10.27.2008

i <3 monday!

My brain is severely scattered today. I've managed to complete about 7 files... which isn't too bad, especially for how I've been feeling these past few Mondays. Plus my day isn't nearly over. I'd much rather remain asleep and start work on Tuesday. But that won't work because then Tuesday becomes the new Monday. It's a terrible cycle. Too many distractions. Right now, my grandmother is preparing something that looks like apple crisp. It looks delicious even without being cooked yet. But I feel not-so-good due to a hefty breakfast I made myself this morning. It was good, but maybe a little too good. AND I'm a little sleepy from reading too much into all five of the Saw movies. I've only seen the first two... And those movies I'm not really into. I don't care much for gore and torture. But with my overactive imagination, I read the plots to all 5 movies, and how the devices worked and what happened to all the victims. I did that for about 2-3 hours before I realized I should get some sleep... but I was a bit too terrified to do so because images like to playback in my dreams making it a little too real for me. SO after watching some Marx Brothers movies and a few Sudoku and solitaire games later, I was off to sleep with no torture-related nightmares. My waked-up time was between 6 and 7 am, and I didn't fall asleep until about 3 am. Yay!

Prior to my research into dreary doomland, I hopped back into my screenwriting chair and formatted a previously written script into a more professional-looking one. When I'm in a zone (or away from a computer that has Final Draft), I'll write a rough draft in MS Word, and just use a format I always see in high school or church plays:
BILLY: I ate a rock.
TIMMY: That's too bad.
BILLY: I know. (cries)
It's only 4 pages, but it tells quite a story. I strived for realism in the dialogue, and after having someone read through it, I think I achieved that much. Unlike what I usually write, this is on the dramatic/sad side. It's about the break up of an affair between a guy and a girl who have a secret to share with each other. Hey, it's only 4 pages, I can't give everything away.

I feel like working on one of the last projects I started back on my last writing retreat... which is coincidentally titled "The Writing Retreat." Guess what it's about! That's right... making apple crisp. Well, after sitting in bed trying to clear my mind of senseless violence, I came up with another character to add to the story. The hotel I stayed at seems like it encouraged people to live there... So I came up with a character who lived at the hotel that the main character can interact with at different occasions while he's there. I haven't really touched the story itself since a few months ago, but if I get a chance tonight, I'll rewrite it before working on the actual script itself. All of this after a quick Sudoku of course. I also want to put some time in on my Noah Madison project thanks to Jaden's latest post. I need to schedule time to work on certain projects just so no one feels ignored. (I hear your cries Fickette, I miss you too!)

I have a love/hate feeling towards the actual screenwriting process. I like writing dialogue... but it just takes so long for me sometimes--keeping track of the character's personalities, how they would speak, what they would say, and still making it sound believable... unless every character is just so outrageous, that they can get away with grunts.

I really want to see Wall-E after hearing so much good about it and it's non-use of speech. Better yet, I wonder if I could get my hands on the screenplay to see how that reads.

Okay, I must snap out of it and get back to "real work" and do some early knocking-out-of-the-park numbers so I can slack off on Thursday. We've got a meeting at the office and it's requested I be there so I can bring some food back for my mom. It's supposed to be catered with all sorts of yummies. But I'm in a Monday mood, so I can care less about going to a meeting right now. Even with free catered food. What do I really care about? I want to either be on my laptop or under the covers being unconscious. But we can't have everything, can we? Yes we can! Obama told me so.

2 comments:

Melissa Donovan said...

Obama! I don't know how you can go to bed so late and then get up so early. I really need my eight hours, otherwise I'm a train wreck.

Unknown said...

The hotel guy story sounds like a good one and so does your miraculously short 4 page story: eating a rock? Ouch! The thought hurts my teeth. Great dialog the causes a gut reaction. Watching your screenwriting development pleases me.