I subscribe to Carbonite and found that transferring the files from my desktop to my laptop was a breeze.  I’m in the process of familiarizing myself with Windows 7.  All this is a distraction, taking me away from the art of writing.

For example, I wrote a short screenplay and was converting it to PDF format, something I did all the time on my old desktop.  So, I press the commands to save it to PDF and I get some stupid message that tells me the computer can’t find my printer.  What the– ?  Anyway, I emailed the SP to myself at my old computer and did what I needed to do there but… it’s a distraction.

I remember my first computer back in the early 1980s.  No hard drive.  One floppy disk (yes, floppy disk) drive.  A printer that looked like a converted typewriter. I remember sitting at the computer and crying.  Oh, we have come a long way…  I think I’m on my sixth or seventh computer, couldn’t tell you for sure.  I know it’s my second laptop.  In fact, I’m using my old laptop backpack and I had to shorten the strap that holds the computer in place.  My old laptop was much bigger than the one I have now.  The old one weighed over 20 pounds.l  This one weighs only 5-1/2 pounds.

So, this week, I haven’t gotten too much writing done but I think most of the distraction is behind me.  Just have to figure out how to convert the files to PDF without getting a printer message.  It’ll all work out in time.  It always does.  I just hate being distracted!

This week-end I am going to splurge and buy a laptop! There are just too many instances in my life where, if I had a laptop, I could get more writing done.  It’s not only an investment in my writing but it’s an investment in my sanity. I am one of those people who gets really antsy when I feel like I’m wasting my time.

I got all the one-pagers reviewed over at MoviePoet.  And I wrote and uploaded a short script for MoviePoet’s contest, “White Out”.  Our challenge was to write a short script.  The topic was open but the description and dialogue lines were limited because they could not be any longer than two lines.  Lots of white space! After I decided on the story, it wrote itself. I’m feeling pretty good about this entry…

Current word count on the “Windfall” novelization:  4,412

Right now, I’m reading the book Make a Scene, Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan E. Rosenfeld.  It is a good book for me, at this point in my “writer’s journey”, reminding me of some of the powerful tools available when writing a novel versus writing a screenplay.

I have started to do a step outline for my newest screenplay endeavor, mostly in my head, but it is being blocked and progress is being made.  I expect to be in the middle of this project by the fall.

Two main goals for this week:   First I need to finish the reviews for the “More of Less is More” competition at Moviepoet.com.  Then I need to decide on something to write for MoviePoet’s next competition, “White Out”.  I have one idea, an adaptation of a short story, and I’m waiting to hear from the author.  If the author doesn’t give permission, then I have another idea up my sleeve!

I have paid the entry fee to enter “Windfall” in the ScriptSavvy contest, and have until July 30th to make last minute changes.  The thing I like about this contest, is I can get feedback from it, so even if I don’t win, I get something in return for my $$.

The novelization of “Windfall” is progressing.  Some parts seem to write faster than others.  Returning to this medium has been fun but I am grateful that the plot has already been worked out so I can concentrate on the actual writing.

This week, I started to put “Windfall” into the novel format.    So far, a total of 3,561 words.  I know, not much, but it’s a start.  I am enjoying the return to writing prose.

Still researching my next screenplay.  At this point, I don’t know what I will do first – draft the novel, or draft the screenplay.  Don’t have to make that decision yet…

I only have two weeks to come up with an idea for the July MoviePoet.com contest.  I will enter, I just have to give it some thought.   I will admit that I have been distracted this month since I finished the “Windfall” screenplay.  Between the new research and the decision to write the novel I have been busy.  Still, I have managed to complete about half the reviews for the entries in last month’s  MoviePoet.com contest.   There are 64 entries.  Thank goodness they are all one-page scripts!

I spent a few minutes, today, and updated my “About Me” page.  If you are interested in learning more about me, click here.

My suspicions were confirmed… there is a huge difference between writing a screenplay and writing a novel.  But, I’m not discouraged.   Afterall, I have the rest of my life to write something that will outlive me.

One thing I picked up at the meeting is the belief that if you’re going to be a serious writer, one needs to attend conferences and workshops.  But these cost $$.  In screenwriting, we are advised to enter contests to get noticed.  And that costs $$.  Since I don’t have any $$, I must continue to hold on to my belief that if I write something fantastic, it will get noticed.

Eventually.

Hopefully, while I’m still alive.

At the meeting, we all presented four pages of our writing for comments/review by the other attendees.  I wasn’t surprised to hear that I need to work on POV (point of view).   It is encouraging to discover what I’ve been doing wrong so I can make it right, can make it better.

I will attend the next Susquehanna Writer’s Guild meeting.  I have a lot to learn by attending and,  I think I can contribute to other writers,  too.  Seems to be a win-win situation.

My plans were to start writing a novel and then write a screenplay based on that novel.  But, I’m still researching and not ready to start writing the novel, so I’ve decided to write a novel based on “Windfall”.

This change is something I just came up with this morning and the more I think about it, the better I like the idea.  Since I’ve been working on the “Windfall” screenplay for seven months, I’m hoping the novel will flow quickly.

The research on the new story is progressing.  I have the beginning.  I know the end.  It’s the darn middle that is so daunting, but the middle is what makes the story interesting so I will continue to plod along.  The second act always overwhelms me.  And it should because it’s the most important part of the story.

I’m working on the first outline right now.  At the same time, I’m fleshing out the characters.  I’d like to talk about the specifics but I’m kind of superstitious.  Until I get the first draft done, not many people will know what it’s about.

While I’m at this point in a project, I have to continually remind myself to be patient.  I love the “writing” part and I’m anxious to dive in.  But, with six screenplays under my belt, I know that the planning is important so I don’t waste time and write myself down a blind alley.

I am the type of writer that, once I “finish” something, I rarely go back.  So I want to make sure “Windfall” is completely done before I start to query.  Once I start to query, it will be hard to return to it.   I am not saying that I wouldn’t do a rewrite for a director … I would definitely do that.  But, until that happens,  it’s about time to move on to another project.

And, yes, I have several projects that might benefit from another draft but I just can’t push myself in that direction.  But if a director wanted a rewrite, the fire would be lit and off I’d go!

Starting a new project is scary.  There is always the chance that I’ll never finish it, that I’ll hit a dead end.   And the subject matter of this next story is going to weigh heavy on my heart.  Am I strong enough to see it through?  Am I ready to begin?  I am but I’m cautious.

Seems like I have one foot in one project and one foot in the other project but my heart is torn between the two.  I know I have to finish “Windfall” before I can fully commit to the new project but it’s hard to “let the baby move out of the house”.

Part of that difficulty is knowing that when I finally say I’m done and I “query”, I’m setting myself up for a lot of rejection.   I am such a glutton for punishment.

The research on the new project is going well.   I’ve picked out three characters who will tell the story.   Now, I’m trying to figure out which “voice” to use.   There are so many choices.   None wrong.  Not all of them right.

And that’s a contradiction if I ever heard one!

For some people, their ideas come to them in a dream.  They claim they get the whole story while sleeping.  Whew!  I wish it were that easy for me.

Other people get their ideas from the news. from books, movies, etc.   They just ask a bunch of “what if” questions and change what they’ve read or seen.

I don’t think there is a simple answer.  I would like to say that we get our stories from “all of the above”.  And more!

I don’t just get an idea and sit down and write it.  I have to coax stories out of me.  I do this by knowing the characters and by trying different plot twists.  But it is a slow process and, often, it is pure torture.

My current project draws from some fairly painful experiences in my life.  It also takes a close-up look at many of the ills in today’s society.  It is not easy.  Sometimes I just can’t think about the story  any more and I have to take a step backwards and grab a deep breath of fresh air.

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Writing is easy.  All you do is stare at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.”

I believe that this also pertains to coming up with the story.  If your storyline digs deep and pulls at heart-strings, if it makes you cringe while you write, you might as well be bleeding.  And sometimes the blood will gush, other times it will only drip drip drip.  But it is from the wounds of our life that good stories come.

I have come to realize that not all stories can be screenplays.  Likewise, not all stories can be novels.  Stories are told in different ways and I don’t want to limit myself.

While waiting for reviews to come back on “Windfall”, I have been busy researching my next project.  A novel.  My plans, at this point, are to also write a screenplay based on the novel.    I think that this story can support both.

In July, I will attend my first Susquehanna Writer’s Guild meeting.  This is the only writer’s group in the area and they meet once a month to read and critique each other’s work.  It’s difficult for me to commit to this type of activity but I think it will help me.