Monday, October 27, 2008

The Writing Week part 43 - Getting Cold Feet


OK, the big day is approaching. The bridal party is flying in. The meals have been chosen. I think I decided which tux I'll wear (prom '03 and it still fits!). We even have a sweet deal with the caterers for some primo whiskey. The only thing is... I'm getting cold feet.

Or at least, that's how it feels. Onyx alluded to some script requests I recently got. It's no secret to the other Leaguers - or you readers - that Zombie and I have been sending out e-queries to various companies for about a month and a half now. Most of what I've read has suggested sending out upwards of 100 queries per project, with stats that: of 100, you'll get 10 responses and, of the 10, you'll have maybe 1 or 2 script requests. Well, I've sent out 12 email queries to various management companies to date, give or take a few, regarding my post-Apocalyptic spec. I've heard back from 3 companies, all of which asked for the script. I also received a request from a production company for my comic book style spec. OK, batting 25% - not too bad.

However, I've encountered an unexpected problem as a result of these requests - cold feet. Otherwise known as self doubt, I feel like I'm inches away from the altar, my beautiful bride smiling at me, and all I can think is that I've committed the worst of mistakes. I have this nagging sensation that the very script I spent so much time working on, re-working, and then querying is no longer ready to be seen by professionals' eyes. Months ago, when a former board member of my company's offered to read my best material, I sent him my post-Apocalyptic spec. Both Zombie and Onyx assured me that it was the best thing I'd written, the biggest weapon in my arsenal. I just can't help but doubt that.

Perhaps it's the very fact that someone outside the trusted circle of Leaguers, someone with an actual potential in for me is going to read the script that makes me so uncomfortable. Am I wrong to doubt the script's strength at this point? Is it natural to be doubtful at this point? Yesterday, I told Zombie that I feel as if there's one more note waiting out there for me, which will ease all my troubles, fit everything into place, and help me figure this damn thing out once and for all. I can't figure out what the note might be, and neither could Zombie or any other Leaguer. In fact, the note might not even exist. Maybe I'm just suffering from cold feet.

The Writing Wire for 10/27


All the news that's worth linking to:

• R.I.P. Tony Hillerman.

The Onion AV Club on the many kinds of vampires on television and in movies.

The Miami Herald's Between the Covers book blog asks: Should critics be required to read the entire book? Um, yeah...

The L.A. Times Jacket Copy blog on an unlikely bestseller. And it involves cats.

Rolling Stone has a sneak peek at Cobain Unseen, a new bio of the late singer.

• PoeWar explains how to build better conflict when writing a novel.

Advertising Age says what we've all been thinking: Twitter sucks and should die.

New York Magazine's Vulture blog discusses the trailer to Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino.

• io9 on sci-fi writers' posthumous works.

• And, in what is becoming a strange tradition here at TWW, we close out with some zombie news: PopMatters on the zombie phenomenon, and io9 posts pictures from Pittsburgh's Zombie Fest. Scary.

As good a reason to have children as any...

Daniel Day Lewis' performance wasn't nearly this adorable:



And now the famous coin flip scene from No Country for Old Men:



I don't know who the awesome director/father is, but I'd like to request their take on Brando's performance in Apocalypse Now.