A Five-Day Weekend...

Because of the work schedule I have and the 2014 holiday calendar, I took one day off this week and ended up having a five-day weekend.

I could get used to that!

That’s the thing about taking almost a week off from work—it makes going back to work that much more difficult. However, since I am only working today and tomorrow this week, it takes the sting out of returning.

So, what does one do during a five-day weekend? I had grand plans, some of which I actually accomplished, such as fixing the kid’s shower.

A major goal for my weekend involved writing. I’ve got a screenplay to re-write and a book of short stories to publish. I worked a little on both projects, perhaps the most work done on the screenplay. I finished the first act and I feel pretty good about it.

The thing about the screenplay is—at least for me—I have to see it in my mind, find major points where I want the characters to go and once I do, the writing is relatively easy. Maybe it’s because I’m creating something visual that I need to “see” it first. I don’t know. The next act will be the toughest, I think. It encompasses roughly ½ of the screenplay and will/should dictate the film’s ending. As far as the book is concerned, I’ll be working on that this next weekend.

Yes, give me five-day weekends and I’ll be a happy man!

Is There A NaNoWriMo For Screenplays?

Over the past couple of years, I've gotten to know a lot of authors. And chances are, if you know what NaNoWriMo is, you are either an author or know someone who is.

NaNoWriMo stands for the National Novel Writing Month and you may not be aware that from last Saturday and for thirty days after, thousands and thousands of people are writing furiously in order to write a 50,000 word rough draft before December hits.

For me,  I'd love to take part in this global phenomenon, but not this year (I seem to say that every year...). With work and rehearsing every weeknight and Saturday mornings for an upcoming Christmas show, much of my free time is already committed.

But...

I'm wondering if there's a National Screenwriting Month. And a simple Google search later, I found out there is! It's in May. Since I know fewer screenwriters than authors, I was unaware of this.

I've decided to produce, in the month of November, 2014, a completed screenplay and call it Edwin. I should say, at this point, that I have already written a screenplay for Edwin, a script that only a few people have seen. Those people are busy creating their first feature film and I couldn't be more excited for them and for the possibility that they will then take on a new project and that this new project will be the before mentioned Edwin.

However...

The screenplay that only a few of us have seen should be scrapped and started over. Well, maybe not completely scrapped--some important scenes can remain, but at least re-worked to the point that it would not be recognized in its present from.

So, I'm not going to wait for May, 2015 (personally, I'd love to be part of pre-production meetings in May...). I think I'll try and get the first draft done now. I'd better hurry--I've only got twenty-six days left!