sunken city

sunken city. san pedro ca. 2009.

stalled

my writing has hit a wall. 

it goes nowhere.

stalls.

falls flat on it's face.

my dialogue--stiff and wooden. 

reads like bad poetry belched by midwest hacks reciting prose in dive bars.  

it's just bad. 

not sure what happened. used to be my strong suit. something i could spit out with ease. hell, i've written for theatre; excelled, won awards, been produced. it's dialouge driven. yet nowadays i can barely eek out two sentences that pop. 

 

my stories--soggy and cliched. 

nearly everything i've churned out @ SC has left me empty. completely unimpressive and dangerously close to embarrassing

so i need something. anything. a break from my mediocrity.

perhaps a few rounds zinging over my head. 

a stint in israel. a hole in the head. 

or maybe i should just shut up.

but i think i'll walk the coast today. near sunken city.

it's nice...in a post apocalyptic way.

take some pictures, clear the mind, open the veins of creativity. 

sometimes it helps. 

"proposals," by stacey parshall

more info to come

a new plan

decided to alter the plan a bit. we've got these scholarships at USC and i've applied for said scholarships and if i get said scholarships, then, and only then, will i continue on in the fall. 80,000 bucks is one hefty bill to shoulder. 40,000, not nearly as scary. nevertheless, this summer should be an interesting one. unfortunately, the dreams of desert compounds will most definitely have to wait.

david blaine -- what the F ???!!!

a little david blaine parody by the groundlings.

it's pretty damn funny.

Robert Mckee

i'm seriously considering saving myself an extra 40K of debt and taking a robert mckee seminar. he teaches screenwriting. although he's constantly lambasted @ USC, i've found him very helpful. 

inspiring even.

something that's all but zapped from me recently. 

in fact, there's been times i've thought about quitting writing altogether due to my recent studies.

the love of storytelling lost down some dirty rabbit hole never to be seen again.

which is funny, because they gave us a copy of Ray Bradbury's "Zen in the Art of Writing."

the aforementioned book seems to contradict most of what i've been taught thus far.

it focuses on love. on hate. on breaking free of the established structure and reaching for that magic that had initially drawn you towards the written word.

but ever so often it peeks it's head up. i see the ears. 

unfortunately it's usually slaughtered. poached.

it's well-meaning, i guess. 

you'll build a fortress, that's for sure. with kevlar and iron and tons of ammunition to counter the assaults.

and that's something i've noticed within myself too.

i tend to build things up. lionize. 

from the Marines, to the Kennedy Center, to where I find myself now. 

perhaps i hold those institutions to standard that can never really be achieved.

something lofty and unattainable.

something that has devolved into a 40K writing workshop. 

now, is it worth it? i guess only time will tell.

am i happy @ USC? 

at times, yes. 

at times, no.

but i've arrived at a place in my life where i understand the pedagogy establishment has vested interests in the enrollment of students.

hell, they've got a mortgage to pay. 

braces for little suzi. 

billy needs a corolla.

the adopted chinese orphan needs her baby formula.

and if they were to embrace a fellow like mckee, they'd be out of a gig. 

i respect that to a certain extent. 

but i'm not rich. i barely keep afloat. 

and if it weren't for my old man and dead grandparent's, i'd be living in some crap-hole studio apartment in west jefferson, without a car and an empty fridge.

so, i'll be researching ole mckee this summer.

when he'll be in LA. 

how much his seminar costs. 

and i'll weigh my options carefully. 

because i refuse to believe there's only one way...

www.mckeestory.com

many parts

All the world's a stage,

and all the men and women merely players:

they have their exits and their entrances;

and one man in his time plays many parts...

-william shakespeare

and as of now, i play the part of a graduate student. 

reading; writing; coughing up worthless television spec's; graduate student.

perusing Variety and Nikki Finke for the latest scuttlebutt on the industry. 

and that's what gets me, i suppose:

how quickly a man can change.

how quickly he can drop his pack and assume a different identity. 

just like that. 

POOF! 

a scene change for some. 

and for others-the curtain falls.

the audience leaves , the set goes quiet.

a spider builds it's house up in the corner, near the lights.

"get some" glossies fm: IMAGEFOCUS

WOW.

amazing photos from "get some," the movie.

don't know the photog's name (IMAGEFOCUS?), but as soon as i do, i'll post it.

so cool to see the characters you created in the confines of your mind come to life.

-to breathe air.

many thanks to all involved.

i've been truly impressed by their talent and dedication. 

thank you, mr. president

so he changed his mind. 

obama is no longer supporting Veteran co-payments for health care via private insurance companies. 

good thing. i had visions of CAA type FBI agents knocking on my door in the near future. 

here's the link, you'll have to cut and paste. 

http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090318/UPDATES01/90318021/1002/NEWS01

Veterans slapped in the face by obama

i had hopes for this guy, obama. figured he made people happy, and i was sick of bush.

but this guy, barack hussein obama, isn't any different. 

and of all things, this sonofabitch wants to CHARGE Veterans for medical care related to their service connected disability. 

meaning, you get your arm blown off @ Normandy, you break your back in Hue City, your mind shatters because you're tasked with clearing houses in Fallujah...YOU'RE gonna have to pay for subsequent medical care.

WTF mr. president? 

here's a link to the story:

American Legion commander 'deeply disappointed, concerned' after meeting with Obama... Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment...

and i think it's about time for my meds...

"get some" wrapped...

it's a wrap. unfortunately i wasn't able to make the final shoot due to other responsibilities, but i heard it went great. here's some pix. enjoy. live vicariously through me...