Wednesday, April 19, 2006

LIVING OFF WRITER'S BLOCK

I'm not really suffering from writer's block. Writers block is the inability to write or think of anything worth writing about. I'm not there. I have 6 completed screenplays. I'm trying to decide on my next one. I have the idea and title. I've done research the last month (I enjoy that part) and have some tentative character names... I see the "movie" in my head... but I'm having a hard time deciding is this the best avenue for me to go down for the next six months to a year?

As you know, writing is rewriting. So when you're starting a new script, honey, you're looking at another 2-3 drafts for sure just to get it good enough to send to your agent. As Hemingway so artfully said "All first drafts are shit." It's hard to write the first word of a new script... but eventually it all comes together.

I could revisit a former script and give it a page-one polish. But I'm not passionate about it at the moment. This other new script could also be written as a book. So that's my dilemma.. spend the next year on a new script or try my hand at a short novel? Of course, writing a book is no less daunting than writing a screenplay. Ah. Decisions.

Met a great guy from L.A. who is reading my scripts and getting them to some people. He's very quick to pick up the phone and call anyone in the business. He's a nice guy, too. So I hope he can get my script on the right desk. He's not even an agent, but he's fearless and that's essential in the writing business.

I haven't been to the movies in awhile and I love going to the movies. Nothing interests me much. Thank goodness for Netflix. I'm catching up on classics.

It's glorious springtime in New York. The birds are chirping, flowers blooming, and the trees on my city block are budding. I love this time of year. Rebirth, promise and hope.








2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"catching up on classics"... me too, I am renting them from library now as they are expanding into dvds like crazy. I have been keeping the new releases on Netflix and use the library freebies for the oldies

Mona said...

Janet, hope you're doing well! I went to an amazing food-writing class last night, really inspired me to get crackin'. And the funny disheartening thing the guy said, don't quit your day job:( So sad!!! How come I cain't write all day every day?!?