Gremlin Lifestyle – Betsy the Gremlin

A Cautiously Optimistic Gremlin Check-in

April 20, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

One of the main reasons I started this blog was a supplemental income generator. It hasn’t exactly been that. I’ve made a grand total of ¢5.

And that’s fine!

In a perfect world it would have worked out, but this world is not perfect.

Case in point, remember how I mentioned my dad had a cardiac arrest? That was October. He was recovering really well when out of nowhere, boom! He had a stroke in January. Needless to say, the world has been anything but perfect. Again, he’s recovering well but a lot of my time has been dedicated to rehabbing him. I was having a really tough time writing at all in 2020 and this new life change has made it even harder. I’ve got some ideas, but boy howdy the drive to sit down and get them on the page is not there.

I’ve decided I’m going to keep writing this blog, but try and just focus on content that I want to produce. Really, I just want to talk about screenwriting and movies. I don’t care about affiliate programs. I’ll probably still keep posting my bookshop.org links if a good book comes up, but I’m really not interested in shilling for amazon or other programs like that. Maybe I’ll try again in a few years if I get an actual following, but it just makes the process of writing a blog a little soul-sucking.

Anyway, here are some things I want to write about in the coming weeks;

A review of Minari (because it broke me!) and Promising Young Woman (which broke me in a different way).
A list of ideas I’ve had to write but haven’t been able to do because my life is in shambles.
Something new about writing dialogue. That’s my raison d’etre and I haven’t done it in a while on this blog (for obvious reasons).
Hopefully something about the Oscars before or during (probably just the clothes, let’s be honest). I was terrible about watching movies this year in general and the best picture nominations were no exceptions. Again, mainly just interested in what happens to Minari and Promising Young Woman. I watched Trial of the Chicago Seven and I can’t even tell why it was nominated. It left no impression on me whatsoever.

And I kind of want to start a podcast. Actually I’ve wanted to do a podcast for about ten thousand years and maybe I’ll just try taking the plunge.

And that’s it. Dad had a stroke, I’m not doing affiliate links anymore, may do a podcast.

What are your Oscar thoughts? You been up to anything interesting? Any new movies you need me to see? Comment below, because that’s how blogs work, right?

Inadvertent Hiatus

December 26, 2020Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

So, 2020 struck. My father had a cardiac arrest. He’s doing okay and recovering very well but writing blog posts hasn’t really been a priority.

I’m going to just try and enjoy the rest of the year quietly and post more articles in January. Here’s my femme!xmas tree and a gingerbread camper that I made because life is too short not to try new things and I think it turned out pretty great.

Try try again.

October 25, 2020Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

So, I didn’t make it to the next round of judging in one of the competitions I entered. It really sucks, but I’d rather write about it here than pretend that a) nothing is wrong and b) I’m both far removed and successful in this industry. I’m not. I write with advice that I’ve gleaned from experience, time and the education I’ve received but I’m far from an expert.

I’m in the same writing boat all of you are. This is a hard profession. This is a low point but one day there’ll be a high point. It seems silly to not document all the ups and downs this screenwriting journey is taking me on. In fact I think it’s a privilege to share each bit with all of you, warts and all. I’ll be sad for a little bit and that’s part of the process.

I didn’t make it to the next round of judging. It sucks. I’m bummed out. But tomorrow’s another day and the small feedback I received is enough to help me keep going.

Happy writing!

Today Vegetables, Tomorrow the World!

September 21, 2020October 4, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

Last week was another experiment in my *~*~*~influencing adventures~*~*~*. It still feels very silly, but dressing up my new Bunnicula shirt from Out of Print was kind of fun. It’s odd. I’m still having some issues accepting my recent weight gain; part of me is miserable about it and part of me is coming to terms with it. Taking pictures of myself helps, but it’s still hard to look at myself sometimes.

And it scares me, which means I should keep working at it.

Outfit Details

Shirt, Out of Print
Wrap and Pants, Maurices
Shoes, Cole Haan
Glasses, Warby Parker

No Article This Week

September 5, 2020Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

My computer died. (It was so dramatic. It froze, and then the start up disk disappeared. I was texting Apple tech support for about three hours before they decided it was better to just send it in to be repaired.) It’s been a little hard to try and get anything done with my phone, and very ancient iPad, so I’m foregoing a main article this week. I can kind of type stuff but it’s just like pulling teeth.

But I’ve got some article ideas for you to look forward to! Are you excited?!

Cozy Autumn Essentials; great products to make writing more cozy and comfy in the coming months!
Finding Your Voice; exploring some of the super unique voices in cinema (think Joss Whedon’s works and shows like Hannibal). And how to balance between making your voice your signature and telling your story.
A review of the podcast, Dead Eyes! I’ve been listening to this and it’s a really interesting, funny look into the actual reality of Hollywood.

That’s what I’ve got so far. Anything pique your interest? Is there anything you’d like me to write about? Comment below and let me know!p

Also! I’m trying to reach 100 followers on Instagram! I’d love to get in touch with you there. Find me on there, betsythegremlin!

I’d be super chuffed if you joined my email list. Get the latest Gremlin news and exclusive downloads! I never spam and I’d love to keep in touch with you!

How to Work and Write and Not Go Crazy

August 27, 2020October 4, 2021Gremlin Lifestyle, ScreenwritingLeave a Comment

Finding a balance between following your dreams and working to pay the bills.

Writing is amazing if you love it. But for most of us trying to break into the business, it isn’t lucrative. (In fact, I wrote a whole dang post about things I do to manage my money specifically so writers can keep writing.) Maybe your novel will be the next big thing and get on Reese’s book club list, but the chances of that are slim, and in the meantime, you gotta pay the bills. Work comes first. And that’s okay.

In the past few years, I’ve had a myriad of jobs; service-oriented, administrative and editorial, and a few weird things in-between. Working full-time (while also balancing depression, anxiety, and PCOS, ugh) made the idea of coming home from work and writing seem utterly ludicrous. I imagine it’s the same for many of you.

Balancing life and a passion for writing is so freaking hard.

As I reflect on my past, working full time and writing, I’m surprised by how much I was able to get done. (Right now I’m living at home and not working and feel like I’m getting nothing done! Thanks, Covid-19 angst!). I had a whole slew of projects and was pretty productive on all of them. I realized that I had worked out a few little systems to balance my writing life with my work life. Again, it was hard; I wasn’t having the best time, but I knew I had to keep going up that mountain.

Here are some things I’ve learned that make the climb a little easier;

Write 100 Words (or 3-5 screenplay pages) before work.

(or after work, it’s your life)

Every day, sit down and try and write 100 words. It’s that simple. Usually, by the time you hit 100 words, you’re on a roll and can keep going until you lose steam. It’s not a lot of words, I get that. In fact, it’s a downright negligible amount of words if you’re trying to write a novel. Even then, sometimes 100 words can feel like pulling teeth. If that’s the case, hit your 100 and walk away; you’re still 100 words richer. (And if you’re one of my screenplay audience, 100 words is comparable to 3-5 pages of screenplay. If you can get 3 pages of screenplay done a day, you’ll have a 90-page screenplay in a month.)

It doesn’t have to be good either. Just getting the words on the page is an accomplishment. You can edit later

(And look, this section was about 130-ish words! See? it’s not that bad!)

Continue reading ➞ How to Work and Write and Not Go Crazy

Gremlin’s Adventures in Influencing

August 13, 2020May 14, 2021Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

Sitting while fat! Harder than it looks!

I’ve been trying my hand at ‘influencer’-y things (ugh) and trying to get over my massive amounts of self-consciousness. It feels futile; I’m not influential. My 75 followers probably don’t want any influencing. It’s just kind of a silly experiment. Especially since I can’t go out and see things and take pictures in cool locations, considering the current plague going on.

But one of my favorite Instagram users mentioned that they were self-conscious sitting down. It’s a challenge to be sure. I must’ve taken like forty pictures and these were the only three I was happy with. But also I can see what I actually look like — overcoming the huge disconnect between my mind and body (the dysmorphia is real), as well as being a plus-size person in front of the camera. It’s interesting to challenge myself this way. I’m pretty good at writing, and I’ve always been good at moving my body (I’ve got a black belt in karate for Pete’s sake), but looking at myself and being in front of a camera is a completely different hurdle.

But I kind of like it.

I kind of feel good about this, flub and thunder thighs and all. I’m never going to be a size two. That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t celebrate my body for all the gifts it’s given me. I’m cute. I’m pudgy. I sit down and look okay doing it!

The thing I’ve gleaned from this more than anything else is just keeping trying things that scare you. I was terrified of posting these pictures to my instagram, but it all worked out in the end.

Try something terrifying. Try something that makes you a little apprehensive. It’ll work out, I promise.

If you’re going through hell, keep going…

August 5, 2020Gremlin LifestyleLeave a Comment

It’s odd that just last week I was worried about submitting to screenplay competitions. That was the main thing and a real source of almost stress.

I say ‘almost,’ because my father had a health scare last Saturday; he went to the hospital. He’s fine now, but I thought I knew what stress really before it happened. I had some tough college years and experiences but it was nothing compared to this. It was surreal too in a post-Covid19 context; how do you experience a family member in the hospital when you can’t go in and see them in the hospital? Again, he’s fine now, and that’s also a source of stress because the doctors cannot tell us what happened. I know nothing about the world of medicine but how many possible causes are there for a person’s lungs and heart to fill with fluid?

I’ve been less than productive so far this week because of what happened. The face of a parent’s mortality can do that I guess. I’m taking it easy, hoping I can come up with my screenplay articles by the end of the week.

Life is weird and comes at you from unexpected places.

At least my dogs are cute. What a boon a ding-dong poodle is.

Competition conniption.

July 28, 2020Gremlin Lifestyle, ScreenwritingLeave a Comment

I’m trying to decide if I want to tweak and submit one of my pilots to competitions again. There’s a few that are due on the 31st, and the pilot did okay last year (AFF Second Rounder good! Yippie!), so it’s not a completely impossible option. Hell, it might be a good shot even. I’m almost optimistic. Almost

I just don’t want to get my hopes up. That messed me up last year. Even when I got the email saying I was a second-rounder, I felt bad about it. Good, but not good enough. I’m older and wiser this year, but I know if I submit to anything there will still be that small flicker in me that says “This is it! This is your chance.” When it isn’t “it,” it ain’t great.

This industry can be a real kick in the pants sometimes. Just a real wallop of angst.

And I feel kind of duplicitous because I tell my clients and anyone reading this blog that a good screenplay can go a long way. But I’ve had a few good screenplays under my belt, (like actually good, I’m not just being arrogant), but they haven’t made it very far.

I’ll figure this all out, but I also don’t want to be dishonest about how draining this career choice can be. Everyone’s writing screenplays, which means competition is fierce. And I’m probably the least competitive person on the planet. If nothing else, getting into screenwriting has been an exercise in not just rolling over onto my back and letting the world mow over me.

I’ll do it. The submission fee isn’t that pricey, and every little bit of exposure matters in this industry.

Wish me luck, and tough skin.