I need to buckle down and put my writing where my mouth is.
I love learning and I’ve kind of turned into a professional student. An avid reader, I read tons of books on the Craft of Writing and Screenwriting. An avid student, I’ve attended seminars and workshops galore on the same. I just need to really sit down and put my knowledge to work on that screenplay I dream of writing.
Everyone has a ‘last straw’ before a big realization, and mine came this past Friday.
I met this totally interesting woman who just exuded energy and optimism. I spent a half an hour chatting with her about my aspirations as a screenwriter. I told her my amazing adoption story – of how I ended up with two infants who were born a mere 19 hours apart. And we discussed metaphysics after she commented on the Green Man Medallion I’ve worn for the last 8 years solid. She is totally into metaphysics.
Well, after half an hour of talking, I said, “So, what do you do for a living?”
She turned out to be a big time movie producer in Hollywood. I about dropped my drawers!!
Here I am in Hollywood for 17 weeks with the main focus being on making contacts with anyone who might know someone, who might know someone else who could get my screenplay read when I’m done writing it. And here she is! A person who has total power and connection to actually produce a screenplay!! Not to mention that we hit it off very well.
We chatted about screenwriting for another 15 minutes. She showed me her Amazon Kindle and how she keeps prospective screenplays she is interested in on it for review. She asked me about my screenplays general plot and said that the idea was excellent. Then she went on to stress that no matter what, if I wanted to be a screenwriter I’d have to work hard at it. Write everyday! Pump out a bunch of crap before I’d get to the good writing.
That’s my straw. I’m going to finish up my last student ventures with the last 6 weeks of Jack Grapes‘ wonderful writing class. And, I’m going to attend the big Screenwriter’s Summit in Los Angeles next weekend – a Christmas gift from my mom. And then no more classes or studying until I pump out at least one complete script.
As she was parting, she shook my hand for a full 5 seconds and told me that I “absolutely radiate positive energy!” We swapped email addresses and she disappeared into the sunset.
How’s that for making a connection!
Chava – unedited
