Hi everyone, the Last Step is a term I've come up with sitting here today, describing an incredibly frustrating phenomenon.
The Last Step doesn't have anything to do with actually writing a script.
No, that's one of the earlier steps.
Or at least, that's what my thoughts tell me.
The Last Step has to do with finalizing the story. After, the writing is an exercise, albeit an enjoyable one.
An exercise in profession, not at all easy, but one that is learned before a story takes its form.
The frustration stems from the fact that the entire story is right in front of you.
You know the characters, you know their motives, their fears, their strengths, and their flaws.
You know the setting, the lifestyle, the food, the exact way everyone in that town says "hello".
And you don't know a lot, but mysteriously, it comes to you anyways.
Like the story could not turn out any other way.
But there is one last, very important piece....missing.
Without it, the whole thing falls apart.
It's not the spine of the story. You already know that. But nonetheless, like one support missing
in the construction, or a very important clue the detective has overlooked, something about the story
evades you. It causes you that Frustration.
And the Last Step is to find that clue.
That's where I am right now. Missing one very important piece, and I feel like a detective I've seen
in so many movies, who near the end of Act 2, seems unable to find that last clue to close the case.
My question is, if this has ever happened to you, how do you complete the puzzle?
You have everything you need, but one part, and it's there, you see it out of the corner of your eye,
but as you turn to look it square in the eye, it's still there, in the corner, just out of sight.
Do you drink?
Do you research more?
Do you stay up for 2 days and wait to see what thoughts insomnia might bring?
I seem to have the notion that I need to look back into the past. My past. Or one of the characters' past.
What do you do?
I'd like to hear your story.
The Last Step doesn't have anything to do with actually writing a script.
No, that's one of the earlier steps.
Or at least, that's what my thoughts tell me.
The Last Step has to do with finalizing the story. After, the writing is an exercise, albeit an enjoyable one.
An exercise in profession, not at all easy, but one that is learned before a story takes its form.
The frustration stems from the fact that the entire story is right in front of you.
You know the characters, you know their motives, their fears, their strengths, and their flaws.
You know the setting, the lifestyle, the food, the exact way everyone in that town says "hello".
And you don't know a lot, but mysteriously, it comes to you anyways.
Like the story could not turn out any other way.
But there is one last, very important piece....missing.
Without it, the whole thing falls apart.
It's not the spine of the story. You already know that. But nonetheless, like one support missing
in the construction, or a very important clue the detective has overlooked, something about the story
evades you. It causes you that Frustration.
And the Last Step is to find that clue.
That's where I am right now. Missing one very important piece, and I feel like a detective I've seen
in so many movies, who near the end of Act 2, seems unable to find that last clue to close the case.
My question is, if this has ever happened to you, how do you complete the puzzle?
You have everything you need, but one part, and it's there, you see it out of the corner of your eye,
but as you turn to look it square in the eye, it's still there, in the corner, just out of sight.
Do you drink?
Do you research more?
Do you stay up for 2 days and wait to see what thoughts insomnia might bring?
I seem to have the notion that I need to look back into the past. My past. Or one of the characters' past.
What do you do?
I'd like to hear your story.
