Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

E.C. and the Bunnytrails of Life

Ever felt like you spend much of your life hopping down the bunnytrails of life? 

Sorry, I haven't posted in over 3 weeks!  Never meant to go that long without posting SOMETHING in this blog.  Truth be told, I've been quite busy -- and that's what this post is going to be about: me validating my life.  And yes the includes some bunnytrails, lemme explain.

Two weeks ago there was a real shortage of "volunteers" to work the weekend where I currently work.  I originally signed up to work an 8 hour shift on a Saturday, but that turned into 10 + hours on Saturday AND another 10 + hours on Sunday -- at my boss' boss request.  Hence, no post two weeks ago. 

Last weekend it took me a day to recover from a hard weeks worth of 10-12 hour days, then on Sunday I went to the Century Link Field to watch my beloved Seattle Seahawks take on the Dallas Cowboys.  That endedup being an entire day affair, and to make matters worse I got quite inebriated on my beloved Budweisers at the game, which went for $ 8.50 a cup, so when I came home I wasn't up to snuff to post. 

Lately I've been spending a lot of time over at Talentville, where in the past three weeks I've read and reviewed 3 scripts from pre-pro screenwriters (these are my fellow peers who are attempting to make headway into Hollywood).  I have been looking for a place to belong for A LONG TIME.  I'm talking a place where people share the same interests that I do; namely, screenwriting.  Not sure if Talentville will fill hole in my soul for like-minded friends, but I'm giving it a shot.  I plan on spending a lot more of my time over there.  Just going to try to make some friends and be active in a screenwriting networked community. 

A look over at "E.C.'s Surf City" will show a new and updated list of links to other blog.  I put Talentville at the top of the list because that's where I plan on spending the majority of my surfing time in the future going forward.  I also added a link to Emily Blake's "Bamboo Killers" because I've been reading her lately, and it's cool to read her post and see the growth in her career; she's really blossoming -- and it's cool to see that albeit at a distance...

On the writing front, I have recommenced writing on the 1st draft of my latest, teen comedy spec.  It is now over 120 pages.  Going off my outline I should be at the ACT II break right now.  YES, I'm going to write long and have to pare back in later drafts.  But right now I just wanna write in Final Draft and see what is good.  My latest spec has a lot of stuff in it right now, and I just need to first draft it out all the way, THEN see what works and what needs to be cut. 

So what's next for ol' E.C.?  Well-p, tomorrow at 5:30 I have yet another date at Century Link field in Seattle to see my 1-1 Seahawks take on the 1-1 Green Bay Packers.  Can't wait for that!  Plan on waking up on Monday, writing in the morning, then going to the game with my dad and brother.  Highly doubt I'll get as bombed as I was at the Dallas game -- buy ya never know! 

I've also just bought a new bed.  Long overdue on that.  Today the mattress store delivered my fancy-smancy, nearly $3,000 Tempur-pedic bed.  Hopefully this will help with my back, which over the past 2 years has given me bouts of pain due in large part to the physically strenuous nature of my day job. 

Ah, the bunnytrails of life.  One never gets to do everything they want to do exactly when they want to do it.  Even when you're 43 years old and still single the demands of life tug you in many different directions.  Still, my resolve remains unwavering: 2 post a week; one smaller post in the middle, one bigger, content post over the weekend.  Just need to get back on track.  Find and establish a new normal and keep on, keeping on.  But for now it's time to try out the new bed.  Nighty night.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

Castles in the Sand: the Spec. Script Analogy

Can crafting a sand castle be compared to writing a spec. script? 

Absolutely!  Because when you write, it's like you have this master vision of creating a viable story worthy of actors and actresses inhabiting.  Yet in its development -- much like a sand castle, its form is very much in flux and can be changed -- like a sand castle.

So do I, E.C. Henry, like sand castles?  In real life, not so much.  I've made a couple, when I was a kid.  But my underlying feeling is that sand castes are too temporary.  It's like you put a lot of effort into something that has meaning to you, but you know that the moment you step away from you risk damage by other callous people, who don't value your work, or the elements.  Point: eventually your sand castle, no matter how elaborately designed will suffer corruption not of your doing.  Sand castles have a short life, and aren't meant to last forever.

In that regard a sand castle is much different than a written story.  A written story has some permanence to it.  A) You can have a hard copy of it: print on a page.  B) A story can exist in a file that can be stored, accessed and protected on either a hard drive or external media.  So unlike sand castles that are subject outside forces, a spec. script story can and should be protected against the elements.  

Unfortunately at times a spec. script in process can look a little out of focus.  Kinda like a frammed house.  Ever been at a construction site when a house is in-process of being made?  Looks kinda helter-skelter.  

A framed house in this on-going analogy works to enforce the notion of structure in a spec. script in process.  Structure is important.  It frames the story much like these boards help define the extents of the roof, rooms, enterances and exit places, and the garage.  

A story in-process, as I've learned can be a messy thing.  Either like the grit of the sand, or the nails and left-over boards of a house being built.  How complex can it all get?  Well, I'll leave that one up to someone WAY smarter than me, Robert McKee to tell.  Ever read his opus "Story"?   That's some deep shit, Skippy.  Important to be familiar with too -- if you're an aspiring writer.  My next door neighbor lent me her copy of this once, and I read Robert's opus, and was blown away by how complex a "story" can be. 

So how complex should a story be?  I think very.  you want a lot of ingredients in the pot.  You want the audience to have to grapple, and gasp -- think when either reading your script or watching the corresponding movie from your script.  Remember, one of the cardinal sins a writer can do is be boring.  One of the fastest ways to be boring is to not have enough balls in the air.  You need more then just a central conflict for your protagonist to deal with.  Watch the truly great movies, and guess what they have just that: a certain amount of uncertainty and complexity.  Their is a place to "McKee" in your screenwriting.  To me McKee will always represent a mastery directory of all things that CAN comprise a story.  Knowing him, and what he preaches is like having the tool shed opened, and you're free to use what ever works!

Currently, just used the "Billy Mernit" tool in my story-creation tool chest.  Reading off his "Structuring Conflict" section in his Writing the Romantic Comedy book to get a customised look at a structure as seen through the eyes of a romantic comedy.  It's comprised beats, 7 of them.  You see as I write my spec. script I want to be aware of the genre conventions.  Not that I have to be a slave to them, but just to know.  Just to put a story framework seed in my mind in effort to shape this thing up and bring it along to a new level of completion.

Right now I'm trying to balance a lot of different stuff. 

1. Three love stories.  One main, two supporting.
2. A unique accent, much akin to the one I used in my first spec. script, "Give It Up for Chimpy."
3. Characters.  At least 31 speaking roles.  6 of whom are major enough that I did separate profiles on them.
4. Cohesion.  Are all the scenes contributing to the overall story?
5. What pops and what doesn't.  Structure be damned at the end of the day, you have to have something interesting.  So, while writing in the back of my mind I'm always thinking, should this stay because the audience will like it?

Whoa, the smack-down from one of the premiere screenwriting lecturers of our era!  That's harsh.  But I love the guy.  I love anyone who is passionate about teaching screenwriting.  Honestly, if you keep an open mind there's usually something useful given by these gurus.  And not all gurus are the same, some are definitely better than others. 

I tend to have a lot of fun with the creative process.  I'm open to learning new things and jumping around.  Lately I'm learning to apply the bounds of structure on stuff I've written, AFTER the writing's been done.  A little structure before I write, then reapply a different serem AFTER I've written something. 

Norman Osborn would be proud.  I went back to formula, and am coming out it with a stronger product. 

What comes next Norman is that I'm going to finish my first draft of the story after I graft in a couple more pages of notes into my outline.  Not going to become a monster like you did either -- as I'm working on my relationship with Jesus.  HUGE fan of Jesus.  Can't get enough of the guy.  Why in fact I think He's going to be the next subject of my next post.  So stay tuned...

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

P.S. As a post-script to my last post, which was about the Seattle Seahawks, I was able to finish my dad's birthday present and buy him tickets to see the Dallas Cowboys AND the Green Bay Packers, when they come to town next month.  Can't wait.  Gunna have a lot of fun.