Real Life Boring Blah-Blah

[kungfuwaynewho]

Kind of a boring week.  Last night the heat finally broke, but it's been right around 100 actual temperature the last week or so, and high 90s for a few weeks before that; it just saps your will-power, it really does.  Day before yesterday, I was so bored and was actually getting kind of depressed about sitting around inside the house - there's only so long you can occupy yourself making icons and reading fanfic and playing Burger Shop.  But the heat index was 115 and I just could not make myself have any desire to leave the nice air conditioned house; even just walking from the car to a store or Starbucks or whatever is enough to make you sweat.  Plus, my car doesn't have AC, so that's always fun to drive around in when it's this hot.

Today's in the 80s, though, so I sat outside and read a little, which was very nice.  I think I might go up to Starbucks and write later; my grad school roommate and I are pulling our old TV pilot out of storage.  Scriptapalooza's having a TV contest in October, and usually those things only accept spec scripts for existing shows, but they're taking pilots.  It's amazing how not looking at something in three years gives you absolute objectivity; it was easy to go through and see what worked and what didn't, and what definitely didn't.  We're working on the beat outline now, and should start drafting by the beginning of September. 

We're also still workshopping my new script in my local writer's group; we've got about 45 pages to go, or two or three sessions.  Once we're done, I'll go through all the notes and come up with a revision manifesto.  One thing I've noticed with each new script is that it takes me less drafts to get to something decent.  With Flesh and Blood back in the day, it really wasn't until about draft four or five that it held up as a solid movie; Fall River took three; this new script, even though it's just a first draft, is pretty okay.  I mean, it has problems, but there's no plot holes or huge characterization problems.  I may be...getting better as a writer?  That would be exciting.

Comments

[ufgator1977.livejournal.com]

I bring you a winter icon to offset the heat.

There is something to be said about revisiting old projects. I feel you do improve as a writer as time goes on and you get a feel for exactly what needs to be done. Script writing is a whole different animal. It's sometimes difficult to get what you want on the page and then it doesn't always transfer well to the screen or stage.

I did see that the temperature is running about 5 degrees higher than normal leading me to think dehydration has something to do with the fatigue and listlessness I see in people. They need to drink more water to combat this. It's been fairly decent here in Connecticut;50's at night and 70's during the day. The humidity hasn't left us though.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Wiiiiiiinter. I can't wait. Autumn and Winter are my favorites.

Screenwriting is all I've done for eight years, before this summer; it's just such a completely different process altogether. And it can be really tough, since you can't write what a character is feeling or thinking, making sure that you're communicating what you want from a scene. That's why I've been having such fun with the fanfic, heh. I can just go, "yay writing here's what's in everyone's heads yay!"

Yeah, tell me about dehydration. My grandpa had to go to the hospital for a day because he's a stubborn son of a bitch and insists on sitting outside in the heat; thankfully he was A-OK and came home right away and there have been no lingering problems, but it's like, George? Sit inside, turn on your air, and drink some water, or I will come over and so help me God, I'll kill you myself.

[ufgator1977.livejournal.com]

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. It has nothing to do with college football season. Honest. ;)

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

And I love college football season because it means college basketball season is right around the corner! :P

(It didn't take me too long to figure out what your username stood for, but I still say it in my head as "oofgator." Just so you know.)

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

I am so with you on the heat thing. The past couple of weeks have just been AWFUL here. I think you said you're in Kansas, right? It has been kind of a Summer of Suck across the Midwest, I think. Our heatwave (and rain/storm onslaught) finally broke today.

Good luck to you on the script writing front! I hope it goes well and someday soon I can watch her stuff and go, "Heee! I totally know her from the world of B5 fanfic!" Also maybe you could combine the two and write that elusive B5 movie script, and then pitch it to JMS. You know, in the universe where we all get exactly what we want. :)

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Kansas, yeah. We were definitely spoiled the last two summers with some pretty mild heat. Now it's been like, WTF is this?!

Dude, I never even let myself think about something actually getting produced, I just want to sell something. I don't care if it sits on a shelf till the end of time. If I can sell something, then I can teach at the college level, and that's good enough for me. (I'm sure if I did manage to sell something I'd feel differently, heh.)

I totally have a B5 movie in my head; the WWE flashforward stuff. I know there are books about it, but I haven't read them yet, so pfft. Also, I outlined and think of The Bloody Ones as a movie, so there's that, too; I could always just switch formats!

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

BTW, did you get my message?

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

*Nods* I am multi-tasking today - finishing "Two-Thirds" and proofreading Sheridan-funny and catching up on a day's worth of e-mails and trying to figure out what I want to do about the suggestions you gave me. (I would totally have failed in an encounter with Mr. Morden. It takes me 15 minutes just to decide what I want to order in a restaurant, and this counts as somehow WAY more important than a burger. I'da probably said, "Um, can you go away so I can think about it and then come back and ask me again next week?" or something.) Thanks so much for your help.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I gave you suggestions...I am trying to remember about what, heh. I've just never used the LJ message thing much before, so I was literally just checking to see if you got it.

That would have been a funny scene. "What do I want? Hmm...let me think about that. I'll probably have to make a list of the things I want and then narrow it down. Do you want me to pull you up a chair?"

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

That is so totally me it's not even funny.

It took me 15 minutes to figure out how to SEND a private message, LOL. I am clearly not as computer savvy as someone of my generation might be expected to be.

You gave me suggestions on what to do about the background/motif for Sheridan's super-secret "I wanna do Delenn" diary. I think I like the second one. My Major Fail is that I don't have Photoshop, which is the root of all of my Creativity Suck with regard to this project, I think.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Oh! Those suggestions! I didn't even think those were suggestions.

The second one I can modify however you like; size, shape, colors, design. Just let me know.

And, um, also, if you want Photoshop? Just, um, let me know. I know a super-cheap place. Yeah.

[mac-beth13.livejournal.com]

The heat has a lot to do with it for a bunch of people, I think. Finally getting a break in the weather has helped some, at least where I live. Too much heat is just inviting lethargy and crankyness. I can't wait for autumn. :)
Good luck with the script writing persuit. It's great that they are affording the opportunity to pilot scripts. You write very well, it's nice to see someone with talent pursue their dreams.
As with anything, the more you practice at something the better you become. A practiced skill is one that comes more naturally and with fluidity. I know I've certainly enjoyed reading some of your practice pieces. ;)

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

The sad thing is, though, come March I'll be whining, "Guys, I'm tired of the coooooold."

Aw, thanks. You know, I'm having fun with prose, but it still feels kinda weird and like I'm cheating. I doubt I'll ever actually write prose stuff for reals, aside from little short stories here and there, but it has been really nice to just sit down and write without agonizing over it, which is how it usually goes.