The "next script" has begun!

Yesterday I started writing my next script, and I've got a decent working title for it as well - "Summer" - although I had previously been referring to it as "Valeters" in my own mind for a long time. You see I initially had the seed of the idea during the summer of 2003 when I worked at a local garage as a service washer & valeter, and I intended to write a script about my experiences afterwards - but, not only would the original idea have essentially been a rip-off of Clerks, I simply didn't have the time or creative energy to write it back then, as I was getting into my second year of university.

Fast forward six years, to about six months ago, and while still working on drafts 2.1-3.1 of "Zero", I had the idea to resurrect the idea of "Valeters" (as I'd always referred to that list of notes tucked away since 2003), but use what I'd already established as a background to something else. That something else was ... or rather is ... my meditation on 21st century manhood, an idea I've slowly been mulling over in my head for the last few years.

Anyway, fast forward to yesterday, and after a lot of brainstorming, note writing, script laying out and character breakdowns, I started the new script - now titled "Summer" (a working title).

As is par for the course, the first writing session is always slow-going with short, sporadic bursts of typing - after which point (of getting about two-and-a-half pages written) you suddenly feel quite let down by the whole idea you've been working on for however long, but then you have to remember how good you felt about the script layout and lead character, and get cracking on a second session in front of Final Draft.

I had only intended to tidy up some of the dialogue I'd written in that first session, to try and find a little bit of mojo, but I ended up not only doing that, but barging out another three pages. Indeed, I'm close to re-discovering my script writing groove, and I now feel good about "Summer" all over again. As is usually the case in many things in life, the first step is always the most unsure.

More updates on the writing process as-and-when.