Day 174: The Script is Complete. . .For Now

I have finished what I hope to be the last rewrites on the script Come Ups. This is, of course, every screenwriter’s folly. Whenever you think it’s done, another round of rewrites pops up, and you find yourself thinking, ‘Why didn’t I think of that before?'

Additions to the script include a new car chase with Tyler and a complete rewrite of the first confrontation between Shep and Reydel. This last section was a tough one for me. The original scene worked incredibly well and there was a lot of action, shooting and fighting. The dynamics of the scene had shifted considerably though with the addition of other scenes, most notably Shep meeting Reggie at the bar. Yes, Reggie has resurfaced. She’s still Shep’s love interest, but has been reduced to this one scene. I did go back and make reference to her in several earlier scenes to set her up, but there was no way to make her a more integral part of the story as presently constructed.

The scene is less about the love aspect of Shep’s life but rather a way to see Shep being tempted by the money and the possibilities that could be if he gave in to those temptations. When Tyler makes the call asking for Shep’s help, he rejects the temptation to run and rides to the rescue.

The third act is pretty much non-stop action and should quell my readers desire for things to kick into gear. The question remains, though, does the action start to late? Only a full read will answer that. It’s time to send the script out for feedback. I have sent copies to some trusted associates. If all goes well there, I’ll take the next step and get some coverage.