5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie, #4

So tomorrow night 5 Weddings opens worldwide in 52 countries. You'd think that would be exciting right? Well, as a writer, I have to say, there's nothing scarier for me. See, what I love about writing is writing. But whenever people see my work, I know I'm putting myself and my hard work out for the world to see and to judge. And that is not really fun for me. So what's a writer to do?

Well, one producer friend suggested, just enjoy that I got a film made. That's no easy thing. With all the movies we see get made, you'd think maybe that's not a big deal. But really, with all the screenwriters, there really are a lot of very successful writers that don't even get a film made. So that's a really big deal and something to be happy about.

Then, that producer also suggested, my friends and family are all coming to see the movie and all excited for me. Enjoy that! What we writers forget with each step is to enjoy those moments. What's the point if we don't let ourselves enjoy these moments? So no matter what I'm thinking about people seeing it and wondering what they'll think, I have to let myself enjoy the whole experience. Enjoy that friends are there, they are happy for me. That's something!

Also, I'm listening to a book on tape, by Brene Brown, Rising Strong. And she has done a lot of Ted Talks and had talks on youtube and her suggestion is about the fact that a lot of people have opinions. But they personally don't put work out there to be judged, they just judge others. So her opinion is if your opinion on my work matters, then you have to put your work out there too. If you're just judging and not putting work out there, then your opinion DOES NOT matter. I love that! So this goes for movie critics and reviewers. It's sure easy to sit in the comfort of your home and judge someone else's screenwriting and film directing. But are those same people actually writing and directing? Nope. So even though I worry about being judged. I'm at least in the game. And that isn't something every person can say. And for that, I deserve a pat on the back!

So sure, other people might be super excited for me that my film is out tomorrow. And I promise I will try to enjoy it, every nerve-wracking moment.

5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie, #3

I'm back! I'm doing a series of blogs in honor of my movie 5 Weddings, that comes out this month worldwide, on October 26. I'm writing about 5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie. So onto:

#3 - Getting a movie produced can take a long, long time. I wrote the first draft of this movie about 13 years ago. Yes, 13 years! So what's a writer to do to not drive the producer crazy while you wait? You get started on another script, and then another, and then another, and then another. Well, you get the idea. Any script you write, you put in the past. And if it gets produced, great! And if not, you've got so many other scripts you won't care. And when it does get produced, like 5 Weddings did, then yay that's just icing on the cake. Even when the producer Namrata Singh Gujral finally told me about it two years ago that we were going to bring on Andy Glickman, a good friend of mine and talented writer to get the script ready for production, I almost didn't believe her! It had been sitting around for so long I really thought it would never get produced! But true to her word, one day, it was in production! I even have a blog post about being on the set for one of the days. And then next thing I knew, it premiered at Cannes! And now here we are, about to see the movie released worldwide. So, the moral of the story, is don't sit around waiting for a script to get produced, always move on to the next project. 

Okay, check in next for #4! 

5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie, #2

So I started a series of blog posts, 5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie, to honor my first produced movie that comes out this month, 5 Weddings. So, today let's hear it from:

#2 - When you write a script, you may think that what you have, is what it will always be. But for us, that was definitely not the case. And maybe not the case on many scripts. So what I learned is that when you write a script, it will change, and change, and change, and then change some more. At first when we started this script, it was a straight-up comedy. But after I finished the script in two weeks, the producer decided to add some dramatic elements. I don't want to say what they are as to not give anything away about the movie. I do think they add a lot of depth to the story, so I'm glad she suggested it. It ends up being the B story, in fact. But that meant there would be a lot of rewrites. So it went from a comedy to a dramedy. I also wrote the first script about 13 years ago, so that means a lot of rewrites over those 13 years. So as a writer you just have to be fine with changes. Because changes are what makes a better story. I think the basic elements are there from the start, but we added a lot over that time frame. So what I'm saying is, don't be afraid to let your script evolve! That's what scripts are made for.

Okay, be sure to be on the lookout for #3 tip next time!

In honor of 5 Weddings: 5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie

So my first produced movie comes out this month, October 26, to be exact, called 5 Weddings. So in honor of that, I have decided to write posts called, 5 Things I Learned Writing This Movie. Get it? 5 Weddings? 5 things I learned? So drum roll, here is:

#1 - That I can write a script in 2 weeks! Before I wrote this script, I had never written a script that quickly. But when the producer told me about the project, she said can you write this in two weeks? And of course, I said yes, even though I'd never done it before. Because if someone has a deadline, then I meet it. I looked at it as a challenge that I would happily take on.

So I set myself a schedule in order to meet that deadline. I remember I had the weekend to write the whole outline and character studies. Then I had to pound out 5 pages every day, no matter what, during the week, for both weeks. And then on weekends, I wrote about 10 pages. For anyone who's written 5-10 pages in a day, it can be pretty exhausting. And doing that for two weeks? I was spent. Plus I had a one-year-old child at the time, so wasn't getting much sleep on top of it and didn't have a nanny so was really spending all day with my child and then writing at night. But anything can be done for two weeks. I remember being spent mentally at the end, but you know what? I had a complete script done in two weeks. And now, I know, if it needs to be done, I can do it.

So check back next time for What I Learned Writing This Movie #2.