The Answer

One afternoon last week. Robb drives his kids Harris (age 7) and Parker (age 3) down the street.

HARRIS: Dad, can we go to the train store?
ROBB: Not today, son,we’re going to the mall. Remember we need to go get a Christmas present for your Mom from you and Parker.
HARRIS: But Dad, you said last week we could go sometime.
ROBB: I know son, and we will. But right now we need to go to get that present for your Mom. Today is our only chance to all go together.
HARRIS: But Dad, we never get to–
ROBB: I already said the answer son.
HARRIS: But we–
ROBB (interrupting, voice slightly raised): I already said the answer.

Harris mopes. Parker takes it all in.

CUT TO: That night, an hour past Parker’s bedtime. Robb reads Parker the last page of yet another storybook.

ROBB: And Thomas and Percy fell fast asleep. (putting the book away) Okay, Parker, it’s time for bed.
PARKER: I want another Thomas story.
ROBB: But that was the last book. It’s time for bed now.
PARKER: I want another Thomas story!
ROBB (tucking him in): But it’s time to tuck you in and give you a kiss good–
PARKER: I already said the answer!

Random Question #25

2007 – Was it good for you?

Random Question #24

What is Stevie Nicks’s best song with Fleetwood Mac that does NOT have a one-word title?

Not Gonna Happen

This hurts me.

As recently as 2 weeks ago I was convinced that I still had a shot at meeting The Challenge before the end of 2007. Now I have come to realize that it is not gonna happen. Not this year. I was manageably behind until about September, but then the move happened. I knew this would cut severely into my writing time, but I remained ambitious and optimistic. A little too optimistic.

I will not cross the finish line but I won’t say I failed – Psycho Ex has 45 completed script pages in a 54-page document (script + outline). Dead Guy currently has 22/31. So while I would have liked to have written more, and in less time than 8 months or whatever, The Challenge was successful in getting me off my butt. Mental masturbation? Maybe. But those are 85 pages that would probably not have been written otherwise.

And I’m not done yet.

I’ve had a few ideas of possible ways to continue into 2008 with a bigger, better Challenge 2.0, possibly (1) finishing one of the scripts by a date in summer 2008, (2) completing a showable (not just a first draft) of BOTH scripts and getting both uploaded to industry readers on inktip.com by the end of 2008, or most ambitiously (3) getting both scripts uploaded to inktip.com by some summer 2008 date. But, in the spirit of The Challenge and of setting ambitious – even scary – goals for myself, I’ve had another idea: opening up The Challenge 2.0 to discussion by you guys. After all, one of the biggest goals of The Challenge – and of setting up a blog to put the process out there for everyone to see – was to (try to) get myself out of my comfort zone and take on new ideas/requirements/pressure from the outside. It may not have always looked like it, and I may have made decisions regarding what is “realistic” and whatever in a way that may have seemed arbitrary at times, but The Challenge was pretty successful at doing this. Hey, 85 pages. Good old external motivation.

So what do you think? One script by the summer? Both by December? Something completely different I haven’t even thought of? Let’s do this.

Challenge me.

Random Question #23

What has been the best happy accident of your life so far?

Billion-Dollar Idea #3

Do you love Italian food? Do you love Mexican food? Then Spaghetti Salsa™ is for you.

What is marinara sauce? Tomatoes, vegetables, and some spices. What is salsa? Tomatoes, vegetables, and some spices. Put them together and you’ve got… Spaghetti Salsa™. Goes great with tortilla chips. And meatballs. At the same time.

Just send me your checks now.