A couple of days ago, I got an exceptionally nice mention in a blog post written by a very dear friend, in which she mentioned my ongoing efforts at writing a screenplay. After reading the post (and spending another day mulling over the idea that sometimes people recognize you as much for your attempted accomplishments as they do for the ones that you have actually accomplished), I realized that it had be months since I posted my own article on where I am in the process of taking an idea, and turning it into a finished, 100 plus page manifestation of the original spark inside my dimly lit writer’s mind.
My conclusion (after the day of mulling) is that, while life can be life’s own biggest ball and chain, there comes a time in the writer’s life when he just has to take the advice of his 9th grade typing teacher and (thank you Mr. Wanous), “Just keep typing”. There will never be a better time for putting your story on the (computer) screen, than the moments you have right the hell now. It doesn't matter if it’s a few words out of a character’s mouth, scribbled in the margin of a work report from the night job you blame for keeping you from writing in the first place... it doesn't matter if it’s an illegally thumb-typed (remember that texting to yourself while driving is also a finable offense in California) memo on the notepad app on your cell phone. And it sure as hell doesn’t matter if it’s one brilliant plot twist that you have on a wallpaper post-it on your laptop. Script is script. And writing is writing, even when it doesn’t feel anymore like writing than Cheetos feels like food.
“Just keep typing”.
As always, I will leave you with a small portion of the unfinished script of Between Love and Orgasms. In this scene, between Robbie, the main character, and his best Tagalog-speaking, Filipino work friend Buddy (a character I always see being played by the one and only Ken Jeong), Buddy is attempting to explain why the only thing worse than sex with your next-door neighbor’s Russian wife is sex on the internet.
BUDDY
Paano ko ito sinasabi? It's kinda like bragging
about a 3 inch penis in a roomful of porn stars,
and getting away with it... until you decide to
meet for real, and then Ikaw ay fucked sa
pamamagitan ng hindi pa fucked.
ROBBIE
Google translate that one for me please.
BUDDY
You get fucked by not getting fucked.
BUDDY
Paano ko ito sinasabi? It's kinda like bragging
about a 3 inch penis in a roomful of porn stars,
and getting away with it... until you decide to
meet for real, and then Ikaw ay fucked sa
pamamagitan ng hindi pa fucked.
ROBBIE
Google translate that one for me please.
BUDDY
You get fucked by not getting fucked.
So, I'll keep typing... and see you next time.
Copyright © 2012 Bill Friday
