It feels good to be writing again after such a long hiatus.
I've got a pretty good routine going. I get up, I read for an hour, I eat some pita bread and hummus, then I write as many pages as I can until I run out of steam or I hit a roadblock.
Then I eat lunch and ride my bike or go to the gym, then do my errand running / TV watching. Then I make myself a fine meal.
I was going to try to force myself to write eight or so pages a day because I feel like I'm behind, but then I remembered what happened when I did that in the past. I used to be so eager to finish the script soon so I could start a new one that I'd write a ton of pages each day. But each script I did that on has since been scrapped.
Then I wrote Not Dead Yet at my own pace, at least a few pages each day but not forcing anything. And that script turned out pretty damn good even though Greg Beal hated it. When I get hired to do a job I'll worry about speeding up my process, but for now I want to take my time and make the script work.
I thought I knew every plot point, and I kind of do, but I hadn't really thought about transitions. Of course now that I'm thinking about the scene I'm currently stopped at I just realized how to solve my problem while I was typing this entry. Woohoo! Thanks, blog.
That works for me a surprising amount of time. When I go to write out what I'm having a problem with, I often find I write myself out of the problem.
On a completely unrelated note, since I'm watching the Republican convention, I just want to say one thing about this Sarah Palin business:
I have a vagina. She does not represent my interests. I really wish the Republicans would stop talking about women as if we're all just like Sarah Palin and will therefore vote for her regardless of what we believe in. Also, I don't live in the midwest and I'm not a redneck, but I am a real American. I was born here and everything. So, Republicans, if you could just respect me that would be great.
Except I'm not voting Republican anyway so I guess you have no motive to care. So nevermind.
3 pages a day means a complete script every two months (includes no writing on weekends). Works out to 5 scripts a year (allows for a nice vacation). In two years one of those scripts probably sells. Which means over a 20 year career that you've sold 10 scripts @ say 200K per (on avg), means you've made a decent living and had a nice career that's still has legs.
ReplyDeleteWait just one cotton-pickin' minute! (Note how, like Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R) GA, I used a racially weighted term there. I Roved it.) Are you tellin' me you gals don't think with your hoochie coochies?!? Tarnation! Well...then...uh, P.O.W! P.O.W! P.O.W! John McCain's a war hero!
ReplyDeleteYeah. Those people could not make me any sicker. Here's my response to Sarah Palin and her small-town elitism.
Girl, I whole-heartedly agree with you about Sarah Palin. ugh, I HATE her so much. Everytime I see her face, I am filled with so much rage.
ReplyDeleteI'm also currently working on a screenplay and I was surprised at myself at how far I've gone because I've been suffering from writers' block lately. It also helps I'm reading "Alice in Wonderland" which always inspires me (dont ask me why).
you had me at
ReplyDelete"I have a vagina".