Checking In

I just finished page 80 of my screenplay draft. I can't believe I'm really doing it. Twenty more pages and I've met my goal. To let you know how attainable that is, I completed 16 pages TODAY. And I was on p. 24 on Tuesday. Since I finished grading research papers and rewrites, my commitment to writing (and my ability TO commit to it) increased exponentially. Of course, it's total crap - it's a draft, but it's something to work with. Something that came out of MY imagination. Cool.

The Script Frenzy challenge ends Wednesday, and I really cannot believe that completing it is actually within my reach. I'm pretty darn impressed with myself. I really am. I've gone to bed the last few nights, especially after meeting 10-page-a-day goals on weekdays, with such a feeling of thankfulness, just because I actually accomplished a (difficult) goal that I set for myself.

So no, you won't be seeing my screenplay as a movie any time soon. It's my FIRST SCREENPLAY EVER. Hell, it's the first thing longer than a sonnet that I've actually written. All these years enjoying writing but never completing anything I've started. Well, this isn't complete yet, but 80 pages sure feels like victory, I gotta tell ya.

School is winding down, and I am thankful for that. It's been a good year, but the last month or so has been tough, really tough, and I need to be done with it. I need to have a break from the emotional stress of interacting with teenagers more than I do anyone else, day in and day out. I've had some trying moments with them, and with friends recently, that frankly have worn me out emotionally. I think this writing thing turned out to be a nice outlet from that.

I'll let you know when I finish. In the meantime, let's talk about movies! May 2 brings Iron Man with Robert Downey, Jr., and May 9 Speed Racer with co-star Christina Ricci, who looks like anime anyway, and May 16 brings Prince Caspian, followed by the new Indiana Jones May 22 (that's a Thursday), and finally (for May) the Sex and the City movie May 30 - wa-HOO! New Batman movie July 18, and have you read about this Will Smith movie Hancock coming out July 2? It's gonna be AMAZING. Of course, there are other movies, but I just had to mention my excitement at the landscape. And yes, I just quoted all those dates from memory - I'm a little excited...

BTW - speaking of excited - Nordstrom is coming to Nashville in fall, 2010. They have the best - shoe department - ever.

The future's so bright...