Sunday, August 29, 2010

No Title, No Problem. No Problem?

Rounding page 35 and I still don't have a title. No working title, nothing. I've always had a title; it's always just jumped out as a result of outlining the plot. This time, not so much. Here's my problem with this: I feel like my story is pretty straightforward (pregnant woman, baby daddy and super smart scientist must thwart a microscopic alien invasion while maneuvering the complicated relationship between the three of them - oh yeah, and make it super funny), but how straightforward can it be if I can't think of a working title for this thing? It should just be there. The other problem: all the best titles for alien funny movies have been taken in some way. I think of fun titles, but they're already out there.

Example 1: Aliens!
Well, this just brings up visions of Sigourney Weaver with a big gun and sweatin' like a beast.

Example 2: Aliens Attack! (I like exclamation marks in titles. Makes it look so exciting).
Well, this is obviously a rip off of Mars Attacks!, one of the funniest movies featuring poorly done CGI of green alien characters ever made.

Example 3: Alien Movie
This sounds like a parody of serious alien movies.

Example 4: Three's Company
Well, obviously.

Example 5: Insecure Pregnant Woman Fights Microscopic Aliens With The Help Of, And While Trying To Choose Between, Her Young Dumb Baby Daddy And An Appropriately Aged, Intelligent But Standoffish Scientist.
Yeah, that's just not going to fit on the poster.

Help.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Court Date Set, School Begins, Alien Comedy Trudges On

All that and I've seemed to have lost my desire to eat well. If I get anything besides pretzel M&Ms in my body before noon it will be a miracle. I blame yesterday, actually. Yesterday was a bang up day. First, I went to the dentist, who shoved horseshoes full of goop into my mouth until it plugged up the back of my throat. "Breath through your nose," he kept saying. These impressions are for a functional retainer, since it has recently come to my attention that my teeth are not completely straight. They're straight, but they could be straighter. One year in a functional retainer ought to do the trick, so there I was and here I am and there I will be a year from now with perfectly straight teeth that no one will notice but me.

Second, I went to my first day of my last year of nursing school. Orientation was a blitz of assignments and warnings about doing well and conducting myself as a proper student. Yesterday I had two things on my calendar, "dentist" and "court;" now I have a full week every week for the rest of the school year. A full calendar is a terrible thing. Just terrible.

Thirdly, and last off, I went to the Municipal Court to file my plea of "not guilty" to a traffic violation accusing me of running a red light (see previous post for grueling details). I have a court date in October, at which time I will present such evidence as will convince the judge that I did not do it (basically, I will provide evidence that it had rained that day, allude to my perfect driving record, and pray to fate that the cop doesn't show). The real problem now is what should I wear?

All that, and I still found time to write five more pages of my screenplay.

"But you were supposed to have that finished by now!"

Yes, I know. I had planned to write it in five days, and probably had everyone including myself convinced that I could do it, too. Alas, things and stuff and events unforeseen, and now I have 30 pages of a potentially good screenplay.

"30 pages! Is that it?!"

Well, I know it doesn't sound like much, considering my goal was 100 pages by last week. I am disappointed in myself for not getting it all done, but really at this point I think focusing on my shortcomings is not the best way to motivate myself to continue forward, especially with how busy I'm going to be this next year.

"You're a crooked-toothed failure!"

Wow. That's very harsh, and frankly a little personal. And I'm getting the tooth thing fixed, so let's just put that to rest right now.

I'm trying. Right now, try is all I got.