9 The Writer's Blueprint SO MUCH FOR the theory and the discussion of screenwriting tech- nique. The time has come to start putting it all together. Where I grew up there was a colloquialism which translates as: `Time to stop chatting, roll up your sleeves, and get your hands dirty.' I have purposely skipped over formatting and typing rules. These are discussed thoroughly in Chapter 16. Many writers get to this point and then actually fail to write because they are afraid that their lack of know- ledge about the finer points of formatting will interfere with their creative process. I get calls all the time from talented writers who want to chat. After I discern that they are healthy physically and mentally, I ask them how their latest script project is going. They always hesitate, draw a deep