Screenwriting Ideas | The Athletic Nerd

New Ideas vs Finishing Your Screenplay

What happens when you are writing a story you love and you come up with a new killer idea?

I’ve been writing a feature script for a few months now. It’s based on an idea I came up with nearly 5 years ago while I was in college.

When I began to seriously develop the screenplay in December, I was so excited to finally see the story on the page. Fast-forward a few months and I’m nearly 70 pages deep and I’m still loving it.

There’s nothing like a story you enjoy working on.

However…

I came up with a new idea a few weeks ago and I think it’s one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever come up with.

Until recently, I thought it would make an interesting movie but last week I had a breakthrough and the story exploded.

Allow me to tell you a personal story:

I’m at home watching television before heading to work. I’m thinking about this new story and some of the characters I want to be involved when it hits me… An idea that ties everything together. Suddenly, I jump out of my chair and run straight for my computer to write it all down. An hour or so later, I’ve got a short outline of the story and I’m beyond pumped about it. But…

Which one do I work on?

I find myself torn between a story I love and a new idea I’m excited about.

On the one hand, I’ve got a story I’ve been working on for years. It’s a story I can’t wait to finish and therefore, I want nothing more than to push towards the finish line.

On the other hand, should I sit on a new idea that I consider to be one of my best concepts? (It’s a unique take on the superhero genre by the way)

It occurred to me that maybe sitting on a story too long is the reason why I’m still working on my current screenplay. Do I risk delaying the project when it is constantly on my mind? Should you seize the moment when it smacks you me in the face?

Can I honestly abandon my current project for a while and risk losing interest completely? Will I lose interest in the new idea if I don’t pursue it?

It’s a tough call.

There is a positive in all of this though. As a writer, I’m used to ideas drying up from time to time. It happens to everyone. So being torn between two good ideas is a pretty great place to be.

The other advantage I have is my current script is nearly completed and most of the details are worked out.

What to do?

Clearly I’m excited about my new story. I’m also just as excited to finally finish a journey I started 5 years ago.

So, I’ll be using the new story as a reward for completing my screenplay. Having another script to look forward to is an inspiring way to help drive you towards your writing goals.

Either way, I’ve got a lot of development and screenwriting in my future.

I’m pretty happy about that.

The Creative Ignition: Basketball

November 12th, 2009 | Posted by jasonmckinnon in Filmmaking | Screenwriting - (0 Comments)

Earlier, I posted an article called Self Branding.

In Part 2, I included an image I illustrated in photoshop that featured my old basketball net. I’ve zoomed in so you can see it a little better.

The Creative Ignition

That net will always be extremely special to me. Growing up, basketball dominated most of my time. I love to play. The day my parents put a basketball court in the backyard was literally one of the most influential days of my life. (Rivaled only by their decision to put in a pool a few years later. My parents kick ass.)

Influential is a pretty strong word to use but I completely believe that. I spent THOUSANDS of hours out there by myself playing ball. Somewhere during that never ending game, the court became my sanctuary. My private place to think. Any time I had a problem, I would grab my basketball and shoot around for an hour or so. I could always think clearly when I was out there. As I began to write more and more, I would use my time on the court to work out stories in my head. Eventually, I started bringing a notepad with me. Before I knew it, I would be sitting on the picnic table writing until it was too dark to see. To this day, those notebooks are close at all times. I read them often.

It’s another example of how sports fueled creativity in me. Playing sports inspired me to write, writing keeps me motivated to compete. It all happened on a gravel basketball court long ago. I decided to become a writer and a filmmaker on that court. It also made me a pretty good basketball player. Dear Mom and Dad… Good call.