Phase Three

I don't know what phase three is, but it sounds good.

I'm now halfway through a third draft and VIGILANTE is taking shape. Much like a sculptor building up a beautifully detailed face, he once started with an ugly blob of clay and got to the endgame through the careful and painstaking addition of small pieces of clay. This is what we do with our words. The final draft may bear little resemblance to the first, except in terms of spirit and theme. You just can't afford to be attached to anything.

What if he didn't own a petshop and he was a teacher? What if his best friend was his brother? What if he was poor instead of rich? What if he was a robot? You ask yourself all these questions and more as you try and get closer to something that works, something that makes more sense.

Your average script has about 25,000 words. Write four or five drafts and you have made 50,000 words. Throw in some treatments and outlines and by the time you're done you may have penned in the region of 60,000 words. That's a novel. And there's no guarantee anyone will like it. So, you'd better enjoy what you write. It's the only thing that will sustain you through the inevitable moments of darkness and self doubt when you think you have no talent, the idea stinks and you'll never amount to anything worthwhile.