes the writing part even easier to swallow... I used to just sit down and write my first draft. It would take me maybe six months... Now I take my little digital recorder with me and my index cards and brainstorm for scene ideas and character development and work on that stuff until I feel like I have a real handle on the basic idea, characters, theme, and premise of the story.

Then I outline from all the crap that I've generated. I work the hell out of that outline until I know it's tight and ready to write.

Preparation makes the writing easier for me...

filmy

T Shipley · Feb 20, 2005

The only time I don't like to write is when I sit down and don't know what I'm going to write. I don't know what your situation is, but if you haven't outlined the story, then sit down and just write out "what happens" before trying to work on the actual script. And if you've already done that, it might mean you have to work on your characters, refine or define them first. Or it could be something else unique to your screenplay that you have to work out before you begin writing again.

You may have already done all this and still hate writing, but in my experience, the time when I hate writing is when i'm not prepared to do so and am forcing the issue.

I'm in Chicago too and been writing SPs for about 8 years know. I'd be glad to look at what your working on and lend a hand (nothing asked in return). Though I'd understand if you don't want to bring more people in on the project.

SteveSutton · Feb 20, 2005

Writng can be a drag, particularly when writer's block falls on your head from the top of a ten-story building. It's best to just take a break and forget about it, for a while, when that happens.

NicklausLouis · Feb 20, 2005

I am usually in love with a script until I hit page 60. After that I start letting that little voice in the back of my head tell me that the script is no good and that it has nothing that prospective buyers want in a film script.

Basically what I do at this point is one of two things. Either I push through and get it done, or I set the work aside and go back to it later. I don't like the latter, but it's easier. One more example of the easy path being the wrong path. Sometimes I think that the more I write I will get better about my page 60 phobia, but if I am honest with myself I know that it will always be there, I just have to learn how to shut the little voice up.

Poke

bird · Feb 20, 2005

I'm in Chicago too and been writing SPs for about 8 years know. I'd be glad to look at what your working on and lend a hand (nothing asked in return). Though I'd understand if you don't want to bring more people in on the project.

Cinematography, I'd take TShipley up on his offer...he's helped my script immensely!

I am usually in love with a script until I hit page 60. After that I start letting that little voice in the back of my head tell me that the script is no good

I'm working on my second script (the first live-action) and it's odd, but I've found what Poke says to be true. Maybe there's a qwiff floating around broadcasting...'All writers will be stumped at page 60'. But.........don't qwiffs 'pop' when you recognize em?

cinematography · Feb 20, 2005

T Shipley, thank you so much for offering your help. I may be contacting you very soon.

And thank you all for the extremely helpful feedback. I really – really appreciate it.

To answer your questions: The outline for the script I’m writing is about 3 pages. It covers who the characters are, and all the beats and transitions I want in the script. But now when I really think about it, I think the problem may be with how much of an obsessive compulsive perfectionist I am. Take this reply, for example. I’m not typing it in the reply window. I’m typing it in Microsoft Word. I can see all of the text easier in Word. And after every sentence, I have to stop and review what I just typed, or start from the beginning to make sure what I just typed fits well with everything else.

Composing images is so much easier for me. Writing puts me in a foreign place I’m not very comfortable in. It makes me feel like I’m working with mental horse blinders on, and I can’t stands it!

clive · Feb 21, 2005

My peers tell me I’m a very talented writer, but there is almost nothing that I hate doing more. I f**king HATE writing! If I had a choice, I would stick with directing, cinematography, and nothing else. But since I don’t have this freedom, I’m stuck writing this damn feature film script. Grrr... The experience has been almost painful. I feel like kicking something.

Look, this is really simple.

Work out how many hours you spend writing, the answer is a lot. Use that time to earn money doing something you like and then pay someone like me who loves writing to write for you. You'll probably earn more than you need to pay the writer, so this way you have a script, you don't have to write, you spend more time doing what you love and you probably have more spending money.

Oh and when I say pay someone, I do of course mean me. :lol:

T Shipley · Feb 21, 2005

cinematography said:
But now when I really think about it, I think the problem may be with how much of an obsessive compulsive perfectionist I am. Take this reply, for example. I’m not typing it in the reply window. I’m typing it in Microsoft Word. I can see all of the text easier in Word. And after every sentence, I have to stop and review what I just typed, or start from the beginning to make sure what I just typed fits well with everything else.

Then I'd say poke's advice is good... just knuckle down and punch it out. You'll drive yourself crazy if you rewrite while you write. Writing is rewriting, as they say, but you have the first draft is done to start the rewriting process. A first draft is inherently imperfect. If you come to terms with that, you should be OK.

NicklausLouis · Feb 21, 2005

Yeah, if you are so perfectionistic that you are combing over every sentence immediately after you finish it, you need someone like clive to put your ideas on paper. The perfectionist in you can come out during rewrites, but you need to get the story down on paper (or in the hard drive) first.

Poke

bad haircut · Feb 21, 2005

I’m not sure how helpful I am but when I get tense or stressed I tend to grind my teeth involuntarily, so chew a lot of gum, procrastinate to the max then I rush everything at the last minute and produce some really half-assed work…

Once again not really sure how helpful I am

Nique Zoolio · Feb 22, 2005

whenever i get stressed out i just eat four whole lemons
by the 2nd you normally forget what it was that stressed you out,
by the 3rd you find it hilarious
and by the 4th you promise yourself never ever to get stressed out again

Mr.Blonde · Feb 23, 2005

*shudders* lemons.

I don't know.. I feel exactly the same way about my writing.

cinematography · Feb 24, 2005

Sorry about the delay in my reply. I've been trying to finish some more pages to my script. I really - really hope after / if I finish this script, I never have to write another script ever again.

clive said:
Look, this is really simple.

Work out how many hours you spend writing, the answer is a lot. Use that time to earn money doing something you like and then pay someone like me who loves writing to write for you. You'll probably earn more than you need to pay the writer, so this way you have a script, you don't have to write, you spend more time doing what you love and you probably have more spending money.

Oh and when I say pay someone, I do of course mean me.

I need to figure out ways to market myself. I'm so stupid when it comes to marketing, or anything related to business or non-art stuff. If I could get a better job doing photography, I could probably make enough to hire a writer.

T Shipley said:
Then I'd say poke's advice is good... just knuckle down and punch it out. You'll drive yourself crazy if you rewrite while you write. Writing is rewriting, as they say, but you have the first draft is done to start the rewriting process. A first draft is inherently imperfect. If you come to terms with that, you should be OK.

I've never hated writing this much before. It's never been this bad. I'm seriously about two seconds from saying "f**k trying to make a feature", and just do a script for another 20 minute film. Since I'm going to be doing almost everything for this film (directing, writing, cinematography, editing, and co-producing the music), I might as well make a smaller canvas for myself so I can concentrate more on everything. But I would still like to make the leap to feature filmmaking though. I have a lot to consider and think about. Note: I LOVE doing the other stuff. It's just writing that drives me crazy. I'm a picture and sound kind of guy.

Poke said:
Yeah, if you are so perfectionistic that you are combing over every sentence immediately after you finish it, you need someone like clive to put your ideas on paper. The perfectionist in you can come out during rewrites, but you need to get the story down on paper (or in the hard drive) first.

Poke

If I had the money, I would definitely take this suggestion.

bad haircut said:
I’m not sure how helpful I am but when I get tense or stressed I tend to grind my teeth involuntarily, so chew a lot of gum, procrastinate to the max then I rush everything at the last minute and produce some really half-assed work…

Once again not really sure how helpful I am

LOL!

Nique Zoolio said:
whenever i get stressed out i just eat four whole lemons
by the 2nd you normally forget what it was that stressed you out,
by the 3rd you find it hilarious
and by the 4th you promise yourself never ever to get stressed out again

Damn.

Thank you all so much for the responses.

cinematography · Mar 2, 2005

LOL!

I'm on page 43 for my shortfilm screenplay, and I'm almost done!

That's the secret to writing if you hate writing, I guess. Write as fast as you can and worry about fixing it later. To my surprise though, the words I've been hammering out relentlessly are actually pretty darn close to what I wanted for the script.

w00t, damn it. :yes:

Oh... And yes, I did change my mind about doing a feature. But for the subject I'm covering, a solid 40 minute short should be sufficient.