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Welcome to the icy thunder dome where we really do walk uphill through the snow both ways.
What's red, write, and black all over? That's write - some weird dude in a Starbucks lobby writing a screenplay in......Los Angeles
 The writing quest continues into it's umpteenth year while the battles continue to rage on the frontlines.
 A month of writing that has seemed like several years is coming to a close...........................?
 I. Have. Returned. This time, with several fewer projects that distract me from the fun of the world of writing.
I've finally discovered a VERY old piece of the internet, and it's helped me keep this boat rowing up a waterfall.
Another month, another writing competition - this one where I finally got the punch in the mouth I probably, totally, maybe hate-liked-needed!
HI - don't move without movers. I did. Now look at me!  Writing this last month was a really...scattered experience thanks to the move. Luckily, it wasn't too far, and I'm never, ever doing this sort of thing again. My ginger bones are grinding together like Batman at age 40.
Anyways, writing. To start, I did enter the contests I talked about, which was nerve-wracking and full of self hate. The normal amount - usually equivalent to the salt you'd find in a well-made cake. Well, as anyone that knows me can tell you, I'm a salty bitch. That increases twenty-fold when we're talking about my writing. That's a short prologue to say that I hate what I wrote...but I'd still like to share it with any passers-by! Here's the short script I wrote for Round 1 of the NYC Midnight competition. I think I played it too safe with the trio of aspects that had to be involved - Romcom, Art Instructor, and Secondhand. I had a way more interesting idea that came out way too mean spirited, so I went with my second choice. I'm still proud of what's on the page, even if I'm now cursing myself for not breaking through more creative barriers. Hopefully, there's a next round for me so I can blow some socks off. Other than the stuff I paid to be a part of, I've started a new, smaller comic series. I plan on introducing my main one next month after helping the eponymous Whiskers with some new stuff this month (he's just as confusing a mess as I am). OH YEAH! I submitted a poem as well for consideration! That is through Imposter - who are so aptly named it hurts. Their entire mission statement is "You don't feel like you belong in print? Well, us either." Check them out for submissions and their actual poetry, which is pretty good. Mkay, well, time to go die on the bed again....
Yo! I'm back on the writer's lifestyle after a long time away, and I need to reintegrate into this all-digital world we find ourselves within now. One way I'm going about this is through competitions. I've entered several over my life, winning two that I sadly no longer have the names of (they were nothing special).
Writing competitions are a special kind of stress. For a non-commercial writer, your brain is used to having all the time in the world to chew through concepts and distill them. A stopwatch swings in front of your eyes, lulling you into a "this will be flawless if I give it long enough" mentality. Of course, that all flips when you have other people in on the project or have signed your name to a contract. I used to be and shall be soon again commercial, therefore I want to bring my creative process back up to speed. Thus, I've resolved to enter 10-20 competitions in 2021. The first two are as follows: NYC Midnight - Starts March 19th I'm the most stoked on this one. Writing in a mysterious genre, character trope, and subject, then thrown into a gradually compressing time limit - no better way to acclimate than to do it quickly, right?
I've become HYPER aware of my tendencies as a writer/genre picker lately. I don't believe they should be outright abolished. They're guideposts along comfortable corners where I can really tear across the landscape. Growth is important for a repertoire, and I refuse to let myself be painted into a corner. especially when it's my corner.
Launch Pad - Deadline of March 12th A bit more traditional and a bit higher of a weight class, this one gives me a good way to utilize an idea I've had in my head for a few months now. Launch Pad's competition is straight-forward: A Pilot for a show. 30/60 minutes, and with a feedback option - thank chocolate Christ. Entering a competition is the worst for feedback 9/10 times. How close was I? Did I actually learn anything? Did anyone actually like this stupid thing? I'll pay a little extra to learn something most days. I'll update this post with any news and my experiences in the competitions. If I win, expect an all-caps list of demands to all those beneath me. If I lose, expect a string of gifs instead of words. No matter what, everyone wins! |
