Watch this video and then go VOTE!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
It is finished!
On Sunday, January 1st, 2006 I had an idea for a novel. It started with a few paragraphs in my journal and I called it Side Effects:
At 4:11pm today, Monday, October 27th, 2008, I finished the first draft of this novel!!! My novel!!! I know, I am very excited. For those of you who've been tracking my progress with me, thank you for the encouragement, for the comments and for the suggestions. It's been all-consuming and exhausting and the coolest adventure ever! To get to know these characters and share their stories on the page. I only hope that one day they'll be not just stories on a word processor's page but on a book's page as well.
So that's it. A draft is done. According to Anne Lamott it's probably a shitty first draft. But it's written and it's mine and that can never be taken away from me. Now I just have to edit and rewrite and find a publisher. All the easy stuff!
It's been two years, ten months and twenty seven days. It's been a lifetime. It's written. I seriously cannot explain what this feels like...
We are the original desperate housewives. And we aren’t just wives. We’re girlfriends and husbands and children and mothers and friends and co-workers and friends of your wives and people who go to your church or members of your father’s Bible study. We’ve been here since, well since there was war. Since there was the notion that we, the collective we that is the United States, felt the need to go away and protect others. Go away and help.Over two and a half years later, it's now called An Everyday Silence and it's 152, 669 words.
But the collective we that is us, those of us left behind, have spent the majority of that time since being ignored, under appreciated, not valued, and overly relied upon. And that’s okay. Because that’s what we do when our men, and now our women, go off to war. We stay home.
And we’re not complaining. We can’t imagine what it must be like to live in the land of sand, to eat MREs every meal, to fear bullets and land mines with every step, to leave our home, our family, our lives for months on end and wonder if we’ll ever make it back and if we do, what will be left. But we’re saying staying at home’s not easy either.
You know how when your doctor prescribes a medication and you go to the pharmacy and you get the bottle and you take it out of the little white bag and that paper falls out? That paper that lists the hundred or so side effects that could happen; everything from a slight cough to brain hemorrhaging. Well that’s how we feel at times. We’re the side effects that no one pays attention to until something happens. You search the trash for that paper at three a.m. when you’ve got a nosebleed that just won’t stop or when your stomach starts cramping twenty minutes after you’ve swallowed the pills.
We are those side effects. We cause a little heart burn, a little constipation, a slight headache, but until the knock on the door and the men in suits arrive, no one pays us any attention.
At 4:11pm today, Monday, October 27th, 2008, I finished the first draft of this novel!!! My novel!!! I know, I am very excited. For those of you who've been tracking my progress with me, thank you for the encouragement, for the comments and for the suggestions. It's been all-consuming and exhausting and the coolest adventure ever! To get to know these characters and share their stories on the page. I only hope that one day they'll be not just stories on a word processor's page but on a book's page as well.
So that's it. A draft is done. According to Anne Lamott it's probably a shitty first draft. But it's written and it's mine and that can never be taken away from me. Now I just have to edit and rewrite and find a publisher. All the easy stuff!
It's been two years, ten months and twenty seven days. It's been a lifetime. It's written. I seriously cannot explain what this feels like...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Vote early, vote often!!!
No, no, I'm joking!
But seriously?
VOTE.
If you are over 18 and a U.S. citizen YOU MUST VOTE. Because if you don't then you can't complain. Not even a little. I remember in college my golf coach, who was a really great guy, not much older than me, and I would have these intense conversations about politics. And one day I remember asking him about who he voted for and his reply was that he didn't vote. And I was so furious with him. I truly believe that if you can't get off your butt and fill in a couple of lousy circles on a piece of paper, then keep your mouth shut! I've voted in every election I've been able to since I turned 18: city council, school board, president, everything. And I truly believe it matters.
And I voted again today. Ang and I sat down at the kitchen table this morning and spread out our ballots. When we registered our cars and got drivers' licenses in California they asked us if we'd like to vote by mail. Heck yeah I wanted to vote by mail, how much does that rock?!?!? You don't even have to go to the polling place (though I admit, I enjoy that but life is complicated and I also like making sure I get things that are important done ahead of time). So a few weeks ago our ballots, and an information guide, arrived in the mail. And we've been collecting bits of information in the past month to help us make informed decisions - her union's newsletter, mail ads, I even scribbled down some info I heard on a TV commercial.
It didn't take long, about 20 minutes. We used black pens, filled in our dots, talked about the issues, and put them in the mail. As easy as that! It was way more complicated to get a driver's licence. (Let's not talk about failing the test, please.) Then tonight I got this video link from my friend Pauley - check her out on YouTube - which only reinforces the fact that voting is easy. It's free and it lets your voice be heard. Vote for Obama (yes, please! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!!), vote for Chuck Baldwin (no, please, DON'T VOTE FOR CHUCK BALDWIN, unless you're Justin and it's too late!), vote for Grover Cleveland, vote for me, I don't care (I mean, I care, I REALLY REALLY CARE and I'll talk to you about it, I WILL, if you want to talk about it) just VOTE. Vote so you can have a voice, so you can say you tried to make a change, you wanted to be a part of the process. Heck vote just so when your guy loses (sorry Justin! (I kid, I kid!)) you can complain and cry and say you tried. VOTE. VOTE VOTE VOTE.
And if you're in California - vote YES on Proposition 2, ending cruelty to animals in the agricultural industry in California. And vote NO on Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminates the rights of people. Plain and simple.
REMEMBER - VOTE. Either today, tomorrow or on November 4th. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
But seriously?
VOTE.
If you are over 18 and a U.S. citizen YOU MUST VOTE. Because if you don't then you can't complain. Not even a little. I remember in college my golf coach, who was a really great guy, not much older than me, and I would have these intense conversations about politics. And one day I remember asking him about who he voted for and his reply was that he didn't vote. And I was so furious with him. I truly believe that if you can't get off your butt and fill in a couple of lousy circles on a piece of paper, then keep your mouth shut! I've voted in every election I've been able to since I turned 18: city council, school board, president, everything. And I truly believe it matters.
And I voted again today. Ang and I sat down at the kitchen table this morning and spread out our ballots. When we registered our cars and got drivers' licenses in California they asked us if we'd like to vote by mail. Heck yeah I wanted to vote by mail, how much does that rock?!?!? You don't even have to go to the polling place (though I admit, I enjoy that but life is complicated and I also like making sure I get things that are important done ahead of time). So a few weeks ago our ballots, and an information guide, arrived in the mail. And we've been collecting bits of information in the past month to help us make informed decisions - her union's newsletter, mail ads, I even scribbled down some info I heard on a TV commercial.
It didn't take long, about 20 minutes. We used black pens, filled in our dots, talked about the issues, and put them in the mail. As easy as that! It was way more complicated to get a driver's licence. (Let's not talk about failing the test, please.) Then tonight I got this video link from my friend Pauley - check her out on YouTube - which only reinforces the fact that voting is easy. It's free and it lets your voice be heard. Vote for Obama (yes, please! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!!), vote for Chuck Baldwin (no, please, DON'T VOTE FOR CHUCK BALDWIN, unless you're Justin and it's too late!), vote for Grover Cleveland, vote for me, I don't care (I mean, I care, I REALLY REALLY CARE and I'll talk to you about it, I WILL, if you want to talk about it) just VOTE. Vote so you can have a voice, so you can say you tried to make a change, you wanted to be a part of the process. Heck vote just so when your guy loses (sorry Justin! (I kid, I kid!)) you can complain and cry and say you tried. VOTE. VOTE VOTE VOTE.
And if you're in California - vote YES on Proposition 2, ending cruelty to animals in the agricultural industry in California. And vote NO on Proposition 8, which seeks to eliminates the rights of people. Plain and simple.
REMEMBER - VOTE. Either today, tomorrow or on November 4th. VOTE! VOTE! VOTE!
Bring back radio shows!
Last night Ang and I attended the 3rd Annual Jeff Miller Halloween Radio Shows in Hollywood. And can I just tell you, it was awesome! Our friend Sean was a member of the cast and he invited us and Emily to come to the performance which took place at 11 o'clock at Rocket Video on La Brea (after closing time of course!). We really had no idea what this whole radio show thing entailed but off we went. And I was so glad we did.
This guy Jeff Miller is an author and he manages the video store. Well he'd written three "Traveler's Tales of Mystery" and gotten a bunch of actors (and Sean, who reminds me he's not an actor though he was really really good!) to perform them. They all stood around 2 microphones and he had a bunch of things for sound effects, like a saw, glasses, a door, etc. Just like you'd imagine they'd use in any sound effect situation. And they performed these plays for us and they were great. They were funny and scary (seriously, the one was really really creepy) and the last one even required audience participation (we got to sing the theme song from The Golden Girls!). And in between each of the stories he played old fashioned commercials - one for car parts, another for J-E-L-L-O (all that shimmers is not jello!) and another for cigarettes. So great!
And can I just say, I think last night was what Hollywood's really about, people telling a story. Here were all these actors, giving their all, their hearts to this performance. In a room of about 50 people. Yeah, no one's gonna make their big break in Rocket Video probably. No one was making any money I'd guess, in fact they offered free food and drinks to all! But here were these performers giving us a great show just to entertain us. And that they did. It was awesome!
Also, I love that there are things like this that happen in Los Angeles. I've met so many people who come here from other places (case in point, a lot of people last night were from the east coast) and they come here because they want to be a part of this. They want to be with people who find stories entertaining, who enjoy acting and writing and making art. That is so cool. And I'm so fortunate to be a part of it. So rock on Jeff Miller! I can't wait for the 4th Annual Radio Show!
This guy Jeff Miller is an author and he manages the video store. Well he'd written three "Traveler's Tales of Mystery" and gotten a bunch of actors (and Sean, who reminds me he's not an actor though he was really really good!) to perform them. They all stood around 2 microphones and he had a bunch of things for sound effects, like a saw, glasses, a door, etc. Just like you'd imagine they'd use in any sound effect situation. And they performed these plays for us and they were great. They were funny and scary (seriously, the one was really really creepy) and the last one even required audience participation (we got to sing the theme song from The Golden Girls!). And in between each of the stories he played old fashioned commercials - one for car parts, another for J-E-L-L-O (all that shimmers is not jello!) and another for cigarettes. So great!
And can I just say, I think last night was what Hollywood's really about, people telling a story. Here were all these actors, giving their all, their hearts to this performance. In a room of about 50 people. Yeah, no one's gonna make their big break in Rocket Video probably. No one was making any money I'd guess, in fact they offered free food and drinks to all! But here were these performers giving us a great show just to entertain us. And that they did. It was awesome!
Also, I love that there are things like this that happen in Los Angeles. I've met so many people who come here from other places (case in point, a lot of people last night were from the east coast) and they come here because they want to be a part of this. They want to be with people who find stories entertaining, who enjoy acting and writing and making art. That is so cool. And I'm so fortunate to be a part of it. So rock on Jeff Miller! I can't wait for the 4th Annual Radio Show!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Landscaping 2.0
This was our house when we moved in, you all probably remember the post about Bill, our neighbor who trimmed the tree for us! Well, Bill's been at it again. Remember our bushes and all that greenery? Well it's gone...
It's grown on me (ha ha) and it actually looks like people live in the house and care for it (which we do and well, someone cares for it - namely Bill). He's trimmed all the bushes, we've gotten rid of 4 or 5 dumpsters of yard waste and get this: he's now tackling the back yard. I think he gave up asking if it was okay, because I say it's always okay, and the other day I looked out the window and I saw little piles of cuttings, and it's been raked. We don't go out there much but it's starting to look really nice so maybe we will now. And I have no idea when Bill does it, I never see him! (And yes, we're going to do something really nice for Bill, we're working on it!)
It does look really great now, and Bill is resting easy now. His main concern (besides I'm sure how horrible it looked) was that people could hide in our bushes/trees and...well he never went and further beyond the hiding part. But no one can hide now! Least of all Ang nor I! (And no, we still haven't seen the promised gardener that was specified in the lease...don't get me started!)
The List
I am looking at my to-do list (the one I did not create during class tonight, no siree bob!). There are 23 items on it. I've crossed one item off since I've been home tonight. Yeah, 22 more to go. Things that all need to be accomplished this week. And I didn't include laundry (except the laundry I need to do for Homeless Lunch) or grocery shopping (I am thinking a fast is in order) or social events (I'm going to hear a radio play be performed Friday night) or catching up on 3 weeks worth of television shows I've been neglecting. Yeah, I'm a little busy. But it's all good, right?!?! Right!
Today I started my training for my new job with the University of Phoenix. It's exactly like an online course, the training, so if you've ever taken one you know there's a lot of "posting" in the online forums in addition to "assignments" and such. It's a four-week long process and I am hoping it will be quick and painless. Fingers crossed.
Also I'm about to turn in my expanded beat sheet for class which means I'm about to "go to script" - the golden words every writer wants to hear from a studio or producer. "Going to script" means I actually get to start writing pages, the real deal! I'm excited!!!! So yeah, between that, training, trying to finish my novel, and the other 20 things on the list, I'll be keeping my nose to the old grind stone.
It's good though. So good. I am blessed. I was not in the line at the Homeless Lunch today but instead humbled by being able to serve. I have a roof over my head (even if it's been invaded by ants AGAIN!) and enough to eat. I am doing something I love and some day I will be out of debt. Some day soon! (Yes, it's true - I am following the Oprah-esque philosophy on this one, think it and it will be.)
Today I started my training for my new job with the University of Phoenix. It's exactly like an online course, the training, so if you've ever taken one you know there's a lot of "posting" in the online forums in addition to "assignments" and such. It's a four-week long process and I am hoping it will be quick and painless. Fingers crossed.
Also I'm about to turn in my expanded beat sheet for class which means I'm about to "go to script" - the golden words every writer wants to hear from a studio or producer. "Going to script" means I actually get to start writing pages, the real deal! I'm excited!!!! So yeah, between that, training, trying to finish my novel, and the other 20 things on the list, I'll be keeping my nose to the old grind stone.
It's good though. So good. I am blessed. I was not in the line at the Homeless Lunch today but instead humbled by being able to serve. I have a roof over my head (even if it's been invaded by ants AGAIN!) and enough to eat. I am doing something I love and some day I will be out of debt. Some day soon! (Yes, it's true - I am following the Oprah-esque philosophy on this one, think it and it will be.)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Birthday Blessings
I know it's a running theme lately but I'm feeling mighty blessed. Yesterday was my 31st birthday. (Yeah yeah, I know, I'm getting up there according to SOME people. But trust me when I say age is really only how old you feel and most days I feel just about right!) Ang and I started celebrating Friday when we went to a fancy-smanchy day spa in Larchmont (a neighborhood right up the street from us) and got massages. It was wonderful being pampered. They put us in big fluffy robes and let us hang out in the relaxation room for a while before taking us to these outdoor cabanas. Truly worth the money, trust me.
On the way home we had a pretty cool experience too - we drove by a film set! Yeah, right in the middle of our neighborhood, about 2 miles from our house! Ang suggested we stop and check it out so we did and while chatting up the police officer (who's retired but works for the studios we found out) we learned that it was the set of a Wal-mart Christmas commercial which made sense since we stopped in the first place because of the SNOW! Yep, real snow (artificially made of course) and Christmas trees and lights and everything! So cool! So yeah, that's how Ang and I came to hang out on our first film set. And the people were really nice too. Other folks were getting their pictures taken in the snow and it seemed very casual. And can I just say that Wal-Mart has the bucks! According to the police officer this was their eighth day shooting, for a commerical, wow!
Then Saturday Ang and I did some retail therapy, had a birthday burger at Red Robin (and an ice cream sundae - complete with singing wait staff), and then had some friends over. Emily, Sean, and Steven came over for pizza, cake and some Apples to Apples followed by Trivial Pursuit. And yeah, they made me be a team of one for Trivial Pursuit but I showed them, I got 3 pie pieces all on my own! Take that!!!
So yes, a wonderful birthday filled with fun, friends, and some very nice gifts! Books, journals, jewelry, gift cards, phone calls (thank you grandmas! aunt marie! mom and dad! Jamee! Justin!). Can I just say it's pretty darn great to be loved:-)
5P21 Fun
Friday was HUMC's day to make and take lunch to the patients at 5p21, the HIV/AIDS clinic in downtown Los Angeles. We had a much smaller group helping out this time but it went really well. We had fun making the food (and I did not cut myself with the very sharp knife!) and I got a chance to chat with Emily on the drive over and then Ceil, another new LA transplant, on the way back. While we were at 5p21 I got the opportunity to chat with a few patients and deliver some sandwiches. I'm not sure how to explain it but doing this, and helping out at Homeless Lunch, really affects me in such a big way. To meet these people, to do nothing more than offer them half an egg salad sandwich, isn't much when I think about what they are facing but I'm continually impressed by my God who allows me to serve Him and others in this way. Things are going well in my life, I'm so blessed by the people around me, the opportunities I have to go to school and write and enjoy this life that I'm so glad to be able to give back just a little! So I challenge you: What can you do this week to serve others that just might be fun?!!?!?!?!
$23
Yep, $23. That's how much it costs to park your car overnight in a Westwood parking garage. (Westwood is UCLA's neighborhood). I learned this the hard way. Here's the story...
Thursday night I drove over to Westwood to see a movie with my Tuesday night film class. Our homework for Monday night's class was to see two movies this week: Ghost Town and A Flash of Genius, and to write a paper on both. I'd already seen Ghost Town and was really excited to see the movie about the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, had the idea stolen by Ford Motor Company, and proceeded to represent himself in a lawsuit against them.
So I get to the theater to find out that our movie isn't playing at 7:30, only at 10pm because of a charity screening of This is Spinal Tap. And since a member of my class is also a lawyer, we end up with free tickets to the $30 charity event, and the movie we originally went there to see. Not a bad deal. So we go in to watch Spinal Tap and it was fun. I'd never seen the movie before but this was an interactive show benefiting the Hollywood Rock Academy Foundation for kids so they had a high school version of Spinal Tap and they gave us props. We got to throw bread at each other, and fake money, and sit on whoopee cushions, all good stuff. Plus they had free food, I mean, really, it turned out to be a good deal!
After the charity event the theater screened Flash for my class (all four of us who stayed) for free which turned out to be really fun. I love having my own screening room! Plus, I got my homework done! It was all going great until I headed to the parking garage. That's where the $23 comes into play. The garage is gated. Yeah, locked up real tight. And it's 12:30am by now. Luckily my classmate Heather and her sister had walked with me so they ended up taking me home, all the way across town. Fantastic.
Of course I have to get a ride back to get my car the next day but my good friend Emily helps me out and when I get there to retrieve my car and find out the small fortune this is costing me I ask the guard if he can help me out. He says no, maybe a manager can, if he can find him but that I should have just walked around the parking garage last night and I would have seen the open gate. Yeah, that's a great idea. Especially since the tiny sign we found out front listed the hours as 8am to 10pm and by that point Thursday night it was 12am. And then add that to the fact that there was no way I was walking around a block-long parking garage, in the middle of the night, with two other girls, in Los Angeles. So I paid the $23 and left. Just goes to show there's no such thing as a free lunch, or movie.
Thursday night I drove over to Westwood to see a movie with my Tuesday night film class. Our homework for Monday night's class was to see two movies this week: Ghost Town and A Flash of Genius, and to write a paper on both. I'd already seen Ghost Town and was really excited to see the movie about the man who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, had the idea stolen by Ford Motor Company, and proceeded to represent himself in a lawsuit against them.
So I get to the theater to find out that our movie isn't playing at 7:30, only at 10pm because of a charity screening of This is Spinal Tap. And since a member of my class is also a lawyer, we end up with free tickets to the $30 charity event, and the movie we originally went there to see. Not a bad deal. So we go in to watch Spinal Tap and it was fun. I'd never seen the movie before but this was an interactive show benefiting the Hollywood Rock Academy Foundation for kids so they had a high school version of Spinal Tap and they gave us props. We got to throw bread at each other, and fake money, and sit on whoopee cushions, all good stuff. Plus they had free food, I mean, really, it turned out to be a good deal!
After the charity event the theater screened Flash for my class (all four of us who stayed) for free which turned out to be really fun. I love having my own screening room! Plus, I got my homework done! It was all going great until I headed to the parking garage. That's where the $23 comes into play. The garage is gated. Yeah, locked up real tight. And it's 12:30am by now. Luckily my classmate Heather and her sister had walked with me so they ended up taking me home, all the way across town. Fantastic.
Of course I have to get a ride back to get my car the next day but my good friend Emily helps me out and when I get there to retrieve my car and find out the small fortune this is costing me I ask the guard if he can help me out. He says no, maybe a manager can, if he can find him but that I should have just walked around the parking garage last night and I would have seen the open gate. Yeah, that's a great idea. Especially since the tiny sign we found out front listed the hours as 8am to 10pm and by that point Thursday night it was 12am. And then add that to the fact that there was no way I was walking around a block-long parking garage, in the middle of the night, with two other girls, in Los Angeles. So I paid the $23 and left. Just goes to show there's no such thing as a free lunch, or movie.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A little external validation
So I was flying high last night. I had my lecture class and we were getting our first homework assignment, our "cringe" stories back. And we had to turn in two scenes from our screenplay. So as I made my way down the steps in the lecture hall, I wondered if there'd be a good grade on the top of my story.
I was always that kid in college who didn't just want As but needed As. It wasn't that was in high school or middle school, which is probably why there were a lot of Cs and even some Ds there. I'm not sure what it was that changed in me, right around junior year of high school, that made me want to do really really well. I mean, I guess I'd always wanted to do well but now I felt a strong desire to actually achieve the grades. Also, I had a rough first couple years of high school and by junior year I had kinda figured out the game. And by the time I got to college, even more so. And let's not even talk about grad school. I can't tell you how many nights I worked into the wee hours, reading EVERY SINGLE PAGE even though I later found out "no one does that in grad school". Well, thank you very much, I did. All 879 pages or whatever that week's assignment was.
So last night I was anxious to get my story back. I've only taken a couple of creative writing courses over the years and they were all workshop environments where things weren't "graded" so I was curious to see what my work would yield here. As I picked up my paper and headed back to my seat and my new classmate friends I looked down and saw a green check plus. And yes, I was the only one in my group of seven who got a check plus, and I got comments! Not much, only "good opening sentence" and "well told" at the end but it was enough for me! Now mind you, this was just a short story - three double-spaced pages but I'd put a lot of time and effort into these three pages. I'd rewritten them every day for five days just like my teacher had instructed. And, you know what, to me, it showed.
I don't think I've ever done that with something before. Sure I edit and I proofread but I'm not a big rewriter. Newspaper articles get written then edited then submitted to meet a deadline. Novels get written and continue to get written, I haven't gotten to the rewriting of that yet. Screenplays get rewritten to an extent and I think that's one of the skills I am going to focus on here at UCLA, rewriting until it's not just good, until it's fantastic, until it jumps off the page and sticks to your shirt, whispering at you two hours or two days later.
Tonight I have to submit an extended beat sheet of the screenplay I'm developing this quarter. I volunteered to be in the first group and I'm really glad. It forced me to get writing and thinking and starting tomorrow I can move on to the next phase in the process! Honestly, I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this. Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd but I'm a darn proud nerd!
I was always that kid in college who didn't just want As but needed As. It wasn't that was in high school or middle school, which is probably why there were a lot of Cs and even some Ds there. I'm not sure what it was that changed in me, right around junior year of high school, that made me want to do really really well. I mean, I guess I'd always wanted to do well but now I felt a strong desire to actually achieve the grades. Also, I had a rough first couple years of high school and by junior year I had kinda figured out the game. And by the time I got to college, even more so. And let's not even talk about grad school. I can't tell you how many nights I worked into the wee hours, reading EVERY SINGLE PAGE even though I later found out "no one does that in grad school". Well, thank you very much, I did. All 879 pages or whatever that week's assignment was.
So last night I was anxious to get my story back. I've only taken a couple of creative writing courses over the years and they were all workshop environments where things weren't "graded" so I was curious to see what my work would yield here. As I picked up my paper and headed back to my seat and my new classmate friends I looked down and saw a green check plus. And yes, I was the only one in my group of seven who got a check plus, and I got comments! Not much, only "good opening sentence" and "well told" at the end but it was enough for me! Now mind you, this was just a short story - three double-spaced pages but I'd put a lot of time and effort into these three pages. I'd rewritten them every day for five days just like my teacher had instructed. And, you know what, to me, it showed.
I don't think I've ever done that with something before. Sure I edit and I proofread but I'm not a big rewriter. Newspaper articles get written then edited then submitted to meet a deadline. Novels get written and continue to get written, I haven't gotten to the rewriting of that yet. Screenplays get rewritten to an extent and I think that's one of the skills I am going to focus on here at UCLA, rewriting until it's not just good, until it's fantastic, until it jumps off the page and sticks to your shirt, whispering at you two hours or two days later.
Tonight I have to submit an extended beat sheet of the screenplay I'm developing this quarter. I volunteered to be in the first group and I'm really glad. It forced me to get writing and thinking and starting tomorrow I can move on to the next phase in the process! Honestly, I can't tell you how much I am enjoying this. Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd but I'm a darn proud nerd!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
One of those days
I'm having one of those days where I am sure I have adult ADD. Or ADHD or whatever the heck it's called this year. I am having a hard time focusing and I know, yes, I really do, that I have things that NEED to get done. I have a big to-do list staring down at me from the white board over my desk. I have a house that needs to be cleaned (thankfully Ang is playing maid today) and homework to do and a novel to write and a million little tasks to complete that don't really need to be accomplished today but that I can't stop thinking of. Yeah, it's just one of those days.
My new thing this weekend was to go to North Hills, in the Valley, and find the Saturn dealership. I got my car's engine changed and my 60,000 mile checkup. And I also got my steering wheel lubed up. I found out I need new tires but who doesn't, right?!?! After that I found a Wal-mart not 2 miles away and went, though I wasn't impressed. It was dirty, and not a Super Wal-mart but I got my sparkling water and was on my way. (I am a good sister, a very good sister, just ask Ang!)
So yeah, nothing else new for me this weekend other than I didn't get a lot done Friday, nor yesterday and now I'm sitting here, staring at the screen, trying to write, and have nothing. And I don't really believe in writer's block but I'm definitely not being productive. So I guess I'll take some advice from Anne Lamott and take it 'bird by bird'...here goes nothing!
My new thing this weekend was to go to North Hills, in the Valley, and find the Saturn dealership. I got my car's engine changed and my 60,000 mile checkup. And I also got my steering wheel lubed up. I found out I need new tires but who doesn't, right?!?! After that I found a Wal-mart not 2 miles away and went, though I wasn't impressed. It was dirty, and not a Super Wal-mart but I got my sparkling water and was on my way. (I am a good sister, a very good sister, just ask Ang!)
So yeah, nothing else new for me this weekend other than I didn't get a lot done Friday, nor yesterday and now I'm sitting here, staring at the screen, trying to write, and have nothing. And I don't really believe in writer's block but I'm definitely not being productive. So I guess I'll take some advice from Anne Lamott and take it 'bird by bird'...here goes nothing!
Friday, October 10, 2008
He made me smile
I love living in a neighborhood again. I've missed that since being in Howell, and I guess we had a little of it in Olivet. But in Kalamazoo and Yuma I was in apartments and it just wasn't the same. Here, we've got it all. Houses, duplexes, lots of cars, bikes in the street, kids playing stickball, kids being called home for dinner, neighbors fighting with their spouses, people fixing and washing cars, horns honking incessantly at 6am. And while sometimes I want to yell, "Shut up!", most of the time I love it.
This morning I saw something that made me smile. Across the street from us is a Mom, a little boy and a teenager (well, he seems to be at home all day every day so I don't know). The little boy is maybe 1st grade, Ang and I try to figure it out every other day. We know he can tell time (you hear everything in our little burrow, even the scoldings about being late for dinner). One of these days I'll go over and talk to them. I've said hi to the mom a lot, she seems really nice but it's just one of those things where we're always rushing when we see each other.
Well today I look out my window and what do I see but little boy trailing after the teenager. He's going slow, I mean it's 7:45am. He's got a hooded sweatshirt on, and the hood is up which makes him look even smaller. He's got a backpack on that's almost as big as him. He walks a little slower because he has a prostetic leg but he's not that slow. In fact most days he runs around the street like a maniac! But today he's slow and obviously sleepy. And it made me smile. Queen Anne Elementary school is a block and a half away, that's where they're going. And it just reminded me that it's fall and that some things never change. Kids go to school. Older brothers take care of younger brothers.
The little boy's the first person we met here on the street. When we did our first drive by of the house, before the real estate agent was here, he stood across the street, behind a bush, looking out at us. Now he waves and watches everything we do. And today he made me smile.
This morning I saw something that made me smile. Across the street from us is a Mom, a little boy and a teenager (well, he seems to be at home all day every day so I don't know). The little boy is maybe 1st grade, Ang and I try to figure it out every other day. We know he can tell time (you hear everything in our little burrow, even the scoldings about being late for dinner). One of these days I'll go over and talk to them. I've said hi to the mom a lot, she seems really nice but it's just one of those things where we're always rushing when we see each other.
Well today I look out my window and what do I see but little boy trailing after the teenager. He's going slow, I mean it's 7:45am. He's got a hooded sweatshirt on, and the hood is up which makes him look even smaller. He's got a backpack on that's almost as big as him. He walks a little slower because he has a prostetic leg but he's not that slow. In fact most days he runs around the street like a maniac! But today he's slow and obviously sleepy. And it made me smile. Queen Anne Elementary school is a block and a half away, that's where they're going. And it just reminded me that it's fall and that some things never change. Kids go to school. Older brothers take care of younger brothers.
The little boy's the first person we met here on the street. When we did our first drive by of the house, before the real estate agent was here, he stood across the street, behind a bush, looking out at us. Now he waves and watches everything we do. And today he made me smile.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
The pitch
Last night I had my section class and we had to bring in our homework: 3 script ideas/pitches and one outline of our favorite pitch. I'd been working on my all week and had it all typed up nice and pretty. And when I sat down at the table last night with the others, I felt very unsure.
It's one thing to type up ideas and even stories, novels, and yes, screenplays, on your computer and think, "Oh, that's not bad." It's one thing to share those writings with family and friends who never have a negative comment (even though I beg and plead, although some people are great at constructive criticism, Erika!). It's one thing to pour out my ramblings here in my blog, somewhat anonymously where only a handful of people, and one stranger that I know of, come to peek at my world.
It's a whole other thing to spend thirty minutes sharing your pitch and know that your teacher, a real-live, working screenwriter, and 7 other writers are going to instantly judge you based on this first idea.
So what did I do? Naturally I raised my hand and offered to go second, when the instructor asked for volunteers. Get it over with is my motto, pull the band-aid off quick. I knew it'd be a much more enjoyable 3 hours if I wasn't sitting there sweating my pitch. So I started reading. And I gave the pitch a title that I'd come up with ten minutes earlier. And my instructor scribbled notes, and so did my classmates. And I just kept talking. And guess what?
The liked it! I got that it was a cool idea, interesting premise, great character arc. And then they started telling stories and giving me ideas for details and how to shape the plot and what movies to watch and stories to read for ideas and I wrote everything down as fast as they said it. And then we took our break and I didn't even get out in the hall before one student grabbed me and started sharing her thoughts and suggestions and then others asked questions and I know I never stopped smiling.
Yeah, I know, it's just a pitch. A page and a half outline. But it gave me courage to keep writing, the incentive, the exterior motivation I needed. So what did I do? I volunteered to be in Group A which means I have to present my expanded outline and character sketches next week instead of the week after. I'm so excited.
I don't know if all pitch "meetings" will go like that, or frankly, if I'll ever have another pitch meeting but let's just say I was glad my first was in such a supportive, encouraging environment. Okay, I'm off to create...
It's one thing to type up ideas and even stories, novels, and yes, screenplays, on your computer and think, "Oh, that's not bad." It's one thing to share those writings with family and friends who never have a negative comment (even though I beg and plead, although some people are great at constructive criticism, Erika!). It's one thing to pour out my ramblings here in my blog, somewhat anonymously where only a handful of people, and one stranger that I know of, come to peek at my world.
It's a whole other thing to spend thirty minutes sharing your pitch and know that your teacher, a real-live, working screenwriter, and 7 other writers are going to instantly judge you based on this first idea.
So what did I do? Naturally I raised my hand and offered to go second, when the instructor asked for volunteers. Get it over with is my motto, pull the band-aid off quick. I knew it'd be a much more enjoyable 3 hours if I wasn't sitting there sweating my pitch. So I started reading. And I gave the pitch a title that I'd come up with ten minutes earlier. And my instructor scribbled notes, and so did my classmates. And I just kept talking. And guess what?
The liked it! I got that it was a cool idea, interesting premise, great character arc. And then they started telling stories and giving me ideas for details and how to shape the plot and what movies to watch and stories to read for ideas and I wrote everything down as fast as they said it. And then we took our break and I didn't even get out in the hall before one student grabbed me and started sharing her thoughts and suggestions and then others asked questions and I know I never stopped smiling.
Yeah, I know, it's just a pitch. A page and a half outline. But it gave me courage to keep writing, the incentive, the exterior motivation I needed. So what did I do? I volunteered to be in Group A which means I have to present my expanded outline and character sketches next week instead of the week after. I'm so excited.
I don't know if all pitch "meetings" will go like that, or frankly, if I'll ever have another pitch meeting but let's just say I was glad my first was in such a supportive, encouraging environment. Okay, I'm off to create...
The lunch bunch
Yesterday it was 102 degrees in Hollywood. On October 7th. I don't understand either. There used to be a time when I wished for snow on my birthday (yes, in Michigan but I'm making a point) and my wish sometimes came true. This didn't happen in the past ten years or so. From what the west coasters tell me, this is unusual weather. I think it's Yuma but that's just me...
So on to the lunch bunch - I went to Homeless Lunch yesterday and helped out and was reminded, once again, of why I go. Really, it's as much for me as the people I help. To be a sense of community, to say hello to familiar faces and smile at new ones. To sneak some extra crackers in the bag of a young guy or help a woman pick out a shirt that will fit. And the folks there are beginning to recognize me too. Yesterday one of the regulars who has come every week desperately seeking pants that fit him (all of ours have been too big or too small) finally found something manageable. It was great to see him come back twenty minutes later wearing clean jeans and a clean t-shirt. But what was even better was having a conversation with him about the Methodist church and how we're not Catholic (the building looks like it could very well be a cathedral) and he doesn't have to wear a suit and tie to come on Sundays. That was pretty cool.
Also, some of the folks are opening up around me, one suggested we pray for a missing friend so we stood in a circle and let him lead us. Another searched through all the books to find the he thought I needed - How to Find the Perfect Husband. People are so thoughtful!
All in all, another good experience complimented by the chance to chat with some new friends from the church congregation. I'm a pretty blessed girl.
So on to the lunch bunch - I went to Homeless Lunch yesterday and helped out and was reminded, once again, of why I go. Really, it's as much for me as the people I help. To be a sense of community, to say hello to familiar faces and smile at new ones. To sneak some extra crackers in the bag of a young guy or help a woman pick out a shirt that will fit. And the folks there are beginning to recognize me too. Yesterday one of the regulars who has come every week desperately seeking pants that fit him (all of ours have been too big or too small) finally found something manageable. It was great to see him come back twenty minutes later wearing clean jeans and a clean t-shirt. But what was even better was having a conversation with him about the Methodist church and how we're not Catholic (the building looks like it could very well be a cathedral) and he doesn't have to wear a suit and tie to come on Sundays. That was pretty cool.
Also, some of the folks are opening up around me, one suggested we pray for a missing friend so we stood in a circle and let him lead us. Another searched through all the books to find the he thought I needed - How to Find the Perfect Husband. People are so thoughtful!
All in all, another good experience complimented by the chance to chat with some new friends from the church congregation. I'm a pretty blessed girl.
Monday, October 06, 2008
The lecture
Tonight I had my lecture class and can I just say, I've never had a class fly by like this one. I think it's because I really am fascinated by the subject at hand and I know that I am going to use this information - not theoretically by becoming educated but practically by writing a screenplay. It's a pretty cool feeling.
Tonight Hal, my instructor, talked about structure and beginnings. We have to write what is essentially a plot outline for my Tuesday class and so Hal gave us the assignment to describe and/or write the first and last scenes in which we meet our main character in our scripts. As I sat there my mind was already running through the scenes, I was making notes like crazy and here's the cool thing, I could see the scene in my mind. I heard the voices and instantly knew who some more of the characters would be.
Today I wrote out my plot outline and tomorrow I'll tweak it and start on my scenes. I am so excited for class tomorrow. As I was leaving the lecture tonight I hung back and walked with some of my Tuesday night classmates and thought it was pretty cool we're gravitating toward one another so we can talk to the folks we're starting to know. It was also nice to have people say, "Hi Sarah" tonight when I got to class.
So yeah, things are good. And they're only gonna get better! I'd better get writing...
Tonight Hal, my instructor, talked about structure and beginnings. We have to write what is essentially a plot outline for my Tuesday class and so Hal gave us the assignment to describe and/or write the first and last scenes in which we meet our main character in our scripts. As I sat there my mind was already running through the scenes, I was making notes like crazy and here's the cool thing, I could see the scene in my mind. I heard the voices and instantly knew who some more of the characters would be.
Today I wrote out my plot outline and tomorrow I'll tweak it and start on my scenes. I am so excited for class tomorrow. As I was leaving the lecture tonight I hung back and walked with some of my Tuesday night classmates and thought it was pretty cool we're gravitating toward one another so we can talk to the folks we're starting to know. It was also nice to have people say, "Hi Sarah" tonight when I got to class.
So yeah, things are good. And they're only gonna get better! I'd better get writing...
Sunday, October 05, 2008
So many new things
Well, going to school at UCLA was definitely a new thing this week. Also, on Tuesday Ang and I helped out at Homeless Lunch and afterwards our friend Sean took us on a whirlwind tour of the city. We had lunch at Canter's deli, which apparently, is pretty famous. And yes Sean, the rye bread there is awesome! Then we stopped by the West Hollywood library where we picked up donated books for Homeless Lunch. Then we headed over to Westwood where we finally found (now inside Lazer Blazer) Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash!!! Yeah, I was pretty excited because as some of you know, I'm a pretty big Kevin Smith fan. It was a decent video store, had a bunch of comics and memorabilia and some things from the filming of his movies which I had a great time looking at.
On the way home we stopped by a Philly bar(NOTE: this is a correction, originally I labeled it a New Jersey bar but apparently it's not, I was mistaken because of the Tastycakes, which are referenced in the books set in New Jersey. There - are we square Sean?!?!) (where I learned what a hoagie really is) and Sean bought us a bag of Tastycakes. Yes, it's true, they are not a figment from Janet Evanovich's mind. Those convenience store treats Stephanie Plum eats by the bag full? They're real. And yes, we ate them all that night. And yes, we'd already had treats we'd picked up at the huge bakery just inside Canter's (I got to have a black-and-white cookie and it was delicious! Though I'd mostly wanted it because of the Seinfeld episode!) And yes, I blew my points this week but I didn't care.
The rest of the week was pretty quiet - in fact this weekend we didn't go anywhere, per Ang's request. We holed up and watched some TV, read, I wrote, washed our cars in the driveway and I made stew and pumpkin pie. It was cold on Saturday (yeah, 66 is cold after a week of 100 degree weather) and it was nice to just hang out. Today though was a different story, after church I went to the Hollywood Farmers' Market with Pauley, Michael, and our friend Angela's twin sixth graders Kurt and Nancy. Angela was home sick so Kurt and Nancy hung out with us and we had a great time. I got to try some fresh mozzarella cheese, hear some very cool street music, smell some homemade soaps, discuss pre-algebra, and wander through Border's for a good long while.
Oh! I almost forgot! Another celebrity sighting! We ran into Ron Livingston (of Office Space fame) while at the Market. It totally took me back to college/Wesley when we watched that movie over and over.
So another week done, another one to start. I'm excited for classes and whatever else the week will bring! Oh, and cooler weather!!!
On the way home we stopped by a Philly bar(NOTE: this is a correction, originally I labeled it a New Jersey bar but apparently it's not, I was mistaken because of the Tastycakes, which are referenced in the books set in New Jersey. There - are we square Sean?!?!) (where I learned what a hoagie really is) and Sean bought us a bag of Tastycakes. Yes, it's true, they are not a figment from Janet Evanovich's mind. Those convenience store treats Stephanie Plum eats by the bag full? They're real. And yes, we ate them all that night. And yes, we'd already had treats we'd picked up at the huge bakery just inside Canter's (I got to have a black-and-white cookie and it was delicious! Though I'd mostly wanted it because of the Seinfeld episode!) And yes, I blew my points this week but I didn't care.
The rest of the week was pretty quiet - in fact this weekend we didn't go anywhere, per Ang's request. We holed up and watched some TV, read, I wrote, washed our cars in the driveway and I made stew and pumpkin pie. It was cold on Saturday (yeah, 66 is cold after a week of 100 degree weather) and it was nice to just hang out. Today though was a different story, after church I went to the Hollywood Farmers' Market with Pauley, Michael, and our friend Angela's twin sixth graders Kurt and Nancy. Angela was home sick so Kurt and Nancy hung out with us and we had a great time. I got to try some fresh mozzarella cheese, hear some very cool street music, smell some homemade soaps, discuss pre-algebra, and wander through Border's for a good long while.
Oh! I almost forgot! Another celebrity sighting! We ran into Ron Livingston (of Office Space fame) while at the Market. It totally took me back to college/Wesley when we watched that movie over and over.
So another week done, another one to start. I'm excited for classes and whatever else the week will bring! Oh, and cooler weather!!!
Class and work
Tuesday night I had my first "section" class, as they're called in my program. Basically it's a small group setting - 8 students, 1 instructor. My instructor is a guy named Bennett Cohen who's a working writer. He's just published a book called The Zebra Wars about black on white killings in San Francisco in the 1970s and it's been optioned by Plan B, the production company owned by Brad Pitt which means it may be a movie sometime in the future. So that's pretty cool. He's apparently written and produced a lot of movies of the week and some TV episodes. (Check out this link for a more complete bio.) He seems like a great guy and while I am nervous beyond belief to be in this program, write and SHARE what it is I am writing, it's nice to know it's a supportive environment.
My class is made up of people from all walks of life, younger and older, professionals in Hollywood and other careers, some just graduated from college. There's one other woman and then 6 men and again, while I'm nervous, everyone seemed great last week. It'll also be nice when I go to the lecture class tomorrow to know some of the people there.
For homework we have to come up with 3 loglines, essentially one sentence movie ideas, and then a beat sheet for one logline. I've been struggling with this all week. I've got tons of ideas, some fleshed out into beat sheets already (where you break down the plot of the movie into what happens at the beginning, middle, and end) but they're just in notebooks on the shelves in my room. Or stuffed in boxes at the end of my bed. Or floating around in my brain. Tuesday night they take a breath and go out there into the world. Yeah, that's freaking me out a little.
But I have an idea I think is good, dramatic and funny and stolen from a story a family member told me (well a really small part of the basic premise) of something that happened in our family in real life. And tomorrow I'm going to flesh out the beat sheet for it. So we'll see how that goes. I could use something I've already worked on but I want to use this course to keep me moving forward so I'm going to try something new. Here goes nothing!
On the job front - I got one. Well, let me clarify. I'm going to start training for one. Late last week I was offered a job to teach online courses for Axia College at the University of Phoenix (their undergrad program). I accepted and now am going through the paperwork process. Once that is complete I will start training (hopefully 10/14) and then after 4 weeks of training (for free, as they advertise!, in reality it means unpaid) I'll teach 2 courses while being mentored (yes, I am paid for these, thank goodness!). The courses are 9 weeks long and after the mentorship I will be a full-fledged faculty member and be able to teach 4 course at once. So we'll see how that goes! I'm excited because a)I have a job, even if I won't be paid for a while, b)from the people I've spoken to this is the wave of the future, teaching online, and hopefully I'll be more employable because of it, and c)I get to work from home. No long commutes for me! Get up, stumble four feet to the desk! I could get used to that. I think it'll be really good for getting my writing done too. Speaking of, I've been working on the novel this week - for those of you waiting to read, soon, I promise!
My class is made up of people from all walks of life, younger and older, professionals in Hollywood and other careers, some just graduated from college. There's one other woman and then 6 men and again, while I'm nervous, everyone seemed great last week. It'll also be nice when I go to the lecture class tomorrow to know some of the people there.
For homework we have to come up with 3 loglines, essentially one sentence movie ideas, and then a beat sheet for one logline. I've been struggling with this all week. I've got tons of ideas, some fleshed out into beat sheets already (where you break down the plot of the movie into what happens at the beginning, middle, and end) but they're just in notebooks on the shelves in my room. Or stuffed in boxes at the end of my bed. Or floating around in my brain. Tuesday night they take a breath and go out there into the world. Yeah, that's freaking me out a little.
But I have an idea I think is good, dramatic and funny and stolen from a story a family member told me (well a really small part of the basic premise) of something that happened in our family in real life. And tomorrow I'm going to flesh out the beat sheet for it. So we'll see how that goes. I could use something I've already worked on but I want to use this course to keep me moving forward so I'm going to try something new. Here goes nothing!
On the job front - I got one. Well, let me clarify. I'm going to start training for one. Late last week I was offered a job to teach online courses for Axia College at the University of Phoenix (their undergrad program). I accepted and now am going through the paperwork process. Once that is complete I will start training (hopefully 10/14) and then after 4 weeks of training (for free, as they advertise!, in reality it means unpaid) I'll teach 2 courses while being mentored (yes, I am paid for these, thank goodness!). The courses are 9 weeks long and after the mentorship I will be a full-fledged faculty member and be able to teach 4 course at once. So we'll see how that goes! I'm excited because a)I have a job, even if I won't be paid for a while, b)from the people I've spoken to this is the wave of the future, teaching online, and hopefully I'll be more employable because of it, and c)I get to work from home. No long commutes for me! Get up, stumble four feet to the desk! I could get used to that. I think it'll be really good for getting my writing done too. Speaking of, I've been working on the novel this week - for those of you waiting to read, soon, I promise!
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