Carved Out Special

How do I put this day in perspective?

Four years of my life, 112 pages, capped with a lecture spent learning from one of the most influential writers in Hollywood (except he’s from Miami).

I have a playlist in my iTunes library that I tap for writing.  Buena Vista Social Club is a big chunk of the music.  So I settle into a coffee shop in Roncesvalles to finish the last 19 pages of my feature film.  They’re playing Buena Vista Social Club.  Three hours goes by and I’m done.  I’m spent.  I feel like I poured my heart out all over the keyboard.  Me and my writing.  I look up and there’s a guy at the table next to me wearing a t-shirt with the phrase “Aim to Misbehave” printed across the back.  It’s a line right out of Joss Whedon’s ‘Serenity’.  After a weekend packed with writing, my own personal writing hero makes an appearance.

The screenplay needs to be read.  Out loud.  Need to catch the wordage of it.  So I text my friend Sharon, an actress.  Turns out she just bailed on an acting workshop and had a few hours free.

I took her to a pub I’ve been frequenting on Dundas West and we poured into the script for two hours.  I made the odd change or edit.  Then it was done.  Felt like a whole lifetime lived in a single sitting.

I got home and I sent the screenplay off to Hollywood.  It was really done.  Four years to write.  112 pages.

Hopped on the subway and took it to St. Andrew’s station.  Walked to the Bell Lightbox from there and took in a lecture by David Frankel, creator of Sex and the City, Band of Brothers, Entourage, and director of Devil Wears Prada (among others).

I’m now sitting at a bar drinking Jameson on the rocks inside the TIFF Building.  There’s a writer two seats down from me talking to his buddy.  Sounds like he’s working on a lot of things.  In a few minutes, I’ll see if he’s up for a conversation some time.

I’m really loving this city.  It’s like this day was carved out special for me.