90 Days...Until Manuscript Due

Okay, while I'm not going to worry about writing goals for the next week, I DO need to realize that there are officially 90 days until Money Shot is due at Thunder's Mouth. This is a rather peculiar position for me because I've never before found myself pressing on a book. But I am pressing a bit. However, there is still plenty of time.

I think I'm pressing because I'm not done interviewing everyone I need for the book. Grad school kind of fucked that up. But not all is lost. What I will do is simply spend as long as I need in August conducting the rest of my interviews. Once those are done, and I can look at my table of contents and KNOW that I don't need anymore information, then I'll finish writing everything. Thank God that UCLA doesn't start until the end of September. My agenda would have been real weak without that extra month.

In reality, school doesn't begin until the first of October, since we have to pitch during that time. And my next script, BESTSELLER, is almost fully fleshed out as a story. I HAVE been working on that.

The only fly in the ointment with my plan is the fact that Kensington is going to send me back my novel. This will have notes from my editor, so I'll have to fix whatever she finds wrong with that. But this may be a good thing. This summer, I've become lazy and soft. I wake up, complain that it's hot, and sit my ass back on the couch, doing nothing. Having a big, fat manuscript full of red slashes where Karen finds stuff that doesn't make sense will jolt me back into writing mode.

On another front, it looks like I just might get paid by Savoy. Nothing certain until I get the check, take it to the bank, see if it bounces or clears, but good sources tell me that it just may happen. We'll see.

I need to finish up preparing for NY and my national convention. I think I'm going to drive to NYC from Baltimore, and then drive back to Baltimore. I'm signing at the Alpha National Convention from 10am to 2pm each day, and I want to be well rested because I'm basically going to be awake 24 hours a day. I'm going to try those anti-hangover pills and see if they work.

My NBC interview is scheduled for the 31st. I turned in my Sloan script. Also, one of our screenwriting students held a party at her house. She's sweet as can be, and her house is the BOMB. Lastly, we gathered with some friends at Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch restaurant. The food was only so-so, but the conversation was fun. We try to gather with our friends each month, so it's all good.

Sorry that I haven't been such a consistent writer, but this is a reality. Every writer goes through a period where they don't feel inspired, energetic, or imaginative. Professional writers gut it out though, and that's what I'm going to do.

BTW, after I get back from the East Coast, I'm going to be a bit more specific about what I've done to move Money Shot forward. That will help too.