What I’ve been working on for the past 2 years…
Or checkout the ‘Hollywood Heist’ backlot.
Superbad (2007)
Image: Vanity Fair (from: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/08/superbad-oral-history)
I recently learned the difference between story and plot.
Example, Movie: SUPERBAD. Plot = Get beer for the party. Story = these 2 guys love each other and they're going to miss each other next year in college
It took me all of 2020 to write the plot of Hollywood Heist, muscling out a manuscript of how the job would go down. In the two years since I’ve hardly changed a beat. What I’ve been trying to figure out is why this is even a story. Who is this, Jenny Whittford (the main character) and why does she want what she wants?
I didn’t know in Jan-2020 there was a difference between story and plot. Plot involves a setting and a sequence of events. That’s what got me into this whole mess. (A heist! At a tech company!)
But story is about how we might act when we experience a specific trauma. And I think writing true means figuring that part out.
The unforeseen reason this is taking so long is this steady and steep learning curve of examining this character (why she wants what she wants) and learning just how much I didn’t know about craft. The Catch-22 is I haven’t found any other way to advance either (character or craft) without doing the krappy writing.
So when's it due out? I thought 2021, then I thought 2022. Would you believe me if I told you I still work on this book every single day? I guess It’ll be done when I finally have the story down (I seriously think I will be hitting send to my editor in the early months of 2023).
I’ve missed writing you guys every single Friday but I’ll never clog your inbox if I haven’t given it some thought. It felt like time to send up a signal flair to say I’m still here (not literally, I’ve moved across the country), I’m still working, I think I know what the story is and I’m very much looking forward to sharing.
Keep on keepin’ on my friends. I promise you we’re working and we’re going to have a celebration when it comes time to launch.
Much much love, your pal,
Charlie Kunken
--
Hollywood Heist Tracker (checkout the backlot here)
“Be not afraid of going slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
The ~84K Manuscript (Ch's 1-64)
10/27/2022: What is the Story? (Holy $h!t, has this really been almost 3 years)
12/23/2021: Chapter 18
12/16/2021: Chapter 17
12/9/2021: Chapter 16
--onto Act II !!--
12/2/2021: Chapter 15
11/25/2021: Chapters 14, 15 (Alpha reader (Nikki) is re-reviewing Act 1 based on edits from 1st rd of feedback)
11/18/2021: Chapters 12, 13
11/11/2021: Chapters 10, 11, 11b
11/4/2021: Chapters 8.5, 9
10/28/2021: Chapters 7, 8
10/21/2021: Chapters 5, 6
10/14/2021: Chapters 3,4 (Deleted Chapters 1 & 2) *hired Alpha reader (my wife)
10/7/2021: Chapters 14, 15
9/30/2021: Chapters: 9, 10, 11, 12, 13
9/23/2021: Chapters: 5, 6, 7, 8
9/16/2021: Chapters: 2b, 2c, 3, 4
9/9/2021: Chapters 1, 2
9/1/2021: Chapter 8
8/26/2021: Chapter 15
8/19/2021: Chapter 14
8/12/2021: Chapters 12,13
8/5/2021: Chapter 11
7/29/2021: Chapters 9,10
7/22/2021: Chapter 8
7/15/2021: Chapter 8
7/8/2021: Chapter 7
7/1/2021: Chapter 6
6/24/2021: Chapter 5
6/17/2021: Chapters 3,4
6/10/2021: Chapter 2c
6/3/2021: Chapters 2a, 2b
5/27/2021: Chapters 13, 14, 15 Line Edits
5/20/2021: Chapters 10, 11, 11b, 12 Line Edits - making sure the scenes turn
5/13/2021: Chapters 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Line Edits - scrubbing the act for psychic distance
5/6/2021: Chapter 14, 15, 2a, 2b, 2c Line Edits - Meet the team & back to the opening
4/29/2021: Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13 Line Edits - the Jeff meeting
4/22/2021: Chapter 8, 9 Line Edits - Jenny at Home, back at work
4/16/2021: Chapter 7 Line Edits - Jenny at the Cabaret
4/8/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I - working on line edits
4/1/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I - Finally have the structure of the opening chapters down.
3/25/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Act I
3/18/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - research, short bursts of edits, and relocating office
3/11/2021: up to 24,233 (Ch’s 1-15) - Big research week mining Blockbusters by Anita Elberse
3/4/2021; up to ~24,000 (Ch’s 1-15)
2/25/2021 up to 21,725 (Ch's 1-14)
2/18/2021: up to 17,703 (Ch's 1-11b)
2/11/2021: up to 13,384 (Ch's 1-10)
2/4/2021: up to 11,702 (Ch's 1-8)
1/28/2021: up to 6,414 (Ch's 1-6)
---[Editing Phase]---
1/21/2021: 83,613 Manuscript Complete
1/14/2021: 82,934
1/7/2021: 80,206
12/31/2020: 76,555
12/24/2020: 72,120
12/17/2020: 69,067
12/10/2020: 65,514
12/3/2020: 61,790
11/26/2020: 58,864
11/19/2020: 54,252
11/12/2020: 50,756
11/6/2020: 47,695
10/29/20: 42,097 (-250 in editing)
10/22/2020: 40,488 (-900 in editing)
10/15/2020: 38,327 (-887 in editing)
10/8/2020: 34,458
10/1/2020: 28.099
9/24/2020: 24,397
9/17/2020 19,167
9/10/2020 12,112
9/3/2020: 9,093
8/27/2020: 7,206
8/20/2020: 6.074
8/13/2020: 3,157
--reset, re-starting on draft 4---
8/7/2020: 0...
7/31/2020: forget the word tracker for now, alright?
7/24/2020: 11,373
7/17/2020: 11,373
7/10/2020: 11,373
7/3/2020: 7,955 words
Behind the scenes: charleskunken.com/hollywoodheistbacklot
Have some thoughts? Feel free to drop a comment or hit me up: charlie@charleskunken.com
Other Posts In The Hollywood Heist Series
Please judge.