C Drake Write

Before I get into what I got into, I’d like to address the elephant in the room. Am I probably going too far with how much research I do before even starting on a scene of script? Yeah. Did I do this much the first time? Nope. Did I want to? Kind of, but I was writing for a class instead of on my own time, so I had to just write.

That being said, I’m treating this excessive and unnecessary amount of research as practice; I’m learning what type of information I research will end up being useful or useless. Plus, I’m certainly no expert in Westerns, so I wouldn’t need to do as much if I were writing a comedy, or something about a college student or retail worker.

Now that I’ve rambled, let’s get into the first bits of research I did for Ink and Iron (title pending, obviously).

• The Central Plot
  • Having so much time to reflect on an unfinished script has its consequences. I had a big new idea for the central plot, in that instead of Rian being mystically transported to another realm in an accident, he instead works for a company that does something similar. Instead of Rian trying to find his way home (and deciding whether or not that remains central to the story), he has a clear goal and timetable.
• Problem 1 with the new Central Plot
  • This raises a series of new questions, one of which I spent a considerable amount of time thinking about: Should Rian be the fresh new hire or the 4-days-from-retirement-veteran? So I created a Pros and Cons list.

I’m leaning towards a young protagonist, more because that feels more in my realm as a writer, but further research could change my mind.

• The Antagonist
  • Still thinking about using the Pinkerton Detective Agency as a central antagonist, both because of my adoration for Red Dead Redemption 2 and because they can serve as a metaphor for certain things going in the the US today.
• The Setting
  • Here’s where the meat of my research was this time, and where it will be for the next time, most likely.
  • I want things to feel grounded and real, so I want to use a real moment in American History. That doesn’t mean the script has to focus on the Civil War if it happens in 1864.
    • The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly takes place during the Civil War, but it’s far from the focus of the movie. War-related plot points occur, of course, like the bridge scenes with Blondie and Tuco, or the gold they’re chasing being from a Confederate caravan. But both of those could feasibly happen during the Mexican-American War, or the gold + a smaller version of the bridge conflict happens during the California Gold Rush
  • I’m in the process of deciding between four states: New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, and Montana. I did a fair amount of research on Montana this time, as I felt it would be the most unique from typical Western associations.
    • In the 19th century, Montana was big on fur trading, cattle ranching, and mining industries. Any one of these are good targets for an antagonistic Pinkerton Agency to take over.
  • Based on the quick history I read, I figure the best timeframe for a Montana-based story would be somewhere between 1864 and 1887.
    • Montana is recognized as a state in 1864, and most conflicts with Native American tribes are *ahem* resolved by 1887.
    • If I want to use the Pinkertons as a primary antagonist, then this timeframe, and the military conflicts with Native Americans and Mexicans, provide a great reason the American Government would want some extra help in this specific region.

There’s a lot more research I want to do before I get cracking on the script itself. I don’t see myself doing this much work for EVERY script, but it’s fun to learn about American history while accomplishing some sort of progress in this whole process of mine.