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THE MUSE SUCKSTHE MUSE SUCKS things my wife and I bought/got this month… Ratatouille things I wached this month… Desperate Housewives: Season Three the muse sucks… Good ideas never come alone. Be careful what you wish for. These are the kind of problems you want to have. There’s a story about the Coen Brothers that when they were writing either “Miller’s Crossing” or “Hudsucker Proxy” (pretty sure it was Miller’s), they just couldn’t plow through the story, and in the middle they wrote “Barton Fink” and just spit it out. I wonder just how common this is for writers. Right now I’m torn between not two but three (potentially four) projects that I’m really stupidly excited about working on, and I’m finding it really tough to put any one of them aside and just really focus on one. Like I said, these are the kind of problems you want to have. The good news is that they’re all working well, I’ve got the basic bones for all of them, but I do think I need to make a choice, although a tough one, to commit fully to one and set the others aside for now. Feels weird doing that but there’s one project that’s a little more pressing and so it only makes sense that I get my ass in gear on that one. I read a few screenwriting books over the break that I’d been recommended, “Crafty Screenwriting” by Alex Epstein, and “Save The Cat!” & “Save The Cat Goes to the Movies”, by Blake Snyder. Two completely different books. “Crafty Screenwriting” is an interesting book that deals with the actual technique of writing, little tips and tricks to make your writing more page turning, etc… I found pieces of it quiet helpful and interesting, so I can casually recommend that one. “Save The Cat” is an interesting story. Snyder claims, and it’s kind of his bread and butter, that you can break any film (or maybe just any good film) down to fifteen key beats. This reminds me of an old writing teacher that told me that there’s only two stories you can tell: “Stranger Comes to Town” and “Man Goes on a Journey”. I think that the truth is that you can make anything fit any theory if you really want to. If you want to prove something you’re probably going to be able to do it by justifying certain things, and adjusting other truths. It’s not that hard to spin a web of bullshit and sell it to people. NOW, that being said, I highly recommend “Save The Cat” and it’s sequel book just on the basis that, if nothing else, it helps you to look at your story the way that most producers will, especially if you’re a spec writer this is extremely helpful. Now while I personally think Snyder is one of those screenwriters that doesn’t really have any burning story within to tell and is pretty much just a word-whore, he has made a fortune out of it. While the film’s he’s written and sold aren’t overly impressive (“Blank Check”, “Stop or My Mom Will Shoot”), his techniques are good to know and somewhat helpful. It’s my goal this year to write some higher concept ideas than what I’m used to, things that are a little more saleable. I’ve also decided that this is the year where I’m going to put an effort into trying to get someone to rep me, before that though I want my project portfolio to be rocking. moving… My wife and I bought a house this month and we’ll be taking possession on Valentine’s Day (what’s more romantic than last minute packing and stress?). I’m really excited about the house because I finally get to build the geek-office of my dreams, giant built-in movie shelves, a huge cork-board for writing, oh the list goes on… We’re moving to the Upper Beach/Danforth area, just a little more east of where we are now. But I’m really happy that I can walk to The Fox, one of Toronto’s last single-house movie theatres. I love those places. When I used to live in the west end I went to The Revue almost every Wed or Thurs night to see the old films that they’d screen there. It made me happy. And it makes me sad. It makes me sad because I think of how the film industry will never be like it was. Not that I was ever around in it’s hayday, but I walk into those single-screen cinemas and they just smell the way that you know theatres are supposed to smell. Not like the cineplexs now. We went to see a film at one of the giant multi-plexs last weekend and it just reminded me of why I hate going to them. Sitting behind me was some asshole kid who wouldn’t shut up and stop complaining about the movie (a movie that I loved). I wanted to turn around and smack him, tell him that if he didn’t like the film to get the fuck out and stop ruining it for the people that did. But you can’t do that. That’s called assault. And then later that night I realized that this kid was my audience. Fuck. Really? So I work my ass off to write a fantastic film, than I work my ass off to get someone to buy it, THAN they work their ass off (or continue to let me work my ass off) to get it made properly and make it really good, and than we have to hope the powers that be like it enough to make sure it even gets a decent enough release to even be in a theatre that size so some asshole kid like this can go see it. Just kind of takes the piss out of the whole thing, doesn’t it? OK. Rant over. the last man… I’ve talked about it before, I’m sure I have, but I just finished the last ever issue of “Y: The Last Man” a comic series that is now in development as a feature film (possible trilogy). They did a sixty issue run and the last one just came out on Wednesday. The good people at “Comics and More” on the Danforth were nice enough to put the last arch of comics together for me, and if anyone out there is interested they are currently selling the entire run of ‘Y: The Last Man’ for a really stupidly great price. Rob, the guy that owns the store is super nice and knowledgeable. I have to say that I much prefer this place to Silver Snail. Back to it, it’s just a really fun story that’s smart and clever, great storytelling and character development. As a storyteller it makes me jealous in a good way, like I have to create something better to be in the same league. So I believe that’s it for this month. It’s been crazy busy. I turned twenty-seven, bought a house, lost fifteen pounds, and saw some good flicks along the way. This year is going to be a good one and I look forward to it. I have no way of knowing if anyone out there is actually reading these, but if they are, feel free to throw back any questions or thoughts, if you’d like me to elaborate or discuss anything specific or even say “hello”, just to let me know I’m not writing into a giant gaping whole. … until next time.
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