Random Daily Bulls**t - Sept 6th

Today I'm going to split my to do list between WRITING and PERSONAL since I find that personal projects are sucking up a lot of my time. Time that I had planned to use for writing. But that is not an excuse because we all have personal lives, obligations that take precedence. However, we all need to properly manage our time since must take a precedence, too. We're writers! We must write! We breathe, live, and dream of writing. So take a step back and figure out why you feel you don't have "enough time to write". For instance:

• Can you get out of bed earlier in the morning? Some folks LOVE their sleep, but you can sleep when you're dead. Get up an hour earlier, even 30 minutes earlier. Or 15 minutes earlier. You can get so much done in such little time!
• For those with 9 to 5 jobs, can you write during your lunch?
• Turn the T.V. off! Watching our favorite evening or late night shows may feel like relaxing down time, but that's just wasting time! Procrastination! Turn off the T.V., DVR your shows, put on some music ... and get some writing done.
• Limit time on the Internet. Yes, we all love to read - voracious readers! Personally, I can't get enough of reading the news or articles, especially those found via StumbleUpon (great for those with self-diagnosed ADD like myself). But it's a tremendous time suck. A black hole. After a couple of hours of reading on the fly, I find that I've wasted so much time. Instead, I need to better manage my time and commit to a limited number of hours I spend online. Yes, this includes TWITTER! By the way, you can follow Screenwriters Anonymous on Twitter. :-)

Yesterday's To Do List:

1. Read & Review Alex Moreno's script, "Ramble On". Submit feedback form and email marked up script to Alex (the due date is actually the end of this week, but I like to finish things earlier than expected).
2. Respond to emails that have been sitting in my inbox, starred, tagged with high priority, beeping, flashing, "write back now!" stamped across them. Maybe I'll push this to tomorrow's to do list. Sound familiar?!?
3. RUN & ST (that's "strength training" for you newbies out there) 
4. Twitter, Twitter, Twitter.
5. Emails, Emails, Emails.
6. Reach out to Rob Dillon from Feedback Friday - submit a review of his first 10 pages for consideration as his site's guest reviewer.
7. Twitter, Twitter, Twitter.
8. Zzzzzzzzz ...

Ok, so you're seeing that items #1 through #3 are not crossed off. But let me explain. I read Alex's script, but have not pieced together the review yet. Again this is not due for another few days, so I'm not concerned in the least bit because I know it will get done (writing the review is the easiest part).

I've responded to most of the pending emails, but there are a few more to wipe off the list. Since I have not responded to ALL emails, then I'm not crossing this off yesterday's list and rolling it forward to today's.

Running and strength training - did not happen. First off, I was distracted by a spontaneous kitchen project (installed a tiled backsplash). By the time I finished, I had to pick up the kids from school, then wait for the wife to get home from work, and theeeeeen - football was starting.

Yes, Week 1 of the NFL season officially kicked off last night with a surprising win by the Dallas Cowboys over the reigning champion New York Giants.

What are your suggestions?

Please leave your comments below!
 

Today's Screenwriting To Do List:

1. Write up Review of Alex Moreno's script, "Ramble On" [60 min]
2. Respond to remaining screenwriting emails [30 min]
3. Finalize on four page treatment [30 min]
4. Start outline [30 min]
5. Write 10 pages [60 min]
6. Add 1 screenwriting tips article to website [30 min]
7. Add priority information to website home page [30 min]

Today's Personal To Do List:

1. RUN & ST [60 min]
2. Finish kitchen backsplash [150 min] - need to run to Lowe's
3. Dinner with family [60 min]
4. Spend time with kids - homework, play, baths [120 min]

I have 11 hours planned ... that will carry me into the late hours (approx 11pm). That does NOT include: lunch, bathroom time (where I do my best thinking), and other interruptions like phone calls. Let's see if I can bang this all out.

Ok, enough with this already ... I've wasted enough of your time - GET BACK TO WRITING!