Monthly Archives: December 2009

Good-bye to 2009

Good-bye 2009!  Another year gone by…

Hello 2010!  Another year to get through…

Do you make New Year’s resolutions?  I do.  Most of them I break on January 2nd or 3rd.   But, I have found that I tend to keep the resolutions that are dear to me.  And those are the ones that I make about writing.

I finished every project I wanted to finish in 2009.  I even surprised myself and accomplished things I had not thought about.   I wrote in genres that are challenging to me.  I entered contests that scared me.  I pushed myself and took on challenges.

One of the major things I learned in 2009 is I have a lot to learn about writing a good story.  I know I can write.  I can string the words together to make sentences and then put the sentences together to make paragraphs.  My weakness is in the “story”.  So that is where my effort will go in 2010.

Santa Claus put Dramatica Pro under the Christmas tree for me this year.  Dramatica Pro is a computer program which is advertised as being the “ultimate creative writing partner”.    The big promise I’ve made to myself is to learn this program and  use it effectively. 

Today, I’ve been learning the program and I can see that there are many levels to uncover.  Yesterday I ordered two books from Amazon.  These books should help me  figure out how to get the most out of this “writing partner”.  I’m looking forward to receiving “Dramatica: A New Theory of Story”, and “Dramatica for Screenwriters” sometime next week.

And now for those resolutions that I will probably break … losing weight, exercising more, not wasting time…  I’m giving up some sugar,  especially those flavored coffees that I seem to buy everyday…  (Note, I said “some sugar” – not “all sugar”!).

Anyway, Happy New Year!  Here’s to a great 2010!

A Welcome Obstacle to Writing

I have worked at a part-time job for the past year and a half.   It’s been great because the job allowed me lots of time for writing but, I needed another job…

First, I needed full-time work because I have a college-bound son.  Second, I was very underemployed and I needed more of a challenge.

So, today is the last day of my part-time job because I  begin a full-time job on January 4th.    There will be adjustment period as it pertains to writing because, unless I can force myself out of bed at four in the morning,  I’m going to lose valuable writing time. 

I know, I can always write at night… 

… but I know myself well enough to know that my best writing is done in the morning. 

I’ve got about a week and a half to figure this out.   Any ideas?   I suspect I’m going to be getting up before the rooster!  And going to bed earlier than I already do…

I’m Writing a Foreign Film

I started to write a foreign film for the DVXUser Betrayal film contest.  After exchanging several e-mails with the filmaker, I started last night.   The filmaker has a solid story idea that he wants me to develop and he is helping with the cultural questions I have.  I hope to be able to give it an American twist while staying true to the location’s culture.

These are the kind of projects I would like to be involved in more.  Films that allow me to educate and make a statement, while still entertain.   I want people to “think” after they have watched a film which is based on a screenplay I have written. 

I think this is why my SP, “A Thousand Miles to Freedom” is so special to me.  I’m currently on page 37 of that rewrite.    I still have high hopes for this project and plan on entering it in contests next year.