FADE OUT.

No bones about it, these two words are hands down a screenwriter’s favorite.

It’s an odd thing. We swear up and down that doing this is something we can’t live without, yet in the same breath say it’s one of most gut-wrenching and painful experiences in our lives.

The guy that will direct RUNAWAY BOYS, Tim McCann, who has been described as one of the “best pedigreed” indie film directors in the country, told Indiewire magazine that “writing a script is like cutting pieces of your skin off.” The only reason he wrote his own screenplays in the past is because he couldn’t find any others he liked. Aside from loving our script (for which we are thankful), he told us last summer as we met in our producers’ offices that one of the things he was glad about for being involved with the RUNAWAY BOYS movie project was the fact that he didn’t have to write the thing for once.

Even Robert McKee, arguably the most popular screenwriting guru out there today (remember Brian Cox’s excellent portrayal of him in ADAPTATION? Yep, he’s a real guy), said in a recent interview that “professional writers do not love to write…because they know how terribly dangerous and difficult it is to write.”

The only word I can think of to adequately sum all of this up? Paradoxical.

We run the race, and we run it to win. Yet, we know that–like anything truly worth it–it will not be easy. Far from it, as a matter of fact. We can only hope, in the end, that it will be worth it.

Today at 12:22 PM CDT, I typed those two wonderful, magical words. After months of toil, after far too many large mochas with no whipped cream and veggie medley sandwiches at Dunn Bros. Coffee. I hit that period key, saved the document, and quit out of Final Draft. Then I closed my computer, stuck it in my bag, and beat the hell out of Dunn Bros. because I didn’t want to break out in tears right there in front of all the other people trying to enjoy their coffee and goodies and conversation.

Then I called Lynn, and then I called Action Jackson. Then I called Debi. Then I called Jim Jorgensen, who was balsy enough to ask the author of this great novel to let me adapt it a screenplay. And I thanked them all for various and personal reasons. Then I printed the damn thing out and took Lynn out to lunch at Big Bowl to celebrate. Then I took a nap because I was exhausted: physically, mentally, spiritually.

Then I wrote this…because I miss all of you, and I miss this blog. And I knew after all this time and all this waiting, that (in the immortal words of Jerry McGuire) “it wasn’t complete, wasn’t nearly close to being in the same vicinity as complete, because I couldn’t share it with you.” Well, I am sharing it you.

I did it. I did it. I did it!

And, I have to be perfectly honest…there were times when I had my doubts I could.

And further, the oddest thing about this feeling is that as great and relieved as I feel at this moment, I know that I am not at the end, but merely at the beginning. Tomorrow, I get to read the thing through and see whether or not it sucks. Once over that hump…the real work begins.

Thanks for your patience, folks. It feels good to be back in TRUE LIFE.

See you tomorrow.