peeking through my fingers
It’s the 1st of June. 3 months until the final deadline for my script. Thanks to the calendar function I’ve added to Thunderbird I can see that August is a disaster. I’ll have to reel in this fish by July, and hope I can squeeze in enough time to prep and cook it before September 1.
Today, for the first time in seven weeks, I re-read my first draft. It wasn’t as awful as I expected.
There are decent scenes, and a couple of characters that suggest depth. There’s a lot of work required, however. The pacing is jerky: it speeds up, and grinds to a halt. It’s like I’m learning to drive: hiccuping forward in jolts, because I’m crap at the clutch and nervous with the brakes.
I’m overwriting in places. I could strip down my descriptions a bit more, and add more punch to my visuals. I need to resequence a number of sections, and the ending needs work. There’s plenty to do.
Before I start I need to figure out what direction I want this to go. Preferably darker and scarier. There’s nothing in it yet that gives me the chills.
I need to raise the tension, and therefore, the potential for harm and loss. Some of these characters will have to suffer a lot more.
Soon I shall learn the skills of a torturer (for my characters, not my readers!).
2 Comments
Kathleen Popa
Maura, you made me smile. I’m on a similar deadline, and “peeking through my fingers,” too. You have a great writing style, and I’ll bet your script is wonderful. And may I say, you have a very cool website, as well.I spent some time in the west of Ireland last fall, and dream of coming back to take in all those writers’ festivals you have there.
Maura
A lovely compliment to start the day… why thank you Kathleen! And I’ll start a mutual admiration club by saying that your blog is damn fine too.