I said I’d try to post on a regular basis, and look what happened.

Nothing.

I have only myself to blame.

So casting feelings of letting my loyal readers (both of them) down aside, here’s what’s happened since last time:

Not much.

Granted, I did go to LA for a few days, but the meetings I was hoping for never materialized, with a semi-exception being a phone call with a guy who has also had scripts optioned but never sold or produced.  He said the industry is getting harder for somebody like me to break into.

Great.

On the plus side, he said he’d read two of my scripts.  Still waiting to hear about that.

I also connected with a couple of people who said they would look into setting up some more connections for me.  Still waiting to hear about those as well, including one guy who worked more on the business/legal side of things but knows some people, which includes a writer with representation.  Hoping to talk to her.

I also sent the Chinese restaurant script to the guy from the management firm who seemed interested in Dreamship.  That happened last week, so I’ll drop him a follow-up line in a day or so.

And to wrap it all up, I’m planning to go back around mid-October to see if any of these calls, emails and whatever result in actual meetings.

And incredibly, no word from Producer Guy (formerly known as ‘Manager Guy’).  Maybe I’ll get to meet him in person next time around too.  We’ll see.

Also reconnected with a friend I haven’t seen in years.  She always provided good feedback on my stuff.  She confirmed how I’ve been feeling about the current state of things.

Today is Yom Kippur, so I’m on the tail end of fasting to atone for the past year.  My stomach is growling, my head hurts and there are a few hours to go until the return of food.

So I’ll stop now so I can go lie down.

My schedule was busy today.  So busy that I didn’t get to work on the outline as much as I had hoped.  But I did manage to take care of one small subplot detail that had been bothering me.

Taking a step back, it seems there is just one more detail to work out and then I do that ‘punching up’ I alluded to yesterday.

My, this is thrilling.

I also forgot there was another script I could work on in that two-week interim – the action-adventure.  I don’t think I’ve ever had four scripts in mind at a time.  And that is also thrilling.

Sometime in the next day or so I have to reconnect with the woman I spoke with last week who said she can connect me with some industry folks.  I will also attempt once again to get in touch with Manager Guy.  I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but I wonder if that relationship is quickly heading towards its demise.

I understand he’s probably very busy with his other projects and other possible clients, but communication with him has shrunken to practically non-existent.  And I don’t like it.  I really thought it was going to be different this time, but once again, his interest in me decreased when interest in the script did the same.

Then again, I haven’t heard a thing from him in quite some time, so the truth could be drastically different.

Yeah, I don’t think so either.  So hopefully something may come from these potential meetings.

I think I still have to set up my hotel, so K will help me with that sometime in the next few days.  I’m still deciding whether I need a car.  Maybe/maybe not.  I’m used to the bus system, so we’ll see.

I also promised myself I would try to eat in new and interesting places, rather than the same-ol’, same-ol’ I always do.  I’d like to bring my computer, so CitySearch may be put to use yet again.

I’ll also pose queries to my associates down there to get their input.  While it’s nice to think somebody may offer to buy, I may have to make the offer to them.  And that’s okay too.

Anything to get out of the hotel at dinnertime.

No post last night.  too tired.

But the good news is I got a lot done on the outline.  Just a few more minor details to work out, then it’s done.  Sort of.

While part of me is itching to get working on actual pages, another part says “punch it up some more!”  And although it is SO tempting to dive into the 3-page-a-day routine, I may heed my own advice and see where I can improve it.

This doesn’t constitute anything drastic.  Just putting stuff in to give it more of an impact.  I’m not sure if it was the Chinese restaurant script or Dreamship, but I recall somebody telling me the script in question needed to be “more Hollywood.”

So while the current script is okay, it could definitely use some more work.  But the important thing is that the basic structure is there.  That’s never been a problem for me, but the more I think about it, the more I want to add to it without making it too complicated.

I think it was Billy Wilder who stressed the importance of a relevant joke in every scene.  But having watched BLAZING SADDLES recently, each scene has jokes upon jokes, but that’s not my style, nor is it something I’m capable of.  If I can get at least one joke into each scene, then I’ll feel better.

And I have to remember that snappy responses do not a joke make.

If I do decide to take a two-week hiatus from this script and develop the next one in the interim, I’m still deciding whether to go with the mystery-comedy, the noir comedy or the effects-laden superhero epic.  Fun choices, all.

Decisions, decisions.