What is "writing script in English" to me, a Chinese Canadian, means?

Even though I live in Canada for more than a decade, not to mention I'm a big fan on a couple major crime TV series and Star Trek, never experience any Traditional Chinese belief (I am the third generation Christian, and yes, from Hong Kong...a long family story...let my dad tells you one day :-P). I'm also a big fan of Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Jakob Dylan. On the other hand, I'm the only Chinese on my team at work, I've friends from different ethical backgrounds, and I can say functional fouls in English!

However, English is NOT my first language.

(Yes, this fact surprised a script consultant who is going to read the latest draft of my script.)

Since Hong Kong was a British colony back when I was a kid and English is one of the official language (Please don't tell me it is not right now), I learned my ABC when I was in kindergarten. I was in a junior school that is operated by an American convert (while I was attending) and damn yes, it is so Western and "elegant". They taught almost everything in English (except Chinese and Social Science). Because I loved the English Literature and Chinese class back then, I developed the passion of creative writing (like I've said in the last entry).

But my first story was written in CHINESE (and don't ask me what it is about, 'cause I DON'T REMEMBER!). For a kid, it is normal to write in his/her mother-tongue. And I don't think I had written anything in English until Grade 11 (I was still in H.K. back then): our English teacher wanted us to write ANYTHING weekly. That was the time I first dropped down ideas in English.

Even when I first came to Canada, I still wrote stories in Chinese. I had even produced a small gospel drama while I was in the university.

It seems that I never thought of doing creative writing in English, and never thought of scriptwriting.

Until I wrote a simple spy-thriller (paying tribute to John Woo's "Once a Thief"), I finally had the idea of writing a movie script.

At that time, I started struggling in university.

Actually, I was struggling on everything: want to get more time to write, fed up with things I did not like, feeling I was at my limitation on studying.

Finally, I "crashed", I "hanged", "system halt".

I got time to stop...it is that time I wrote a Chinese novel...the one that transform me from amateur to somewhat professional on fiction writing.

Of course, I would like to write in Canada...i.e. make a living. Writing in Chinese would not bring me to this far. Therefore, I need to look into training on creative writing.

But the problem is: my first language is not English. My vocabulary is not enough. I may know the word, but use it plain.

This tells me: if you want to write in English, try to think in English--just like writing in Chinese!

Since I have limitation on writing novel, I think I should try to tell the story by picture and sound.

When I took screenwriting at the college, I was lazy to write something new. Therefore, I took the story I had been working for a couple year (and YES! The novel that transformed me!), wrote it in form of script as assignment for the class.

While I was doing that transition, I can see the difference of telling a story in English and in Chinese. Also, this gives me a chance to rewrite the story. Since I am using another language (not to mention different media) to retell story, it means that I need to spend more time to write the script.

Yup! I prepared the treatment and character documents of the script that I used for my assignment in the fall term. I started writing it during Christmas. When the winter term began, I had most of the assignment done (except the logline). And I'm the first one to hand in the first draft.

Syd Field stated in "Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting" that the average for people is writing up ten pages a day. However, it is "ten pages a week" for me. Because I will stumble on words and grammar, also the way to describe the scene.

For my first script(s), I have two drafts of the version I'm pitching and three drafts for the basic version. However, there is infinity of draft between draft number one and two!

I will use both languages to tell stories, because I can always have new perspective and rethinks on the stories.

Chances to tell a good story!