Given the date, I probably should be writing about a Christmas theme but, seriously, don't you think there's enough Christmas stuff going on already? I'm not quite as tired of it as I usually am this time of year, but that's probably just because I'm still procrastinating on the present-buying part.
So instead of obsessing about the approach of Christmas, I'll obsess about the approach of something else: the December 31, 2010 deadline for entering the 12-minute screenplay contest sponsored by Steeltown Film Factory.
I'm working on an entry which is, as of now, an 8-page long incoherent mess. Let's reserve judgment on that one.
I'd rather write about a different planned entry.
The critique group I participate in decided to write and submit a screenplay. While a few of us have written screenplays before, most of us are working on fiction and/or memoirs, so putting together even a short movie is a stretch. We'd been knocking the idea around for weeks until someone suggested an overnight writing session, which we've been calling a retreat and/or a pajama party. [Actually, everyone stayed fully clothed in day-garb for the writing sessions. It wasn't that kind of party.]
Several of us met Friday evening at one member's home and, fueled by Chinese take-out, cake and cookies, worked on the screenplay until 2 a.m., then got up Saturday morning and worked on it some more. We got a lot done, and the collaboration was amazing. Ideas flying all over the place.
Plus it was fun. Did I mention cake? Take a look at what our hostess provided:
In case you can't tell, the little writers around the cake, sitting on cupcakes, are made of icing and holding tiny books on screenwriting - it's hard to read the titles, but those are real covers on those little booklets (the only inedible part of the arrangement).
Throw in some wonderful home-baked cookies, a smidgen of wine, and coffee as necessary. What a recipe for creativity!
