This is a tough undertaking and not for the faint of heart. Getting it wrong hurts. Being told that your protagonist isn’t strong enough, after completing a screenplay, is a major blow to a person who has fully exposed “his baby” to industry gawkers and decision makers, or those whose decision your final grade rests upon. There has to be a reason to jump back in the seat and do it again and make it better and more polished.
My schedule is what allows me to consistently stuff forty pounds of junk into a twenty-pound container. Everything I do is scheduled, except my nine-to-five. I know that without that I could not afford to purchase gas for the trip to the other side of town for a shoot or to attend the meeting of the writer’s group I organized.
What’s ironic, however, is that my writing time is rarely scheduled. I know it’s taboo for a writer to “wing it” when it comes to writing time. They say that writing time needs to be scheduled. In a world as hectic as mine, there is no way I can force the peace of mind I need to write into a set time.
Writing is a delicate process and should be done at the right time and with the right focus and clarity. For me, that can’t be determined by an alarm or alert. I could eke out time for writing, but then, when that alarm for writing goes off, I would just end up sitting and hoping that some super epiphany, on whichever project I’m working on, strikes me. For me, I have to plan and focus and ensure my mind and workspace are clear; otherwise, I easily drift off or fall asleep from the fatigue of my regular schedule.
When I’m ready to write, I usually grab my backpack, laptop and reference material, and head to my favorite local coffee shop. I am well known at a place called Rev. They provide a setting full of focused people, and the environment limits my mind from roaming. Perhaps it’s the art on the walls and the slight hustle and bustle of others who are also pursuing their dreams, that motivates me and inspires me. I find that I get more accomplished at Rev in four to six hours than I can at home in an entire day.
I not only write while working full time, but I have also pursued my online graduate degree in Creative Writing. I volunteered on independent filmmaking shoots and at other local artistic events just to get my name and face out. Not to mention the numerous networking events I attended. How do I do all of this? Sheer determination and a continued focus on how I wanted my future to shape up.
I have big dreams. When I look into the future and see successful screenwriters and independent filmmakers, I must be able to picture myself among them; otherwise. The late night and early morning sacrifices have to amount to something in order for me to brave them.
Even though my body might rather go home and lay out on the sofa after a long and tiring day at the plant, I visualize my name rolling across the screen in the “above line” credits of a major motion picture. Otherwise, the waking up to an alarm seven days a week wouldn't happen.
"There has to be a reason to jump back in the seat and do it again..."
Writing and Working Full Time
Andre McDow, Screenwriter
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