Is anyone having a good day?

[songswithoutwords]

I tried writing last night, and it didn't work. I mean, the keyboard was functioning and I was able to save 2 new pages. But it was all crap. I feel like I've lost it. Thank goodness i've been through this before. I know I'll find it again.

Anyhow, I came on to the board here to read through the "general" section and distract myself. We've been around for about a month now, and I am getting to know each of you, and so far I don't think there's a one among you I don't like. I even like the little fights y'all get into. When they're for fun.

Just noticed that in the last day or so we've all been getting a tad touchy. The posts are getting a little one-up'ish. It's distressing. Maybe y'all are also living through this writer's block or whatever the hell it is I have.

So just wondering if anyone is having a really good writing day today, and if you are, please post about it. I want to read it.

Please no shooting in this thread.

[oz]

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm tired of winter, Songs. We've had snow on the ground since December 6th and MAYBE four days of sunshine in that period of time. It wears you out!

I never 'try' to write anymore. I've finally learned what you experienced and it's never worth it, to me. It's either there or it isn't. The last few weeks I've pounded out quite a few pages on my rewrite so I'm content but this week will be hopeless, I can tell. That's okay, though. Good with the bad and all that : )

It's not writer's block, young man, it's just the process ebbing and flowing. Don't fight the current.

Sorry I couldn't provide the 'really good day' you were looking for but reality isn't always a bad thing. When the words don't flow, read. It will unclog you.

[Jeff Messerman]

My friend,

I actually took the weekend and stepped away from the board. I had no idea tensions were brewing anywhere until this morning.

These things happen. A flare up here, a brushfire there... I do my best to stamp 'em out but humans will be humans and y'know, it's all part of the game.

Bad days at the keyboard come and go. The only cure I know is get back on it as quickly as possible. Way too easy to dwell on the sour stuff.

Carry on!

Jeff

[attatt]

I'm having a great day. 3 days in a row of sunny, low-60's in the San Francisco Bay Area. I am wearing shorts while mush of the country continues to freeze their pants off.

[oz]

I should Smite you for that post, ATT. There are many around here who are on the verge of taking to roofs and becoming snipers we're so out of our minds with WHITE and COLD.

I'll fight the grumbling envy and be happy for you. But only because I have the winning Powerball ticket for Wednesday's drawing. : )

[Jeff Messerman]

No no, oz, we are better people because of it, all this bleak white death does is make us stronger and heartier!

Well, off to my rooftop with my trusty AK-47... thanks for the idea!

Jeff

[echenry]

@ oz.

"It's not writer's block, young man, it's just the process ebbing and flowing. Don't fight the current." SOLID advice. Wish I had said that -- don't you know I'm the only one who's allowed to say thing that are brilliant! (joke)

@ songwithoutwords

Dude I've had LOTS of days where the sun wasn't shinning on my writing. When that happens a good trick is to STOP WRITING ON YOUR COMPUTER and switch to a different medium. Pull out a couple sheets of paper, draw or hand write snippet and thoughts of the project you're working on, or something else you've on the back burner.

My point is: there are different ways of working when you're writing. One of the most common misconceptions is that you've constantly gotta be cranking out pages. Not true. Bolling analogy: you've got to set the pins up, before you can knock the down...

Currently I'm in process of line-editing a dark sci-fi script. Going over-and-over the same sentences TRYING to be poetic drives me up a wall. So this time I'm trying something different. I'm working on CD artwork for an accompanying music CD for this project in between line editing. Waisted about 4-5 hours surfing the net looking for a cutaway shot of the devil's and a grey alien's head. NEVER found what I was looking for and will probably have to draw it in Generic Cadd and edit that with Photoshop to get the affect I'm looking for. Sooo I'm frustrated to, brother!

Anyway, thanks for the honest. Hope you find warmth and comforting each time you visit the GITS Club message board.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

[songswithoutwords]

Hey everyone, thanks for the responses. I'm smiling again. Mostly at the fact that you responded to my "no shooting" request with snipers and AK-47s.

I'm taking all your advice, in my own way: The Olympics are on. In central Europe, it's already 9.30pm. There is beer in the fridge. That's it. Tonight's a night off.

- Andrew

[echomusic]

I’ve actually been on a bit of a downward writing slope since August of last year for some self-imposed, personal BS reasons.

Yet yesterday I went in to work to find that there was no one there (which would normal if it was a normal office, but the U.N. doesn’t take every national holiday) so I got caught up on work after having been out last week.

Then I went over to the local pub for lunch and all of sudden, inspiration knocked me on my ass and I pulled out the macbook pro, fired up a noir/western I’ve been working on for the last year and a half and managed to clean-up edit 72 pages AND write an additional 2 pages.

Was a great feeling and now I can’t stop thinking about the script and plan on having it finished (1st draft finished) in a few weeks.

No clue why or how it happened. But it did and I’m grateful.

[attatt]

Damn, 4 days of sun in a row, I'm gonna get sunburned soon.

Just kidding. You guys are easy targets in snowy country.

I'm having a good day, even though I havent really written for a week. I have been making progress on my latest outline and I am feeling like this will be the best thing I have written. I may not write the best dialog I have ever written, but I feel like the characters and plotting are way ahead of where I was a few months ago. Dont think I can ask for much more than that

[songswithoutwords]

I wrote a page today. It just came out, like that. Actually it doesn't quite work where i put it, but it's an important page and I need to find a home for it somewhere.

There is a sniper in it. I wish I were joking.

[janienj]

Hey Friends,

Just wanted to say a quick hello and chime in. Know the feeling about dry writing spells and that "All Is Lost" feeling of writer's no man's land. I was so desperate to get out of the NJ weather that I borrowed a buddy pass from my sister and hoped a flight to L.A. last night. I am now sitting in Manhattan Beach sipping a patron margarita. February in L.A. is surfer dudes coasting the waves, college girls playing volley ball on the beach and gorgeous L.A. people running on the strand. When are you all coming? Seriously, I think whether it is a case of winter blues or a bad case of writer's block, you gotta take action and change location. A change of location will do a writer's soul good. On my flight out here I picked up William Akers "Your Screenplay Sucks" and boy do I have a lot to learn. It is a great, great read with loads of important "How To Get Past a Hollywood Reader" insights.

Echo Music, congrats on the pages. What a feat! I hope your writing frenzy is contagious.

Let me know if anyone on the board is in L.A., I need a drinking buddy:)

Janie

[songswithoutwords]

Ok, 3 pages written in total since that original post. I read what I've written, and I don't understand it. I literally do not understand what the hell is on the page. It's nonsense.

Upside is, the house is REALLY clean now.

Vacation ends tomorrow. No more time to write. Maybe that will help.

[attatt]

LOL...I love it when I look back at something and have a WTF?! moment. After I get over the shock of having completely wasted my time on something I thought was genius, the entertainment value is priceless.

Maybe we should start a post with our horrible writing examples for shits and giggles. I will go first if anyone else pledges their participation

[songswithoutwords]

FINALLY! Had a great writing weekend. Two or three rewrites and I'll be ready to post a new draft of Songs Without Words episode 1. I would say it has changed some 40 percent. That seems to be about the amount of change between each of my drafts. Positively speaking, I think 30 out of that 40 tends to be the right kind of change.

I find it fascinating, the revision process. I tend to know about 5 or so problems with any one draft, and focus on them. Two weeks after I have fixed those, I am aware of another, different, 5 problems. So I wonder when I will come to the point of being happy with it. When it's ready, I guess.

@att,
Nobody took you up on your suggestion. If I had any confidence I would do it, but starting at zero credibility, don't want to put myself in a deficit. I'm half tempted to just jump though, and pledge my piece.... But I want more than just you and me to be IN. Anyone else courageous enough?