…is a cool tune that saved my world this morning (link below). See, I started working on the new screenplay today. The idea was actually spawned back in September when Kenny and I were having our Big Bear Lake Fest adventure. 
We found this super cool antique mart that inspired a cool subplot for our story and I’d so wished we could have just stayed a whole week and knocked it out then and there. But, alas, that was back during my non-stop travels and there simply wasn’t time.
Sometimes, if I don’t begin writing when inspiration strikes, I can’t find my way back to the world that once seemed so clear in my head, so I was nervous as I pulled out my notes at long last. Fortunately, this time I’d also created an iTunes playlist that totally captures the feel and some of the themes that inspired me at the time and listening to them again made it all come flooding back.
I can’t recommend creating playlists enough to facilitate the writing process. Even now, so many songs I once played while writing different scripts bring me back to the place I was when I knocked out those original first drafts. The Primitives conjure my Chihuahua-mutilating dark romantic comedy The Last Cha-Cha, Joy Division brings me to my existential romantic dramedy Story of My Life, the Archies‘ “Sugar, Sugar” take me to Teenage Bikini Vampire and anything by Santana takes me to my sexy vampire dark comedy Evil Ways. As this is one our team will likely make ourselves, I imagine it will be helpful to give the tunes for reference once we’re in pre-production.
Speaking of the team, another fun kick was making this a bit more of a community effort than my usual first draft strategy. As I forged ahead this morning, I sent out some texts for feedback (thanks, Guys!). If anybody wants to join this part of the journey, let me know. I’m doing even more preliminary work than usual in hopes I’ll have fewer rewrites after the first draft and I’m enjoying others’ input. Also, if you want to join me in my current headspace (nicknamed LITTOZ, full title to be revealed after I fade out), here’s the new playlist:
Dude, Where’s My Skin - Schoolyard Heroes
You Don’t Own Me – Rasputina
Extraordinary Ways – Conjure One
Aim For the Head – Creature Feature
Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
Masquerade – Lunic
You’ll Never Get to Me – Killing Joke
The Art of Suicide – Emilie Autumn
What’s A Girl To Do – Bat for Lashes
The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum – Collide
Brains! – Voltaire
The Passenger – Iggy Pop
This Hollow World – Johnny Hollow
The Greatest Show Unearthed – Creature Feature
Mystery Loves Company – Emilie Autumn
Last Man on Earth – Schoolyard Heroes
Why Don’t You Do Right – Rasputina
The Dark House – Lunic
Tar Kissers – Throwing Muses
Tomorrow’s World - Killing Joke
Mote – Sonic Youth
Dear God – Tricky
Love Like Blood - Killing Joke
Endomorph – Rasputina
All the Pretty Corpses – Schoolyard Heroes
Sour Times – Velvet Chain
Dance of the Deadless Corpse – Zombie Girl
Our Lies – Rasputina
Ravens Land - Voltaire
Bodies – Drowning Pool
Strange Little Girl - Tori Amos
Strong – Velvet Chain
Opheliac – Emilie Autumn
More Than Words – Extreme
I’m Free – Soup Dragons
Don’t Forget To Dance - The Kinks
Cabaret – from the Original Movie Soundtrack