Moving Forward
05/12/08 | Genius Mode, My Writings | 11 Comments
Bad news first: My screenplay didn’t get chosen for the ‘Locker 13” competition. Damn. What else is new? Moving on.
I haven’t written anything for my novel in over a month. (In keeping with bad news.) But, I’m looking to change that, and soon. Like, now. I’m moving back to Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks, so am in this sort of limbo… I can’t get a job to have something to do, because I’m leaving, so I basically sit around my apartment, surf the internet, read, watch TV and movies, and generally putz around. Not very productive.
I need to write, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Starting today, I will be a writing machine. Or, I’ll try to be anyway. A number of my blogging writer friends have been talking about goals and such lately, and that’s what I need to focus on. I’ve already broken down the book into individual chapters, so that it is far less daunting to go through and edit each chapter instead of going in to edit the entire book at once. It’s a lot more reassuring to see that you have edited 10 pages and you have 15 to go instead of having edited 10 pages and you have 325 to go. Right?
Well, the screenplay thing worked in the way I’d hoped it would, though, giving me the confidence to move on to bigger projects. My friend Dawn and I will be working on a screenplay soon, which is all very exciting… AND, I’ve decided that I want to start writing a TV show. (Yes, Pam, some other writers ARE that ambitious!)
Surprised to hear that? It’s only a natural progression of thought, honestly, and I’m not going to be creating something from scratch. The show will be based on the characters of my novel, Love, Simon (hey, I’ve spent almost 8 years with these characters… you can’t blame me for not wanting to give them up!), though with a different storyline. I mean, one of the main characters dies in the book (I’m not ruining anything, you learn about it in the first paragraph of the book! Go to the Writing section of my website to check it out…!), and we obviously wouldn’t want that to happen in the show. At least not right away… And I have some ideas that would make the show really dramatic and witty at the same time, which I think would be perfect material for a network like The CW. Teen drama… takes me back to my Dawson’s Creek days!
I’m hoping to have the pilot script written in the next couple of months, after I’ve plotted out a little of the first season. No, I’m not crazy. I know how hard these industries are. BUT, you have to be prepared when you go in. All I’m doing is planning and preparing.
It’s odd. I find I have more ideas than I know what to do with. At the pace I’m writing, I wonder if I’ll ever get to all of the other projects I have planned. Not only do I have to finish my current novel-in-progress, but I have three more literary novels in mind, all of which have some plotting done on them. I also have a fantasy trilogy that is halfway plotted out, which I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to write… On top of that, I have another screenplay that’s been fully plotted out for a while now and I just need to sit down and write the damn thing. Throw on the screenplay that Dawn and I will be starting soon and the TV show I want to start, and I’m exhausted just thinking about it. That’s about EIGHT projects I have in various stages of development and production.
Which is why I need to learn to write faster.
And now I leave you to do just that.
Until next…
Kyle W. Kerr
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Comment by Kyle :: May 14, 2008
Thanks, Robin! Yeah, we get so preprogrammed for rejection that it’s old hat by now, you know? One of these days--ONE OF THESE DAYS!--something is going to get accepted and I’m not going to know what to do! LOL… And my ambition blushes at the compliment! I’ve always had a problem of dreaming big, and this is what happens.
I DID write today! Well, yesterday, but I will again today. I actually got through about 19 pages of editing my chapter 8, and only 5 more pages to go before I move on to chapter 9! Kind of exciting getting back in the game…
Let’s just hope I can keep up the momentum!
You should go back and look over those old scripts! It’s a nice break from the literary world, but you’re still being creative, still telling stories. Let me know if you do!
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Comment by SparklieSunShine :: May 14, 2008
You have a lot of work to do. Get to it!
Sorry about the screenplay.
You’re going to be living close to me soon. Weird.
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Comment by Robin :: May 16, 2008
You’ll scream and shout and jump up and down on the couch! Dreaming big is not a problem - it’s admirable! And I can tell you’re not one to give up so I’ve no doubt those dreams will come true.
Happy writing!
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Comment by Steph :: May 16, 2008
Ugh, I know how you feel. I had hoped to finish the first draft of my novel by the beginning of June, but unless I can pull 40,000 words out of thin air in two weeks, that’s just not going to happen.
End of June is the goal now. ‘Course it pretty much means that I have to write every single day.
I think by June, I really mean August.
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Comment by Pam :: May 16, 2008
The important thing is that you submitted your screenplay--you’re never going to be one of those “writers” who have the perfect book/screenplay/great literary novel but it is never written or submitted. A great big woot to you for stepping up to the plate. The next one will be a hit, right?
And I think all of the reading, watching movies and internet surfing is replenishing your creative well, so not a waste of time. Given your ambitious upcoming plans, that influx will come in handy. It’s just nice to see somebody else who has ideas up the wahzoo.
So how much have you written since this post?
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Comment by Kyle :: May 16, 2008
My comments have a 1000 character limit! I didn’t know that!!! Ah well…
Pam - Thanks for the compliment! I like to think I have a little drive in me!
And it is nice to know we’re not alone with the way-too-many-ideas buzzing around our heads! I haven’t done more than what I said a day ago, because I hit a little snag with chapter 8 and am waiting for two of my “readers” to go through it so I can talk about it with them. Should be back to editing very soon, though!
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Comment by Caryn :: May 18, 2008
So sorry to hear your screenplay was rejected. Maybe it’ll be accepted elsewhere, though. At the very least, it looks like it helped you improve your confidence and your writing, so it was probably worth it for that alone.
Good luck with your manic writing. Sounds like a great use of your time. That and packing for your move, at least. No, on second thought, stick with the writing. It’s much more fun.
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Comment by Robin :: May 19, 2008
Just because you don’t have enough to do… I tagged you!
Hope you’re having a great day!
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Comment by Steph :: May 21, 2008
Wow, Kyle. Nine months? Ouch. Since I’m still trying to get my foot in the door, if an agent request the full, I’d have it done, like, next week. Lol. (By the way, I can already tell I’m lying--but hey, it sounded good.
)
Listen, I read some excerpt from your short stories, and I thought they were really well done. In fact, after the second excerpt I read, I had to stop reading them because it was too jarring to reach the end of the sample after being so into it.
I wanted to let you know about an e-zine me and a few writer friends are putting together. It’s called the Oddville Press.
I hope you’ll check out us and maybe do us the honor of submitting one of your unpublished short stories.
(Please bear in mind that we’re just getting off the ground and our website is still under construction.)
Thanks!
Subscribe to the Journal
Oh, Kyle. I’m sorry your screenplay didn’t final. (hugs) But everything we write is a learning experience and with so many projects on your horizon, I’ve no doubt we’ll be seeing your name one day! Your ambition is awesome!
So get to it girl! Have you written today? Turn off that Internet and TV! Close that book! Write. Write. Write. And good luck!!
Okay, I’ll stop bothering you now.
BTW, I’ve started, but never finished a couple of screenplays. I’ll dig them out one day. Best wishes on your project with Dawn.