I’ve been doing a ton of reflective journaling lately in preparation for a new pilot - one that’s a love story to a scene and group of people from my formative years in the Chicago punk rock scene.

What a crazy week! I didn’t get accomplished what I had hoped to, but I’m super happy with what I was able to get done.

Well I crapped on my goals for this week…but for good reason.

Beautiful Sunday in Los Angeles. My wife and I took the kids to the park, had lunch, and played around. Since COVID struck we spend most of our time in our apartment, so anytime we can get out is a good day.

As someone trying to “break in” to screenwriting, I love to read interviews of those screenwriters who either won a prestigious award, been accepted into a coveted fellowship, or who worked their tail off and got staffed or sold a script. I always gain a bit of insight into other people’s processes and enjoy learning about their take on the craft and business of screenwriting. It’s a great way to find mentors to emulate - a key characteristic of Marcus Aurelius’ principles of self-discipline.

Exhausted! First day of school with my students. Glad to see they’re all doing well and are safe from COVID - my schools are in communities in Los Angeles that have been hit incredibly hard. Between helping my own kids with their work, teaching, and writing, I am exhausted.

Writer Twitter is a funny thing. Most of the people from the screenwriting/writing community who converse and interact on Twitter are nice, normal people who are willing to dispense knowledge on the craft and biz of screenwriting. Many offer encouraging words to each other.

I think inevitably every person who creates arts for a living - painter, writer, actor, dancer, etc. - compares themselves to other creatives. It’s a part of maturing as an artist, I guess. Everyone knows it’s not healthy to compare your successes to that of another’s, but we do it anyway - and if someone say’s they’re not; they’re lying. In contemporary society, comparing oneself to others is just a part of the human experience.

This year I want to do something a bit different with my blog and write a post every Sunday where I reflect on my accomplishments for the week that was and preview the upcoming week; adding, what my goals/major tasks are that I’d like to accomplish in the week ahead.

Gotta admit, it’s been damn tough to string coherent sentences together since last night’s attempted coup. Somehow I was able to muster up a bit of focus and work on my new pilot about a loner teenager who reluctantly starts a punk band to save his dad from dying. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m chipping away at it everyday.

I never thought I would live to see the American people storm the Capitol building and desecrate public property with such ignorance and unrestrained contempt for America’s traditions and values - however flawed they may be.

Seth Godin wrote a post on his blog (Seth’s Blog) the other day about investing in infrastructure so that the future of a community (and by extension - YOU) can protect itself from the inevitable changes that the future holds.

First day back at school for my kids - first grade and kindergarten. I still have another week off before I go back on Monday. Most people get excited about the start of a new year - resolutions, goals, new mindset, etc. Bull crap, I say.

We watch a lot of football on the weekends. The strategy. The toughness. The grace. Seeing a group of players operating as one. And I couldn’t help think about how football is a lot like writing and the creative life.

Beginning the new year with finishing my application for the Circle of Confusion Fellowship, which is due on January 5th. Today I wrapped up my long term goals and explained how the fellowship can help me achieve my goals.

For Christmas my wife and I bought our boys a hover board. Not something they wanted, but it’s something they loved to play with when they visit their cousins in Chicago. My kids are a few years younger than their cousins, so every time they tried to ride their hover board my boys would fall on their ass.

The last week of the year crawls it’s way to a slow death. From Dec 27 to Dec 30 everything feels meaningless - especially in a year when society went on hold.

The best thing I can do during times like these is just put one word after another. That’s all I can control. That’s all I can muster.

A rainy day in Los Angeles is nothing like a rainy day anywhere else. The gloom of rain clouds that cover the basin stops everything (at least everything that Covid didn’t stop).

Well…not everything. As the rains wash away the soot from the sky; I write. The rain can’t wash away the words on the page.

Today marks another anniversary of my birth. Another day to reflect on the year that was and prepare for the year that will be.

Today I want to take stock of the year that was and save the post detailing how I plan to tackle the year that will be.

Writing is like boarding a train: the only thing a passenger can do is step on the train and enjoy the ride.