"serendipity" definition according to Merriam-Webster - "luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for".
A couple of weeks ago, I finished writing the first draft of my first feature film ever. The entire 90-something pages were written in just 2 days, which was definitely not an easy feat and most likely will be something that I never will do again. hahaha Ink was flowing thick through my veins that day.
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No Expectations is the story about a screenwriter(full of myself? I know, right!? :P), who is completely aware that he is currently living the romantic comedy that he is writing. He has almost full control over his world and often argues with the audience, narrator, director, and other crew members when they stray from the script, but that all changes when he meets...."the girl". Dun Dun DUNNNNN! She's absolute perfection to him(she craps rainbows for crying out loud!). The only problem is that bad timing might be getting in the way of their future. His attempts to "write out" or "fix" these things fail miserably due to him slowly losing his powers because the feelings he has for her are quickly turning into love. She tells him to have "no expectations" about what will happen between the two of them, but our hero decides it might be time to flip the script(ahhhhh! see what I did there?!) in order to win the girl of his dreams.
I've never been great at writing a solid synopsis, but my tired eyes are telling me, at least for now, that I got the heart of the story there. Hopefully, if it ever gets made, the readers and the filmmakers will realize that this is meant to be more pastiche than parody. I am unashamed of my love for rom-coms and this film would be paying tribute way more than making fun of the genre.
Maybe the reason No Expectations was so easy to write was so much of it has been based off recent bits and pieces of my life from the past 3 years. I usually am more a fan of regular routine than inspiration when it comes to my craft, but oh man, inspiration combined with the robotic nature of routine can create incredible results.
What could've caused this extraordinary amount of inspiration for a guy who usually maxes out at no more than 10 pages on a good day? As a writer, what do you do when you find something so incredible that you could never find the words to properly explain it? Well, as the title would suggest, call it/them "a freaking unicorn". Yeah, that is seriously the only way that I can really say it.
Maybe you've met your own "unicorn", or something so perfect to you that you can't begin to fathom how this person, place, or thing could possibly exist(btdubs, you totally have God for this. Just more shocking when you find something so awesome from worldly things or people). This could possibly that juicy cheeseburger that hits all the right spots on your taste buds, the ultimate coffee shop corner to end all coffee shop corners you use to write out your next(or first) masterpiece, or possibly, if you're lucky, a person who absolutely decimates all per-conceived notions you had about what life really was. This is a person who makes your pronoia kick into overdrive because you're pretty sure somebody made a wish to a genie for them to come into life, since there is no reason that anybody like them could ever exist. If they did exist, they certainly shouldn't be giving you the time of day. For a writer, this is my best dream and my worst nightmare. My best dream in that I am now provided with infinite inspiration, but also my worst nightmare because I could never give this real life storybook character justice with words alone.
Energized by such an encounter, you might be willing to do anything for your own unicorn...like...*coughs* *adjusts collar* *heavy breathing*....twerking, but if it makes them crack even the slightest smile in a time where they're dealing with some serious sadness, then it is more than worth the embarrassment(yes, there are multiple videos of Paul Tucker "attempting" the world's weirdest dance style -.-).
Oh, well. Clearly I have too much information on this topic with all the rambling that exists in this post. hahaha If you find or have found your own "unicorn" or storybook character brought to life, I hope that they have as much of a positive impact on your life that mine did for me. If you haven't found one yet, I hope you do and do so soon. :)
And to end it back on stuff for No Expectations, here are a couple of lines from the script that are completely meaningless without context, but I don't care ;P hahaha Quick note..."(beat)" means taking a breath or break.
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"You could, but I'm just a girl who likes her beans and her solitude."
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"I'm a die-hard liberal, but I'm also like, super conservative."
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"I wish I knew how to fight for you. (beat) I mean, I know I just maimed and mauled about three-hundred high school band geeks on my way to declare my love for you, (beat) but I mean really fight for you, (beat) like in the emotional sense."
