Writing While Soaking up Some Vitamin D

The wind is back today, though it’s died down for the moment. I’m hoping to take my writing work outside today. Like with a pad and pen. “Old school.” I could use a break from staring at a screen all day. Plus, it helps to get me away from distractions, like checking email and social media. And I can just let the words fly instead of worrying about what page I’m on or formatting issues.

Working in the back yard gives me the opportunity to enjoy the progress I’ve been making there over the last few months. I’ve cleared out weeds, filled flower beds and potted succulents on the deck. It’s a quiet place to work, minus recess and lunch time at the nearby elementary school and the periodic tossing of a pine cone from a squirrel in an adjacent tree.

I’ve been needing more sleep as of late, which is just annoying. I’ve been crawling out of bed an hour, hour and a half after I usually do, which means by the time I slide on my slippers, I could have already gotten my workout in and perhaps even my morning pages.

The book I’m reading right now is Zadie Smith’s NW. It’s not the best thing to read before bed. Not because of the content, but because you have to really focus when you read her work. She writes choppy. One, two word sentences. And yet, her words are descriptive and honestly not ones you would find in an elementary spelling test. My eyes end up drooping after a couple of pages. Still, I recommend picking it up.

Earlier this week, I signed up for Stanford’s free online class, A Crash Course on Creativity, which is taught by Tina Seelig. It starts next week and runs through June. Check it out!

Back After a Short Break

Last week my wife and I took three days to jump on over to Scottsdale and watch the San Francisco Giants during their Spring Training play. We’ve gone for the last nine seasons and it’s always one of the highlights of the year.

We got back on Tuesday and since that time I’ve been working nonstop trying to complete up these two screenplays that I should have had finished already. I’ve accepted that I work slowly, but when other people are waiting for drafts, the pressure is loaded up onto my shoulders and it’s difficult to relax.

After working most of the weekend, minus a little break for a birthday party and a college basketball game, I’m going to work until noon today and then take the rest of the day off to work in the yard and enjoy the beautiful weather.

I’ll leave you with this fun little video my wife put together as a recap of our Spring Training trip. You can check out the 300+ photos we took in just 110 seconds.

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What’s Happening?

I’ve been outlining, writing, rewriting, applying for film grants, reading scripts, watching movies. And yet, as of right now I’m not overwhelmed. I’ve hit the groove as far as understanding what’s really attainable every day. My best friend would routinely bark that I expect myself to solve world hunger every morning when I wake up. She’s wasn’t far off. I used to load up my daily goals with so many things that unless I had the supernatural powers of Evie, there was no way I’d even make a real dent. Now I focus on one or two things a day. Now completing my to-do list is attainable.

In addition, this week I’ve started to get up a little bit earlier in the mornings. The alarm’s set for 5:30, and after typically one slap at the snooze button, I crawl out of bed at 5:40 and head to the kitchen table where my notebook and a pen await. With a cup of coffee by my side, I knock out my daily three pages and force myself to churn out two story ideas for possible future projects (sometimes they are extremely lame).

I’ve been spending less time on the internet because it depresses me. I made the mistake of actively searching online conversations regarding the Golden Globes, and after discovering the swirl of negative responses of Jodie Foster’s honest and passionate speech, I decided to crawl back into my hole and keep my focus on my family, my work and my health. Over the past week I read a book, made vegetable soup, rode the skateboard twice, had dinner with my best friend, sent hand-written letters to a couple family members, and went to the theater.

2013 is turning into the year of reevaluating priorities.

Highlights of 2012

In a few hours I’ll be heading to San Francisco to spend the last evening of 2012. Honestly, my ideal way to spend the night would involve a couch, a movie, wine and a crackling fire, but my wife prefers to actually step out of the house sometimes.

This year has been en eventful one. It’s been one of the most stressful years of my life and yet I can’t overlook all the positives that occurred over the year. Both professional and personal progress were made and I’m thankful for that. I find it helpful to take some time to look at what I accomplished over the year, as it serves as motivation and inspiration as I lay out my game plan for the following year. Here is a look at my 2012:

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RDQLUS Goods & Cloth Fall 2012

Steve Gordon of RDQLUS is the man responsible for my super sweet identity design and branding development.  After meeting online a couple years ago, we’ve been following and supporting each other via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. He’s an inspiring individual who is a nonstop ball of positivity.

Steve also produces tees, headwear and accessories under his RDQLUS Goods & Cloth line. I’ve been lucky enough to acquire a handful of tees, as well as his most latest HVY HOOK limited edition bespoke key-strap, a PWRCRD bracelet and a pair of his HVYCRWN Shoelry lace debrays.

Just last week he dropped his Fall 2012 Lookbook, and I got to be included! I’m proudly modeling his Wreck Shop tee in purple and a PWRCRD bracelet in dark army. So sweet!

Check out the entire Lookbook below. Visit the RDQLUS Goods & Cloth shop here.

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Game On

I’ve been taking a little break from my online life as of late as I’ve felt the need to readdress my focus and figure out where I’m spending my time. Maintaining Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc… was draining and distracting.

I currently have a number of projects on my plate, which is why I really need to hunker down and produce:

1. A feature script I’m writing for an actor/comedian that I should have finished two weeks ago.
2. Producing my next short film, BREAKFAST AT GERARDO’S.
3. Writing a play for an actor and friend.
4. Writing my own feature, HOME SWEET HOME.
5. I’ve started in on a special writing project that has been in my head for a couple of years and will be releasing for free soon.
6. Keeping up with my freelance writing responsibilities.
7. I’m challenging myself to free write 750 words per day for the month of October. I don’t stop my fingers until they’re finished generated 750 words that hopefully come together to make complete and comprehensible sentences. No outline. No structure. Just let it rip. Why do I add this to my to-do list? I guess it’s a way to remind myself to have fun writing.
8. I’m participating in Scott Myers’ one week online screenwriting class on constructing quality scenes next week. Always looking to learn.

Personally, there have been some exciting developments, including:

1. The NL West Champion San Francisco Giants! Playoffs start this weekend!
2. We installed a brick patio in the backyard last weekend on our own.
3. Benny Gold released a new version of his popular Native 5-Panel cap and socks. The hat’s on my head as I write this!
4. I’ve watched a handful of flicks in the theater lately, including THE BREAKFAST CLUB (yeah, the one from 1985), TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE and ROBOT & FRANK.
5. Some butt face broke into my wife’s car and stole her MacBook, iPod and other valuables.
6. I was able to catch up with some of my college hoop teammates over the weekend after we got together to celebrate our assistant coach being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
7. I made my arrangements to attend this month’s Austin Film Festival & Conference. Thanks to a very generous person who offered me up a producer’s badge as a gift, I’ll be able to make it to the awesome event for the second year in a row.

How’s everyone doing?

Own Definition of Happiness

The unfortunate passing of Tony Scott had my mind on the verge of exploding last week. A man who had achieved the level of professional success that I scratch and claw on the daily to just get a sniff of, was so unhappy that he didn’t feel the need to continue living. Now this isn’t a post about priorities and remembering what’s important in life. My wife, family and friends are and will always be number one. I’m not one to sacrifice the relationships of those I value because I’m too focused on “getting mine,” as if excelling professionally in the traditional terms should be the end-all-be-all of life’s focus. It’s not.

I won’t pretend to understand why Mr. Scott made the decision to end his life, but his death did make me realize that I lacked my own definition of success. Since I started screenwriting, I’ve had the approach that I am at the bottom of an enormous mountain. At the mountain’s pinnacle, a script sale. It’s a clear, specific goal. However, when a successful filmmaker who long ago tromped over the pinnacle I strive for and had gotten to a level where he could make any movie he wanted, still doesn’t have any desire to continue living, it kind of f’s you up. Maybe what I had tagged as my focus in life really isn’t a quality choice.

There’s no way I’ll stop working towards that goal of reaching a level of professional success in writing, but I can’t allow my confidence to be influenced by, or base my feeling of self-worth on a script sale. Scott’s decision was a wake up call that a script sale doesn’t come with a side of happiness.

And really, being happy is all that I want. This Marc John’s print hangs in my home office.

My definition of success is to be happy.

The elements of a successful day for me include:

* Quiet time with my wife.
* Wake my butt up early.
* Knock out an intense workout.
* Get script work done.
* Earn some cash to pay bills.
* Turn off the computer at night.
* Spend time/talk with b.f.

I get each of these things in and I’ve just had a perfect day.

RIP to Tony Scott, who is responsible for a number of great films, including TOP GUN.

Thankful Friday 7.20.12

Waking up to the terrible news of the mass shooting in Colorado was pretty rough. My thoughts are with those people who lost their lives, their families, and those who had to witness the horrible event.

This week, I’m thankful for:

+ I got the shaggy mop on my head trimmed up!
+ Spent yesterday evening enjoying food truck food and skateboarding at Lake Merritt.
+Received the news that my short script, BREAKFAST AT GERARDO’S, made it as a quarterfinalist in Blue Cat’s 2012 Short Screenplay Contest.
+ My freelance writing opportunities have exploded. After a bit of a sluggish summer, I’m excited for the heavy workload.
+ This happened earlier in the month, but still highly deserves to be noted. One of my favorite emcees, MURS, did the brave thing and stood up against homophobia in hip hop with his video for “Animal Style.”
+ Benny Gold offered up more images of his upcoming release with Jansport. I’m counting down the days until the release.

I’ll be working a bit over the weekend, but will also find time to catch a couple of movies and get outside. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Thankful Friday 7.6.12

So I’m supposedly taking today off. Starting next week, my work load is going to be ridiculously heavy, so I’m supposed to be taking the next three days to rest and let my brain charge up.

As much as I’m an introvert, I enjoy experiencing things with my people. Unfortunately, they’re busy with stupid things like jobs and vacation. I’ve made a list of “fun” things I could do today, but nothing really seems all that exciting because I’ll be doing them alone.

This week…

+ Got out to the theater a couple of times.
+ Made some money from freelance work.
+ Finished my research of the feature script currently on my plate.
+ Celebrated the 4th of July with BBQ and fireworks.
+ Had an awesome time at UNIQUE SF.
+ Cookies and cream ice cream was consumed.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I’m going to force myself to get out of the house and away from the computer.

Day After the 4th / Scott Myers’ “The Quest”

It’s clearly a bummer when the 4th of July lands in the middle of the week. Today feels like a Monday. My aspirations of taking both Thursday and Friday off are just not going to happen, but I’m hoping to tear through my to-do list so that I can take a three day weekend. How was your 4th of July?

I wanted to pass along information about a really cool opportunity for screenwriters. Scott Myers, who’s a writer, producer and the man behind Go Into The Story, is in the process of selecting six writers to mentor as they complete a script over six months; a workshop he’s labeled as “The Quest.” Unfortunately, you’re too late to be selected as one of the six, but you can still participate in “Go On Your Own Quest.” Scott will be sharing his lessons through his site and you can follow along. The workshop begins on Monday, July 16. Find out more info here.