34.

I'm on page 34.

About to get to the next big set piece.

Still gonna take a little break once this is done, though. I did buy Stage Fright with my birthday money, however.  It was only $8.

I'm feeling better about this script.  I've always loved the story, but I'm just so immersed in it that I can't wait to purge it out of my system.

If somebody would send me a bottle of J&B, I wouldn't mind.  Or maybe make me a Jack Daniels milkshake.

Okay.  Less blogging, more school work.  Off to Acting class to work on Commedia Dell'Arte.  Then revising my Short Script assignment (a 5-6 page script about a freakin' bowl).

I might stay late and work on Orchid until traffic dies down.  Get this mega-bloody death scene on paper (well, Final Draft).

Later.
-Justin

Before I hit the stage...

My first comedy performance in two months.  Wish me luck.

I'm burnt out.  Totally burnt out.  And I still have another six weeks or so for this semester.

Two more performances for Acting class.  Plus I gotta watch two more plays.  And write a 3-4 page paper on one of them.

Filming a PSA tomorrow for my Video Project class.  Then I have to edit it.  And work on my big project: a five minute short that "plays with the conventional narrative structure."

And Orchid is due on April 15.  And I'm on page 30.

And I still have another class to worry about.

Plus work.

Right now Orchid is my biggest worry.  I am so immersed in it that I'm sick of it.  I just wanna type it out, put a big pretty yellow bow on it, and move on.  I assume any big project eventually brings these feelings out in its creator at one point or another.

It's to the point where outside of Orchid, I don't even want anything to do with gialli right now.

Yes.  I said it.

I'm kind of over it right now.  Every time I close my eyes I see my characters.  Whenever I wake up, I worry about how to work the set pieces out.  The killer's look.  The setting.  Dialogue.  How to make everything tie in together.

Writing a giallo is actually harder than watching one every day for a month.

Once I finish Orchid, I may have to do the opposite of my Thirty Days of Giallo.  I may have to take 30 days AWAY from the genre I love so much.

Not because I hate gialli, but because I love the genre so much that I don't want to become permanently sick of it.

I might need to completely cleanse my palette.  Watch comedies and superhero movies.  Finally see The Dark Knight and The Social Network.  Catch up with the rest of the world.

Change my laptop background from Edwige Fenech to Julianna Guill.

Go back to the gym.  Eat more fiber.  Drink more water.

I dunno.  I'm sure every writer goes through this at some point.  Maybe talking to some of my comedian friends (who also write) will make me feel better.

I do want to say this, though.  If I do take a sabbatical, it won't be too long.  I will come back to you.  I promise.

Okay.  I'm gonna go now.  Showtime in 40 minutes.

Later.
-Justin

Happy Birthday to Me!

Today's my birthday!

27...crap, I feel old.  Though I don't officially turn 27 until 1:14.

My copy of Perfume of the Lady in Black should be shipping today.  And I think I have a couple more gialli waiting for me at the post office.  Yes, more.  And I already preordered Death Will Have Your Eyes.  I need another bookcase.  And I need to quit buying movies I can't watch until Orchid is finished.  I seriously feel a marathon coming on.

So what's on the docket for today?  Picking up my car, grabbing free fro-yo at Skinny Dip, and writing.  Gonna have birthday dinner/presents this upcoming Sunday (PIZZA SUBS!).  Because that's when my whole family can get together.

Okay.  I'm off to do stuff.

Later.
-Justin

Orchid Meeting #2

What a day.

Maybe I should have worn green for St. Patty's.  But I didn't.  And if you try to pinch me, I'll shank you.

Where do I start?

First, I had a monologue in my Acting class.  Still feeling rusty after not having acted in nine years.  Yes, I have done stand up, but that is a whole different animal.  Stand up requires you to pull the audience in and interact with them.  Acting forces you to pretend they're not there.

First run through was OK.  Not my shining moment, but OK.  Then I was asked to adjust it.  And I blanked halfway through.  I got another adjustment and did it again.  This one was good.  But I'm totally beating myself up.  Because that's what I do best.

Then on the way to my meeting with my screenwriting professor, I decided to make a pit stop.  Because, well, my golden rule is "Never Pass Up An Opportunity To Use The Bathroom."  That and I had that kinda gas that felt like more than gas.

So at some point while I sit down in the stall, my arm rubs up against something.  I look down and there's...poopie on my arm.  ::gag::

I just peed and decided to run straight to the sink.  Used practically half a container of soap.  The whole rest of the day I kept checking myself for phantom poopie.

Then came the meeting.

I sit down and he pulls out my Genre Assignment.  And out of nowhere, he suggests a bunch of changes.

First off, I should change the setting from a legal brothel to a strip club.

Then Gia, the protagonist, should be a stripper.  And not just a stripper, but a wannabe dancer who strips because she doesn't get into a prestigious dance company.  And she doesn't prostitute, but she's considering it...

Huh?

So he says I should change Gia's intro.  I should have her audition for the prestigious dance company and not make it because some producer overhears of her stripper history.

I immediately thought of this:

I smiled and nodded during that part of the discussion.  I didn't wanna make waves.  But anyhow, I honestly think I'm gonna disregard that suggestion.  I honestly like my idea of the whole legal prostitute thing.  I dunno if I'm stuck on my idea and being stubborn or what.  What's y'all's thoughts on that?

Onto other aspects:

He thinks the set pieces are key to the script.  In other words, the murders.  They need to be big and bold and spectacular.  I totally agree with that.  But he did mention Red Dragon and Manhunter.  Mainly how the murders work on building something bigger.  Made sense.

He did say I need to elevate things a bit.  Said at one point I have a good, average, "crappy" giallo and that I needed to raise everything.  I dunno exactly what he meant by that.

And he did say most everything is really in place.  Just a matter of typing.

So I am taking one bit of advice: sitting down and figuring everything out regarding the killer's M.O. and everything surrounding the killer.

I think I still have my copy of Manhunter lying around...lemme check...

Later.

-Justin

ONE HUNDREDTH POST!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen.

I have made it to 100 posts.

Thank you all for reading this blog.  Without you, I would've stopped after the month-long giallothon.

Recently bought some gialli:

Erotic Games of a Respectable Family
Skin Under the Claws
Qui?
The Killer is One of Thirteen
Eyeball
Phantom of Death
Death Will Have Your Eyes

Plus I still have (yet haven't watched):
Human Cobras
Puzzle
Spirits of Death
Love Me Strangely
Private Crimes
Iguana with the Tongue of Fire

Gotta feeling a mini-marathon will be in order after the semester is over.  Though after finishing my own little giallo script, The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet, I might actually be giallo'd out by then (Huh?  That's IMPOSSIBLE!).  Only time will tell on that.

Speaking of Orchid, I made it to page 22 yesterday.  Gonna see how much I can write between classes and during slow times this week.

Okay.  I'm gonna let y'all go.

Thanks again for all of your support.

Later.
-Justin

My brain is fried...

Halfway through page seventeen.

Seven pages in one day.

My head hurts.

And it's hot in here.

And I don't wanna stop...yet I'm creatively drained for the day.  To the point where I don't even wanna finish watching Amer...

Why oh why did I procrastinate?

Can someone send positive vibes, pep talks, and the like my way?  I'd appreciate it.

Later.
-Justin

More writing...

This ADD is bothering me.

Anyhow, I'm writing.  I plan on writing until at least 8:00.  With the exception of dinner.

Bought a few more gialli.  When this semester is over I anticipate either a week of one giallo a day or a two-day marathon.  Dunno if I can pull off another month.

Well, back to the grind...Um...dunno if I oughta say that or not.  I'm writing a sexy scene right now.  Grind might not be appropriate...

Later.
-Justin

Ten pages...

That's all I've got so far.

Ten.

Ah, well.

I do have the first murder scene/set piece down, though.

Spent today at work then visiting my sis in the hospital.  She had surgery.  Seemed to be doing all right, with the exception of the nausea from the anesthesia.

Of course I'll visit Sissy tomorrow, but I'm also gonna work on the script.  If y'all could send some love/prayers/good vibes her way, I'd appreciate it.

Gonna relax a bit before calling it a night and finishing Amer.

Good night.
-Justin

Writing...

The thing I hate about writing on the computer is that there are so many freakin' distractions.

Facebook, Italian Lemonade, etc.

I just finished re-typing my first seven pages and now I am onto the setup for the first death scene.  Blood and gore and violence and all that good stuff.

Let's see what I get done by the end of the day.

Hope it's a lot.

Later.
-Justin

Before I head to class...

Today's my last class day before Spring Break.  Woo-hoo!

And I finally got my copy of Final Draft.  It took two weeks to tell me there were problems with the order, when they knew the whole time.  Ah, well.

Transferring Celtx to Final Draft is impossible.  So I'm gonna retype the first seven pages in Final Draft, because I don't wanna rip my hair out trying to reformat.  I just got my hair to a manageable length.  Don't wanna ruin it.

BTW, I just noticed that ZDD (www.zddvisualmedia.com) added a whole bunch of gialli.  Including some I'd never heard of.  And one I'd always wanted to see.  So guess what I'm gonna buy when my taxes come back...(I'll at least be getting Erotic Games of a Respectable Family and Skin Under the Claws).

Also, on the subject of ZDD, they rule.  There was a problem with one of my orders, and they gladly sent it again.  Then the first one arrived.  They are letting me keep both orders.  Now I can give some away to friends and introduce them to my obsession.  Thanks, ZDD!

I find it kind of ironic that people tell me to write what I know...and I write about murder and fucking.  I've done neither.  LOL.

Well, I guess I oughta head to class.  Acting, then Video Project.  Gotta watch a play tonight.  Maybe I'll sit down with Killer Reserved Nine Seats when I get home.

SPRING BREAK!

Later.
-Justin

Spring Break!

Thursday is my last class before Spring Break!

Unlike other college kids, I'm not gonna be spending it in drunken debauchery.  Partially because I can't afford it, but mainly because I have work to do.

I'm still only on page 7 of The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet.

And I have to have 100 pages turned in by April 15th.

Luckily, I have the whole storyline written out in treatment form.  I just have to expand it.

So I have it all planned out:

Friday: Watch some more of the gialli that arrived from ZDD.

Saturday: Morning meeting and work.  Because apparently once you become an adult, nap taking is not allowed.

Sunday: Gym, finish the first death set piece.

Monday: Work, then visit sis in the hospital.  She's having surgery that day.  Please send all sorts of good vibes in her general direction.

Tuesday-Friday: Work like crazy.  Stopping only for meals, sleep, and internet porn.

Sounds like a plan.  Huh?

So...how is it gonna turn out?

Why, it's gonna be awesome, dammit.

Wish me writing ability.  And smarts.  And sanity.

Later.

-Justin