The Bestsellers script...

I turned off my phone today and got a lot of work done on the latest version of The Bestsellers. More than likely, I'll get mighty close to finishing either late tomorrow or early Thursday. After that, I'll do a once over and shoot it to a friend to evaluate. This draft took my eight weeks to finish and it was mainly because I wanted to think about how to make it better and closer to what the ICM agent wanted. I'll work on editing, the dialogue and any scenes that need redoing. After that, I'll send it to the ICM agent to see if she likes it.

After writing the same script over and over for more than a year, I'd definitely interested in working on something different. I have various scripts in states of completion, but I'm going to do a rejiggering of where I place my priorities.

Now that I'm away from Iconoculture, I can pretty much start thinking about my script career without being distracted. I had let that slip as the job took up my time, but I need to get back tied into the mindset I had at the UCLA film school. One step in that direction is my application for the Sloan/Sundance Foundation grant. Yeah, I know I'd said I'd never enter another contest, but this one gives a stipend and access to really good screenwriters who can help with your Sloan script. I could use that in 2009.

As for books, my current book proposal is still out there. My agent emailed me to say that things look positive. The summer is a slow period for editors, but one editor called Manie to say positive things about the proposal. More than likely, we won't know if the proposal sells until September.

At long last, I'm planning the first show from my development deal with TV One. The show will go on their websites first, to see if it gains traction. After that, we're looking to put it on their network schedule.

As for their competitor, BET, I have to check on a show that I pitched them. The person I pitched, SR. VP of Development, let BET, but they told me that they're considering it. We'll see.

Still booking more dates for my Divine Nine lectures. During September, I just might be on the road for two straight weeks.

Anyway, it's 2:30am and I need some rest. I'm going to plow ahead and finish this script tomorrow, so time to go to sleep.

Where I am...

Thanks for being patient, as I've tried to let my brain rest a bit. I'm still waking up at 4:30am each morning, but at least I've been getting to bed around 11pm. So, I'm getting a bit of sleep, and my body isn't trying to crash around mid day. So here's what I have on tap.

Icono: Last week was a weird week for me. I had good observations to write about, but the brain just wasn't firing on all cylinders. But I have an understanding editor, so no worries. Anyway, things are going along pretty smoothly, and I'm getting ready to flow out to Minneapolis next week for our all company confab. I'm actually looking forward to it because since we work in isolation, it's kind of like a field trip to see folks in the flesh. But being that I'm TERRIBLE with faces, it'll be a bit of torture for me as everyone will know me and my name (there are only three black folks in the company, and the other brother is about sixty) so it's not to hard to know me. But it should be fun.

Lecture: Spoke at Morehouse on Monday and I must say that these Morehouse men are impressive as hell. I made the determination that Langston will be going to Morehouse. I will be building a building at Morehouse. The Ross Center sounds good. The Lawrence Ross Center sounds even better.

USC Script: Met with Krystal, who has to be the only other person who is as busy as I am. She is acting as a showrunner for a USC pilot they're shooting, and also doing her thesis, which is my script. We have a hard deadline of February 22nd. I took down her notes, and I'm going to bang out a second draft by next week.

434 Script: Took a break from it. I know this story so well, I think I'm going to write about thirty pages this weekend. Really, it's sort of a no-brainer script, at least as a first draft.

Showcase: We have our first Showcase meeting tomorrow. This is where we let all of the first years know the deal. It's funny, I remember looking at the dour faces of the second years last year, and wondering why they were so lifeless. I understand now.

TheYack: The Publishers Weekly article came out and I've been deluged with different companies suddenly wanting to partner with us. We'll see what people have to say. I'll talk next week and then talk to my Anderson Business mentor about the needs I have for TheYack.

The Book: My editor is still reading the book. I need to find a new foreward person since my initial one flaked. Also, she wants some more analysis. Fair notes. I just need to know how long I have to do that analysis.

Slaveryland: Going over the manuscript, and I still like it. Actually, I REALLY like it. I have note inserts that tell me that I've been working on this novel for two years, which is a long time for me. But I think it's my next fiction manuscript to shop.

The wife and the kid are heading up to the Bay Area tomorrow. One of our best friend's, and the person who introed the wife to me, is having her 40th b'thday. So there's going to be a party. I'm flying up on Saturday so I can get my Icono work done in peace.

The Divine Nine is selling like hot cakes on Amazon. I got a random royalty check from William Morris for some book club revenue. That was nice.

My beloved Manchester United lost a heartbreaker to Arsenal. It still hurts.

I know I'm forgetting something, but I'll think of it later. Oh, I'm working with a trainer for the first time tomorrow. Getting my fat ass back in the gym.

So close I can taste it...

Okay, in this process of writing my non-fiction book, I have found that some of my actors aren't the most reliable people. Seriously. I'm technically done with the book, but I want to include three others. However, they've flaked damn near every day, so I don't think it's going to happen. It's a pity because I wanted their voices heard, but I can't force people to do what they don't want to do, even when they say they want to do it.

On other fronts, tomorrow is MLK's birthday and I always take a minute to thank him for giving me all of these opportunities. I don't believe my achievement come from my individual genius, but the sacrifices of others who paved the way for me, so I'm grateful.

It's 434 time at UCLA and we pitched last week. Listening to a room full of people pitch their scripts can be both exciting and eyeteeth pulling painful. I imagine that as first years, we gave the same long winded pitches that the first years in my particular pitch session gave, but whew, that can hurt your soul. In one class, I started the pitching and I hoped to lead by example. My pitch lasted exactly thirty seconds. Not a second more. For some, the opening sentence didn't end until a minute later. People tend to think that if they simply talk more, then what they're trying to describe will be clearer. Nothing could be further from the truth. Stand up, get to the point, sit down. Next. Yeesh.

I'm contemplating whether or not this will be my last 434 script at UCLA. I graduate in June, and I may spend the last spring quarter doing a rewrite versus doing another first draft. But I would kind of miss the whole 434 process if I did decide to skip it.

My 434 for this quarter is going to be a comedic spoof of a genre. That's all I can say. lol

On Tuesday, with the book finally done, I will begin working out again. I gained WAY too much weight during this helacious period of writing, but I get back on the work out horse on Tuesday. I even have a UCLA trainer for three times during the week. Gotta look good by graduation.

Anyway, it's 4:40am, and I'll probably be dead tired this evening. I know I was dead writing all day today.