Hey guys! I spent my Thanksgiving break writing thirty pages of a new series — which is a lot and it took two good-sized days. As I was writing, I had a few struggles and a few breakthroughs and I wanted to share with you how I powered through to get the season written.
I actually initially sat down to write a completely different show. I have a handful of ideas floating around with little snippets written of each. So when I parked myself in front of my computer on Friday, I wanted to bust out a sort of coming-of-age type series that has three great scenes but no cohesive narrative. I could not. For the life of me. Find the story. I brainstormed and sat and mapped out a thousand crappy ideas that were discarded before I decided to switch gears entirely.
Earlier last month, I was brought on to write a YouTube channel series. Production loved the pilot and we were set to move forward, but (as it happens in this industry) the company changed gears and I was left with a story and a pilot. To be honest, I didn’t LOVE my pilot and I didn’t LOVE the story; it’s not my typical type of narrative and I was okay having it on a back burner.
But! Because I was not getting anywhere with the other project, I flipped to this one — and it poured out. I mapped my season and wrote it in two days. So what do I know, right? I guess I did love it!
So – first rule of thumb: switch gears. Move on when you get stuck. Do something else (another project, watch a show, go on a walk…)
Next rule! Don’t let details hang you up. As I was outlining the series, some of the ‘detail’ questions started giving me pause. Would this character do this? How would she get out of it? That kind of stuff. I emailed a friend or two and asked for their thoughts, but before I even heard back… I kept writing. I figured it’s easy to change a detail and you can always rewrite.
Let me say that again. In shouts: YOU CAN ALWAYS REWRITE.
Okay. So! As I wrote, my character’s action (that I was so tentative about) grew on me. Lesson learned — trust your gut (until it can’t be trusted).
And finally, let it rest. It’s so tempting (for me) to go back through and clean up any problem area I thought I had created. But you really, really have to step away from it. I sent my draft to a few people (hi, mom) for some feedback, so until I hear from them… I’m taking a breather!
About Kate Hackett
Kate Hackett is an up and coming actress in Los Angeles, California, known for a quick wit and an ability to dig deep emotionally. She has been acting since she was four years old, all the way back in Maryland. She grew up doing musicals (she sings!) and other straight plays, but made the transition to film when she attended Boston University for college. Kate has worked on many independent films and commercials and has produced, edited, and written her own content. She is fully trained in the Stanislavski and Meisner techniques and has both studied and performed at UCB, Upright Citizen's Brigade, in Los Angeles and with Jackson's Onus, an awesome improv troupe. Kate loves dramatic acting, but is equally versed in comedy.