I just wrote a pilot. In three days. I don't mean I had an idea for a pilot, or I'm working on a pilot; what I mean to say is exactly this: I have a pilot. It's here, on this computer. I wanted to write one, I set aside time to write it and at the end of that predetermined time period it was written. Just like that. This leaves me with only one question:
How did I do this?
The great illusion about writers is that most of us who claim to be writers don't actually write. I mean, we write, of course we do; allow me to rephrase: we don't finish things. I can't tell you how many scripts I have saved on my computer with just a first act, or even two acts, and some seem to be completed but don't make any earthly sense. Finishing things is hard. Which brings me back to my question: how did I do this?
Let me set the stage. In October I had an idea for a television show. I threw it out to a few friends and even a couple strangers, all of whom seemed genuinely interested in this idea. So I stuck it on the mental shelf for January, because that's when you start new things you think to do in October. Plus I was finishing another project which was never going to get finished.
As an aside, it is okay to find yourself in the middle of a movie script going "there's nothing here" and just scrap it; don't waste your time and energy if it's not working. However, if you consistently find yourself doing this then you have a problem, and it is most likely with your story. It's not good, and nobody cares. Or rather, it's not good because nobody cares. If you don't care enough to finish, then why do I care enough to watch the thing?
And we're back. In January my previous project was still unfinished (spoiler alert: it will never be finished), so I decided to start brainstorming the TV show in February. February 1st, on the dot, I sat down and began laying the groundwork for what would become a detailed spreadsheet of information about this show, including a character list, broad Act outline, beat sheet and a Questions and Answers section (where I, you guessed it, asked myself questions that then I myself answered them).
Looking at my work schedule I realized that the last week of February was absolutely screwed, so to keep with my original intention of having a rough draft by March 1st I would have to write this thing soon. I had a three day window of nothingness, so I took it. I shirked every other responsibility, ate like a moron, still showered (I feel that is important to note since many writers don't feel that is important) and at the end I had the thing I most desired: my pilot. My beautiful, 74 page pilot (I know, I know; I'll cut stuff out in rewrites).
You know what else is crazy? This is the third day. Right here. Now. It's day three, I've already finished my pilot and I'm still writing stuff. I have got to get to the bottom of this! I mean, what the hell? Where was this...ever? If I wrote seven pages in a single day I'd be like "wow, look at you, you big writer genius," and for the past three days I've averaged about 25 pages. Twenty-five (25). Five and twenty.
If I can figure this out, if I can dissect and define the impetus to this seemingly impossible surge of literal energy then what can't I accomplish? I mean, literally speaking; I'm not going to go run a marathon or something, those people are crazy. It's just so strange that this uncontrollable feeling to write doesn't directly translate to the act of writing stuff. And when it does, I'm so baffled by it.
For the good of myself, and those like myself (generally speaking), I will identify and compose a list of contributing factors that I believe led to this great accomplishment (I sometimes wonder if real writers ever stumble upon this blog and then get really pissed when I talk like this). I'm going to figure this voodoo out! List pending.
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