Dirty Laundry

Life Post Hockey Season

Well, as all of you know by now, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup, doing the impossible, something that’s only be been done twice before in all of hockey history, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win the championship.  And so I am happy - a nice cap to an exciting hockey season - but also a little bereft as it means that there will be no hockey to distract me from my writing duties.

Speaking of which, the screenplay for Swim the Fly is coming along nicely (though, if you asked me last week I might have said differently, although I might not have - confused yet?  Me too).  It’s challenging having to adapt your own material as you have to cut out a lot of what you love in the book.  There simply isn’t enough screen time to use all of the material in a novel.  And so, it’s been interesting to go through this process.

At first, I thought it would be simple.  I mean, the story’s already there.  The dialogue, the characters.  It’s all there.  But too much of it is there, and that’s the rub.  So now I am in the process of pairing back as much as possible, trying not to lose the comedy and the heart of the story.  And, as with all writing, you have the emotional swings.  The hating-your-life days right next to the “I’ve got the best job in the world” days.  The grouchy-don’t-talk-to-me mornings followed by the I’m-so-damn-lucky afternoons. 

Not to mention we’re doing the second part of our move right now.  The out-of-storage-and-into-the-newly-renovated-home part.  It’s more fun than the packing-up-the-old-house part, but still, it’s a ton of work.  I’m always thinking that some day things will get less busy and less stressful and there will be no timelines or deadlines or any lines whatsoever.  It always seems like those times are just around the corner.  And then, another corner pops up.

To be honest, though, I think if I wasn’t busy I’d probably go out of my mind.  I get antsy when I’m not writing, not working on some project.  And so, I guess things are just how I like them right now (although, maybe just a little less busy would be okay.  I think I could deal with that.)

Posted by Don Calame on 6.18.09 at 07:00 pm in Prattlings. (0) Comments