Some thoughts on the Process of Developing Our Story

So for Christmas, I was in Dallas with my Girlfriend, Nikki, visiting friends and family. For the most part, I let this project go, not thinking about or doing any writing on it at all.

Then, the last night we were there, I could not sleep because the details of the short suddenly started forcing themselves into my mind, in very sharp focus.

It happens that way sometimes. You write, and work, and think, and struggle. Then you set it down for a week, and somewhere deep in your subconscious, it all gels. And you think about it one day, and everything is clear.

So that’s what happened with this one. The next day on the plane home, I wrote up the outline on my Palm Pilot.

I am going to continue revising this, but will not write an actual script until I rehearse with the actors. But this outline does contain the majority of the beats, objectives, and some suggestions for the actors. So it’s already a pretty complete story.

I am meeting with Leah and hopefully the other actor on Sunday, the 4th, to start work on this.

My plan is to spend the first meeting not so much rehearsing, as talking about the characters with the actors, based on the outline I sent out to them. The purpose of which will be to get their imaginations sparking in this world, and to bring out some hopefully new and unexpected details which will inform the script. I’ll document that meeting and have a first podcast from it next week.

Also, set a costume and make-up person.