Cream Cheese Warlords

So, yesterday I was supposed to attend a premiere geek show called w00tstock. Adam Savage, Wil Wheaton and Paul and Storm are the headliners and they're joined by a few other people. But due to my procrastination, I had 30 pages of a screenplay to write and 3 days of work to do between 1am monday morning and 6am tuesday morning. I got it all done, but going to w00tstock was out of the question. As was sleep.

I'm using this as a turning point, as fuel for some good ol fashioned neuro-linguistic programming. Because of my chronic procrastination, I missed out on a once in a lifetime geek event. Now, whenever I feel like putting something off, I'm saying out loud 'w00tstock' as a bitter reminder of what procrastination leads to. It's been a good motivator so far, I hope it keeps working.

I'm also taking another look at my sleeping habits. I'm unable to sleep for more than 3 hours at a stretch and have been for the past month. This is a good recipe for walking zombie syndrome, so I decided to use the extended period of sleep deprivation to my advantage.

Who knows what the everyman polyphasic sleep cycle is?

Basically, I'm going to be sleeping for 3 hours at night and then take 3, 20 minute naps during the day. I'm taking advantage of the sleep deprivation to speed my body's transition into the new sleep cycle.

The last few time I tried this, I couldn't work out a schedule that would let me take the naps at the times they needed to be taken. But now that I live 5 minutes from the office, it's not a problem.

I'll update in another month or two to report how the whole "let's not be lazy" / "don't be tired" thing's gone, since I know how much you all love seeing me go loopy.

On a writing note, I'm still working hard on the screenplay I started back at CCA. It's changed a bit, but it still focuses on three NNY losers who accidentally get caught in a turf war between two meth smuggling Montreal crime families. Some of the bizarre elements include a fixation with Tim Hortons, a love of synchronized swimming, using showtunes as a method of torture, a slap fight bar brawl, the professional execution of a store mannequin and Quebec Separatists. I'm having a lot of fun writing it and I hope I can do something with it when I'm finished.

I also have a reading with a few members from my CCA class on November 1st. I'm writing something new for it and I'm leaning toward an urban fantasy story featuring a teenage Necromancer who can't get a date. I have 15 minutes to play with, so it should be interesting.

In other life changes, I've pretty much stopped drinking alcohol. It wasn't really planned, I've just lost my taste for being drunk. I still drink on occasion, if there are really good beers on tap or if I'm in the mood to be writerly and sit down with an old fashioned glass of good scotch. But it's become one of those "once in a blue moon" type situations, something you do purely for the enjoyment of the drink itself. And I love my old fashioned whisky glasses etched with the letters "/dev/null".

Let's see, what else? I moved again. I've been in my new place for a month. It's great in that it's really close to work and the writing studio and I know the area really well (it's the same place I lived in when I first came out to San Francisco).

So, that's my life. Lots of busy, lots of plotting and every couple of months, I move.

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Posted By: Ken on Tuesday, October 20th 2009 @ 8:18 pm
I've read through the appx 30 pages you sent me and I sent you an email that contains my copy that is notated back lemme know what you think of my observations.

Posted By: megan on Wednesday, October 21st 2009 @ 4:33 am
Good to know you're not going too loopy out there I suppose. hopefully the shocking yourself back to sleep will work out and get things a bit more balanced for you, what with all the busy and plotting to attend to :p Just make sure you make it up for kenny and heather's weding so we can confirm that you have not infact turned into a zombie ;)

Posted By: Ken on Wednesday, October 21st 2009 @ 6:10 am
He'd better he's the best man!

Posted By: Lyle on Wednesday, October 21st 2009 @ 11:13 am
Oh, wait, that was THIS year? ;) I should also mention that if anyone else wants to read the screenplay, send me an email.