Lyric took a ton of time to write a bunch of really nice little messages to Darby.

Overall, it was so sweet.

What was sad was not being on the east coast to be with our own mom's in person. But I did send my mom a couple of Wii games, so I tried to make up for it at least a little.

One thing that stunk was that I didn't get much sleep last night. There were two parties, both of which made sense for me to go to (and I wanted to go to), so I was out late.(didn't get to bed until 2.30) and Ollie was up before 6... so... yeah.

We went to the California Renaissance Faire today. I prefer the Pennsylvania one. While it is smaller, it is also more charmingly designed, the building are permanent, and the surroundings are beautiful. It's also laid out much better, so you can easily get to any area in a fairly short period of time.

Conversely, CA's Faire has temporary, cheaper looking buildings, was set up on what was basically just a large DUSTY field, and was one long serpentine path that didn't even loop.

One the other hand, the CA Faire had an awesome reptile exhibit, more games, less "hmmm that guy is so creepy he could actually be a serial killer" factor, and a much better set up for watching the jousting.

But the PA Faire has an elephant you can ride. But the CA Faire has box turtle races you can bet on.

OK, they're both good. But I like the PA Faire better. And that's that.

Today I was fortunate enough to be able to share notes with the assistant there. It was a great conversation, and I think he enjoyed it as much as I did. Many of my suggestions were very well received. One of the head execs there overheard much of our discussion and stepped in to tell us he thought what we were talking about was great.

Anyway, the most intriguing part of the day came when I was asked to read a magazine article that they have optioned. Yes, that's right, a magazine article. This company paid a large sum of money to the author of a two page magazine article for the right to use her article (which has no story and no characters, but just a general opinion... and yes that opinion is interesting and thought-provoking) as the basis for a feature length film. I love this town. I really do.

Now I happened to get a pretty good idea when I was reading the article for a comedy that could demonstrate what the article was saying while being entertaining and funny and heart-warming.

One thing I've learned out here is that no one ever offers you anything. They wait for you to ask for it. And once you ask for it, quite often they are happy to honor your audacity. So I thought "What the heck" and said, "Well I had a story idea, mind if I pitch it to you so you can see if it has potential?" He said... sure, that would be awesome.

I shared my story idea and he was really taken with it, saw the potential, and said that could really work. So now I'm writing a more fleshed out treatment of the story for him to review next week. Not sure exactly where that will head, but you never know. And I have to say, the story could really work.

One last bit to share. I'm learning and developing the skill to really think strategically. To not let everything "just happen" but to use the things that do happen to my further advantage. In that way, I learned in a class about the power of "triangulation." Meaning, when you've got one thing going for you, use that one thing in another arena so now you have two things going for you.

I made sure to tell Trevor about my exciting situation over at the movie studio that shall remain nameless, and how agents and execs are reading my stuff right now. He was suitably excited for me, and then... "You know, any scripts you'd like to bring in, I'd love to read. Especially stuff that might work for Tobey." Because in life, but especially in Hollywood, when people know that other people like you, they think, "Oh well maybe there is something here to really like."

So now I'm bringing in a treatment for an optioned article and some scripts for him to read. This really has been a very good week, professionally speaking. And again, it's not like any of these opportunities will automatically translate into a sale or work, but it's great to just be learning the ropes and experiencing these things already, in just my first year in school.

I said yes!

Not sure this is BIG break, but it certainly seems like a break of some kind.

Think about the movies you love. I'm sure that immediately, moments come to mind. Indiana Jones - the big ball rolling after him. The light shining through the staff and showing the location of the ark. "Snakes, why does it always have to be snakes." I'd bet that every movie you love has a number of these scenes that made an impact on you.

When I'm writing, these moments keep me going. Sometimes I'll have a great moment, one that I want to see on the screen, and it just gives me this energy to make the story and everything else awesome. It's when I've stumbled across enough of these moments that the story really comes alive for me.

All this to say, I wrote an awesome moment in Tovenray's Curse today. Lyric has just entered this mysterious world. She's been swooped up by a flying Kitty, riden by a boy named Torin. As they fly towards the woods, they are followed by a Spidersus - a flying spider. It's a WW2 dogfight in the air between a flying kitty and a flying spider... who wouldn't want to see that on the screen? It's crazy awesome. The spider is dropping webs on the kitty, constricting the kitty's wings, sending it into a nosedive. Torin is frantically cutting the webs with his sword while Lyric tries to ready a bow and arrow to shoot...

I want to see it on the screen!

After class I asked him what my tell was, in his opinion.

He said... "It's hard to explain exactly, but there is just this... holiness to you."

What in the world?

He continued. "Like you're a preacher delivering a sermon."

You can take the son away from the pastors, but I guess you can't take the pastors away of the boy....

He finished saying that it's not a bad thing at all, and there's definitely an energy and a conviction, but that I should be sure to calibrate because sometimes that energy is appropriate and sometimes it isn't.

SCENE 1 - TEASER - INT. OFFICE - DAY
Jim enters, a metal briefcase chained to his hand. Jim acts like nothing is unusual. Dwight is, of course, intrigued. Dwight, “What’s in the briefcase, Jim?”. Jim: “I would love to get your input on my situation, but this is classified. Level 25 Clearance, if you can believe it.” Jim’s cell phone rings (“24” ringtone). Jim (Jack Bauer intense): “What have you got for me on Chevensky? You are going to tell me what I want to know; it’s just a question of how much you want it to hurt. No, that’s not possible. You’ll have to upload the schematics to my phone.” Jim leaves. Dwight looks around.
DWIGHT TALKING HEAD:
“I’m the founder and sole member of the Scranton Domestic Disturbance Task Force. The last time I intercepted a parcel, which was cleverly disguised as an Amazon.com box, I seized a Terrorism Training DVD called “Fight Club.” And a copy of Halo 3. I kept that for myself. I have to find out what’s in that briefcase.”
JIM TALKING HEAD:
Jim opens up the briefcase and reveals the contents with a smirk. It’s his bagged lunch and thermos.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
SCENE 2 – INT. RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Pam calls Michael. Ryan wants the agenda for their monthly meeting which is scheduled for the next day. Ryan has been calling all day. Ryan wants to see it before meeting in person the next day so there are no surprises.
PAM TALKING HEAD:
Pam talks about her frustration because Michael sends all his calls from Ryan directly to her. And she never knows what’s going on. And Ryan gets annoyed at her. And he also flirts with her. “Ryan told me I’m the least competent office manager in the whole company. Then he added that seeing me is the highlight of his visits.” Kelly’s walking by... “What did you say? Did you say what I thought you said? The highlight?” Awkward. Pam: “ I don’t like Ryan very much.”
SCENE 3 – INT. RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Pam on the phone: “I know, Ryan. It’s coming very soon. He’s working on it. No, you can’t talk to him right now... No, he’s not in a meeting. Yes, he’s in his office. OK, I’ll transfer you to him.” She punches the appropriate buttons. She sees Michael in his office, his phone lights up and rings. Michael pushes a couple of buttons and transfers Ryan back to her. Pam: “Hello, Dunder Mifflin... Oh, hi Ryan. Yes, I transferred you to him. He transferred you back.”
SCENE 4 – INT. MICHAEL’S OFFICE – DAY
Michael’s distracted while he’s on the phone with Pam. He watches the “Cute Polar Bears dying” scene from “An Inconvenient Truth” on youtube. Michael, “Yes... yes... Pam. I hear you, but... this may be hard for you to understand, but there are more important things in this world than Ryan’s agenda.” He hangs up. There are tears in his eyes.
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD:
Michael explains that when he has a stressful day – like how Ryan wants an agenda for a meeting – he likes to do a google search for pictures of adorable animals to get him in the right frame of mind. It’s a trick he picked up in High School, and it’s much easier now that there’s an internet, saves him a trip to the library. It backfired, and now the weight of the world is on his shoulders. Ryan sent an example of what he’s looking for, which Michael holds up. “How am I supposed to prepare something as involved as this in my vulnerable condition?” It has three bullets of lines. On each line, there are just two words.
SCENE 5 – INT. OFFICE – DAY
Michael orders everyone into the conference room. “It’s time we change our world, everybody! Come on, let’s start a revolution.” He sings the Beatle’s “Revolution” and comments, “Best sneaker commercial ever.” People ignore him. Stanley: “We have a sales deadline to meet at the end of the week, Michael.” Michael belittles it, “That doesn’t compare to what we have to talk about.” Kevin: “You told us yesterday that we needed to treat these sales as if our lives depended on it.” Michael: “I was just being motivational! It’s like some of you have no idea what it means to be a leader.” Everyone ignores him again.
SCENE 5.5 – INT. UTILITY CLOSET– DAY
Michael opens the circuit breaker and reveals a huge amount of levels and switches. He vamps to the camera. “Time to power down the tractor beam.” He makes the “power-down” noise and switches off a number of them.
SCENE 5.6 – INT. UTILITY CLOSET– DAY
ALL the computers lose power. Dwight stands up, intense. “Everybody down! We have a situation!” He strikes a karate pose and slowly turns, checking every door and window for attackers. Michael: “It’s not terrorism Dwight. It’s eco-terrorism. The good kind of terrorism.” Every one loses what they were working on. Michael: “You shouldn’t keep electronics powered while you’re in a meeting anyway.” Andy hits the desk loudly. “I lost the sales spreadsheet I spent all morning on!” Michael: “That’s why I back up my files. You gotta back that thing up!” He dances for second, then stops himself. “The time for hilarious jokes is past. Important meeting time!”
SCENE 6 – INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
Michael lectures, “Now I’m going to open your eyes to a threat you probably don’t even know exists. I’m going to warn you now, it’s scary. And you’re not going to be able to look at the world the same way. There is a threat to all of us...” Dwight nods along, punctuating Michael’s talk with agreement. Finally, he cuts Michael off, “Domestic spies, right Jim?” Jim looks around like he doesn’t have the slightest clue what Dwight is saying. Michael: “No, Dwight. I’m talking about... Greenhouse Gases.” Everyone moans and gets up to leave. Kevin, “Everyone knows about that already, Michael.” Michael closes the door and tries again. “But do you know that they’re making everything warmer. Things are melting!” Angela: “We’re getting a new heaven and a new earth very soon. This one is disposable, anyway.” Michael asks them to view the tiny clip on his laptop, and no one can see it. Michael says, “You’re all going to have to crowd in closer because it’s so small,” and then can’t help but adds a “That’s what she said.” Of course, Jim picks up that this particular “That’s what she said” isn’t so complimentary to Michael, so he asks, “She said it’s so small, to who? You? What were you doing? Why were there a bunch of people there?” Michael: “I don’t get it, Jim.” Michael’s shocked and upset to find out that this impending environmental calamity is news to no one, that everyone knew about “An Inconvenient Truth,” and that no one seems to care. Phyllis says she’s already living a “Carbon Neutral lifestyle,” and that she and Bob Vance “have vowed to have as light an impact on Mother Earth as possible.” Michael suppresses a laugh. “Right, Phyllis. Right. There’s a lot of things you are. Jolly. Matronly. Punctual. But a light impact on the earth isn’t one of them.” Phyllis: “Doesn’t have anything to do with weight, Michael.” Michael mentions that Phyllis’s carbon footprint must be huge. Jim work on a cryptic sudoku on his cell phone and Dwight tries to decipher it for clues.
CREED TALKING HEAD:
Creed cared about the environment until he had a revelation that all pollution is just fake and purposely orchestrated by world governments to distract people from the larger Illuminati conspiracy. Just like the Superbowl. And crossworld puzzles.
SCENE 6 – INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
Michael decides they must make pledges. He bought sneakers made of recycled materials. But he learns, to his shame, that everyone recycles already, (he doesn’t – and won’t – because it’s “annoying.”) Toby drives a Prius. Michael instinctually blurts out “That car is so gay!” Then immediately, he realizes what he said, and turns to Oscar, “Which is why I want one. And why I affirm and respect the lifestyle choices it has made.” Michael promises “real lasting changes. Recycling is just temporary, because then you have to do it again, and again, and again. Blech, that’s boring. We’re going to make a difference that is forever. ”
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD:
Michael asks what kind of world it would be if you were walking down the street and you didn’t see Polar bears. That’s not a world he wants to live in.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
SCENE 7 – INT. MICHAEL’S OFFICE – DAY
The air conditioner is cranked up and Michael is visibly cold. Print-outs of polar bear pictures completely plaster the walls. Michael types furiously. Pam brings in more polar bear pictures from the printer. “These print-outs are taking up a lot of paper, Michael.” The pictures serve to remind Michael “what’s at stake.” The room is cold as a tribute to the way things should be in Antarctica. Pam: “You know, there actually aren’t any Polar Bears in Antarctica, they’re in –” Michael cuts her off, “Yes, exactly, that’s what we have to change. If we all chip in and make a difference, there can be again” Pam watches him start typing furiously. “Oh good, so that’s the agenda for Ryan, right? Because he keeps calling me. I mean, he’s calling you. But you send the calls to me. So I have to talk to him.” Michael nods and she leaves.
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD:
Michael looks disheveled. He talks about being a creative person, a writer, and not being able to turn off his creativity when it possesses him. It’s like he just gave birth. And he has a message to deliver, like Moses. He’s like Moses, if Moses ever gave birth. And Ryan couldn’t expect Moses to write an agenda right after having a baby. Because Moses would be on maternity leave.
SCENE 8 – INT. RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Michael drops a 200 page tome on Pam’s desk, his “Mother Earth Manifesto.” Michael wants copies made for everyone. Pam suggests that it might be a waste of paper and recommends emailing it. Michael says “that the environment is a higher cause – if they waste paper to save it then so be it. If we learned anything from Vietnam, it’s that sometimes you have to burn the village to save the villagers. Sometimes you have to destroy a tree to save a tree. Plus email takes too much electricity because it’s ‘electronic mail.’”
PAM TALKING HEAD:
Pam flips through the 200 page document for the camera. Many of the pages just contain clip art or one word.
SCENE 9 – INT. MICHAEL’S OFFICE – DAY
Dwight informs Michael of the mysterious spy game Jim situation. “Until I have a firm handle on the threat, I ask that you authorize me to suspend personal liberties in the office.” Michael responds that no one in the office has any personal liberties anyway. Dwight: “Michael, I’m going to need you to grant me Executive Wartime Powers for Extraordinary Situations. We have to crack down on gatherings of more than two people in the break room. The hallways are insecure. And Oscar doesn’t shred all of his documents.” Michael wants to get back to his environmental plans and end this distraction, so Michael signs the document Dwight provides. Dwight, drunk on his power, demands access to all phone calls, email, internet use, Close Circuit video, and computer keystrokes. Michael informs that he doesn’t know that information because corporate doesn’t trust him with it anymore.
TALKING HEAD MICHAEL:
Michael: “I still doesn’t understand how they could have said I misused the surveillance technology. The whole purpose of the stuff is to spy on people. And that’s all I did. So now I know that Meredith writes “fantasies” featuring her, Jim, and yours truly. (He holds up handwritten letters) Who does that hurt? If anyone, it’s an ego boost. I mean, that’s not bad company.”
SCENE 10 – INT. RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Pam calls Jim’s phone. She disguises her voice, speaking in fake russian german hybrid.
SCENE 11 – INT. JIM/DWIGHT’S WORKSPACE – DAY
Jim puts it on speakerphone. Jim: “Don’t listen to this. It’s classified.” Dwight listens to the Russian as Jim jots something down. Jim gets another mysterious call and leaves the room. Dwight takes the notepad and photocopies it.
SCENE 12 – EXT. PARKING LOT – DAY
Everyone is gathered outside. Michael rides up sweating and exhausted on a bicycle. He carries an enormous backpack. His tie looks like burlap. Toby: “Michael, the electricity isn’t working in the office, I called...” Michael cuts him off. “Ten minutes off the grid and you’re already reaching out for the fossil fuel teat, Toby? I cancelled our electrical account with Scranton Power. We need to be serious about earth friendly work habits. It was all in my Mother Earth Manifesto, did you read it?” Stanley: “No, It was dark.” Micheal: “Oh Stanley man up, your brothers in Africa don’t even know what electricity is. And they still manage to be warriors and hunters and gatherers. And you can’t even be a salesman.” Stanley: “I need a phone and a computer.” Michael beams and pulls out a small solar panel. “My phone will charge by the power of Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, in tribute to Kelly!” Kelly’s offended: “I’m not Egyptian, Michael.” Michael snorts, “OK PC Police, Egyptian-American, whatever.” Angela complains, “We can’t work in the dark.” Meredith, who wears sunglasses, disagrees. “I like the darkness, Michael. The bright lights give me a headache.” Angela: “What are those of us who don’t have hangovers going to do?” Michael opens his pack. “I’ve selling “Candles by Jan” for $30 a pop. A discounted price, and a steal, if you ask me.”
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD:
He holds a candle. “I know we’re not together now, but as the principle investor in her business, this is my retirement. So I hope you like Bonfire.” He looks more closely at the cameraman. Holds out the candle. “No, I’m serious, I hope you like Bonfire. Smell it. Isn’t that great? Only $30. You interested?”
SCENE 13 – INT. OFFICE – DAY
Each workstation is dimly illuminated by a candle. Angela: “It looks like we’re setting up for a seance, Michael.” Michael: “You’re right.” Michael takes a folded up piece of paper from his wallet, it’s a picture of the chair model from the catalog, “Does anyone know how to conduct a seance, I want to talk to her!” Workers use their cell phones, not being able to hear people well, losing connection. Oscar puts his phone against him and shouts “I gotta take a confirmation number. It’s accounts receivable. Pam, where are the notebooks?”
SCENE 13.5 – INT. SUPPLY CLOSET – DAY
Pam looks at the shelves. They are empty. Michael enters, looking proud. “No pens, no pencils, no paper, no toxins, no lead, no dead trees. I threw it all away. Actually, I threw it in the river so nature could wash it away and bring purity.”
SCENE 13.75 – INT. OFFICE – DAY
No one can really do any work. Oscar’s phone dies before he can get the confirmation number. Pam’s cell phone rings. She doesn’t recognize the number. She answers. It’s Ryan. Ryan: “Pam, I never got Michael’s agenda. We’re on our way but I’d really like to know what we’ll be discussing. Oh, hey... is this your cell phone number? Nice. Let me add this to my contacts.” Pam wants to end the conversation: “Oh no looks like my battery is dying and we can’t plug our phones in to charge them and...” and Pam hangs up. Pam asks Michael how Ryan got her number. Michael: “Pam, I explain this to you every day. You’re my assistant. I forward my calls to you. My phone died. I don’t know why, I plugged it into the solar charger all night.” He points at the darkened table, where it’s plugged into the solar charger again. “And it’s not charging now either for some reason.” Michael holds the Manifesto out to her. It’s opened to a page which says simply: “Don’t WAIST Paper!” next to clip art of a tree crying. “Did you know there are two ways to spell Waste? Tricky. I need you to reprint all of it. The Mother Earth Manifesto has to be perfect or no one will take the cause seriously.” Pam, “But can’t we just reprint that page and -” Michael cuts her off. “Don’t cut corners, Pam. How does Jim like it when you stop without... completing the job?” Pam doesn’t know how to answer. Michael continues: “I already ordered the re-prints. Pick them up at Kinko’s before Corporate gets here.” Pam has to drive across town to do it.
SCENE 14 – INT. TOBY’S WORKSPACE – DAY
Michael waits for Toby to open his desk drawer, which is packed with aerosole hair spray bottles. He makes a big deal of the discovery, calling out to everyone in the office. “Oh, look at what Toby has in his desk! Have you ever heard of the Ozone Layer, Toby? Do you think about the holes you’re punching in it when you drive around in that... happy little Prius?” Michael reaches into the drawer and pulls out plastic 6-pack connectors and grocery bags. “Don’t you know turtles mistake these for jelly fish and eat them and die because they can’t regulate their buoyancy? Sea Turtles tremble at the sight of you, Toby the Destroyer! The Scourge of the Oceans!” Michael gives Toby a trophy made of trash for being the worst polluter in the office.
TALKING HEAD TOBY:
Toby points to his balding head. “It’s pretty obvious I’m the guy who bought all that hairspray, right? I mean, how else could I maintain this style? Right?”
SCENE 15 – INT. DWIGHT’S WORKSPACE – DAY
Dwight’s desk is piled 6 feet high with mounds of huge crusty old volumes about cryptology. He looks at his photocopy of Jim’s writing from the notepad. Then thumbs through a book, looking excited, like he’s on the verge of a great discovery. Then.... frustration. Nothing.
TALKING HEAD DWIGHT:
Dwight: “I’ve cross-referenced this with some of the greatest cryptology ciphers known to man. Navajo code talkers. The Caesar code. Even the legendary Rachmonchof Encryption. Nothing. I don’t want to alarm Michael, but we’re dealing with a highly sophisticated foe.” Dwight holds up the photocopy and says, “Yspay Owdownshay: Arehouseway atway Oonnay.” It’s pig latin.
SCENE 16 – INT. OFFICE – ACCOUNTING AREA – DAY
Michael makes the rounds through the office, stopping at the different workstations to see if anyone has read his Manifesto yet. “OK, that’s actually good that you haven’t because I have a new updated version.” He replaces the old drafts with new drafts. People put it aside, don’t read it. Angela stands up abruptly. She gets a headache from the smell of the candles, and threatens to go home. “It smells like incense in here, Michael. And incense is only in the air when people are smoking pot, being Catholic, or worshiping whatever the hell Kelly worships.” Michael forbids her from leaving and forces her to read the Manifesto outside. Creed sniffs in the air like a blood hound, and ends up with his nose right against Michael’s burlap looking tie. Creed: “Flying Dutchman. I haven’t smelled this blend since that summer in Amsterdam.” Michael: “Finally! Someone noticed my hemp tie. You think I want to wear this hideous thing? I wear for Mother Earth.” Creed snips off a bit of Michael’s tie and smokes it. Kevin: “Dude, that’s awesome. You spent a summer in Amsterdam?” Creed: “No, why do you ask?”
SCENE 17 – INT. OFFICE - RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Ryan and David Wallace (the CFO) arrive for their meeting with Michael. Pam informs them that Michael will be ready in a moment. David asks Ryan for an agenda “You know I hate walking into these meetings blind.” Ryan has to admit he doesn’t have anything. David is displeased. “You really need to get an agenda from your direct reports, Ryan.” Michael overhears Ryan being reprimanded: “Still learning the ropes, huh? Not so easy making the jump from Business School to running with the big boys, huh? Hey, if you need a mentor, the offers still on the table. I’d be happy to take you under my wing.” Ryan: “Technically, I’m your boss, Michael.” Michael: “Lesson Number One, Ryan: Try not to run your business based on technicalities.”
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
SCENE 16 – INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
It’s loaded with candles. Michael, Dwight and Andy meet with David and Ryan. David: “Someone holding a seance, Michael?” Michael gets serious. “No, do you know how? Because I’ve got this girl...” he reaches into his pocket. Ryan shakes his head “no,” and Michael picks up on the signal. Michael hands them his Mother Earth Manifesto. Ryan: “Michael, why isn’t there any electricity in the office today.” Michael tells them to be patient, all will make sense. Michael and Dwight act out being a polar bear cub and mother with their home melting (while Andy does narration and music.) The skit ends, to stunned silence. Andy claps at the performance, then stops and no one joins in. David turns to Ryan: “Do you see why I need an agenda for every meeting, Ryan?” Michael laughs. “Sooner or later, we all have to learn in the school of hard knocks, Ryan.” Ryan tries to take control of the meeting. “So, we wanted to talk about third quarter sales projections -” David cuts him off. “Ryan, could you and the rest leave Michael and I alone for a moment. I have something I want to talk to him about.”
SCENE 17 – INT. OFFICE – DAY
Pam purposely speaks Pig Latin in earshot of Dwight. Dwight, invoking his Wartime Powers, forces her to divulge the code. “I promised Jim I wouldn’t break, but... we’re acting on behalf of oppressed people in our region, and I know you can help. It’s a highly complex code called pig latin.” Dwight: “Pigs, huh? I knew they were Communists. Or maybe... Liberals.” Pam: “It’s hard to explain exactly how the code works, but the initial consonant sound is placed at the end and an ay is then added.” Dwight rushes back to his desk and can’t quite figure it out. Pam walks up behind him and helps him out... he still doesn’t get it.Pam basically gives him the whole message: “Spy Showdown in Warehouse at Noon.” Dwight checks the time, grabs his night vision goggles from his desk, and bolts towards the warehouse.
SCENE 18 – INT. WAREHOUSE – DAY
Dwight hides and watches a showdown between Jim and a large figure dressed in black. Jim dials his cell phone and horribly over-acts into the phone: “I’ve got six hostiles wearing explosive vests. Four of them are staying near the hostages; I expect their orders are to detonate if we make a move. The other two are roaming. I’ve got two security doors on the north east side of the concourse; both are chained but are currently un-guarded.” The figure overcomes Jim mid-sentence. Jim drops his phone. Dwight attacks, injures the figure. The figure runs off. Jim: “Dwight, you have helped avert an international incident. But promise me, you won’t tell anyone. This was all absolutely classified.” Dwight solemnly promises to keep it a secret.
DWIGHT TALKING HEAD:
“I can’t go into details. Because it’s all classified. It’s classified because it involves dangerous people who were subdued by a smarter, more dangerous person and if people realized that they worked in the presence of such a lethal hero, they would not be able to get much work done. So it’s highly confidential. Most heroic actions of this magnitude are.” Dwight smiles.
JIM TALKING HEAD:
“Dwight’s feeling pretty good about himself, which is nice, he’s been going through a tough time.” He’s facetious: “Pam and I were just trying to have some fun with him... that certainly wasn’t the plan all along.”
KEVIN TALKING HEAD:
Kevin has a scratch on his cheek. “Jim promised it would be safe, and it seemed like an easy twenty bucks....” He traces the wound with his fingers. “Dwight should really be a spy.”
SCENE 19 – INT. CONFERENCE ROOM – DAY
David: “Michael, that was... terrible and embarrassing. But that you would sacrifice your dignity like that tells me you have passion for this. My wife has been bugging me for months about this, and as much as I’ve asked, Ryan won’t put together an environmental strategy.” Michael: “If it’s not a website or a woman, Ryan doesn’t care.” David: “I’m afraid that might be true, Michael. But you have conviction.” Michael: “That’s something that can’t be taught.” David picks up the Manifesto. “I’m going to pass this around back at corporate, but you’ve really laid out a roadmap for us here. Thank you.” David stands and starts to leave. “Oh, and... what is that smell?” Michael: “Bonfire.” David: “Where did you get those candles, if you don’t mind me asking.”
SCENE 20 – INT. BREAK ROOM – DAY
Ryan waits. Kelly comes in. They stare at each other by candlelight. Kelly: “Remember the last time we gazed at each other by only candlelight? Remember what you promised, Ryan? Did you mean it?”
SCENE 21 – INT. OFFICE - RECEPTION AREA – DAY
Michael asks Pam to rent him a car to get home – the bike ride exhausted him. Dwight offers to give him a ride. Michael: “Oh, no. No! Only Wussies bum rides like that! What kind of example would I be setting? An environmentalist can’t drive his own car, all by himself, he always needs a little driving buddy because “it scares me to drive all by myself... look at me, I’m the wimpy little treehugger.” No, I’m going to show them that you can love the earth, and drive a big, beefy, manly car. And Pam, I do need a a bigger car, to carry the bike.” Dwight reminds him the Avis at the train station rents that Hummer. “Yes! Exactly. A Hummer. Now there’s a car that will say, “I’m an environmentalist, but I’m still cool.””
ANDY TALKING HEAD:
Andy hits the wall in frustration. “Ugh, shut out. Goose egg. Shooting Blanks. Swing and a miss. Not one. Not one sale.”
MICHAEL TALKING HEAD:
“We learned that a good green policy helps, not hurts, business. In the end, it all comes down to a little phrase my mother used to whisper in my ear when she tucked me into bed. “What would Jesus do?” Jesus didn’t use electricity. He never drove a Prius. And he rejected all brands of hairspray. And I’d like to add that Hitler... did all of those things. So, you figure out which side you want to be on. Jesus. Or Hitler.”

It was so nice, one of those unexpected things that you didn't even know to look forward to but was the best thing that happened in a while. We just walked through the surf, got too wet, laughed and talked. For some reason there was an apple, two oranges, and a cantaloupe rolling through the waves. We tried to keep track of each of them each time the waves crashed and receded. It's hard to explain exactly how much (or even why) fun this was.

Anyway, I was thinking that these things that you don't plan but that end up being very memorable need a simple name. Any ideas? Have you had any of these moments lately?

If you don't write the pages, you have nothing.

I've found that there is no "quality" correlation between pages that are hard to write and pages that are easy to write. Sometimes the easy stuff is brilliant, sometimes it needs to be completely re-worked. Same with the difficult stuff.

"Finish it badly" is really just taking the pressure off so that you finish it at all. In reality the chances that it's actually bad are the same as any other time.

It's a discipline. A very difficult discipline to develop, because there are so many aspects of creativity that it's always tempting - especially for me, who loves the thrill of inspiration - to just wait for God to walk into the room and let those magical moments do all the work for you. But those bursts of inspiration are pretty rare. To be a consistent storyteller (or songwriter, or anything creative) you have to develop muscles that force God into the room, even when you don't believe there is a God. Even when you don't believe there is a room.

Yesterday and today, I rewrote the 19 pages I had already written (cutting them down to 14) and then wrote 8 shiny brand new pages, too. Not bad. I'm back into the story. Another crisis averted. These times are actually monumental for me, because as an inspiration junkie in the past... it might have been another six months before I started writing again.

Fortunately, I'm learning to procrastinate while doing other things that I actually really have to do. So I put together most everything bureaucratic for the season of Screenwriting Competitions, which took a tremendous amount of time, while rewriting my screenplays. I worked a lot on my comedy spec for the Office. I read more screenplays and made notes for my internship at Maguire.

And now it's just me and the blank page and I have to move on.

On thing that was quite helpful was that I went on a hike with Lyric and Ollie yesterday and they wanted me to tell them the whole story from start to finish. To see the way they responded to it and liked it encouraged me on the strength of the story. In fact, I told Lyric that my instructor wasn't like it so much so far and she looked at me amazed. "Why, doesn't he like good stories? Who wouldn't like it?"

So that's the audience I need to write for.

It was exhausting, but both scripts are better now...

I'm tired.

And also, reading these made me realize that my scripts can hang with these other scripts. With more rewrites, perhaps, but I can get there.

I feel the same way. It really stinks. Who would do this? So selfish to put us out $700... I really hope it doesn't happen again.

I'm having a hard time getting through the Tovenray story right now for some reason. But I'm 19 pages in, and I think I like what I've written so far, at least for a first draft. I really dig a lot of the story, though.

Is that a good thing? He asked. Does that feel like a step forward or a step back?

And I can honestly say I believe what I answered, which was, "Where I'm coming from, with what I want to do, I think that's an awesome step forward." And he responds. "Good, that's all I wanted to know. Then you're in the right town."