My March Madness

Melissa — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:17:33 +0000

Another month come and gone!! I fully admit that I have to update more often, but things just keep getting crazy. Will try. Must try.

So remember the madness that was February? March was that squared, without as much snow, but plenty of rain.

Over the course of two weekends, I shot that new short film I was cast in at the start of the month. I drove out to Brooklyn and back to LI in one of the craziest rain, thunder, and wind storms in recent memory. It was a great cast and crew. There was a slight moment of panic on the morning of Sunday, March 14, when a majority of the crew (who been filming until late the night before) forgot about daylight savings time. Thankfully, I had remembered, so I was there, nice and early, with plenty of time to spare before we were ready to shoot. Oh, and the hurricane-level rain from the day before had calmed itself down.

And to top it all off, I was cast in another film that just started filming this week. A lot of filming, a lot of schedule coordinating, but I'm truly thankful to be able to say that I've been consistently filming every month since September. Let's keep up the streak!!

As for writing…

I had several copywriting projects on the docket this month, including working with New Dynamx and Pet Supplies Now. Writing clips and website links will be up this coming month.

I also attended an SCBWI – Metro NY lecture in the city, with Connie Hsu, an Assistant Editor at Little, Brown. She spoke about world building in literature, the importance of characterization and description, what editors look for in queries, and specifically what she looks for when she's reading manuscripts. It was informative and definitely enlightening, but more than anything, it just got me ancy to stop doing everything, sit my butt down, and finish my novel. When will I do it? This month. I have no choice.

Alex and I also attended a few auto events this month. We welcomed in the F1 racing season at a breakfast and viewing event at Autosport Designs (Lotus Motorcars of LI) in Huntington, NY. Nothing says good morning like French toast, bacon, and sitting next to my future sports car, the Lotus Exige S 240.

Then, this past week, we attended the pre-show press days at the New York International Auto Show. It was a day full of press conferences, press kit giveaways, and free food. Alex took pictures and notes, while I took video. Look for updates and new test drives to be up on VM in the next few weeks.

And then there was Easter…time to breathe =)

The New Year

Melissa — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:14:29 +0000

Happy New Year!!

Things are still busy – always a good thing – but I'm working extra hard on getting and staying organized this year, both personally and professionally. When you're doing so much and you have so much more that you want to be doing, it's far too easy to get bogged down doing…not very much at all. For instance, that pile of receipts that was building up for the greater portion of last year took several tedious, undisturbed hours to sort through and make sense of – two good hours that I could've spent being far more productive in the creative realm. But nevertheless, it got done, and I couldn't have been more thrilled. Note to self: Don't let paperwork build up, ever, unsorted, unchecked, unmonitored. Lesson learned.

I recently signed up for the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) International Winter Conference in NYC at the end of January. The last time I went was…two years ago? Since then, my writing goals changed a bit, from concentrating on my novel to working on freelancing, ghostwriting, and copywriting projects, which I am doing all of now. But while I love my current work, I'm aching to complete my children's literature novel. The idea is that this conference is the kick in the pants I need to sit down, tough it out, and finish my manuscript by, dare I say it, May 2010.

As for acting, we finished filming on a NYFA short film this past week. Nothing says commitment like 1 AM call times and bitterly cold temperatures in Central Park. I have gained a new level of respect for warm socks, winter boots, and the power of layering.

Also, we're happy to announce that the two-part film we're shooting in Boston, where I play one of the leads, has now been moved up to feature-length status and will be ready for festival submission by mid-February.

Stay tuned for more headshots, my updated reel, and additional writing excerpts to be up on the site soon!!

- Melissa

Melissa C. Navia » SCBWI

My March Madness

The New Year