ONE-PAGE SYNOPSIS

I spent one week on one page. No, not one page of the script, that would be a bit much. It was my one page synopsis of the screenplay.

From the get-go I wasn't liking the concept of having to put 110 pages onto one page. Seems sort of, er, uh, degrading? Maybe not quite, but close.

Provided with an example of how this should look, I tore into it, keys blazing, then burned to a halt. Where was all the whitespace I needed? Do I have to use commas? They take up space too!

The more I snipped off words, the worse it got, and every one-page I sent the reader came back with questions all over it, such as "he, as in him, or the other guy?" Damn.

So, like a puzzle, I just shifted, things around, and snipped, but I don't think you're supposed to use scissors when puzzle pieces don't fit!

Frustrated after the fifth attempt, and wondering if the local "Waffle House" is hiring, I tore into a blank email page and wrote the sixth one-page, not caring how long or how many words, tossing all of my lines and notes from before, then hit "send". That's basically a writer's version of suicide, I don't even think I proof-read it I was so pissed off.

Hours later, I heard the email sound "ding" and wasn't sure what to do. In one way, knowing how this would crash, I just wanted to get get it over with. The other way, what if there was a miracle?

I opened, and there wasn't any writing, no corrections, I figured the copy bounced back or something. Then, one bit of bold type saying "this line is good but should be changed to make this clear". And that was it.

Wha? I did it? It's good? All week, and I wrote it in five minutes??

Granted, that was after a week of a lot of learning, what a curve. But that's all it took, one go for broke email, wow.

FADE OUT