Had a good day of writing. Got through ten pages of the script. Some of it was rewriting the opening of earlier fragments, but there was a lot of added stuff too. Hopefully finally found my way into the story and things will pick up on it. Finding a lot of inspiration for this project now, seems to be every where I look.

Back from Christmas Break

Had a good day of writing today. I've begun editing a short story I wrote, "Remnants" about a former Nazi death camp officer who is haunted by the ghost of a girl he murdered. I sent it off to All-Story because they pay the most, and also because it's a much better story than a lot of the crap they've published in the magazine. Guess the whole ghost thing turned them off, yet it's much more literary than horror. It's not a ghost story, more about a  lonely old man's decent into madness. The ghost is just gravy. Thankfully Weird Tales is back in print, so in a few weeks I'll be sending it out the them. 

Got some work done on the as yet untitled screenplay I've been working on; the one I've had so much trouble with. I was cleaning up my office space on Christmas Eve-yes, that's how exciting my holiday was-and found a rough outline I wrote for it at least a year ago. Not really very helpful with the way the story has been changed around, but it did renew my interest in the project. Got started on it this afternoon and was just building up steam when my piano student who was supposed to be out of town today, showed up in the driveway. Ughhh. So, hopefully the inspiration will come back to me tomorrow.

If you haven't already, check out the special Christmas posting I did for DaJa Vu Films. It's funny if I do say so myself. My humor is a little twisted, though.

Also, if you're not watching Dollhouse, you really are missing out. Unfortunately, the first four episodes of this season are no longer available online. Good news: Season one is available on DVD!

1st Draft of The Magic Box 2

Just finished the first draft of The Magic Box 2. Probably the easiest thing I've written since the first magic box back when I was six years old. It's going to be a fun little book once it's polished and illustrated. 

The most difficult thing about writing it was having to revert to a grade school vocabulary. I've learned a lot of new words since then. Words like shimmering for instance. Do five year olds know what shimmering means? I'd ask myself. Just to be on the safe side, I would think about what I really wanted to express by the word and choose a simpler form.

I also had to refrain from writing in the moral gray area where most of my characters tend to reside. Example: I had a scene planned out where a pirate captain explains that the buried treasure he and his crew are digging up belonged to someone else, so technically it was stolen-stolen treasure.  The end of the book depends on the main character (we'll call him moral compass) taking the treasure the pirate captain offers him. And I couldn't have Moral Compass taking anything that he knew was stolen, so I had to toss my original notes and rewrite the scene so that the treasure they are digging up belongs to the pirate captain. Splitting hairs, I know, but it was a very important hair.

Glad to know that tomorrow I am going to be returning to my morally ambiguous and anti-heroic characters.

Faded

I was taking Jason to a friend's house when it came over the radio that Brittany Murphy died today. I always feel a bit strange when effected by the death of someone I didn't know and never met. How is it possible to feel like I've lost a friend I never had in the first place?

A lot of celebrities have died this year. But none of them touched me like Brittany Murphy's death. Michael Jackson was a living legend; how can one even begin to relate to that? Patrick Swayze and Farrah Fawcett were both icons; symbols but also very human. Heath Ledger was a rising star.

They were all in unique positions, which unless one had shared the experience, it would be very difficult to identify with. Perhaps it's because she began her career playing the weird, unattractive best friend (Boy Meets World, Clueless). Everyone I'm sure has felt like that, bottom of the rung. But how many of us have felt on top of the world?

After losing weight and bleaching her hair, it seemed as though her career was taking a turn for the better with her fantastic performance in Don't Say A Word. A role not many would have been able to pull off. But then came movies like Just Married and Uptown Girls. Movies written by the numbers, passionless and empty. Movies that were far below the great talent she possessed. Movies that she or her manager probably thought would make her the next Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately they accomplished the opposite and her career spiraled into cinematic obscurity.

Perhaps it is this quality that made her more accessible; someone I could identify with. Even in the movies she headlined, she always seemed to be forced to take second chair to co stars like Ashton Kutcher and Dakota Fanning. She wasn't a star but a very talented actress who was in a few high profile films. An artist, not a celebrity. A real human being and not an image. Tangible. Someone like you or me.

Faded

I was taking Jason to a friend's house when it came over the radio that Brittany Murphy died today. I always feel a bit strange when effected by the death of someone I didn't know and never met. How is it possible to feel like I've lost a friend I never had in the first place?

A lot of celebrities have died this year. But none of them touched me like Brittany Murphy's death. Michael Jackson was a living legend; how can one even begin to relate to that? Patrick Swayze and Farrah Fawcett were both icons; symbols but also very human. Heath Ledger was a rising star.

They were all in unique positions, which unless one had shared the experience, it would be very difficult to identify with. Perhaps it's because she began her career playing the weird, unattractive best friend (Boy Meets World, Clueless). Everyone I'm sure has felt like that, bottom of the rung. But how many of us have felt on top of the world?

After losing weight and bleaching her hair, it seemed as though her career was taking a turn for the better with her fantastic performance in Don't Say A Word. A role not many would have been able to pull off. But then came movies like Just Married and Uptown Girls. Movies written by the numbers, passionless and empty. Movies that were far below the great talent she possessed. Movies that she or her manager probably thought would make her the next Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately they accomplished the opposite and her career spiraled into cinematic obscurity.

Perhaps it is this quality that made her more accessible; someone I could identify with. Even in the movies she headlined, she always seemed to be forced to take second chair to co stars like Ashton Kutcher and Dakota Fanning. She wasn't a star but a very talented actress who was in a few high profile films. An artist, not a celebrity. A real human being and not an image. Tangible. Someone like you or me.

Found the missing page for The Magic Box 2 yesterday. My pen must have some really good ink in it because it didn't run or smear. Also got through 4 pages of the script yesterday, and only stopped this time cause I couldn't find my notes for the scene that was up next. Working on a little holiday spoof for the DaJa Vu Films blog right now, then it's off to a party later.

With any luck, I'll have the 1st draft of the script completed in a few weeks and I'll be able to reveal a bit more about it. 

Until Monday,

David

Current script is coming along much easier now. After a bit of discussion, have a much clearer picture of who the characters are. Only got 3 and 1/4 pages done yesterday, which is low for me. On the last script I wrote, I was averaging 15 to 20 pages a day; but I was having fun with that one and the characters are awesome.  Nothing as cool as when they surprise you with background on them that you didn't know or plan. 

Almost finished with The Magic Box 2. Unfortunately I left the legal pad I'm drafting it on outside last night and the rain got to it. Ink didn't run, so it's salvageable, but missing the first page. So this afternoon I'm going to be waging a massive search for the missing page. Got to be out there somewhere. 

Back to the Drawing Board...

...again. The current script I'm working on has proven to be quite frustrating. So far I haven't been able to find my "in" to the story and keep having to rework the opening because if it doesn't feel right, I can't go on with the rest. Hopefully have it figured out now, though. So that's how I'm going to be spending my day. What are you doing? Let me know so I can live vicariously something other than sitting at a desk all day.

Started on the 3rd draft of the zombie script yesterday. Finally seeing The Bunnyman in it's completed form has really helped me in seeing the shortcomings of the zombie script. Cut out a lot of lines already. Weren't bad, just repetitive that I didn't notice before. Going to be a much tighter script when I'm done. Mostly editing and polishing right now, but once I get to the second half, going to be a total rewrite and you probably won't hear from me for a few days.

I posted this:

I haven't seen Cars, but from your description I'd say the evil alien cars have human slaves hidden underground. That would explain the binders, neon lights, tires, etc. But since Pixar can't show human slavery, the left that part out of the movie, and as you pointed out, a huge gaping hole in the movie.

Never realized that about Signs. I feel so cheated now!

to James Gunn's blog today

Got a lot of work done on The Magic Box 2 (tentatively subtitled: And the Mysterious Island, but it's turning out to be less about the Mysterious Island and more about the feared pirate Captain Jack Morgan). Almost finished with the first draft, then a quick edit and it's off to Jason for illustrations. 

Still plugging along on the current script I'm working on. The characters and I just haven't spent enough time together for me to really know them. Guess I have to spend some quality time with them this weekend. 

Updates

Now that I am writing regularly again, I am going to try to update this blog more often as now I actually have something to talk about. 

The zombie script, which by now most of you know about, is going well. Need to polish up and rewrite some things. With a little work, it'll be ready to film; so if any of you zombie fans out there have some extra cash lying around to invest, contact info@dajavufilms.com so we can get this thing rolling.

Also working on another script, a revenge/thriller this time. Some might consider it another horror movie, but we don't. It's been a little rough getting it started, but after a meeting yesterday with Jason, I think we've got some of the kinks worked out.

There are several other projects still in the early stages, so more on that will be forthcoming.

Next thing that's probably going to come out is the sequel to a children's book I wrote when I was five. In the future I'll add an entry detailing the history of it.

Off to another day of writing.

David