Tuesday, March 7, 2023

My Writing Process

 Hello! Really short blog post this time, because I've already explained how I have already finished my first draft of the script! However, I realized that the last blog focused more on my reasoning for why I didn't want to post the full script just yet, and not really touch on how I wrote the first draft. So this is just going to quickly breakdown how I wrote most of the script, specifically the characters' eulogies and monologues (Using Peter's eulogy, the teen gamer porn addict boy, as the base for capturing my thought process).

STEP 1: ESTABLISH CHARACTER.

    The first step, obviously, is creating the character I'm writing for, getting a feel for the type of person that they are, and in this case, decide what sort of issue I want them to represent. I did this much earlier before writing the draft- with my first reference to Peter's character in my outlining blog post, and a more in-depth exploration of the character in my character development blog post. It's important to know who you're writing for when starting to write your script, you need to step into the shoes of the character to really understand them, at least in my experience. 

STEP 2: FLESH OUT CHARACTER.

    After getting to know my character, I like to really immerse myself in their character to get the most realistic interpretation of their character. I do this by establishing a simple list of feelings that they may be feeling, or behaviors I want to point out. In this case, I had made two lists: one following his behavior/actions with the computer, and a second one that shows how he has been emotionally affected by the computer's death. Now I have a general idea of how to write Peter in the context of a funeral- it is distinct how much of a loser outcast he is from his mannerisms, but his feelings and emotions regarding loss are very much real, since the computer provided him an outlet to express himself (however distastefully this may have been). So now I know to bring attention to his social awkwardness but to also write him as a genuine victim of technology dependency, not as a misguided but ultimately responsible victim like his father, David.

STEP 3: WRITE A RATIONAL BIT OF DIALOGUE


    In this context, it was actually both easy and difficult to get this bit right. Naturally, since its a eulogy, it follows a certain structure and tone that I can understand from reading the endless amount of eulogies posted on the Internet. Therefore, I'd have a guide to writing a sort of speech I'm personally unfamiliar with, which is a massive help. 

However, each eulogy is meant to be deeply personal, and representative of the individual's relationship with the deceased- in Peter's case, that means one of great companionship and confidence. Now all I need to do is write a heartfelt one-minute eulogy for a deeply trusted companion!

In this draft of a solid, respectable speech offers the perfect canvas to stain with Peter's characteristic perversions and awkward quirks. I won't spoil the surprise though!

STEP 4: ADD JOKES, PERSONALIZE TO CHARACTER.

    Next, I went back through my nice, heartfelt eulogy and hacked it to pieces. Anywhere I saw an opening, I stuck in gamer buzzwords and slang to really sell the idea that this guy is terminally online (got this idea from a tip from my buddy Wade. Thanks Wade!), and has no sense of what is socially "right". Additionally, I added a couple of jokes that I had thought about pre-writing the eulogy, for example, a double entendre of the phrase "taking a load off". Crude humor aside, I mainly wanted to ensure that every "joke" that I had phased into the eulogy speech not only made sense as a legible statement, but also one that makes sense in the context of the representation of porn-addict gamers, and highlights what exactly is wrong with these sorts of people.

STEP 5: POLISH.

    Finally, I polish. Hey, that's what I'm doing right now! Going over the finished draft to catch unsavory jokes, inconsistencies in dialogue, and generally clean up the delivery of all of the lines to be more streamlined and clear, these are all important details to check and fix while polishing. More updates on this soon in the future! Hope you enjoyed the step-by-step walkthrough on my writing process!  See you next time.

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