This revamp started because I envisioned a series of posts that would encompass all of the ways that I waste time and effort, rather than applying myself constructively to items on my "Wish To Do" List. Atop the list is a project for a novel that I’ve been chipping at for many, many years. I’ve done outlines, research, and spent some serious time daydreaming about the story, but have always put off the actual writing. Of course this isn’t a trait exclusive to writing….It’s pretty much my standard M.O. for most projects. Anywho, more on the novel later.

As for this blog, I wanted to chronicle all of the many side-projects and fun diversions that make life interesting (for me, at least). Often I feel like the go-to-guy amongst friends and family when it comes to anything related to DIY technology or video-related upgrades, and I wanted to begin posting some of my advice and how-to’s for topics that are not only distractions and diversions for the literary life, but hobbies in their own right.

The focus will be on technology and its impact on culture and the arts. Personally, I’m most interested in the access to and ease with which we can engage in popular culture, including the trend to remix (movies), mashup (music), and mod (games).

This eventually led me to working for the on-campus student-run theater when I attended Tulane University (shout out to TUCP! and the always-in-my-heart McAllister Auditorium) and greatly contributed to me lack of interest in class, terrible grades, and eventual job at Canal Place in New Orleans, where I was pretty damn happy being a projectionist and staying out all night (low wages and long hours notwithstanding).

Anyway, my big hobby at the time was dreaming about making a movie. This was before the days of inexpensive HD-video cameras so I was focused on DIY filmmaking from top to bottom. Something I could film on the streets of New Orleans, on the cheap, with volunteers and begging. I was especially enamored with the look and feel of Lost Highway-era David Lynch and the multiple film stock aesthetic of Natural Born Killers and wanted to film in 8mm, 16mm, and video, then make my film in the editing room. I believed (and still do) that the difference between the amateurish DIY film and something I might see at a festival was the sound, because any visual style could work if the sound was done well. So, I’d focus on high-quality sound design, effects, and a simple score.

I wrote SEEMLESS, a cops-and-robbers detective story with a bit of weirdness. Since I intended to direct it, the script was heavy on stage direction and visual explanations – both supposedly no-nos in the scriptwriting world. I was very pleased with the beginning and end, but recognized that the 2nd act needed work and some of the diaologue was a bit flat. Anyway, it never came about (obviously).

The point of all of this…..? …that I had a handy-dandy script laying around with which to try out PLOTBOT, a nifty "web-based collaborative screenwriting application where you can write a screenplay with as many or as few people as you like…" (so they say).

Right from the start, I’m a little annoyed by the way elements are broken up into very small pieces, necessitating lots of mouse clicking as you go from dialogue to action to dialogue, etc. Perhaps I haven’t figured out the shortcuts or tricks yet. I can see how this might be very useful, however, to someone new to the screenwriting format or truly writing from scratch. My frustration comes from already haveing a mostly finished product, so I’m doing a lot of cutting and pasting. Plotbot truly shines, though, in how it illustrates the collaborative potential of a project.

Each script has it’s own home page, from which you can create an RSS feed to track changes, see the most recent activity, the writers involved, and even add background notes on the project. You can even learn about different levels of Creative Commons licensing for your project.

So, the verdict? I think it’s a very useful site, with plenty of potential for growth. Hopefully someone will come along and fix my 2nd act….