The Suite Life of Zach and Cody

Is such a sweet show. It's actually funny and shows adults who know how to think and be responsible for their kids. And the stars, Cole and Dylan Sprouse, are absolutely adorable.
I'm seriously considering writing a spec for this instead of "Hannah Montana." I really do like this show a great deal more.

Received my third script to review from Triggerstreet. I'm hoping it's a good one. Since I'm a new member I can only review one a day, but that works out great. My plan is to read at least four a week. After I've read four I can upload my own works. There are some people who have read hundreds. Obviously these folks either:

a) Read at least one a day
b) Really like screenplays
c) Absolutely have no lives

My hope is for a) and b).

I haven't drawn much in weeks. I need to get back in the habit. I've found it difficult to switch gears from drawing to writing. I can do either/or, but have not successfully done both in one day for a while.

As for "Rock Out Loud!" decided that free association may not be the best way to go. I really do need an outline or else I will be meandering about. "Darkness Rising" also needs a serious rewrite, as well as much research to make sure the Mesopotamian facts are correct.

Maybe I should buy a planner.

Rock Out Loud!

So today I finally went back to Triggerstreet. I joined several months ago but left it neglected. But nothing like finishing a script to make you want to get involved.

So the deal with them is that you have to review four scripts before they let you post your own. You also have to agree to have actually READ the script and offer constructive criticism that will help the person instead of turning them into a self-conscious pile of mush.

I must admit thought that the first script I read was BAD. It had a great premise- boy fights dragon who is the actual cause of the fall of Pompeii. However the characterization and formatting needed a lot of work. I gave the person some concrete examples though, so hopefully that will help.

The second script was better but devolved into confusion mid-way through. Too many flashbacks, and some facts were revealed later but not completely, so it left you scratching your head.

I'm glad I read both though because it enabled me to see problems in my own script that I know I need to fix now. However, I'm not looking at "Xia" until February 1st. I need to take a breather otherwise I'll get sick of it and never want to work on it again.

So instead I started to write "Rock Out Loud!" I admit that right now the script has NO plot. I tried to come up with one and a log line and since nothing came to mind I just started writing. Real stream of consciousness stuff. I'm on page 5. I figure if I just write whatever pops into my head every day for a month I'll be done with it. It won't be that great but it will be a start, and every writing book I've read has said that the first draft is quite bad anyway.

Excelsior!

Sleeping Patterns Be Damned

So I've completely hijacked my sleep schedule. Oh yeah. I have no idea what will befall me at work today. Had a long and hard day dealing with idiots on the phone at the Store I Cannot Name because the organization is cultish like that, so to get over it I watched a lot of television, answered 28 questions on Yahoo! Answers and then began to comb through godawful blog after blog about writers.

Oh man we're a depressing lot. It's weird because we're the ones creating the material. Must be the strike. Honestly I don't get how professional writers allowed themselves to be screwed over for so long. I guess they were so glad to get jobs that they didn't care if they were getting paid peanuts for the work that makes studios millions? Oh well.

Silver lining in the story is that I got to vicariously hear about four hours worth of "The Fresh Price of Bel-Air" (survey says: Awesome!) and realized that I can avoid most of the "I want to be a writer but can't cause I don't know how woe is me why am I not being recognized as the genius I am" by:

1. NOT reading dailies like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter
2. NOT spending time with people who bitch more than they actually write
3. Spending LOTS of time on blogs like johnaugust.com

I'd never heard of John August until today. He wrote "Go." The Katie Holmes movie. I've never seen that movie. But I will give a listening ear and a tired eye to someone who's actually had a film MADE 'cause heck, I'm not at that point yet. And wonder of wonders, after five hours of trolling through the craptastic wastelands that is the Internet, his site is not only refreshingly funny and upbeat but offers genuine advice that screenwriters can actually USE.

Go John.

And now doing what I should have done five hours ago.
Zzzzzz.....

"Xia" 2nd Edition now complete

And the crowd goes wild.

Yesterday I completed one of my New Year's Resolutions - complete "Xia."
It is finished.

After a decade of blood, sweat, and reams of paper in my room rivaling Russel Crowe's office in "A Beautiful Mind" I finished my first feature length script. It clocks in at 124 pages - still "too long" but two pages shorter than the original version I completed last May.

And officially registered! Lucky number 1,245,873.

Sent it off to three friends for review (thank you friends) and now going to give it a rest for awhile so that I can start on the next three scripts.

And what are they, you ask?

1. A spec script for "Hannah Montana" for the Nickelodeon Fellowship
2. A spec script for "Lost" for the Disney Fellowship
3. Either "Rock Out Loud," "Darkness Rising" or "Xia" for the Nicholl's Fellowship. Haven't decided which one - depends on which one I like best by May 1st

I'm pretty stoked about the whole thing. I am one step closer to fulfilling the dream here - I'll already have three in the can by May, bringing the grand total to six completed works.

Look out, Hollywood. Angela's coming.