I don't believe I've hit a rut in my writing process. But, I've realized that I'm completely starting over a screenplay that I've rewritten a million times. The writing process is such a weird thing. It's as if to go forwards you have to take five steps backwards. It feels right though, for the script. I often am wondering if this is how writers really do it. They think they have this great idea, think it's polished and realize they have to start over because much is wrong with it. I know I feel like this. But it's sort of a liberating feeling to start over. I know the story I want to write and there will be some of the same pieces in it. But in essence the scenes will be new. There will be a more clearer theme and purpose to this script.
A professor once told me about the creative process. It starts off in the land of I have an idea, floats towards a period of distinct confusion and challenges, then there is this middle ground of potential, and after that there is usually a break through of the real idea. And then there is where the idea is flowing and nothing can stop you from creating it. For some reason I always have thought that this process was very quick. That I'd get to the top part of this diagram quick. That's it's easy to get to this heaven in so many words. It's taken me two years to get to this point. I still might have to go through this process again in this draft of the script. And once again, I feel as though the title I have for it will change. As if changing the title signifies a different period this story is going.
"I don't want to live. I want to love first, and live incidentally." Zelda Fitzgerald
I think Zelda has picked my mood for the night. This next draft is going to be solid. And I'm not afraid to work with a bunch of dirt to make it beautiful again.
Love,
The working writer
