Sent my script to Paramount at DVinfo.net

Rob Belics · June 16th, 2004, 01:54 PM

Sorta.

I know someone who writes for Paramount and Disney. Yes, you've heard of his films. The reason I've spent so much time here is it's one of the links I go to when writing drives me crazy.

Writing is hard. Writing well drives you crazy. It's never right or perfect. One change here affects another change there. Then you can't find where the first change was.

So, 120 pages of crap later, I emailed it to him with every apology known to man.

I wonder if he'll ever speak to me again.

Ken Tanaka · June 16th, 2004, 02:04 PM

The way I view such ventures is that the journey is often the richest part of the trip. At least with your last breath of life you won't be thinking, "Gee, I wish I had..."

Good luck on this, Rob. Let us know what comes of it.

Keith Loh · June 16th, 2004, 02:57 PM

Good luck, Rob! If you ever need another reader, I'm a jerk.

Mark Newhouse · June 16th, 2004, 03:08 PM

Best of luck to you! We'll be anxious to hear how things work out.

Rob Lohman · June 16th, 2004, 03:28 PM

Writing is definitely hard indeed. I'm having troubles myself, heh.
I wish you all the best on that, Rob!

Robert Martens · June 16th, 2004, 05:08 PM

More good wishes here, from yet another Rob.

"It's never right or perfect", true enough, I suppose, but I find it's also never done. Sometimes never started. Be happy you could come up with enough material to fill a hundred and twenty pages, good or bad. I have about a page and a half.

Whether you're a hardened veteran, or a bushy tailed newbie, whether a famous writer likes your script or not, you must put this in perspective: writing that much, heck, writing anything is an enormous accomplishment to most of us. Be proud.

How comforting that is coming from someone like myself, I have no idea, but I do share your first name. That's gotta count for something.

Rob Belics · June 16th, 2004, 07:10 PM

It's funny how the script came about. Well, not funny haha.

Last summer my son asked me a question about something in history. While answering him the whole concept for the script played in my mind. An old man living with another, ala "The Odd Couple". This was last September. It's final version has the protagonist as a 30-year old stock broker living alone.

I think they call that organic writing.

The sad thing is I was so sure I knew how it would work from beginning to end that I just sat down and started typing away. Most of my frustration and time wasting was spent trying to make all that typing fit together well.

At one point I let my son read it and got into a fight with me about how purposeless one scene was. Really pissed me off what a bratty kid he was.

Last week I threw that scene out. Man was it a stinker. What was I thinking?

Damn kids.

Richard Alvarez · June 16th, 2004, 07:16 PM

Rob,

CONGRATS! Pat yourself on the back, shake your own hand and pour yourself a drink. You have crossed the threshold and entered the enchanted world.

Prepare yourself for the descent into the belly of the beast.

(Apologies to Campbell)

Seriously, it's no small accomplishment to make it to "FADE OUT" and hand your child over to some stranger. I know, been there -done that, been paid for it, AND paid to butcher my child.

I think Heinlein said it best - "There's absolutely nothing wrong with writing, as long as you do it in private, and wash your hands afterwards."

Take a deserved rest, and steal yourself for the feedback.

John Hudson · June 16th, 2004, 09:15 PM

The hardest part is letting it go; great for you and no matter the word keep writing.

"I hate to write but love to have written" - agatha christie?

Rob Belics · June 16th, 2004, 09:17 PM

Hey, anything Heineken says is fine with me!

Oops. You said "Heinlein". Oh well. Beers all around!

Actually, I've been in and out of the system for many, many years but this is my first writing venture.

John Hudson · June 16th, 2004, 09:20 PM

<<<-- Originally posted by John Hudson : The hardest part is letting it go; great for you and no matter the word keep writing. Big time props for finishing the work.

"I hate to write but love to have written" - agatha christie? -->>>

Rob Lohman · June 17th, 2004, 02:56 AM

Letting go is hard. But chopping scenes, especially one you loved
or always wanted to happen seems to be even harder. Or so I
read/heard.

Michael Gibbons · June 17th, 2004, 09:00 AM

I've written four screenplays, numerous short stories- one of which I put in the mail last week (I feel your pain Rob) and a couple of novels- one of which I am writing now for the fifth time- I've been at it (the novel) for over ten years and I have come to "The End" now on four seperate occasions- this is not adding countless revisions into the final tally- and I have figured a thing or two out after all this. Er- maybe.

I always cut my favorite scene. It is always crap. Always. Usually it's something that has survived from an earlier draft. Once it had a point, but by the final version it is usually just taking up space; like a vestigal organ, it, at best, adds nothing, at worst it is poisinous to the whole, like an inflamed appendix.

Writing is like sh**ing a sea urchin. And then picking it up and swallowing it. Only to repeat the process twenty or thirty more times, unitl you give up trying to digest the thing, and pass it over to some other sap, hoping he'll mistake it for steak.

One word of advice, never, ever apologize for your work.

I salute you Rob, welcome to what William S. Burroughs refered to as the "Shakespeare Squad".

Michael

Rob Belics · June 17th, 2004, 11:22 AM

Michael,

Funny about apologizing. I did some last minute swapping around of things before I emailed it and felt like I totally screwed it up. But I sent it anyway thinking that if I don't then I'll swap things more and screw it up even more. Hence my groveling with apologies to him.

After a good nights sleep and feeling more relaxed, I re-read what I did and thought, ya know, what I wrote was pretty damned good. Then I went to page one and read the first act and thought, ya know, this is pretty damn good!

I just jinxed myself. Maybe it'll make a good novel. Or a Playboy short story. If they'll have me.

Michael Gibbons · June 17th, 2004, 03:32 PM

It probably won't make that much of a difference if you know the guy reading it. BTW I have to stop myself from doing it on every cover letter, every time. My best groveling apology of all time is,
"Please accept my sympathy for what you are about to endure."
Heh, I should probably preface all my posts with that one too...
Best of luck,
Michael

June 16th, 2004, 01:54 PM	#1
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	Sent my script to Paramount Sorta. I know someone who writes for Paramount and Disney. Yes, you've heard of his films. The reason I've spent so much time here is it's one of the links I go to when writing drives me crazy. Writing is hard. Writing well drives you crazy. It's never right or perfect. One change here affects another change there. Then you can't find where the first change was. So, 120 pages of crap later, I emailed it to him with every apology known to man. I wonder if he'll ever speak to me again.

June 16th, 2004, 02:04 PM	#2
Ken Tanaka Retired DV Info Net Almunus Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 6,943	The way I view such ventures is that the journey is often the richest part of the trip. At least with your last breath of life you won't be thinking, "Gee, I wish I had..." Good luck on this, Rob. Let us know what comes of it. __________________ Lady X Films: A lady with a boring wardrobe...and a global mission. Hey, you don't have enough stuff! Buy with confidence from our sponsors. Hand-picked as the best in the business...Really! See some of my work one frame at a time: www.KenTanaka.com

June 16th, 2004, 02:57 PM	#3
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	Good luck, Rob! If you ever need another reader, I'm a jerk. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

June 16th, 2004, 03:08 PM	#4
Mark Newhouse Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Tucson, AZ Posts: 63	Best of luck to you! We'll be anxious to hear how things work out. __________________ --Mark

June 16th, 2004, 03:28 PM	#5
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Writing is definitely hard indeed. I'm having troubles myself, heh. I wish you all the best on that, Rob! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 16th, 2004, 05:08 PM	#6
Robert Martens Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 820	More good wishes here, from yet another Rob. "It's never right or perfect", true enough, I suppose, but I find it's also never done. Sometimes never started. Be happy you could come up with enough material to fill a hundred and twenty pages, good or bad. I have about a page and a half. Whether you're a hardened veteran, or a bushy tailed newbie, whether a famous writer likes your script or not, you must put this in perspective: writing that much, heck, writing anything is an enormous accomplishment to most of us. Be proud. How comforting that is coming from someone like myself, I have no idea, but I do share your first name. That's gotta count for something.

June 16th, 2004, 07:10 PM	#7
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	It's funny how the script came about. Well, not funny haha. Last summer my son asked me a question about something in history. While answering him the whole concept for the script played in my mind. An old man living with another, ala "The Odd Couple". This was last September. It's final version has the protagonist as a 30-year old stock broker living alone. I think they call that organic writing. The sad thing is I was so sure I knew how it would work from beginning to end that I just sat down and started typing away. Most of my frustration and time wasting was spent trying to make all that typing fit together well. At one point I let my son read it and got into a fight with me about how purposeless one scene was. Really pissed me off what a bratty kid he was. Last week I threw that scene out. Man was it a stinker. What was I thinking? Damn kids.

June 16th, 2004, 07:16 PM	#8
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Rob, CONGRATS! Pat yourself on the back, shake your own hand and pour yourself a drink. You have crossed the threshold and entered the enchanted world. Prepare yourself for the descent into the belly of the beast. (Apologies to Campbell) Seriously, it's no small accomplishment to make it to "FADE OUT" and hand your child over to some stranger. I know, been there -done that, been paid for it, AND paid to butcher my child. I think Heinlein said it best - "There's absolutely nothing wrong with writing, as long as you do it in private, and wash your hands afterwards." Take a deserved rest, and steal yourself for the feedback.

June 16th, 2004, 09:15 PM	#9
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	The hardest part is letting it go; great for you and no matter the word keep writing. "I hate to write but love to have written" - agatha christie?

June 16th, 2004, 09:17 PM	#10
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	Hey, anything Heineken says is fine with me! Oops. You said "Heinlein". Oh well. Beers all around! Actually, I've been in and out of the system for many, many years but this is my first writing venture.

June 16th, 2004, 09:20 PM	#11
John Hudson Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: 32° 44' N 117° 10' W Posts: 820	<<<-- Originally posted by John Hudson : The hardest part is letting it go; great for you and no matter the word keep writing. Big time props for finishing the work. "I hate to write but love to have written" - agatha christie? -->>>

June 17th, 2004, 02:56 AM	#12
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	Letting go is hard. But chopping scenes, especially one you loved or always wanted to happen seems to be even harder. Or so I read/heard. __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

June 17th, 2004, 09:00 AM	#13
Michael Gibbons Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Loveland, Colorado, USA Posts: 292	chopping scenes I've written four screenplays, numerous short stories- one of which I put in the mail last week (I feel your pain Rob) and a couple of novels- one of which I am writing now for the fifth time- I've been at it (the novel) for over ten years and I have come to "The End" now on four seperate occasions- this is not adding countless revisions into the final tally- and I have figured a thing or two out after all this. Er- maybe. I always cut my favorite scene. It is always crap. Always. Usually it's something that has survived from an earlier draft. Once it had a point, but by the final version it is usually just taking up space; like a vestigal organ, it, at best, adds nothing, at worst it is poisinous to the whole, like an inflamed appendix. Writing is like sh**ing a sea urchin. And then picking it up and swallowing it. Only to repeat the process twenty or thirty more times, unitl you give up trying to digest the thing, and pass it over to some other sap, hoping he'll mistake it for steak. One word of advice, never, ever apologize for your work. I salute you Rob, welcome to what William S. Burroughs refered to as the "Shakespeare Squad". Michael __________________ " When some wild-eyed, eight foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head against a bar room wall, and looks you crooked in the eye, and he asks you if you've payed your dues, well, you just stare that big suker right back in the eye, and you remember what old Jack Burton always says at a time like that, 'Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."

June 17th, 2004, 11:22 AM	#14
Rob Belics Major Player Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St. Louis, MO Posts: 581	Michael, Funny about apologizing. I did some last minute swapping around of things before I emailed it and felt like I totally screwed it up. But I sent it anyway thinking that if I don't then I'll swap things more and screw it up even more. Hence my groveling with apologies to him. After a good nights sleep and feeling more relaxed, I re-read what I did and thought, ya know, what I wrote was pretty damned good. Then I went to page one and read the first act and thought, ya know, this is pretty damn good! I just jinxed myself. Maybe it'll make a good novel. Or a Playboy short story. If they'll have me.

June 17th, 2004, 03:32 PM	#15
Michael Gibbons Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Loveland, Colorado, USA Posts: 292	apology It probably won't make that much of a difference if you know the guy reading it. BTW I have to stop myself from doing it on every cover letter, every time. My best groveling apology of all time is, "Please accept my sympathy for what you are about to endure." Heh, I should probably preface all my posts with that one too... Best of luck, Michael __________________ " When some wild-eyed, eight foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head against a bar room wall, and looks you crooked in the eye, and he asks you if you've payed your dues, well, you just stare that big suker right back in the eye, and you remember what old Jack Burton always says at a time like that, 'Have you paid your dues, Jack? Yes sir, the check is in the mail."