SENT OFF THE MS TODAYComplications Ensue
Complications Ensue:
The Crafty Screenwriting, TV and Game Writing Blog




Archives

April 2004

May 2004

June 2004

July 2004

August 2004

September 2004

October 2004

November 2004

December 2004

January 2005

February 2005

March 2005

April 2005

May 2005

June 2005

July 2005

August 2005

September 2005

October 2005

November 2005

December 2005

January 2006

February 2006

March 2006

April 2006

May 2006

June 2006

July 2006

August 2006

September 2006

October 2006

November 2006

December 2006

January 2007

February 2007

March 2007

April 2007

May 2007

June 2007

July 2007

August 2007

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

January 2008

February 2008

March 2008

April 2008

May 2008

June 2008

July 2008

August 2008

September 2008

October 2008

November 2008

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

November 2010

December 2010

January 2011

February 2011

March 2011

April 2011

May 2011

June 2011

July 2011

August 2011

September 2011

October 2011

November 2011

December 2011

January 2012

February 2012

March 2012

April 2012

May 2012

June 2012

July 2012

August 2012

September 2012

October 2012

November 2012

December 2012

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September 2013

October 2013

November 2013

December 2013

January 2014

February 2014

March 2014

April 2014

May 2014

June 2014

July 2014

August 2014

September 2014

October 2014

November 2014

December 2014

January 2015

February 2015

March 2015

April 2015

May 2015

June 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

January 2016

February 2016

March 2016

April 2016

May 2016

June 2016

July 2016

August 2016

September 2016

October 2016

November 2016

December 2016

January 2017

February 2017

March 2017

May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

September 2017

October 2017

November 2017

December 2017

January 2018

March 2018

April 2018

June 2018

July 2018

October 2018

November 2018

December 2018

January 2019

February 2019

November 2019

February 2020

March 2020

April 2020

May 2020

August 2020

September 2020

October 2020

December 2020

January 2021

February 2021

March 2021

May 2021

June 2021

November 2021

December 2021

January 2022

February 2022

August 2022

September 2022

November 2022

February 2023

March 2023

April 2023

May 2023

July 2023

September 2023

November 2023

January 2024

February 2024

 

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

I sent off the manuscript for Crafty TV Writing to my editor at Holt. I'll follow up later today with a sample breakdown, beat sheet, and an act full of script pages. Which, for Charlie Jade fans, will contain my draft of the fourth act of "The Shortening of the Way." (Ever wonder where the A story went?)

I think this is gonna be an interesting book, even for veteran screenwriters...

I'm in a rare position these days of having more things that I wanna write than time to write them. I'm not usually full of ideas. I'm just good at closing. Give me a good series idea and I will probably write the series pitch bible (say 10-14 pages, assuming I can crack the template; give me a good screenplay idea and I will probably write the damn thing. So only having three or four ideas a year isn't so much of an impediment.

I want to rewrite Unseen. The script is probably "good enough," but I want it to be superfantastic. It's not the kind of movie that gets made if it's just "good enough."

I have to write The Eighth Day, 'cause Telefilm is paying me to, and the thoroughly nifty Anne Fenn will story edit.

I have to polish Medieval, 'cause it's doing me no good sitting there with marks all over it, and it's as close to a slamdunk concept as I usually get. (My ideas are usually much more ambitious than this one is.)

And I've got an occult thriller series whose title I don't even dare say... but which I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to write a hundred episodes of. Structurally it's less of a series than a series of mini-series. That is, it's structured like a Vertigo comic. A fundamentally interesting character goes on a series of shall we say adventures, but each adventure takes place over many episodes -- maybe even a season -- and each adventure makes a coherent story. Sort of like 24 if you can call those stories coherent. Harder to pitch than a proper series because there isn't a template -- "every week Lilah does X" -- there's no franchise. You have to actually know where the first story is going, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to know what the second story is. If you look at Hellblazer or Sandman, every graphic novel - several comix bound together -- is a complete story made of serveral episodes. This might be a better way to deal with sort of mythological material.

Has anyone tried this on TV? So far as I know your shows are either episodic -- each ep is a story -- or serial -- the story just goes on and on -- or some mix of each. But multi-story arcs, not so much. I think.

I get excited just thinking about it.

But one thing at a time. Damn it. I can't really justify starting on the occult thriller when I've got other stuff much closer to completion... And if the network comes back with a "yes," I'll be scrambling on Exposure...

3 Comments:

Your multi-arc, Vertigo style series format is certainly under-represented, but was good enough for Doctor Who for twenty-seven years, and worked for Sapphire and Steel and Cracker, too.

Can't think of any U.S equivalents. though.

By Blogger Lee, at 1:36 PM  

But multi-story arcs, not so much. I think.


Well, my show is pretty much designed from start to finish to play out in a series of multi-story arcs -- much to the chagrin of the network/prodco execs I've been pitching it to.

Your occult series sounds intriguing, Alex. I hope to learn more in the near future -- or even work for the show in some capacity if it ever gets the green light.

KJC (who put the 'vamp' in vampire)

By Blogger Kelly J. Crawford, at 1:58 PM  

Just browsing the older posts...

Wiseguy did this, too. Each story arc was a different undercover assignment for Vinnie. Nine arcs in four seasons, and a tv reunion movie.

I got to the end of the first arc, and it felt like the show was over. I couldn't imagine they'd ever get that chemistry with a new setting and (mostly) new cast, and stopped there. But my friends have convinced me that I have to keep going.

The trouble for writing is, how much of the show do you have to relaunch each arc? It's also a concept that's *born* for dvd viewing.

By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:09 AM  

Post a Comment

Back to Complications Ensue main blog page.



This page is powered by Blogger.