Meeting about 1st draft

My meeting about the first draft went well. I'm always expecting so much worse feedback, but I guess that's a good way to prepare myself.

I'm at the honors lounge typing this, and I'm disappointed that the candy they set out for Halloween is already decimated. All that's left are imitation bottle-caps....life is hard.

future occupation

If writing doesn't work out, here are my back-up plans, in order from most desired to least:

1. Professional cross-word puzzle competitor
2. Big game hunter in the Ural mountains.
3. Wood whiddler (I want to carve unsettling faces into trees at national parks and disturb the nature-lovers. It's like old-old school graffiti.)
4. "Don't Forget the Lyrics" contestant
5. Disneyworld security officer.

Second draft and reading

I am reading up a storm right now! I have just finished two Dan Simmons books, one horror and one sci-fi, and I'm currently reading these two memoirs by Frank Bruni and Aaron Cohen, as well as "In Cold Blood" (which I had to request from another library, because shamefully Hagerty did not have it). Now you may be thinking that reading more than one book at a time is stupid, but I read primarily while exercising at the gym. I've developed a technique using a clip to hold the book open on the elliptical or bike so that I can be hands-free.
In order to ensure that I do not get stuck with a slow, irritating story, I take several books and read 20-30 pages of each at a time. This expedites my otherwise interminable work-out. Occasionally I do get quizzical looks for lugging around several hardcovers on my way to the machines, but it is a small price to pay for an escape from the drudgery of physical exertion.

The second draft is not as exhilarating at that first run-through, but it's more satisfying in that it fills in the giant plot wholes and creates a more cohesive unit. At least, that's my intention. It may just be the screenwriting equivalent of "screwing the pooch."

Manic

Trying desperately not to be distracted by my play direction class...

Still without a personal computer

Fall term really stinks. The library is overloaded with people and the computer servers are slow. Plus I'm crippled by guilt when I see the engineers toiling over these complicated math problems and I'm just watching netflix and brainstorming.

Chemicals?

GODDAMN stupid Bigfishgames.com for having so many inane, whimsical games that are just engaging enough to distract me from getting anything productive done. I have found my vice, and it is Virtual Villagers 4: the tree of life.

I already know the story of my life- unfortunate choices that cannot be pitied or related to because they are so laughable.


Also, I've destroyed another laptop. This will be the fourth one since freshman year (granted, only one has been new, the rest were hand-me-downs). Anyway, I have everything backed up, so now I just have to get a new one and put all my shit on it.

Discipline?

I'm on vacation right now, and of course I'm finding it difficult to stay on a writing schedule. There is so much temptation to just waste away the days doing crossword puzzles and downloading game trials on Big Fish games.

The family and I were supposed to go to Ocean City, NJ this weekend, but Early derailed our plans, so that should open up some writing time for me.