Words Are Wind, or How I Learned to Stop Procrastinating and Write!

Procrastination has always troubled my mind soul. There are so many distractions in this modern day and age. (Fun fact: this first sentence took me about 3 hours to write because I kept get distracted and procrastinating! EGAD!)

Aaaand, blaming procrastination on other components (such as this modern day and age) is just ONE of the classic excuses to excuse not working or writing. In fact, I could list an almost endless list of reasons why procrastination is easier to come by in the year 2015, but making that list would, in fact, be just another sad attempt to procrastinate! It's a never ending spiral down the existential rabbit hole and before I stumble down, I am going to stop myself.

Wow, okay. So, if anyone could follow the above paragraph, I applaud you because I'm not so sure it makes sense and at this point it very much just could be a meaningless ramble of "Ben" thoughts.

It has been a little more than a month since I last updated my blog and, looking back, have I accomplished much? Eh... Once again, that was an "Eh..." I feel like every time I come to this blog it is just me, promising to write, and then failing to do so. There are lots of big events, competitions, and seminars coming up and I need to make sure the material I have (feature scripts, spec scripts, and original pilots) are polished, perfect, and ready to submit. I am the type of person who usually waits until the last possible moment to submit an assignment. One time, in college, I did just that on the end of the year paper. I pulled an all-niter, promising myself I would write this paper. Welp, I stayed up all night, yes, but didn't write anything until about 2 hours before the class. Why put myself through that torture?!? WHY?!

Well, this time, I shan't. (P.S. "Shan't" is probably one of my top 3 favorite words/contractions. It just fills me with Steampunkian joy). So aside from my novel, WHICH IS ALMOST DONE dear God yes (And by almost done, I mean the first draft. Cause, whooey, I gots to edit/rewrite/fix a lot of it. FUN.), I am currently prepping these below projects:

Feature Scripts: 11 in development.
That may sound like a lot, but some of them are nothing more than general premises/outlines. For the upcoming Nicholl Fellowship, I am planning on submitting 3 (and that's being optimistic). At least one script is my hope. "Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope..."

Spec Scripts: 3
Spec Scripts are notoriously hard for me. I feel like I am writing a fan-fic and I don't really like writing for characters that aren't mine. Unfortunately, a lot of competitions require a spec script, so gotta do it, to it. Really just gotta push this one out somehow. I have 3, okay 2.5, options going right now...so we shall see.

TV Pilot: 2
One drama, one comedy. These two are my babies and my loves. I want to make sure they are perfect and I feel very attached. I need to release them from my helicopter parent grip and get them out there because holding them close to my chest isn't making anything happen.

COMPETITIONS: 8+
There's a lot out there to submit too, which is nice, but that doesn't make things easy. The Nicholl, NBC's Writers on the Verge, ABC/Disney, WB, AFF, Script Pipeline, CBS, etc. The most important thing is to write and submit, otherwise there is no chance at success!

So, thank you for coming along on this journey of me procrastinating actually working on said scripts, but instead writing a blog post about it. Oy! And if you want to read any of my TV Recaps/Reviews on shows such as Bates Motel, Once Upon a Time, Gotham, Salem, etc. Check 'em out here at Whedonopolis.com.

K, BAI.

-ben josé

 

31 Days til NaNoWriMo 2014: SteamPUNKed

Just announced: NaNoWriMo's 2014 Theme: Steampunk!!! Okay, I am nerding out because my novel (ya know, the one three years in the making now) is steampunk themed! So, this must be a sign that I will finish it this year and everything will be great? Right? Right.

It's about to be the month of October, the month of spirits and fall. That means only 31 days left to prepare for the forthcoming NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, for the plebeians). As I have been working on my novel all year, I just need to further crack my knuckles and prepare to devote ALL my time to it, not just moments here and there.

Life has been going well so far. Instead of moving in November like I did last year, my girlfriend and I jumped the gun and will be moving in October! Aha! Still in Los Angeles, just to a completely different part of the City of Angels. Excited for the change.

 

Also, I fixed my broken phone, fixed my broken car, finished up other issues. I don't want any distractions when it comes to NaNoWriMo. The cruel apple red face of Netflix stares me down and I can't look away, but I must, I MUST. Be gone, Netflix! I banish you from my sights. After binging three seasons of Scandal, I just can't. But, what is that...more shows, more movies. WHY!?

 Excuse that mental break above, I will find a way to disable my Netflix during NaNo, or else doom will fall. In my spare time, I've also been writing for this great site called Whedonopolis.com. If you can't guess from the title they are lovers of all things Joss Whedon. Ya know the guy. He did Buffy, The Avengers... I could go on, but I shan't.

Anyways, I've been writing reviews for them including, Bates Motel, Salem, Under the Dome, Gotham, and Once Upon A Time. So if any of those shows interest you, take a look: www.whedonopolis.com. Also check out my book reviews on Goodreads! I'm doing the "52 book in 52 weeks challenge." 34 books down, so I'm a little behind schedule. Don't worry though, reader. Reading is fun!

Welp, that's about it. Let the countdown begin. 31 days. I already feel it. This is the year I finish my book. #Steampunk 4 EVAR!

-ben josé

LeNoWriHo! (Or how I am spending the next 40 days. Also, acronyms are fun!)

I've deactivated my Facebook, I've thrown myself into my novel, I'm writing book and TV show reviews, I'm reading more and more, and social life is taking a backseat. Why you ask? Because it is LeNoWriHo!

Why, what could LeNoWriHo possibly mean, Ben?? Let me tell you! It means: Lent Novel Writing Holiday. Yes, I came up with that all by myself. I consider myself somewhat of an acronym connoisseur.

I've got my thinking hard hat on! (No, I'm not a construction worker).

For the next forty days and forty nights, I shall write, read, blog, review, and more! My last blog post was all about seizing the moment and realizing that both good and bad moments are never permanent. So in the spirit of Catholic guilt, I shall give up the addiction to Facebook, the addiction to stress and worry, the addiction to cronuts... (er, actually, I won't be giving up cronuts, who am I kidding with that one!).

Heaven never tasted so good.

So, 

Follow me as I continue to write my novel. Things are heating up in this fake world inside my head. Only the fluorescent screen of my computer shares in the exciting drama of my novel. Soon, world, soon...

"A mind needs books, like a sword needs a whetstone."

Follow me as I compete in my first ever "52 books in 52 weeks" challenge. I kept seeing my former roommate compete in this challenge year after year and I kept telling myself I was going to do it. 2014 is the year. Check out my goodreads page and be my friend to see the stats! I'm already 10 books in. 42 more to go.

Follow me as I also compete in a "Reading Bingo" with my girlfriend. Basically, you have to read a specific book in order to cross it off the bingo sheet, such as the "second book in a series," "a forgotten classic," etc. It's a fun way to read and learn. Nerd Alert!

I'm the green one. Mel is red. She clearly needs to catch up :)

Follow me as I write book and television reviews for the website Whedonopolis.com. They write about all thing Joss Whedon and all things geek. One of the shows I review is Bates Motel, which is in its second season. If you haven't seen the first season yet, please watch it on Netflix. The show is quirky and creepy and altogether a bit psychotic!

Now... LeNoWriHo shall commence! I promise* I will stop using these obnoxious acronyms.

*by promise, I mean I don't promise. Not at all.

- ben josé