in the future

"Look, its a Crazy Stu Action Figure"
"Whats it do?"
"Drink whisky and complain a lot. ITS SO MUCH FUN! Can I get one? Huh? Huh?"
"We've got someone at home that does that already. Why don't you play with them?"
"Cause she smells". Ooh, look, its the Dylan Thomas White Horse Playset*! Can we get this too?"

* Possible this is my second most obscure joke ever next to this "The only thing that will ever defeat the Constructicons is the Derridatron" which I made while rather drunk last year to a bunchy of people who didn't get it (losers).

New Year Resolution

Fuck you all, I'm going to surprise myself this year.

Of course I don't know how yet, that's the whole point.

Wish me luck.

[Loving this title functionality in MarsEdit 1.1b.]

Cut and Saunder

If we view the lack of security for a economically and politically critical convoy in the same frame, its clear that the US's "Cut and Saunter" scenario appears to be on. No timetable will be offered for a withdrawal as that would be bad politics. The US will simply do a number of cuts leading to a point where the Iraqis will be able to take over (in the same way that Bush lets his dog drive) and the remaining US squaddies will run for the door marked Kuwait at the opportune time.

-- Some dude called Adam commenting on 'SWARM: Cutting Iraq's Gasoline Lines' over at Global Guerillas.

Good stuff. Read it.

STEVEHOLT!

Whip... whip... whip...

Via I Want To Write:

One thing that ALL successful writers - be it screen or prose - have in common is a very disciplined work ethic. At least ALL the ones I've spoken to, or heard speak. Every single one of them.*

Whatever your work/school schedule is, you MUST make a writing schedule. You have to do it the same time every day for the same amount of time every day. If you want to increase your odds of succeeding, that is. Maybe you don't. That's fine. Order me a vanilla latte while you're sitting there.

[...]

So, for 2006, make a commitment to yourself to start acting like the person you want to be - an employed writer. Get disciplined, get on a schedule, and stick to it. Write at the same time every day for the same amount of time every day. I would suggest NO LESS than 4 hours a day. More if you can handle it.

-- Posted at Reason To Believe

Yesterday I sat down and went 'I'm going to write music now' (as a break from the screencoding). I picked up some sketches I haven't touched since September (because I had writer's block) and have dived into it. After doing some freelance work tonight, I returned the track and it continued to roll well (hence the late posting)

There's something about shifting mediums and doing different creative things that makes all my work better. I think because it encourages lateral thinking - it makes sure my neural pathways aren't ossifying into familiar patterns. When I get "writer's" block, it affects *all* my output - regardless of medium. When I slow down, I slow -way- down and it requires a big push to get going again. Its an extremely depressing state. I just hope I can just keep rolling rolling rolling through much of this year.

Discipline* will be part of that but so will allowing myself freedom to play around without self-censorship. In many ways, they're related. By calling something 'practice', you don't create expectations for yourself - so you actually LIBERATE yourself from your own traps**.

* I'm disciplined in terms of process but not in terms of practice. There's a difference.... but I do need to try and do some practice, despite the fact that I've never been good at it. (Ask my Trumpet and Piano teachers)

** I actually should call it rehearsal. When I played instrument(s) [bass & trumpet mostly], I saw the value in rehearsing. As a director***, I love rehearsing with actors. It doesn't feel like practice. When I did law, I hated studying, but I loved getting into arguments and discussions. I was also good at research when I had a thesis I was trying to prove, but I couldn't just read an article without any framework. I guess all these things are 'rehearsal' rather than 'practice'. They're either playful, dynamic, or purposeful. Perhaps I should play to my strengths?*****

*** How the hell does one practice being a screen director?****

**** Stop with the endless footnotes already.*****

***** Talk about being self absorbed! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend. Loser.

and here endeth the lesson

On the 31st of December, 2005 at 1750 hours, Stupid Writing Man officially finished the current draft of My Baby.

It is done. YAY!

Now the Ape needs to recruit some victims to read the script and tear it to shreds.

... and that was my holiday. I feel like a Australian Traitor as I spent the majority of my holiday indoors writing* rather than at the beach reading... and swimming.

Nonetheless, I've managed to get a decent tan from the time I actually spent in the sun and the (very lucky) fact that I have a pretty decent view of the sun (and a big ass tree) from my front window, and that's where I sit when typing.

Tomorrow (well today) I go back to work as we start the Big Countdown: the 13 week sprint to final**. That's what I love about production, its just so fatalistic. You have no choice but to get there.

More to come in the next few days.

Have a great year everyone - harmony and prosperity to you all.

* Oh, and I watched like 10 episodes of Season Four of Six Feet Under in about 5 days.

** It won't be exactly 13 weeks as everyone will try and use as much time as possible to make everything as perfect as it can. It really won't be over until they'll making the first release print. I swear, its going to be just like that documentary 'The End of All Things' on the ROTK:EE DVD - where the entire production is racing to meet delivery. My sleeping-on-the-floor skills are going to come mighty handy Real Soon Now.