Be a Pro: Make a Writing Plan

Rouge Waver Breck is my writing buddy and Breck got really frustrated lately. He didn't meet his self-imposed deadlines and began outlining then just began writing with an unfinished outline then emailed me, frustrated as all get out. He asked what I used to do when I was starting out and I suddenly found myself frustrated, discombobulated and behind schedule. The answer is eat too much, smoke too much, avoid writing, go into an existential self-hate spiral and get no writing done. But that was long ago.

So how do you get out of the muck in a healthy way? Well, for sure get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, read a good book and get some movie time in. Don't hate yourself for getting lost in the woods. We all do it. Self-discipline is hard and those Silver Fish  can be deadly.


Do this: Think of yourself as a contractor. Put on your hard hat and make a writing plan. What are the answers to these questions:

What am I working on right now? Include the logline, the genre and what stage of the project you are on; outlining, pages, rewriting, etc.

What plans and goals do I have for this material?

What are some real-time deadlines related to these goals? (competition deadlines, festivals, good times to query, etc.)

What's in the Idea Heap? List loglines of any other projects, in any stage of development.

Which project am I going to work on next and why?

Now take a calendar and sketch out the use of your time. Here is a rough outline:

1) You should be able to complete an outline in 2 weeks. (for many - far less - for others, far more, but to those folks I say, git your tuchas in gear, friends).

2) You should be able to revise and revisit the outline, with notes and comments in one more week.

3) Time to write the first draft - if you've taken the time with that outline - should be about two months. (again, times are relative, so shut it, Speedy Gonzales).

4) To get notes and feedback and complete a rewrite should take another six weeks after that.

5) Allow another six weeks or so for another round or two of feedback, a week away from the material to decompress or to work on something else.

So what are we up to? Almost six months? Something like that? But here's the thing - for some, this process is much faster, but if it's much slower - you need to gain some discipline because it really shouldn't be. And here's the other thing - even while outlining one project, you should be thinking about a logline for another project. You should always be writing down ideas and inspiration. You should be reading scripts, novels and other great writing at all times.

Set a goal for yourself: I will write 3 feature scripts a year. I will write a one-act play just to stretch my muscles. I will see movies weekly. I will have a file folder of great ideas.

Every writer I know - produced and published - is writing something literally all the time. Heck, the Rouge Wave keeps my old essay muscles toned, for sure.

So the upshot is this: if you feel stuck, muddled and mad at yourself because you're not keeping up with your deadlines, goals and plans, here's what the Wave-inatrix recommends:

1) Go see some movies
2) Work out and sweat
3) Look in the mirror and ask yourself - do I really want to be a writer?
4) Stop whining and write.

And I say that with love. Because we've all been there, me included.

And it just so happens that today I am reviewing a book by my friend, Christina Hamlett. And as I go through the book, I'm jealous; Christina is a great writer - the way she makes her points, the way she presents this stuff is just superlative. And suddenly it strikes me - wow, this is a GREAT book for Rouge Wavers and today's subject is a perfect fit.

So for those of you interested, check out Could it be a Movie?

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