Writing On Spec

An award caliber procrastinator discovers a new and dangerous pursuit to keep him from actually writing another script. Why another Blog? I love to talk screenwriting. I love to talk story. I live in Richmond, VA. It's almost easier to get produced than find another screenwriter here. We are the anti-LA.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Checking in...

It's been awhile. Can't say that I haven't been shamed into writing due to Shawna's threat to remove all those that don't post regularly (over at www.shoutingintothewind.com). However, writing is writing and lately I've felt less like writing and more like doing something drastic. Thankfully, I've been able to submerge myself in copious amounts of old television shows until the mood has passed.

Basically, I'm one of the many who was forced to take a pay cut to keep my job, only to discover that our illustrious CEO has raked in somewhere upwards of $50 million over the last three years (so while I just lost the last 5 years of raises, he'll be fine). Now, I know the way it goes, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer - you need money to make money, the list goes on, but never do I feel that the poor and middle class have been as publicly defrocked as in the recent past. The media and information outlets have become so ubiquitous that you can swing a dead cat without stumbling across some form of media device that can spout the most current information available on whomever or whatever is going on in the world.

Thus when all this frustration bubbled up and I began ranting to my wife about economics, the workforce, CEO's and the like I was surprised at the words that sprang to mind. I'm mad as hell... and I'm not going to take it. Huh. It struck a chord immediately. This is going around again. I know Paddy was a gifted writer, but I don't for a minute think the emotions from that film were just made up. So you writers out there with more dedication (read less family matters) than me should take a hint from the times and talk about some frustration. 'Cause let me tell you, there is lots of frustration in this country right now. How is it that good, honest people are losing their houses? Can't feed their family? Good workers losing their jobs when executives are raping the companies? I heard on the news that the billions in taxes that saved the financial businesses are being used to help the wealthy avoid paying taxes (tax shelters abroad). There is an estimate that folks have avoided something like 100 billion in tax revenue.

Now don't get me wrong - I don't believe all the wealthy are bastards, but it does seem that those self-serving upstarts of the 80's are just killing our country and making it hard for everyone without a second thought to anybody else.

Stories about the little guy winning, about justice being served - heck, perhaps a remake of Falling Down? Only this time, he'll be getting away with it because we're tired of seeing the downtrodden guy get screwed. Who knows.

Maybe next time I'll have some specific writing advice, but for now, it's think about the people you're around every day, think about the people you see on the news and how they're feeling. Take the pulse of the people and see if you can figure out what they want to hear, then provide it.

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