I often write a short when I need to get unstuck.  Tell us what we can do Jeff. I think we all want you to take part.

I want to take part and will still try.  One of the issues is time...not as in deadline time, but time in general.  The Holidays are tough...I spent a week with my parents for Thanksgiving, and I leave for Christmas with my sister (and parents) on the 20th.  I've got some things going on recently that are eating up all my day hours (I'm not used to that, actually), and my nights are being wasted away with...well, they're being wasted away quite literally.

I've been feeling like crap lately and been whining and complaining about this and that, so I won't throw those reasons in here now.  Suffice to say, I've been a wuss and a big baby, and just feeling crappy overall, stressed, and shitty.

Maybe I can get going Wednesday, one I finish this shit I've got going tomorrow.

Thanks for all your concern guys...I mean that.  I'll get through this.

Quoted from Dreamscale I want to take part and will still try.  One of the issues is time...not as in deadline time, but time in general.  The Holidays are tough...I spent a week with my parents for Thanksgiving, and I leave for Christmas with my sister (and parents) on the 20th.  I've got some things going on recently that are eating up all my day hours (I'm not used to that, actually), and my nights are being wasted away with...well, they're being wasted away quite literally. I've been feeling like crap lately and been whining and complaining about this and that, so I won't throw those reasons in here now.  Suffice to say, I've been a wuss and a big baby, and just feeling crappy overall, stressed, and shitty. Maybe I can get going Wednesday, one I finish this shit I've got going tomorrow. Thanks for all your concern guys...I mean that.  I'll get through this.

Sometimes people need to bitch and you have my complete permission to do so, Jeff. Not that you need my permission, but I hope you know what I mean.

Pretend I'm your friendly neighborhood bartender.  

Right now, my desire is to finish this tomorrow. Not the first draft, but the first draft of a number of subsequent first drafts. I currently have roughly eighty-some pages. I say eighty-some because I'm very good at going back and trimming off the fat, even though I don't write too fat to begin with, but still...

If I can finish this tomorrow with another thirty pages, hopefully less, then I will be ready to create some reports for myself and begin working on the cards again.

I've found that as I worked through them the first time around, I was getting an interesting new picture that was working. It didn't mean that I was throwing out my old picture altogether, but I was working with what I was getting, as a gift from the muse gods.

My challenge will be to learn to pace the story with all of the character threads. Perhaps it's to be my bane in the screenwriting world, that multiple character movies are drawing me. Why can't I make myself a nice and simple little script? I can't answer that, but this is the way it's turning out and truthfully, I'm enjoying it.

The positive feeling I'm getting though is that I think I've managed to create a kind of "group character" in this script in that they are all fulfilling one function and all have one goal in a specific way and so if "a common desire" defines and individual, then here, a "common desire" is defining "the group" that is working for one goal.

I don't know if I'm explaining it very well, but I'm trying to make a group of individuals be "the protagonist". Their personal challenges are all different, but their unified goal, to help certain individuals in the story are the same.

It's a dialogue heavy script and I intend to keep it that way, but I want to work up the elements of the visuals and get a feel for the time spacing and pace of it as a whole.

Thanks again Johnny for providing the challenge. It couldn't happen without people like you!

Sandra

You have a lot of holidays in America, don't you!

The last public holiday we had here was one day back in August!

I am shattered from work and everyone there is dragging themselves towards the Christmas break (which starts for me on the 18th). Redundancies earlier this year meant that there are less of us to do even more work and it is taking it's toll.

I am tired, depressed and generally pissed off. So it is just like Christmas already!

Quoted from Niles Crane I am tired, depressed and generally pissed off. So it is just like Christmas already!

I hear you.  I'm knackered already too.  I work for Royal Mail so this is our busiest time, then I've got a second job so by the time I get home to start writing, my eyes start nodding lol.  I do have some holidays after Xmas so I should get to read over the 7WC scripts...hopefully mine will be among them.

How's everyone doing? I reached the end today at 95 pages.

It completely sucks goat balls (Baltis fan quote), but I did it...usually it takes me just a couple of weeks to stamp one out. That's not bragging however because they are usually really bad. Now I need to learn to stay focused enough for re-writes.  

Well done P! I've finished the handwriting, have 2 pages to put on the computer.
Its up to 110 pages but i hope to knock at least 10 off in revision.
The mad finale had me stuck for a couple of days - i knew what i wanted but it was hard to write.
The fact that the whole script has a 'crazy' feel to it got it through in the end. My logline should contain the words - Suspend a good deal of belief all ye who read this...

Now i can relax and read through it at leisure, fixing and cutting.   This has been fun??!!

Ps - its goat NIPS!! But balls sound ok too..

Nice job, you two!  Seriously!  Congrats on a difficult job, well done!

For me, we're still perched at ZERO pages, and interest is getting lower by the day.  Not looking goof for this kid here.

How's everyone else doing?

Quoted from stevie Well done P! Ps - its goat NIPS!! But balls sound ok too..

I don't know who P is, but I know it's not me...

I believe balls is what he used to use long time ago. I could of course be wrong.

So we have Balt, Stevie, sandra and me finished with at least a first draft?  

P = "Pia" maybe?

Well done guys! I have lots on this week, still at around 35 pages.

Next week I will get cracking and write lots every day. I WILL finish by the deadline!

Quoted from Grandma Bear I don't know who P is, but I know it's not me... I believe balls is what he used to use long time ago. I could of course be wrong. So we have Balt, Stevie, sandra and me finished with at least a first draft?

Yes, now I need to work on working it. A lot of checks and balances are in order and there are things I'd like to work into it as well and some very fine edits.

The show must go on!

Sandra

I'm finished with mine... I got to 3rd draft.  Took out a ton in the middle and chopped out a story.  It works.  It's good. I'm happy with it... I wouldn't be posting if I wasn't 100% okay with it.  I'd just opt out completely.  

It's not terribly new or innovative but it's good.  It takes all the elements of horror and comedy, mixes them together and runs its course.  But there isn't a more abstract santa than this one. That is true. I hope to read some good scripts from the rest of the participants as well.  

I may decide to do one. I'm not sure yet - it depends on how much time I will have.  But I came up with an idea yesterday.  It's called

Candy Kane  

Santa's master candy-maker elf vows to have his revenge on Santa and Christmas after being wrongly accused of a murder he didn't commit.    

Quoted from Tommyp P = "Pia" maybe?

I know exactly what he meant. First rule of social etiquette is to not make fun of or alter someone's name or chosen nickname. You don't call Don Donny, Shelton Sheltie, bert Berty Basset  or George Willson GW.

Take it easy Stevie, I'm not mad, I was trying to be helpful.

Balt, I hear what you are saying. I'm not exactly proud of mine, but will post it anyway. Hopefully with some feedback, I can turn it into something decent at least.

Cornetto, I know you can write one in hurry! Go for it!  I know Jeff can too...  

Sandra, I'm proud of you. I'm sure yours is a real trip.  

Took my Dad to see 2012...Cut deeply into writing time, but tomorrow should be like eggs in coffee...Working on establishing the romantic aspect to spin this character around some- give him something to think about before taking on the next big gig...