One More Month

Yesterday Linda called and she brought me up to date on what's what around the GSP. We're getting together tomorrow to have coffee (Linda has no money for lunch -- I offered to buy, but she's having none of it) and exchange scripts. She's reading everyone's scripts and she's harsh on them, calling them seriously awful. She's only had one person read hers and he had an agenda of killing her ego.

I have to keep in contact more with my classmates, because these are the people I'm going to be going through the next few years with. I want to feel like I have a community, and besides which, we're all going to need a writing group once Second Year is over.

I'm envious of Ceej's Clarion experience, but I paid my money and took my choice: USC, a longer, less-intensive, less-mind-altering, more professionally-centered experience. Ceej has urged me to apply to Clarion again and go, but I don't think so: for one thing, at some point I've got to go to work. I've been using school as an excuse -- I can't do such-and-such because I'm not ready! Well, get over it already: I'm ready.

Not that I'm turning down the Second Year at USC, mind you. I like having to produce for others -- I wish I didn't, but there it is.

I sent away for the The Hollywood Creative Directory, the bible of the aspiring screenwriter, via Amazon.

If you're planning on doing just about anything in Hollywood, you need the HCD, which lists every production company, who the officers are, and what recent movies and shows and other projects they've done recently. You take the names and addresses of the creative execs at various companies and start sending out query letters.

Yes, folks, I decided I wanted to start querying about my script, see if I could get anyone to read it.

Of course, my HCD shipment disappears into the ether. Coincidence? Is this an omen? Is someone trying to tell me something. I like to think that I'm not superstitious, but clearly I am: I'm really wondering if this means anything.

Amazon's sending me another book, by the way. So it's not like I've wiggled out of doing anything.

Gardening update: the roses have returned! A couple of them have blossomed already, only a few short weeks after they looked like they'd been shorn beyond all hope.

Gardening is really weird. Mostly it's water everything a lot, trim stuff back, and pull up the weeds. That's it. I watered the backyard frequently and voila! The backyard comes back to life.

There's other things to learn though, like: I've sprayed a couple of times, but the citrus trees still appear to have the dirty whitefly infestation -- do I have to scrub each leaf or something? How do I bring a bush back to life that seems to be doing poorly? And what the hell is that plant?

But I'm learning. Once summer is over, I want to start planting and adding a little more color to the garden.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Today and yesterday I wrote a couple of pages to finish the second revision of my full-length script. I'm going to go run off a couple of copies to give to fellow students to get their feedback.

Went running Sunday evening: did about 2 miles (inc. some mild hills -- ouch!). I'm planning on doing another 2 to 3 miles this evening. Must not count mileage chickens.

I haven't picked at my nails in two weeks because of the nail polish. Darin's back is enjoying this benefit quite a lot, particularly when we're watching TV: "Scratch! Just to the left! Yes!"