I am working on several projects right now, writing-wise, all of them different, all of them uniquely challengely, and all of them driving me crazy, in their own mentally unstable, hair-pulling, pill-popping, endearing little ways. I am not enough of a professional (or a professional at all) to have a complete grasp of my process, but I will say this: My writing is at its best when I am working on several things at once. For a long time, I didn't think this was true. I had to finish something before I even thought about another idea. That was before I understood the concept that nothing is ever finished, and if you wait for something to be finished, you will just be frustrated and creatively insecure. Everyone will always have an opinion, probably something you've never thought of before, and, while you don't have to take every note you're given, you do have to have an open mind. This, however, does not make re-writing any easier. Nothing makes re-writing any easier. It's the single most important skill you can have, the ability to take notes and implement them without having to have your hand held, but it's a pain in my ass. Or yours. You know, whatever. The collective ass.
Which is why I like to be drafting something while re-writing something else. When I'm drafting, I have the silly thought that whatever it is I'm working on is gonna be great. This false perception gives me the confidence to wade through the mish-mash of tomfoolery, sloppiness, and utter gnashing of teeth that is re-writing on another project.
What's the lesson in all this, you may ask? Well, nothing. I'm writing this entry to half-assedly explain my crankiness over the past few days. I'm rewriting a pilot, working on some prose that's personal and laughable, and starting a comedy spec. I'm also having nightmares, so I'm not sleeping well (apparently, Vince Vaughn Kevlar is now recurring), and I'm being just plain mean to about everyone I speak to. Not that you're not all assholes, but still, I feel kinda guilty. So here's your apology, half-ass and desperately in need of a rewrite. Vince Vaughn made me do it.
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