2016 To-Do List EXTRAVAGANZA!
And, as always, I'll begin by taking a look back at 2015's list and see just how well I did. And I am keeping in mind that as I begin to pen this entry, there are still 20 days left in December, and thus 2015, so you never know! :)
Here's a link to that 2015 list: http://klugula.blogspot.com/2014/12/2015-to-do-list-extravaganza.html
But for everyone's benefit, I'll display the list and answer to each one of them individually.
1) SPIDER EATERS -- 2nd and 3rd drafts complete.
DONE and DONE! (That's one!)
2) SPIDER EATERS -- Prep for reading / READING
DONE and DONE! (That's two!)
3) SPIDER EATERS -- 4th draft / post reading
DONE (That's three!)
4) SPIDER EATERS -- 4 contest entries (including Shriekfest and Screamfest)
This is a mix of "done" and "undone". I did enter the script into 3 contests, but none of them were Screamfest or Shriekfest (I missed those dates). So while it's not a completion of task #4 (resulting in a "DONE"), I'll still mark it as a success! But have no fear, as Spider Eaters will enter those two festivals this season!
5) ME and SIMON BAKER -- new draft / clean-up
Didn't happen. Oh, poo.
6) ME and SIMON BAKER -- 3 final contests before "retiring" script (Night of Terror, Shriekfest, Screamfest)
I got two out of three on this one! Not too shabby, but also not enough to call it "DONE"! Alas -- still a 66% success!
7) CLARE, THIS IS JULIA -- 1st draft
I looked at this script once -- and did NO work. FAIL!
8) SCRATCHER novel (formerly LOTTO) -- 1st draft
I think I may have glanced at this, but I don't recall actually doing any work on it. Maybe a little. Since it was supposed to be a finished first draft, we can safely stamp this one with FAIL!
9) A GREAT YARD -- short film (pre-pro / shoot / post)
Not much. I had a meeting w/ my lead actress and possible co-hort in the production, but that's about it. FAIL.
10) A GREAT YARD -- 5 film festivals entered
Based on the fail of #9, I think we can venture a guess as to how this task fared. FAIL!
11) LINDSAY'S LOCKER -- feature spec / 1st draft
I think there might have been a brief look in the direction of this script, but no writing was done here. FAIL!
12) ANGELICA -- 1st draft
Not so much as opening a file. FAIL!
13) SILVER SPOON -- 5 contests entered
Nope. However, I did do a little work w/ my beloved friend and story editor (Ms. Jackson) on this, so this baby will definitely see some work and traffic in 2016! However, still a FAIL!
14) THE 53 -- complete or "retire"
Not a Goddamned thing! FAIL!
15) FURNISH -- 3 more contests entered then "retirement"
Lots of feedback on this one, including a lengthy discussion w/ my story editor. I still have 3 weeks in the year, and this project is one of my biggie tasks for December. However, I did enter this into Shriekfest -- where it ended up a semi-finalist!
16) TONIGHT I SHALL LEASE YOUR SOUL -- trailer (pre-pro / shoot / post)
Haha! Nope. Another FAIL!
17) A. FAMILY PORTRAIT -- 4 contests entered
Not quite 4 -- only 2. So not a total fail. 50% success rate!
18) THE FRENCH TOAST NINE -- 1st draft
This saw some work, but again, I have plans for the final 3 weeks of the year to complete a first draft on this baby. Still a possibility! We'll update before year's end!
19) Leave behind day-job for full-time writing!
You know what? I passed this mother-effer with flying colors. I left behind my full-time day job in retail -- all the way back in April. I stuck around for part-time work until September then left it all behind for good. Now, I am a full time writer! How's that for an Extravaganza?! DONE!
20) MANY VACATIONS!
DONE! With extensive road trips to places like Utah and Tucson -- as well as plenty of gambling trips to Vegas and Laughlin, we got out of the house a lot. #20 can consider itself stamped with a YES!
Now...as is also the common case, I will make note of the other projects I completed/worked on in 2015, thus offering some rationalization as to why some of the above tasks were left undone.
* In addition to all of the drafts of Spider Eaters, I actually made it all the way through 8 total drafts, including several incarnations post-reading. That one saw a buttload of work in 2015! And as mentioned above, 3 contests have been entered!
* October saw my one year anniversary writing movie reviews and feature articles for Best Horror Movies.com (now Horror Freak News). Since my begin date, I've written over 100 pieces! That means a lot of movies watched and reviews penned! That's a lot of time writing! I also attended three film festivals where I covered some red carpet events and wrote a heckuva lot of reviews and met some awesome folks! So while not all of the tasks in the list were completed, I still wrote lots!
* I started work with a company (through the referral of my buddy Lisa) doing script-writing and editing for corporate videos. Basically, interviewers in the field gather information for clients by discussing shopping/eating/living habits of consumers. All of this info must be edited down into a digestible and entertaining 5-10 minute video which will later be used in training at the client's offices. Lots of info in a tiny little nutshell. So I write the voice-overs, assist in the overall look of the completed video and spend lots of time going through transcripts to find appropriate consumer feedback to fit the story of the video. So far, I've worked on 3 different projects! And it pays well too! Being paid to write... what a novelty!
* I've begun a new feature script (not far along) about a film critic (imagine that). No further details, but I think it could be promising!
So drum roll, please...
The official to-do list EXTRAVAGANZA for 2016!
1) SILVER SPOON script update. Basically another couple of drafts to get this into ship-shape before festival submissions -- including incorporating all notes from Ms. Jackson. Several steps, but one goal -- to call this COMPLETE!
2) SILVER SPOON to (at least) 5 festival/screenwriting competitions -- top priority: Filmquest, Screamfest, Shriekfest.
3) SPIDER EATERS to (at least) 3 festival/screenwriting competitions -- top priority: Screamfest, Shriekfest. Once this is done, I can basically call this project COMPLETE.
4) A GREAT YARD short film. Pre-pro/Production/Post-pro. Lots of steps, but again -- one goal.
5) A GREAT YARD short film to at least 5 film festivals -- top priority: Screamfest, Shriekfest, Filmquest
6) LINDSAY'S LOCKER -- feature script first draft (let's try this again)
7) HARSH CRITIC -- feature script first draft
8) FURNISH feature script -- reading prep (a couple of drafts more) and reading
9) FURNISH feature script -- post reading draft (s)
10) FURNISH feature script to (at least) 5 film festival/screenplay competitions -- top priority: Screamfest, Filmquest
11) THE FRENCH TOAST NINE feature script -- 1st (I expected to have this done before the end of the year 2015, but not looking probable) 2nd and 3rd drafts
12) THE FRENCH TOAST NINE feature script -- reading prep and reading
13) THE FRENCH TOAST NINE feature script -- 4th and 5th drafts (post reading)
14) SCRATCHER novel -- first draft (trying this one again)
15) HORROR LADIES OF THE '80s -- this series of articles for Horror Freak News MUST find completion -- probably w/ in the first month of the year!
16) Putting THE 53 ZOMBIE MOODS book project on the list once more -- with continued hope to see this project through!
17) Begin the flirtations with taking a possible look at sometime in the next year -- maybe thinking about kind of pursuing some acting scenarios again... how that goes, remains to be seen.
18) This is more of an "out there wish" rather than a task on a to-do list, but what the heck, it's my life and my list! MOVE INTO A HOUSE and leave behind community living once and for all!
19) Summer trip back home to SD. (It's been over 8 years).
20) THE FRENCH TOAST NINE feature script. I am putting it out there. I want to be into pre-production on my first feature by year's end. So there!
And there you have it, folks! My biggie To Do List Extravaganza for 2016! Lots of do-able tasks, and many more extreme wishes and tasks. But if you don't put it out there, you won't get anything, right?
So I'll check back on this monster list in about 52 weeks to see how far I've come. I must remember too, that I no longer have a day job -- so not completing many of these would be shameful! That's the spirit, Klug! :)
Hold me to 'em, friends!
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