Mike Browne’s Blog

Nope. Not a joke. Just a really nice story found whilst surfing. Like it says, I just had to share. Methinks there’s a movie here. It smacks of Rain Man and Forrest Gump.

An oldie but a goodie. Still very pertinent. OMG these guys are nerds.

ABC News: Actor Don Knotts Dies at 81
Good-bye Mr Furley. We’ll miss those colourful suits and funky cravats.

Doesn’t seem like I did a lot today, only adding one page. However I had a revelation in the shower that strengthened the main character a lot and required the reworking and polishing of a few of the earlier scenes. Reads much tighter now.

I also had to cut my writing day short as I had a job interview for a 6 week gig as a producer’s assistant with Dan Schlanger and his ultra-nice production manager Ian Wayne. I’d be working doing clearance and script stuff on a soap being shot at the CBC studios as well as being Dan’s right hand. Not sure if I’ll get the gig or not, but the interview went well. I’d like the gig as it’s only temporary and will give me more experience in producing, not mention a little dough.

Regardless of the outcome I have another contact in the industry. He was interested when I told him I was writing horror movies and told me I seem like the type who needs to be creative. That’s a nice compliment from someone in his position. He said he likes to help people especially those breaking in. I think I’ll take him up on that.

It’s Dad’s 68th birthday today. Dad is pictured here with his prize hole in one trophy. He got it after golfing for only a few years. Nicely done.

He and Mom are off to Myrtle Beach for 5 days of relaxation and some golf. Then its on to the usual spot in Florida at Panama City Beach in the panhandle for a month. Nice! You guys deserve the great time I know you’re having. Love you and drive safe.

Financial management for a a lot of people means simply debt management, so we’ll talk quite a bit about that here too.

Simply (although not always easy) the best way to manage your debt problems is by paying them down. Remember those nasty student credit cards burned huge holes in your pocket all those years ago? How can you forget? You still owe on them. It was so bad for us at one point I even thought I would have to refinance my house. What are some ways you can free up some money without refinancing your mortgage?

A lot of people are constantly asking their advisors when to refinance. My answer… don’t. Not the way they want you too.
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Another four pages today. It just seems to be coming out of me now. I could just keep going but a part of me wants to take a break every few pages. Kind of like savouring the moment. Or maybe I’m afraid of what will happen after I’m done. I get so far ahead of myself sometimes. Anyway, I’m just doing it.

I’ve also had some great ideas about marketing the short on the web and other fundraising ideas to help get the full feature made. No Telefilm isn’t one of them. There are no french speaking beavers in touques or maple syrup drinking Mounties in canoes in this film. At least not yet. I was think more along the lines of cool merchandising. Stuff like hats, t-shirts, keychains and mousepads. That kind of stuff. I’ll explain more as I get closer to launch the site for the short, but that’s quite far way right now.

Any words of encouragement are welcome right now. Other people’s positivity does help if even just a little. However, I’m realizing that it’s only from within and my belief in good orderly direction that I can find the will to action on this one.
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We can thank Bull for this one. I know I’ve posted a lot of these parodies, but they are some funny stuff. I hope this is the last of the Brokeback ones. I’m kind of tired of them. However, I couldn’t pass up the Spongebob homo references. Sorry. 😉
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I haven’t posted in this category for a long time. So I’ll refresh you on what it’s here for. “Zone 63” is the working title of one of the feature length screenplays that I’m writing. I say one of because lately I’ve had this bizarre flood of film ideas through which a number of other projects have come into being and required some attention. In other words I got completely distracted by this head, constantly spinning like a blender, that I have. Curse or gift it’s all mine so one must make the best of it.

Thankfully, I have a wife who loves me and looks out for me. A few weeks ago Carol bought me a book by The Artist’s Way author Julia Cameron who’s work she truly enjoys. The book, called Walking in This World, of course, sat unopened on the arm of the sofa for a week. As Carol is reading and doing the exercises in the book herself she came across a chapter that she felt pertinent to my current dilemma. She bookmarked it brought the book into my office and said, “you should read this.” I didn’t. For a week or so this book sat nagging me on my desk as I felt worse and worse. Yesterday, completely at sea and unable to see any horizon for all the fog in my head I picked it up.
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