"The Jinx Project" - Writing the Story - Part 1

"The Jinx Project" - Writing The Story: Part 1

Several years ago when I first planned out "The Jinx Project" over the Christmas holidays, I began writing small sections of the script. At the time, I only focussed on some of the key moments... writing a couple paragraphs-worth at a time. I have always intended the story to be told in rhyme, so that's how I wrote down my ideas.

I wrote on paper, and kept these random moments in a 'production journal' along with the rough sketches of my characters and other ideas. I suppose it was a good thing I was somewhat organized at the time, as it made it easier to return to the project after a hiatus of a couple years.

At the beginning of 2009, I was back on track with the script... literally... as I was writing it on the train every day to work. (my first Blog-Pun!)  I was finding that my ideas were still somewhat random, and I needed to focus on the complete story, to make sure I would acheive the emotional impact and key plot points, while still taking the audience on a memorable journey.

So, I stopped writing like a Poet, and started writing like a Director.

With this approach, I was able to take what I had in my mind, including all the camera direction, character's visual expressions, and their thoughts, and put it down point for point, in a way that told the story completely. It was similar to how screenplays are written... including the staging and acting I intended for the characters.

After about a week of writing it all down... a couple hours each day, I had a complete story, in point form, that worked. Every moment was there, and I felt the characters were fully developed as well.

With my ideas written as a guideline, and the story now much clearer in my mind, I began re-telling the story...writing it entirely in sets of Rhyming Couplets...

Read the Next Part of this "Story Commentary" by Following This Link... 

Thanks for reading!

Mike Hogue