Sequential Scripts, Weekend Writs

Spent the weekend writing some more stuff for A VIEW OF THE MOUNTAIN. Quite a lot of stuff actually. I've been reading through a paper on de-development (the collapse of empires on the western world) and including some of the ideas into the script. The idea is to create not only a solida basis for the story's society but also a platform for potential solutions that will come forth as part of the Monk's teachings to the King.
I'm still not finished with it but I know that probably most of what I've written will never end up in a script. But just creating a more recognisable society, a more defined framework within which to move the characters is already important enough. At least for this story. And, in any case, I can always use up some of the key ideas in other stories. There are a few that touch on those points anyway.

I also wrote captions and dialogue for a full (?) issue of The WEIRD MACHINE. And some odd bits. Mainly ideas, directions. Stuff that I could only write synopsis but not really come alive just there and then. I've learned that some stuff needs to be in the back burner for a while. And when it's ready, you'll hear it ring...

Also wrote the opening sequence and a few other bits for an idea that I had a little while ago. A comic about music and what it brings up inside. But I don't really want to talk about this because it's not only quite a personal thing but also something that I will only share when it's completed or secured in some way. All I can say is that I think this could be an amazing project and I'm quite sure it would be successful. Really enjoyed the writing as it was coming out, flowing so easily through the character and into the screen (this one I was typing it directly - which is something I don't do that often - I prefer to write on paper (comics wise) and then already do a semblance of a revision as I write it down on my pc at home), I felt the momentum going, which, to me, is one of the most important things tp be felt whilst writing. It's the momentum that keeps the writing going even when there's no "inspiration" or will power. The momentum sustains the story.

Read a bit of Joana Bertholo's new book: DIALOGOS PARA O FIM DO MUNDO which I'm (slowly...) helping her revise. It's a powerful book and filled with lots of brain candy and provocative ideas. To my mind it's as demanding as it is rewarding. Her writing has a beautiful way of capturing the subtleties of the portuguese language and of revealing our inner connundrums and intricacies. It tells the tale of an Ukranian family, the Kozak, on their quest for that mysterious country, Brazil, to where Father Kozak disappeared once upon a time, leaving behind a promise of a better life, an escape from poverty. In a way it's a book about the many things riddling our existence. A book about existence itself. A book about many books...

Yesterday, while cycling home, had an idea for a short comic and proceeded to actually write the whole thing as soon as I got home. It took me about 2 and a half hours to write 12 pages of comic! I was really surprised! Obviously the ideas changed a bit since their inception but I never assumed it was going to take that long! It's called PARALLEL LIVES.
In any case it's more of an exercise than anything else. It's the story of two guys, one with a mobile phone and another with a flashlight whose worlds end up clashing. It's a short thriller. In any case the idea was to have the points of view alternating between one and the other through the comic. I think I managed to pull it off. The ending was the most difficult, after the characters separate once again. It has no captions or dialogue and there's only a couple of panels where some text shows up. Hopefully the story still comes across crystal clear and creates a reaction.

Today I'm reviewing a theatre play (DOUBLE SIDED) I wrote in Portuguese for a competition (I have to send it by the 15th this month). Just rephrasing a few things. Realised that I'm still not that happy about the whole thing. It has some really good moments (it's good to find out that some of the stuff you had in mind actually did the trick for you at some point down the line...) but I still don't see it as being cohesive. Then again, if I get selected I'll have plenty of oportunities to work on the structure and I'm sure the actors will have more suggestions than I'll possibly be able to handle...

Also finished reading KING by Ho Che Anderson, an amazing comics biography of the life and times of Martin Luther King. Visually it's quite daring and the script really is intense. Ho Che Anderson manages to shift gracefully from in depth political debate to human drama. And, more often than not, seamlessly entwines both. Like my good friend's book, it may not be an easy read, but the plentiful rewards are there for the taking...