My friend Julie –– who is brilliant and wise and a terrific editor –– after reading my blog about condensing the script yesterday, very enthusiastically recommended I read SAVE THE CAT! by Blake Snyder, which is one of the few screenwriting books that seems to have eluded me (although it was published in 2005, mostly after I stopped compulsively reading them.)
I raced out to buy it last night before picking Susan up at the airport, not only because of Julie’s recommendation, but also because it’s only 195 pages. Having spent 5 minutes reading it this morning, I’m loving it and so eager to devour it today.
I do have to be careful, however, in that I don’t want to distract myself with totally worthy activities when I have immediate Miracle Generating activities abounding on my To Do List. [IE, I could read books on screenwriting and watch relevant films all day; that’s not going to cut those necessary 84 pages, however, that prevent this script from being handed to the A-list star of our choice.]
FYI, when I renewed my U.P.S. Store mailbox yesterday, I told them that I was going to pay even though the box was broken, and by that I meant that I had received no good news in the mail lately.
“What kind of a person would pay for a mailbox that only brought them bad news?” I asked, and somehow this inspired them to waive my $10 late fee given that they admitted the box was therefore broken, but felt confident some good news was coming via post soon.
And some is actually, in that I’m going to get a check from my first Creative Guru consulting client in the mail, and the second client signed up yesterday (although she paid online.) It worked out that I had both of their first official sessions yesterday, and they were each fantastic (the sessions and the clients.)
EVERYTHING about this feels totally great, authentic, expansive and wonderful. My two clients are talented and open and it was very inspiring for me personally to work with them.
(And I also got a terrific and very generous recommendation from Susan which will we use endlessly as I promote this.)
OK –– and now, although I don’t have an actual cat to save, it’s time to return to “real work” since I have a very pretty young dog I have to send to college because as beautiful as Belle is, I don’t want her living off of her looks forever.