Weekend Plans of the Nerd Kind (March 6th - March 8th)

http://www.avclub.com/articles/book-vs-film-watchmen,24746/

WRITING: I've been updating less and less these days. Three reasons why:

1) All the kick-ass games that came out last month.

2) Stupid, stressful events at work. (I know, I know: boo-hoo. What with having a job these days - and a pretty good one, to boot.)

3) The scripts are coming along.

There are some things I've wanted to write about here, but the scripts come first. And I've decided to add updates on the scripts as part of this weekly post.

Still stalled on the screenplay, which is at 64 pages (the average screenplay is around 120 pages). It's a fusion of genres that I love, but the two genres mix about as well as oil and water when it comes to pace. Frankly, I still don't have a final act for this story that I like. It is, in part, a horror story. And very few horror stories that start strong end strong. I don't want to blow the ending. I've come up with a few ideas, but none of them are right. Not yet. Wrote half a scene that I liked this week, but it's a bit further along in the story. It's the first time I allowed myself to do this since starting this script last summer (I don't like writing things out of order - don't know why), but the idea came to me fully formed on Tuesday. The scene is half finished, but it's a nice little intimate scene between two characters. Don't have an ending for it. Endings seem to be in short supply with this story.

Started a new script for an original comic miniseries. Tentative title: Big F***ing Robots! Halfway through the first draft of the first issue, with 13 of 25 pages scripted. Probably turn out to be around six or seven issues long. Frankly, I have no idea where the story is going, but it's intended solely to entertain. Lots of big robots, lots of action, lots of humor - the exact kind of story I would have wanted at fourteen, when I thought there was nothing better in this world than Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Army of Darkness. This one is supposed to be fun, for me to write and for audiences to (hopefully) read. Anyone know any artists or how to break into the comic book industry?

TV and MOVIES: Look forward to the second episode in The Clone War's "Ryloth" trilogy, especially since I think we're free of the tyranny of Ahsoka - at least in large quantities - for the rest of the season. Could be fun.

Have The Forbidden Kingdom, Dog Soldiers, The Zombie Diaries, and Love Liza checked out from work. Will probably knock out one or two of those this weekend. Once again, that's an eclectic mix - but eclectic is how I roll, baby...

Watchman on Sunday. Still more intrigued than outright excited - but the buzz from friends and critics has been positive, with minor to moderate complaints. Probably post some thoughts on it early next week. Let everyone have a few days to see it and digest it.

GAMES: Going to go easy on the games this week. Burned out from all the marathon sessions of The Lost and the Damned and Dawn of War II in the last two weeks. Probably do a few rounds of Team Fortress 2 if people have quit being retarded with their achievement whoring. I'm not kidding when I say that, for the first few days after the Scout update debuted, half the players on a server were playing as a Scout, without any knowledge of how to play the class or desire to play the game with the team's goals at heart. Very frustrating. But it should be back to normal soon.

Lousy goddamn achievement whores...

BOOKS: Finished The Big Sleep last week. Almost put it down in the middle, due to a very ugly scene involving Philip Marlowe doing some gay-bashing, both literally and figuratively. I stuck with it, enjoyed the book, but that bit did sour the experience. Started Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Halfway through, and I don't think I'm going to finish it. Not a fan of Dick's prose and the story is nearly impossible to follow in several key bits.

Going to finish Watchmen before Sunday, before I see the film and so I can pass it along to my brother. Don't know what I'll read after that. I'll have to do some zen browsing through my library for a new graphic novel and book later this weekend.

End of line.