Time to focus on the character of Coreen!
Coreen is a character that was introduced to me in January 2008, and was one of two characters that I meet since the beggining of 2008. I've always known that Coreen has played and important role in Jennifer's life. But I never realized everthing that Coreen has dealt with during her life.
Growing up, Coreen had a very normal childhood. She loved music as a child, and has enjoyed singing since she was a child. At age 20, Coreen got married. When she went to college, she decided that she wanted to become a high school biology teacher. During her college years, she also worked doing some research and even had some of her research published. Shortly after graduating from college, she was offered a job at Midland High School in Midland, MI. Coreen miscarried her first child during her first year of teaching.
During her years at Midland high, Coreen met Jennifer. Jennifer and Coreen got to know each other quickly. The same day that Coreen and Jennifer really connected, Coreen's divorce from her husband was finalized. Over the next few weeks, Jennifer and Coreen got to know each other, and became close friends. Coreen had always wanted a daughter, and Jennifer was able to provide that. Jennifer wanted a motherly figure in her life and Coreen provided that.
After Jennifer left Midland, both Coreen and Jennifer kept in close contact. Several years after Jennifer moved away from Midland, Coreen went to New York to see Jennifer. During Coreen's visit, she not only got to be apart of Jennifer's wedding. Coreen was so proud of Jennifer for doing what she believed in. Coreen also met a young women who was up for adoption while she was in New York. Coreen eventually adopted that young women.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Developing the Story
Developing the story that my screenplay has become hasn't nessesarly been easy. I started writing the actual screenplay in May of 2007. Almost a year later, and the story isn't finished yet. I know, your going to tell me that I should have finished the story line by now. In reality, it's no where near as easy to writ a good solid story in screenplay form.
I think I better start from the beggining for the part I really wanted to write about tonight to make sense. But in order to do that, I have start almost exactly a year ago.
In late March 2007 (March 28 to be exact), I interviewed for a job at the Saginaw Zoo. I knew that I had to leave from the interview to go to class. On my way home I was involved in a very minor (no injuries or deaths!) car accident. During the first couple weeks afterwards, I really couldn't talk about what had happend because it hurt a little to remember what had happened. About a week later, I began writing a little about it. I couldnt write much, but it was a start for me. Just writing about the car accident helped me to get past it.
As I wrote about my car accident one day, I began to realize that I have so many stories to tell. Some of them come from my life, some of them come from my very vivid imagination. So, I began writing the story of Jennifer (who I introduced to you in my last blog). I wrote quite a few series of diary entries from Jennifer's perspective and from her adoptive families perspective. My mid to late April I had a foundation for what was to become my screenplay. During the last week or two of April I quit writing. I needed a break from the story of how Jennifer came to know her biological mother. Naturally I turned my attention to exams which were coming up. I also turned my attention to something I needed to adress in my own life.
During those couple of weeks off from writing, I spent my time working, studying, or sleeping. One day while I was at work on a Friday morning, I realized I wasn't who I thought I was. For the longest time, I thought I was a young women who's sexual prefrence was straight. All of the sudden I realized that I wasn't straight, but bi-sexual. This realization would later play into part of my screenplay.
During early May, I began my first full time summer job. I went through two days of training (a Tuesday and Wensday), had Thursday and Friday off before I worked my first weekend of the summer. The next week, I filled in in the Information Center for someone's lunch one day, and on anouther full day for someone who had taken a day off. During my full day out in the Information Center, I had some quiet time when there were no visitors around. During those quiet times I wrote a series of several scenes. Two of them became the first and last scenes in one of my earliest drafts.
As the characters have evolved from draft to draft, so has my understanding of their relationships. This has brough about a slew of new scenes (about 20-30 new pages!) that I still have to sift through. Over my Christmas 2007 break, I wrote so much that there were characters I never knew about even in October or November that began to appear. This has meant more work for me, but it also has allowed me to see the characters that I have known from the beggining from a new perspective.
I have about a month left of school in the current semester. This summer I will be marking the one year anniversary of the beggining of my writing this screenplay. But I wont be marking it by having it published. Instead I aim to mark it by finishing it, and passing it on to a few people to read and give me feedback on. Best of all, I have recently decided that once this first screenplay is done, I will begin writing a second one giving the story of one of my minor characters in this first story.
As time passed over the summer of 2007, I slowley plucked away at the screenplay. I was contiuously learning things about my characters. By the end of October I had a full 89 pages written, and still wasnt done. I still had unfinished scenes to write, scenes to re-write, and even more scenes I wasnt sure I wanted. My most recent copy is a total of 95 pages long.
I know this has been a long post, but thats fine. I could have gone into even more depth on some of the things that happened to me and some of the imaginary stories that play a roll in my screenplay.
I think I better start from the beggining for the part I really wanted to write about tonight to make sense. But in order to do that, I have start almost exactly a year ago.
In late March 2007 (March 28 to be exact), I interviewed for a job at the Saginaw Zoo. I knew that I had to leave from the interview to go to class. On my way home I was involved in a very minor (no injuries or deaths!) car accident. During the first couple weeks afterwards, I really couldn't talk about what had happend because it hurt a little to remember what had happened. About a week later, I began writing a little about it. I couldnt write much, but it was a start for me. Just writing about the car accident helped me to get past it.
As I wrote about my car accident one day, I began to realize that I have so many stories to tell. Some of them come from my life, some of them come from my very vivid imagination. So, I began writing the story of Jennifer (who I introduced to you in my last blog). I wrote quite a few series of diary entries from Jennifer's perspective and from her adoptive families perspective. My mid to late April I had a foundation for what was to become my screenplay. During the last week or two of April I quit writing. I needed a break from the story of how Jennifer came to know her biological mother. Naturally I turned my attention to exams which were coming up. I also turned my attention to something I needed to adress in my own life.
During those couple of weeks off from writing, I spent my time working, studying, or sleeping. One day while I was at work on a Friday morning, I realized I wasn't who I thought I was. For the longest time, I thought I was a young women who's sexual prefrence was straight. All of the sudden I realized that I wasn't straight, but bi-sexual. This realization would later play into part of my screenplay.
During early May, I began my first full time summer job. I went through two days of training (a Tuesday and Wensday), had Thursday and Friday off before I worked my first weekend of the summer. The next week, I filled in in the Information Center for someone's lunch one day, and on anouther full day for someone who had taken a day off. During my full day out in the Information Center, I had some quiet time when there were no visitors around. During those quiet times I wrote a series of several scenes. Two of them became the first and last scenes in one of my earliest drafts.
As the characters have evolved from draft to draft, so has my understanding of their relationships. This has brough about a slew of new scenes (about 20-30 new pages!) that I still have to sift through. Over my Christmas 2007 break, I wrote so much that there were characters I never knew about even in October or November that began to appear. This has meant more work for me, but it also has allowed me to see the characters that I have known from the beggining from a new perspective.
I have about a month left of school in the current semester. This summer I will be marking the one year anniversary of the beggining of my writing this screenplay. But I wont be marking it by having it published. Instead I aim to mark it by finishing it, and passing it on to a few people to read and give me feedback on. Best of all, I have recently decided that once this first screenplay is done, I will begin writing a second one giving the story of one of my minor characters in this first story.
As time passed over the summer of 2007, I slowley plucked away at the screenplay. I was contiuously learning things about my characters. By the end of October I had a full 89 pages written, and still wasnt done. I still had unfinished scenes to write, scenes to re-write, and even more scenes I wasnt sure I wanted. My most recent copy is a total of 95 pages long.
I know this has been a long post, but thats fine. I could have gone into even more depth on some of the things that happened to me and some of the imaginary stories that play a roll in my screenplay.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Jennifer
This entry is about Jennifer, who is the main character in my screenplay. Enjoy!
Jennifer was born on May 20, 1988. Even before she was born, Jennifer's mom (Kristen), knew that she wouldnt be able to care for her. So, not long after she was born, Jennifer's adoptive parents met her. She (Jennifer) had the chance to grow up in a relativly normal situation. She never had to little to eat, always had toys to play with, and went to school like every other kid. At a young age she discovered a love for music. She always wanted to listen to music, even when everyone else in her adoptive family wanted silence. This was something she inherited from her biological mother. As Jennifer grew, she became involved with the school bands, and played the trumpet. Not long after starting to play the trumpet she started taking piano lessons. She was so involved with school groups, and with her friends that she never felt alone. By the time she started high school Jennifer was beggining to sense something. She wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling, but she knew something didn't seem quite right. She felt like there was something her adoptive parents hadnt told her that was important. Her adoptive family didn't tell her she was adopted until a week before she turned nineteen. Throughout high school she wanted to become a nurse or a high school band director. They day Jennifer and Kristen met, Jennifer turned nineteen. Over the next few years, Jennifer and Kristen spent a lot of time together just getting to know each other. Jennifer eventually joined the military and spent a year in Iraq. From then on Jennifer began to find her place in New York, and also found love from someone other than her mom.
Jennifer was born on May 20, 1988. Even before she was born, Jennifer's mom (Kristen), knew that she wouldnt be able to care for her. So, not long after she was born, Jennifer's adoptive parents met her. She (Jennifer) had the chance to grow up in a relativly normal situation. She never had to little to eat, always had toys to play with, and went to school like every other kid. At a young age she discovered a love for music. She always wanted to listen to music, even when everyone else in her adoptive family wanted silence. This was something she inherited from her biological mother. As Jennifer grew, she became involved with the school bands, and played the trumpet. Not long after starting to play the trumpet she started taking piano lessons. She was so involved with school groups, and with her friends that she never felt alone. By the time she started high school Jennifer was beggining to sense something. She wasn't sure exactly what she was feeling, but she knew something didn't seem quite right. She felt like there was something her adoptive parents hadnt told her that was important. Her adoptive family didn't tell her she was adopted until a week before she turned nineteen. Throughout high school she wanted to become a nurse or a high school band director. They day Jennifer and Kristen met, Jennifer turned nineteen. Over the next few years, Jennifer and Kristen spent a lot of time together just getting to know each other. Jennifer eventually joined the military and spent a year in Iraq. From then on Jennifer began to find her place in New York, and also found love from someone other than her mom.
I'm here.
I havent posted for a while, and it's definatly time for a me to write anouther post. I've been quite busy over the past few weeks between school, working part time, homework, bell rehersals, and training for my summer job.
Tomarow is Easter. That means a bell choir preformance! I'll be up at 6:30, out of the house by 7:15, and at church by 7:30 warming up.
I really need to get back to what I really wanted to do when I created this blog. I wanted to have place to write about the screenplay I have been writing. A place where I could document all of the ups and downs that might happen during the process of writing and getting it published. So I'll start getting back to that in my next entry (which hopefully will be a little later today!).
Tomarow is Easter. That means a bell choir preformance! I'll be up at 6:30, out of the house by 7:15, and at church by 7:30 warming up.
I really need to get back to what I really wanted to do when I created this blog. I wanted to have place to write about the screenplay I have been writing. A place where I could document all of the ups and downs that might happen during the process of writing and getting it published. So I'll start getting back to that in my next entry (which hopefully will be a little later today!).
Friday, March 14, 2008
Patrick Henery Hughes
Here it is (FINNALLY!). I promised I would post the song, or at least the lyrics to the song, once I had them more solid. Here they are!
I reach out my hands
and feel those keys
and I know that
you cant see them
and only can feel them
I try to understand
exactly what you feel
when your hands
feel those keys
but I know
I will never know
exactly what you feel
You are such a star
your out there
playing and singing your heart out
better than most people can
and Im sitting here
playing my heart out
and knowing what it feels like
to have your heart soar
as you play
Your a star in the darkness
who can do everything
that I wish I could do
you can play a piano
better than most seeing people can
And to me
that pianist
that can see
and can extend her arms
but struggles with ADD
uses you as a guide
that bright star in the darkness
who gives me something to aim for
I reach out my hands
and feel those keys
and I know that
you cant see them
and only can feel them
I try to understand
exactly what you feel
when your hands
feel those keys
but I know
I will never know
exactly what you feel
You are such a star
your out there
playing and singing your heart out
better than most people can
and Im sitting here
playing my heart out
and knowing what it feels like
to have your heart soar
as you play
Your a star in the darkness
who can do everything
that I wish I could do
you can play a piano
better than most seeing people can
And to me
that pianist
that can see
and can extend her arms
but struggles with ADD
uses you as a guide
that bright star in the darkness
who gives me something to aim for
Improvising.
Over the past couple of days, while I've been cat sitting, I've been able to take the time to record some improv stuff on the piano. Seriously. I havent listened to any of it yet, and have no idea what I will hear when I put the files onto my laptop and listen to them. I PROMISE that I will post any of these that are any good as soon as I listen to them!
I cant believe that a week from this sunday is Easter. How amazing! It came way to quickly this year. It will be 150 years before Easter is this early again. Last Easter (Easter 2007) I had to work at Dow Gardens. Thankfully this year I don't have to work Easter.
I am going to make my next post devoted to the lyrics that I wrote after seeing the Extreme Makeover Home Edition on Patrick Henery Hughes.
I cant believe that a week from this sunday is Easter. How amazing! It came way to quickly this year. It will be 150 years before Easter is this early again. Last Easter (Easter 2007) I had to work at Dow Gardens. Thankfully this year I don't have to work Easter.
I am going to make my next post devoted to the lyrics that I wrote after seeing the Extreme Makeover Home Edition on Patrick Henery Hughes.
Monday, March 3, 2008
It's that time...
It's SPRING BREAK! And this doesnt mean Im taking a trip somewhere. For me it just means a week at home during which I will get to hang out with a few friends, sleep in, stay up late, and of course relax.
I've been sick the past three days (today is day four). Im glad I was able to wait to get sick until now. Hopefully I can shake this off in the next day or two so I can enjoy my break.
I think I have the lyrics I wrote about in a previous blog done, but right now they are sitting out side in my car, which happens to be sitting out in the rain (exactly where I dont want to go since I am feeling so auful right now). Hopefully I feel more up to moving out of my room (and pajamas) tomarrow to go get them from the car.
All I have done today is watch episodes on ABC.com, which feels SO good today. Its above 40 degrees f today, which is unusually warm, and rainy out. We are supposed to get snow later today and into the night.
Im gonna get some more sleep now so I get better. Its so unusual that I take a nap that my family knows that if Im taking a nap, I am definatly SICK!
I've been sick the past three days (today is day four). Im glad I was able to wait to get sick until now. Hopefully I can shake this off in the next day or two so I can enjoy my break.
I think I have the lyrics I wrote about in a previous blog done, but right now they are sitting out side in my car, which happens to be sitting out in the rain (exactly where I dont want to go since I am feeling so auful right now). Hopefully I feel more up to moving out of my room (and pajamas) tomarrow to go get them from the car.
All I have done today is watch episodes on ABC.com, which feels SO good today. Its above 40 degrees f today, which is unusually warm, and rainy out. We are supposed to get snow later today and into the night.
Im gonna get some more sleep now so I get better. Its so unusual that I take a nap that my family knows that if Im taking a nap, I am definatly SICK!
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