A Body in Motion...



Sitting at my day job thinking about all the writing work I still have to do. Going out soon to buy a microcassette recorder. That way, I can spew ideas in the car and type them up later. Would really like an Ice Blended Mocha right about now. Will probably post again before the day is over.

And, as promised, here we go. Scored both the cassette recorder AND the Ice Blended Mocha. Dying to leave my office for a swim and then hours and hours of writing to look forward to. <audible groan> Not that I'm complaining. Not at all. Grateful for the opportunity here. It isn't anywhere close to the same level I used to operate at, but it's money for writing.

Newton's Law of Motion: A body in motion tends to stay in motion..

Got a call from the Director earlier today. The producer, Jeff Beach, had asked that I provide some sort of resume credentials that he can use to butter up Sci-Fi to the idea that their mediocre writer has been replaced. He asked me if I'd ever done anything.

"Well," I said. "My first two specs sold to major studios for a combined total of six-hundred-thousand dollars against one-point-two million. How's that?"

"That'll do just fine," Jeff said. And we hung up.

Both of my Feature agents e-mailed to tell me they will read the latest draft of my spec this coming weekend. And I'll be too busy to think about it because I'll be trapped in the midst of MANTICORE!

And I'm kind of digging my rental car. My car was rear-ended in December and I finally found the time and money to take it into the shop. My insurance is paying for the rental. It's just a Pontiac. Nothing fancy. But it moves and I don't have to shift. It is reminding me just how much I hate a manual transmission in L.A..

On a totally different note (see how I can procrastinate?), it seems a rocket launcher was found near an Atlanta airport today, and that the White House has been conducting secret drills in anticipation of a 'major terrorist attack' on the United States in the month or so leading up to the November Presidential election. Dubya seems to think that another big attack will cause the country to rally around him and guarantee him a second term. Hmm. Seems 9/11 did a pretty good job of 'legitimizing' the President Select. Worked once. He might as well try it again, right? The scenarios they're drilling for involve either A) a massive attack on Washington D.C. -- likely the Capitol building, B) dozens of simultaneous truck bomb attacks across America and C) multiple tactical nuclear detonations in major U.S. cities. Perhaps Karl Rove should take a poll. See which one of these events would best serve his Master?

Spent several hours at my local favorite diner, eating dinner, revising the first act to be more 'production friendly' (the company doesn't actually have access to Humvees, only outdated Bulgarian military vehicles which will have to fill in), and plotting up to the middle of the movie.

Although it's only 9:30, I was up until 3:30 AM on Monday morning editing the teaser trailer for SILO 13 and was up until 2:00 AM this morning doing this nonsense. I may call it quits while I'm ahead, go home and watch THREE KINGS (research, you know). Get a decent night's sleep and start on the pages I mapped out tomorrow. I have until mid-next week to turn this around. Once the flow starts, ten-plus pages a day shouldn't be a problem. And, with some cash in the bank and more on the way tomorrow, I don't need to worry about anything except finishing the script -- so I think I'm in good shape. I'm just used to staying at this diner, writing and riding their WiFi signal until they kick me out at 1:00 AM. It feels like I'm playing hookie -- but I know better.

Posted: Tue - May 18, 2004 at 02:05 PM      


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