So despite a 2-hour production meeting for Steve Sprinkles’ Pincushion in the Valley, I was able to get in a two 30-minute writing sessions before calling it a night. I’m setting some rules for myself:

I set the timer for 30 minutes. For now, this is all that is required, but I can extend the session if I’m on a roll. But any additional sessions must be for the full 30-minute term. If I feel like I only have another 10 minutes of writing in me, then I’ll just stop there and save it for the next day.

Only writing programs can be open. In my case, I’m still working on the treatment, so I only have MS Word open. No iChat, no email, no surfing…period.

I didn’t have to do this today, but I will also keep a journal or notebook next to me. So in case I come to a screeching halt with the script, I can flip open the notebook or journal and write something – notes for character, or another script idea, or even a journal entry – anything. The important part is to keep writing.

I also thought it would be helpful to start tracking exactly what I changed/added to the story every once in a while. It’s pretty hard to track the day-to-day evolution of the story, so I think it will be a good way to evaluate effective each session is. (NOTE: this is mainly for me since the notes will be in shorthand and too lengthy to expound upon in this arena) As a primer, here’s a quick synopsis of my story, tentatively titled Losing Baggage.

Greg moves to New York to live with his girlfriend but discovers she is cheating on him. Convinced he has made a mistake moving in the first place, Greg looks for the next flight back home. Of course, there are no flights back to his hometown for a few days, so he impulsively decides to spend a weekend with Kay, a girl he meets at the airport, who was stood up by Alex – who happens to be married – for their weekend rendezvous. In the vein of Before Sunrise/Sunset, Greg and Kay roam about New York City learning about each other, themselves, and the importance of connection.

TODAY’S UPDATES:

• Taqueria menu gag – shows how “safe” and “predictable” Greg’s decision-making is
• Kay’s family lies – Greg notices inconsistencies with her “story” about her reasons to be in New York
• Greg and Liza’s fight – Early in the story, you don’t see what happens when Greg finds out about Liza’s cheating. This scene glazes over what happened. I’m still unsure how much of this I want to show. What happens isn’t quite as important as how he reacts to it.
• Greg’s subway ride – Instead of taking a cab into the city the first time, he’s taking the subway. I’m saving the cab ride for both Greg and Kay together.

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