This was a Bad Idea; I Can Already Tell

Okay, I’ve finally reached the end of my rope, I’ve exhausted every half-baked idea I’ve ever had and I’m also a little burnt-out.

That statement is going to make the point of this entry a little ironic.

I have been in need of a new New Year’s Resolution.  I’ve been thinking hard on it for awhile now, and I think I’ve finally gotten it.

I will write one entire movie script every month for a year in 2010. 

Each one will be at least 90 pages, properly formatted, and all that good stuff.  I publicly make this declaration so I have a couple more reasons to not punk out and give up: shame and loss of face.

I’m actually starting this month, and will be re-writing, from memory, the screenplay I wrote for a class in college called “The Icarus Engine” to get me back in fighting trim.

It’s a rollicking action-adventure set in the Hong Kong during World War II.  There’s danger, excitement, suspense, car chases, plane crashes, ninjas, and a shootout in, on top of, and against an armored Nazi train.

Depending on desperation, this may not count as one of the 12 (ooooh, BSG reference).

Drop me a line if any of you are feeling your oats/suicidal and want to get in on this.  If you have Gmail we’ll do the online collaboration thing.

Okay, here are the rules I’m observing:

· ”Month” actually means 30 days.  I don’t get a short month in February, just like I don’t get an extra day in, say, October.

· The time period is not strictly writing, but all encompassing.  Pre-writing, outlines, post-it planning, even lending it out to other people to read for notes must take place within the 30 days.

· No genre, length, or content restrictions, but at the same time I can’t take a break and write some bullshit art film.  Every script will have a beginning, middle, and end, adhere to thematic conventions, etc.

· Every script must be marketable.  I love action movies, but I can’t just write a 90 page gunfight in a fireworks factory, or some wish-fulfillment script where I get to do all the things I’ve always wanted to do.  Every script must be marketable.  Not good, but written with the intent to put into my writing portfolio or show to someone who’s not one of my friends whom already understand that I am, still, a giant child.  With substance abuse problems.  And a fear of intimacy.

· I can only write on an already established property once for the year.  Everything else must be original.

· At month six, I will take what I have, and present them to someone who can actually help any career I could theoretically have as a writer instead of pussying out and not showing them to anyone.  I will use those notes to hopefully grow over the last six scripts.

· I will not write a meta-script about writing, being a writer, blah, blah, blah.  Nothing about writing or writers.  Those scripts are only any good if you’re Charlie Kaufman, anyway.

· If I can’t do it, I will go as far as I can, but at 30 days, that movie’s done. 

· I will not give up on a script until the 30 days are reached.  I will find a way to make it work or go out swinging.

· If I end a movie with “it was all a dream” or “it was all in his head,” or “the Matrix” you may take a swing at me.

· I will offer up at least 4 of these for public consumption, even if I only have two decent ones.  I don’t actually know how I’ll actually accomplish this one.

· This is no way interferes with prior writing commitments.  There will still be a blog on Wednesdays, scripts for live Moon County shows, etc.  This will suffer before those.

Wheeeee, rules!

Now here’s where you come in, leave a comment about something you want me to write on, and that will be what I do for January.  It can be a full pitch, a line of dialogue, an object, a profession, etc.  The winner will be announced at the beginning of January, and the entire script will be made available for all in February.

Oh, and I think this idiotic quest needs a catchy name, so throw out any suggestions you have.

The front-runners I came up with:

Do or Do Not.  There is No Try, the Writing Challenge.
Write Until We Can’t.
They’ll Find Me Draped over My Keyboard.
I’ve Got Blisters on These Fingahs!
This is Dumb and Matt’s Dumb for Doing It.
All of These Movies Will be About Ninjas and/or Cowboys
EXPLOSION DANCE PARTY
Maybe 3 of these Will Be Readable.  Maybe.
Battlestar Galactimatt

Okay, me trying to kill myself with something I love starts nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnow!

Matt