Trying Something New: Screenwriting

The other day I found my yearbook from eighth grade. I had quite the laugh over some of my fashion choices, but hey, it was the early 90s. Sebagoes, anyone? It was kind of fun to look through those pages and remember what it was like to be thirteen. I always say that I am a twelve year old trapped in a thirty year old's body, which is mostly true. I own a house, have a car, have a master's degree, and I'm married. But seriously, I do not feel like an adult. Ever.

My favorite song? Jeremy by Pearl Jam. I remember my mom being mad I didn't pick a "nice song." Favorite activities: baseball, shopping and talking on the phone. Two of out three stuck. My future career? Movie director.

Yeah. I remember that. I wanted to be a movie director. I wanted to make movies about the mob and have Joe Pesci star in every single one. The first time I saw The Godfather, it was a religious experience. My childhood is defined by Rambo: First Blood Part II, Godzilla movies and It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. I remember being crushed when I found out Rock Hudson and Doris Day were not a real life item. I still cannot hate Nicholas Cage simply because of his performance in Moonstruck.

I have seen hundreds, if not at least a thousand movies in my lifetime. I'm at the movie theater every weekend. I think visually, usually doing stop motion in my mind to get my ideas onto paper. So why am I writing novels and short stories?

I have no idea. I could kick myself for skipping out on the screenwriting foundations course when I worked on my master's. Luckily for me, I'm not one to give up, or not do something just because I don't know how. I've jumped feet first into a lot of things, and I've failed at a lot of things. And I'm all right with that.

So I'm going to do what all the experts say you should: think about what you said you wanted to be when you were a kid and work on it. Get there. So I'm trying something new. But still writing.