Duct Tape Solutions and Light Bulb Moments

My father is of the belief that anything can be fixed with duct tape. He has spent his life putting action behind that notion. Has this love of the duct tape solution affected yet another generation?

Wednesday I went to bed with the satisfaction of knowing that I had 68 rewritten pages. Then I came to the horrible awareness of how I had fixed them. I had tied up the loose ends. I had strengthened my story. I had improved the characters. But, I had done it with duct tape.

I had been struggling with aspects of the story that just would not work. I tried and I tried. Finally, I brought out the duct tape and forced them to stick. There were characters that I tried to mold. I bent them and beat them. They would not arc. Finally, I just taped them up.

I thought that I had figured it all out, but I hadn't.

Then Thursday I had a light bulb moment. It was one of those moments when everything becomes clear. I had an idea so fitting that I couldn't believe that I hadn't thought of it before. It doesn't tie up the loose ends. It weaves them into the pattern.

I now find myself back almost at square one. I will be starting to re-write yet again. But, I am not discouraged. I don't care if I rewrite this screenplay 10 times. I care about getting it right.

"There is no great writing, only great rewriting."
Justice Brandeis