Excuses? I've Got a Few...

Recently I signed up for another email list. Most of the time, I'm trying to exit them, but this was an additional list from Stage 32. It's a list that provides updates on the opportunities for writers at the site, including script coverage, consulting, pitch sessions and more. Even though there are a lot of emails coming at me from this list, it made me realize that my favorite excuse for feeling guilty when working on scripts (and then not finishing them) has been proven false--there is a way for me to break into scriptwriting.

While these opportunities are great, they do also come with costs. The costs seem reasonable, so I wouldn't mind indulging with one of my scripts--if I could get one finished to the point that I'm ready to share. That, and the fee would come out of a tiny portion of my budget that currently serves to pay for fiction and poetry contest entries. So I would have to give up contest entries for other projects for a couple of months, but really, who's winning contests around here anyway?  (not me, I assure you...)

That leads me to Camp NaNoWriMo. I'm going to do it, and I'm going to measure April's session in minutes. I will be dedicating 1800 minutes of the month to writing a pilot I haven't started, but have plenty of notes for. It's a strong female-driven comedy. I hope I can pull it off. Then I can start thinking about where I'm going to take it next.

This week's post wouldn't be complete without a plug for my latest project, now would it? Remember that my latest collection of poetry, If It Was New York, Summer 2009, is coming out on MARCH 26. You can PREORDER it now from Amazon and other retailers worldwide. Paperback will be available for purchase on March 26, as will copies through subscription services such as Playster and Scribd.

Ending Camp and Beginning Again

It's the last day of the month, so that means I only have to write 6412 words by midnight to meet my Camp NaNoWriMo goal.

Uh... since it's Monday (the busiest day of my week) and since it's more than 5k left to go, I doubt I will make it. This project isn't schedule to be released until January 2018, so I know I don't have to rush the process right now. I just have to get it all down on paper first.

The best thing I can do right now is keep it all in perspective. Not hitting 10,000 words in a month seems like I was slacking, but when I take the time to consider how many words a day I really write, it doesn't seem so bad. Combining paid freelancing gigs, blogging, book reviews and journaling, I probably write close to 5k per day before I start working on any of my other projects. If I had the luxury to do nothing but work on one single project for the whole month, I don't think it's out of this world to say I could write a full first draft every 30 days. But who has that luxury? I'm not sure any writer does.

And then comes August. I like to try and concentrate on a single project every month, and I'm leaning towards scripts again with a drama feature that I just need to finish revising. I'm still trying to get my pesky toes in those waters, but it's slow going. Stage 32 seems okay for networking, but without a completed project (other than short scripts I've done in the past), there's not really any momentum. But my drama would be cheap to produce, so let's see if I can network with the right person at the right time.

What are you working on in August?

It's Starting to Fall into Place

I've struck gold! Okay, not really. What I have discovered are resources for people who write scripts and don't either a) currently live in Los Angeles (though I'm totally not opposed to moving there) or b) have industry connections. So I've been putting effort into using these to network and figure out what I have to do to sell a script.

I joined Stage 32 which is a social media network for industry novices and professionals. I created a profile on ShowBizCentral, though I think that will be beneficial only once I have some writing credits to my name. I've also signed up at InkTip, but I don't think I'm ready to pay for people to look at my work. Thought I was lucky when they said you can post short script loglines for free, however I would have to pay anywhere from $20-$55 each to get the scripts registered first as per the terms of the site. I guess I'll just have to save up a few bucks for that.

Things are finally starting to fall into place. I'm still not where I need to be, but I have resources for my scriptwriting endeavors, two novels in the middle of editing, and a brain that just won't stop generating new ideas. I'm pretty lucky right now. The only two things that would make it better is a steady paycheck and a new address, but that should come in time.