Tag Archives: Screenwriting

Writing Prompt #93

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How is it Friday already?!  Honestly, it’s like I’m always a day behind, or two in this case.

As many of you are already aware, I love Pinterest.  It’s a great way to find and save images that represent a piece you may be writing, or a great time sucker depending on the day.  Don’t believe me?  Click on the ‘P’ to the right and see.  If you were planning on doing something else, you may find yourself in a pin-hole, well, that’s how I refer to it anyway – hours lost to scrolling and clicking and saving and then finding new things…and repeat.

I wanted to get back on track, and no matter the day, there’s always time for a little inspiration.  Here’s this week’s Writing Prompt:

towering

Feeling inspired?

Come write with me!

A Look Back on September

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cherWhat is that saying about best laid plans?

Oh, yes.  They often go awry.  And so went the month of September.

A seemingly simple change to my work schedule for the entire month put a huge crimp in my plans.  I wrote very little, and the longing I feel to be creative and get lost in my imaginary worlds is palpable, like an ache in the center of my being.  This is an oddly nice reminder of the fact that I truly have found my calling.  That being said, I didn’t come remotely close to finishing my planned rewrite, I ignored my blog almost completely (Sorry, everyone!), and even the fanfic got the cold shoulder and I’m right in the middle of the juiciest bit.

Not to mention a slew of other things that got pushed to the wayside.  A whole month passed by and I have so very little to show for it.  Even the change in the work schedule offered little result.

And finally, amidst the monotony, I received word that my pilot was not advancing in the first contest I submitted it to.  I swear, if that amateur hour mistake cost me moving forward…

((Sigh))

Sometimes I can’t help feeling as if I’m swimming against the current.  There’s a whole lot of energy being expelled with little in the way of development, and I’m kind of at a loss of what decision I can make in order to achieve a more promising outcome.  I wonder from time to time how many hours I’ve wasted looking for another job I don’t really want instead of investing that time in the work I actually want to do.  I take that back.  I really don’t want to know that number.

It’s that kind of thought that compels me to write wherever and whenever I can.  Every little step helps, right?  Tuesday night, instead of being compelled to do “busy work” after the one table I had (yes, you read that correctly – one), I wrote.  I actually sat down at this tucked away little table and wrote.  It was fan fiction, because that is the only thing I seem to be able to concentrate on at work, but I wrote…and I wrote a lot of it.

It felt good.  I’ve missed it.  And it was the nudge and spark of creativity I needed.

Can you believe there are only three months left to the year?  Those goals I set for myself are drawing ever closer, and if I want to keep the promises I’ve made to myself, I have to get crackin’.  The comforting thing about goal setting is that they can be adjusted to fit your needs/time table.  There were a couple of deadlines I was hoping to make, but my overall goal of having my portfolio ready for the new year is still attainable.  ((Crosses fingers))

Okay.  Now that I’ve reflected on the nonsense that was September, it’s time to look forward to October and what the rest of the year has in store.  With the holidays fast approaching and the time sucking that inevitably happens, we’ll have to be even more diligent with the time we have.

Even this big setback had a silver lining – I know I won’t be satisfied with doing anything else.

I’m open to suggestions for how I may best move forward and would love to hear what your goals are for the rest of the year.

Wishing you all the best in your creative endeavors!

Writing Prompt Challenge Accepted #20

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I try to take advantage of the down time I get at work, which, if you’ve read my fan fiction, you’ll know is a great deal.  Even on a Friday night, I found myself with enough time to write three flash fiction pieces.

*Don’t forget, if you’re ever inspired by the Writing Prompts, let me know so I can share your creations here as well.

The first prompt was meant to deter me from writing more romantic fanfic, it really is a problem, one I find myself happy to indulge, but instead it gave me an idea for a scene.  Fairly soon, some version of it will find its way there. 😉

NoTime4Romance

Fort Drakon

I wasn’t certain what had startled me awake – the unsettling sounds coming from the dark, the throbbing of my head, or the deep chill upon my skin.  I awoke to find myself in Alistair’s protective embrace, on the cold stone floor of a prison cell, in nothing but my small clothes.  Looking up to his face, past the bare expanse of his chest, I said teasingly, “It’s a shame we are unable to take advantage of this privacy, given our situation is so dire.”

He laughed in spite of himself, and responded with a wink, “Yes, unfortunately, this is no time for romance.”

Crowd

The Display

The advert had promised “sights not to be missed,” and the showing had not disappointed, but there was another advert, one meant to be understood only by the one it was intended for.  She had read it and arrived early to ensure she would not be taken by surprise.  There was nothing about her that would give her away as anything but a proper Victorian lady, but for the one who waited for her across the gallery, she was as deadly as she was well dressed.

 

Space:PortalOversight Committee

After watching the birth of yet another system, they were surprised to find that it still gave them chills.  There was nothing quite like the explosion of color and the dazzling display of light.  Knowing that life would soon be springing forth made them each excited for different reasons.  The demon’s smile was smug with all the temptations waiting to be explored.  The angel nudged the other knowing that after countless millennia, nothing had changed.

Happy Writing!

Writing Prompt #91

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Seriously…where does the time go?  I’ve been working on a rewrite, and the time is just flying by.  And what’s bad about that, you may wonder?  I don’t feel as if I’ve made any huge strides towards its completion, and yes, you’ve guessed it, there’s an approaching deadline.

Sheesh.

I’m all over the place, or at least it feels that way.  I can’t let another week go by without tending to my blog and giving you a little inspiration to get you through the weekend. 😉

Hesitation

I like dialogue prompts because they’re open to interpretation.  What does the above say to you?  Are you inspired?

Happy Writing!

An Anniversary, A Thank You, A Quote, and A Farewell

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RainbowCakeHappy Monday, my friends!

Last week flew by in a blur.  Trying to fan the flames of that new creative spark I’m cultivating, I made a rainbow cake (avert your eyes from the Grand Canyon sized crack that happened during delivery) for a friend.

I then did a bunch more baking, worked on a screenplay, watched Stranger Things*, and finally ended the week going to see Suicide Squad* – mostly all positive things.  *To be discussed later.

Happy-AnniversaryAmidst all this was the third anniversary of my blog.

I can’t believe I’ve been at this for three years already…I may slack off from time to time, but this has been the most devoted to a “diary” I’ve ever been, and that has a whole lot to do with all of you.

So Thank You !

You all hold me accountable, and make me want to show up.  Like when I’m away from my own writing for too long, I feel guilty.  I’ll keep trying to do better!

Now, as it’s Monday, we need to start this week off right.  In light of the so many negative things out in the world right now, as writers and creatives we’re lucky that we have our minds to escape into.

ImaginationVsReality

Find your happy place and do great things!

WillyWonka

And finally, a farewell.

As I was looking for the image of the cake, I learned of the passing of Gene Wilder, an icon who had a huge impact on my youth.  I don’t often comment on the passing of celebrities, that’s not what this space was intended for, but because there are some people who have been a part of our lives (for as long as we can remember), whether we knew them personally or not, we feel compelled to take a moment and thank them for their contribution.

From Willy Wonka to Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein to Silver Streak, The Producers to Haunted Honeymoon and so many more, he always stole the show and we were lucky to have him.  His is an enduring legacy, and I know my generation is grateful.  RIP.

xx, Rach

Quote Monday

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In light of my last post, I’m having to give myself daily pep talks in order to keep moving forward.  It’s a struggle all creatives must endure, and if you’re like me at the moment, know that you aren’t alone.

GentleReminder

We can do this!  We can overcome our fears and achieve what we want in life, we just have to be brave!

Wishing you all the very best!

Fear of Success

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QuestionMarksI’m certain I’ve talked about this subject in the past – the idea that even if our lives are chaotic and unsatisfying, we’re comfortable with what’s familiar, what we know.  Sometimes while striving towards a goal, the unknown can be cause for fear, even if subconsciously.

How do I know this?

I’m pretty sure I created an act of self-sabotage this week, of course without any thought.

I wrote an original TV pilot to add to my portfolio, and I have to say, I’m proud of it.  It took some time to get everything in order, it’s sci-fi with aliens and distant worlds, etc. but when I got into it, I had tons of ideas and I really wanted to spend more time with these characters.

Writing the pilot is among the most satisfying writing I’ve done.  I had a clear image in my head and I wrote it.  I made minor adjustments, but honestly, within five drafts I felt it was ready to be seen.

I sent it to my readers, got positive feedback, and then found a contest to submit it to.  I wasn’t looking for any contests, it was my plan to get everything in order for the beginning of the year, but there was a pilot launch contest from Screencraft and the deadline was fast approaching.

So, why not?!

The Sis went through the script with a fine tooth comb and found all my little grammatical errors and one thing she thought needed changing – the name of a fairly inconsequential character.  Agent Six as he had been called, reminded her of something, and it was my goal to not have anything (names, places, expletives) sound too similar to those things I had been inspired by.  If that makes sense.

I had named him Six in honor of my favorite Cylon, but upon a search, Agent Six is a pretty big character on a current running TV series, so I felt it should be changed.  I didn’t have a lot of time to make the change and I got sidetracked during the process…I’m sure you can guess what happened.

I hit submit, got ready for work, and an hour later on my drive it hit me – I hadn’t caught them all.

The Beastie Boys song “Sabotage” has been playing on repeat in my head for days now. (The fan made Rogue One trailer hasn’t helped matters.)

Was this an act of self-sabotage?  Am I afraid of getting what I want?  For all my talk about going after your dreams, am I just putting on a façade?

I am so angry with myself, still.  Yes, it’s a small error, but when you’re hoping to be a professional, the best, most perfect representation of your work should go out into the world.  Does this error deter from the story?  No.  It’s near the end and takes up a fraction of the page, but it’s there, and I know it, and I know they’ll see it.

Sigh.

And now a new deadline lingers on the horizon, and in the back of my mind I have to wonder, am I capable of setting myself up again?  I truly hope not.

I’m not sure how to spin this to be helpful, except maybe to say, “make sure you have the time and focus to rewrite your work.”  Deadlines are great motivators, but let me be an example of what not to do.  Don’t wait until the last minute.  Don’t worry about something inconsequential – it can be changed later if there’s concern.  Plan ahead.  And, I suppose, this quote sums it up perfectly:

Don't be too hard on yourself

Wishing you all the very best in your endeavors!