LAND LOCKED

The cruise was beyond awesome!

Nothing like dining in the evening, looking out the restaurant window beside you and seeing WAVES. And moon beams dancing on the ocean after midnight from your stateroom window... magical in so many ways, the vastness that exists every day that we miss or don't notice or never experience, but being at sea for seven days gives one a different perspective indeed.

Back to reality -- sent out many emails yesterday to producers in L.A. to keep fanning the flames. Plan to meet with a potential agent this week or next.

Went to see an amazing documentary yesterday called "Man on a Wire". It opens in NY this weekend and nationwide soon. Go see it if you can. It's about Philippe Petit, the famous wire walker, who walked between the two Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in 1974. The film never addresses 9/11 but as we see the towers being erected, the new steel being hoisted up, our hearts sink as we know the final, unspoken outcome. This original footage is a gift.

I just finished reading a book I purchased while on vacation. Oddly, Debra Winger, the actress and now author of "Undiscovered" (an insightful and strangely comforting book) mentioned Philippe Petit in one of her closing chapters. She tells of becoming obsessed with his free spirit, skill and adventurous nature. After seeing "Man on a Wire", I understand how she became obsessed with such a rare, inspiring character.

While in Canada, my friend Mark gave me a terrific book on screenwriting. Don't books mean more to you when given to you by someone, especially a friend? It's called "Screenwriters' Master Class" by Kevin Conroy Scott. Screenwriters discuss, through interviews, their movies/scripts in fine detail. Great read!

I'm still getting a vague wave of motion now and then, even being off the ship for three days. The sea seems to want to hold on to me.

The feeling is mutual.

VACATION & BON JOVI

I'm packing tomorrow for my first cruise ever! We're going to Canada and New England. Ahoy! I can't wait and I can't promise that I won't do the "Top of the World" thing at some point. Hey, I did the Rocky victory dance thing at the top of the Philadelphia Museum steps -- I'm a nerd.

I'm not going to do any official writing on this vacation but lots of mental writing. You know how that goes -- imagining scenes, dialogue, characters, etc.

I have a bunch of scripts out right now awaiting feedback from L.A. producers. An agent in NYC is interested in repping me. We're going to meet after my vacation. I'm looking forward to that.

Bon Jovi's doing a "free" concert in Central Park today. I wanted to see it, but they tickets were distributed at ball parks. I never got to pick up the free tix. They're selling on Ebay and elsewhere for tons of money. Why didn't they just do a wristband? Printing tickets in advance is crazy in this internet sell-anything world.

I'll post after the 20th... until then... livin' on a prayer.

HAPPY JULY 4th!!

Let the fireworks begin!

I love summertime. So far it's been a great summer. Taking two big vacations -- already took one out west to Las Vegas and Arizona -- and next week on a cruise along the eastern seaboard up to Canada (Nova Scotia). This will be a summer of writing, fitness, eating well (love all the fresh fruit & veggie markets here in Astoria, NY), drinking good wine, and seeing family and friends. That's what summer is all about. I hope you have a great one too!

On a writing note, I sent out four screenplays this week to various producers in L.A. -- it's feast or famine. Either nobody responds or too many do at once. What if more than one producer likes it? We should have those problems, right?

There's an old adage that says "The more I practice the luckier I get." That's what you have to do with writing -- write, write, write -- practice, practice, practice. It gets easier and your confidence builds -- like with any activity really. Tiger Woods is the last guy to go home at the driving range even with all his success.

So keep writing, people. Keep your eye on the ball, head down and get to work. It pays off in one way or another. You'll have a finished screenplay by autumn.

Enjoy your BBQ, pools and beer too!