Slog - Comments on Something to Do With Your April http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april Of course I love Nanowrimo, in which participants write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. I've written about it before. I've done four Nanowrimos in four years and written four (increasingly bad) novels. It's been great, and it's taught me a lot about writing. Last year, I did something called Script Frenzy, in which participants write a movie script in a month. It was weird, because the screenplay was much more enjoyable to write than any of the novels. I like my screenplay more than any of the novels I wrote, and there's a weird sense of endless... Copyright 2008 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:56:59 -0800 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:15:06 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Fnarf Wow. That's one of my all-time least-favorite movies.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978168 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978168 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:00:40 -0800 Comment by Aislinn @1: Seriously? Why? I loved that movie.

]]> Aislinn http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978195 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978195 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:21:14 -0800 Comment by city kitty WHERE'S MAH HUNNAY?!

]]> city kitty http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978200 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978200 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:24:08 -0800 Comment by kid icarus Wow, -25 points for Fnarf.

]]> kid icarus http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978210 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978210 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:36:09 -0800 Comment by Fnarf The terrible acting? The leaden pacing? The missing script? Crap bursting into flames for no reason? The portentous layer of Symbolism laid over everything like a blanket of honey? I HATE symbolism.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978213 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978213 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:36:20 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi Fnarf is right as usual. That entire movie is one big cliche.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978216 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978216 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:40:41 -0800 Comment by Paul Constant Oh, Fnarf. That is the best movie about writing I've ever seen. Not that there's a lot of competition.

]]> Paul Constant http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978242 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978242 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:03:55 -0800 Comment by Fnarf It's not the worst movie ever made, though. That remains "Sirens".

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978245 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978245 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:04:23 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle No, Sirens was better.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978256 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978256 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:11:29 -0800 Comment by Fnarf A "movie about writing"? What a fascinating subject. Oh well, I guess there's 8 1/2.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978269 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978269 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:17:09 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Yes, I expect "Sirens" was right up your alley, Will.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978280 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978280 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:22:24 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi Creative types whining about how hard it is to practice their craft is always dull and always annoying. I will give the Coens credit for having a sense of humor about it, but that doesn't negate Barton Fink's other staggering flaws.

The Coens are also well advised not to mimic their betters. Their only good movies don't ape Old Hollywood.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978342 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978342 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:58:14 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Given the state of Australian film at the time, Sirens was pretty good. 8 1/2 is not the best movie about writing, however, not that it's a bad movie.

Look: want to write? The sad cold truth is you either have a book in you - or you don't. If you do, start writing, using whatever excuse you need. If you don't, what comes out the other end invariably will suck.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978397 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978397 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:28:00 -0800 Comment by Peter F Barton Fink, is of course, a masterpiece. I think I love every frame of it and I've read the screenplay a couple of times.

Paul, it boggles my mind that anyone could write a screenplay or a novel (!!) in only a month -- I've been trying to write a novel since last fall and I've barely gotten through about a chapter.

I may be hamstrung by a crippling lack of intelligence and talent, however.

]]> Peter F http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978408 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978408 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:35:21 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle I've written scripts for plays in about 36 hours of work, but that's usually when you have known actors to work with and play off of. A book is a lot harder.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978448 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978448 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:15:36 -0800 Comment by Ryan fnarf ftw. I got to the end of Barton Fink and felt like I'd been robbed of two hours of my life. Same reaction I had at the end of "White Hunter, Black Heart."

]]> Ryan http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978471 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978471 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:33:53 -0800 Comment by Gomez So Script Frenzy is Viki King's How To Write a Movie in 21 Days... with an extra week and change.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978519 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978519 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:03:37 -0800 Comment by David Best movie about writing? Better than SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE????!?

]]> David http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978520 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978520 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:04:16 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Jesus fucking Christ, just make it stop.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978552 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/03/something_to_do_with_your_april#c978552 Books Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:15:06 -0800