Skip to main content

Theatrical Tuesday - A Writer At Christmas

TuesdayI did take Christmas Day off, but the rest of my "vacation" has involved writing. There is too much on my to-do list not to. Maybe someday I'll have vacations completely free of work, but I'm sure ideas will strike me and I'll have to write them down anyway.

Before today, however, I was rather blocked up. I got maybe a scene or two looked at each day on my short film script. Normally, I can get a revision done in a couple of hours. Nope. Couldn't focus. Final Draft's method for displaying comments didn't help either. I sent them feedback because they'll either tell me about some setting I couldn't find or make use of the feedback. They're pretty good that way. Anyway, I got the revised short film done today after several days of barely getting anywhere with it. Holiday brain, as one friend said, was probably another factor.

Writers are rarely not working. Every interaction or experience is potentially research. As is every moment we're browsing on-line. We may or may not make use of it, but these are the things that become part of stories. Someone says something in a weird way like speaking nonchalantly about cancer. A dog that hates having his snow booties taken off and prefers to slip all over the house. These are character elements.

Maybe you're watching TV with the family and a bit of dialogue strikes your mind in a funny way, which gets you thinking about one of the projects you've been stuck on. Suddenly, you have the inspiration you need to finish it.

I also completed a creepy monologue for some placement hours. That involved a couple hours of research and the actual writing. Now I'm just waiting to find out where I send it to.

I've watched a lot of cheesy Christmas movies in the last few days. I keep thinking the people that write them probably make a decent amount of money on the scripts, but some of them are so awful I want to bash my head against a wall. They would be better work than copy writing, but I'm really hoping my films are different enough to get me somewhere.

When I get back to Ottawa, I want to check out some Akira Kurosawa films and maybe catch some of the things I haven't made it to yet at the theatre. I'd like to have a second watch of The Last Jedi also.

I think New Years might be filled with gaming this year. I can dress comfy and stay warm. We'll see. I don't currently have plans. Maybe I'll go to a bar nearby for a bit too. Maybe I'll visit friends. Really anything is possible.

I hope everyone is enjoying Boxing Day. I briefly thought about going out, but with all the Lego games I have, there's really no need. Also, the only thing I want is a Nintendo Switch. Instead, I made a list of goals that include getting a Switch, with the steps to work toward them. Instead of using the gift card I got on a possible copy of Lego Star Wars, I'm going to put it toward the Switch after I sell some things to make that happen. It seems like a good idea to me. It also fits into my goal of reducing the stuff I don't need.

My plan now is to take a break. Later, I want to have a look at the script for our video term project. I think it might be worthwhile to list the shooting information inside the regular script, so it's all in one place. I need to slightly tweak a couple of lines and then work on memorizing mine. I *can* leave much of the rest for the end of the week, but I probably won't. The more I have finished while not in class, the better.

Guid cheerio the nou,
R~
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Gauntlet That Was October

I had a lot of things happen in October. I watched Frankenstein in the cemetery with friends. I had tea with a friend. I started a new sport: curling. This is really fun and I'm enjoying the level of activity it provides and all the strategic elements. I'll do a separate post on it soon. Unfortunately, soon after my first game, I came down with Covid and so did the friend who I had tea with, so I think we both caught it at the place we went to. That wasn't fun. I already posted about that. I was fortunate to be free of it in time to attend Can-Con where I took in lots of panels, saw some of the wonderful writer community, bought many new books, and volunteered to help out in the rooms. The following weekend, I went to the livestream for Danielle Allard's new album release, followed by the in person release. As part of this, she has a 6 video series that releases every Sunday on her YouTube at 1:15 PM EDT. Video number 2, Falling Into Place, is one that I feel fortunate
Post a Comment
Read more

Under Siege

My city is under attack. I wish I was being facetious.  The so-called "freedom" convoy is here and so far this is what has transpired: 1. They parked on the war memorial. These people who call themselves patriots. This is where the Unknown Soldier rests. This is where Corporal Nathan Cirullo lost his life in October of 2014. The cars were towed, but who knows what actual repercussions they will face. 2. Later, when asked to move away from memorial, one stood and jumped on the tomb itself while others cheered.  3. Despite having port-a-potties provided for by the mayor, they've been defecating on Parliament Hill, in snowbanks, and on streets nearby.  4. Flags being flown include the Confederate flag of the United States, Trump flags, the Quebec equivalent to the Confederate flag, upside down Canada flags, regular Canada flags, Fuck Trudeau flags, libertarian flags, and ones adorned with swastikas. Yeah, this is totally about freedom rather than racism, white su
Post a Comment
Read more

December 2023 Holidays

The drive to North Bay was pretty smooth until I was 30 minutes away and ran out of windshield washer fluid. That was the first time that ever happened to me. Luckily, about 10-15 minutes later, there was one last gas station where I could fix that. Since it's my busy season, I worked the mornings and took the afternoons and evenings to spend with family and friends. My brother stopped by with a special gift, a new ornament for the tree. My mom loved ceramic Christmas trees, so it's a perfect way to keep her with us at Christmas. His friend, Fawn, helped him get it made. She has a YouTube channel you can check out here: https://youtube.com/@thethriftyfawn After that, I visited friends in the slightly rural part of Callander, Ontario. We were having a lovely time catching up and then the evening had a surprise in store. Someone in the area had hit a small deer with their vehicle. My friend's dad skinned and gutted it in around -20C (due to the windchill) weather.
Post a Comment
Read more