The Sitcom of My Life
So yesterday's post was fun. Some good movies (and not so good ones) that I totally forgot had writers in them. I also forgot, and no one mentioned . . . As Good As It Gets. Now HE was a very odd writer.
And Jude's comment got me thinking. Because really? Would a movie about a writer be all that interesting? It would have to be about the oddities and the weirdness.
Unless they were making a show about MY writing life, in which case it would be a sitcom.
Like yesterday walking into my office and finding a LARGE pile of dirt and Demon Baby's pet worms on my carpet. Fun times. And trying to write while a naked Demon Baby climbs on my back. And discovering Demon Baby had found the package of Oreos . . . licked all the cream out, and then left the choclate cookie parts all over the house. Over 100 chocolate disks scattered on carpets. And 42 interruptions while trying to write a key scene. And making dinner--water boiling--while on the phone with agent, and call waiting is beeping . . . and my dad is calling long distance to tell me his and my mom's car broke down . . . even though he is BLIND, he might want to one day drive again . . . life doesn't get more frenzied. Or hilarious. I told him I would have to kill him if he got behind the wheel. Forget sitcom, I am actually a rock solid ad for a phamaceutical company looking to market valium. Or given my propensity for insomnia, Lunestra.
But it also got me thinking about external quirks. I talk to my characters when I am very stuck. "Come on, Theo . . . what would you do here?"
And another quirk. I assess the day by whether I will actually see human beings other than family. That determines if I ever get out of my pjs. That's one of the benefits of being a writer. But I don't know that normal people assess their daily schedule that way.
So . . . if they were making a show about your life . . . reality show? Sitcom? Drama? And what oddity would make it into the script? I'm thinking my dad would DEFINITELY have a co-starring role. "But really, Er . . . if it was a straight line, under the right conditions . . . I could drive."
22 comments:
Oh man! Your dad is a riot! LOL! That's a bit terrifying, because I imagine he believes it, too.
We forgot Something's Gotta Give! I'm pretty boring. Well, it's two in the afternoon, and I'm sitting up cross-legged in my bed, still in my nightgown, with the covers completely over my head and computer, writing in my warm, heating-blanket-made tent. Or else I write by the campfire.
Glenn finds it quirky that I often write with my eyes closed, but it seems normal to me. I'll drive two hours roundtrip in order to avoid talking on the phone.
I think it would be one of those Intervention shows since I seem to be attached to my laptop 24/7.
But seriously, my writing is rather boring to an outside observer. I sit and type and occasionally make funny faces or noises.
Now your life, on the other hand... Yep - deserves a show.
I think my life in a movie would result in a black comedy. It would probably go right to DVD. ;)
The quirks that would make it in? The dueling extremes - perfection in everything I do...except laundry which in the movie might pile as high as the windows. Don't worry, in reality, it merely covers the floor.
Natasha:
He has a handicapped sticker because he is blind. He has a came. But yes, I do believe he believes it.
E
Sarah:
I am in serious need of an intervention myself as far as being wired 24/7!
E
Amy:
NO ONE would mistake my house for perfect. LOL!
E
I just lamented on my blog how my work is interfering with my writing. After reading about your average day I realize I have no excuses. lol
Love that your dad has that hope!
My life would be like one of those shows where people get on in a fight and rip each others clothes off and throw food with dancing lobsters and teenage girls who are afraid of pickles.
Yeah, welcome to the south.
My life's too boring for a TV show, but I suppose it would be some sort of a thriller where you have to get a ton of vitally important things done in a finite amount of time, while the clock is ticking, ticking, ticking...
Hopefully it isn't a straight line to back out of the driveway thereby preventing him from hitting the roads, though the mailbox might suffer.
My life is nowhere as interesting as yours. I went to the local writers conference this weekend, got good news, but family was so busy telling me about the wagon float, the ball games, etc. that it was hours before I got to share my news. The funny thing is, I wanted to hear their first.
Thanks for helping me with the First Page. It was read and the agents loved it.
Aimless:
My days get swallowed up.
And I don't know if it's hope so much as Russian stubborness.
E
JT:
You Southerners scare me. For reals. ;-)
E
Mark:
Spit out my coffee. LOL!
E
RICHMOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is awesome!!!!!!!!!
Good news indeed!!!! Bravo!!
I'm pretty sure my life wouldn't make a very entertaining movie. It's more like the new shows on network tv - a regular snooze fest.
Hmm... I wonder if mine would be a comedy or a drama.
I think I would like to chose comedy cause even the uncomfortable situations can be turned into comedy with the correct writing (and music.)
Like my neighbor who gets angry and throws his furniture over the balcony. The right soundtrack and it could be pure comedy. :)
Kath;
There are long moments of snoozefest time in mine. But Demon Baby makes it all interesting.
Nadine:
Since I started out as a comedy writer/chick lit writer, I completely concur.
E
Writing in my world is an action/adventure. Like last weekend, I was trying to write a sex scene for one of my stories and in the background was a screaming baby. Really, friends came over with their 11 month old.
Every time I wrote the scene, I had the woman taking her birth control pills and the guy donning two condoms.
After the dog grooming and spa moved in next door to my office, I started writing all of my dog characters with laryngitis.
Some of this will come out in editing, I suppose.
I think my life would be a documentary, set in weekly sessions to mark the one day a week I leave my house. Yes, it's that exciting.
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