having a hard time staying on track

Partners help. I cancelled cable TV and since none of the broadcast signals come in, I don’t have anything to watch except DVDs. Now I either read in my off time, write, or work on producing my next project.

Notebooks and Filecards

I don't know if this will help, but I do things when I'm writing a new script.

Firstly, I carry a small pocket notebook in one pocket and I use it to jot down any ideas that I have when I'm away from my desk. This can be anything about the project, visual ideas I have, insights into the characters, things that I see in my travels that link with themes in the film, bits of dialogue etc.

Secondly, I carry a small packet of file cards with me and on them I develop the plot, using each card to represent an event in the film.
This means any time I'm on a train or having cofffee I can move the story forwards or re-order scenes, try out new sub plots or scene sequences.

What this means is that when I get my few hours a day in front of the word processor, I'm not sitting there trying to generate ideas, I'm just taking the work that I've done in little odd moments during the day and getting them down in script form. Basically the time is used more effciently and I stay enthused about the project because I spend very little time staring at a blank page trying to work out what happens next.

That is pretty much what I wrote in another thread, and that is pretty much what helps me out a ton to write: spreading out the idea/vision process by jottng down ideas and reworking the scene summaries and then when I feel the summaries are correct, and I've visualized as much as possible the key shots of each scene, I sit down to write and it goes much, much quicker than when I sit down and try to write Shakespeare from scratch if you catch my drift. I just wish I had tried this process earlier.

If you find your self lacking interest or time in writing - it's probably beause you're not writing about something that is truly important to you. Something that you feel MUST BE TOLD.

One of the reasons this happens is when people write only for:

fame
money
stardom

I rarely have this problem because I dont write escapist fantasies. Most of my material arises from real problems I observe in my life that I have a strong point of view on. Social/political issues. It's usually better if I realize my point of view is unique. There's a real fire there. I HAVE TO WRITE ABOUT IT. I make the time to write.

I agree with a lot of that that writing is about passion and having something to say and not about money etc but it is also possible to have huge passions for many things and sometimes it can be difficult to do many things at once.
Doesnt mean you cant get some writing done, just thatll it take longer.
Sometimes it's that burning fire inside me that gets me to pull my finger out and espec if ive been 'having a break' for a while like during holidays.

Passion & Producing Pages

If you are passionate about the script, you can't wait to get back to work on it.

So is your problem time management?

Best thing to do is set aside a certain time every day to do nothing but write. Nothing else gets in the way. Lock the door, do whatever it takes.

I used to work in a warehouse about 48 hours a week. Like Clive I had a notebook in my pocket and jotted down ideas, dialogue, actions, etc for the day's writing. By the time my hour or two a day came along, I was ready to write.

You may find that by the time you're finished with your day you're just too tired to write. In that case, I'd suggest *starting* the day with your hour of writing. I found that I could operate a forklift completely brain dead if need be, but I couldn't write in that condition. So writing came first. If I was tired at the day job, so what? It's easier to struggle through work than struggle through writing.

If the problem is that you're not productive during your hour a day, either you aren't as passionate as you thought you are or you aren't cracking the whip on yourself. The biggest problem with being self employed is actually doing anything. Your boss is too easy on that lazy employee! I'd suggest creating daily deadlines and a project deadline. Your daily deadline might be to write one good page every day. That's an easy deadline - and 3 scripts a year! Stick to the deadline. Punish yourself for failure, reward yourself for success. I get dessert if I make my page quota.

Other things you might consider: outlining your scene or page to get some momentum going. If I can't seem to get to work, I'll make a list of all of the things I need to cover in the scene and any interesting ideas on how to cover those things. This kick-starts my brain *and* gives me a blueprint for the scene if I'm still struggling. That scene may not be perfect, but I can get it on the page. You can rewrite it later. I find it's better to have a bad scene that contains all of the required story & character material than a bunch of blank pieces of paper. One can be fixed, the other is this roadblock preventing you from going any further on your script.

I find that once I get into the habit of writing, I can keep writing. If I tale a few weeks off, it takes me forever to get the ball rolling again. So don't worry if you don't seem to have momentum when you start - but keep going (even though you may struggle) so that you can eventually get some momentum going.

It's tough to be that whip-cracking boss when you are also the lazy employee. But that's what you have to be.

- Bill (self discipline is easier than self bondage)

I realize this thread has been cold for a while, but I found it and I wanted to add a few thoughts.

One of the things I always struggle with is self critique. I always seem to voice all the critical opinions I feel others will have about my work before I'm even done with it. For instance, I am in the midst of pecking out a script right now, and I am about half way through it. One night, about a week ago, I finished a scene on page 44 and went to bed, where I laid there letting myself come up with all kinds of plot holes and problems that the armchair filmmakers will point out when they walk out of the theater. This movie may never reach a theater so why should I worry about what some pimple faced geek will say about it if it does?

Most professional writers that I've spoken with or read a book by say that your 1st draft is pure story, don't think about plot until draft 2. It's hard because I am my biggest critic, but I try to keep the demons of self doubt at bay long enough to finish the main story idea, then let them have a field day when I rewrite.

As far as making notes and structuring your outline before writing, that only works for some. I know plenty of writers that'll tell you never to begin a story with a firm plot in mind because it kills the spontaneity of the characters. I don't know if that is always the case, but I know in my work I never end up where I think I'm going when I start out.

I like the idea of setting deadlines and quotas for your writing. It helps to have set goals. I know in my life, my job can bring me down (my wife's job brings me down by association), and it can wear me out - especially around this time of year when the temp. hits 100 degrees and doesn't come down 'til October (I live in Texas if anyone didn't know). But I find that if I just set my jaw and sit down and write at least one page a day, I am infinitely happier than I was when I would let long periods of time go by because I didn't feel like writing.

Poke

Come on now war eagle, you know that's not always true. Just cause YOU never have trouble concentrating and never have things on your mind doesn't mean everyone is like that. I myself am researching my historical screenplay now, and I'm having trouble. That doesn't mean I lust for fame and money, it just means IT'S HARD WORK. Sometimes I feel lost, like I'm in a dumptruck full of books, and all I can do is read one page at a time. A lot of people I meet are interested in the story, but not enough to commit to writing a screenplay about it, so I havn't found a partner yet.

That's one of the reasons I 1) always use a day planner, and 2) I work in the library. I used to think it was kind of dumb to use a planner, but that was in high school when my life wasn't busy enough to need one. Now, I can't live without it. On top of the difficulties of writing, I also have ADD, so concentrating is difficult. That's why I use the library. I can schedual it into my week the way I want, no one is inturupting, there is always a coffee shop around the corner, and I have all the information I need with me. Plus, it's quiet.

I can schedual 5 hours in the library if I want, which I like to do because once I DO start to find information, I don't want to leave. It's all that matters. It's just changing my perspective from big imposibal picture, to baby steps.