I Blew Today off, Sorta
I found myself being very social and busy for the past few days. Just catching up with people. I also found a great need to clean my apartment once I got home, and let me tell you it was a mess of old things that need to be thrown away. Needless to say the dust was quite ugly, and my allergies are acting as if I didn’t take medicine for them. Now I have congestion and drinking water.
This has put a damper on my otherwise, “let’s get something handled” day. For my own health I have to stop cleaning, but I do have a lot done already, so I should be proud. Writing all but went to a grinding halt. I’m changing that now. Making dinner as well, so I have been keeping it moving.
I had an idea for a short story late last night. I’m holding this idea together until I sit down and type it out proper. Also I checked my notes feature in my phone and wondered if I put one of the short stories I rambled in typing out onto a Word file yet. If not, I need to do this. I need to see that this story has made it to my file of rough thoughts.
I’m gave the beat outline the day off so I can figure out how to resolve it. Did revisit the log line I created, and rewrote it. I need to reinvest in the theme though. I feel I HAVEN’T mastered how to get my theme down straight. I was supposed to consult with my screenwriting books, but the delays were necessary for me, and I can’t read while I feel like a congested mess.
Hopefully the meds will kick back in because I have to say this feeling is downright disgusting and I kinda want to log it into my journal so that I can use it in a later story. I am glad I took the time to write this post as it makes me realize I have a lot of work to do before I can sit down and watch my two favorite Sunday shows (Game of Thrones and Breakout Kings).
Writing is Rewriting
I’ll never forget this phrase about writing. I have a lot of it to do today. Pluse this is the day to finish other errands. Fridays are busy days for me. I like the pace so I best start with a post for the day. There will be a second post I’ve planned, but if push comes to shove, I’ll post it tomorrow. It’s longer, and I took a lot of time with it. Needless to say I did a lot of rewriting.
The outline is 90% done with me having a moment where I don’t like the ending. This suggests I don’t like my theme. I need to look over what I have and determine if I need to revise my theme first, then the outline, or at least parts of it. I do think I put together a lot of promising ideas, but something’s failing me here. I don”t like that. It’s a sign I need to revise once more. I say to myself thank goodness I’m not a perfectionist. What whould happen if I was? I’d be all OCD about this thing, and I’m trying real hard to make the improvements more so than I am now. Perhaps it’s time to consult the writing books on this matter.
I should go get me something to eat. It will help me start the day off well. I’m on a time-table, which is rare for me, but I want certain things done before a certain time so I can relax at the end of this day. Even if I don’t get it all done, I put the efforts forward and made sure to act. Keep writing peeps. I’m going to make some time as well to share some of the books I’ve read on screenwriting. Look out for that post. i think I’ll make that a longer post as well, and some more film reviews.
This Week’s Writing Projects
I decided that if I list some of my projects I may be able to tackle them more aggressively. I’d like to see them completed, and moving onto the next. First I made a “bargain” with myself to complete act one of my outline. If I did this I’d be allowed to goof off. Essentally I’d get my acts done in three days. Since I put off the outline for months now, it’s my duty to write it out any way possible.
In addition to getting act one down from my notes, I got a very rough version of act two typed yesterday. I didn’t expect this. I really wanted to get down a few more sentences and push myself to do more than the one required act on file. It comes from an older outline I typed and I liked some of the ideas and beats. It still has to match up with the new outline, while providing fills for the gaps in the beats. I call it rough because editing for clarity and fluff has to be done.
ASIDE: Like a fool I didn’t back this up. Will correct this after this post. I know better. Too eager to goof off after patting myself on the back.
For those not in the know I needed to trim down the material BIG time. This meant cutting out a lot of material I thought was brilliant. However, the material has to meet the demands of the format, and that meant cutting things out, and trying to resolve a lot of things that still need work in order for the story to work.
I do have a theme, I need to did up and place at the top of the outline and the logline. This is to help me keep them in mind as I complete the outline. I must resolve all the issues before I begin the script. This means looking for the beats I missed when I wrote it the first time.
I still have some other film essays to write for this blog, and I want to work on an additional two films. I should pick them at random. I dunno. Adding research to the current essay slowed the process a bit as I’m reading a few different sources for some fascinating critique. Will keep it moving.
The’Do Me’ Plot 2 Part II
I’m writing and was hoping to revise the beat outline for my screenplay. I had to revise the entire thing and attempt to resolve a lot of issues. Took out the pen and paper and began writing down it all. it meant throwing out a lot of things I found to drag the story down. Yes it means a lot of characters have some serious changes, but I feel like at last I have the correct direction for the script. I’m letting the outline cool off for a while and then will type/revise this. Now that I have this script a lot more tighter I think progress is full steam ahead.
Interestingly this story is also an erotic piece of fiction, but not a short story. Like a big goof I wrote it and never gave it much thought, but it’s nice to see story structure tighten like a kinky game of S&M.
Feels So Much Better
Breaking the thought process open today. Yesterday was about finding images to take inspiration from in order to use them as themes and starting points for stories. I got several images, and I haven’t figured what to do yet. While subjects caught my eyes yesterday I can’t say what it is that makes me feel like writing about it. I’m still looking at this.
I likely have a theme for a screenplay I’m working on. I let it gel for a few days on paper, and I feel a need to look at it, revise, if necessary, and work with this as my main premise. I need to get this done, cause I belive I can turn out the script proper in a month or so. In this respect I must get cracking on this or loose the potential resolution due to procrastination.
You Can’t Take That Away From Me
Of late I’ve been feeling down, and down is not the path I choose for myself. I’ve maintained writing on my personal blog, and less at CINEs. I suppose that has something to do with the fact that I am no longer employed or taking graduate classes. My dreams and livelihood were put in limbo in the most ugliest, uncomfortable way. It’s time to bounce back more so than I have been.
I’ve been job hunting like crazy, and writing. Writing helps me a lot. I’m looking forward to writing some new reviews of films or discussing aspects of cinema studies. I still love film and I absolutely love screenwriting. I didn’t stop on my dreams, and I still want my masters degree. As to what form my dreams will take is anyone’s guess. God willing, I will see myself rise from the series of actions that were beyond my control, but will come back to my control and care.
Improvement starts with creating more posts. By writing with more frequency and clarity, I can increase my productivity. I get that graduate level quality I’ve been missing for some time now. I feel the silver lining in the situation is that I have all the skills that I was taught by my graduate professors, so there’s no reason why I can’t work on my blogs, prose fiction, and screenwriting. Many can try to strip me of my integrity and dignity, but they can’t take those skills from me. Thank God for these moments where being reflective means progress.
For starters I’m editing a current short story, and will complete another I started yesterday. I will give the new story a week to “cool down” then will edit that. Will work on other projects/screenplays this week as well. part of me is like, “Go get your masters, son!” While other parts of me say, “get your writing on!” All of it is saying to me, “Get your life on track. It was always far from over.” Every day is brighter and brighter. It’s so worth the time and effort for me to write, and focus on myself. I’m 100% worth it.
Narrowing Down Scope and Methodology: It Will Be Done
It’s been a fruitless week of not doing a damn thing with my thesis, which to me is pure failure. I have got to get five pages done this weekend. It galls me to think I’ve stalled and dried up. Booo to that bullshit. A Brother needs to get himself on top of his game and quit playing. This means sitting down and beating the hell out of my thesis topic and narrowing down the scope and methodology. While I’d love to applaud that I’m reading new books to expand my viewpoint, I need to read more.
Thesis Fridays
I decided that before I go any further with pages I needed to narrow my focus much more significant;y than I did before. That meant addressing all the questions I’m supposed to ask during the preliminary research phase, which I did, but never clarified. This means I need to address the proposal stage of writing the research paper.
Needless to say I went to the computer lab and forgot my notebook, which had all my current ideas written down. That is what I get for not packing the night before. I still had several notes and info with me so I worked from there, and managed to bounce some ideas off of a friend since we meet up on Fridays.
What would be a simple page of information turned into two pages of me doing some fact finding and looking up some sources. Luckily I kept my Key Concepts book with me. Mind you the notes I took form this book were still at home. They had to be redone. So now I have a more clarified paper and can narrow my thoughts and research. \We call that scope and methodology.
So the revised proposal got a cooling off period while I played Dragon Age 2, and today I will look over my notes to see if anything can add to what’s been written. I have to watch t least one of the films in the paper, and take notes on it. Maybe today. No big plans outside of enjoying this day.
Research and the Like
Writing can be a fickle task for me. Sometimes I work it like the master. Other times I go all rank amateur on myself. I suppose I should think more and more in the vein that I want to succeed as a writer. I need to know that in spite of all the ups, downs and lessons, that I still want and need to write. For that matter I’ve needed to update SDCS for some time. Looking at some films today. At least three of them will be dedicated for this site.
Will make some time to write notes and paragraphs for characters and stories I’m hoping to turn into scripts. Even if I can’t get back to them, at least I will have a several words and ideas written about them that I can use and look back on. I suppose that will be my springboard for them.
Thesis has been at a crawl for the past few days, and I do not like that. It means I’m slacking off. I need to get several more pages done. I’d like to see thirty completed pages. Perhaps tomorrow I will print out a copy of what I have and edit the first five pages. That will at least get me to start being in shape. Still doing the research as well. I need to complete the genre section and get into theory. It’s a little tricky as I want what I need to say on the various genres airtight.
Screenplayed
Two scripting options have surfaces. At least I can manage my time to handle them. First thing is what most of my FB peeps know, after losing the file for a 90 page screenplay I was faced with having to retype all 90 pages over. I have a hardcopy so I knew what was ahead of me. While cleaning some old files from my computer, I found the screenplay. I have three copies of that file now. Soon I’m going to have to go over this screenplay to correct it and make it noteworthy.
The second is I’ve been working on a project to submit to a producer. Finished the first draft of the beat outline. This weekend I hope to get the kinks out and resolve several of the problems within this outline. One thing classes have stressed is to resolve the issues within the outline stage or the script won’t work. You don’t want issues then.
This means for me a sign that I’m getting things on track. I really need to resolve these issues in this story and get myself focused on something positive. For those not in the know, writing has always been a source of challenge and comfort for me. I’m gonna get it resolved and make things work out.
One thing I did notice is that my first two screenplays are comedies. I didn’t not expect that as I always favor science fiction, fantasy, horror, adventure, and crime genres. Maybe I will get to them. I know so far what I’m doing feels right. For me having people laugh from my writing makes me feel good.
