State of the Script (022)

"... a very difficult sale"

That is a quote being passed along to me from some agencies, production companies and networks in reference to SP1. Everyone claims to love the script, the concept, the writing, but they find it to be a tough sale. I feared that "a very difficult sale" was just a nicer way of saying "fuck off, loser." My manager assures me that isn't completely true. SP1 is mostly a difficult sale because WriterGal and I would retain the coveted "created by" credit. This makes established showrunners less likely to get involved and companies aren't as inclined to take a chance on newbies likes us. Execs at smaller companies, like the ones that have been interested in SP1, like to take a script like this and throw it at few walls and see if anything sticks. If it doesn't immediately stick, then they move on to the next thing. Luckily the young producer and my manager aren't afraid of a couple passes. They insist they only see it as more motivation to find the right home for our show.

If you recall, WriterGal and I had given our take on two projects to a production company (see entry #17). The development exec claims she loves our idea for the first project, a romantic comedy, but an established writer came in with an idea that blew them away and they are going with him. The exec also says she "truly" loves our take on the second project, a TV series, but at the moment they are fighting with a network to get the rights to the project back. Once that happens, which could be months from now, she will come back to us.

They love me... they love me, not?

Not much else to report on the state of my completed scripts. In the meantime, I am still working on the RC script and the PT script. RC script still in outlining stages. PT script around page 45 of a rough draft.

Ten Favorite Films of the 1940s (021)

This will probably be the most difficult decade to narrow down to ten films. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of my all time favorite films came from this decade. The list is predominantly Hollywood movies made during the Hays Code era. I have a thing for Hays Code films and would love to experiment sometime by writing a screenplay with the censorship guidelines enforced by the code. Anyhow, here are the films in chronological order:

1. The Philadelphia Story (1940) - George Cukor
2. The Great Dictator (1940) - Charlie Chaplin
3. To Be Or Not To Be (1942) - Ernst Lubitsch
4. Casablanca (1942) - Michael Curtiz
5. The Palm Beach Story (1942)- Preston Sturges
6. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) - Frank Capra


7. Double Indemnity (1944) - Billy Wilder
8. The Big Sleep (1946) - Howard Hawks
9. The Bicycle Thief (1948) - Vittorio De Sica
10. The Third Man (1949) - Carol Reed

If it wasn't for my rule that directors can only appear once per list, then these two films may have been in the top ten:

His Girl Friday (1940) – Howard Hawks
The Lady Eve (1941) - Preston Sturges

Writing Schedule Revised (020)

The two most important things in writing (or so I’ve been told):

#1 – Make a writing schedule
#2 – Stick to that writing schedule

Easier said than done. Making a writing schedule is a talent in and of itself. The schedule needs to be practical. According to my previous schedule I was to have the second draft of my PT script completed by September 23rd… not practical. I am on page 43 of a very rough draft. The writing schedule also needs to be ambitious. I’d rather be a week behind my ambitious writing schedule and working hard to keep up than a week ahead and feel like I have time to explore the backlog of my DVR. Finding the fine line between practical and ambitious can be rather difficult.

I will admit that my latest writing schedule is more ambitious than it is practical. I don’t feel I have much choice. Without a full time job, I will most likely be out of money by New Year’s Day. This is my last chance to write full time before having to succumb to the workforce. I’m not saying I will stop writing in the new year, I’m just saying I will have less time to be a productive writer. A glimmer of hope does exist in that I was asked to do some paid edits on a friend’s book. If that works out, I might be able to extend my schedule before getting a dreaded non-writing job.

How ambitious is my new writing schedule? Along with finishing my PT script, I intend to start and complete a feature romantic comedy (RC) with WriterGal. Writing a script in two months is particularly ambitious, at least for me. Our manager has requested that we base the script on WriterGal’s one-woman show. We have decided to also loosely base it on our own relationship. I’m just now realizing that writing a relationship comedy about your own relationship with the person you are in a relationship with might be a problematic. Oh well.

Revised Writing Schedule
PT script – December 25th 2009
RC script – December 25th 2009

Of course, I will have checkpoint deadlines along the way, but I haven’t actually figured out the finer details just yet. No time for a proper conclusion. Back to writing…

Ten Favorite Films of the 1930s (019)

I realize you didn’t ask, but I figured I’d tell you. This should give you an idea of the films that have influenced me as a writer. The list factors in nostalgia. There might be films with superior creative merit left off the list, but these are some of the films that meant the most to me. I reserve the right to change my list at anytime. Eventually I will try to come up with a list for every decade and maybe even go back to the ‘20s.

In order to narrow down the list, I installed the rule that directors are only allowed to appear on the list once. Also, even though different people directed Marx Brothers films, I could only use one. By the way, Groucho and I share the same birthday (the day, not the year).


Here is the list in chronological order with the director included:

1. M (1931) - Fritz Lang
2. City Lights (1931) - Charlie Chaplin
3. The Thin Man (1934) - W.S. Van Dyke
4. A Night At The Opera (1935) – Sam Wood
5. The 39 Steps (1935) - Alfred Hitchcock
6. My Man Godfrey (1936) - Gregory La Clava
7. Bringing Up Baby (1938) - Howard Hawks
8. Holiday (1938) - George Cukor
9. Ninotchka (1939) - Ernst Lubitsch
10. The Rules of The Game (1939) - Jean Renoir

What am I forgetting?

It Happened One Night (1934) is a close runner up, but I could only choose one George Cukor film and it had to be Holiday.

I'm suddenly feeling compelled to condemn the frivolity of top ten lists. I will resist.

Rejected ! (018)

I was recently rejected from an Adler Weiner focus group. As a writer, I am rejected on a daily basis. I have multiple scripts floating around in the film world, so every day that my scripts aren't sold is a day I am rejected. I should be used to it by now, but I'm not going lie, getting rejected by Adler Weiner kind of hurt.


I had my heart set on that cushy hour long focus group. The job would have paid a whopping $100. That would have been the highest hourly wage I ever made. The criteria was simple: Own a Hyundai Elantra or any of the other ten cars from their list. I passed that test and was immediately put through to the official phone interview. My interviewer was very excited as I answered each and every question promptly and correctly. She even offered the occasional overly-impressed, "VERY GOOD," like one might say upon discovering their toddler completed a puzzle recommendation for older children. I have to admit, the questions weren’t very difficult. Samples: How old are you? What is your profession? What are your hobbies? Apparently a writer that plays basketball and drives a Hyundai Elantra was exactly what Adler Weiner was looking for. WriterGuy and Adler Weiner seemed to be a match made in heaven. I even made a workplace appropriate joke about Los Angeles and electric cars that resulted in belly laughs on both ends of the telephone.

Then came the final question. My interviewer asked that I take the following and rank them in order of importance when buying a new car:

Price, MPG, User Recommendations, Safety, Quality, Style.

I assumed my answer wouldn't really matter considering how close we had become over the past ten minutes. Still, I might as well take a moment to give Adler Weiner the thoughtful answer they deserved. I ranked them like this:

Quality, Safety, Price, MPG, User Recommendations, Style

Ms. Adler Weiner quickly responded, "Mmmm. I see. Well, you're not right for this but thanks for your time." CLICK.

What?! What did I do? What did I say? What could the right answer have been? I was totally going to put "MPG" before "Price" but I switched it at the last minute. That must have been my error. I was filled with rage and confusion. I had opened up to my interviewer. I told her about myself and my economic status. By ranking what I look for in a car, I told her what I value. I even told her a joke. She strung me along, making me feel like she was genuinely interested in me. Then she hung up with a feeble apology and no explanation. I felt cheap, used and a little dirty.

You know what, even if I knew the correct answer, I wouldn't have changed my ranking. I stand by my belief in quality over style. If Adler Weiner doesn't want my unprofessional opinion for auto industry market research, then they don't deserve it. Ok, that's a lie. I would have changed my answer for $25, nevermind $100. I rue the day you came into my life Adler Weiner! ... whomever you are.

Writers Audition Too (017)

The writing schedule for the PT script is officially defunct. Wednesday was meant to be the deadline for the 2nd draft. Unfortunately, I only have a first draft of the first act complete. It isn’t for lack of writing. In fact, WriterGal and I have been very busy of late. In my previous entry, I mentioned that we would be meeting with a company as a writing team. That meeting led to a very busy (albeit unpaid) week of writing.

We’d had meetings about our pilot(SP1) before, but those were very specific, having to do with that particular project. This meeting was to be more of a “meet and greet.” The company we met with has some projects in development and they are looking for writers for those projects. Our pilot impressed them enough to want to meet us and see if we were possibly right for one of their projects.

The offices of this production company are in a historic, art deco building in the heart of Hollywood, a block away from the famous Capitol Records building. The lobby alone may have been a bit intimidating if we had time to stop and take it in. We were on the verge of being late, so we signed in and sprinted to the elevator. In the offices, the receptionist offered us water, which we accepted. Moments later, the director of development greeted us and brought us into an open office space featuring picture windows that looked down on all of Hollywood.

Our interview as a writing team went as well as can be expected. The director of development praised the pilot that we wrote and asked a bit more about our process. Having never actually sat down and written a script together, I think we did a pretty good job convincing her that we are a well oiled writing machine. She told us about a couple of projects they had and were looking to find writers for. Two in particular she thought might be up our alley. She pitched us these projects and asked if we would be interested in giving our “take” on the projects. We said we certainly would.

Our "take” may sound simple, but it is in fact, our “audition” for the writing job. This company isn’t going to pay a writing team without a reputation, (just like a film isn’t going to cast an unknown actress) unless we can prove to them that they will get their money’s worth. So, our "take” translated to a detailed treatment of the film we would write if given the opportunity. We spent all of last week coming up with our concept for the film and turning it into a concise and entertaining ten-page document. We submitted that document on Friday and hope to hear back soon. This week we will do the same thing for the second project.

Writing as a team presented some challenges. I’ve been writing alone for a long time now and I have a way of doing things that isn’t always conducive to collaboration. We hit certain roadblocks in the process that made me seriously question whether or not we would be able to pull it off. Thankfully, we addressed our problems as they arose and powered through our frustrations. In the end, I found that a writing partner made me work harder and faster. I was forced to defend my decisions and I was able to more quickly let go of my bad ideas. WriterGal and I are happy with the results and are looking forward to the next project.

Writing Team (016)

I’ve always wanted to have a writing partner. Setting out to write a new script is daunting, so the idea of having someone else doing half the work is appealing. I want that partner to bounce ideas off, to tweak dialog with and to push me forward when I think I’ve hit a wall. And in the end, if the script sucks, at least I would have someone else to blame.


Seriously though, I think I would make a good writing partner. I’d give equal to what I take, I’d be willing to compromise and I would not be afraid to take a stand. A writing team is a relationship. I’ve always been a relationship guy (three relationships totaling ten years), so I’m surprised that it has taken me this long to find a writing partner.

I wasn’t looking for a writing partner. In fact, I didn’t realize I had a writing partner until my manager scheduled an interview for my writing partner and me. You see, I wrote a TV pilot based on my girlfriend’s one-woman show. This TV pilot impressed a development executive at a production company. This executive has a project that requires a strong female voice and she likes our project enough for an interview. Suddenly, my girlfriend (henceforth known as WriterGal) and I are going out for an interview as a writing team.

This development has left me both excited and nervous. Is it really wise to add the stresses of a work relationship to the stresses of a romantic relationship? Many people warn against mixing business with pleasure. Others, however, find comfort in working with the person they love. My inclination is that the experience will be both trying and rewarding. I might need to exercise my patience to a new extreme, but if we can transfer our compatibility as a couple to our work, then we will be in pretty good shape. Our shared sense of humor, coupled with WriterGal's training as a comedian and my training as a screenwriter, could potentially yield some highly satisfactory results.

Writer Being Manny (015)

Some people believe that success in any business requires starting from the bottom and working your way up. The path might be unpredictable, but eventually you get where you want to go. You learn on the job, where you develop and refine your skills. Sometimes you discover that what you really want is different than what you planned, but ultimately just as fulfilling.

For the most part, I agree with this philosophy and I believe it can be applied to my field. There are many writers who get their start as a writer’s assistant (WA). I have more than one friend that went from getting coffee to pitching story ideas to writing their own episode of a TV show. In many ways, it appears to be the perfect job to ensure I reach my goals. On the other hand, WA days are long, leaving little time to work on my own material. At the end of the day, there would be no guarantee that the job would lead to career advancement. Even if it did, I might find myself writing for a television show that I hate. When that show gets cancelled three years down the line I could be back at square one.

I still believe that my greatest asset is good material. The more good writing samples I have, the better chance I have of writing before thirty. I’ve only been pondering the pros and cons of being a WA because writing full time without getting paid has resulted in a severe lack of monetary funds. I’ve already passively started looking for WA jobs. They are coveted and not easy to come by. Despite my reservations, if I am offered a WA job, I will take it.

Until then, out of fear of not making next months rent, I am forced to take whatever job presents itself, even if it has nothing to do with writing and even if it means falling behind in my writing schedule. I call these non-writing jobs, “Rent Jobs.”

I have a love/hate relationship with “Rent Jobs.” I absolutely depend on them to survive but I despise them for delaying my larger goals. I’ve had all sorts of “Rent Jobs” in the past few years. Some of the jobs have been film related. I’ve worked as an office PA and as a set PA. I’ve worked in the art department, the props department, the lighting department, and even the wardrobe department. I’ve shot behind the scenes material for independent films, I’ve shot and edited wedding videos, and I have been the personal assistant to a film director.

Other jobs have been completely unrelated to the film business. I’ve catered weddings, I’ve stuffed goody bags for an alcohol promotion party, and I’ve worked a security detail at a cemetery with go-go dancers. I helped load buses during The Kid’s Choice Awards, I’ve worked as a “facilitator” at pharmaceutical trade shows, and I’ve driven around town hanging up posters for a skateboarding exhibition. I’ve moved things, cleaned things, built things and dismantled things. Though most of these jobs pay terribly and completely disregard my college education, I am extremely grateful to all my employers for helping me keep from getting evicted.

This past week I started a new “Rent Job.” I am a nanny for a 7-year-old boy in my neighborhood. My actor friend makes a living as a nanny (he prefers the term Manny) and he was nice enough to pass some extra work my way. As far as “Rent Jobs” go, this one isn’t so bad. I actually have more in common with a 7-year-old than I’d like to admit. I’m also learning a lot about childcare. For instance, young children don’t really understand sarcasm. They just think you are being a dick, which I suppose I was. Childcare lesson #1: Don’t be a dick.


I’ve also learned that children don’t want to do anything that Harry Potter doesn’t do. Luckily, I am aware of Harry Potter’s likes and dislikes. For instance, Harry Potter likes taking his shoes off when he gets in the house and Harry Potter likes washing his hands before eating lunch. Harry Potter dislikes kicking his Manny in the shin and Harry Potter dislikes using a Super Soaker in the living room. Childcare lesson #2: Ask yourself, WWHPD?

I am even learning to be less competitive. We play all sorts of games, but I am especially competitive when it comes to feats of dexterity. (By the way, “Feats of Dexterity” is in competition with “Stone Fruit Season” to become my band name, if I ever start a band.) Seriously though, from finger football to “Whack a Mole,” I am a sore loser. This is one of the things a 7-year-old and I have in common. We both dislike playing games we are not good at. I don’t want to play Star Wars on the Wii and he doesn’t want to have a three point shooting contest on a ten-foot hoop. Childcare lesson #3: Let them win… once in a while.

I’m sure my job as a Manny won’t be my last random “Rent Job.” Then again, if I can find a way to keep up with my writing schedule while working as a nanny, it could be a perfect solution for the time being. If I could write all morning, and take care of a kid after school for a few hours, it could be adequate to pay rent. But is the extra writing time achieved by working as a nanny really more beneficial than the connections and experience of working as a WA?

What I would really like is to sell a screenplay or be commissioned to write a script so I can stop worrying about “Rent Jobs.” I go to Doylestown, Pennsylvania for a wedding next week. When I return I have an introductory meeting with a film company looking to develop a new project. Hopefully I can convince them that my writing talent is exactly what they need for their film. If not, maybe they will have a young child that needs a babysitter.

You’ve Got To Be Kidneying Me (014)

I am pleased to inform you that a reader recently praised Write Before Thirty, calling it “totally raw and humble.” Drawing attention to this compliment surely negates it, but I find it to be an appropriate description of today’s entry. You see, this blog is about to get more raw (rawer?) than it has ever been as I transcribe one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Reader discretion advised.

According to my original schedule, I am supposed to have 90 pages of my PT script completed by this evening. That’s not going to happen. There are many factors that can get in the way of a writer reaching his deadline. Writer’s block is a big reason, but a funk was not my problem this week. The need to take on a paid, non-writing job, is another factor, but that wasn’t the issue either. During the past week my writing has taken a backseat to my backseat. Yes, there’s a reason I am writing this while lying down in bed and that reason is not laziness. Ok fine, there are two reasons why I am writing this from bed and one of those reasons is not laziness.

Confused? Let me start from the beginning. I went to bed on Monday night feeling pretty grand. I had a perfectly adequate writing day and was looking forward to waking up early for another productive morning. Well, the night had a different set of plans. I dreamt that I was fighting in a war and some guy that I formerly suspected of having a thing for my girlfriend had poisoned me. The poison was taking effect and my organs were failing. It was painful. When I woke up from the dream, the pain did not go away. I was fevering and I was aching all over, especially in my lower back. Of course, I immediately assumed that I had H1N1, but after speaking with my girlfriend’s dad (who happens to have an MD at the end of his name) I decided it was just a virus. Look, I’m not exactly the toughest cookie. You probably know that because I say things like “toughest cookie.” Well, I tried to get in front of the computer and do some work but it wasn’t happening. When I get sick, I don’t write. I whine and complain and I do a lot of moaning. So that is what I did on Tuesday.

Hoping that the virus would be a 24hr bug, I still planned to get a good deal of work accomplished when I woke up on Wednesday. There are a couple of things you never want to see when you wake up in the morning. A severed horse head tucked under the sheets is one of those things. The other is blood in your urine. Have you ever had the pleasure of seeing blood in your urine? This was my first time, but there is certainly something in the human body that instinctively sounds an alarm when it sees something very wrong. For instance, when I broke and dislocated my left index finger, I immediately knew that my finger was not meant to rest at a 90-degree angle in that direction, so my instincts took over and forced my finger back into the socket. Well, when I saw blood where blood was not supposed to be, I instinctively went back to bed and pretended it never happened. I later asked my girlfriend if it would "hypothetically" be weird if I were "hypothetically" pissing blood. Well, she instinctively called Dr. Dad and Dr. Dad instinctively told me to get my ass to the ER.

I spent 8 hours in the ER on Wednesday. 3 hours in the morning to get a kidney infection diagnosis from a lousy doctor, then 5 hours in the evening to get the same diagnosis from a better doctor, this time with a CAT scan. Last year I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism, a benign tumor on one of my parathyroid glands, resulting in elevated calcium levels. This calcium can accumulate in the kidneys and cause stones. I had the diseased parathyroid removed but dormant kidney stones could plausibly still be moving around and causing a blockage. A CAT scan would show if I had stones.

Along with death by drowning and clowns, kidney stones is one of my greatest fears. Multiple people I know have had kidney stones and their accounts couldn’t have been more chilling. I was told, though I’m pretty sure the guy couldn’t prove it, that passing a kidney stone is more painful than giving birth. Another friend put it, in all seriousness, “You know, I’ve never been shot, but I can’t imagine it would hurt any worse.” The CAT scan showed that I did not have kidney stones. Disaster avoided. I was given antibiotics and told to follow up with an urologist.

The ER recommended a urologist but he wasn’t covered under my insurance, so I went to the best place to get a recommendation… the young producer. For some reason the young producer is able to recommend any kind of medical specialist or specialized lawyer in the LA area at the drop of a hat. It took less than three seconds for the young producer to recommend a good urologist. At the time I was still in so much discomfort that I didn’t laugh when I heard the doctor's name, which happened to be a synonym for testicle.

I sweated through two sets of sheets the night before going to see Dr. Testes. I’m pretty sure the sweats had to do with my fever breaking, but it may have also had something to do with dreading my visit to the urologist. I had heard some stories involving scopes and other contraptions and I wasn’t looking forward to the experience. Dr. Testes works out of a very large urology practice in an affluent part of town. The staff of receptionists, crammed side by side in their wood paneled fortress, answering phones and passing out paperwork was like a modern day version of the crowded but efficient switchboard operator rooms of the early days of telephones. I don’t know why, but I found this strangely comforting. I was also put at ease by no less than nine diplomas on the wall of Dr. Testes’ office. If you have five or more diplomas on your wall, I will trust whatever the hell you tell me. Dr. Testes and I were starting off on the right foot.

Dr. Testes said we would start with a urine sample. If I were still pissing blood he’d have to take a look at my bladder. That sounded like a fine idea, until he explained that he would have to take a look at my bladder through the tip of my willy. Fortunately, I was no longer pissing blood. Unfortunately, the exam did not end there. Certain moments in life you are sure to remember forever. For me, those include my first kiss, the day I met the love of my life, and then this past Thursday, the day I lost my anal virginity. It all happened so fast. Dr. Testes warmed me up with a little “head to the left and cough” foreplay before asking me to bend over the exam table. I only caught a glimpse of the tube of lubrication before I realized Dr. Testes was massaging my prostate. He was in and out in less than ten seconds. I smiled sheepishly as Dr. Testes handed me a couple of tissues and walked to the door. The following awkward exchange ensued:

Me: Are you leaving?
Dr. Testes: The technician will be right in to do an ultrasound of your kidneys and rectum.
Me: Oh. I see
Dr. Testes: You can pull up your pants now.
Me: I have to pee.
Dr. Testes: Use the small sink
Me: Seriously?
Dr. Testes: Yes.
Me: Thank you.
Dr. Testes: It's a urology office. That's why it's there.

I urinated in a sink for the first time since college. The technician then arrived, wheeling in the ultrasound machine. I was instructed to drop my trousers, lie down on the table, and face the wall in the fetal position. We made the prerequisite small talk before the technician unveiled his apparatus. I think his apparatus is best describes as looking like a large electric toothbrush.

The procedure took significantly longer than the finger technique. I assume it is necessary to get images from a number of different angles because there was a good deal of navigation going on. My memory of the event is cloudy, but I did discover my uncontrollable, pain-induced swear word. Hopefully the technician thought I was Australian and therefore using it as a term of endearment. When it was over, the technician politely cleaned me up and asked me to sit up so he could do an ultrasound of my kidneys. This was a much more relaxing experience and I wondered why we didn’t start there. As I pulled up my pants, I asked the technician if it was customary to tip. He laughed and went along his way. Typical.

I sat down with Dr. Testes and my girlfriend to receive the proper diagnosis: Prostatitis. That means I have a prostate infection. Such a tiny organ has been causing all these problems and preventing me from writing. Dr. Testes assured me that this type of thing is rather common, almost like getting a sinus infection. The treatment is thirty days of antibiotics with no sex for at least a week. I guess my girlfriend looked disappointed when he said this, so he reassured her, “Dear, you can do whatever you want.” I can’t believe he said that. You’d think he’d have my back after he... had my back. Oh, I also need to be on Flomax for a couple of weeks and I should probably be sitting on a donut. That’s right, a butt pillow, like the ones old people use when they get hemorrhoids. I don’t even know where to buy something like that. Maybe I can just use my girlfriend’s neck pillow.

People have always been telling me that I act older than my age. I guess this week I proved them right. A friend of mine (who has been through some similar medical experiences) lamented, “We’re the gazelles at the back of the pack.” I didn’t understand at first, but he went on to explain that we are genetically inferior and therefore the lions have an easier time snatching us up and devouring us. Encouraging.

Raw and humble or just plain embarrassing? I’m not really sure, but it has played at least a small factor in my struggle to reach my writing goals, so I am compelled to blog about it. Let’s hope that the antibiotics kick in and I’m back to full days of writing in the weeks to come. In the meantime, I'll be drinking plenty of water, watching movies, and complaining about painful urination.

The Study (013)

I may have given the impression that I have a proper office. That's not the case. I have a home office, or what one might refer to as "the study." I share this small study with my girlfriend.

My Office


My View

Knock on Partical Board? (012)

The "no funk" routine seems to be working, knock on wood. Wait, is IKEA furniture acceptable for knocking on wood? Because everything in my office comes from IKEA and I'm pretty sure there is synthetic resin in everything they make. I feel like you need to knock on a solid piece of wood, not wood chips, saw dust and synthetic resin. Sometimes I knock on my head after I say "knock on wood" as a self-deprecating insinuation that my brain is made of wood. I don't think that counts either.

As I was saying, waking up at 8am and getting to work by 9am has made me much more productive. (You can tell by the lack of blog entries this past week). It has also put me in a better mood. I've spent the mornings reworking my psychological thriller (PT) outline. I also found time to watch "Don't Look Now," that 1973 Nicolas Roeg film. I find it to be one of the scariest movies of all time and I wanted to watch it for inspiration. I think I'm finally at a place where I can start writing the script again. In general, the mornings have been dedicated to my PT script, and I've spent the afternoons making notes on my girlfriend's one woman show. She put up the show almost two years ago, but she is looking to bring it back and I hope to have a bigger role in making it happen this time.

My relatively good mood remains, despite the fact that we are still waiting to hear back about our sitcom pilot (SP1). It has been two weeks and we still don't know if the enthusiastic production company we pitched would like to move forward with SP1. What is taking them so long? I'm getting impatient.

Another production company recently passed on Sitcom Pilot 2 but maintained that they would potentially still like to be involved in SP1. I'm not really sure what that even means. I'm just going to trust that my manager and young producer have it under control as I keep on writing.

State of The Script (011)

Recently I have attributed a large chunk of my writing woes to the post meeting blues, so I might as well report on how that last meeting went. Last Friday, the 24th of July, we met with an independent production company interested in “Sitcom Pilot 1,” or SP1 for short. SP1 is the script that I wrote based on the one-woman show of a standup comedienne. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to mention that this comedienne also happens to be my girlfriend. The show is written for her to star, which can be a difficult sell since she is not quite famous.

The meeting went rather well. The head of the television department praised the writing, calling it hilarious and smart. The president of the company added his praise, and offered up certain partnerships ideas that would help us sell the show. We were told that because we are new writers, a network will most likely attempt to purchase the show then replace us with their own writing team. We would make some money selling them our idea and then we would be left in the dust. This isn’t what we want. The president of this small company knows that we want to maintain our creative control. We are told that one way to go about that is to partner with an established showrunner that believes in our abilities and would be willing to stick her neck out and take us under her wing. The president of the company has some ideas about how to go about this, but no final decisions were made in the room. And now we wait….

In the meantime, a major film and television star’s production company read SP1. They have a first look deal at one of the major networks. We got the script into their hands thanks to a friend of the family connection. These connections rarely amount to much, but in this case it may have started a relationship that could be mutually beneficial in the future. The director of TV development read SP1 and praised the writing. Ultimately, she passed, citing that the network they produce content for is looking for single-talent driven shows, rather than workplace comedies. She asked that we please send her more material in the future that is appropriate for their company. When the comments are genuine, and I sense that they are in this case, I’m learning to look at positive passes as small victories.

Get the Funk out Ma Face (010)

The writing week from hell is coming to a close. No progress on the PT script finds me nearly twenty pages behind schedule. It’s not for lack of effort. I can only hope that all the trying and failing this week will lead to some sort of breakthrough in the near future. On the plus side, I think I may have isolated one of the triggers to my writing funk. Identifying my triggers might help me get out of this funk and avoid the next one.

So, I’m pretty sure the recent catalysts for my writing lulls have been pitch meetings. I seem to be going into the funk directly after a big meeting. Tom Petty once professed, “The waiting is the hardest part.” I’m fairly sure this was in reference to pitching screenplays. There’s nothing as frustrating as waiting to know how things are going to play out after a meeting. I’m putting everything on the line writing these scripts on spec and my entire future rests in the hands (and wallets) of the folks with the money.

I’m helpless as I wait to hear the verdict. For someone as reluctant to relinquish control as myself, this is particularly trying. I pretend it doesn’t faze me. I tell myself that no matter what the moneymen decide about my project, my life isn’t going to change. In a way, this is true. If I sell or option a script tomorrow, I won’t run out and buy a new car. I won’t be able to afford a house. I won’t even buy a new HDTV. For the most part, life will go on as normal.

If I say that my life won’t change at all, I’d be lying. Relieving a little of the financial pressure would be nice. Also, selling a script would most likely aid me in finding an agent, and subsequently more writing projects. However, there will be a subtle change that will affect me more profoundly. Sometimes I want so bad to succeed that I feel everything I write needs to be brilliant. As a result, my writing suffers. If I sold just one script and felt that small measure of success, I think I would finally feel like I have a little breathing room to make mistakes. I’m not sure why that weight feels so heavy, but I can visualize it being lifted off and it feels really fucking good.

Now that I can attribute at least a portion of my writing funk to “the waiting,” I’m hoping that I can step out of it. That being said, I know there are more things I can be doing to get out and stay out of a funk. Basically, I need to get into writing shape. I’m a better basketball player when I train and stick to a regimen, and I’m a big fan of sports analogies, so it would only make sense if the same were true for my writing.


I’m going to start off by fine-tuning my routine. I got so caught up creating a broad writing schedule that I overlooked the daily schedule. For starters, I need get my ass out of bed bright and early. Sleeping until 10AM cannot be an option. From now on, 8AM is the latest I should ever be waking up during a weekday. People with real jobs do this all the time. Writing is my real job, so I can’t make exceptions. Waking up at 8AM or earlier should give me plenty of time to eat breakfast, shower, and check up on any breaking news before starting my writing at 9AM. Lunch break will be one hour, same time everyday. I’ll stop writing at a decent time in order to enjoy life and ensure that I do not burn out. I’m thinking 5PM, just in time to feed and walk the dogs.

Facebook, email, and even blogging will need to take a back seat if I’m serious about funk prevention. I’m embarrassed to admit that I am compelled to check my facebook news feed constantly throughout the day. At this very moment I am fighting the urge to open a new tab and see what amusing quips my friends (and friends of friends) have added to their wall. Full disclosure: I couldn’t resist. I checked. A comment about the film “Funny People,” a picture of a heart in a watermelon, and five unfortunate hornet stings were among the highlights. I don’t really know why I check my email so often. It is mostly junk mail. Did you know that igourmet.com is having their biggest sale of the year on cheese? It ends on Monday night so place your order immediately (not kidding… their cheese is actually pretty good). I’m thinking about implementing a reward system. If I write for a half hour straight, I can check email for five minutes. Facebook, however, needs to wait for lunch.

A sharp body equals a sharp mind. I don’t actually know if that is true, but I’m going with it. This is why I must include time for exercise as part of my “no funk” plan. I’ll either need to wake up early to exercise or exercise after 5PM. I could possibly exercise during an extended lunch break and push my writing schedule back one hour.

Spending some time outside of my apartment will also be key to keeping me in good writing spirits. I'm thinking part of my writing day should be spent at the oft dreaded coffee shop or the local public library. Either a 9AM - 12:30PM shift or a 1:30PM - 5PM shift. Going somewhere during the day will make me feel like I have a purpose and it will force me to get dressed for at least a few hours.

Personal hygiene is part of my funk prevention plan. You might think this goes without saying, but often times one can forget how refreshing a shower can be. I’ve also decided that I need to stop using the “writer’s beard” excuse. I’ve been telling people that I need to grow this wretched beard because it makes me look older and therefore I’m taken more seriously in the pitch room. It might make me look older, but it makes me feel like a bum. Seriously, it’s getting out of hand. I was on the way back from the dry cleaners yesterday and the homeless man that always hounds me for change didn’t bother asking me for money. Instead, he just looked up at me and gave me this pathetic, sympathetic nod, as if to say, “hang on buddy, things will get better.” "Look good, feel good" is going to be my new mantra. I think I might even get a haircut after I cash my last unemployment check.

If I can apply all these new strategies, I should hopefully be able to move forward and get back on track with my writing. Maybe more importantly, it should help me be a more pleasant person to be around. Separating my writing from the rest of my life has been a difficult challenge thus far. It really isn’t a “leave your work at the office” type of profession. I look forward to finding the right balance.

Shining Happy People (009)

I was watching THE SHINING this afternoon in a desperate search for inspiration. I thought that one of the greatest psychological thriller / horror films of all time would certainly get my creative juices flowing and help me battle through my own PT script. I was marking down the key events and the precise minute in which each event occurred when I had a frightening realization: I was relating to Jack Torrence.

I’ve seen this film at least twice before and it normally scares the bejesus out of me. However, this afternoon I was scared to a whole new level. I found myself viewing THE SHINING, not as a horror film, but as a simple and accurate character study of a writer struggling to finish his work. You see, the past week has been a disaster for my PT script. At some point I realized that I couldn’t go forward without a proper outline, but I refused to admit it. The result was nine-hour workdays that involved staring at my computer screen, staring at my cereal bowl, and staring out the window (much like Jack Torrence in minute 46 -- probably the first indication that Jack is on the verge of mental collapse).


I’m still stuck on page 43 of my script and all the work I’ve put in over the last two weeks might as well add up to “All work and no play makes WriterGuy a dull boy.” Cabin Fever has struck in my two-bedroom apartment. I’ve grown completely unreasonable. Making the bed, washing the dishes, changing out of my pajamas, going outside… these all seem like preposterous ideas. I’m singularly focused on finishing this script, yet day after day passes without any inkling of substance transcribed and I find myself falling into madness. Did my dog just say something?

Desperation is setting in. My money is gone. I’ve just received my credit card bill and I don’t have the money in my account to pay for it. I should probably call and let my parents know so they don’t find out by reading this blog. I suppose I have two options. Option 1: I can ask for a loan. Option 2: I can get a job. Getting a fulltime job will certainly destroy my writing schedule. If I do get a job, it sure as hell isn’t going to be at the Overlook Hotel.

Entertainment Lawyer (008)

My manager has advised that I have an entertainment lawyer at the ready just in case our sitcom magically gets on the fast track. Do you happen to know a lawyer that you would highly recommend? My manager has a recommendation, as does the young producer, so I'm only looking for a "no, you need to use my guy, he (or she) is amazing" style recommendation.

I don't know very many lawyers or much about what they do, so I don't really know what to tell you I am looking for in a lawyer. Everything I know about lawyers, I learned from watching movies. If I had a choice, I would prefer a lawyer from a 1940s film. Think of the skillful, dedicated, and witty characters in ADAM'S RIB. They would do the job and also be great pals. I could also go for a lawyer from the 1960s. Gregory Peck's saintly Atticus Finch comes to mind. I know I don't want a lawyer from the '80s or '90s. They are mostly rude, drink a lot, have loose sexual morals, and use too much hair product.

I hope this helps you give me a good recommendation. Thank you in advance.

State of the Script (007)

"State of the Script" is a progress or setback update involving any of the completed scripts that I am trying to sell. The scripts are constantly being submitted places, but I am only posting what I consider to be developments (positive and/or negative).

State of the Animated Family Comedy Feature:

(+) Pitched my script to a creative executive at a major animation studio.
(-) Major animation studio passed two days later, citing similarities to works in their pipeline.

(-) Manager submitted my treatment to another major animation studio. Head of animation division read treatment, had meeting about it, and eventually passed. No specific reason was cited.

State of Sitcom Pilot #1:

(+) A studio that I was previously unaware of has shown interest. I don't know the details, but a meeting has been set up for the end of the week.

Writing Process Q&A (006)

Last week a fellow blogger commented on my writing schedule, asking some excellent questions about my writing process. I’d like to use this entry to answer those questions to the best of my ability and as honestly as possible.

Question
Is this how you went about writing your previous scripts?

Answer
Every script I have written has been slightly different. The first feature script that I was really proud of was written in a screenwriting course with a workshop. Since then, I’ve attempted to duplicate those writing conditions in order to repeat the results. The writing process I used for that first solid feature looked something like this:

I started with the idea and turned it into a logline. A good logline has built-in conflict and gives a concrete idea of the beginning, middle and end. If I have a good logline, then I move forward with a bit a confidence, knowing that I should be able to find a good script.

[If I were writing a script that needed research, I would research here. For instance, for the Psychological Thriller (PT) script, I read three books about the subject I am writing about. I jotted down notes and just sat around thinking about the world I would be writing about for a long period of time. Actually, I was busy working on other projects at the same time, so this process lasted for a couple of years].

Snowplowing came next. Snowplowing is basically just writing out everything you think should happen in the story from beginning to end. Then, you try to do that again a day or two later and see how similar the two snowplows are. Repeat as many times as necessary. The idea being that the really important things, the heart of the story, will force itself to the forefront.

Next, I made character bios for the protagonist, antagonist, and a couple other secondary characters. Within the character bios I wrote some dialog to get a feel of the way the characters speak.

I then took the major beats from that snowplow and plugged them into a script timeline. I played around with this for a while, making sure that the arc and the ups and downs of the script were sufficient. (More on the timeline later).

From the timeline, I wrote out a couple pages that summarize the beginning, middle, and end of the film. This is a called a “two-minute movie.” From the “two-minute,” I made a more detailed step outline of the entire story. For me, this was each and every general scene heading, followed by the scene written out in prose. No dialog is included in this part.

I was taught to do a beat sheet before this step outline. A beat sheet is simply every single thing that happens in the film from beginning to end. Each beat is only a few words or one line. I found myself skipping this step and going right to the more detailed step outline.

From the step outline, I started writing the script.

I have since made an attempt at some type of detailed writing schedule for every project I work on. It has been extremely difficult to discipline myself without a workshop holding me accountable each week. All I know is, the more I outline and prep, the easier the script is to write and the better the script will be.


Question
Do you plan to go back and reread (and edit?) what you've already written while you're adding more or do you plan to just get the full page count before you do any editing?

Answer
I don’t plan to go back and edit before I’ve finished the rough draft, but sometimes I can’t help it. There’s no way around it really. When I have a tight outline, it isn’t as necessary, but I still make minor adjustments as I go. When I don’t have a tight outline, as I’m learning now with this PT script, things get very difficult. I’m desperately trying to power through the rough draft, but it is impossible. I just realized that I didn’t need to introduce a particular character until twenty pages after I introduced him. Knowing this is driving me crazy and I feel compelled to go change it now before I continue. Then again (because my outline is so flimsy), I will probably just change my mind and waste more time changing it back.

Question
Do you know what point in the story you should be at by certain pages, or are you just going to figure it out as you go?

Answer
Yes and No. When I start a project I use a timeline that I adopted from some of my writing professors. I set out with the intention of having all my major story points fall comfortably into this timeline. In some instances, that includes actual page numbers lining up. More often, I start by following the timeline and wind up improvising on it. I use the page numbers as rough guidelines. The most important thing is to actually hit the major beats of the story. The beats are like tent poles that hold up the story and give it shape. It is a lot easier to pitch the tent when you have these tent poles in place.

The following timeline should give you an idea of how I plot the major beats in my screenplay.


Page 1 - Opening Hook
In the first couple pages (preferable the very first page) I want to pull the audience into the film while setting up the genre and the tone.

Back Story
Only if needed. This information may not be needed until later.

First 10 Pages
In the first ten pages I want to set up the world of the film and learn what the protagonist values. These values could and probably should change.

Also in first ten pages:
What does the protagonist fear and what is his flaw?
What is at stake? The stakes should be life and death for the protagonist.
What is the goal? The protagonist should be willing to go great lengths for this goal.

And:
Establish a Central Question that can be resolved in climax.
Example: “Will E.T. find his way home?” At the climax we get a yes or no answer.


Page 17
Essential set-up. Should be clear what the movie is about.

Page 30 - First Act Break
At page 30 you hit a reversal, a crisis. Positive becomes negative. Fears come to the surface. Now there are new rules, new teams, and a new world. Sometimes characters cross over to the new world but now they have a new job. Some schools of thought say that first act should break earlier, around page 17. For me, it differs from script to script.

Page 45
There should be an indication of the love story. Could be man/woman, father/son, best friends, or boy/dog.

Page 50
Start the sequence to midpoint. From beginning of story the protagonist has been reactive. Things are going great for the protagonist. On page 50 the antagonist ruins everything and the protagonist must rally the troops and rise to the midpoint.

Page 60 - Midpoint.
Protagonist seizes control of his or her own destiny. Goes from reactive to active and from want to need. Goes forth with knowledge. The protagonist knows the power of the antagonist but chooses to go forth anyhow.

Page 60+
Immediately after the protagonist tries to move forward, the antagonist rains down hard, with full force. The antagonist is not at bay here.

Page 75 - Big Pit
False achievement of goal, then things are shaken up. Whatever the protagonist fears comes very close to happening.

Page 90 - Big Gloom
Things have been going good again. Protagonist is back on top then the antagonist comes back in and things are as bad as ever. Just when it can’t get worse, it does. The protagonist is in the most pain possible. Everything dear to that person is gone.

Epiphany
Somewhere between the big gloom and the climax, there must be an epiphany. Why he is really there, etc.

Climax
The climax.

Resolution
Could be one page or fifteen pages. I prefer when films end when the story is over. I like short third acts.


That's the timeline. It isn't a science. It is just a guideline that I start with. I think it is debatable whether or not the second act ends after the big gloom, or if it ends after the climax. I also don’t think it matters as long as you hit the major beats.

Sometimes a story magically falls into place along that timeline. Sometimes I have to force it. Sometimes I knowingly shoot myself in the foot and makes things difficult. In my PT script, I’m making things very difficult. I’ve decided that my protagonist should become my antagonist around the big gloom, when he kills the antagonist. How does that fit into my trusted timeline? I have no idea.

I brainstormed the PT script forever but I still couldn’t find a way to make it fit into a neat little structure. Still, I loved the concept and really believed that there could be something great in it. Eventually, I said, “screw it.” For the first time, I’m going into the rough draft not knowing all the answers. I’m putting my faith in the rewrite process. I’m on page 35 today and I detest each and every page that I have written. The only good news is that I finally know what my protagonist looks like. He looks like Joseph Gordon Levitt.

Writing Schedule (005)

I made a decision. I am going to write the psychological thriller for my next assignment. I have decided to do this because I already have a rough treatment for the project. I am going to attempt to make the jump from this rough treatment to a rough draft at a clip of three pages per workday. I’ve actually already started and I’m moving along at a decent pace. My treatment is not as fleshed out as I would like, so I expect there to be a lengthy rewrite process after I finish the rough draft.

Psychological Thriller (PT) Writing Schedule:

July 17th .......... Page 30
July 24th ......... Page 45
July 31st .......... Page 60
August 7th .......... Page 75
August 14th .......... Page 90
August 21st .......... Complete Rough Draft
September 11th .......... Complete First Draft
September 23rd .......... Complete Second Draft


If I find that I continue to move along at a good pace, I will try to work on my romantic comedy outline simultaneously. I have never committed to working on two projects at the same time, but it would be beneficial if I want to reach my more long term writing goals. If I follow this schedule, I would hope to have a “showable” draft of the PT script by the autumnal equinox (9/23). Then I could spend the entire fall working on the RomCom (ok, I think I hate that term).


Long Term Writing Schedule:

September 23rd 2009 .......... Psychological Thriller
December 25th 2009 .......... Romantic Comedy
March 21st 2010 .......... Another Script TBD
Spring 2010 .......... Outline Lebanon Script
Summer 2010 .......... Write Lebanon Script
Summer 2011 .......... Direct Lebanon Film
Fall 2012 .......... “Make it” in the film business

Writing in Coffee Shops (004)

A coffee shop is the ideal place for me to get some writing done while still maintaining an acceptable level of sanity. I get out of the house, I sit in a comfortable chair, and I make intermittent eye contact with attractive strangers. On a good day, I spend the entire afternoon at an outdoor cafe. I wear tight jeans and a v-neck t-shirt. I sip an endless latte and jot down brilliant musings in my moleskin notebook (the kind that Hemingway used). As the sun sets I pack up my belongings, say “cheerio” to my fellow coffee shop loiterers, and walk home pleased with my hard day’s work.

Nothing in the above paragraph is true (except the v-neck part).

I’m at a coffee shop right now. I hate it here. Why? First of all, I don’t drink coffee, so there’s that. Also, I’m a lousy multi-tasker. I can’t concentrate on writing AND drinking a beverage. As a result, I choose to concentrate on drinking whatever drink I just ordered. If I choose to concentrate on writing then my drink will get cold. Today I ordered an overpriced chai latte (sometimes I get an overpriced hot chocolate). I’m stressing about how much that drink just cost me. The same scenario plays out every time. I finish the beverage in about five to ten minutes. I then get paranoid about sitting in a coffee shop without a beverage. Is the barista watching me? Does she think I’m hanging around too long, poaching her wireless Internet? Caving under the pressure, I get a second beverage or I just pack up and go home. If I get the second beverage, I’m far too stressed about wasting money on drinks to get any good writing done.

Parking and going to the bathroom are always an issue. I most likely parked in a one-hour only parking zone and I’ll have to move my car. If I leave the coffee shop to move my car, do I have to pay for another drink when I return? What if someone takes my seat while I’m moving my car? I can’t leave my laptop in the coffee shop unless I have someone with me. Of course, if I have someone with me, I just talk to that person and don’t get any writing done. I can ask the dude next to me to watch my computer, but how do I know that I can trust him? If I wanted to make a quick buck, I would travel from town to town and hang out at coffee shops until someone asked me to watch their laptop.

I’m going to the library.

Backstory (003)

I never meant to become a writer. I meant to become a professional basketball player. My back up plan was to become a teacher and basketball coach. High School taught me a lot of things, but it mostly taught me that I wasn’t going to be a professional basketball player. For the most part, I did not enjoy high school, so going back to that environment to teach and coach quickly became out of the question.

I dealt with high school blues by escaping through film. When I was young my mother prepared me for a love of film by showing my brothers and me classic films, mostly Cary Grant screwball comedies or musicals like Singin’ In The Rain and The Court Jester. In High School it was Monty Python, Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. I identified with these films, but mostly with the authors voice. Something about them made me feel comfortable, safe, and confident in a happy ending.

When my senior theology class was assigned biographies, the teacher told us we could execute our project in any form we wanted. My subject was Albert Einstein and I chose to make a film about him. I wrote the script and my best friend played Albert. It was a comedic biopic where I told the story of Albert Einstein’s life in about five minutes. The end credits rolled and I took the VHS out of machine. My classmates just shook their heads like I was an asshole for wasting five minutes of their lives. It didn’t matter. I was hooked. I caught the filmmaking bug and later applied to colleges with respected film programs.

I studied filmmaking in Boston. The program was strong in film theory but weak in film production. I edited my first five short films on a Steinbeck. Editing one film on a flatbed makes sense, but five (in the 2000’s) is absurd. College exposed me to some amazing films and filmmakers. Bergman, Tarkovsky, Godard, Kurosawa – they all played a positive role in redefining the way I looked at film. College also introduced me to some young filmmakers who quickly became and remain some of my best friends. These friends helped me write and direct my senior film, an absurd comedy about a band of misfits that come together to save the banana from going extinct. The film was a relative success as far as silly student films go but wasn’t about to find its way into Cannes or Sundance.

I graduated from college and moved to Los Angeles not having much clue how the business side of the film business works. (Actually, I’m still confused). That didn’t stop me from starting a production company with seven of my closest college friends. We had a clever name, “F8 Pictures”, so I figured we’d be all set. I don’t remember exactly what our plan was, but I think our goal had something to do with opening our own studio, having arms in LA, NY, Boston and Sydney, ruling the film business, starting a new Hollywood in the suburbs of Boston and ending world hunger. I dissolved the company within the year. Apparently you need to pay small business taxes or something like that.

In Los Angeles I started working on films as a production assistant. Some small independents, some big budget Hollywood fair. This gave me conversation starters when my family interrogated me about life in Hollywood, but it left me creatively unfulfilled. I didn’t have the money to make another short film so I decided to concentrate on writing. When self-motivation wasn’t enough, I enrolled in a highly respected screenwriting program in Los Angeles. The program helped refine my skills as a screenwriter. I wrote one coming of age story (it wasn’t very good) and one family comedy (which I’m shopping around).

My family comedy got the young producer interested in my work. My latest project, the original sitcom that I wrote (based on the material of a standup comedienne), got the manager interested in my work.

I still play basketball twice a week.

... and for my next trick ? (002)

Though you never would have guessed it by reading my morose introductory blog, my manager thinks that I should be writing a comedy for my next project. She likes my “comedic voice” (it sounds something like James Earl Jones) and thinks she has the best shot at selling a comedy for me. The young producer agrees and adds that it should be a romantic comedy due to the success of recent romantic comedies at the box office. Also, there is a junior executive at a major studio that has shown interest in a particular “romcom” idea that I informally pitched him over a brunch at Jerry’s Famous.

My decision sounds easy, but there are a couple problems. First of all, I have issues with this romantic comedy that I pitched over brunch at Jerry’s Famous. Primarily, I don’t think there is anything funny about it. You see, the characters don’t have goals and there is no plot. Secondly, I haven’t even sold a script and I’m already worried about being typecast as a comedy writer. I don’t want to only write comedies. Granted, I’m in a much better mood when I write comedy, but I want to experiment working in other genres. For instance, I have a rough treatment for a psychological thriller that I want to turn into a script.

Third of all (thirdly?), I’d really prefer to write, direct and star in a film about the political turmoil in Lebanon and how it ties into the history of the middle east, especially the late 1970’s and early 80’s -- with a focus on religion, sports, and what it means to “be Lebanese.” I do feel that it would be beneficially to go to Lebanon before writing that film. I will put that one on hold… for now.

So, I must decide what to do next and commit to whatever that project is. I’m wasting far too much time weighing my options. Romantic Comedy or Psychological Thriller? How about a PsychRomThrillCom?

Opening Hook & Central Question

The next three years will be very important for this unemployed writer. I will either “make it” or admit that I have failed as a screenwriter in the film business. That gives me until age thirty. If I have not “made it” by age thirty, then I will pack it in and devote the following three years to a new business venture. By age thirty-three I should have enough success in that new business venture to buy a home and start a family. But this blog isn’t about that new business. This blog is about my writing career and how I can find a way to have one.

My definition of “making it” is a bit loose. Six years ago I defined “making it” in the film business as writing and directing a hit film that was either praised by critics or garnered an adoring cult following. Today I define “making it” as getting paid enough to write and/or direct so that I don’t need to take a second job to pay the bills. In three years I may decide that “making it” means something completely different, but for now I’m working with the getting paid definition.

The current state of my “writing career” is as follows: I have a literary manager working to sell my original scripts and find me writing jobs. I have a young producer attached to a couple of my projects, working to get them into the right hands. I am writing as often as I can. I work odd jobs whenever the opportunity arises in order to pay the rent. I am on unemployment.

I have completed the following:

1 Feature Length Animated Family Comedy
1 Spec script of a popular TV sitcom
1 Original sitcom pilot (co-written)
1 Original comedy feature (rewrite/co-written)
1 Original sitcom pilot (rewrite)

While we work to sell my screenplays and/or find me a writing job, I plan to continue to write scripts in order to increase my odds of “making it.”

I’ve started this blog for a couple of reasons. I am going to write those reason in the form of a list because I like lists and they make me feel productive:

Reason 1. I love writing, but writing also sucks. I’m hoping that this blog can help as a source of motivation. If I put my deadlines out there for the world (or at least a couple of friends) to see, then I might be driven to follow through on those deadlines.

Reason 2. If I’m having writers block on a certain screenplay, instead of surfing the web, I hope to write a blog entry to help jumpstart my brain and get me back in the flow of writing.

Reason 3. I hope that other writers might read the blog and either commiserate or offer helpful suggestions.

Reason 4. If I do fail, I want to have an account of my trials so that I can look back and remember that I did everything in my power to succeed. And hopefully, others can learn from my mistakes.

Check back now and again because I will post my writing schedule, writing frustrations, and also career advancement (or setback) updates.

Wish me luck.