MIA

Gah! It's been a while. I think of all these things I want to say and post about then don't actually get around to doing it. You probably have no idea what I'm talking about, since you probably do things instead of just thinking about doing things.

My daughter turned four last weekend, and while that did take a bit of time and planning, I have no idea where the rest of the last couple of weeks really went. The year is flying by and I am unable to slow it down. I turn around and it's two months later. I don't think I'd mind as much if I had something interesting to show for it, but I really don't.

I am pretty excited about a couple of things though - and perhaps that's why I've been a little sidetracked.

First - I finished the first three chapters for a new novel that I'd like my agent to pitch at the Conference Formerly Known As CBA. Since three chapters forms the base of a solid proposal, I am psyched that I have gotten this far...and I still like the story!!

Second, I have begun writing an original screenplay. It's a fabulous story from a friend of mine and she asked me to co-write it with her. After years of talking about doing it, well...we're doing it. I have the first twelve pages down in my little MacBook. This might not sound like much but since momentum is everything for me, getting started is half the battle.

It's interesting moving from a novel to a screenplay. There are things I can do in a screenplay that I can't do in a novel and vice versa. As a creative person, I appreicate different things about each form. But more than that, it reminds me of the passion God put in me to write movies in the first place.

Back when I attended my Act One class in Washington D.C., I remember plopping into my chair each morning, grateful to be there. It was an amazing class that truly changed my life in so many ways. But I couldn't launch into a screenplay right away since I had a book due. Then my father died. Which stifled my creativity for a while.

Then life just got busy. You probably know what that's like.

I could get frustrated with myself, thinking I wasted time, blah, blah, blah, but if there is one thing I've learned about God - it's that He happens to know what He is doing. For whatever reason, it seems like now is the time to write this screenplay - not two years ago, but now.

I have high hopes for it. Not because I am anything special, but because the story is. I have no doubt this movie will be made and that's saying something, since the percentage of movies actually made is woefully small when compared to the number of movies optioned and/or purchased. When it comes right down to it - it's the story that matters.

So, I've hit the ground running. And I promise I'll be better about blogging. Thanks for hanging in there with me!!