The Writing Week (Vol. 3) part 113 - Another Round of Rewrites

Patience is a virtue. Or at least a necessity. 

Last week, I had another conference call - this one regarding the most recent draft of my script that was delivered to the production company we're working with. Of course, I was hoping that the call would be to inform me I could quit my job and should fly out to LA instantly to ink a deal and begin taking other meetings. Needless to say, that wasn't the case. 

Unfortunately, after about 2 months of rewrites, I was sent back to the drawing board again. The exec at the production company liked a lot of what I'd done, but wanted to see a tonal shift. After relative flops like THE ROAD and BOOK OF ELI (in a year seemingly inundated with post-Apocalyptic movies), studios are weary and wary of more of the same. The production company we're working with is no different. They like the concept and what I'm trying to achieve, but in order to be more certain that the script will sell, they feel it needs to be more different, less bleak, and stand out from the crowd. No more ash covered forests. No more rusted cars slowly decomposing in the desert. No more mass hysteria causing people to flip out.

I've been asked to set my script apart from all the rest, which is not a bad thing. I don't think it will be the heart-pounding, loud explosion, chaotic adventure I initially set out to write, and that is also not necessarily a bad thing. Truth be told, I'm having a hard time remembering what it is I set out to write in the beginning (apart from a script that takes place in the world I'm still using). Therefore, the changes are not as frustratingly off-goal as they might be in other scenarios. If anything, the script could get better - i.e. smarter, stronger, more intriguing, and more classic. The intrigue and mystery might overshadow the violence and action, which is rare these days. 

Whatever the transformation might be, the fact is that the exec at the production company is still interested and excited, and that's what matters. It's not like we have a ton of other options or interested parties at the moment anyway, so as long as the working relationship is strong, we'll sally forth.