13 November 2006

ok-- so now what?

The cool part about finishing any project is that you can start on some exciting new idea.

The sucky part of it is that you need to figure out what that new exciting idea is supposed to BE.

The long-fermenting RomCom (now "officially" titled TWELVE DAYS, though I reserve absolute right to change that for no reason at all...) is, for lack of a better word, finished. Three major rewrites (with at least five minor variations) finally yields 113 pages and change, which si only 3 pages over my intended target of 110, so I'll take that in a heartbeat, especially considering how much I like a great deal of this piece.

Is it perfect? Hell no, but then, no piece of writing ever is. The point of the game (especially w/r/t screenwriting) is to wind up with a product which is good enough -- something so good that whatever flaws and shortcomings it might have are totally obscured and overshadowed by all the "goodth" in it.

Is TWELVE DAYS that good? To be honest, I have no idea, but I do know that I like it a lot. There are moments which I've read 40 times now and which still stir some reaction in me: a chuckle here, a pang of melancholy there, a moment of moistness at this beat, a bit teary smile at that beat.

"Strong men also cry, Mr. Lebowski. Strong men also cry."

So now it will likely get slipped to a few trusted readers/friends who will hopefully not come back with "DUDE-- you CANNOT be fuckin serious! This thing is whale poo!" but who will instead have some minor and addressable comments which clearly then lead me to more of that aforementioned goodth.

Because goodth is good.

After that, I'll need to wrap the damned script round some rocks and hurl copies through the windows of as many potentially useful contacts as I can find: producers, managers, agents, pool boys... One can never predict where and when the lightning will strike, so the trick is to be as "out there" as can be affordably and sensibly managed.

And meanwhile, I need to find the Next Big Thing to occupy my thoughts and creative efforts as I sit here and listen to the phone not ring and watch that mailbox not be filled with welcome news. Period action drama? Mixed genre piece for smaller budget production? Shaggy dog R-rated comedy? Hell, for all the good it's doingme, maybe I ought try my hand at haiku, as at least that would save time and trees.

Blah blah blah... talk amongst yourselves.
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B

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe the Big Lebowski quote, to be INSANELY picky, is "Strong men DO cry, Mr. Lebowski....strong men DO cry."

At least that is how I've been repeating it for the last few years...

aggiebrett said...

Google the two phrases and get back to me, cha-cha:

"Strong men do cry, Mr. Lebowski"

vs

"Strong men also cry, Mr. Lebowski."

I know what you mean -- your version reads/sounds cleaner -- but the actual line is as cited (I took it from a copy of the script).

But thanks for playing. ;-)
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B

Anonymous said...

Saaaalute.

Proud of you, you weepy little girl.

xo

suzbays said...

Cool beans.

Ryan Rasmussen said...

NARwhal poo.

Bravo.

R

sweeper said...

Congratu-freakin-lations. I bet you feel like drinking beer right now. I know I do. Now all you have to do is the hard work and get the thing sold. I'd volunteer to page through the project but you said you still get misty in places and that makes me nervous. Is it possible to edit out the weepy parts and replace them with a car chase or two? It might help to involve an RPG recoilless rocket launcher as well. If you still need *emotion* in the project for some damned reason, you can always throw in a part where the hero has to shoot his dog in the head because the bad guys had planted the tactical nuclear device on its collar and it was straying too close to the secret safe house where his girlfriend was being held by agents of some three-letter government agency. I mean who could not get through that without choking back a tear or two. If you also worked in a scene or two about a dying baseball player you'd have all you bases covered.

Or do what you want.

d.

Shawna said...

I have a wayward eyelash. Can you get it for me? Since you aren't busy... ;-)

MaryAn Batchellor said...

So, okay, I finally saw Godfather start to finish. Can I take my DUNCE cap off now?