Wednesday 28 July 2010

18. Turn To Stone

 Max Stone


Detective Max Stone opened the door to his half empty apartment and kicked off his shoes; he walked over to his sofa and slumped on it. Using his left hand, he dug the remote control from the back of his sofa and switched the widescreen television on, channel after channel he switched, hoping he could get Mckayla’s face out of his head. Stone had looked like her before, felt like he imagined she did, in a cold dirty well where he could never climb out, while people walked right by and couldn’t hear the yells, and they would search once they did but they’d never look down.


The beauty of San Francisco was shut out by Stone's dark blinds, to Bryan he was just a weird wanna be emo shutting out the world, but what he didn't know was that Stone suffered from terrible headaches since a child. Headaches that made his head feel like it was going to explode, and the only way he knew how to make it hurt less or go away was to work out hard, doing push ups or hiding behind his blinds. He was one of the few who didn't wear dark shades to reinvent himself as Neo Anderson.


He wasn't just a cop, a detective, he was stone. Forever running from a past that was faster at catching up than he was at leaving it behind; he hadn't been called by his name in nearly two years, since his last relationship. He didn't have many friends, apart from colleagues, and they all referred to each other by their last names, he'd almost forgotten his name wasn't Stone, almost forgot he was not stone.




Tile info. Joe Walsh


Annyeong,



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Monday 26 July 2010

17. Little Of Your Time

I'm so annoyed with myself for promising people I care about time and never actually getting around to spending time with them, I have the greatest friends in the world who love me and are already so patient and encouraging. I'm beginning to worry that I'll lose the best ones, I mean everyone has two sets of friends, the ones you talk to casually and catch once in a while and then you have the ones you adore and feel like something is missing if you haven't spoken to them for a bit. Sometimes those casual friends grow into the ones you adore too.

I only have a handful of those friends I wish I could put in my pocket and keep them forever but we all have our own lives and paths to follow, I have one in particular right now that I'm missing terribly. There was a point where we spoke everyday even if it was just for a few hours, and now we're lucky if we chat longer than ten minutes.

Now, she's an actress, a successful one too so her time is limited anyway and she has kids too but I miss her is all I'm saying, and sometimes I just want to be childish and stomp my feet. She's very special to me, an amazing writer who constantly inspires me, intelligent, funny, protective and ambitious with gorgeous kids ta boot!

Wanting some of her time, it just made me realize how some of my other friends feel when they say they miss me and want some of my time. But as Miss Jia said, if you can make time to eat, sleep and shit then you can take a little time out for the ones you appreciate! Besides, I need to get out more because on I'm this thing way too much and it's not healthy, if I'm not writing then I'm watching TV or running around after my nephews. At the end of the day, I always feel bad for not emailing, txting or calling anyone back, I haven't been a very good fried lately, if I want time then I'm going to have to give time.

And I need to get my social life back on track, not that I'm a club person. I'm more of a theatre, live music, concert or festival  kinda gal. So, on my already epically long list of things to do I'll be adding 'Take time out for friends'

Apart from the above rant, I had a pretty lazy sunday. = D



Tile info. Maroon 5



Adios,



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Saturday 24 July 2010

16. One Part Love

I'm here, I'm still alive, yay. I've been looking in all my old diaries trying to figure why I thought being able to stay up so late or shall I say early was so damn cool, yes I'm a writer and I work better at night but there is a big difference between nocturnal and insomnia, right now I'm suffering from the latter and the heat isn't helping.

I roll around get twisted in the sheets while music plays in the background, and no that's not why I can't sleep, one of the reasons I can't sleep is because that's when the voices in my head are the freakin' loudest, not that I can blame them cause' I can barely hear them during the day with my lot around.

And, when I do sleep it's not for long because I can't get comfortable, if I use three pillows I wake up stiff and if I use one or none I wake up stiff, what hell am I supposed to do? Ugh. Oh and on top of that my brand new laptop, as in a month old is already pissing about and 'Not responding' on me. Why me???

So, as you can imagine I'm not the nicest person to be around when I wake up.

Anywho, while watching one of my favourite shows 'Leverage - The Studio Job' I realized something, I was sitting there getting desperate to see Hardison and Parker fall for each other, it was already there, I wasn't willing it to happen because I'm a hopeless romantic but once I saw the chemistry there I couldn't help but watch one after another hoping they'd both admit their feelings. I realized that whether it plays a big part or a small part there's LOVE in every story, there's a special partnership that you love, relate to or envy, there's that banter that one else can do.

Some of my favourites are:

Leverage - Hardison/ Parker & Nate/Sophie & Hardison/Eliot
Psych - Shawn & Gus
House - House & Wilson
Supernatural - Sam & Dean




Ultmately it's the partnerships, the fighting and making up that makes us watch, or at least that's what makes me watch. Also, just to throw it out there Bromance should have it's own genre because that's another favourite of mine, watching guys who love each other act like they hate each other, but you can see one would be lost without other, and without any sexual connotation. Damn you, slash writers. LOL!

If you don't believe me look for yourself, watch your favourtie shows, there's a partnership you're attached to and they're what makes you pay attention to the story in the first place.

Be it a thriller, cop show, comedy, drama or sci fi being bold or lurking somewhere is One Part Love.




Title Info. Jeffrey Foucault




Zàijiàn,





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Thursday 15 July 2010

15. Question Existing

Wow.

Yeah, since I actually started planning to write a script I've been saying that. I'm not one to run from a challenge but hell, this is harder than I thought it was going to be, like I said in another post I started out writing scripts, or at least that's what I called them. It turns out they were just coversations, I've read a lot of scripts over the past few days, mostly pilots and now I'm asking myself if I can actually write one.

Sure, I can learn how to write out a script in the correct format using EXT. Parking Lot - Night and INT. Taxi - Night but what about the actually story? I don't know if I've done the right thing reading as much as I have, I know I have a tendency to overwhelm myself with information but I like to know what I'm getting myself into.

I still want to and am going to do it, as a child I first wanted to be a cartoonist and then moved on to actually wanting to make movies so I've always had pictures clear in my mind when writing, and could always imagine the music playing over a particularly emotional or chaotic scene. I love movies, so learning about screenwriting is essential for me as a writer, especially one who benefits from learning different writing styles.

I'm going to strart by writing a TV script and the first rule is, watch more TV. I love research but I hated homework as a teen, now if they'd said go home and research what household chemicals could make acid bombs, you know, in case one of your character's decides to blow something up, I think I would have faired better in the homework department.

Of course, while in school it didn't actually occure to me that as a writer knowing a little of everything would be helpful. LOL - Duh.

So, lots of TV. Shouldn't be too hard, I went on TV.com to check out the most popular dramas and highest rated dramas, House ranked No.1 on both lists, so I guess he goes on my list too. I was mostly looking for shows that fell in the same category as Behind The Bar, which meant I had to cross out all the sci fi/fantasies, detective/cop shows and law, that means Merlin, Cold Case and The Good Wife are out amongst others. A few other shows I skipped on because I didn't like titles like Make it or Break it - I did a quick Wiki check and I still wasn't interested.

After Twilight, anything with 'Saga' attached is likely to get a miss so The Forsyte Saga was out. And, although Criminal Minds is right there at the top of my fav shows it' a criminal drama, I'm definitely going to give Persons Unknown a watch. But, the shows I've chosen for homework are *drum roll*

1. House
2. Breaking Bad
3. One Tree Hill
4. Gossip Girl
5. Castle
6. Six Feet Under

I should watch a few that I hate too so that means Gilmore Girls, Grey Anatomy which I don't hate by the way because I've never cared to watch it before now and Pimp my ride doesn't count as a programme I could study does it? I'm stuck, so I'm sticking with it. Hours and hours of guilt free tv? Win.

Questions that need asking, that I have to ask myself when I've finished answering it about these shows are what makes this different from the rest?

Why should anyone read/watch it? I had more to questions, but being tired is like being drunk for me. So, I guess I'll continue it in another post with a note to self not to expect anything I write to make sense after midnight. And, pay no mind to the time of post, I wrote this a few days ago at like 2am.

Question Existing. Can I write a good script?



Title Info. Rihanna





Deuces,





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Saturday 10 July 2010

14. All I Do Is Win

                                                   

Today was interesting, I woke up feeling good, now to some that would sound odd but for me it doesn't happen often at all, I usually have to thaw out during the day, I rarely wake up feeling bright and ready for the world. So, I expected an email as you know from a producer I've been speaking to about writing for but I haven't heard anything back and it's friday.


I'm to assume I didn't get the writer's position, I think I hyped up fear of rejection so much that when it finally happened it didn't feel as bad as I thought that it would. I mean, yeah I'm bummed but I'm not devastated, I really wanted the opportunity to have the BBC under my belt of writing experience but it didn't work out that way. I did the same when getting my tattoo, I kept going on about how much it was going to hurt and when I sat down though it burned I didn't want to run away from it, the pain was bearable.

So why was I in a good mood? Professionally, it was my first rejection. I haven't recieved my rejection email as yet but after a week I know where it's going, and like I said in my last post I think it was rejection builds character. If I wasn't me, I would want to see what I was going to do next, after this black mark on my confidence? LOL

Hmm, I guess I'm going to keep writing like I said I would, if writing wasn't me than I would've given up a very long time ago, but the producer said when she emailed me about the interview that my writing was really good, and I should be glad to have gotten an interview because of how many applicantions they got. C'mon, feedback from someone who has written for theatre and is now the producer of an iconic soap's spin off? I'm pretty pleased with myself, it was validation that I am indeed a good writer. *Collective sighs* Yes, I know, my friends have told me and my family have told me, but I discussed them in an earlier post, sometimes the ones that love you lie.

So I've decided, I'm going to learn how to screenwrite, yep I want it on my list of 'Accomplishments' I'm still a novelist but I want to write a script, I actually started out writing scripts because I didn't know how to write novels correctly.

Nikki - Shut the hell up, was I talking to you?

Bryce - Well no, but I thought I should explain...

Nikki - Don't explain, leave me alone.

Bryce - Alright, fine.

Nikki - Fine.

Bryce - You want the last word, don't you?"

Nikki - That's usally how it works.

Nikki and Bryce walk separate way.

See, my script was pure dialogue and a little direction and not much of anything else, I just made that little scene up as an example but yeah, that's pretty much all I wrote, a bunch of conversations. Now, I want to learn how to structure a script correctly, and who knows I might just send some of them out for the fun of it without the secret 'hope' it becomes something more, I think I'd get a kick out them being sent back with a note or two. *shrug*

The end of a chapter, an experience, an opportunity. I'm moving on, while resisting the urge to write the boring story of a writer who tried to become a TV writer, LOL - Just kiddin' I couldn't sit through a boring story, even if I was the one writing it.

In other news, just a random declaration of love for Ed Norton. I like him as an actor, but there's also something about his face that I really like and I don't even know what it is. To name a few movies of his I liked, Fight Club of course, American History X (Even though he was a racist bitch throughout most it) Down the Valley? And Hulk.

Lastly, I'm a funny girl, and when I say that I'm not talking about making people laugh, I mean I have my ways about me that are, I don't know, odd. Well, if I told my sister what I'm about to tell you then she'd probably tell me...actually you don't want to know what she'd tell me because she's the devil on my shoulder.

Getting to the point, I usually write short scenes or do a quick collabrative story with someone when I've got mind block and I asked a friend if she'd be willing to write something out with me, she agreed which I was happy about and although we didn't set a specific time we pretty much knew when it was going to happen. Well, when it came to that time she didn't say anything and neither did I, you might say I should've just mentioned it again, reminded her of our agreement but here's where the funny comes in to it. I can't, and if she doesn't mention it I will never bring it up again, is that silly? Am I too proud?

I'm not sure I know what it is but if I ask someone to do something and they don't, for me that's the end of it and I move on and do what I have to do on my own. I'm not saying she's deliberately not bringing it up, I don't think she'd do that, she could even be waiting for me to bring it up again but I won't, I've always been this way.

I don't ask twice.

I think it's me automatically feeling like a burden once I've asked again, and it's also me not wanting to have to. Who knows? It's probably some deep seated child hood issue I haven't dealt with yet.

Right, so...challenge: Script

Why do I want to write a script?

Because I'm a writer and always will be, one day someone read and then I'll write some more until someone buys and sells, it's getting up and dusting my arse off after a 'No, Thank you' that makes me a winner.


Title Info. DJ Khaled.


Good Night, Good Morning,


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Sunday 4 July 2010

13. I Shall Believe

Warning: Long, long post.
I came with an idea the other day for my online series 'Behind The Bar' but before that, I think I should update you on that writing gig for the BBC. In my 'Not Afraid' post I mentioned that I had an interview for the 29th, well you wouldn't believe the drama of that day.

First off, the travelling time was ridiculous, I hate public transport but I shouldn't really complain because I should've been driving ages ago but everything with me is at snail speed and I despise that mentality. Anyway, I should've checked the stations on the internet before I left but I thought I could just ask the ones that work at the train station, when I got there and asked the place I was going weren't even on the tube map. The lady had to leave her seat from behind the window and look in some other planner or whatever, then when she came back gave me this complicated route, a load of train change over's.

I did what she said and I was moving pretty quick from train to train, I had more than enough time on my hands to find this place because I left two hours before the interview time, like Drake said, better late than never but never late is better. So, I got to Farringdon changed platforms to the first connect or something national railway? I'm waiting, then I ask a man that was walking up and down the platform with those neon coloured waistcoats what train to get, I told him where I was going.

His response "You're on the wrong platform, love. You need the one opposite you, look out for the train you've got written down on your paper.' I thanked him and crossed over, looked at the board with all the stations on and thought I had the right train in mind. When it came I got on, had plenty of time still and sat back turning up my iPod on Trey Songz. (Yes, I kept my eyes open at every stop)

Time started to slip away from me, so now I'm sitting up checking the stops as we pass them but we're not stopping at some of them, some of which were written down on my info sheet, I kept my music on, because of course music makes me calm even if it's rock...well not really, that can sometimes hype me. I digress, so I'm looking at these stops, the train is semi packed, there are crying babies and chatter, next thing I know I've got ten minutes before I'm late for this interview.

I texted the production manager, I apologized and told her it was looking like I was going to be late and she said okay, as long as I could make it for 12:45pm because the producer had other business to tend to, I said yes. Wrong answer, this train wasn't stopping for anybody and I just had to sit there and not only be late but also past the time she had before she left.

I was in bits, kept texting back and forth between the manager and my sister. "I blew it," is what I sent my sis. The train starting stopping at stations again but it felt like half hour each time, then it stopped at Bedford and basically told everyone we were at the final destination. o.O

*insert cursing* I go over gates where the men are checking tickets and ask him about this studio, and he smiles you know, he smiles and says. "No love, that's all the way on the other side, you're in North," not only was I way past my destination which was far enough, I was a long, long way from home. (Love that song)

He tells me to get on the fast train that's just come in and get off at St. Albans, so I do. I'll give their trains on thing; they're classy, seats, tables, air con and very fast. Long story made short, I didn't make it and on the way back home I was pissed off with myself, one, I knew I should've checked the damn internet and two, I should be DRIVING! - LOL

I get home after six trains, three there and back and literally went to bed, I just crashed out because I was so tired, probably woke up an hour or so later when I heard my sisters in the living room making noise over football.

Interview Reschedule - Friday.

Text: Friday? This Friday? What time? And I got no response, so I assumed either it wasn't going to happen or it wasn't for this week.

Friday 2nd - I'm usually up by 8 every morning, weekends 10am. This particular Friday, I overslept o.O waking up to the sound of my phone going off, I open one eye and flip it open to read the text. It was from the producer asking me to come in for 3:30pm that afternoon, I took a pause and then looked at the time and it was 11am!

New & Improved Route: All I had to do is go 'WC' station which took me straight to 'Kings Cross/ St. Pancras International?? Am I kidding you? No, I kid you not; these arses at the stations don't know their own damn jobs. Two...TWO TRAINS! And I was there with minutes to spare.

Meeting & Pre Interview: I got my visitors badge, walked between the set of a very iconic soap that I've watched all my life, very surreal moment looking at props and family sets but moving on. I met the producer, she was very nice, friendly, pretty face, well dressed and welcoming. I followed her to her office and sat down, she asked me about travel and so on. Now, I don't know if you know but summer has arrived, so I may have looked good when I left my yard but I wasn't looking too good by the time I got to her, I excused myself and went to the bathroom, with her instructions of course and unlike many who are nervous pukers, I found out I was the opposite.

One of my characters, Lil, is a nervous girl, she's not a nervous puker either, she's a bubble guts and I became one too. *Cringe*

I did however, feel so much better going back to the office this time joined by another young girl, I sat down and said hi and we got talking while 'Miss producer' got our info from her computer, I was quite proud of myself but I'm not usually forward with new people.

Interview: 'How long have you been writing, what character would you like to see, how would you change this?'

These were the types of questions she asked me, I think I answered well enough; I was clear and confident because this is what I love to do. When I'm interviewed for a nursery Job, I stutter, I can't answer all of their questions about the current curriculum, all I can say is I love kids, I have a big family and I have this qualification.


It's so different though, when someone is asking you about your passion instead of your job, you don't want to get me started, I could talk all day about writing in general not just what I write. No matter what she asked me, I could answer because there's no wrong answer, it's all personal experience and for me writing is very personal, publicly personal if that makes sense.

We talked about the shows that I watched, a few that I mentioned she also liked which was cool but it was when she asked me how old I was I thought "Maaan," Now, when I applied I was twenty two years old by the time they replied back I was twenty three, they got in contact and gave me an interview date on my actual birthday. I think it's the only thing weighing against me, if I don't get called back to join the other writers it'll be because I was too old.

Can you believe that? I'm too old.

But, I shall believe I have a chance until I'm told otherwise. I will get the answer on Monday, and then I'll know what my next step is going to be. I did want to share my new idea but this post is too long already, so I'll do a separate one.

But for now, I shall believe in thyself.  =D


Title Info. Sheryl Crow


Buon Giorno,


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