Writer's Block and Big dreams

It's 3:45 AM and here I am writing a blog instead of a screenplay.

Some days I find myself writing for hours, page after page flowing effortlessly. Most days, however, it's a battle between me and the page. A battle of story, character, and my mind working hard. Tonight is one of those nights.

I have a couple of screenplays that I just can't seem to finish. I sit down and don't know where I want to go with them. I have outlines and character bios, but for some reason it's hard to start typing. The stories are decent, plot lines set, and the characters are interesting, but I can't get anything down on the page. Is this writer's block? Am I still excited about these stories? Should I put them on the shelf and start anew?

I sit here asking these questions and telling myself that these scripts have to be perfect. Every page, every word, has to be perfection before it comes off of my fingertips onto the page. This is killing me.

The fact is, I just need to write. I need to get something onto the page, even if it's crap. That's what rewriting is for. I need to stop trying to write the greatest screenplay of all time and get back to just writing because I love to.

You see, I feel that this year will be a big year for me as a writer because I have finished a great screenplay that I really love and believe in. I wrote the original draft of that script in about 30 days. I couldn't stop, and the best part is that I did it because I wanted to. Not because I wanted to sell it. Not because I wanted to film it. It was because I liked the story and wanted to tell it. That screenplay is my best to date.

The two that I'm having trouble with right now have great potential and I'm excited for them. The problem is that I want a sale or an agent so bad that it's affecting my creativeness. I'm hell bent on getting this dream of mine going, but I need to chill.

So I'm going to stop worrying, stop pressuring myself, stop looking into the future, and just write. The sooner these screenplays are finished, the sooner I can rewrite them and start on my new project.

Dream big, but don't let those dreams overpower you. You'll get there eventually.

New Year, New Project

It's a new year ladies and gents, and that means it's time to start a new project. Unless, of course, you are like myself and still haven't finished last years projects. Either way, now is the time start or continue that screenplay, short story, novel, or blog. New Years resolutions can be a great motivation and that can jump start you into your project. The goal is to continue at it until it's done.

This year I'll be posting more helpful tips, events, websites, and books to get you there. I'll be dishing out my highs and lows and keeping you in the loop on my progress. I'll even post excerpts from my screenplays for you to read, give feedback, commend, or criticize. Check in every now and then to see that i am on track and that, in turn, will hopefully bleed over to keep you on track.

I'm going to set a simple goal for us. Let's get one project done this year. One screenplay. One Novel. One short. Whatever your poison, let's do it together. That's simple enough right? Plus, it gives us extra time to finish up those projects that are lingering, like my two screenplays that i was hoping to finish by the end of last year.

So start thinking about what you want to write. I have an idea in mind already. It's a love story in the vein of 500 Days of Summer. It's a very personal life story that will probably be the hardest thing I've ever written. This does not mean you should find the most difficult thing to write about. The fact is, I've been wanting to get this thing on paper for awhile now, and that is the point. It's something that I'm excited to write about. Find a story or topic that you want to write and start thinking.

Who knows, maybe this will be the year the us nameless will become famous.