At Loose Ends

My writing schedule is pretty strict.  Mostly because I have a small window of concentration wherein I can focus enough to bang out work.  I wake up and start writing.  After about 3-4 hours my brain can't focus any longer and I can't write.  My aimless mind-wandering is great when I'm plotting or outlining because my wanderings help me think of plot threads, but it's tough for writing.  With nothing to write, I find myself scattered and unsure what to do with myself.  

I'm working on my spec scripts for the ABC*Disney Fellowship (one for Dexter, one for Friday Night Lights) but putting together a spec isn't like writing a book.  With a book I can spend a couple days plotting and then dive right in to the writing.  My story informs the structure of the manuscript.  My characters create their own voices.  With a spec, I can't start writing until I learn the structure.  I have to learn how they set up scenes and how they structure the rising and falling actions.  To that end, I've been watching a lot of TV with the actual shooting scripts in front of me so that I can see how they handle things.  A show like Dexter is unique because they don't have act breaks or even acts.  The flow is more organic (like a novel) which is one of the reasons I chose it.  Still.  It's tough.  And it doesn't fit my schedule of waking up and writing.  Not yet anyway.  I'll get there though.  Once Chris reads my draft of Revenge Brigade, I'll begin revision for that.  That will help fill the void.  Until then, I just have to keep busy and not unravel.

First post of the year

This year is all about the exclamation points!!  

I've got two books on revision right now, so I'm using my writing time to write spec scripts.  Why would I write television spec scripts?  Because I'll be going after a spot in the Disney/ABC Writing Fellowship for 2010.  Yeah, feels early to be thinking about that, but the deadline is sometime in the summer and I have to learn how to write a spec script.  My chances are miniscule, but when you look at the chances of snagging an agent or getting published, this doesn't seem that far fetched.  

I've decided to read one book a week.  Last week I read two:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Life As We Knew It.

Life As We Knew It was by far the superior of the two.  It was real and raw and it made me bawl like the cry baby I am.  Get it.  Get it now.

The Disreputable History... wasn't bad.  In fact, it was compelling and I read it in just a couple hours, but it ran off the rails about mid-way through.  I knew where I thought the author was going to go, and then she went WAY out in left field.  It was disappointing.

That's it for the first post.  Nothing new.  Nothing new to discuss.  

I started a writing community over at LJ if anyone wants in.  Super Happy Writing Time!