Some Bullshit

I don't really know where I'm going with this one. Just kind of feeling it out. Which is convenient, because my writing is at the "feeling it out" stage. I'm starting my Greek script, but I doubt it'll sell. I'll see what they think when its done. Who fucking knows? Maybe it'll be bomb-ass (but probably not). Worst case scenario, it'll be a good place to go after a successful actual movie gets made. And The Hun has real potential there. I genuinely think this one will go the distance. I mean, I thought my other ones would too, but this one is really cool (though not 100% perfect).

I'm currently probing for ideas for my next other script. I think my WWII script will come soon, but I want options, and I want to wait with the WWII one, because people like WWII. If I'm a "great writer" by then, it stands a bigger chance of getting picked up. But this other one is an interesting concept, and REALLY early. It's got Ramses II in it, for reference. It's fucking ancient. But I already have the main plot kind of hazily put together, and one of the subplots worked out enough that I think it'll stay, which is good, because it's grim. I love me some grim-ass plot. No spoilers yet, but there will be. And I love my main character. It's based on my Aurora-bestie, Cloud. I'm even going to make the main character gay. It'll be a great time, and a hell of a character. One of my favorite people, immortalized on-screen.

Well, now I'm off to come up with names. Night, everybody.

Alea iacta est.

"The die is cast." That's kind of how I'm feeling at this point. I woke up early yesterday to finish my final actual draft, then stayed up late to make sure that it passed my final read. Both times I changed next to nothing, and the last time, I actually stopped to check where I was on page 60. The story beats match up with the ones in the book (ON ACCIDENT, NO LESS!). And I filled it out a lot since the last time I submitted it. Even then, it was a generally positive response. Their advice was valid, and as I checked it, I noticed more and more things that could have been improved, and I did.

And now it's been sent off to the Blacklist. Part of me is pretty sure they'll like it. They weren't monsters with my last pieces (though they got noticeably less generous over time). But part of me is convinced they exist to hook up indie scripts with buyers. The big criticism is that mine would be "expensive," which is valid, because I didn't skimp on the action. But in the same token, they're EPICS. I aimed big, and their criticism is that it's big? And then they rant and rave about these character-driven dramas that are probably good scripts, and would probably make an enjoyable movie-going experience, but of the top grossing movies, only 1 was a character-driven drama, and that was Titanic. We went because CG was still pretty new, and James Cameron is a badass. I mean, people will watch those movies, but will they pay ten bucks to see them? Probably not. People want their minds blown. That's why they go to theaters, rather than staying home and watching Netflix. 

*shrug* That's just me though, and I don't know shit. So yeah. I'm hopeful. Still going to throw down on a couple contests though, to hedge my bets. And work on the next project, but you'll hear plenty about them when I get there.

Also, lastly, I hope no one checks my internet history. They must think I'm 100% fucked up. I went through a big research binge on cannibalism, and now I'm looking up a thing on incest survivors (which has nothing to do with The Hun or my upcoming WWII pic.) But seriously. Weird weird shit.

FRIDAY'S ALMOST HERE, SON.

I must say, the more I use Fade In, the more impressed with it I am. It's different than Celtx, but not BAD in any way. Actually, I can fit more words on the dialogue lines, which is nice. My goal was to be done-done with The Hun by Friday, so I can move on to planning other projects, and finish editing a lesser project I've been working on (I.E., one that likely won't sell). But the progress has been leaps and bounds. I anticipate being done tomorrow, barring some freak accident. And then it's off to some contests and the Blacklist. Casting a wider net, now that it's streamlined. I figure that now is the time to show that I know what I'm doing, because I don't think there's anything I'm missing.

And when it's done-done, I'm going to do a full reading each day until Friday, when I send it off. I don't think I need good vibes though, because this isn't a good-vibes script. It's fucked up and mean and kind of a tragedy, but a hell of a ride. Like a historical one-shot Game of Thrones, with a Roman flavor. I'm dead-convinced, if it doesn't sell now, it will when they finally discover me. Living in a cave like Ted Kaczynski, writing plot synopses of every historical event ever recorded.

So that's a thing. And I have edits to make, but they're so small and so simple, it should take literally ten minutes. Just tweaking descriptions and adding single sentences to existing dialogue. SLACK. God, I wish I could wake up in the morning and just do this. Wake up when I want, do my work when I want, put it down when I want (which is the real struggle -- my muse is a dominatrix), and get paid solid paychecks for my efforts. None of this busting my ass for the scraps from the head-guy's table. I mean, I guess this is technically scraps from the head-guy's table, but the head guy dumps a feast's worth of scraps, so there'a ample pickings. None of this eating spaghetti for a week bullshit.

*DEEP BREATH* I am closer to the end than to the beginning.

Also, my little brother had his kid. We go to visit her next month, so that should be fun. I got a TON done last time I went down there. And since he flies an F-15, I'm hoping to get some cool shit down for my WWII one. It's about the Battle of Britain, and they have a Battle of Britain-themed bar there, with an actual Spitfire out front. I'm going to haunt that place like a ghost for at LEAST one night. And I hope to come up with some cool piloting shit too. Like, incorporate some stories and the like. I mean, when he was with The Eagles, the queen of fucking England footed the bill for their party, so clearly this wasn't bluster. And I bet he'd like being involved in one of these. At least the planning, which is the easy shit.

Lastly, it says someone IS reading these. If it's you, homeland security, the Unabomber thing was a gag. Just talking shit. I don't even think there even ARE caves in Iowa.

Next Level.

I believe I have hit the next level, folk. The one folk who reads this. Who is me. Because no one reads this. Which is fine. ANYWAY, next level. DING! It's been an exciting week for me.

First, a couple nights ago, I worked out my last character who had to get cut. What's left stays. I was working on it, trying to straighten out some scenes that I knew weren't EXACTLY right, but I couldn't figure out how. So, I consulted my buddy and afterwards looked at them again. Not only did I tweak them and make them far better, I figured out exact things that needed to be altered or changed. Set-ups that make it make it clearer, twists that make it tighter, and I actually came up with a sort of overall riding subtext that I wanted to flow through this thing, front to back. In this light, it's a thing of beauty. To me. Infinitely better than it was initially, and that one wasn't BAD, per se. Just not GREAT. This is GREAT, and that's what they want.

Now I'm doing my second-to-last polish and sending it off. But the other night, when I looked at it in PDF, Celtx had some weird glitch, where it would garble the last line on several pages, so my characters would seductively coo "Doattbygoladoempila," or some similar shit, which is far from sexy. And it kills my ability to provide a quality product. I was dicey about Celtx anyway, since it also gets glitchy about the underline, and I use it to mark bits that need to be fixed later. So it's been an occasional ass-pain, but today I had it. There's no sense coming up with good dialogue if my punchlines are going to need a god damn cryptographer to get them. It makes me look like  stupid jackass, which isn't going to land me a career. I considered Final Draft, but it's so god damn expensive, and I'm on a budget. I went with a new one, Fade In. It was quick to learn, had the same tools I was used to (albeit in a different location), but ultimately fucking slick. I'm a big damn fan. I converted 42 pages of Celtx script to Fade In today. It's my second-to-last draft.

So, I'm busting my ass to get this thing done. I'm doing everything to make it happen. I started on it at 9 AM, and ended at 7 PM, because any more Redbull and Warduna, and my brain would leak from my ears. But I got a chunk of it going, editing it all the way. I'm really proud of this one. And I saw the new Ben Hur trailer. My hope is that this movie brings a lot of excitement, because it could very well reinvigorate the exact genre I'm selling. I mean, the shit in that movie is so close to what I'm bringing to the table. I only hope they skip the preachy shit at the end and focus on the cool shit, like boats and chariots. Shit I write about, because they're so much cooler than a random religious experience. Also, because I think people would react to it better, giving me a better chance of selling my shit and killing my student loans once and for all.

So, that's a thing. The stars are aligning and the portents look good. I hate saying this because I'm not superstitious, but I match my astrological symbol well enough, so perhaps it's a good call. But I've been busting my ass on this for years. More than two! I'm close to my Saturn return, and I've been diligent as fuck. Good times HAVE to be coming my way.

Ravaged by Attila

This script is proving itself pretty tough. I've been changing it as per the Screencraft people's advice, because they were right about the pacing issue. I finally went in and found it. I think I worked the kinks out. And I whittled down the characters. And I let the main plotline shine through. I guess they weren't big on ensemble pieces, but that's understandable, because it did create a really shaky narrative. In any case, it's been fixed. I'm through the rewrite draft, which is a BIIIIITCH. But it was managed in a week. I've got a couple contests I was going to drop it in this month, so that's good.

Also, I have yet to hear back from the Screencraft folks, regarding the quarter-finalists. It's not bad at all. I'm actually pleased to know that they're trying their best to do a really good job. I think I can MAYBE get into the quarter-finals, but probably not much further. Which isn't a bad thing. I mean, I submitted the script as soon as I finished it. I needed the intensive review more than anything else. The industry hook-up and final draft material would have been welcome relief though. Celtx is getting wonky sometimes (but thankfully not now). I'm losing trust in it. In any case, the plan is to ensure that this one isn't the hillbilly brother-cousin of the previous script, and that it's definitively better. Then I plan on throwing down on the other two contests (which escape me now) and probably the Blacklist. If they liked my samurai piece, they're gonna shit when they read this.

I'm convinced. My method is down well enough that I can make an epic in the designated Hollywood time-frame. Ten weeks for the first draft, four the next. I can do this with ease now, My shit is marketable (according to them), and I know what I'm doing. It's inevitable, like a glacier. But it would be great to have a job I enjoy that pays well and grants some measure of respect. Eh. It'll happen when it happens.

Also, I got the Greek script planned out. I just need to write the damn thing. But it'll be good, and as the standalone first part of a trilogy, it should be extremely marketable. They said my last one read like 300 or Troy, but that was 5 scripts ago. I'm likely a shitload better now. And this plot is linear, which is a fucking treat. But, it needs to be written first. I think I just need to have The Hun in a more manageable status right now. If it was an open-heart surgery, the patient is stabilized and I just need to close her up. I'd like it closed up before I go into the next one.

Now to plan my World War II script. My muse is a god damn dominatrix.