I've been in LA for a bit now taking a
screenwriting program so I haven't had the energy to blog. That said, I'm reposting this email I sent to friends back in N'ville:
Hi everyone!
I'm sure you were absolutely (not!) holding your breath for my first update, but here it is anyhow. In the first 10 days here in California I:
* attended a 3-day
retreat in Pacific Palisades (near Malibu)
* was outwalked by a woman who was at least 60 years old
* impressed an old
Chinese man with my language skills
* rode the only "honor system"
subway left in the free world
* took a
Korean class* went to a black megachurch (
West Angeles C.O.G.I.C., Bishop Charles Blake)
* shopped at the infamous
Trader Joe's* bought groceries at a
99¢ Store* saw Taming of the Shrew
outdoors at the biggest Catholic Church ever
* had eight straight days of classes!
Today, I spent 10 hours in classes. Tomorrow, I will have 7 hours of screenwriting during the day, go to the Korean consulate on my lunch break and have 2 hours of Korean language class at night!
*****
Day 24
Since I took so long to send this out, I need to add a few more items:
* ate at a Korean chicken shack (
KyoChon)
* discovered a love for public transit
* saw a French film at the super cool
LACMA museum* saw Wall*e at the Magic Johnson in Crenshaw
* took a
Bikram Yoga class (105 degrees in the room folks!)
* have almost filled my
Lollicup boba tea frequent buyer card. 2 more to go!
* got my visa for Korea
* had fried plantains twice in one week
* came home to a police chopper shining a spotlight across our street
* had my script idea chosen at a “pitch session” (out of 11 other stories)
* survived an
earthquake from the 16th floor of a skyscraper!
Good times abound!
Of course I listed all of the most interesting things. Every day here has been interesting even if only because of the amazing teachers we have in our program. We heard from the writer of Will Smith’s new film
Seven Pounds, a writer/producer for
Home Improvement, a writer for
24,
Lost and yes, the new
Knight Rider. Next week we’ll hear from the writer of
Déjà Vu (starring Denzel Washington) and today, I’m off to the
Santa Monica pier.
It’s been fun but exhausting. I have 10 script pages due on Tuesday and I won’t have any notes to work with until Monday. I’ll watch the executive students pitch my story idea on Wednesday (hopefully, they won’t butcher it) and pitch a new story idea myself on Wednesday.
The
Act One community is wonderful. It’s a very nurturing environment for developing writers and there are quite a few success stories from folks who’ve been through the program and stuck it out through the hard times here in Hollywood.
Until next time…
-t.
