RACHEL (notes) I am about to start working on my next screenplay; "Rachel: Taken Away". I am thinking, however, of trying a different tactit with this one. I am considering writing a treatment for it, getting that copyrighted and then sending out feelers for it before I start writing. I am thinking of taking this route because, as I was shopping "We Die Young" around. I had come across a couple of people who were asking for a screenplay of this nature. So, I want to see who wants it and try to work it from that way. ------------------July 21, 1999 3:06 P.M. EST. Not much happening on the screenplay front. I do a little work on writing the treatment as I commute back and forth to work. Having never really written a treatment, I have no real idea of what I am doing, I am just playing it by ear. Besides I have been pretty busy lately. I have two other scripts out there vying for my time. -----------------July 25, 1999 3:04 P.M. EST. First of all, I am thinking of a title change, for "Rachel: Taken Away", I have no idea of what it will be, but I have always thought that the title needed to be tinkered with. Anyway, I have been picking up my pace on this thing. I have almost completed the first draft of the treatment, and then it'll be on to the actual writing of the screenplay. I have set a mid September deadline on the first draft and then we will see what we have. ------------------July 29, 1999 7:04 P.M. EST. I have decided to scrap the idea of sending the treatment out before writing the script. I will, however use the treatment that I was writing, as an outline for rewriting the rough draft that I already have. I will write the new rough draft, without consulting the old one, I'll write it from the outline. Then, I will compare it to the original rough draft, using what works from both and deleting what doesn't for my second draft. If it sounds complicated to you, imagine how it's going to be to write a screenplay I have already written without looking at the original. ------------------August 6, 1999 7:06 P.M. EST. I'm now on a roll with the re-write of this project. I was thinking it would be difficult to re-write without looking at the original, but as it turns out my notes have been a great deal of help. Even though, every once in a while I am tempted to look at the original rough draft, mainly to see how different the dialogue is shaping up. But, I haven't yet and I don't see myself "sneaking a peek" until I am done. This screenplay was originally designed as a sequel to something I had written earlier, but it stands on it's own pretty well, (mainly because it's a completely different idea) and is probably a better screenplay anyway. But with this unseen re-write, it's been pretty easy to eliminate all the prequel stuff. I am still looking at a mid September finish of the first draft. ------------------August 13, 1999 7:11 P.M. EST As I continue on with this sight unseen re-write a new story line is beginning to take shape. It's not anything dramatic, (it won't change the essence of the story) but it is giving me more places to go than I had originally envisioned. I think I have drifted completely away from my notes, I haven't looked at them for at least a week now, so I'm not really sure. So I am actually no longer re writing but creating a new screenplay from my previous work. I do still intend to compare the two drafts using what works and eliminating what doesn't from both. I continue to steam roll towards my mid September first draft deadline. ------------------August 26, 1999 7:03 P.M. EST A funny thing happened on my way to my mid September first draft deadline: I missed it. I was moving along pretty well and then suddenly I just slew down. The main problem seems to be my inability to write anywhere but on my commute to and from work. I never noticed it before but whenever I have written in the past I have had music on in the background, and the way my "office" is set up there is no radio. I will rectify that situation shortly. I will not be making any more predictions on when I will finish the first draft, it'll just be whenever it'll be, even though I am anticipating a late September, early to mid October completion. (How's that for pinning it down) ------------------September 17, 1999 8:07 P.M. EST. I am starting to see myself finishing this first draft re-write. It's all up to me now, if I really buckle down and try to get it out of the way, I can see myself being done by the weekend, or at least within a week. But, that's not etched in stone because some times things other than writing may intercede. I have gotten through most of the new ideas that I had had regarding this project and now it's back to following my outline to the letter, well at least as close as possible for me. The next time I update "Rachel: Taken Away", it will be because I have finished the first draft. Again I'm trying not to give any deadlines, but I am in a hurry to finish this first draft, because I can still see a long haul ahead of me with this thing. ------------------September 25, 1999 2:18 A.M. EST. As I make my last first draft re-write update, I am saddened by one thing, I cheated. I, not only looked at the original before finishing the re-write, but I basically stole the ending. I have my reasons, but I never intended to do that. First of all, I was just too close to finishing and I found myself trying to recreate the same ending I had done the first time from memory. This was hurting my creative process, so I just decided (after much deliberation) to forego my dreams of finishing a sight unseen re-write. Even though I still was able to add new pieces to the final puzzle, my inability to stick to my game plan disappoints me. Oh well, better luck next time. I have come up with a better title, although, it is essentially the same title, I will just drop "Taken Away". The screenplay is now officially called "Rachel". Anyone who reads the finished screenplay, whenever its finally finished, will appreciate the simplicity of the title, after all the twists and turns the screenplay will put them through. One more thing: as I finally put the screenplay into it's proper screenplay format, I probably won't be doing many updates. But who knows, then again I probably will. -----------------------October 3, 1999 10:26 A.M. EST. I have finally finished "Rachel". But if your looking forward to me posting the synopsis and the dream casting call soon, dream on. I will take my time with this one, I won't rush to send it out. First, I'm going to find someone other than me, to proof read it. And then I have to work on creating a synopsis for it. Next, I'm going to finish this little short screenplay I've been working on. Then, I will begin finding my next screenplay to polish (I'm leaning towards "Paradise City, or "Are You Afraid?"). And after all of that, then I will come back to "Rachel", read it once more, to check for things I might have missed, and then finally I will get it copyrighted, posted on this site and dream casted. ----------------------November 20, 1999 9:45 A.M. EST.