How Does it Work?

Sometimes the creative process amazes me. Last night I sat down to write a montage sequence in my script. I had a general idea of what I wanted to accomplish with no real idea of how it was all going to work. So I sit down and start writing the only part I could see which was the very beginning. So as I’m writing, it just starts to come, and I find the device I want to use throughout the sequence. Before I know it, it's finished.

Now I’m not saying it's particularly inspired or anything, but sometimes it amazes me how things come to be, how something seems to spring from nothing and how during the act of merely doing, your mind presents solutions to problems practically on demand. I mean I know the mind works on things subconsciously, but it was interesting to see it all play out in the matter of an hour.

A few days ago I was hitting the Act II finale* and I’m looking to Act III dreading it because I’ve been unhappy with it. It’s one of those things where you read it and you know its gunked up, but you have no idea what the solution might be. I decided not to fret over it, hoping a solution would present itself. If not, I’d just write what I had, and hope that would jar something loose. Well, just prior to finishing Act II, the idea hit me and things kind of fell into place right when I needed them to.

I don’t know if it is THE answer, but it is the answer I need for this particular draft. I’m sure all writers have similar stories, I’m just sitting back and saying “Dude. That’s cool,” taking a little time to marvel at this thing we call a mind.


*It involves large men, a leather ball, and a lot of cursing.