It's been awhile, with no good excuse to offer for my absence. I posted last at the end of September, then went on the combined birthday/anniversary surprise trip to Toronto that my dear husband orchestrated... and then I seemingly fell off the face of the earth. Ah, well -- one of the joys of blogging is that if you fall off the blogspot, you can always climb on again.
New year, new decade, hopefully a new attitude. Had it from a not-so-credible but I'll take it source that this could be the year to get The Long Black Veil sold. But first I have to get it back out there, preferably by the end of this month, as opportunity rarely knocks for long. So that's the plan: start contacting agents again and make the push. We'll see what happens.
Still getting trickles about our screenplay Slide, although the interest has not progressed beyond the "Can we read it?" part. It was a nice diversion through the autumn, even if nothing comes of it. Good to know that making the quarterfinals of such a prestigious competition as the Nicholl Fellowships yields some results. Yea us.
And I am back in the writing game, having traded my days for nights. I get the most done on the midnight to six a.m. shift -- in just three days, I've written 7 pages. I know, still doesn't sound like much, but 7 is more than zero. I've finished the first section, which runs about 145 pages, and begun the interlude that will tie sections one and two together. I would love to write faster, but on the plus side, I generally only have to tinker with the finished product, not rip up and start over. I appreciate any favors bestowed upon me!
So... broken arm, world tragedies, and other bad mojo aside, I am hopeful for my personal progress in 2010, and as part of that progress, I intend to contribute something beautiful to the world that was not there before.
A little belated, but still heartfelt: happy new year!
Showing posts with label Slide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slide. Show all posts
9.24.2009
A Century of Pages
Finally passed the hundred-page mark for The Pirate's Bride; 108 pages to be exact. This milestone actually occurred a few days ago, but I wanted to make sure I planned to keep what I'd written. (It doesn't happen often, but I do sometimes scrap whole scenes, and that would have taken me back into the nineties.)
Frankly, it doesn't seem like much for ten months' work -- only about 58 pages, 'cuz I had 50 when I started. I try to take into account, however, that I also completed a major and a minor rewrite to Slide in those ten months, as well as moved 1.5 households, provided serious emotional support to my dad as he coped with his wife's terminal illness and eventual death, and laid the groundwork for several other projects.
I would really love to knock out 50 more pages before November 6. That would still only bring my average up to about 8.3 pages per month... but who's counting?
Frankly, it doesn't seem like much for ten months' work -- only about 58 pages, 'cuz I had 50 when I started. I try to take into account, however, that I also completed a major and a minor rewrite to Slide in those ten months, as well as moved 1.5 households, provided serious emotional support to my dad as he coped with his wife's terminal illness and eventual death, and laid the groundwork for several other projects.
I would really love to knock out 50 more pages before November 6. That would still only bring my average up to about 8.3 pages per month... but who's counting?
8.29.2009
Bended, But Unbroken
Received the email I expected last night: we did not advance to the Semi-Finals for the Nicholl Fellowship.
Je suis desolee.
But I -- we -- will survive. It hurts, no doubt about it. I don't think we ever realize how much we are invested in something until it doesn't come to pass. I wanted this, and I try not to want very much... Except to have faith in the writing, to believe that we are good enough to do this professionally.
My faith is shaken but not lost.
Happy little planner that I am, I do not know what to do next. No doubt, however, something will come along.
Je suis desolee.
But I -- we -- will survive. It hurts, no doubt about it. I don't think we ever realize how much we are invested in something until it doesn't come to pass. I wanted this, and I try not to want very much... Except to have faith in the writing, to believe that we are good enough to do this professionally.
My faith is shaken but not lost.
Happy little planner that I am, I do not know what to do next. No doubt, however, something will come along.
8.09.2009
Guess Who's Back? Back Again...
Long time, no write... To tie up some loose ends: the house deal worked out. We ended up taking it, and we got the seller to pay for the carpet removal. Then we shelled out a bundle to have the floors redone (they really really needed it). Near as I can tell so far, it's all been worth it. We have a nice place, and we all (people and animals) seem to like it.
News: After a two-and-a-half year fight, my father's second wife died from complications created by larangeal cancer. William and I attended the funeral in North Carolina in late July, and Dad has begun the slow process of moving up here with us. We are enjoying his company, but we are so sorry for his loss.
Other News: We made the first cut in the Nicholl Fellowship. Out of a record-breaking 6380 entries, 321 screenplays advanced to the quarter-finals. Slide is one of them. We are very excited, and of course, hopeful that we might make it to the semi-finals. (Between 110 and 120 entries will advance)
Travel: Tomorrow I head back to North Carlina with Dad to start wrapping up the selling of his house and the moving of his stuff, not to mention bringing his 2 beautiful cats home to Rochester. I will have limited Web access for a while, but I plan to pick up this blog upon my return. I even plan to start writing again soon -- with luck, when I get back, or maybe even a little before.
Stay tuned.
News: After a two-and-a-half year fight, my father's second wife died from complications created by larangeal cancer. William and I attended the funeral in North Carolina in late July, and Dad has begun the slow process of moving up here with us. We are enjoying his company, but we are so sorry for his loss.
Other News: We made the first cut in the Nicholl Fellowship. Out of a record-breaking 6380 entries, 321 screenplays advanced to the quarter-finals. Slide is one of them. We are very excited, and of course, hopeful that we might make it to the semi-finals. (Between 110 and 120 entries will advance)
Travel: Tomorrow I head back to North Carlina with Dad to start wrapping up the selling of his house and the moving of his stuff, not to mention bringing his 2 beautiful cats home to Rochester. I will have limited Web access for a while, but I plan to pick up this blog upon my return. I even plan to start writing again soon -- with luck, when I get back, or maybe even a little before.
Stay tuned.
4.27.2009
It's Out of My Hands (For Now)
It's official: on Friday at about 1:38 in the afternoon, we submitted Slide and our application for the Nicholl Fellowship. We feel we've submitted the best version of that screenplay that we could, and I guess that's all we can hope to do.
Now we wait. With something over 5000 applications for the Fellowship, it takes months for them all to be read, so we're not complaining. It's a great thing to know that our entry will be read at least once.
Here's the basic timeline for notification:
Quarterfinals: mid-July
Semifinals: August/September
Finals: October
Winners: November
In the meantime, back to work on The Pirate's Bride, and time to start work on our new screenplay, Come Dancing. It should keep our minds off things.
Now we wait. With something over 5000 applications for the Fellowship, it takes months for them all to be read, so we're not complaining. It's a great thing to know that our entry will be read at least once.
Here's the basic timeline for notification:
Quarterfinals: mid-July
Semifinals: August/September
Finals: October
Winners: November
In the meantime, back to work on The Pirate's Bride, and time to start work on our new screenplay, Come Dancing. It should keep our minds off things.
4.14.2009
Could It Be? Yes, It Could...
Updates, updates, updates.
Sent out the latest agent query for The Long Black Veil.
Completed the initial edit of Slide. Need to re-read it tomorrow and check accuracy, consistency, spelling, format, etc. Closing in on done, though.
Started the application for the Nicholl Fellowship (which I have been misspelling up to now). Doesn't appear to be terribly hard to get the basic information submitted properly. All online, due no later than 11:59 PM on May 1st. (I thought it was May 3rd; glad I double-checked.)
It's good to have things in motion.
Sent out the latest agent query for The Long Black Veil.
Completed the initial edit of Slide. Need to re-read it tomorrow and check accuracy, consistency, spelling, format, etc. Closing in on done, though.
Started the application for the Nicholl Fellowship (which I have been misspelling up to now). Doesn't appear to be terribly hard to get the basic information submitted properly. All online, due no later than 11:59 PM on May 1st. (I thought it was May 3rd; glad I double-checked.)
It's good to have things in motion.
4.09.2009
A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action
Argh. Spent Tuesday editing and rewriting 65 pages of the Slide screenplay, for a total of 86 pages DONE (out of the latest count of 105).
BUT... Hit a big snag. Have one major bit left to amend, and we're just not sure how to do it so that it
So why the hell am I wasting time blogging?
BUT... Hit a big snag. Have one major bit left to amend, and we're just not sure how to do it so that it
- Doesn't add too much extraneous material; and
- We don't end up "telling" instead of "showing" the action.
So why the hell am I wasting time blogging?
3.26.2009
Time Tells Everything, Given Time
Not writing much here, but writing elsewhere...
Spent a few days in Dover, Delaware, marking the first anniversary of my mother's death by playing the slot machines at Dover Downs and hanging out with J and W. A strange tribute, some might say, but Mom would have loved that place. And Rehobeth Beach was gorgeous even in March.
Spent the past week or so editing the screenplay for Slide -- first to get it ready for a reading with our great group of friends, and following the feedback from the reading, to prepare the script for the Nichols Fellowship application due by May 3rd. We fully expect not to receive the fellowship, but the act of faith committed in trying for it is a good, good thing.
Holding off on sending to a new agent just now... the time doesn't feel quite right yet. Soon, I hope. By the by, should any of you have contacts in the literary/publishing field, we have no qualms about begging for your assistance. Just let us know you're willing to be groveled to.
And finally, we're house-hunting again. Fascinating stuff. May have found a place we like, though not certain yet. That too will come in time, no doubt.
Spent a few days in Dover, Delaware, marking the first anniversary of my mother's death by playing the slot machines at Dover Downs and hanging out with J and W. A strange tribute, some might say, but Mom would have loved that place. And Rehobeth Beach was gorgeous even in March.
Spent the past week or so editing the screenplay for Slide -- first to get it ready for a reading with our great group of friends, and following the feedback from the reading, to prepare the script for the Nichols Fellowship application due by May 3rd. We fully expect not to receive the fellowship, but the act of faith committed in trying for it is a good, good thing.
Holding off on sending to a new agent just now... the time doesn't feel quite right yet. Soon, I hope. By the by, should any of you have contacts in the literary/publishing field, we have no qualms about begging for your assistance. Just let us know you're willing to be groveled to.
And finally, we're house-hunting again. Fascinating stuff. May have found a place we like, though not certain yet. That too will come in time, no doubt.
2.18.2009
Stop Worrying Where You're Going... Move On
Finally, FINALLY getting some work done this week. It feels good.
Need to dig out Slide and get to work on that too.
One small step for me & Jeannine, one giant step for... well, me & Jeannine, I guess. Maybe you too if you like the stories we tell.
Need to dig out Slide and get to work on that too.
One small step for me & Jeannine, one giant step for... well, me & Jeannine, I guess. Maybe you too if you like the stories we tell.
11.18.2008
Milestone and Rule #1
Actually wrote several pages today, in between letting the cat down cellar at 6 AM, the dog out to potty at 7:40AM -- first time for him with snow on the ground, and he doesn't know what to think -- and fighting with the drain in the tub for 2 hours.
That's 2 whole hours trying every trick known to womankind, from easing plastic tubing down the narrow pipe to the vinegar & baking soda bubbling trick to pouring boiling hot water & dish soap down it trying to get the works to drain properly... only to discover that somehow someone had accidentally hit the plug dealie so that it was halfway closed. Since the stopper is inside the drain and therefore invisible to the naked eye, it didn't occur to me to check that first. Aargh! But at least I didn't have to call a plumber.
Since this is a training week, I'm not terribly concerned about the slow-going, but it occurs to me that some milestones and rules might be in order to keep things on a more progressive track. So:
That's 2 whole hours trying every trick known to womankind, from easing plastic tubing down the narrow pipe to the vinegar & baking soda bubbling trick to pouring boiling hot water & dish soap down it trying to get the works to drain properly... only to discover that somehow someone had accidentally hit the plug dealie so that it was halfway closed. Since the stopper is inside the drain and therefore invisible to the naked eye, it didn't occur to me to check that first. Aargh! But at least I didn't have to call a plumber.
Since this is a training week, I'm not terribly concerned about the slow-going, but it occurs to me that some milestones and rules might be in order to keep things on a more progressive track. So:
Milestone #1: Starting in December (no point pre-Thanksgiving, trust me), send out 6 queries a month to agents to try to get representation for The Long Black Veil. Send on Wednesdays; they make good administrative task days.
Rule #1: If more than 30 minutes passes staring at a blank page, work on something else. For example, if nothing's moving along with The Pirate's Bride, I'll work on the screenplay for "The Long Black Veil", or perhaps the screenplay for "Slide". Momentum breeds momentum.
That's all for today's progress report. Time for bed.
11.10.2008
Slide
Slide
Type: Screenplay
Genre: Dark Comedy, Present-day setting
Status: In Revision
Logline: For brothers Wes and Neil, their friend Alaska, and co-workers Dexter and Bird, escape from their boring lives is a pipedream... until an ice storm sets up the perfect robbery. Forced to rely on one another if they hope to slip away, these smalltown slackers may just realize their wildest dreams.
Type: Screenplay
Genre: Dark Comedy, Present-day setting
Status: In Revision
Logline: For brothers Wes and Neil, their friend Alaska, and co-workers Dexter and Bird, escape from their boring lives is a pipedream... until an ice storm sets up the perfect robbery. Forced to rely on one another if they hope to slip away, these smalltown slackers may just realize their wildest dreams.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
