I need a bigger desk. I need a desk like Megadesk from the Office. Only without all the paper and printing sales stuff.
Also, my desk chair is broken. It was already pretty crappy to begin with, but now the seat is nearly detached from the base. One screw keeps it in place. One out of four. So the seat swings around all the time and gets unbalanced and sometimes I almost fall off. It's ok. It's a reason to go to IKEA and run around pretending I have a house with two kitchens.
I finished restructuring Keys to the Garden. It still seems completely lopsided, but I don't think I was as detailed with the new beats as I was with the old, so notecarding did not give an accurate portrayal of act breakdowns. I guess I'll just have to write it and see. This is the messy part, but I'll be relieved to actually get to some WRITING in this rewriting process.
I updated my calender of competitions yesterday. Man, are there a lot. I also printed out my Bones spec, but I'm trying to think of another spec to write for competition season. Too many projects. Keys to the Garden, rom com, TV pilot, Bones Spec, secret writing project, doodling novel idea. Someone once gave the advice to always be working on more than one project at once. You'll be more productive. If you have to choose between writing and doing nothing, you'll do nothing. But if you have to choose between writing one project or another, you'll at least get something done.
My dream job opened up. They put out job postings for HBO's Game of Thrones. In Ireland. Stupid work visas (and general lack of experience). I'm applying anyway.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
And the Oscar goes to...
Saturday may have been the first day in my 90 days of writing that I didn't do *anything.* Usually, no matter how busy or tired I am, I make sure I do something, even if it's just banging out one sentence. However, I don't feel guilty about missing Day 21. We had wind, rain, floods, near hurricane conditions, and I was driving most of the day. I've never seen such severe flooding. FOUR trees fell on my neighbor's property. Even though the rains have stopped, we're still feeling it. Many people don't have power. We're not allowed to drink our water. Many schools were canceled because of the water problem. I'm so grateful to all the technicians and emergency workers who've been taking care of us all weekend. And there's supposed to be sunshine tomorrow.
Liza asked my thoughts on Kathryn Bigelow winning Best Director this year. I'm thrilled a woman finally won Best Director. Bigelow is only the fourth woman to even be nominated for the award. Now I have more of an incentive to watch The Hurt Locker.
However, I said I'd look for someone who could state my opinion better than myself, and Sarah Fain did a pretty good job. Fantastic that a woman won the Best Director award, but honestly, I don't think it's going to break any great ground for female directors everywhere. Hollywood is a wonderful boys' club. Nora Ephron once said that when she was writing back in the 80s, she would get lists of potential directors, and not one woman would be listed. AFI's 1998 list of the 100 best movies of the century had no movies directed by women. Of the top 250 domestic grossing films in 2007, only 6% were directed by women. The independent route is slightly better for women - and wait, that's how Kathryn Bigelow went with the Hurt Locker.
There's a lot more to be said about women's voices in film, especially when it comes to "women's pictures" and how Hollywood's interpretation of the market diminishes the influence of the female demographic. There's a whole lot of psychology that comes into play in networking, relationships between women and men in the Industry, and relationships between women and women. I wrote a paper on this once, can you tell? If you'd like to read it, just leave a comment with your email or email me.
Is that situation for women improving in Hollywood? I believe it is - but only because some women have fought like hell for their positions and for the rest of us. Bigelow's Oscar is not an event that shatters the glass ceiling. It is the result of all her hard work and the work of the women before her. And from here we keep working.
Sources --
Fournier, Gina. Thelma & Louise and Women in Hollywood.
Lauzen, Ph.D., Martha M. “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 250 Films of 2007.”
Traister, Rebecca. “Chicks Behind Flicks.”
Walker, Susan. “Women on Top of the Film World.”
Liza asked my thoughts on Kathryn Bigelow winning Best Director this year. I'm thrilled a woman finally won Best Director. Bigelow is only the fourth woman to even be nominated for the award. Now I have more of an incentive to watch The Hurt Locker.
However, I said I'd look for someone who could state my opinion better than myself, and Sarah Fain did a pretty good job. Fantastic that a woman won the Best Director award, but honestly, I don't think it's going to break any great ground for female directors everywhere. Hollywood is a wonderful boys' club. Nora Ephron once said that when she was writing back in the 80s, she would get lists of potential directors, and not one woman would be listed. AFI's 1998 list of the 100 best movies of the century had no movies directed by women. Of the top 250 domestic grossing films in 2007, only 6% were directed by women. The independent route is slightly better for women - and wait, that's how Kathryn Bigelow went with the Hurt Locker.
There's a lot more to be said about women's voices in film, especially when it comes to "women's pictures" and how Hollywood's interpretation of the market diminishes the influence of the female demographic. There's a whole lot of psychology that comes into play in networking, relationships between women and men in the Industry, and relationships between women and women. I wrote a paper on this once, can you tell? If you'd like to read it, just leave a comment with your email or email me.
Is that situation for women improving in Hollywood? I believe it is - but only because some women have fought like hell for their positions and for the rest of us. Bigelow's Oscar is not an event that shatters the glass ceiling. It is the result of all her hard work and the work of the women before her. And from here we keep working.
Sources --
Fournier, Gina. Thelma & Louise and Women in Hollywood.
Lauzen, Ph.D., Martha M. “The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 250 Films of 2007.”
Traister, Rebecca. “Chicks Behind Flicks.”
Walker, Susan. “Women on Top of the Film World.”
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Structure Fail
This is what Keys to the Garden looked like when I originally postnoted it and tacked it up on my wall (at least note that the number of cards/scenes and number of pages are unrelated):
Huge fail. Is Act II actually SHORTER than Act I?
Here's where I went so terribly wrong -- When I wrote the screenplay, I hinged the Act II turning point on a particular beat. However, when notecarding the beats out, I realized that I was completely wrong. The beat that was my former Act II turning point was really just a moment right before the climax. When I posted the beats up on my wall, I separated them into acts based on what are the CORRECT turning points. I had the correct one in there. I was just putting the wrong emphasis on the wrong beat.
I knew Act II had major problems anyway. It is -- obviously -- too short, making the whole story too simplistic. Even when I was notecarding I had my solution. As I've been restructuring it this past week, I've written an entirely new Act IIa. It was actually a pretty simple solution. I had a great backstory for a character which works better -- and is more dramatic -- not as a backstory but current events in Act II that mess with the characters.
I have Act I restructured and re-notecarded. Act II is restructured, awaiting carding. Act III isn't going to change much. The ending was always the ending, and with a hard and fast resolution that I'm not going to change, there're only so many ways you can play with the scenes funneling down to it. But maybe that's where I get stuck sometimes.
Also, this is a great article for anyone interested in writing a rom com. So glad I read it before starting my own.
And, if I can't find someone else who articulates it better than I will before my next post, I'll give my thoughts on Bigelow's Oscar and what it means for women in film.
Huge fail. Is Act II actually SHORTER than Act I?
Here's where I went so terribly wrong -- When I wrote the screenplay, I hinged the Act II turning point on a particular beat. However, when notecarding the beats out, I realized that I was completely wrong. The beat that was my former Act II turning point was really just a moment right before the climax. When I posted the beats up on my wall, I separated them into acts based on what are the CORRECT turning points. I had the correct one in there. I was just putting the wrong emphasis on the wrong beat.
I knew Act II had major problems anyway. It is -- obviously -- too short, making the whole story too simplistic. Even when I was notecarding I had my solution. As I've been restructuring it this past week, I've written an entirely new Act IIa. It was actually a pretty simple solution. I had a great backstory for a character which works better -- and is more dramatic -- not as a backstory but current events in Act II that mess with the characters.
I have Act I restructured and re-notecarded. Act II is restructured, awaiting carding. Act III isn't going to change much. The ending was always the ending, and with a hard and fast resolution that I'm not going to change, there're only so many ways you can play with the scenes funneling down to it. But maybe that's where I get stuck sometimes.
Also, this is a great article for anyone interested in writing a rom com. So glad I read it before starting my own.
And, if I can't find someone else who articulates it better than I will before my next post, I'll give my thoughts on Bigelow's Oscar and what it means for women in film.
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Return of Spectacle
According to Box Office Mojo, Avatar has made over $2.5 billion worldwide to date. it made over $77 million domestically opening weekend. Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland has been out since Friday. It made over $116 million opening weekend, over $210 million worldwide.
When cinema first became a commercial enterprise, it was completely innovative. People would go to the movies just to see the moving pictures. For a little while, there was a tension - would cinema develop a narrative structure or would it become a purely visual art form? Obviously there is a lot of art in cinema, but the narrative won out to be the dominant commercial structure.
But with the box office smashing releases of Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, spectacle is again becoming a huge audience draw. 3D isn't a new technology. But Avatar was the first movie that audiences felt they would not have had the same viewing experience if they didn't see it in 3D. Alice in Wonderland is continuing the trend of movies that are MEANT to be watched in 3D as opposed to movies that are made and then made into 3D.
What is NOT a new trend is the tension between spectacle and narrative. Often films that are visually awesome lack a lot in story (did you really think I was going to get through this post without mentioning Micheal Bay?). No one's going to argue that Avatar was not a technological marvel. It was awesome. And I wasn't going to go see it unless I saw it in 3D. The same goes for Alice in Wonderland. But honestly, the narrative of Avatar didn't break any new narrative ground. And commercial film is primarily a NARRATIVE beast. Some wonder if the same problems will befall Alice in Wonderland.
The question for writers is - should this trend towards 3D films change the way we write? Should we be writing towards spectacle?
The answer is - yes and no. Yes, keep up with the times. Be one of those writers that is 3D minded - if that is your genre. You're not going to write Garden State in 3D. A film's vision starts on the page (don't tell the director). Your job, as the writer, is to get the reader to visualize the movie. Can they visualize the potential for 3D? No, because you had BETTER have a strong story, first and foremost. No matter what. Story first, fancy pants spectacle later. What reader is going to be interested in your 3D potential if they don't care about your characters or your story?
Technology is going to change the way movies are made and watched. And written. But the transformation is going to be slower than any of the other technological developments in our lives, cell phones, wireless, DVR. Cinema-viewing hasn't really changed since its advent. Neither Avatar or Alice in Wonderland were spec scripts. The writers aren't typically the ones that on the forefront of change. But that doesn't mean that we need to be the last ones catching up on the industry changes that are actually very pertinent to the way we write.
On Oscar news, here's an article on the weird VMA Kayne West moment. I got to see most of the Oscars despite the annoying Cablevision-ABC battle. Hopefully next year it will be more entertaining.
When cinema first became a commercial enterprise, it was completely innovative. People would go to the movies just to see the moving pictures. For a little while, there was a tension - would cinema develop a narrative structure or would it become a purely visual art form? Obviously there is a lot of art in cinema, but the narrative won out to be the dominant commercial structure.
But with the box office smashing releases of Avatar and Alice in Wonderland, spectacle is again becoming a huge audience draw. 3D isn't a new technology. But Avatar was the first movie that audiences felt they would not have had the same viewing experience if they didn't see it in 3D. Alice in Wonderland is continuing the trend of movies that are MEANT to be watched in 3D as opposed to movies that are made and then made into 3D.
What is NOT a new trend is the tension between spectacle and narrative. Often films that are visually awesome lack a lot in story (did you really think I was going to get through this post without mentioning Micheal Bay?). No one's going to argue that Avatar was not a technological marvel. It was awesome. And I wasn't going to go see it unless I saw it in 3D. The same goes for Alice in Wonderland. But honestly, the narrative of Avatar didn't break any new narrative ground. And commercial film is primarily a NARRATIVE beast. Some wonder if the same problems will befall Alice in Wonderland.
The question for writers is - should this trend towards 3D films change the way we write? Should we be writing towards spectacle?
The answer is - yes and no. Yes, keep up with the times. Be one of those writers that is 3D minded - if that is your genre. You're not going to write Garden State in 3D. A film's vision starts on the page (don't tell the director). Your job, as the writer, is to get the reader to visualize the movie. Can they visualize the potential for 3D? No, because you had BETTER have a strong story, first and foremost. No matter what. Story first, fancy pants spectacle later. What reader is going to be interested in your 3D potential if they don't care about your characters or your story?
Technology is going to change the way movies are made and watched. And written. But the transformation is going to be slower than any of the other technological developments in our lives, cell phones, wireless, DVR. Cinema-viewing hasn't really changed since its advent. Neither Avatar or Alice in Wonderland were spec scripts. The writers aren't typically the ones that on the forefront of change. But that doesn't mean that we need to be the last ones catching up on the industry changes that are actually very pertinent to the way we write.
On Oscar news, here's an article on the weird VMA Kayne West moment. I got to see most of the Oscars despite the annoying Cablevision-ABC battle. Hopefully next year it will be more entertaining.
Friday, March 05, 2010
A 2 Cupcake Kinda Day
It feels like there're fireworks going off in my brain. I feel like I might have at one point had a topic for this post, but my seizing histamines are clouding my thought processes. I hope it's allergies because (1) I refuse to let myself get sick from any of my students and (2) it means that warm weather is coming. I definitely have been feeling the affects of cabin fever these past few weeks.
I am 90% sure what I'm doing come the end of June. The other 10% is reserved for various miracles.
My classroom teacher is confusing our students by telling them that I'm a writer/author. They don't understand the word "aspiring" yet. They keep asking me what the title of my book is. I was going to bring in my stacks and stacks of stories to show them, but I think they might get even more confused if I show them the books I got for free from LuLu for finishing NaNoWriMo. The business side of publishing and self publishing might be a little over their heads.
I have rewritten the opening for my secret writing project three times now. I think I finally have something that works. Which, you know, I cannot share at this particular moment...
Oh man, I had the craziest dream earlier this week. I woke up and wrote it down immediately so I could make it into a story. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I have pretty vivid dreams, but nothing that's jumped out to me before with inherent dramatic characteristics. Unfortunately, I think the best format for this story would be fiction, and I am so out of practice there. Maybe NaNoWriMo this year. Regardless, it's about fifth on my priority list.
ABC and Cablevision, can you please work out your issues so that I can actually watch the Oscars. Though if you don't, at least I'll have a valid excuse for not seeing them this year.
Also, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones was picked up by HBO. Am super psyched. Won't start airing until next year, but I will definitely be upgrading my cable plan to include HBO now.
Michigan's campus during February, snowy streets, primitive forms of transportation, students strewn everywhere. Or a still from the opening scene of Game of Thrones.
I am 90% sure what I'm doing come the end of June. The other 10% is reserved for various miracles.
My classroom teacher is confusing our students by telling them that I'm a writer/author. They don't understand the word "aspiring" yet. They keep asking me what the title of my book is. I was going to bring in my stacks and stacks of stories to show them, but I think they might get even more confused if I show them the books I got for free from LuLu for finishing NaNoWriMo. The business side of publishing and self publishing might be a little over their heads.
I have rewritten the opening for my secret writing project three times now. I think I finally have something that works. Which, you know, I cannot share at this particular moment...
Oh man, I had the craziest dream earlier this week. I woke up and wrote it down immediately so I could make it into a story. I don't think that's ever happened to me before. I have pretty vivid dreams, but nothing that's jumped out to me before with inherent dramatic characteristics. Unfortunately, I think the best format for this story would be fiction, and I am so out of practice there. Maybe NaNoWriMo this year. Regardless, it's about fifth on my priority list.
ABC and Cablevision, can you please work out your issues so that I can actually watch the Oscars. Though if you don't, at least I'll have a valid excuse for not seeing them this year.
Also, George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones was picked up by HBO. Am super psyched. Won't start airing until next year, but I will definitely be upgrading my cable plan to include HBO now.
Michigan's campus during February, snowy streets, primitive forms of transportation, students strewn everywhere. Or a still from the opening scene of Game of Thrones.Tuesday, March 02, 2010
What you should be writing and why
I tried to laugh it off when I wiped out in the melting slush in the middle of the street this morning, but I should have known it was going to be one of those days. I came home from work and immediately stuffed myself with cookies and 30 Rock. I will blame it all on being exhausted from staying up too late to watch all 3 unsatisfying hours of the Bachelor last night. Sorry, Bachelor. It never would have worked between us anyway, Jake. I'm too much like Ali, and you're too much like my ex-boyfriend.
It's Day 11 of my 90 days of productivity. I have done something, in any small way, to make progress on my scripts every single day. Though if I keep up the rate I'm going at, 90 days of productivity isn't going to make that much of a dent in my career. I've been focusing primarily on two scripts, Keys to the Garden and my TV pilot. As I was notecarding one day, I thought about this. 90 days falls conveniently close to the summer contest deadlines. Am I focusing on the right projects? What kind of script does each contest ask for? I decided to do some research on the contests I was interested in as well as a few extra.
Austin Film Festival - Features, Current Specs
AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest - Features, Specs
Creative Screenwriting Expo - Features, Specs
Disney/ABC TV Fellowship - Current Specs
Film Independent Screenwriters Lab - Features
Script Magazine's Big Break - Features
Scriptapalooza - Current Specs, TV Pilots, Features
Script PIMP - Feature, TV Pilot, Spec
Silver Screenwriting Competition - Features
Slamdance - Features, TV Pilots
Nicholl Fellowship - Features
Warner Bros. TV Workshop - Current Specs
Zoetrope - Features
So maybe I should put away the pilot for a while and pull out the Bones spec again. It could use 3 months of work. If anyone has any other information to share about contests, please add it on!
It's Day 11 of my 90 days of productivity. I have done something, in any small way, to make progress on my scripts every single day. Though if I keep up the rate I'm going at, 90 days of productivity isn't going to make that much of a dent in my career. I've been focusing primarily on two scripts, Keys to the Garden and my TV pilot. As I was notecarding one day, I thought about this. 90 days falls conveniently close to the summer contest deadlines. Am I focusing on the right projects? What kind of script does each contest ask for? I decided to do some research on the contests I was interested in as well as a few extra.
Austin Film Festival - Features, Current Specs
AAA Creative Screenwriting Contest - Features, Specs
Creative Screenwriting Expo - Features, Specs
Disney/ABC TV Fellowship - Current Specs
Film Independent Screenwriters Lab - Features
Script Magazine's Big Break - Features
Scriptapalooza - Current Specs, TV Pilots, Features
Script PIMP - Feature, TV Pilot, Spec
Silver Screenwriting Competition - Features
Slamdance - Features, TV Pilots
Nicholl Fellowship - Features
Warner Bros. TV Workshop - Current Specs
Zoetrope - Features
So maybe I should put away the pilot for a while and pull out the Bones spec again. It could use 3 months of work. If anyone has any other information to share about contests, please add it on!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Snow day
It started snowing yesterday morning and kept on for 36 hours straight. Crazy amounts of snow. I'm starting to think about maybe considering not all that the weathermen say to be completely bogus.
If it's going to snow like this, it should be socially acceptable to play Christmas music.
Over the last couple days I've finished notecarding Keys to the Garden and the first half of my TV pilot and I've tinkered with my rom com idea, to no great gains. I really need to do some research for the rom com, but I'll admit, the thought of checking out half a dozen books from the library about men and dysfunctional relationships intimidates me.
I've also been majorly productive by watching 30 Rock. I've watched some of the recent episodes on Hulu, but thanks to the beauty of Netflix, I can start back at the beginning. I've watched the first four or five episodes, and they are hil-aaaar-i-ous. And honestly, I swear I'm not making this up just to justify my waste of my life by watching TV, I have been learning a lot about comedy from 30 Rock.
Ms. Fey, if you have a minute, I have an idea for a film that I think you would loooove. Mr. Baldwin, if you have a minute, I'd just like to bask in your presence.
For instance, in 1x02, The Aftermath, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) starts off with one problem. In her attempt to fix her one small problem, she causes a big problem. In her attempt to fix her big problem, she causes an even bigger problem. One, that's an incredibly smart model to use for rising conflict in general, and two, it's wonderfully funny, especially when Lemon's gone through this whole song and dance and you think she's finally smoothed things over - only to find out she's just got herself into a worse mess than before.
And then in 1x04, Jack the Writer, there is a small but brilliant moment. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) comes into the writer's room to monitor their efficiency. And of course he says to act like he's not there, and of course we expect him to be anything but inconspicuous. However, I was expecting him to be difficult and demanding, when actually all his interruptions stemmed from him getting too excited and involved in the creative process. (Ok, clearly I was not paying enough attention to the title of the episode here.) A great example of expectation reversal. I was expecting the story to go one way, and instead it took the opposite route.
You may not have realized comedy is so contrived. It's actually "easy" to study, analyze, and deconstruct the structure of a joke and learn how to build your own. Thank goodness it is, for those of us who need to be book funny.
If it's going to snow like this, it should be socially acceptable to play Christmas music.I've also been majorly productive by watching 30 Rock. I've watched some of the recent episodes on Hulu, but thanks to the beauty of Netflix, I can start back at the beginning. I've watched the first four or five episodes, and they are hil-aaaar-i-ous. And honestly, I swear I'm not making this up just to justify my waste of my life by watching TV, I have been learning a lot about comedy from 30 Rock.
Ms. Fey, if you have a minute, I have an idea for a film that I think you would loooove. Mr. Baldwin, if you have a minute, I'd just like to bask in your presence.For instance, in 1x02, The Aftermath, Liz Lemon (Tina Fey) starts off with one problem. In her attempt to fix her one small problem, she causes a big problem. In her attempt to fix her big problem, she causes an even bigger problem. One, that's an incredibly smart model to use for rising conflict in general, and two, it's wonderfully funny, especially when Lemon's gone through this whole song and dance and you think she's finally smoothed things over - only to find out she's just got herself into a worse mess than before.
And then in 1x04, Jack the Writer, there is a small but brilliant moment. Jack Donaghy (Alec Baldwin) comes into the writer's room to monitor their efficiency. And of course he says to act like he's not there, and of course we expect him to be anything but inconspicuous. However, I was expecting him to be difficult and demanding, when actually all his interruptions stemmed from him getting too excited and involved in the creative process. (Ok, clearly I was not paying enough attention to the title of the episode here.) A great example of expectation reversal. I was expecting the story to go one way, and instead it took the opposite route.
You may not have realized comedy is so contrived. It's actually "easy" to study, analyze, and deconstruct the structure of a joke and learn how to build your own. Thank goodness it is, for those of us who need to be book funny.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Go for the Gold
I watched the ice dancing competition last night. Really fantastic. I'd also like to brag a few minutes - two of the three American teams were Michigan students. Six of the eight competing athletes representing USA in this sport.
Davis and White, with some non-Olympic medals. Doesn't he look like Steve Zahn?
Davis and White, with some non-Olympic medals. Doesn't he look like Steve Zahn?As I was watching, I wondered if it was to late to switch careers. The medal ceremony unfolded, and I wistfully thought how amazing it would be to be presented with a shiny gold medal for being outstanding at what you do. To not be mediocre. And then I realized...
Hollywood DOES give out shiny gold awards for being grand!
Someday, you and I will have a date, sir.
Hollywood DOES give out shiny gold awards for being grand!
Someday, you and I will have a date, sir.Day 4: More note carding. I'm more than halfway through the script, close to Act III.
How I rewrite --
I read through the screenplay again, refamiliarized myself with the script and the notes I already had, took a few more notes. The first rewrite is mostly structural, so I'm not really taking nit-picky notes. I reverse engineer my step outline on 3x5 cards. I then sticky tack it up on the wall and playing around with the structure, rearranging scenes, adding scenes, throwing scenes out. This is the best way I've found to wrap my head around the immensity of an entire screenplay. When I take out a note card, I can see the hole in the structure. I can see when an act is top heavy with scenes. I can identify actions scenes, sub plots, character moments. Structure has to be addressed first, and I find using note cards to be more effective than an electronic document or even a printed step outline.
When I know what the next step is, I'll let you know.
How I rewrite --
I read through the screenplay again, refamiliarized myself with the script and the notes I already had, took a few more notes. The first rewrite is mostly structural, so I'm not really taking nit-picky notes. I reverse engineer my step outline on 3x5 cards. I then sticky tack it up on the wall and playing around with the structure, rearranging scenes, adding scenes, throwing scenes out. This is the best way I've found to wrap my head around the immensity of an entire screenplay. When I take out a note card, I can see the hole in the structure. I can see when an act is top heavy with scenes. I can identify actions scenes, sub plots, character moments. Structure has to be addressed first, and I find using note cards to be more effective than an electronic document or even a printed step outline.
When I know what the next step is, I'll let you know.
Monday, February 22, 2010
When a girl skips class to bake you cake...
First of all, anyone else notice how sappy the Olympics are? I nearly cry every time I watch it. I'm a veritable waterworks anyway, and then when they throw in the stories of Olympic athletes in life threatening accidents and their doting families, I'm pretty much a goner. Have not cracked yet, though.
Kevin Pearce
I was talking with Dear Friend G. the other day. I'm trying to overcome my dislike for the phone, since the distance between my friends and I is not getting any shorter. We were talking about our lives and we brushed on relationships, and I told him, "I think everyone should have their heart broken at least once." He did not seem as gun-ho about that idea. Listen, I'm not being flippant. I'm not saying everything about heart brokenness is great. It's a rather unpleasant experience, in the whole. But I've also found a whole lot of growth, maturity, and self knowledge in it. I've known people who've never had their heart broken. Sometimes I think they're too scared to. Once you've had your heart broken once, you know what'll be worth the risk again.
Of course, on the flip side, I once bought Dear Friend G. "A Walk to Remember" for Christmas. I was sort of joking. He loved it.
Talk about waterworks!
Day 3 - Ironed out the rom com logline, I think. Might test it out with a few more people. Broke down the first act of Keys to the Garden on notecards. Most productive writing I've done in the past few weeks... without actually writing. I'm gettin' back into it.
Kevin PearceOf course, on the flip side, I once bought Dear Friend G. "A Walk to Remember" for Christmas. I was sort of joking. He loved it.
Talk about waterworks!Day 3 - Ironed out the rom com logline, I think. Might test it out with a few more people. Broke down the first act of Keys to the Garden on notecards. Most productive writing I've done in the past few weeks... without actually writing. I'm gettin' back into it.
I will not try to influence you... just yet.
Unk tweeted this blog post about a new idea of having writers pay to compete in the slush pile. I commented, just to throw my two cents in, and have gotten wrapped up in the dialog. Instead of ranting and raving in two places, I thought I'd just post a link.
Check out Bruce's blog. I haven't looked through it all yet, but it looks like he's got some interesting stuff to say.
Check out Bruce's blog. I haven't looked through it all yet, but it looks like he's got some interesting stuff to say.
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