Karan Dholakia. Writer.

I'm Karan Dholakia. This is my blog. I'll be posting occasional thoughts from this mind of mine which will often include sentiments about comic books, films & wrestling. Follow @MovievilleKazed !function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');

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Tips for Overcoming Writer’s Block

"It's pretty common", "it happens to everyone", "it's okay, you'll get it next time", "this has never happened before" - all common sayings when talking about writer's block. You're right at the beginning of your creative process and you're trying to figure out how to start. But you can't, the walls inside your brain have come up and you can't think. 

That's cool. It does happen to everyone at some point, it is common, and it absolutely is okay. It's knowing how to overcome these moments and getting on with it. I'll talk about a few tips that have helped me when I hit these barriers.

Change Your Location

This one was a saviour. Think about where you currently write. Is it at home? Where you work? These two places are linked with comfort and work, respectively. The idea here is to remove yourself from a place where your brain will associate with comfort or work. Grab your notebook or laptop and go to a quiet cafe, park bench, anywhere you're not in familiar surroundings. Putting yourself in this environment automatically tells your brain to stfu and work. You're not in a place of familiarity, so the level of comfort has greatly reduced, nor are you in an area of work, so your mind should be in a good 'in-between' zone. Now you can work.

Keep a Notebook With You

This one's a no brainer. Inspiration can literally stroke at any second. You want to be able to remember this. Carrying a journal or notebook with you will allow you to record your thoughts, make notes, write down observations, anything. I have pages and pages of random thoughts and story ideas in a bunch of journals that have found their way into my scripts/stories. It's inexpensive, and is a good way of keeping a record of how your ideas have developed over time.

Eat Healthier

Now this one is a little random, but is one that significantly changed the way I approach writing. It should be common knowledge that your diet is linked to your mood. So many times I have eaten horrible food that have just left me feeling ridiculously lethargic and in a negative mindset. Introduce a little healthy into the diet and things improved greatly. I'm not going to write up a diet plan here, but it's really common sense; remove the processed stuff, eat more whole foods, h20, that kind of thing.

That's it, For Now. Now Write!

There are a whole host of things you can do to improve your writing habits, I'll be posting more as time goes on. I'm not completely there yet, I get the block all the time, but these three things are huge contributing factors to making me write. Let me know how you get on! Drop me a line on my Twitter (@MovievilleKazed) or you can email me ([email protected]) I really want to know how people respond to this! 

 Karan

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So This is My Idea.

The script I wrote last year? While I still maintain that it would make a pretty cool film, and maybe I'd still like to do that, it would provide an amazing basis for a novel. I have the outline, I have the characters, dialogue, settings, all I need is a lot of fleshing and structuring to make it long enough to be a novel. This is quite possibly the most viable option for the script, so why not? Short post, but needed to write something. K

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Life: A Novelisation: Writing a Book

I've noticed an ongoing pattern with the blog posts I've been writing. The last few have been these fairly deep, somewhat 'insightful' piece that have come about as a result of some kind of inspiration. This is a good thing, no? Probably. I've been reading a lot more recently, and I don't just mean books. I mean reading articles, but articles that are beyond 140 characters. My last post highlighted a piece of work that I was particularly fond of, a piece that was particularly inspiring for me and most probably thousands of others. Blahblahblah, digression. So I've been reading a lot more and it's been inspiring me to write a lot more. At the moment I have probably seven or eight ideas right now, but only one of them I'm able to execute because I know where I'm going with it. The other seven are introductions to a story. Ideas are good, ideas are always good. It's possible to write a book based on an idea, right? Build the rest of the bridge while you're standing on it and all that? One idea I've been having is writing about conversations with my parents. Whether this is a blog idea or a book idea, I haven't decided. This idea can swirl around in my brain a little. See where that goes. I'm also getting married. I feel like I haven't shared this. Yeah. I'm on a lunch break. Not anymore. Back to work!

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Perseverance and the payoff.

I've spoken about doing work for 'free' and volunteering before on this blog, and it's for good reason. Aside from it's minute altruistic rewards, the experience gained is invaluable and, at least for me was a tremendous driving factor. Here's a little something for you to think on: You're getting paid to do something that you tolerate - not like - tolerate, and this particular job wasn't your ideal situation, but you did it for the money. Let's take away the money from the situation- would you still do it? Let's forget for a moment that maybe finance are the primary driving factor for many people in our generation. Just forget that. Yeah? Forgotten? Okay. So money doesn't matter, so what does? I was asked, "What do you want to do?" To this I responded, "I want to watch films for the rest of my life" Logical implications aside, this was a very 'in the moment' answer without any rational reasoning, just impulse thinking. My next thought was something I did on a daily basis - write. I could write for the rest of my life and I'd be happy, think of the thousands of things one could do - write. Write because it's the only thing I do that I can't/won't get bored of. I was shown an article the other day, written by a talented young writer named Marina Keegan. The article she had written was a truly inspirational piece, and it changed certain views I had on certain things in my life at the time. To those who feel they have no direction, with (what feels like) no purpose in life, I assure you, you do. We all do, it really is a case of finding that purpose. Recently, the internship I was doing at Anicca turned into a full-time position, largely due to the fact that I was putting the work in. Don't think it below you to do voluntary work, the experience you gain will be amongst the most powerful weapon in your arsenal, as I have found out. Although I have a long way to go in terms of where I want to be, I have a good start. It's not the end. I'm still in the foreword. Karan

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Far Cry 3 and the importance of writing in games.

Games are an amazing medium for expression. It's odd to think about. For many of us, when we think of video games we rarely think about the story, the writing, what the game is really about. It's probably about how good the graphics are, or whether the mechanics are fun to play, or whatever. There will be spoilers in this post. Far Cry 3 is one example of where the writing will trump the graphics and gameplay. First, let's look at FC3 for what it is on the surface. It's an open-world Action/Adventure fps that is, quite frankly a pretty good game, but nothing that we haven't seen before. It's a game, you kill people, you earn stuff, you have to complete a number of missions, the end. Okay, now let's go further into this. If you really look at it, FC3 really looks at misogyny in both past and present 'hero' culture, as well as the classic clichés cinema has desensitised us to and we've come to accept, for the most part, as the norm. The player takes on the role as Jason Brody, a 20-something from Los Angeles, who's on a holiday with all his friends who are all very common archetypal characters. This isn't a bad thing, it only fuels the story and adds authenticity to it's cinematical disposition. Jason and his friends get into a lot of trouble and it's up to Jason to save them. Sounds like a relatively simplistic story. And it is, really, but it's not the story that we're looking at here, it's the way in which the story is presented to us. We're presented with a number of quotes from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, which epitomises Jason's journey through the game and perfectly represents what we, the audience see through Jason's eyes. When the player reaches the end of the game, they're presented with choices; to save your friends and leave the jungle or you can abandon them and live alongside Citra, a beautiful, pretty much self-appointed princess of the trees. Choose to stay in the jungle and Jason's friends are killed, and he then proceeds to engage in coitus with Citra, but is then subsequently killed, having fulfilled his purpose as sperm donor. I love it. It's a kick in the balls to Jason and the hero-complex culture as a whole. It's saying, "you want to save the beautiful girl? You want to be rewarded for being a big, strong man? f*** you, you misogynistic pig." It's a wonderful reminder that even though you may think you had taken the noble choice by 'saving' Citra, you screwed your friends and yourself by trying to indulge in your self-gratifying ways. Far Cry 3, to me, although a very simplistic first-person shooter with generic mechanics and a fairly straightforward mission-structure, has a story which is compelling as hell and I find myself revisiting from time to time. "Do you want to know what the definition of insanity is...? - Vaas

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Freelancing stuff

I've been given the opportunity to carry out some freelance work. So far so good, because it keeps coming, and hopefully it'll keep on coming if I do well. Last week, I took part in a 5 day SEO Bootcamp for a digital agency in Leicester called Anicca. It was a pretty cool week, and taught me a crapload about SEO and such. How to optimise my site, keyword research and all that SEO-y stuff. Sounds like I'm almost selling it. I did learn a bunch though. Funnily enough, it's also this company I'm interning at, which means opportunity for me. Experience = jobs, right? Sure, up to a point, anyway. Freelancing gigs I've been writing up content for various sites who need content writing for their sites. Pretty simple. It just means I can write and get paid for it rather than "hey man, here's some work, spend a few hours on it and get paid in monopoly money". Feels good having something tangible for my efforts. Don't get me wrong though - it's not about the money, but when money IS involved in this equation it totally makes it all worth it. That's all for now. Must freelance. Karan.

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The difficulties of progression.

What is it that prevents people from doing things they love? Is it security? Comfort? The feeling that they may slip out of their safety net? These questions plague people on a daily basis, and there's only one solution; to get off that seat/bed/beanbag and do something to change this. Every day I hear friends complaining about their positions in their lives, and whether they're ever going to get out of the rut they're in. Hell, I'm guilty of that myself, thinking and thinking about where I'll end up, whether life just stops at a certain point. The issue here is that everybody wants something, but nobody wants to work for it. Nothing will fall into your lap if you're not there to grab it. You have to stand up, pull it over your knee and spank the crap out of it until you're at a point where you can say, "shit yes. THIS is what I want." A really weird, maybe crass way of looking at things, but I feel the need to provide a sense of reassurance for people who have been, or are in the position where they feel they're never going to get anywhere in life. To that I say, get up, and find your purpose. Karan.

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Rewriting, Interning, Advice.

Rewriting this script is an exciting task, no doubt. Initially, when I first wrote it, I based it on a slightly different story, and as I wrote the script, the story changed. So, now what I really need to do is write a story I can refer to, use as a reference while I rewrite. I managed to get an internship at an online magazine, writing articles about film. Sweet. One step at a time, right? Formal experience is always good news. Development as a writer and writing stuff I actually want to write about. Some advice for those looking to get into work they actually WANT to do; look for internships, volunteer stuff. You gotta start somewhere, show you're able to work in a professional environment and it'll be recognised. Karan

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Writing because I do. Or can?

Previously, I had wrote a rather lengthy post about why I write and how much I love doing it. Then it was gone. All gone. The irony here was that by the end of it I absolutely hated it. Why Tumblr? Why would you not autosave my drafts? Why must you torment me with your preposterous(Lol. Posterous.) and nonsensical technologies? No matter. I'll write another post. maybe this time I'll keep copy and pasting this stuff so I know it's on the clipboard. Why do I love to write? Where else can one conjure up stories and characters, heroes and villains and place them all within a universe which is only affected by the laws set by me and my pen? It's an outlet for my creativity. For my thoughts, imagination and stories to reside. Why wouldn't I write? It seems silly not to. Word of the second: Ostensibly - as in, this post doesn't really have a point, but Karan wanted to use the word Ostensibly in a sentence but couldn't find a practical use so he made one up. Karan. P.S. Better have read this Baba.

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Why Starbucks?

Often times you'll see people sitting in Starbucks with their laptop devices, seemingly creating pieces of art or something equally as prodigious. Fact is, some people just come to actually do work. Why is this? Okay, let's look at it this way. At home, sure, you're able to get a certain amount of something done, no problem. But why not physically take yourself away from your place of comfort and try being somewhere where you're in a populated area, not surrounded by home distractions or your fluffy adorable cats? Put yourself in an unfamiliar surrounding so you can stick your face into your laptop, shove on some headphones and drown yourself out so you can write, bitch. I currently write this from a Starbucks. This is me writing. See? it works. Rewrites are going well. I have now ceased this and now I pursue another project. I do enjoy this. K

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Rewrites commence.

I'd say I've left the script for long enough so it disappears from my mind. Time to revisit and see what exactly needs fixing. Having left Facebook for close to a month showed me exactly how much of a huge procrastination tool it is. I had a chance to start work on a book idea, watch films, write more and start another book idea. So with the rewrites, the aim is to make the conversation more natural, cut out the pristine, 'flowing' conversation and make it sound real, like an organic conversation. Should be fun. On another note, watching 'Californication' kinda helps the drive to write. On with the rewrites! K

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90 Minute Feature Complete!

I've just finished the first draft of my first full feature. Can't tell you how happy i am. Most probably one of the biggest achievements of my life. A lot of hard work went into it, but it's just starting. Time for the next 50 or more rewrites, redrafting, then submissions. This is a proud moment for me. Very proud. K.

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Huge progress on the script!

Ahaaa!!! This excites me, like a lot. So I've been going at the script for a while, and I've gotten through a fair amount. I'm almost halfway through, which means I'll be done by the time I head on home in early January. This is gonna be a huge step, and a big accomplishment. Writing a feature-length flick is an exciting concept, and it's the first of many. 90 pages doesn't seem like a lot once there's a story in place. Tip for the future. I'll keep you updated.

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Meeting a fellow writer on the plane + outline COMPLETE.

On the way to the US, I was sat between two people; one, lovely Englishman who was apparently offended by my sniffing. He "couldn't take it", and thought "it was selfish of me to sit on the plane without any tissues". Well, good sir, I DID have tissues, but I'm afraid I had used them all up. Did you ever think that maybe I WANTED to annoy you? What a douche. Anyhoozit, on my other side, was a lovely lady by the name of Lisa Bonaccorso, who had just submitted her first script to the London International Filmmaker Festival and won! We ended up talking about writing, and some of the stuff she experienced while she was over in the UK. She gave me some invaluable advice, and I guess it paid off, I wrote the outline of my story, and now it's time to start work on the script. Check out Lisa's site here: May October Pictures K

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Ozymandias.

I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desart. Near them, on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed: And on the pedestal these words appear: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. - Percy Bysshe Shelley So this poem caught my attention from the teaser for the Breaking Bad episode of the same name. Using this poem for BB is a perfect fit. The episode aptly named 'Ozymandias' reflects the poem so perfectly; Walter's empire is crumbling ever so fast right in front of his eyes. Everything he has worked for the past few seasons is disappearing. Slipping away, and there's nothing he can do. His incessant boastful attitude in regards to how he had built his Empire came to bite him in the proverbial ass. This is the idea that really intrigues me. It's the idea that a man can work ever so hard at something, no matter how much thought is put into it, it can all disappear because of one small mistake. The idea that no man is omniscient. No man is infinite. But what if there was? Let's work on that. K

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This is awesome. Listening to this provides a bit of vision as to how some of the work could look. Just completely went crazy typing. Wrote a synopsis for an amazing trailer. What is it? Ahhhh now that would be telling. Should do this more often. This particular track is crazy. On it.

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Revisiting projects

About a year ago I started work on a project titled 'Leaving Earth', and from this spawned like a 'viral' video type dealie. I made this:

Thought it came out pretty cool, and the concept worked so well too. The inspiration for this came from a piece of music from the Mass Effect 3 score. This:

That gets me EVERY time. It's so eerie, so frightening, but it maybe it only works in context. Still a beautiful piece of music. So this story needs more development, gonna work on that.