OMG! OMG! OMG!

Here's the minor news- the producer is moving full steam ahead with Holiday Plans, with shooting set to begin on 6 December. I can't believe that these guys are so serious. I mean, after being burned by the "Pusherman" (i.e, rewrites of rewrites of rewrites only to end up as a big fat MAYBE), I figured this one wouldn't go anywhere, either. But here I am smack in the middle of a no-shit production schedule. The character's audition videos really got me hyped, though. The kids they cast are too cute.

And the major news is...I have a meeting!!! That's right! I got an email from a prodco today asking me if I was in the Los Angeles area and, if so, they'd like to set up a meeting with me. This was based on a script they'd read several months ago. Meetings are second only to two picture deals and paydays when it comes to the Holy Grail of writing. Meetings are the stuff nocturnal emissions are made of. Well, that and random proteins but you see my point. So, anyway, after I finished jumping around and screaming, I emailed them back and told them that I wasn't in the area, but I could be there by Tuesday and did they still want to meet? When I get an answer, I'll let you know...

the fastest pre-production in the history of mankind

So, I spoke with the director of my Christmas short. Although it was difficult to tell, what with all the ego coming through the phone and all, I believe he liked the script. I'm not 100% because he was careful not to say that he liked it, only that my script was "the one that stuck out the most out of all we read". Whatever, Slick. I'll take my compliments when I can get 'em. Anyway, he also said that they have been location scouting and-get this!- they already have the main house and the other locations! They have also started accepting applications for the main characters (three kids- Jordan, Gracie and Theo). All in all, the director made it clear that he and his crew plan to have a finished product between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Wow. And to think I just finished the script yesterday!

got me a horse, got me a script

It's a quarter to eight at night and I just sent off the infamous Christmas script. It's called "Holiday Plans". Ya'll, that was the quickest script I'd ever written. Fifteen pages in three days doesn't seem like all that much, but you want it to be as perfect as it can be, so it takes a lot of mental energy to turn in something that you're proud of. That being said, I can honestly say that "Holiday Plans" turned out better than I thought it would. Yay, me!

I also signed up to judge screenwriting contest entries. I have five to read and score within two weeks. I'm about halfway through the first one. It's fun to read this one because this is obviously a beginning screenwriter and, although there are massive chunks of exposition and nary a correctly formatted page, I can tell that this person is a storyteller. It reminds me of my first couple of scripts- I knew what I wanted to say, but just didn't know how I wanted to say it. Trust me, this writer will get by with a little help from her friends.

As for me, I'll get by with a little help from my ends. I start working at T.R.U this weekend and stand to make some serious holiday duckets. After the holidays, they want me to stay on in an HR capacity. If the honey is sweet enough, I just may, but first let's see how this weekend goes.

putting the script before the horse

I made a stupid mistake last Friday. I responded to an add from an amateur filmmaker who was looking for short Christmas scripts. Usually, that wouldn't have been a problem except I hadn't actually written the script. That's right, kiddos. Yours truly had forgotten that all that existed of this "script" was a detailed outline and basic character arcs- light years away from a finished product. So anyway, the filmmaker writes me back on Friday and is all "Yeah, I'm loving your concept. Can you send me the script"? I'm all "Sure, no prob" and start searching my hard drive like mad for this script. After an hour or so of searching, it dawned on me that I had NOTHING! So instead of writing them back and telling them that I'd make a mistake, I did what any self-respecting writer would do: set about the business of shitting out a 15 page script by Monday. I mean, we can always do rewriters; that's expected. But to turn in nothing would be unacceptable.

That being said, I just finished my first draft. Excuse me while I put red pen to paper. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

the myth of Bernard Cliff

Yesterday, I got a seasonal job as an overnight stocker at a toy store. This way, I can make an extra $200 a week and get a nice discount on my son's toys for Christmas. Yay, me. But that's not the best news. This morning, I got an email from the Shoestring Radio Theatre. As luck would have it, they liked my radio play called "Back from the Brink" and are going to record it next month with a broadcast date of late May 09. SRT is an Internet radio station dedicated to streaming radio drama, which is funny because my script was a comedy. At least, it was supposed to be. I dunno. Maybe they thought I was serious...

"Back from the Brink" (working title: Axl Staxx) is a mock NPR-type radio show between a mild-mannered commentator and aging rocker Axl Staxx. He's on the show to promote his memoir "Back from the Brink". The memoir has been plugged as a harrowing account of his descent into addiction and how he clawed his way back to sobriety. Instead, as the interview progresses, the commentator realizes that Axl's "addiction" amounts three weeks of a YooHoo binge culminating in piles from sitting bare-assed on cold concrete. Not to mention that Axl's real name is Bernard Cliff and he has never done anything remotely rock star-ish beyond smoking a joint once seventeen years ago.

I got the idea from listening to Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx on NPR last year. Nikki was there to promote his memoir "The Heroin Diaries". As I'm listening to him, I'm thinking, "Wow. What a colossal douchebag". Does he think he's the only person with a heroin problem? The only celebrity with a heroin problem? The only celebrity from L.A. with a heroin problem? The only celebrity from Motley Crue with a heroin problem? Back in the day, rock was synonymous with H. Hey, here's another H for ya, Sixx: HACK. Anyhoo, listening to that and the famous Aerosmith Toxic Twin stories just got me thinking about how the addiction song remains the same and wouldn't it be funny if, when all is said and done, none of these kumquats actually DID anything?

no job bob

That's me! No Job Bob. Unemploy Joy. But that's neither here nor there. My husband's gone for the next week or so, so I've got a lot of time to write and reflect. I'm working on a ten minute play for a contest right now. The theme is "Playing God". So far, I have about three pages done. I know where I want to go with the story, but whether or not the audience wants to go there with me remains to be seen.

gonna fly now

Today I have one mission and one mission alone: to find the sheet music to Rocky. I rented a trumpet yesterday morning and have been playing ever since. It's so much fun to play a musical instrument again! Next, I want to learn the guitar. I have an electronic learning guitar, but the neck is too wide (or my hands are too midgety- whatever), so I'll save my pennies and buy myself one someday.

I have things I wanted to do today, but in truth- I don't feel like doing a damned thing. My son's teacher called me yesterday and, in short, his behavior is terrible. He talks all the time, makes noises and generally disrupts the class. It makes me angry because I'm trying to raise him the best I can, but something just isn't clicking. On top of that, my husband is leaving again on some kind of business trip, so I'm left to mop up this crap. It's not his fault; it's just the way things are. I've gotta get a specialist referral today so we can get him tested for ADHD. *sigh*

Depression is a word that I tend to throw out there every other day, but this overwhelming feeling of being, well...overwhelmed isn't going away. I've felt anxiety since we moved here. Granted, there's no other place on our list of choices I would have wanted to live, but I never knew it would be this hard here. The no job/ misbehaving kid thing has really got me down.

the end is nigh

Listening to commentary on the election has got me thinking. A lot of evangelicals talk about how Obama is the anti-Christ and his election will signal the beginning of the End Times. I know that the Anti-Christ is supposed to be loved by all and eventually will require people to worship him, but I just can't see that with Barack Obama. Still, it makes me nervous that I might be alive when the end of the world happens. Are these the ramblings of misguided racists or gospel truth?

If you listen to Jews, the temple on the mount has to be rebuilt a third time before the Tribulation. But I'm not Jewish, so I'm going with the Anti-Christ story. For me, this election was about much more than keeping Roe v. Wade in tact or raising the minimum wage. It was about giving myself and my son a few more years on Earth before Judgement Day.

That's what's been weighing on my mind as of late. Am I being the Christian that I was called to be? I just don't want to be caught short on the day of reckoning, you know what I mean?

thinner

It was a terrible and forgettable book by Stephen King, but describes my current situation. In the past two days, I've lost about six pounds and I'm not even trying! I know, I know-I'm on a perpetual quest to lose as much weight as possible and increase my "fly in a bikini" quotient, but this is different. I feel light headed, but I'm not hungry. I eat at about 10:30am (two JIB tacos) and again at dinner.

At first, I thought that maybe I was sick (diabetes, thyroid issue), but I don't feel sick. I just feel exhausted. If I didn't know any better, I'd think I was stressing myself over this whole post-Slamdance letdown mess. You know, as I type it out, I do believe that's precisely what's wrong. Life is passing me by, the world may very well end tomorrow and I wouldn't have completed what I believe is my life's work. I'm going to take a nap.

breathe again

Whew!

I finally received my rejection letter from Nickelodeon Studios. I've been waiting months for it and they didn't disappoint. My "I'm sorry, but you still suck" letter arrived on cute orange paper and a really neat envelope. Oh well. There's always next year. Next month, I find out if I got into the Disney Fellowship. With this one, I might have a chance in hell because the sample I submitted was the Slamdance script. I submitted my ill-fated "Cavemen" spec to Nickelodeon. *sigh* Live and learn.

Right now, I'm supposed to be reworking a play called "Slow Burn" for a contest. This contest is open to one act plays that deal with peace in some way. I would normally balk at such a wack concept, but there's no entry fee and the prize is $500. Guess I better get on my grind, huh? The play is about three naive Ohioans who move to San Francisco at the tail end of the Age of Aquarius (each for different reasons, all searching for peace). Instead of finding the peace they wanted, they each find the peace that they needed. One ends up dead, one ends up swallowed by what's left of the "movement" and one reinvents herself by joining the Establishment. Now all I need is a better title than "Slow Burn" and I'm all set. I was thinking of taking part of song title, but that's lazy (i.e, "Mighty Real"). Hmm. I'll get back to you on the title situation. It'll be a lot easier to think of one now that I'm not holding my breath for Nickelodeon.