Thursday, March 26, 2009

Just Another Day In Paradise



Okay, so I got out of my funk rather quickly, as funks go. Nothing like a good night's sleep to give you a different perspective. I may stink, but it's my stink, and I'll keep it up until I'm sick of it. Screenwriting is like being on top of the Ferris Wheel when it gets stuck. You never know what's around the corner until you hit the speed bump and fall over the handlebars.

I got another crazy idea---yes, another one to add to my collection---but it's so damn good that I'm now I'm trying to work that into my schedule. It's not easy to switch from thriller mode to wild over the top comedy. And since I have ideas from two years ago that I still want to get to, it's clear that at some point I will have to clone myself.

Find a great idea.

Write a great script.

Re-write same great script.

They love your great script, but want more changes.

What was that great idea?

That great idea sold yesterday.

Who the fuck are you?

Rinse, lather, repeat.

Back to the drawing board.

4 comments:

E.C. Henry said...

Glad to hear you're doing better, PJ.

Wish you could have been with me at Starbucks today after work. Spent an hour and a half in writer's Nirvana. Got lost in the rapture of a GREAT scene creation. Found I can totally drowned out crowds out and write the foundation stones for a GREAT scene. Wrote about five and half pages of GREAT scene notes. Just came to me in the middle of a public place. Gunna take a lot of work to polish the idea, but I'm totally jacked.

Do you have the same thing happen to you? Hope so. I'm pullin' for ya, kid.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

PJ McIlvaine said...

Well, EC, I was feeling perky, until I got hold of the OWA (Open Writing Assignments). 168 pages of projects. And I was just told by an exec who shall remain nameless that Hollywood doesn't want to "develop" anything, they want things that are ready to be shot. Then what about all those scripts? Someone put me out of my misery. This is Development Hell times ten.

Anonymous said...

If you could look into the future right now and know that you\\\'ll never make a living at this, would you keep going?

PJ McIlvaine said...

Yes. As a screenwriter, some years you make good money (as I have), and some years are lean (I've had that too). Goes with the territory. If you think you're going to make a fortune on your first screenplay, forget it.