This Year's Theme: Productivity?

It's August and I think I just figured out what this year is about.

I have been writing my ASS off.

I wrote a lot in the first half of the year.  And after taking July to regroup, do some research on a couple of projects I want to write, I am ready to hit the ground running!

But here's the problem.  I got an email on Saturday asking me to submit to something (invite only) that requires me to write a screenplay.

I'm not a screenwriter.
I'm not getting down on myself.
I just haven't written a proper screenplay in a while.
I have been focused on TV and theatre.
I've been writing a lot of those things.

I have a month to write a screenplay if I want to submit.
I was in my car wracking my brain and thinking about whether or not I had an idea that could be a screenplay.
It took me all of two seconds.
There was this play I had been wanting to write.
It has been in my brain.
It was competing with this other play I am doing research for now.
And I thought I would write that play towards the end of the year or next year.
It's a comedy.
I thought I would be ready for something light after I write this play, which is not something light.
But it's a better screenplay idea because it involves movies.
It involves a director.
And it's about growing up.
It's about ME growing up.
It's a story I've been wanting to write for a long time.
And I just assumed it would be a play because it's not a TV show.
Those are the two things I write.
I have a month.  I mentioned that, right?

I have so many other things to do right now!
I have to get my website together.
I have to figure out a plan to make some more dough this year.
I have nine TV ideas I came up with two weeks ago and pitched a friend.
We're working one one of them.
I'm working separately on two of them as back ups.
I have a monologue being filmed this month.
And 17 pages of a new play I've been researching.

Yet, this screenplay opportunity comes and it jumps to the front of the line?

Well, yeah.

The story fell out and I have umpteen notecards I just filled out for the past few hours.
I have a story.
I know this story because it's my story.
I even have the made up parts figured out.

Oh, jeez.

And I'm about to go home and watch some movies.

So I guess I know what I'm doing this month.

I had been trying to prioritize (seriously) among the many projects I've been working on for the past several months.

I'm also trying to organize a TV pilot writing challenge for my playwright group.  I spent Friday coming up with some ideas for those parameters.  And I should probably get to work on that later as well.

Oh fuck!

It's the year of writing new shit.
A new play.
A new pilot
A new spec so far.

And now a new screenplay.

Also, started a novel.

If this was happening to anyone else, I would say that it seemed a bit scattered.  But it all seems to be leading in the same direction.  I've been working on some autobiographical stuff lately.  And that always has scared me.  Even though I started out writing autobiographical stuff as a kid.  Maybe I'm afraid it won't be good because that wasn't good.  I was 14.  I should be nicer to myself.

But I'm not.  I need to work on that.

The truth is, I know what it's like to be on the other side of major productivity.  I've had several droughts.  I need to be grateful.

What does it say that the scenes flew out?

You don't have to be a genius to figure that out.  I need to write the fucker.

Oy.

I am grateful for having enough index cards.
I am grateful for my office space.
I am grateful for my office mate.
I am grateful for a life lived.
I am grateful for my best friend.
I am grateful for snacks and chocolate.
I am grateful for walks to Trader Joes.
I am grateful for ideas.
I am grateful for my ears.
I am grateful for my fast fingers.
I am grateful for the cold, cold air conditioning in my office which is making me stay awake.
I am grateful for "Essays by Wallace Shawn."
I am grateful for books to read.
I am grateful for a full creative tank.
I am grateful for exercise.
I am grateful for words, words and more words.
I am grateful that it's Monday and I'm feeling this way.