Hanging by a fingertip

My time is almost up.

I don't wanna say this trip has been tough - cause its a lot like all the other trips... but something happens the last week where all I think about is being at home.

I watched Knocked Up over the weekened again and got all teared up. When they sang that song at the end of the film over the montage of the couple and their new baby girl - I was weeping.

I'm such a nancy.

But it's Wednesday night - and that means I only have two more days. So that's good.

But I gotta come back next month. That's bad.

And every time I leave Beijing - something cool happens. Last time, my assistant Star got married. And Nine Inch Nails and Public Enemy came. This time, Talib Kweli and Ozomalti will both play... while I'm gone.

But I might fly down to Shanghai to watch a preseason NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic. Maybe.

On the movie.

More names being bandied about and more offers about to go out.

On the funny tip - the big name star who we waited two years for his schedule to clear before he finally dropped out of the film has just changed representation again.

Yup. He's now at my agency.

And the very same agents who kept telling me what a douchebag he was and how I shouldn't work with him or his agent wrote me this week telling me how we should all sit down and have a meeting and talk about the film again.

Yup. His AGENT is also at my agency.

Just a reminder that everything is a full circle in Hollywood.

The highlight of the past couple days was reading an Elmore Leonard novel. Don't know if you read him or not - but I highly recommend his books. When I get back - I'm gonna pick up as many as I can get my hands on.

And on that note - I give you this link:

ELMORE LEONARD'S 10 RULES OF WRITING

Well worth stopping by. A master of dialog and structure.

From another article:

Leonard says he does not know where the story will go when he starts writing. He lets the characters lead. He's not even sure that he's starting at the beginning.
"I have no idea where it's going, I have no idea how it will end. I just start it.
"Sometimes, Chapter 1 will become Chapter 2 or 3; one time it became Chapter 10."

Editors?
Leonard has one, and passed along this piece of dialogue:


She: "I think this one ends rather abruptly."

He: "Well, but, it's over."

She: "Why don't you let it coast a little?"

Leonard said, "So, I'll write three new pages and I'll cross out two."


Holding on for dear life here in Beijing... ready for the long flight home.

Two more days... :)