by Shelton Bumgarner
@bumgarls
My first attempt to write a novel was a bust. Or, more accurately, my first serious attempt to write a novel was a bust. I tried to write a novel about my time in Seoul about a decade ago, but that was more of an angry rant than a novel.
Anyway, about a year ago, I was working on a scifi novel and stopped. I stopped because it was all conceit. I struggled to figure out any type of character-driven plot arc. It was all premise. It’s taken me some time to think about it and I realize the entire idea was simply misguided. I was trying to tell a very personal story that was so contrived as to be unusable.
I struggled with the novel’s development for maybe three or four months before I gave up for the novel I’m working on now. Things are going much, much, much better this novel. I’m quite pleased with it, in fact.
Before I stopped working on the scifi novel, I posted the first act scene summary. When it began to get an alarming number of hits, I deleted it out of an abundance of caution. It seemed as though I may have given away the secret sauce and I did not want to give hacks any more help than I might otherwise do.
Strangely enough, people keep looking for the page with that scene summary. I honestly don’t understand what’s going on. I thought maybe a link to it was posted on a Google+ screenwriting group, but Google+ doesn’t even exist anymore and people still keep looking for it. The way they come to it seems to indicate it was via email or maybe a website.
All I know is given what I know about storytelling now after working on this latest novel, I honestly don’t know what anyone could get from the scene summary. It’s an interesting conceit, but doesn’t go anywhere. I guess if you are completely devoid of any actual creativity if you see something produced by someone who does who see it as an opportunity to produce hack work. Even if what the creative person produced isn’t even fully developed.
I fucking hate hacks. Especially parasite hacks who aren’t creative enough to think up their own universe. I guess I have to be prepared for someone to successful write a screenplay based on what I posted. In a way it would be both flattering and frustrating. It would be flattering because someone with the resources believed in the project after I stopped working on it. It would be frustrating because I’m unlikely to get any credit for it if it does happen.
Generally everyone is hateful in my experience, especially in showbiz.
I guess the best I can hope for is someone might notice the the similarities between my post and whatever Hollywood blockbuster it inspires.
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