Preparing for Take Off

The last couple days have been less about researching and writing, more about preparing.  Preparing for the all the distractions… those little things you run to when trying to escape a blank page (or screen as the case may be).

Cleared in-box. Check.

Cleaned house. Check.

Mopped floors. Check.

Paid late property taxes (whoops). Check.

Organized my computer desktop. Check.

Installed Final Draft. Check.

Wondered what I've gotten myself into. Check.

Come Monday, no excuses and no busy work.

Here’s the timeline…

Jan. 30 – Outline structure and set choices completed.

Feb. 15 – Act One first draft completed.

Mar. 15 – Act Two first draft completed.

Mar. 30 – Act Three first draft completed.

April 30 – First full revision completed.

May 15 – Second full revision completed.

Fall 2016 – Staged Reading

Goals for Week 1

• 8-10 Structure Outlines. These will be mapping out several possibilities. One that follows the current structure, Several choosing possible main characters; Lola, Cain, Macy, Miss B., etc.  *At least 2 that are outside the box and uncomfortably new - these may be the same characters, but stories outside the book. *At least 1 that is CRAZY - Experimental Theatre type stuff - just to get the creative sparks going.  Practically no chance I will do the play that way, but sometimes being crazy takes your writing to a new level.
• 5 Short Blog Entries (did I spell that right?) I can't let myself spend too much time on the blog, so in preparation I'm not even going to look up if it's spelled correctly. I'm only allowing myself a first draft and 2 quick edits - no obsessing over quality. (Sorry folks!)
•  Full 20 hours IN the Writing Room. I'm keeping my same class/office hours schedule this week to see how that works. Anytime I would have been in the office or class, I'll be working in the Writing Room. (I'm not counting how many damn administrative meetings I'm usually in - that would kill me.)
• Fun after each completed day. Happy Hours galore! (after I've served my time for the day.)(a la Ernest Hemingway - wait, that didn't turn out so well, now did it?) (Don't worry, all things in moderation and moderation in all things.)
• Gym every day.  It helps. At the end of the semester, I'll have a play, a screenplay AND I'll be ripped. : )
• One songs worth of unrestrained dancing from a random song in my play-list, like even God ain't watchin' - Today's was "Juke Box Hero".
• Screenwriting draft, as time allows. I'll be working on a first draft of a screenplay that literally follows the book, scene for scene. I could write screenplays in my sleep, so this is just a way to prime the pump. The scenes are almost all 'cinema-like' as many of my snotty literary MFA colleagues were wont to tell me all the time!

The first two weeks will be some of the most difficult and most important work.

And if tradition holds, the least pleasant. 

I get tired just thinking about the possible directions to take at the beginning of a project.

For now, I’m waiting on my 12 "exemplary dozen" plays from Amazon – and heading out to the gym. 

I’ve been to the gym every day of 2016. 

I’ve also been hungry every minute of 2016.  Doesn't going to the gym every day excuse stopping by QT for a King Dong?  - So much for ripped!  : )