Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Dusting off the cobwebs...

I may not win any awards for my first post of 2007... but I’m back, with shorter hair and a bigger belly.

For the past two months, your lazy blogging friend has been writing copy for Playstation, Axe, Liptons, Degree, Royal Bank, Facebook, and Energizer, to name a few. I took a short contract as a ‘band-aid’ while an agency found themselves a full-time copywriter. It was fun. It went well. Things were going so well, in fact, that I started thinking whether I could do this full time. The pay was good, consistent, and allowed for some creativity.

After one day back in the life of an income-less Canadian screenwriter (I think incomeless means ‘up-and-coming’, or some shit) I remember why it is I could never take a full time advertising gig:

I would miss writing stories too much. As simple and stupid as that may sound to any of you, I love it, I really do. Even though sometimes I hate having to stare at my computer, and often want to learn another language so I can stop butchering English…I would never have it any other way. Giving in to the ‘easy way out’ (which is not a bad alternative at all, in fact, quite a satisfying one), would come with the fear that I failed myself. I remember hearing very early on in my screenwriting education that the difference between failed writers and famous ones is that the failed ones GAVE UP. That’s always stuck with me. I know I could have a future copywriting. I've got a lot to learn, but I’m not half-bad. We'll see what the future brings, but for now, that’s shelved and I trudge on, focused on an exciting few months ahead...

Just before the new year, I decided to take a trip down to LA in April. I’m not getting any younger, and its time to take a look. I’m sure it won’t be my last. So, before April, gotta get my little ladies (scripts) all primped in their sluttiest see-through lingerie for their west-coast adventure. It's gonna keep me busy (pronounced "biz-ay").

After sharing my decision, I was asked by a much smarter and more successful friend what I hoped to get out of the trip. I didn’t know exactly at the time, but I do now: I’m going down to pitch. I might get eaten alive, but I’ll give it my best. Hopefully through distribution from family, friends, and agents, most will have read me before so I’m not going in TOTALLY cold – but if not, so be it. So now, time to practice. Pitching, in all its agony, doesn’t come easy to me… so if you find me extra gregarious and/or obnoxious (the latter, for sure) in the coming months, now you know why. Consider this my disclaimer - don’t hold it against me. I’m training to get down to my fighting weight. Cause I can only imagine it's going to be a battle.

Exciting new projects to share: An adult animated series called Retired and Expired. It’s funny…really funny, about the crazy goings-on at a retirement home and funeral parlor – a one-stop shop for all your elderly needs. The other is a thriller called The Spill, based on an outline I wrote at the CFC that has since been re-thunk by myself and a great young genre director. Going to pitch both of them in Canada as well as down south.

I’ve also got two projects I'm currently figuring out: a limited live-action dark comedy series and a MOW mulling around my cluttered, foggy brain. I’d tell you the topic, but since there are only so many ‘ripped from the headlines’ issues available, I must play my cards close to my chest. Also, pretty excited to see the rough cuts of the first 6 episodes of "Team Leader". Should be any day now. I'll let you know how that (usually painful) experience goes.

That’s it for now. Just wanted to say hi, happy new year, and if you’re reading this:

Thanks for not forgetting about me. I’m back. Not sure how frequent, but back, baby, back.

2 Comments:

At 4:06 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

glad your back

 
At 9:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

about time, thot ya wussed out.

 

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