Dispatch From The Quest: Miranda Sajdak
Over the course of the 24 weeks I am working with the writers in The Quest, each will write a weekly dispatch to share with the GITS community. There are several reasons for doing this, the main one educational: Hopefully you will learn something of value for your own understanding of the craft from the experiences of the Questers. I should also add they are a great group of people, so I expect you will enjoy getting to know them.
Today: Miranda on scene-writing… and finding a good accountant:
Sandy’s back! And, quite frankly, I couldn’t be happier. It’s always good to have that extra burst of energy when your co-worker/writing partner returns from vacation. This week in our Quest adventures, we’ve been exploring scenes — structure, themes, and how to really explore character through scene building. This week actually feels like something of a respite from the last, as scene construction, while a vital piece of screenwriting, isn’t as much of a struggle for me as dialogue. I’ve found over this journey that I’m starting to analogize our exercises to our daily lives. To wit: while exploring scene structure in The Quest, Sandy and I went off on a separate quest of our own — to find a good accountant. Though this may seem unrelated, it actually resonated directly with our scene-building exercises. We found that, through the course of a single conversation, we not only had to get to know the character (accountant) in question, but also determine how he might be able to guide our lives — or, you know, that whole “move the plot forward” thing. We found ourselves commenting later on a lot of the areas that this week explored — whether his ideas resonated with us on a personal level, whether they felt (thematically) linked to our company’s journey, and how to proceed (move our own story forward). As with each of the scenes we wrote this week, there were elements present in the discussion with each other that extended beyond the reach of the room we were in. Recognizing ways in which you are the protagonist in your own life can be daunting, but also can help solidify some of the meaning behind the exercises we’ve been doing. While screenwriting is certainly not directly synonymous with reality (and probably shouldn’t be), I found the exercises this week were illuminating both for my real life and for that of my characters.
When we hear this description — The Writer’s Life — I’m assuming most of us have a pretty narrow understanding of it. Probably some image of us seated at our desk, peering off into space, contemplating our story. Maybe shuffling along in a walk outside, pondering the story further. Occasionally waving away loved ones as we pound out a crucial scene.
But that’s more about writer. What about life?
Miranda points out it can extend even to something as mundane as interviewing an accountant.
Think about that.
Interviewing. An. Accountant.
Yet Miranda and Sandy found the writer’s life in that office. They learned something about the craft there.
There’s a lesson there for us.
The Writer’s Life… is everywhere!
Tomorrow: Another Dispatch From The Quest.
About Miranda: New Englander turned Angeleno by way of New York. Enjoys: high-powered action films, dark dramas, and ’90s legal thrillers. Does not enjoy: the dentist. Mushrooms. @ScriptChix.
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