Writing Update

Okay, so it's been a while since I gave an update on the status of my writing. I had lunch with a former co-worker yesterday and that always brings up the subject of how my writing is going. (Plus it always brings up how much I miss the people I used to work with. I really, really miss those guys!)

First, let me say that writing a novel is much harder than it looks. You would think that as a successful screenwriter that it would be a snap for me to write a novel. At least that's what I thought. But it's far more difficult and time consuming. So I have switched off the novel, just for a bit, to write some screenplays, so that I can feel the satisfaction of writing "Fade Out" (the screenwriters equivalent of "The End".) I will still finish the novel, I just had to set it aside for a tiny little so I could let my frustration level come down a bit and find my muse again.

So I finished a script this week, tentatively titled "The Sunday Box", the story of a man with Alzheimer's. Most of you know that my grandmother has the disease so it was written from a very personal level. Just a story I wanted to tell.

I am currently working on a couple of comedies. And I came up with another romantic comedy idea and one for a sort of horror comedy. I plan on having two more scripts completed by the end of July.

I think one of the things that went wrong as I started the novel was working opposite of what I know is best for me. I always write my first draft in longhand. I am a terrible typist (no jokes from the peanut gallery, please) and I can hand write the ideas that come from my brain faster than I can type them. It's a really good system for me, since when I then type it into the computer, I'm really working on a sort of second draft. But I decided to do my novel directly into the computer. BIG mistake. I started to get so hung up on word count and page count and doing so many words a day that I lost focus on the most important thing, the story. I think I was so focused on getting it 'right' that I just wasn't getting it at all. So after ramming my head against the wall a hundred or so times, I finally thought, why am I messing with a system that I know works? (And yes, I really am that obtuse sometimes.) When I go back to the novel, I'll go back as me, just as I am, instead of what I think a 'writer' is supposed to be like. Important lesson. Sometimes you have to do it wrong to get it right. And there is a lot of good stuff that I have already written, so it wasn't a complete waste.

I am also spending time trying to market the scripts I currently have and trying to get representation. Marketing is my weakest point and now it's time to step up and do it. It's not a fear of rejection, goodness knows I'm used to that. I'm just not great at the schmooze. But I'll never get anywhere if I don't put it out there so I'm sending query letters, etc. If anyone knows anyone who knows somebody that is an agent, manager, etc., send their contact information my way.

The cookbook is also coming along really well. It's probably my most fun project, because it involves two of my favorite activities, cooking and eating. Thanks again to my family for their incredible support. If I can find a place to hold the event, I want to have a "tasting party" so that I can get some feedback on the recipes I have created. I also need volunteers to make some of the recipes and let me know how they are for others to prepare (easy, hard, needs clearer instruction, etc.). If you are interested in helping out, email me and I'll pass along recipes for you to try and rate. And I'll be planning the tasting part for when the weather cools off a bit (so October at the latest, ha ha).

Okay, so that's the latest update. All is well in writing land. Progress is slower than I would like but I was probably overly confident when I started (strange how life teaches you these lessons in humility, isn't it?) I hope all is well in your world and that you are healthy, happy and making your dreams come true. I love you all!