Write About What I Know?

I seem to be blogging an awful lot. I think it's because since this is anonymous, I can say pretty much whatever I want. It's quite liberating. Updating my work blog doesn't hold the same appeal now. Whatever. I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon.

Has anyone noticed that blogger marks contractions as misspelled words? It's like the program is run by Data or something. Or B-4.

I've read/been told multiple times to write about what I know. So, what do I know? Well, without giving too much about myself away, here's a list:

~Girl's fast ball
~Music
~Radio
~Small Town Life
~Big City Life
~In-between-town Life
~Dance
~Figure Skating
~Roommates
~Idiot Neighbors
~College

I can see the spec now... *que cheesy music*

It's about two college roommates, who love music and dream of working in radio. One is a girly girl and likes things like figure skating. The other is a tom boy baseball player. On the weekends, they love to go dance in all the small towns and in-between-towns that surround the big city that they live in. Oh, and they have a crazy exchange student neighbor living below them who is constantly learning English via tape (that last part is inspired by my current living situation. Seriously, Hong! 7:30 AM on a Saturday does not even exist in my world! Can't you, you know, learn English later? Like after noon?)

Anyone want to produce that? HA!

I'm not sure if THAT'S what all those people meant when they told me to write about what I know.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that if I write about what I know, I'm screwed. So, what do us boring people write about? Answer that!

Okay... I know I'm not boring. I know that the things I know most about aren't always boring. But, sometimes, it really feels that way.

This Might Be The Funniest Thing I've Seen All Year...

Just Go...

I got a well worded one word comment (there is such a thing) on one of my 'L.A' posts. It simply said 'Go'.

I've heard that advice so much. From friends who know how much I want this. From people who know the industry.

If I'm honest with myself, I'd really like to just... go. Maybe. Possibly. Someday.

Unfortunately, I'm terribly intimidated by the whole idea. For one, it's... far. I know, I sound like a baby, but being in a different country than most of my friends and family scares the heck out of me. But I've certainly done things that scared the heck out of me.

No... the real problem is this...

Being Canadian and all, moving to L.A. is a much bigger deal for me than, say, someone who lives in Montana. It's not that easy to get it! I want to scream that I'm Canadian! I live a three hour drive from the border! How hard can it be to move all of my stuff three hours south?

It seems that the easiest way to get in (aside from being a mail order bride) is, well, as a student.

Anyone have any advice on this topic?

What Else?

I think I'm going to try and post here every day. If anything, that'll make sure that some sort of words flow every day.

So, let's mix it up a little because being boring or predictable sucks.

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I'm one of those crazy music freaks. My first concert, at the tender age of ten, was Pink Floyd at Winnipeg Stadium with my Dad. Someone offered him a joint. He didn't take it.

My Dad was a musician (was is such a weird word... he still is... but he was... if you get it). He taught me everything I know about music... and the one thing that he really hammered into me was that it didn't matter what sort of stereotype followed a genre/artist/band around. All that mattered was if it was good or not. Is it the Backstreet Boys? Is it The Beatles? It doesn't matter as long as it's good. My Dad gladly attended a Backstreet Boys concert with me. To this day, he still says that he enjoys their music because it's well executed for the genre (the key is to not expect Bach).

My Dad prevented me from becoming one of those music freaks who are also music snobs. You know the type. They've got their radio tuned to the local college station and they swear up and down that anyone who actually makes money off of their music by being 'commercial' is the scum of the earth.

Here's the thing... although there are the Britney Spears' of the world, most people aren't signed to record contracts without at least some talent and there really is some great pop out there that even music snobs should enjoy.

So, I've compiled a list of my favourite pop. It doesn't matter what your tastes are... you should be able to listen to these:

Jason Mraz -- 'I'm Yours' is possibly the sweetest love song I've heard this decade. It doesn't make a lot of sense (none of his music does), but it's just... sweet.

John Mayer -- 'Daughters' is amazing. So is the rest of his stuff. Try 'Comfortable'.

Backstreet Boys -- I had to include them. Don't think 'Get Down' and go 'ewwww...' Their last two albums were pop gems. I'd also include 'Millennuim' in the 'gem' catagory. And maybe 'Black And Blue' (which the band actually hates). Out of all of the bands/artists on my list, this band suffers the worst from stereotyping and it tarnishes how solid they are.

Justin Timberlake -- His new album is insane. I listened to 'Love Stoned' for about three days straight.

Maroon Five -- 'Songs About Jane' is the best pop album in the last decade. Hands down. It plays solidly from begining to end. They had about a billion singles off of it. If you don't own this one, get it. Now. My Dad gave it to me for my birthday a couple years ago and it's been in high rotation at my house ever since.

Nelly Furtado -- All of her music is catchy. Lots of it is also interesting. Try something like 'Party'.

Mike -- 'Grace Kelly' -- If you like Queen, pick up some Mika.

Robbie Williams -- His music is a ton of fun. You can still be slightly snobby and pick up his album of standards; but 'Rock DJ', 'Freedom', and 'Let Me Entertain You' are crazy good.

Amy Winehouse -- Forget what you see on perezhilton.com. Amy is super talented. Try 'Love Is A Loosing Game'.

Barenaked Ladies -- Some of their music is crazy funny. On the other hand, some of it is crazy deep. Try 'Call And Answer', 'Grade Nine', 'New Kid On The Block', and maybe 'Wind Me Up'. Listen to the lyrics. Oh, and listen to Steven Page! He has an amazing voice (listen to 'Break Your Heart').

Brian McNight -- The people in the apartment next to mine in the 'peg used to blare Brian every time they -- you know. My boyfriend never got it. Boyfriends, you should get it. Buy yourself some Brian.

I guarantee a lot of people would look at my list and laugh or -- be music snobs (!!), but the key is to listen with an open mind. Pop is all about great melodies and catchy hooks. Don't expect Beethoven and you won't be dissappointed.

I'm not a teeny bopper and wouldn't be caught dead throwing my bra onstage at a Justin Timberlake concert. And to be quite honest, pop is not my favorite genre. But all of the above songs/artists are on my iPod. Don't be a music snob.

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In other news... it's hell's kitchen hot here! Damn! I feel like The Wicked Witch of the West -- I'm melting!

Hmmm...

Just yesterday I posted on how I didn't want to move to L.A. Today, I'm looking at apartments and cars on the net. Go figure.

Make Me Laugh!

I've made insanely good progress on my comedy this weekend. It's funny... I went from being completely frustrated on Friday to writing thirty pages between Saturday afternoon and now. Everything feels so much more fleshed out, and I don't know what it is, but I feel as if I know these characters better than any other characters I've ever written. It's a good feeling.

I'm guessing that part of my recent writing spree has to do with going back to the outline... but it's more than that, I think. I just wish I knew what 'it' was so that I could replicate it! :P

I'm worried about the story, though. Not my ability to execute it. Not exactly. I'm worried that it'll come across as stereotypical or that it'll seem a little too far fetched when compared to what's hitting the screens lately. I don't want it to be either of those things.

It's hot here... about 30 C. My roommate just headed to the beach, but I stayed back. Partly because I don't like extreme heat all that much, partly because I've been lazy all weekend and don't plan on stopping now. You might think that the beach is an ideal place to go and be lazy, but I'm so lazy that the act of getting to the beach makes me groan.

Should I Stay Or Should I Go...

In the last month, I've seriously considered moving to LA. I mean, to the point that I was looking into immigration (which, after reading all the info on it, made me want to scream and rip my hair out).

I decided to stay in Canada. Aside from wanting to keep my hair, I really, really love Canada. I'm about as patriotic as a Canadian can be. I can't picture myself living anywhere else... Plus, some things happening in the states scare the hell out of me. Now, I know that scary stuff happens here, too. But it's just... different. I truly believe that the US is at a crossroads, and I don't want to be there if they end up taking the wrong path.

But, more than the fear of living somewhere like the US, the bottom line is that I love Canada. Love it. I like all of the stuff there is to do. I like having health care. I like the diversity. I like the history. I just... like it. There's no reason to leave.

As for my career, there's a ton of options right here for me. I see all of these people in the industry moving to LA, and while I understand their thought process, I find myself wondering 'why?' I'd even venture to say that in some aspects, staying in Canada is easier career wise.

I work in the entertainment industry and have since I entered the work force. I've never felt worse off because I didn't live in LA. I still don't feel that way.

So, there's no reason for me to leave.

Someday, I might move. Who knows. But for now, I'm good.

The Art of Being Happy

I don't want to be one of those people with a job.

I don't even want to be one of those people with a career.

I want to be one of those people with a lifestyle.

Now, I know that no job is perfect... but I'd like to love what I do. Really love it.

What I do for a living right now is fun. It's creative. I get to meet really cool, interesting people. I like the people I work with. Better yet, I like the people I work for.

But I don't love it. I can't picture myself doing it until I retire. There are often times when I feel like if I ever have to _____ again, I'm going to bash my head into my desk until I mercifully pass out.

Sometimes, when I see really awful pieces of work come through my desk, I feel the need to keep them. I want to frame them and put them on my walls... so I can see them all the time and remember why I want to get out. Because, really, sometimes, it's hard to think about leaving no matter how much I want to bash my head into my desk!

The thought of no longer being a student absolutely terrifies me. I know that sounds odd, but I've been a student since the age of three and the thought of not having my life geared towards a major educational goal scares the hell out of me. School gives me a purpose. And, hey, it's quite easy to gauge success. Am I getting good marks? Yep. Great. Success achieved.

Maybe that's not as irrational as I originally thought. Hmmm...

I've taken time off from school here and there since high school, but my life has always been geared towards my education. Maybe it's quite rational to be terrified of the fact that my life will cease to be so quantifiable.

So, in my quest to be utterly happy, I have to give up two things that I like: A job with great people and an okay task to complete that I like but don't love and an education that I'm clinging to so that I'll feel as if I'm accomplishing something useful.

Taking a huge jump like that is a hard thing to do, and to be quite honest, I don't think I'm quite there yet. So, I'll continue to go to work so that I can pay the bills and wean my way off of my security blanket of English classes.

Back To The Beat Sheet

I took the comedy I'm working on right back to the beat sheet/outline today. I wouldn't call it exactly a page 1 rewrite, but it's close.

I found that as I was writing, I was changing major plot points and confusing myself (it doesn't take much!). So, instead of making the changes in the actual script, I decided to go back to my beat sheet/outline and play with the plot there, figure it out, and then head back to the script.

When I write, I usually start with a paragraph by paragraph outline of the script. It's not a beat sheet... and it's not a treatment... it's somewhere in between. If I want to write really, really fast, I'll do a formal treatment, then break it down into a beat sheet. It's odd... all of that extra work actually produces a script faster :P I guess being organized pays off!

Most of the time, though, I use a bastardized melding of a beat sheet/outline/treatment. After all, I'm the only person who is going to see it! I find that when I use a beat sheet, I feel locked to it (which is probably the point). My version allows me more room to play.

I like my writing process. Until I end up wishing I'd done a beat sheet when I get half way into a script and start playing a little too much and end up with a mess.

Sadly, I don't know if I'll ever learn my lesson!

Well, hey there...

So, this is my anonymous networking blog. I want to be a writer and I've been told that networking on the net is a good thing.

That must sound like a bit of an oxymoron... so, let me explain. I don't want anyone I currently work with to somehow think that I don't like my work. I do. For the most part. I don't think I would ever post something that would be derogatory about my work or the people I work with, but the bottom line is that I don't plan on being there forever, and not only do I not want them to know that, but I also know how quickly hurt feelings/misunderstandings can start. Also, I work in a bit of a shall we say public job... so, I don't want this blog coming up if someone should google my name.

I don't think keeping my anonymity will be a problem. I'll gladly post my e-mail on my profile page, and if anyone should ever want to chat, they can feel free to e-mail me. I'll gladly tell you more about myself once I'm sure you're not the person who signs my pay cheques! Also, most people won't know me from a whole in the ground, so knowing my name... not really important. But, once again, if anyone ever wants to know my name, all they have to do is e-mail me.

So... back to the topic at hand. I want to write. Plain and simple. It's taken me a long time to let myself admit that. I mean, I've always written, but I've never let myself think about it as a career option. I'm at a point in my life where happyness is a lot more important than practicality, and so, I want to write.

My interests are mostly in TV/Film. My education is in broadcasting. I hope the two will pair well.

I'm currently at a bit of a crossroads. Until very recently, I thought that I would have to go back to school before making a career change. Then, several people slapped me upside the head and reminded me that most TV writers don't have an education specifically in screen writing and that my broadcasting background gives me more than enough education.

Some have suggested a few extension courses if I feel that I need a bit more instruction. Some of suggested simply reading some books. I, however, am not sure what exactly I should be doing. Part of me wants to finish my degree just so I can say that I did it. But, if it's not useful, it's just a waste of time, isn't it? That's hard for me to grasp because I've always thought that any education is good education.

I'm at a point where school is taking up too much of my time to do any of the writing I want to do. Sure, I write a lot. I write papers on various topics... fictional archeological digs... personality... blah, blah, blah... but none of it is getting me any closer to my ultimate goals. So, if these courses aren't necessary, why am I taking them?

I'm not quite ready to drop out of school. That's such a huge step! So, here's my plan: I've taken the summer off. Usually, I go to University year round to maximize my time, but this year, the summer will be empty of useless courses. This summer, I'm going to write and see where it gets me. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that one summer will make me successful, but I think it's reasonable to gauge my progress at the end of August and make a decision on whether I should drop out of school. Mostly, I feel that I will learn more by doing instead of studying. Is that true? I guess I'll find out.

So, what am I writing? Well, that's a good question. When choosing a spec, I was told that I should choose something I know well and feel comfortable with. I chose a show that isn't getting much buzz simply because I had watched a whole season of it during the writer's strike because it was pretty much the only thing on. Not smart on a few levels. Smart in some ways. See, I knew that I would probably never show this spec to anyone. It was just to get back into the groove again. The problem is that I've enjoyed writing in that universe so much that I wrote three specs of it. The first was horrible. The second was readable. The third was okay.

I also have a spec pilot and screenplay both in the works. I'm having trouble writing outside of someone else's universe. I know it's because it's not all layed out for me... I need to do the leg work so that I feel that I know the characters better. But, that doesn't make the whole thing any easier. But I'm working on it. The pilot is a look at Canadian culture. I wouldn't say it's Corner Gas-esque. Not at all. More like... Desperate Housewives if anything.

The screenplay is a bit... different. It's a romantic comedy. I found that I was having troubles writing female characters (and I also found out that many other writers have this problem). So, I took the easy way out and eliminated my female lead. You figure the rest out. A romantic comedy without a female lead. Getting the picture? I'm still having problems though. It's so silly... I'm having problems deciding whether I should have one of the characters hit a milestone and go from there... ie visiting what happens BECAUSE of that moment (what changes... how other goals are achieved, etc)... OR should I have the screenplay tell the story of him working towards and eventually HITTING that milestone. As you can tell, I have some work to do.

Also, I'd like to spec some animation and see how that goes. I've also bought a ton of books... reading great writing should give me some inspiration.

So, I have my work cut out for me!

My goal is to make a decision about which direction my path will go in life. I'm at a fork and I need to decide which way to go. Hopefully, this blog will plod me along towards making those decisions.