Is it the conception of the idea (ie you're in a long line at your favorite coffee stand and see a bumper sticker on the pickup in front of you and this is where a wild adventure in your head ensues)?
Is it the working of that idea into a sustainable plot line?
Is it writing a summary and more details? Coming up with the characters? The actual writing of the script? Rewriting? All of the above?
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The pay check.
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I would say mine is the actual writing part, even though I procrastinate, getting the idea out always feels great.
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Love the rewrite/molding phase. Nothing like chopping the damn thing down.
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For me it's definitely building out the 'cast' of characters and the story world. Also love writing dialogue, and early morning writing sessions. What about you, Cannon?
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I sneek up on my storys. They may start as cards or a bit of prose.
I then do maybe 20-30 pages of script to see if it is actually a movie or just a story.
This sits to one side for a time. I then begin to miss it. I’ll revisit it. It is like reconnecting with an old romance.
Then I know what it is. I start to really write it. Asking so many “Why” statements.
This is my favour part. Getting in an forging the script.
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I like working the idea. Writing a 1 page summary after I have the initial idea sparked in my weird brain. From that I work out into the other characters that live in my main characters' world. I always do this part on a piece of scratch paper in my worst handwriting. But once I get that 1 pager, the world exists in my head and I have to jot ideas/dialogue/visuals down even if is seemingly the stupidest thing.
I like this part because the ideas flow faster than I can iron it out coherently on the script!
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Putting cat food on the keyboard, allowing Twinkles to do his magic and then taking all the credit.
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Planning the premise and perfecting the characters, the Dramatis Personae. An artiste does not leave their work unfinished, it must be perfected before it can be shown to the world (this is the longest part of the process for me). :)
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I'm having a great time doing something different for me. The challenge is to write a Nero Wolf-type mystery for a contest. When an old hotel burnt down in Brawley, I started thinking about making it the site of 'the murder' (I'd been there a few times when the rodeo came, but not to stay because only the bar was open). Now I have a Cluseau/007 (sic) type hero and I'm letting him do his thing. I'm not writing; I'm reading his mind. Nice....
I would love to write the script and the concept as well.
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My favorite part of the writing process is being done with it. I'd take prep, production, post, or distribution over screenwriting any day.
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Conception is amazing and no different for me than a daydream and the writing is also great but then comes the slog of pulling it apart, editing, re-reading, and putting it back together, structurally, as a story. ugh.
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As a development executive, I always find the best part of the writing process is when I give a note to a writer and the lightbulb turns on and we end up cracking the story and taking a whole new direction.
Recently this happened with a writer who had a project which I thought was so close and just missing the mark a bit. So I made a suggestion that amounted to "I don't think it is 'this'...I think it is probably more like 'that' instead." We started riffing on that idea and now that revised script is under option! That gives me chills when it happens.
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The alternate reality of conceptualizing scenes. I just live in that world for hours, sometimes years, before writing....and then when I finally sit and I'm deep in the writing phase (not my favourite - it's a muscle and a discipline for sure) and I need a 'scene' and it comes so easily...like a gift from the ether....pure addiction man. I have yet to experience the collaborative magic Jason describes above. Lol life goals.
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Cracking the third act! It always gets me so excited!
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It is all grueling but if I had to choose I'd say the rewriting because I know I am getting closer to finishing.
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Stumbling into better jokes while writing, the original concept is usually there but there are moments when you realize that by changing an element it really becomes a much more unexpected sequence.