Late night scratchings

I'm trying to write my next short story. But I can't get past the first sentence. I have a concept in my head but these things always sound better than they write. It's not so much writer's block as it is writer's ineptitude.

Today I did something rather important. Tomorrow I'm going to finish what I started. I just hope it works. I haven't had a good night's rest in what seems like years. So I need this. Peace of mind. Once i have that i think I'll have a good cry. Not a sad cry. A good one. Where I smile at the same time. Like a sun shower.

It's also late. And I'm babbling. I'm trying to watch TV at the same time and it's not working. This show is way too heavy for this time of night.

What's the name of that theatre at the corner of City Rd and Cleveland St? They're about to show Debbie does Dallas the Musical. I'm so curious as to what this can be like. Anyone interested in seeing it?

Q Magazine recently released a list of the 100 most powerful people in music. I was surprised to read that Avril Lavigne and John Mayer didn't make the list. On the other hand, Ryan Adams made it at No. 97. Now I own every official album that this genius of a musician has ever released, but even I realise that the amount of influence he wields is nothing compared to Avril. Maybe it refers to other forms of influence. Not just fans and money generated. I don't know.

I finished reading this book called The Wisdom of Crocodiles by Paul Hoffman. It's a long book. Took 13 years to write apparently. It's sprawling. Covering almost every subject matter you can think of. It's one of the longest books I've read in a while. But as I turned the last page, I felt disappointingly empty. It had a lot of good bits in it. But none of them tied together. I kind of get what it was trying to say. And the book didn't drag like a lot of big books do. It just lacked cohesion. I'm very disappointed.

I wish I tried out for Australian Idol. I really do. I'll try to try next year.

I know most of you won't care, but if you follow basketball (and other American sports) you should start reading this guy's column (if you haven't already). I think he's the best sportswriter I've ever read. His NBA draft diaries are especially fun. It could just be because I think he writes a little like me. In that same self indulgent sense.

I'm really getting into Crossing Jordan. It's corny but the characters are likable. I like that. I have mixed feelings about the OC. It feels too try-hardish. Even for a teeny bopper show (and I can appreciate teeny bopper shows for what they are). It feels like Less than Zero on training wheels. Just as the movie Go felt like a teeny bopper Pulp Fiction. Funnily enough, Doug Liman was/is heavily involved with both.

Ryan and Seth look too much like Dawson and Pacey. Marissa needs to eat more. A lot more! Summer, on top of looking skanky, is probably the worst-written character on television. Even worse than Colleen on Home and Away. I must say, though, that Ryan is a pretty well-written character (for a misunderstood bad boy cliche). I still watch it because it's on TV. That's a good enough reason for me. And it's not all bad.

If I were to create my own OC, I would make the kids a little older and here would be my cast (assuming an unlimited budget):

Ryan: Orlando Bloom (I know he's 26 but Luke Perry was 45 when he played Dylan. Give him a shave and he'll be fine)
Seth: Jake Gyllenhaal
Marissa: Mandy Moore (I thought about Katie Holmes but that's just too Dawson. Keira Knightley would be a good choice too except she also needs to eat more and looks too much like Natalie Portman who I've also cast - see below)
Summer: Jessica Alba (or Eliza Dushku - I swear these two are interchangeable in any role they play)
Seth's parents: Antonio Banderas and Michelle Pfeiffer
Marissa's parents: Johnny Depp and Ashley Judd
Luke: Ashton Kutcher (the most unlikable young actor I can think of)
Anna: Natalie Portman
Seth's grandfather: Christopher Walken

Written by David Mamet (State and Main, Spanish Prisoner)
Directed by Steven Soderberg (Ocean's Eleven, Traffic)

Now wouldn't THAT make compelling television!

OK, I've had enough. The goatee's coming off soon.