2011 Goals

2010 was a benchmark year for me: I got married. Still not sure which spell or what voodoo pulled that off, but here I am. As a result of the plethora of wedding gifts from family, friends, co-workers, etc. that have improved our ability to cook at home, I have definitely become more confident in the kitchen, pulling off jambalaya, my Grandmother’s banana cream pie, perfectly done steaks in the oven and mastering (almost) the caramelized onion, among many other things.

Writing wise, things started out with a bang. I wrote two new screenplays, Bands on the Run and The Resurrected. Then things go off track. I bounced around from idea to idea, doing a little outlining here and plotting there, but nothing really took. I plan on fixing that.

So here we go: goals for the New Year (I’m not calling them resolutions, I hate that).

WRITING

#1. Complete 2 New Screenplays: I was on a writing tear for a few years, but I slowed down this past year. I have had two on the burner for awhile, and I think I’m ready to get my ass in gear and get started. However, I’m going to do it right: outline, outline, and outline. The first one starts in January, and I expect to be done by June, then start the next one and finish in December.

#2. Write A Book: This one is sort of new, but something I’ve been kicking around. I have an idea, a fun idea that’s in my wheelhouse (music), and I think I can tackle it bit-by-bit throughout the year as it is non-fiction and full of lots of little bits. It’ll make sense later.

#3. Shoot the “Bands On The Run” short: This is a biggie, since it involves more than just me. But hey, if you’re gonna shoot, shoot big, right? Goal is for a spring/summer shoot.

MUSIC

#4. Launch A Music Podcast: Again, something I’ve been kicking around for awhile, but just been waiting to get all the pieces lined up. Hopefully, this will happen sooner rather than later.

#5. Make Some New Music: A song? An album? Who knows. Been enjoying playing guitar again recently, and feel like I’ve got some new creative fuel in the tank. Not sure what it’ll be at this point, but the Bandcamp website is a new and exciting way to distribute music that I’m going to explore.

PERSONAL

#6. The Gym: First, I bought new headphones, so that makes it easier to tolerate, as I am not a gym rat. Second, although I’m not thrilled with the change to my work schedule, it will actually make it easier to get the gym after work. So here’s to losing 20 pounds.

Now, how to achieve these goals. #1, I plan on spending at least a half-hour each day doing something creative. Write, play music, etc. Something to keep the creative juices flowing on a daily basis. #2, besides the gym every day after work, I have no doubts I eat too many carbs and too much sugar, so my goal is to reduce those significantly. For instance, instead of having a chicken sandwich for lunch, I’m just going to have a baked chicken breast.

These are the goals, Happy New Year.

News: 8.10.10

So, last week I thought “27 Jennifers” was gonna be the project to tackle, but the prospect of working with another writer has changed that. We’re bouncing around ideas, and a contained thriller in the vein of “Panic Room” or “Phone Booth” is in the early discussion stages.

After a couple of revisions, I’m putting “The Resurrected” down for a bit so I can approach it with fresh eyes in a few weeks.

The “Bands On The Run” short has been through a couple of revisions as well. I currently have some music gear up for sale in order to finance the purchase of a fancy digital video camera.

New Project: 27 Jennifers

As I am doing some rewrites here and there on “The Resurrected,” and trimming “Bands On The Run” down to a short, I’ve also started banging out a outline on what I hope will be my next feature script, currently titled “27 Jennifers.” I’m shooting for a “(500) Days of Summer” meets “Lars & The Real Girl” indie-rom/com vibe. I’ve never written anything one would describe as ‘quirky,’ so this will probably be a first because I definitely see it heading in that direction.

News: 7.11.10

Second draft of “The Resurrected” has been getting feedback, mixed but helpful. I’m thinking there is going to be a third act revision and a secondary character is going to get a bit of an overhaul to spice things up.

At this point I have a couple of ideas for the next project, but I’m still bouncing between some drastically different genres. Been wanting to tackle the “contained thriller” concept, but I think my idea has already been taken once or twice. Haven’t tried a rom-com or straight-up suspense/thriller, which would be interesting challenges as well.

News: 6.30.10

As June ends, I’ve just wrapped up the second draft of an action/adventure/sci-fi spec I’m working on called “The Resurrected.” Reviewers of the first draft compared it to an Indiana Jones film or The Mummy, which is good to hear. It’s still gotta ways to go.

Another interesting bit of news is about “Bands On The Run.” This is a, shall we say, liberal reimagining of my time in an indie rock band, specifically dealing with a week-long tour that I’ve fictionalized for comedic purposes. My hope is to shoot a short based on a few scenes on a digital camera sometime this year, and then take it from there.