On Wednesday, 10-5-2022, I made it official and called it quits at Majors Plastics, Inc., the company that I'd been with since Monday, 1-26-2004.
Biggest thing about it: I get to do what Claire V. Riley's been doing since she retired from her own 9-to-5 (give or take a few hours)...and that's concentrate on screenwriting.
Already, I've been able to spend more time reading other people's movie scripts/TV scripts...and read each one in one fell swoop.
And the last 48 hours, I did some work on "Really Old School." (Man, I didn't realize how many "gets" I put into that screenplay!)
I was able to replace most of the "gets" with more active verbs, remove most of the dialog orphans, and even cut out some lines altogether.
Even took a firehose to the cast. (Okay...I was able to wash out just two characters.)
The net result of the changes: I trimmed one single page off "ROS."
That's how Final Draft 6 works for me: Four full pages of editing reduced to one page due to the way FD formats and spaces.
Still, the editing takes that screenplay out of the 130-page range...even if it's now, in its new form (129 pages), still 26 pages away from the maximum size Karina Wilson said she likes in a spec script.
Now that I'm not fighting with battery boxes anymore, I'm more energized than before about the screenwriting/TV writing journey.
The extra time sure helps.
And so does the help all of you here on Stage 32 provide.
Thank you bunches...and all the VERY BEST to you!
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Jim, congrats on your retirement!
I never exceed 120 pages.
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Congratulations on retiring, Jim Boston! Cue the celebration music! :) You've been reading scripts, writing, networking, and being so active on Stage 32. I know you're going to turn it up even more now.
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Congratulations on your retirement, Jim! Now - GET TO WORK! lol
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Congratulations. I hope to be joining you soon in the ex-employee department. Originally was hoping to go this year but my retirement agent gave me to many good reason to wait a bit.
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Phil, Maurice, Jerry, and Bill, thanks for all your encouragement!
And I'm with you about the 120 pages...I've exceeded it quite a bit, though, since I jumped back on the journey in 2016.
Still, I'm happy as long as I myself don't exceed 120 pages for a spec script. (11 of the features I've written thus far span 120 pages from cover to "FADE OUT.")
I've resolved to use fewer scenes...and it starts in the "outline/scene list" phase. If I plan out 66 scenes per feature, I've got a better chance of getting something of mine under the 120 page mark...and I've managed to get three out of my last four efforts ("Cynthia Harmon," "Kitten on the Keys," and "Intervention!") away from the 120-page limit.
Thanks so much for everything...all the VERY BEST to you!
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Jim. I wish you all the best.
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Congrats, Jim! Cheers to having a lot more time to do what you really want to do--write!
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You're welcome, Jim Boston.
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That's great news. I'm sure many, including myself, hope to quit that job too.
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Thanks, Dan, Claude, Andrea, and Pamela...and here's wishing you four all the VERY BEST!
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Congrats Jim! That is so fantastic. Way to jump into the next chapter. :)
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I see a future with both keyboards getting used, PC and Piano. I am more than a little jealous.
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Thanks a bunch, Niki and Craig!
Niki, I can't wait to take another jump. Right now, I'm working on a pair of "outline/scene lists..." one for an "Animal House" spoof and the other for a screenplay that pulls a gender switch on "The Fabulous Baker Boys." And I unearthed a 1980s TV pilot of mine I want to modernize and run through Final Draft.
Craig, you're absolutely right about a future with both keyboards getting used. (And as long as I can make it my present, too, I'll be happy.)
Glad you're both here on Stage 32, and I wish you all the VERY BEST!