It's Monday night, nearing midnight, and I'm gearing up for this years ScriptFrenzy!, just two days away. I have an opening scene in mind but it just doesn't work with the idea I have for the rest of the story. Got to start somewhere I guess.

In the last Professional story, I started with basically the same scene as the first Professional, an air shot flying over Central Park, leading down to a Nursery/Flower Shop which the main character owned. I followed her from the flower shop through the neighborhood to a restaurant owned by "the family."

Second draft started right in the middle of the action: where the main character was in the apartment with her mark, made up to look like his girlfriend and she is about to kill him.

Grabs your attention but doesn't have a "save the cat" moment that I talked about in a previous blog. First draft has her flirting with the old men sitting outside the restaurant. The first time my character "saves the cat" in the second draft is when she flirts with her doorman after she's killed her mark. Maybe I need to add a cat in the mark's apartment that she almost kills but end up feeding instead. How's that sound? What was the "Save the Cat" moment in Mr. and Mrs. Smith? Do you think it was when they found each other and gave each other an alibi and fell in love? Or the Godfather? I know you empathize with Michael because he's forced into the family business when he really didn't want to be but what is the very first "save the cat" moment? Guess I'll have to watch it again and see, but then there's the problem that you have when you eat a bag of Lays, you can't watch just one. Anyone up for a Godfather Marathon? Maybe I'll watch One here in a minute.

Still working on it... the "save the cat" moment, that is.

Spent yesterday identifying the key points in each scene trying to figure out which scenes I can cut. Still have about twenty pages to get rid of. Been a roller coaster of a month. The J.O.B. is really getting to me.

Was informed today that I can no longer have specific evenings off to attend my classes. I must be available 24/7 when it comes to the J.O.B. even though the place is closed throughout the night. I must be available to work any shift, every day. I can no longer plan a social life or a personal life without first consulting the schedule. (I have actually been asked by previous management which is more important; my job or my other stuff. They don't pay me enough to even respond with a lie for that question.) I really need a 9 to 5 job, Monday thru Friday. Retail sucks. If I can not find a new form of income before November I may have to give up being the area Municiple Liason for NaNoWriMo. THAT WILL NOT HAPPEN!!! I'll go to work in a warehouse if I have too. This employer thinks that I plan to make a career with them, for the little amount they pay me, the little amount of respect they show, while monopolizing most of my time and still expect me to be on call for them, while my schedule can change daily? I have other plans. I'm one step closer to my career as a full-time writer. Even a Sugar Daddy looks more and more appealing everyday. Sugar Daddy's can apply here.

And to top that off, I found out that I can not apply for the Grant/Scholarship the company offers because I can not request a specific schedule to attend classes full time and the Grant is only available for full time students.

Is that hypocritical? Is that discrimination? Heaven forbid a full time associate should want to go back to school to further their career. They might actually realize they can get a better job somewhere else with that education.

I hate corporate America. They give you just enough to scrape by while not giving you the time to better yourself or look for other employment.

Okay, I'm done venting now.

A little closer to sending out the script and submitting my letter of resignation.

"They" suggest writing it anyway and dating it in advance as a goal setting exercise. I might just do that. My exit letter is going to be several pages long. I should start writing that so I can remember all the grievances I have.

Okay, I'm really done venting now. I  promise.

So, that reminds me. I have applied for a Grant through the Pepsi Corporation and I'll need your help. Ideas are submitted and voted on and the ones with the most votes in every category wins the Grant. I need your vote. Every day through the month of April you can log on to www.refresheverything.com and vote for my non-profit organization: The Next Chapter Foundation.

The Foundation was founded to offer scholarships and grants to nontraditional students wishing to return to school or receive additional training. My dream when I completed high school was to become a psychologist. In my Junior year, I became hypoglycemic and had to drop out of school. I have been fighting to get back ever since. I've held jobs where it was nearly impossible to attend classes ( like the job I hold now). Even with financial aid, there are expenses that are just not covered; such as baby-sitters or daycare, transportation, fees, and time off work. Next Chapter Foundation wants to supplement the applicants income to assist in those need and/or tuition, books and other expenses. Other than the grant offered by Pepsi, we would raise money through financial donations or the sales of donated used books, cd's, dvd's, video's, and magazines which would be sold at book fairs, bookfests, on amazon.com and on our website.

Your votes, financial assistance or donations would be very appreciated.

It's time for spring cleaning anyway, clear off those bookshelves, box up those books and send me an email. I'll make arrangements for a pick up.

Thank you in advance.