Friday, August 3, 2007

Movie Moments


You ever find yourself with a group of friends making lists of your favorite movies, or best lays, or greatest fights? That's your High Fidelity Moment.

Do you remember the first time you heard a song or band that was so perfect, you felt like they were speaking to you? That was your Almost Famous Moment.

Or your Office Space Moment - to find that perfect opportunity to slip in "two chicks at the same time" during casual conversation.

Life is a lot more interesting if you view it as a series of movie moments.

Anyway, the last couple weeks have sucked. Not very many movie moments to speak of.

I've been full of self-doubt when it comes to my writing, and have been avoiding working on my latest feature spec at all costs. There's a lot of pressure in writing as it is, and a looming 12 month deadline doesn't make things any easier.

I needed a movie moment to get me out of my rut.

I wanted a Taxi Driver Moment.

Unfortunately, I've already been shaving my head every morning since I was 19 - so I couldn't exactly sport a mohawk to fulfill that moment.

So I did the next best thing. I shaved my goatee.

That might not seem very significant to you if you have a full head of hair - but believe me, when it's the only hair on your entire head with the exception of your eyebrows - it's a big fucking deal.

Don't judge me, bitch.

And a funny thing happened when I shaved it... I started writing. And writing.

Not only did I feel reinvigorated and was writing again, but I came up with a much-needed climax to the current project I'm working on. And it works.

I gotta tell you, though - the life of a writer sucks. It's a sick roller coaster of emotions. One day you're feeling confident and on top of the world, and the next you're wondering who you're tying to kid by thinking you can do this for a living.

But, we need to work through those rough times in order to get to the good ones - because there's nothing more satisfying than writing something you're proud of.

So, the next time you're having some self-doubt or are in a rut when it comes to your writing - give yourself a cool movie moment.

You never know, it might just work.

And speaking of work you're proud of - if you remember, last month I talked about a small exercise we did on the Artful Writer forums. We had to write a five page short on the theme of dealing with a bully.

Here's mine - FLY BALL

16 comments:

Christian H. said...

I always say right before you decide to try this, shoot yourself in the head.

It's psychotic. It's overly-demanding, nearly impossible to do consistently. No one wants to talk to you. You'll be lucky if you even get a fuck off, much less a consider or recommend.

The place may have something similar in the works. It takes too long to find out and then it's usually that they just never call.

But you know what,

I LOVE IT. Every frustrating minute. I have a full-time job and don't think I even sleep anymore. I'm not sure because my brain started smoking after my 5th book, 30th blog, 50th script read and 1000th article

Where was I? The hell if I know at this point.

ASA said...

Nice work on the 5 pages, Mr. IQ.

Anonymous said...

even Samson could still bench press 200 after shaving his balls... good going on the breakthrough... I had to switch scripts to find mine, but I whipped off 35 pages yesterday, a new record

IQCrash said...

Gracias Mr. Matt.

ASA said...

Quill, tell me, how is that 'kicking the Meth' thing going for you?

35 pages! Holy shit!

Danny said...

So shaving your goatee did it, huh?

I don't have a goatee.

I wonder what'll happen if I shave my ass.

Christina said...

I read your short. I like your voice on the page!

Josh said...

Ah, breakthroughs. I remember those. At this point the partner and I would settle for just getting into the groove of writing again, I think. Congrats.

And I agree with Matt--nice work on the 5 pages. Love the symmetry.

IQCrash said...

Danny! Good to see you around here, bud. :)

Have you met MovieQuill? He's a gay.

And thanks shecanfilmit and Josh, appreciate the compliments on the short.

annabel said...

Help! I've fallen in a rut and I can't get out.

Seriously, I am glad you are out of the rut, because one of us needs to be enthusiastic at all times. :)

Anonymous said...

me gay, just because I suck cock in development meetings? psshaw (sorry, had a boner lodged in my molars, that was "perhaps.")

Anonymous said...

I think you need to drop the whole 12 Months notion, and commit to this writing shit as long as you enjoy it and see yourself making progress. No matter how bad it may feel during the doing part, temp bitch.

Unknown said...

You write because you can't do otherwise. You write because you love it.

I'm glad shaving something reminded you that you love it. But those movie moments that inspire you come from somebody else's pen. This is your turn to create somebody else's next movie moments. Inspire them.

Because you love it.

Anonymous said...

Fake.

We all know that Tim Talbott wrote that.

You should be ashamed.

IQCrash said...

Tim Talbott made the above comment.

He is jealous of my writing skillz.

He wishes he could write like me.

Look him up on IMDB.

He's working on a movie about prison rape right now.

Tim Talbott wanted me to "work out a scene from the movie" with him.

I wouldn't let him rape me.

Anonymous said...

IQ Corpse,

Eddie's right. Don't be a dilettante about you writing. The 12-month, make-it-or-break-it deadline can be a great motivator, but what I think you failed to acount for is the inevitable down time...

times when you're at a loss for words, times when you're so frustrated you lash out at yourself and others...

times when you literarily can't get it up.

Shaving the chin pubes was a quick dose of viagra.

Christian's right, too. The path we've chosen isn't easy. It's downright nauseating, humbling and frustrating...and I still love it.

Naked chin up, son. You're at the beginning of the marathon and you might want to pace yourself.

Stercus Accidit

p.s. - stop flogging your short (HA!) and show me something new.