So...about that job

Hey everyone,

So the new job for the window company didn't work out. Turns out I don't have the personality for it. I'll leave it at that. I'm back in the job hunting saddle again, which is discouraging. But I read something in the Bible this morning that encouraged me: 2 Cor. 4.18 reads, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

That quote brought some much needed perspective. I'm grateful for God right now. I'm glad that over the long run he rewards character. I'm glad that pain is temporary and that he sticks with me through it. So for anyone else who's dealing with economic suckiness, joblessness, etc., there is a God who promises to "never leave us or forsake us." BTW, that last quote specifically has to do with God's willingness to provide for us. So yeah, at least there's that. Also, I'm glad to have a wife and extended family who love me, support me and pray for me. Love you guys.

Thanks for reading,

Paul

P.S. Logline of the day:
Boomeranged...
is a comedy about a young out of work software engineer who has to move back home with his brand new bride to live with his QVC obsessed mom, work weary dad and his video gamed addicted older brother who's never left home. Living in his old bedroom is just the kind of motivation he needs to hit the job hunt hard and his searching leads him to some unexpected places, before he finds the courage to strike out on his own with a crazy business idea that will be a family affair.

A logline a day...keeps the real writing away

Coming up with creative ideas is hard. Communicating them is harder. Knowing if they are any good is the ultimate goal.

To that end, I am going to publish one hopefully original logline a day on my blog. I say "hopefully original" because I haven't seen all the movies in the world and sometimes my mind plays tricks on me.

Here's where you come in. You've gotta tell me 1) if the idea's orignial, 2) if it's any good--I propose a scale of 1-5: 1 being, "Um...I think that would make a great made-for-TV-movie...for public access cable...in Tanasket, WA"; 5 being "You Genius, you're next Speilberg!"--oh, and 3) you've got to tell me why you like or dislike it.

So here's my first logline (a.k.a. brief movie description)...

Novelty Kill
Two bumbling brother's with records as long as your arm, who also hapeen to own a novelty shop specializing in peaceful but clearly anti-government art, purchase a government surplus jeep that unbeknownst to them contains smuggled nuclear materials. When the FBI shows up at their door the fun begins.

Let me know what you think.

My friend is rad

Hey everyone...
If you like interesting videos, you'll like my friend Adam's new blog: www.welcometotheawesome.blogspot.com. He doesn't make the videos. Just posts em. They're not your standard Youtube fare. Hope you like.
God's peace,
Paul

The Verdict

Well, friends and family, the wait is over. Just a week ago I found out I didn't make it into the University of Texas' special funded writing program. So you will not be seeing Rachael and my lovely faces on an Austin City Limits broadcast any time soon. Who knows? Maybe next year. I plan to apply again.

What does this mean? It means that Rachael and I are planning to move, God willing, to the L.A. area sometime this summer or fall depending on our employment situation.

Oh really, you say, and how are you planning to pull this off when unemployment in So-Cal is at 10% and even the Governator can't keep the DMV open for regular hours. Simple. We are looking into some very exciting possibilities in crafting stimulus package legislation. It's all the rage right now.

Seriously though, I have begun applying at various schools (Chapman, Azusa Pacific, UCLA, etc) for Residence Life positions, something with which I have some actual experience. The hope is to get a live-in position that provides benefits, thus allowing us to save lots of moo-lah while we establish our California residency. Meanwhile, I will hopefully be attending UCLA's Professional Program for Screenwriting on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I still have to apply next month, but a writing mentor who happens to be UCLA prof thinks my chances of getting in are good. Even if I don't get in though, we'll be in the general vacinity of what's goin on in the entertainment biz.

Rachael will be looking for ways to make money too. She's considering trying to secure a job in the for-profit sector. More mool-lah again being the operative thought here.

I still want to get my MFA in Screenwriting and even with California residency it will run us about $30 K to get the degree at UCLA, more if I go to USC.

So as usual, we ask for your prayers if you're the praying kind. Also, if you know of any other way to get free/cheap housing in LA that doesn't involve breaking any laws (e.g. we will not become meth lab cooks), we'd be VERY open to hearing from you.

God's peace,

Paul

P.S. Thank you to someone "named" Creationc at http://www.sxc.hu/ for the free pic. You can get all sorts of rad royalty free pics from this website for anyone who's curious.

M'lady's Review

Hey All,

I mentioned in a previous post that my wife, Rachael, has a big part in TLT's production of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Well, the review is in and Rachael got a positive shout out from the TNT's Alex Clayton. Cut and paste the following to read the review yourself: www.thenewstribune.com/ae/theater/story/632709.html.

God's peace,

Paul

Taxes

I've got a lot of ideas brewin right now. Infact, virtual stickie notes litter the desktop of my Mac, each one contains a logline. My next post will likely involve uploading all my loglines and letting you vote on which logline(s) interest you most. T

But before I can do that I have to finish paying Uncle Sam his allowance. Tax season is eating right into my creative time. Grrr. So...for you praying folks, please pray that God will demystify the tax prep process and give me the will to finish soon so I can get back to writing.

Also, I may need to find a new job. My current one's a bit nuts: I'm on call 19 hrs a day 5 days a week and it might go to 24 hrs a day 6 days a week. Not comfortable with that. So again, my praying peeps, please pray for favor as I explore my options.

Finally, as most of you know, the current plan that Rachael and I have arrived at involves moving over the summer or by September, at the latest, to either the University of Texas at Austin or UCLA. Please pray for favor as we explore our housing options (free or cheap would be great!) and as we both look for jobs in the LA area. We're not as concerned about Austin, since we'll only be moving their if I get a fellowship that pays for living expenses.

We'll find out in about a month whether I made it into the program at UT and, of course, I will post the results on the blog. To sum up, pray! We really want to go to Texas, to be employed in sane and helpful ways and I crave to time to get back to the creative process.

God's peace,

Paul

Update

Please forgive my extremely long hiatus from writing. Turns out I don't multi-task well while I'm writing a script. Here's what has happened over the last 6 months since stepping out from Lighthouse to develop myself as a writer:

I have "completed" two scripts both by the name Spokanistan, both with two totally different stories. My first effort was done sometime in October. I submitted it to the intense critical gaze of a few trusted people (Bette Nordberg, Valerie West, my wife, Rachael and a few others). The feedback was...helpful: the script was too long (145 pages, which is like a 2 1/2 hour movie) and had some plot issues. I let it sit for a month or two and then tackled it again with a fresh idea of where to take the script.

The resulting second effort was much shorter 115 pages and a story I like much more. Yahoo! It was funnier, a bit more, realistic, but still contained a few plot holes. I got more great notes from a screenwriter mentor of mine named Creighton. I polished up this version of my script as best I could and sent it off to the University of Texas at Austin just in time to apply for grad school there. I'll hear back from them in March about whether I made it into their Masters program for writing. Hopefully, I will since that particular program is free for the few who make it in, but it's also highly competitive. Those of you who pray, please pray for favor for me and my application.

If Texas doesn't want me, Rachael and I have decided with much prayer and trepidation to head out to L.A. in the summer or early fall of '09. I'll be applying for an extension program at UCLA that is respected, cheap, and likely to accept me even though I'm just getting started as a screenwriter. Val West, one of the brave readers, of my earlier version, teaches online classes for the same program and she thinks my chances of getting in our good. So either way, it looks change is on the way for the Boyers.

Rachael has been continuing her local acting roles. You can catch her at Elisabeth Proctor in The Crucible starting next weekend at Tacoma Little Theater (www.tacomalittletheater.com). It's a great role for her and a dramatic departure from the plays she's been in over the last two years. Her fate as an actress is somewhat tied to mine as a writer at the moment. If I get in at Texas, we're hoping that Rachael could perhaps enter a masters program for acting. We'll have to play it by ear, but one thing is certain, I can't keep her out of the theater. She absolutely loves it.

For those of you who are wondering how we'll afford to live in L.A. or Austin, we're with you : ) We're saving money as fast as we can for the move. Rachael is in talks with her boss to see if she can keep her position as a writer for World Vision and just work remotely after we relocate. I've been working as a roadside assistance tech (think AAA), but I'm looking for any job that pays a decent wage (12/hr) and would allow me to transfer in 6 months or so. If you know of anything, drop me a line below or at email addy.

For now, my current job allows lots of time for working on my taxes, blogging, and writing. I hope to take one more major pass at my Spokanistan script before I call it good. Meanwhile I'm doing research for my next project, a historical drama/love story about a turn of the century journalist named Jacob Riis.