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The Writing Life II
Comments and reflections by Charles Deemer, retired playwright and screenwriter, active novelist and screenwriting professor at Portland State University.
from the The Writing Life II feed...As I've said here many times before, I love the opening of My Dinner With Andre, the narrator's hilarious monologue about the "errands of the craft" or some such. Which I just returned from. So many ways to avoid work.
The more I think about it, the more I regret leaving early last night. Maybe one of those folks wanting to talk to me was a fan! Sometimes I feel like my fans are an endangered species, I should encourage them whenever possible.
Jan 7, 2009
The more I think about it, the more I regret leaving early last night. Maybe one of those folks wanting to talk to me was a fan! Sometimes I feel like my fans are an endangered species, I should encourage them whenever possible.
Not a hugely productive day but not bad either. Wrote a few new pages on the novel, made some necessary corrections in the new review. Watched the 1955 End of the Affair and liked it, except for the compromised ending. Did some prep for taping First Wednesday tonight. If the forecast is right, I may be driving home in a wind and rain storm. We'll see.
Tomorrow morning I hope to look at the splay in progress and get back in gear with it.
Jan 7, 2009
Tomorrow morning I hope to look at the splay in progress and get back in gear with it.
My new class looks good. Energy!
Writing today, First Wednesday tonight.
A heavy rain storm due. Will the basement leak again after some minor repairs?
Jan 6, 2009
Writing today, First Wednesday tonight.
A heavy rain storm due. Will the basement leak again after some minor repairs?
My advanced student came to my office with a written plan for the term, quite impressive. If she meets her deadlines, she'll have a draft by term's end. More power to her. (She's even keeping a blog on her progress, to satisfy the journal requirement.)
Jan 6, 2009
Finally. I was ready to start before the break ended, which usually doesn't happen. Maybe my flight from the holidays was greater this year. At any rate, I'm glad to be back "to normal," ready to slip into my usual work routine. The older I get, the more I like my routine, the more stressful it is to be removed from it.
Meeting with an advanced student at 2, as talented a screenwriter as I've had in class in a long time. She is able to write with "a voice," which perhaps is the hardest skill level to reach in this minimalist form. If she can conquer her act two, she will have a fine and marketable script.
I am eager to get back to my own work. This term, the novel goes front burner. I really want to finish this sucker, after 40+ years of brooding about it. I think, I hope, I finally have the handle for the story.
Meeting with an advanced student at 2, as talented a screenwriter as I've had in class in a long time. She is able to write with "a voice," which perhaps is the hardest skill level to reach in this minimalist form. If she can conquer her act two, she will have a fine and marketable script.
I am eager to get back to my own work. This term, the novel goes front burner. I really want to finish this sucker, after 40+ years of brooding about it. I think, I hope, I finally have the handle for the story.