Today’s Word: Patience.

Posted on June 6, 2019 by CV Whitfield

Hello, boys and girls. Today’s word is patience.

This is something some writers don’t have. Okay. Well, maybe not some. Let’s just say me. I try hard to have it but ….

My head is filled with stories. It’s full of scenes, dialog and … things. I sit and as I write, it flows so much slower. I can spend a full solid morning and only have a few pages to show but in my mind, I’ve seen the beginning, the middle and the end.

So, with the patience comes focus. With that head so full of stories and ideas, its hard to stay focused on just one. I easily get something else caught in my imagination and start to document that. And typically, as I’m working on that, a new idea bursts forth.

I’ve learned that patience comes with discipline. To ease the chaos of my mind, I try to satisfy it by working on more than one project at a time. I’ve been asked if that isn’t confusing or difficult. To be honest, not really. But it does do, is: it slows down the process and extends the completion of the story.

So, I’m trying to focus on only 2 or 3 projects. I can rotate as needed but I feel it will help me and my blocks. But its not rigid. If I find that I spend all my time on 1 project, then so be it. And congrats to me. The only benefit to a slow process is that I get to think more about the story. I find places to make changes and fix problems. In the end, maybe thats the reward….

Oh, and with that: I use a notebook to catalog all those new ideas. Let’s just hope I can get to them one day!

Worlds Finest.

Posted on January 19, 2019 by CV Whitfield

So, let’s pretend that history was slightly different.

It’s 1990. The world has just experienced Batman as a big budget (and dark) movie masterpiece. Fans are rejoicing and dancing in the streets. We’ve not been this excited since …. well, I don’t know…. but its BIG!

The intelligent minds and businessmen at Warner Brothers green light a sequel. Duh. Who wouldn’t, right? So work begins immediately on the next chapter. They call it Batman Returns. (Not sure why this was the title since its not like he went anywhere. Maybe they could have called it Batman Strikes Back. Nah, what’s he striking back at? It’s not like he lost at the end of the first movie. Maybe, Batman Again! Yeah, we get Batman AGAIN! That’s kinda dumb. It’s the title that doesn’t so much refer to the movie itself but to the audience to tell us, “hey! Batman RETURNS!!! Go buy tickets!”) [back on topic] The movie starts production but there’s one tiny difference….

Batman saves Gotham again. Bruce Wayne finds a stray black cat and he thinks of Catwoman with one life left. We pan up to see the Bat Signal and Catwoman pop her head up. Then the clouds of the signal are broken by something zooming through them. We cut to the credits. After a couple minutes the credits are interrupted – fade in to Wayne Manner. The Batmobile blasts out of the Batcave. A blur of red and blue flies into the frame and block the Batmobile – which slams on the bat brakes! We cut back to the thing blocking Batman’s path – It’s SUPERMAN! Christopher Reeve’s Superman. His blue eyes look down at the Batmobile as the roof slides open to see Batman poking his head out. Wide shot of Superman and Batman. Superman speaks, “Batman – or should I say Bruce Wayne (x-ray vision folks) – I need your help in Metropolis. I’ve got a problem right up your alley. See, there’s this little problem with an old Kryptonian computer….” Cut back to the credits. Fade out.

The style is beyond its time. But don’t discard it. Let’s also move forward on the assumption Superman III never happened in 1983 (or the bad Superman IV: Quest for Peace in 1987). Because the original story plot for Superman III was meant to be a story about Brainiac but due to budget constraints and a studio that demanded Richard Pryor be in a Superman film, we got what we…got. Warner Bros. begins production on the next block buster super-hero movie for release in 1995. The title: WORLD’S FINEST: Superman & Batman. Today, you could have just stuck to World’s Finest, but in the 80/90s you had to put the characters in the title or no one would know it was a Superman and Batman movie.

1995. World’s Finest opens starring Christopher Reeve and Michael Keaton in a double bill, and the fans go crazy. The movie breaks records. It destroys the 1993 record for Jurassic Park. Revolutionary special effects from Industiral Light & Magic creates a marvoulous Brainaic. Batman works to hack into the system and manipulate the ex-Kyptonian computer program. And Superman flies in just at the right moment to fling Brainaic and his ship toward the Sun! It sets up for a new status quo for super-hero films. And the world rejoices!

Oh I wish that were the way things went. Fanboys have always dreamt of a Reeve/Keaton team-up. It would have been stunning….it would have been legendary!

Direction.

Posted on January 17, 2019 by CV Whitfield

My promise to myself in 2019 was to write here every day. Because if I’m writing here, I’m writing on other things. It truly is helping. I’ve done more this year than I did in 2018. But….

I feel like these posts are all over the place. Perhaps its just my OCD.

All through my life, I felt secure when things were organized. Maybe organizing things simply provided me the satisfaction of security. I had control of those little things. And all together, I was in control!

So, maybe, I should find some focus here. Should it be a motivational journal? I’m not so sure. I’m no psychologist. And I’m definitely not a motivational speaker (living in a van down by the river). Yet, I hope my readers do find useful nuggets here. Even if its just mindless entertainment or laugh (at my ignorance?).

I’ve really thought about starting like a serial or some ongoing creative project…. (feel free to post)

“I’ll have a Ham & Cheese and a Savings Account, please.”

Posted on January 15, 2019January 15, 2019 by CV Whitfield

As I’ve stated before, I have a odd fascination for television commercials. I look at them artistically and creatively. And do they make sense….

So, there’s this kid and he’s trying to kick a football through the goal posts. He just can’t muster the strength to get the ball up and over. His father runs over and kneels before him and gives him some motivational advice. He reaches up and puts his hand on the boys chest and says, “free. free, free, free.” The child understands this and returns to his efforts. Years later, he’s about to kick the field goal to win his high school championship. He kicks. He scores. He looks to the stands and finds his father, tears in his eyes. He waves and repeats, “free. free, free, free.” Ofcourse this has to make sense. Maybe its some weird language I don’t understand. Then the story fades to be an advert for a Tax Service that is free. Free, free. Free. (Huh?)

A car pulls up to pick up a dog with a bowling bag in its mouth. The car is driven by another dog. This dog decides its funny to stop and as the dog with the bowling bag tries to get in, the doge driving pumps the gas to move forward. It’s an age old trick we play on ptentional passangers for a ride. We cut to a slide that stars, “Dog tested, dog approved.” (Do dogs drive Subarus?)

A man walks into a bank and orders a venti Carmel Macchiato. He takes a sip and reads his morning paper. People sit at tables. Some are chatting. Some are tapping on tablets and computers – most likely enjoying the free WiFi. The counter is stocked with deliscious fruits and sandwiches. Another gentleman orders a ham and cheese and opens a savings account. No this isn’t a strange world. It’s CapitalOne believe that we need to go to a bank to get our morning cup of joe.. (uh, okay.)

I’ll keep watching and I’ll keeping questioning them….

Knighthart Press