Friday, October 31, 2008
the stall remains the same
Two weeks after the competition and nothing has changed. I'm still lounging around in our outdoor living area (which is quickly becoming my second office), listening to Jim Croce and shooting off queries to agents. I've sent five so far via email and contacted three by phone. Score: Agents-3, Literary Genius-0. Whether or not email queries bear fruit remains to be seen. I should be calling more, but it's lunchtime on a Friday in Los Angeles. In truth, I may send off five more queries before days end. On the other hand, I may continue to lay here and listen to the wind rustle through the trees.
mediate, appreciate, defecate...
Quick updates:
1) I didn't spontaneously defecate when I made the Slamdance Top 50 nor did I die when I made the Top 25. I guess those really are just figures of speech, huh? For the record, I have spontaneously defecated before and it was not fun. I lost a big hunk of dignity, not to mention a great pair of footless tights.
2) "Potty Mouth" made it to the semifinals of a playwriting competition in North Carolina, but didn't win. What is wrong with this play?? It is my favorite of them all, but I can't BUY a production! "Mighty Real" hits the stage next month- my convoluted, period melodrama featuring a drag queen. I didn't think MR was all that great, but I'm not looking a gift horse in his play producing mouth.
3) Kat made her roommate cry. That's what I'm talking about.
4) I'm totally stressing over this LD thing. My greatest wish? LD gets made, I get an agent, they ask what else I've got and I push out the wheelbarrow o' stuff. What I'm afraid will happen? LD will fizzle out, I get disillusioned and never win that Oscar. Well, that's my second biggest fear. My first biggest fear is that Popeyes will go out of business and I'll never get my two piece (mild) with a biscuit (2 honey packets and cajun rice- wot, wot!) again.
5) Popeyes was the reason I spontaneously defecated in the first place. Wow! How's that for circular? :-)
1) I didn't spontaneously defecate when I made the Slamdance Top 50 nor did I die when I made the Top 25. I guess those really are just figures of speech, huh? For the record, I have spontaneously defecated before and it was not fun. I lost a big hunk of dignity, not to mention a great pair of footless tights.
2) "Potty Mouth" made it to the semifinals of a playwriting competition in North Carolina, but didn't win. What is wrong with this play?? It is my favorite of them all, but I can't BUY a production! "Mighty Real" hits the stage next month- my convoluted, period melodrama featuring a drag queen. I didn't think MR was all that great, but I'm not looking a gift horse in his play producing mouth.
3) Kat made her roommate cry. That's what I'm talking about.
4) I'm totally stressing over this LD thing. My greatest wish? LD gets made, I get an agent, they ask what else I've got and I push out the wheelbarrow o' stuff. What I'm afraid will happen? LD will fizzle out, I get disillusioned and never win that Oscar. Well, that's my second biggest fear. My first biggest fear is that Popeyes will go out of business and I'll never get my two piece (mild) with a biscuit (2 honey packets and cajun rice- wot, wot!) again.
5) Popeyes was the reason I spontaneously defecated in the first place. Wow! How's that for circular? :-)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
woe is L.D.
So this afternoon, I get an email from Slamdance and attached is an email from a production company I contacted yesterday. It said that they do not accept unsolicited material. What?! I called these ass phantoms yesterday and got the go-ahead to send the script via Slamdance. The Slamdance coordinator girl was all "Don't worry about these people. There will be plenty more who want to read your script".
Or will there?
Later on, I get another email sent to me along with the rest of the Slamdancers. The gist of it was that the inquires about our scripts are slowing down and she highly recommends that we do some personal marketing of our own and try to seek representation. This makes me anxious. I've contacted almost every agent in the Hollywood Representation Directory and gotten the same response: no. I emailed CB's manager's assistant yesterday to see if she received the script and still haven't gotten an answer. Why is this happening? Is my script not good enough? Is the moon not yet full? Am I too short- what's the dealy?
Okay- I've gotta get back on the phones. I'll let you know if something wonderful happens.
Or will there?
Later on, I get another email sent to me along with the rest of the Slamdancers. The gist of it was that the inquires about our scripts are slowing down and she highly recommends that we do some personal marketing of our own and try to seek representation. This makes me anxious. I've contacted almost every agent in the Hollywood Representation Directory and gotten the same response: no. I emailed CB's manager's assistant yesterday to see if she received the script and still haven't gotten an answer. Why is this happening? Is my script not good enough? Is the moon not yet full? Am I too short- what's the dealy?
Okay- I've gotta get back on the phones. I'll let you know if something wonderful happens.
showCASE I didn't tell you
So a while back, I alluded to my husband winning a bunch of stuff on the Price is Right. That statement is a little misleading; he won the entire show! Showcase and all, ya'll. We're talking a fly-ass scooter, a car, two carat diamond ring, an HD tv, oh, and a trip to Fiji. Under normal circumstances, I would have been happy for him, but the timing couldn't have been more awful. See, while I was in Los Angeles, skipping around like a freaking wood sprite, high off Slamdance- he had already won and didn't tell me. I'm thinking I'm the shit and he's all- "Oh, yeah. I won a car". I was so angry, I burst out crying. He outdid me again! He does this all the time! Not on purpose, mind. He just has this gift for unintentionally making me feel like crap. But I am thankful that he's not a selfish loser. If he were, I wouldn't be getting a scooter for Christmas! :-)
The past two weeks have been pretty writing/ editing intensive. Since Slamdance, I've been on the phone with prodco's (production companies- forgive the lazy fingers this morning) and agents, trying desperately to drum up some heat for Lucas Donovan. Quite a few people have risen to the bait, but whether or not I can hook 'em remains to be seen.
Speaking of big fish (that's my last angling metaphor), guess who I spoke to two days ago? None other than young Mr. Corbin Bleu's manager! That's right! Your girl was perusing imdb and noticed that CB had new "people"- one of the newbies was this manager. According to imdb, he doesn't have any other clients except CB (score!). Next step- cross reference him with the Hollywood Creative Directory. He's in there and on the up and up. So, I give him a call and talk the gatekeeper. She's really sweet and I use my newfound schmooze tactics to get the manager himself on the phone. I talk up my script like it was handed down to me from the mountain top and he agrees to read it. That was two days ago. Is that awesome or what???!!! If he likes it and passes it to CB, then I will officially be verklempt. *sigh* Luck be a curly haired Disney boy today...
The past two weeks have been pretty writing/ editing intensive. Since Slamdance, I've been on the phone with prodco's (production companies- forgive the lazy fingers this morning) and agents, trying desperately to drum up some heat for Lucas Donovan. Quite a few people have risen to the bait, but whether or not I can hook 'em remains to be seen.
Speaking of big fish (that's my last angling metaphor), guess who I spoke to two days ago? None other than young Mr. Corbin Bleu's manager! That's right! Your girl was perusing imdb and noticed that CB had new "people"- one of the newbies was this manager. According to imdb, he doesn't have any other clients except CB (score!). Next step- cross reference him with the Hollywood Creative Directory. He's in there and on the up and up. So, I give him a call and talk the gatekeeper. She's really sweet and I use my newfound schmooze tactics to get the manager himself on the phone. I talk up my script like it was handed down to me from the mountain top and he agrees to read it. That was two days ago. Is that awesome or what???!!! If he likes it and passes it to CB, then I will officially be verklempt. *sigh* Luck be a curly haired Disney boy today...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
depressed
I'm watching Saving Silverman and am growing increasingly upset. This movie has the thinnest plot in the universe. It's barely entertaining and yet here I sit on my film scripts...I'm also searching for another job and it's just not working. Why doesn't anybody want to hire me? Maybe Stacie was right. Maybe my people skills do suck. But that can't be it. I freaking ROCK in interviews! I just don't understand. I'm so glad I'm not due at my crap job until Tuesday. This gives me plenty of time to mope. *sigh* I'm going to bed.
still stalling
I've summarized (or "treated") up to page 71 of this 90 page script, but it's slow going. I think this thing is supposed to be about five pages long, but I'm still on the first page! Maybe I'm missing stuff. I know I left out a lot of the subplots and all of the minor characters. How much of that crap am I supposed to leave in?
For those of you who care, a treatment isn't just a dry summary. It's supposed to be written as entertaining and intense as me sitting in front of an exec and talking about it. Still, I think I'll have to find better ways to say "grab-ass" and "slapped the shit out of".
Okay. No more games. I'm getting back to work.
For those of you who care, a treatment isn't just a dry summary. It's supposed to be written as entertaining and intense as me sitting in front of an exec and talking about it. Still, I think I'll have to find better ways to say "grab-ass" and "slapped the shit out of".
Okay. No more games. I'm getting back to work.
treatment
I told you things were gonna get better!
Post-Slamdance, the ol' adrenaline levels lowered and I danced danger close to depression territory. But all was not lost. The folks from the contest wrote me yesterday with two pieces of good news. Number one- my script has been requested by/ sent to two new production companies above and beyond the original sponsors. Number two- everyone has been requesting information on the winning scripts, so they need a treatment of our works no later than Monday. Grr! I don't have a script treatment on hand, so after I finish this blog, I have to try and make one up. I'm worried that everybody else has treatments already made up and I don't. If that's the case, then I'll be behind the power curve. But I shouldn't worry about what everybody else has, right? I just need to make sure I bring my "A" game.
I don't know how to write a treatment, so I called my mentor to get some help. True to form, he said "You're over-thinking this, kid. Just write it and read it to me over the phone".
Last night, my sister called me upset about her roommate who is an idiot from Arizona. I already don't like Arizona people because they were one of the last ones to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. ANYway, she's having issues with this cow and it made me angry. Not because I don't think my sister can handle her business, but because I wasn't there to "fix" it. Back in the day, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in somebody's shit on her behalf (a crazy JROTC kid comes to mind) and I SO wanted to rock that little girl's world last night. But I know she put it down on that girl so advanced kudos to Kat!
Okay, I'm gonna stop stalling and get back to this treatment. Wish me luck.
Post-Slamdance, the ol' adrenaline levels lowered and I danced danger close to depression territory. But all was not lost. The folks from the contest wrote me yesterday with two pieces of good news. Number one- my script has been requested by/ sent to two new production companies above and beyond the original sponsors. Number two- everyone has been requesting information on the winning scripts, so they need a treatment of our works no later than Monday. Grr! I don't have a script treatment on hand, so after I finish this blog, I have to try and make one up. I'm worried that everybody else has treatments already made up and I don't. If that's the case, then I'll be behind the power curve. But I shouldn't worry about what everybody else has, right? I just need to make sure I bring my "A" game.
I don't know how to write a treatment, so I called my mentor to get some help. True to form, he said "You're over-thinking this, kid. Just write it and read it to me over the phone".
Last night, my sister called me upset about her roommate who is an idiot from Arizona. I already don't like Arizona people because they were one of the last ones to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day. ANYway, she's having issues with this cow and it made me angry. Not because I don't think my sister can handle her business, but because I wasn't there to "fix" it. Back in the day, I wouldn't hesitate to jump in somebody's shit on her behalf (a crazy JROTC kid comes to mind) and I SO wanted to rock that little girl's world last night. But I know she put it down on that girl so advanced kudos to Kat!
Okay, I'm gonna stop stalling and get back to this treatment. Wish me luck.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
dat n*gga in the alley
Man, has it been a weekend or what? On Friday, I went to the Slamdance awards ceremony. My stomach was in knots the entire way there. I couldn't concentrate on anything all day. All I kept thinking was- what if I came all the way out here, my husband paid all this money, and I don't win anything? What if I'm not even an honorable mention? So, I got there and it was crawling with stereotypical literary types: all tweed, elbow patches and black framed eyeglasses. You could spit and hit a peasant skirt. Naturally, I thought: how am I supposed to schmooze in here? Fast forward to the awards: the honorable mentions were announced: no "Lucas Donovan". Then she started from the bottom: "Number 10...Number 9 is...". Still no me. Then she called number five and it was "Lucas Donovan"!!! I was top 5 at Slamdance, yo! I scurried up to the front to get my bag and damned if I couldn't stop smiling. I didn't want to make anyone else feel bad, but your girl was relieved.
The next morning, I caught a plane back home and the family and I drove to my "Pusherman" play in San Antonio. It was wonderful! My play was first, so the lights went down, there was a pause and then the first bars of "Pusherman" started playing. Everyone's head started bobbing and right when the song was getting good, the lights came up on Steffi and Wanda. It's incredible to watch characters that you've created in your head come to life on stage. Kind of like the Tommyknockers, but without staking and ax murders. Anyway, after the play was over there was a question and answer period with the directors, writers and audience. Well, my director said that my play had a "stupid" premise and it was quirky and that's why he wanted to direct it. Stupid? Hmm. That audience almost got to get a bonus show because I wanted to choke him. Afterward, folks said what he meant was a "simple" premise, but I tell you what: he never came up to me to apologize, so if I EVER see his narrow ass in the street (in the words of the late Bernie Mac), there's gonna be a misunderstanding. At the end of the night, though, I'm pretty sure he knew where I stood.
All in all, it was a bang-up weekend and it's only going to get better. Don't believe me? Watch this space.
The next morning, I caught a plane back home and the family and I drove to my "Pusherman" play in San Antonio. It was wonderful! My play was first, so the lights went down, there was a pause and then the first bars of "Pusherman" started playing. Everyone's head started bobbing and right when the song was getting good, the lights came up on Steffi and Wanda. It's incredible to watch characters that you've created in your head come to life on stage. Kind of like the Tommyknockers, but without staking and ax murders. Anyway, after the play was over there was a question and answer period with the directors, writers and audience. Well, my director said that my play had a "stupid" premise and it was quirky and that's why he wanted to direct it. Stupid? Hmm. That audience almost got to get a bonus show because I wanted to choke him. Afterward, folks said what he meant was a "simple" premise, but I tell you what: he never came up to me to apologize, so if I EVER see his narrow ass in the street (in the words of the late Bernie Mac), there's gonna be a misunderstanding. At the end of the night, though, I'm pretty sure he knew where I stood.
All in all, it was a bang-up weekend and it's only going to get better. Don't believe me? Watch this space.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
the prodigal blogger
Ya'll, there is a really good explanation for me not blogging since Moses was in diapers. Some idiot in my neighborhood was using my IP address to send out spam, so what does Time Warner Cable do? They cut off MY service instead of punishing him. That's right. Products of the Texas school system. You gotta love it.
Anyway, the last time I was here, I was talking about how stoked I was to be top 50. Well, sweet Moses on a rope, I've made it to the top 25! That's right, kiddos. Yours truly is getting on a plane tomorrow morning for Los Angeles and by tomorrow night- 7:30pm to be exact- I will know if I've won the freaking SLAMDANCE! You cannot possibly know how excited I am about this. I've had a headache ever since Monday when I found out that I had advanced. But it'll be over soon enough.
In the meantime, I've been writing away in Responsibility Camp. In all honesty, I think I have two main stories going on at once. I need to take a step back and figure out which story is the main one. I mean, in my inappropriate romantic comedy, I could have spent half the time talking about why Will wasn't allowed to be alone with Ally, but in the final analysis, it just wasn't that important.
Even though it's only October, I've been thinking about my writing goals for the next year. This year has been WONDERFUL as far as writing goes. My stage plays- which kinda started out as a hobby- have been well received, so next year I plan on completing my full length play tentatively called "Socially Relevant Bollocks". I want to finish it, have it critiqued to death and submitted to an off-off Broadway or off Broadway theatre. That's the playwriting goal. The screenwriting goal is to 1) get an agent, 2) sell a script. Look familiar? Those have been my writing goals since 2003.
Man! I have wicked gas. Not like you needed to know, but I felt like sharing. Jack in the Box tacos always tear me up. I'll write more tomorrow from the city of Angeles. Fingers crossed and rosaries out, people! I'm tryin' to win!!!
Anyway, the last time I was here, I was talking about how stoked I was to be top 50. Well, sweet Moses on a rope, I've made it to the top 25! That's right, kiddos. Yours truly is getting on a plane tomorrow morning for Los Angeles and by tomorrow night- 7:30pm to be exact- I will know if I've won the freaking SLAMDANCE! You cannot possibly know how excited I am about this. I've had a headache ever since Monday when I found out that I had advanced. But it'll be over soon enough.
In the meantime, I've been writing away in Responsibility Camp. In all honesty, I think I have two main stories going on at once. I need to take a step back and figure out which story is the main one. I mean, in my inappropriate romantic comedy, I could have spent half the time talking about why Will wasn't allowed to be alone with Ally, but in the final analysis, it just wasn't that important.
Even though it's only October, I've been thinking about my writing goals for the next year. This year has been WONDERFUL as far as writing goes. My stage plays- which kinda started out as a hobby- have been well received, so next year I plan on completing my full length play tentatively called "Socially Relevant Bollocks". I want to finish it, have it critiqued to death and submitted to an off-off Broadway or off Broadway theatre. That's the playwriting goal. The screenwriting goal is to 1) get an agent, 2) sell a script. Look familiar? Those have been my writing goals since 2003.
Man! I have wicked gas. Not like you needed to know, but I felt like sharing. Jack in the Box tacos always tear me up. I'll write more tomorrow from the city of Angeles. Fingers crossed and rosaries out, people! I'm tryin' to win!!!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
OMG! I can't believe I didn't tell you...
I didn't blog here on 30 September, so ya'll don't know the good news. My script "Lucas Donovan Forever" was chosen as one of the top 50 scripts in this year's Slamdance Feature Script Competition! That's right, kiddies. My self-described sellout script is working its mojo in Hollywood, baby. I visited the website today (again) just to see the title of my script (again). Does that make me a loser? If it does, so what? I'm moving on up to the East Side...
The funny thing about this competition is that it receives thousands of scripts a year from all over the world. Scripts that are culturally relevant and involve rape victims and one legged babies and whatnot. Really heady stuff. I honestly didn't think that my 90 minute Corbin n' me fantasy was going to fare well against work like that, so you can see why I'm stoked. The top 25 scripts will be announced on October 13th and I'm praying I make it just a little bit farther. But even if I don't, it's been a great ride.
So, I started my new job yesterday. Yeah, I don't know if I'm feeling it or not. Granted, I'm only working every other day for three hours a day, but still. We get paid every Friday (my first check is on the 10th) and the discount is downright criminal. I bought a hundred and sixty dollar dress yesterday for fifty bucks. It brought a tear to my eye, it did.
While I'm working part time, trying to sustain my writing momentum and all that, I've also been volunteering at my son's school. Right now, I'm signed up as a Destination Imagination coach, a judge for the literary portions of the "Reflections" program, and Room Mother for my son's class. It sounds like a lot, but those of you who know me know that I'm not fully satisfied unless I've got fifty million things going on at once. It keeps me from thinking too hard.
Slamdance, volunteering, and work...oh my!
The funny thing about this competition is that it receives thousands of scripts a year from all over the world. Scripts that are culturally relevant and involve rape victims and one legged babies and whatnot. Really heady stuff. I honestly didn't think that my 90 minute Corbin n' me fantasy was going to fare well against work like that, so you can see why I'm stoked. The top 25 scripts will be announced on October 13th and I'm praying I make it just a little bit farther. But even if I don't, it's been a great ride.
So, I started my new job yesterday. Yeah, I don't know if I'm feeling it or not. Granted, I'm only working every other day for three hours a day, but still. We get paid every Friday (my first check is on the 10th) and the discount is downright criminal. I bought a hundred and sixty dollar dress yesterday for fifty bucks. It brought a tear to my eye, it did.
While I'm working part time, trying to sustain my writing momentum and all that, I've also been volunteering at my son's school. Right now, I'm signed up as a Destination Imagination coach, a judge for the literary portions of the "Reflections" program, and Room Mother for my son's class. It sounds like a lot, but those of you who know me know that I'm not fully satisfied unless I've got fifty million things going on at once. It keeps me from thinking too hard.
Slamdance, volunteering, and work...oh my!
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