Proof

The Proof copy for my juvenile horror novel (think Goosebumps only better) came in yesterday. 

Is that cool or what? So now I have to go through the book and make sure there aren't any formatting or transcriptions errors before it becomes available for you fine people to purchase. 

And while you're waiting, be sure to check out the unrated edition of The Bunnyman, now available on Amazon.com

Research has begun on The Bunnyman prequel I'm working on. It's going to be a fun project. If you haven't seen it yet, check out The Bunnyman, now available on Amazon.com

Got no work done whatsoever yesterday. Stayed out until 4am, got up at 6:30am, and had to wait around for someone to come pick up some paperwork for my brother. The guy was supposed to come at 8am, and didn't show up until 1pm. I can't stand days like that, so unproductive.

At night I started watching a horror flick from Lion's Gate, Knock, Knock. Seems like Lion's Gate is putting out a lot of krite (new slang word I learned this week, thanks Deb and Julie) for their straight to video line. I only watched the first 30 min. before shutting it off and going to sleep, but in that 30 min. they crammed just about every horror movie stereotype and cliche ever committed to celluloid. Jock, slut, good girl, stoner, mentally retarded/disturbed suspect who has a creepy interest in the teenagers, bad acting, etc. 

I know, I know, we did this in The Bunnyman, but we did it on purpose and were trying to be funny. These people aren't being funny, they're serious. Which is just sad. Like directors who make terrible movies, but don't know they made terrible movies. I'm happy with The Bunnyman, but am realistic. The Godfather it ain't, but if you want some laughs, check it out:

I think the sheriff did it, we'll see how good my powers of deduction are. Just to cover myself, if it's not the sheriff, then it's some random guy who hasn't appeared on screen yet other than as the killer. Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Tony's Doll

Been having trouble lately loading the Blogger home page so haven't been able to write anything on here lately.

I've been working on the script for The White Room and adapting a novel a friend of mine wrote, Obsession, into a screenplay.

I have one more draft on the novel I've been working on, then it should be ready to print.

Speaking of which, Tony's Doll, a YA horror novel (think Goosebumps) is completed and I'm getting it ready to send off to the printer today.

Above is the front cover art for Tony's Doll, drawn by Jason Christopher.

While you're waiting, be sure to check out The Bunnyman, a film which I wrote and directed and is now available on Amazon.com

Fin

Got through nine pages of the novella yesterday. And about twelve today to finish it. Now a little hiatus from it as I work on some film projects before finishing the second draft.

Watched Inland Empire last night, just don't get it.
















Wednesday night watched Where the Heart Is and The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Which prompted the question, what could be better than watching an Uma Thurman movie marathon?

Got through ten pages yesterday. Nine today. Could have done more, but the next several pages are going to be all new material and didn't feel like talking it this late in the day.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to go to a writer's retreat where I will not be bothered by the mundanities and distractions life throws my way. A place where people understand that if I am distant, it's not because I am being rude, but because my mind is in another place working out some problem with plot or character. Or if I don't e-mail/call someone back right away, it's because I'd much rather spend that time with my characters than a real person. Same goes for wanting to remain cooped up in my office all day rather than actually walk among mere mortals.

Didn't get that much time to write last week, a page here and there. Did manage to get ten pages on Saturday, and about five yesterday, and only six today.

Have been getting some research done. I'm going through the films of David Lynch because of the bizarre aspect of his films. I don't want to copy or emulate him, but want to study the quirkiness he brings to his work so that I can better apply my own twisted outlook in my films.

Eraserhead: appreciate it as a work of art, but didn't get it, and thought it was boring. 

 The Elephant Man: Great film, spectacular performances by Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, who should have won an Oscar for this movie. He absolutely disappears inside the character.

Thursday night Jason and I had a DVD party:

Another early Lolita performance from Natalie Portman in Leon: The Professional. Why did no one ever complain about the over-sexualization of this kid? It's a very sweet movie about an assassin who takes in a girl who's parents and brother are murdered. Yet the relationship between Leon (Jean Reno) and Matilda (Portman) is down right creepy. Director Luc Besson did and excellent job at bringing out perhaps the best performance of Portman's career. She was around twelve when the film was made and acts more natural than many actors decades older with much more experience. 

A message movie without heart. There are a few laughs, and Matthew Mcconaughey has a rare turn at playing an antagonist instead of the party hard good old boy he's used to. Unfortunately the script makes him the only unlikeable character in the film and is all around melodramatic.

Then we watched the excellent Blue Velvet. Perhaps Lynch's most approachable film, and Dennis Hopper as perhaps the strangest villain in history.

Friday night we watched Lost Highway, which left me, well, lost at first, but I think I figured it out in the end. 

Friday we watched Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch. Interesting documentary about David Lynch as an artist and gives a rare glimpse of him personally and at work. 

We followed that up with Mulholland Drive, my all time favorite Lynch film. The first time I watched it, it got under my skin and stayed with me for days after as my mind scrambled to discover what happened. Still not sure I have it figured out, as David Lynch as a way of putting on a bookend that completely contradicts everything I've come to believe about the movie. 

Writing, Reading and Lynch

Had to take yesterday off to help Jason repair an abandoned chicken coop.

Got a late start today and only managed 3 and a 1/4 pages on the novella today. But got all my notes together so I can attack it for the rest of the week and hopefully finish the first draft by next weekend.

Tonight its

and

and if I'm really lucky, I might finally get around to starting

Disclaimer

In an effort to supplement my income, from time to time I will be writing paid postings. This means I will receive monetary compensation for reviewing a product, website, company, etc. or sometimes it will appear in the label section of the posting.

I do have a little integrity left, so rest assured, dear reader, that my opinions are not for sale, and I shall not lead you astray.

If the posting contains adult content, I will give a warning at the top of the post for those of you with overly sensitive eyes and overly strict morals.

The Source

Got up to 81 pages yesterday, and only about halfway through (roughly) so looks like this may end up being slightly longer than novella length. We'll see.

Last night Jason and I watched The Sweetest Thing, perhaps the funniest chick flick ever. I never understood (and still don't) the appeal of Sex and the City, just a bunch of middle aged broads sitting around bitching and putting notches in their Prada belts. They aren't even free spirited,  liberated women because when you get down to it, they're just looking for a man to take care of them. I've watched several episodes, and while it's a well produced show, it escapes me that so many people would want to spend time with these women.







However, the three women at the heart of The Sweetest Thing, are likable, and in the case of Selma Blair, absolutely adorable. They're sweet, they're funny, and they don't sit around bitching all the time. These characters I could see women, and men, wanting to hang out with. So, instead of wasting your money to stand in line to catch Sex and the City 2, rent The Sweetest Thing.











We also watched The Source. As a documentary, it's not very good. Doesn't really go that much into Kerouac, Burroughs, and Ginsberg, who were the three major writers of the Beat movement. The three of them are the subject of the film, as they are the source of the literary movement, so in that aspect, the film fails. However, it is a very interesting, well made overview documentary of the movement itself.

Demented Avian Dive Bomber

One does not know their true mettle, whether their testicular fortitude is grapefruit size or chick pea, until they have stared down the gaping, sable maw of a bird flying toward one's face. It happened to me again today as I came around the corner of the house on my way to feed the dog. I ducked, ran to the front door and spent the rest of the day hunkered beneath a ginormous umbrella whenever I went outside. This is getting ridiculous. Man or beast I could handle, but there's something about a small creature with a beak and claws that sends me diving for cover and crying for mommy. I just can't get the image from Zombie 5 of a bird clawing out an eye from my mind. That's just not something I want to experience. I don't know what this bird has against me, prior to both attacks, I was minding my own business and did nothing to provoke it. Perhaps somebody needs to take some anger management classes.

In honor of this demented avian dive bomber, I watched The Birds tonight. Interesting story structure. Nothing much happens for the first hour, and there's an interesting sequence with very little dialogue, only sound the flapping of wings.

I'm up to a total of 53 pages in the novella I'm working on. I might get lucky and be able to tap out another hundred and fifty pages for something closer to novel length.

Maniacal Avian Dive Bomber

This morning, when I was walking back from the mail box, minding my own business and looking forward to coughing up another ten pages on the novella; I heard/felt something flap over my head. Looked up, nothing. Continued on my way. I got only a few more steps when a bird swished down from the sky, its wings tapping my head, back draft tossing up a few stray strands of hair. The maniacal avian dive bomber circled around...and came back, diving right for my face, beak open wide. I ducked, just in time and the kamikaze flew past as I ran inside, crouched low and waving my hands back and forth over my head, like a yellow-bellied sap sucker.

Only got through about 7/8 pages today. Woke up later than usual, and had to deal with a family situation, so didn't get started until after 12 and my creativity was pretty much shot. Guess it just means more work for tomorrow.

Finished another 10/11 pages of the novella today, a lot of new ideas and sections original to this draft. Glad to say that things are going fairly smooth on this and with any luck will have it finished soon.

Started off the morning by typing up some old, unfinished manuscripts I have laying around in an effort to clean up my office and get rid of all the loose papers stored in a filing cabinet. Most of it is stuff I'll either never get around to finishing or isn't worth the effort to continue working on anyway, but I don't want to throw it out, either, so I economize on physical space and keep it stored on the computer.

Writing tip of the day, always write out first drafts longhand on paper. As great as computers are, they are fickle and prone to crashing or accidentally wiping out your entire story with a slight tap on a key, or any number of other electronic malfunctions that could occur. Writing on paper insures your masterpiece won't accidentally be deleted and force you to rewrite the manuscript all over again from scratch.

Podcast of the day:

On the Page: Screenwriting a helpful and inspiring cast about all aspects of writing for film and television.

Got 10 pages of the novella written today, up to 25 total! Coming along well, of course it is the 2nd draft, so I have a framework to go on, at least until I get to the second half which needs to be totally rewritten.

I've been quite busy with several projects, so haven't had much time to get on here.  Taking a little break right now between drafts so thought I'd let everyone know what's been going on. 

Finally got around to completing The Magic Box 2, a sequel to a children's book I wrote back in kindergarten. Naturally it's much more sophisticated than the original, which is available at DaJa Vu Books, and this time the box turns into a boat, and there will be Pirates! Lots of pirates! As soon as Jason gets around to illustrating it, we'll have it ready for publication.

I also got a YA horror novel (think Goosebumps) I wrote back in 1998 edited and ready for publication. It'll be sold exclusively on Amazon.com as soon as Jason finishes the cover art. Anyone noticing a pattern here?

Then I finally finished a script that readers of this blog will know I had major problems writing. Doesn't look like that's going to go anywhere, though, yet. Still needs a lot of character work.

Last week I finished the second draft of a screenplay I'm adapting from a novella by a friend of mine. Can't say too much about that now, though as the project is still in the early stages. Once we're ready to go in production, expect to hear a lot about it.

Currently I'm working on a novella of my own and researching several other projects while I attempt to sell some of my short stories to magazines. Anyone in need of a short story about a former Nazi haunted by the ghost of a little girl he killed?

I'm Back

I've taken a hiatus from blogging and the internet in general because I decided it was time to do away with any form of socialization whatsoever and focus on finishing several projects we have in development.

A few weeks ago I finished the rewrite on Tony's Doll, which I wrote back in 98. Friday I completed the first draft of what will perhaps be our next film, an as yet untitled 70s style thriller. I actually enjoyed writing this one and am really looking forward to filming it.

I've also been catching up on some movies.

Saw series worth checking out.

Friday the 13th franchise: how did these movies get so popular? they suck.

In the Name of the King: Uwe Bol should stick to vampires.

Death Race: Excellent movie.

Australia: Confused movie

It's awesome knowing a mechanic who can give you an idea for a major plot element in the process of explaining what kind of car trouble I could use to get my characters stranded near a creepy farmhouse. Thanks James, you rock!

Spending time with long lost friends is a good way to spend an evening or two.