Writing my demons away

As a participator in NaNoWriMo since 2009, I think my writing is...okay.  I've finished a script and I'm working on another but I feel like I need more.  My writing mentor randomly sends me roundtable discussion videos with scriptwriters - which I adore - and sometimes, he'll send me inspirational interviews to read from novelists or scriptwriters to help me get into the zone.  While I love all of that, I have all these stories stacking up in my head just waiting - no - screaming to get out.  Just yesterday morning, I woke up from a dream that had the perfect framework for a suspenseful film and in my spare moments, I'm writing the second episode to my soon-to-hopefully-not-be-fictional-anymore TV show.
Okay.  So...now what?
Luckily for me, I was scrolling through my iPad's open tabs and saw this post from Becky at The Pink Samurai.
Yes, I want that Gipsy Danger shirt...yes, I want to do a hand-printed galaxy wall in my house...and then I saw the link to an e-course called "How to Write and Pitch a Book Proposal" and I HAD to click on it.  And buy it.  And read it immediately.  And download the PDF.  And print it out.  And scan through it a million times.
I'm so insanely inspired!  It made me think back to this article by Hello Wordsmith.  You know, the tough love thing.  So I spent most of yesterday afternoon and the afternoon before that (after work, of course), revisiting the previously finished script.
I have to admit that I'm a little afraid of revisiting that particular story because it's really tough on me emotionally but I have to power through it (like Hello Wordsmith says) and get it out.  It will be a little different this time, though.  Last time, I stuck to the most important details in the story - like you would for scriptwriting.  This time, I get to explore the emotions that particular situation brought out in me.  I think I'm partly afraid of revisiting this particular story because it's based on something that actually happened to me and, while I think it's movie-worthy (think Blue Valentine sorta kinda), I don't really want to revisit that particular time in my life.  Maybe it will be a good energy exercise to release that negativity?  Who knows.  I'm hoping that with this, I can expel it once and for all and move forward.

As for the other stories, well, we'll see how they shape up.  I put my old man in charge of episode one of my soon-to-hopefully-not-be-fictional-anymore TV show and he's not delivering.  I took it upon myself to give him the benefit of the doubt and have a little faith in the pilot, hence the reason why I'm writing the second episode.  I might just wrap up episode two and back track to pick up episode one.  Or make episode two episode one instead.  I need to do a little more research, though.  Ah yes, good ol' research...

Are you working on any passion projects?  What are they?  I'd love to know!
Happy Wednesday!

Let's Be Pen Pals!

I think you might have noticed that I added a little something to the right side of my little blog layout...
It's my P.O. Box address!  I'm having so much fun with sending and receiving mail that I thought maybe I should see if anyone wants to exchange mail with me!

I've also signed up for the Handmade Valentine Swap hosted by The Stationery Place.  (You still have time to sign up!)  I had so much fun with the Secret Pen Pal Scavenger Hunt that I had to do another one!

Speaking of, I received my parcel from my secret pen pal last night and I LOVE IT!!  I got so much fun stuff, I can't wait to show you on Reveal Day - Feb. 5th!  So great!!  I spent most of last night photographing my sweet little items for the reveal post (and starting a little thank you card to send back).  This is such a wonderfully refreshing creative boost!

I'm hoping this will turn into an on-going thing with the new friends I'm making through snail mail!  Won't you join me? :)



Happy Friday!

January Resolutions: Cross one off the list!

                                   

January is in full swing and there a BIG item on my list of resolutions that I can cross off.  That's right - on Sunday, I finished my very FIRST script.  Granted, it's only the first draft and my red pen and I went to town on it last night with tons of revisions and formatting notes but still - I fucking finished it.

Why is this such a huge deal?  Because, like I've said before, I have NEVER finished a story...EVER.  It's too final!  It's too absolute!  One thing that plowed me forward on this was a great roundtable discussion my writing mentor sent me.  It's an hour long and I'm only able to get through the first 15 minutes before I get interrupted but those first 15 minutes are intense and so full of knowledge!  And remnants of this article from Hello Wordsmith kept moving me forward, too.  I can tell when I read that because my attitude changes mid-script.  It doesn't take away from the story or anything but you can feel the determination in my writing, that's for sure!

There are a lot of cosmetic things I need to do with it before I can start pitching it - like formatting, adding scene headings where they need to go, some name changes, and adding a few extra scenes so that it flows a little better but I'm determined to get it to a good place by the end of the month.

As I read through it last night, I was really proud of myself for actually finishing it.  And I think it's a good story.  One of the things I took away from the roundtable video (all 15 minutes of it) was that every writer / artist thinks their story / art is great (so true) but not everyone is going to like it (also true) but you just have to believe in yourself and write / make what's true to you.  That is my one biggest takeaway.  My mentor said it and I've heard it time and time again for ANY creative project.  This story is very important to me (so much so that I had a bit of a breakdown when I finished it) and I want to make sure I get it done the right way - which my mentor and I have to talk about.  We talked about it briefly before but now that the first draft is done and I have recruited my bestest best friend to help me edit (because he's a far more excellent writer than I am), I need to talk about how we're going to get this damn thing MADE.  In my Master List journal AND my Unraveling 2014 Workbook, I put in there that I would like to start pre-production for this film in Novemeber 2014 at the LATEST.  Lofty, yes, but I really want to get this done...like, NOW!

NaNoWriMo 2013

It's November which means NaNoWriMo!  I was going to write another story but I want to focus on my main one so I can get a script together and out of my brain!!  I mean, I've been working on it since last year and all...I just never really like to end my stories.

Why?

Because that means it's over!  The story is over!  The characters move on!  Who wants that?  Not me!  I love my characters - good or bad - and I want their adventures to continue!  Granted, they can't and I know that but still.

My old man hooked me up with one of his co-workers, who just so happens to be a writer, and he gave me some GREAT advice.  He also encouraged me to step away from my main writing project if I need to, just to get an emotional break, but he told me something very important: KEEP WRITING.  Whether it's a crappy idea or something I might want to pursue later, WRITE IT DOWN!!!  I knew that already but it was great to hear it from him because it proved I've been doing the right thing all along!

Meeting with him was great because, I know I've said this before but I'm going to keep pointing it out, at work, I'm very isolated.  I'm the only person in the building that does what I do - editing, animations, a specific kind of writing...so it's hard to get motivated and stay motivated when my co-workers don't "get" me, so I cherish these kinds of interactions because they really do mean a lot to me and it feels great to be surrounded by others that have the same interests as you, right?!

I'm happy to say that I'm 34 pages into my script so far and I'm right on target with the parameters he gave me, which makes me so happy that I'm getting this DONE!!!  One of the exercises he gave me was to read a script similar to mine so I could get the proper structure.  Surprise - the script I chose was none other than Blue Valentine.  It is structured kind of in the same way as mine but it's slightly different, of course.  Reading the script now, after having seen the movie forever ago, is great because I thought my mind was going to drift off to images of Ryan Gosling being super romantic and Michelle Williams being her lovely self (in the flashbacks) but really, I'm looking at it from a totally different perspective now and it's helping me maintain my momentum with my own story.  Granted, the last few weeks have been CRAZY at work but I'm getting back into it - including already having come up with a great concept that I'm going to build up, write a pretty in-depth synopsis for and pass on to my mentor to see if it's a "Yea" or "Nay" to pursue.  So far, all signs point to "Yea".  YAY!

Anyone else participating in NaNoWriMo this year??