More movies...

Watched Sherrybaby...unrewarding. Akeelah and the Bee...schmaltzy but uplifting. Art School Confidential...boring. Music & Lyrics...cheesy. The Good Shepherd...liked it.

More movies added to my viewing library...

Watched A History of Violence. Enjoyed it much. Then I watched The Cooler. Pretty good, not great.

Sent the rewritten first act of The Bestsellers to my two boys to see how they liked it. They liked it. So now, I've been carefully, carefully plotting out the second act. I've done an excellent job in the first act making these characters very human. We know what motivates them. Now I need to make sure I understand where the story is going, the motivations of the characters, the choices they're making and how these choices will create conflict. And at the same time, be funny. To be funny, I need to remember that cruelty is humor.

Me be a writing...

So I'm re-reading my novel Slaveryland, which I began before film school and I have to say that I really enjoy it. I'm about three weeks away from finishing it, but I can easily see it as a script at some point. Speaking of scripts, I'm rewriting The Bestsellers yet again. Got some notes, some interest and I think this version will be tighter, more focused and even closer to being a film. Right now, I've finished the first act.

I have to travel at the end of January to our company meeting in Minneapolis. This year, I need to remember to bring some real winter clothing. Last year, I froze my butt off.

Also, I'm rolling with the mantra that 2008 is the year. Everything comes together. BTW, beginning in January, I'm going to go vegetarian every other month. Writing has made me out of shape and I just need to get back in shape. Plus, I actually tried going vegetarian way back and loved how I felt. So January, March, May, etc. are veggie months. The goal: 195lbs and more energy by the end of 2008.

Script...

For me, the one difference in writing a script in film school versus out of film school is that I don't particularly feel the need to hurry up and finish the script. For me, it's much more important to make sure the story is tight, the scenes make sense and the characters are well defined. I found that when I was writing a script every ten weeks, I pumped out the script, but everything was really two dimensional. I'm taking my time on description, feeling my way between being spare and getting a good, rich description on paper. Right now, I'm writing A WOMAN OF GOD and almost finished with the first act. That's cool, but what's different about today is that I'm looking forward to the second act. I think like a lot of young screenwriters, my second acts tend to need the most work. But I'm getting better because I'm taking my time.

The WGA Strike...

I have a funny feeling that this WGA strike is going to last a long time, at least until June. I'm not a member of the WGA yet, but the strike affects me also. It pretty much means that I couldn't sell a script if I wanted to. It would be the equivalent to crossing a picket line and one of the things protecting writers in Hollywood, and what doesn't protect authors, is the power of the union.

But I have been struck by the weirdness within the WGA. My thought is that when you go on strike, you go on strike. You stay together and don't air your beefs in public. But there are some websites where the writers are airing their dirty laundry, and it can't help with the unity within the union. Now, I'm not opposed to speaking out during a strike, but concerns when negotiating a contract, should be done behind closed doors. But alas, with blogs and the Internet allows ego and the need for a voice to reign over the long view. Anyway, I'd like them to get the best deal possible as soon as possible. But my gut says, don't hold my breath.

Back...Sorry for the lack of posts

Sorry for the hiatus, but I was busy writing. Right now, I'm back to writing The Dreaded Beautician. It looks like my evening hours will produce about three thousand words per night. And since we're about to head into the Xmas season, my productivity will get a LOT better.

As for scripts, I'm working on my A WOMAN OF GOD script. This is a slowly but surely script as I swear that I know this script more than I've ever known a script. But I want to take my time.

Been watching a lot of movies. Half Nelson which I half liked. An old school Bad and Beautiful with Kirk Douglas. Elizabethtown, which I really did like, but I think others hated. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Enjoyable, but like cotton candy, not very memorable or long lasting. Tried to watch The Departed, but I was so damn bored that I turned it off. And I have not an iota of curiosity about how that film finished. I think Martin received an Oscar for that in the same way Pacino got an Oscar for Scent of a Woman.

Anyway, I'm still not under any type of deadline, so I'm free to write as much as I like and when I like. So I shall write a lot in the next three weeks.

Clearing out book stock...

Hey all,

I'm clearing out the books I have in stock. If you want to buy a copy of my books, I'll take a PayPal payment and send it to you. I have the following in stock:

1. Hardcover Divine Nine: $33 plus $5 shipping
2. Paperback Skin Game: $14 plus $5 shipping
3. Paperback Money Shot: $16 plus $5 shipping

Email me at alpha1906@gmail.com and I'll PayPal you a request for payment.

Sorry for the wait...

Nothing much to report. Been writing. That's all.