Reginée

Consistency is key when it comes to pretty much everything because it can get you places. 

However, my version of consistency when it comes to writing is not egalitarian, but far more serious. 

I call it The Julian Agenda and as your soon to be favorite storyteller, I hope that you'll stand with me as push this agenda on the world.  

Updated on 11/10/2021:

Spoiler alert! I 've changed my mind on all of this. I'm still going to write both drama and comedy because I can do both and so I am going to do both. People may disagree with that and say pick one or the other but, no. I'm going to do both anyway, so there's no point in changing anything now. 

But please do continue on reading this post because it's heartwarming and such. 

---

After a bunch of years, because I don't really actually remember when I decided to be a screenwriter off hand, I've decided to 100% call myself a comedy writer. I am no longer straddling the line and saying I write both comedy and drama and will instead focus on comedy. 

Please clap. 

 

My initial draft of this post in my head was to have some flowery beginning talking about pivoting and new things and something else or another but I was so bored by the third line I just decided trash it and  get straight to the point on writing it on here. 

I'm throwing away most of what I initially wanted for this blog and starting (mostly) over. Things are changing around here, y'all!

 *Looks at the date of the last post*

*Smiles awkwardly at my audience*

Let's just ignore that small, insignificant detail and discuss more pressing details, shall we. 

A short update.

I've been incredibly fortunate during this pandemic to be able to write, meet new people virtually and take full advantage of the kindness that working writers taking time out to meet with emerging writers like myself. 

Writers hop on Twitter all the time dropping a lot of great advice for writing and navigating the business and life as a working writer in Hollywood, but the pandemic really opened the door to have conversations and readings with writers that wouldn't be possible otherwise because of production schedules. 

Of course I wrote ran through that door. Full speed. 

I'm not gonna hold y'all up. Just wanted to let y'all know what's new.

You read that post title correctly. Your soon to be favorite storyteller is now on YouTube. Quite honestly, I still can't believe it. But here I am. I also left a link on the sidebar because I'm thoughtful like that.

I'll be on YouTube providing advice and tips that have helped me so far in writing screenplays. I hope that my advice is able to help you or anyone else who comes across this blog or the channel with enough information and inspiration to write more efficiently and effectively. Sometimes, it can be a challenge to get warmed up and really start knocking out pages, so I hope that my advice helps you knock out pages more quickly when you sit down to write.

Screenwriting is a community effort. Seriously, no screenwriter truly ever writes alone. It is my sincere hope that this blog and the YouTube channel provides a supportive community to the writers that find it encourages them to continue to nurture their talents. I'm seriously thrilled to grow and learn with you.

Please drop by the channel and Like, Subscribe and Share with your fellow screenwriters.

It's quite crazy to see how drastically life has changed since the last time I wrote here.

We were happy to get out of 2019 and onto a brighter 2020. And so far, 2020 has been one avalanche after another. This is not what we had in mind, please hold the power button for 5 seconds to initiate a hard reset, Universe.

The Corona virus (or COVID-19) has impacted every aspect of life and it is very hard not to experience several emotions throughout the day as we try to cope with our new way of life. On social media, I've seen people say to take full advantage of the down time and work on forgotten projects, start new projects or pick up a new skill. I've also seen people say don't feel obligated to start, finish or learn anything new if you don't feel up to it because *gestures wildly at the world falling apart outside*.

Ahhhh yes. The first draft. Much is made about the first draft. It's the very necessary first step in perfecting a screenplay. And as we all know, getting to the point of even having a first draft is a task within itself.

Take a look around social media and other sites about writing and you find writers lamenting about how terrible the first draft is. Now can it be annoying as hell to get through the first draft as you make your way through the story in your head (or storyboard or index cards or the random pile of sticky notes around your computer) while a million more bright ideas pop up? Yes. Absolutely. In that, you truly have a friend in me.

However, I do not believe in creating a terrible first draft.

I know, I know. "Blasphemy!" you say. "But everybody else says--" Let me stop you right there and gently remind you to click the button below and so you can read my excellent reasoning for this controversial (maybe?) stance.

I don't say this to be a braggart or anything but I taught myself how to write screenplays. How? I started reading a highly recommended book (which I honestly don't remember the name of), got bored not even halfway through it and said "yeah, no. I'm over this shit" and started writing my story in Final Draft. I read other screenplays or the Reddit /r/screenwriting subreddit or whatever popped up first in Google for formatting guidelines. The renegade life has made me insanely more productive and less concerned about is what I'm writing good enough to just actually write the script. And another thing? It allowed me to find and establish my voice a hell of a lot faster.

Recently, I was asked "what should a good writer do?"

You mean besides, the usual advice of having to write everyday (which I don't subscribe to) and write truthfully and fearlessly?

Well...