The Rundown

I passed the 60-page mark on my current screenplay. This means it's beginning to be a real screenplay and not just 50 pages of shit. Although I suppose it could now be 60 pages of shit, but that's unlikely. I tend to believe the more pages you rack up, let less fecal a script seems. Less pages means more room for it to just flame out as you realize it was a bad idea from the get-go. When you're deep in there, 40, 50, 60 pages in, how can it suck? How can you have chased this sucky idea for that long? Answer: you couldn't have, your good sense wouldn't have let you. Then again, I once got coverage that said a script I wrote was a "bad idea badly written." So I don't know. Hemingway's got his opinion about the first draft of everything, so I guess by his lights it's all shit no matter how many pages I log - that is, until I turn it into a second draft. Funny aside... a quote from Jim Jarmusch, spoken to a NY Times reporter at this year's Cannes: "I don't do drafts." You tell 'em, Jim.

Had a major revelation yesterday that basically gave me the whole ending. It was a real eureka moment, one of those kind that come few and far between in a writer's life, and it was exhilerating (sp?). Really. I my emailed my old writing partner. I called my girlfriend. I wanted to call my mom, but it was too late in New Jersey.

Chatted up the writer of Crash and Million Dollar Baby, who works out of theOffice these days. Nice guy. Smokes a lot. I should smoke. He looks pensive when he does it. Of course it's probably the Oscar nomination that makes him look pensive.

Writing a 12 minute short with Matt, my newer writing partner, to submit to a festival and/or shoot ourselves. It follows the night and day Dr. John Barry Roundtree, spiritual guru, has a life altering meltdown involving his long-lost mistress and a contract killer. Prediction: HIGH-larity.

Submitted some writing samples to The Bedford Diaries, Tom Fontana's new show, which was picked up for next year. Those of you who know me know I've been trying for ten years to vie for a job with him. Now I'm in the running and it's all up to my talent. Whooooo boy. I'm doomed.

Still no script from the Get Low director. And here it is nearly Memorial Day. Hmm.