I'm generally one of those people who works better when working on a few things at one time than when I have to concentrate on just one task at a time. I don't know why that is. Believe me I would much rather be the type of person who was able to start one task, see it through to completion before moving on to the next thing. Why I don't work like that I don't know. I imagine life would be much less stressful and I could probably be lazier too and have more leisure time. Sadly I wasn't designed that way.
I'm not even designed that way when it comes to my free time. It's not been unknown for me to have 4 books on the go. That's easy though compared to what I've got myself into now.
Somehow I found myself writing a script. This despite the fact that I don't have any real confidence in my writing abilities or have any clue on how to go about writing a script - the idea was there it had to be got out. I tried to ignore it, but the fucker wouldn't leave me alone. No sooner had I started the writing malarkey, when another totally separate idea started to make its presence felt. Tried ignoring that one too, with as much success as before. So somehow in a matter of months to having never dreamt of writing scripts to attempting to write not one but two. I think I might have gone cuckoo.
It's one thing reading 4 books at once - after all someone did once teach me how to read. no-one has ever really sat me down and taught me how to write a script - I barely passed my English Higher at my second attempt - I have no clue what the hell I'm doing!
Luckily though I have found a partner for one of the scripts who has some sort of experience in this sort of thing - which is helpful. It would be much more helpful if they weren't from LA then I could get them involved in the second script. The second script which is actually the first (but lets not make this any more confusing than it has to be), has many international characters in it but the whole thing has a Scottish undercurrent to it so there is a lot of Scots dialogue to a) give it a sense of place and b) just because its funny. Trying to explain that side of things to someone from LA with minimal experience of living in Scotland I probably would bite of more than I could chew. I don't think I understand it myself.
I seriously suspect I am going out of my mind taking all this on. And what's worse I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that I am running out of things to blog about. I had planned on writing a very funny golf post until I stole it and put it aside for one of the scripts. A witnessed cafe moment promptly went the same way, as did a taxi story. Anything with potential gets put aside in the off chance it can be used for something that is probably not going to make me any money for years, if at all. The average ideas I'm left with I just can't be bothered writing. Physically I'm exhausted from the day job, mentally I'm exhausted from hitting my head against a wall of polyfiller - sometimes I just wish I could do one thing at a time!
I'm hungry - someone make me some banana pancakes.
2 comments:
How about a cinnamon bun?
No wonder I recognize your mind! It does the same things as yours though I might rip it out and chuck it against the wall if it told me to write a script, never mind two.
I don't mind sporadic posts. I just hope you don't disappear forever. Unless you become some Hollywood type though then you can pop by Vancouver and take me out for breakfast. :)
I don't necessarily think it's a bad idea to blog and then use in your script. By blogging it you get a first run at it, and a bit of feedback. After a couple of days of having it out there, you do a bit of editing in your head then rewrite it for the script ( I teach scriptwriting for factual TV programmes, someone else does drama, so I may be way off). But it all depends how your mind works.
I intend to use bits of my blog history in my Magnum Opus, whatever it might be...one day.
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