Screenwriter Chic and Her Exploits

Picking Up Speed

2011-10-20T14:51:00.001-05:00

Sorry that it's been so long since my last blog entry. A ton has happened, I am happy to say!

I created Sleepless Nights Films, a production company. I work with my friend, Robby Coles, who has HIS own production company, New World Productions. Together we are the dynamic duo of the movie business here in Nashville, Tennessee. :)

Our months have been filled with fundraisers for Kids in Character, Inc., a not for profit production company that creates films based on real life issues (such as eating disorders, teen suicide, bullying) and offering resolution to teens and children. These movies, once completed, then have a curriculum created so the films are shown in schools across the country. Robby is the founder. I sit on the board of directors.

But NOW!!!!

We are back to filming and I am SO happy!!!!

I have written a script entitled, THE CALL CENTER and I am very pleased with it. It's a strong ensemble piece and we are casting for leads next week. Robby is actually one of the leads. I am producing. Ann Cates is directing. I cannot wait to see the finished product. This is one of the best scripts I have ever written. THE CALL CENTER will travel the festival route. :)

In addition to my short film, Robby and I have also created two web series, and we star in them. The first one is called PEOPLE WATCHING WITH JAMES. All I can say is, hilarious!!! I'll post a link as soon as we have the series up and going. We begin filming next week.

The other series, I star in. It's called GREEN GIRL and is about an environmentalist who takes things way to far. I hear I will be in all green and may have a cape. I'll keep you posted.

So that is what is up with me. If there are ever long breaks in time, believe me it is not because I'm lazy! I love what I do and am so grateful to everyone I have met along the way. I would never be doing what I love without these amazing open doors.

See you next blog!

~SC

The Screenwriter Think Tank Session of Brilliance

2011-08-26T01:17:00.000-05:00

Some of the best advice I was ever given was by Will Akers.

He told me, "You're a good writer. Now start making short films. Learn every aspect. That way, you'll always have work."

I am passing that on to you today, dearest reader. He was absolutely right!

Now, on to screenwriting stuff.

Last week I held my first ever SCREENWRITER THINK TANK OF BRILLIANCE.

It was truly one of the most outstanding times I have had as a writer. Here's the back story:

I am working on a supernatural thriller script. I had a vague outline of who and what would go on with the story, but I was stuck. I didn't know how to raise the stakes for our hero. I didn't know what occupation my villian should have. I have a decent concept for a script, but this was driving me nuts.

So I called the meeting.

I invited a group of friends. All were from different backgrounds. Since my story is about a hero paramedic, I had a paramedic there. I read them the outline from my script, and then for two hours picked their brains. What a great time!

Folks had AMAZING insight. When all was said and done, I had a full fledged outline, and will get this written probably in a couple of weeks before I start the rewriting process.

The point is, DON'T keep your story to yourself. Pitch it to folks. See if they'd be interested. I pitched the CONCEPT of this script for about two years to folks. I would say, "Hey, would you see this movie if this happened?"

With a group of folks who are from different backgrounds, you will be amazed at some of the ideas that will pop up. Brilliance! Even my 14 year old daughter contributed, and I am using her idea.

Now, don't get folks who won't speak the truth. If something doesn't make sense, you want to know BEFORE you start fleshing it out. Sometimes people will be 'nice' and not 'honest'. Honesty is what you want. 'Nice' just wastes your time.

So, if you're ever stuck on writing, hold a meeting and pick brains! We had a great time and got TONS accomplished!

Communication is KEY!

2011-07-29T01:56:00.000-05:00

At the time I am writing this, it is 1:45am. Literally.

Why am I writing in the wee hours of the morning? I thought you would never ask, my faithful fan! I'll tell you.

The reason that I'm not resting is because I am supposed to work for a high profile client tomorrow. They hired me for two days and told me they would send me a call sheet. I have since emailed them three times requesting this call sheet. I was told that one would be sent to me tonight, hence I am still up waiting.

And this give me a perfect teaching moment for you.

COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CREW!!!!

By the production coordinator not having his ducks in a row, I can already predict how tomorrow will be. And THAT'S if I ever find out what time I'm to arrive!

For those of you who don't know what a call sheet is, it's a document that tells you the address of where you are supposed to be, the TIME you're supposed to be there, numbers to call if you can't make it, and other pertinent information like, where to park. I'm headed to a municipal auditorium. Do I park in the audiorium's parking or do I need to park across the street? There will be thousands of people at this. What is the dress code? Some companies don't care and merely state: dress comfortably, jeans okay, no open toed shoes. Some require all black. Which is it for these guys? Who knows!!!

When you run a production, you are the leader. Everyone looks to you. You may not realize that at the time, but it's true. You need to have things handled, like, call sheets. If you are too busy to do it, you know what? There are assistants that are great at it. Don't mistreat your crew by keeping them in the dark. And for goodness sake, DON'T lie to your crew! I got an email stating that I would have my call sheet "tonight". Well, it's tomorrow, and I'm losing sleep waiting on a call sheet that may or may not come. And if they call me and my call time is 3am I will seriously be ticked off!

If you are feeling overwhelmed, the best thing you can do, is ask for help. Don't drag people through the mud because you feel it's your baby. Maybe it is! But do you want a happy crew, or a confused, grumbling crew because now folks don't think you know what you're doing?

Communication. It's the key to happiness and a smooth running production.

Back in Business!

2011-07-21T01:13:00.000-05:00

Hello Faithful Fans!

I have gotten back from Los Angeles and had a wonderful time. For those of you who are facebook friends, you have the skinny on the trip. For the rest of you, feel free to look me up!

On another note, I am officially the producer of WELCOME TO WAFFLE HOUSE, the next summer blockbuster. I'm really excited to venture off into producing now... such an unknown world to me. However, I have great contacts in "the biz" and they are hooking me up with outstanding mentors... one of whom I hope to add as an associate producer on the movie.

I'm truly excited about this new chapter and the writers are great guys.

On top of that, I have also been tapped to produce some short films for a local filmmaker in Nashville, Robby Coles. His newest project, THE GREY AREA, is a short film regarding bullying and he is working on getting it submitted to every school in America. You can go to my facebook page and see where Robby has a kickstart page for funding.

If you would like to help me raise funds for WELCOME TO WAFFLE HOUSE, please feel free to donate at:

WELCOME TO WAFFLE HOUSE

Please know that I appreciate any and all donations to help get this movie into theaters. If you donate, I promise you will have a special thanks noted in the credits.

Great Writing

2011-06-26T23:50:00.000-05:00

When you read great writing, you know it. It sticks with you.

In film, the image that sticks with you is a result of words on a written page. You don't think that way... you usually give the director most of the credit for being so brilliant, but it's the writer that has captured your heart. The director was the vessel that caught his vision and brought it forth on a screen so you could see the writer's imagination. Believe it or not, some directors just can't write. I will not name names. :)

A dear friend of mine brought a commercial to my attention. I wanted to link it here so you can see what I mean about great writing.

Try and guess what is being sold in this commercial. I tried. I bet you will never get it until the reveal.

It's an amazing commercial and was executed masterfully. This is one of my favorite all time works.

Warning... it looks pretty creepy.. just hang on until the end and you will understand why this commercial is such genius.

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=22984504&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00adef&fullscreen=1&autoplay=1&loop=0

Let me know what you think of it.

~SC

PS For the next 2 weeks, I will in Los Angeles following mine and my daughter's dreams, plus doing lots of touristy stuff. I'll try to keep you updated.

What A Ride!

2011-05-29T07:43:00.000-05:00

Hello Faithful Fans,

It has been an interesting few months.

First of all, after the nagging of my heart wouldn't shut up and made me more and more continuously grumpy, my husband and I agreed it was time for me to quit my full time job of being an office manager drone and pursue my dreams of film making.

Best decision of my life.

In addition to having more time to write, I have also been hired on numerous projects as part of the crew. I find it much easier to understand how a business is run or how a production is put together if you understand each person's position. I've learned a lot in the past few months. Sheer gold.

I've also gotten to work with some amazing folks who have opened a lot of doors for me. From infomercials, to webisodes, to commercials, I have been extremely blessed to be able to work steadily. I love this life.

I am beginning to tweak a script that I had written two years ago. I have messed with it so much I finally just had to put it in a drawer and tell it to, "Stay!" I understand more now, have more connections than before, so this time I will get it right.

I've also learned a few things about myself in the past few months, things I really did want you to know. First of all, I would fall in line with what my mentors thought about movies.

For instance: Black Swan. I really liked it. I loved Natalie Portman's performance. Mentor: She was whiny and I didn't care about her. Terrible film.

Children of Men. Mentor: One of the best films ever made. Me: Hated it with a blinding passion.

So, like what you like and like it for the reasons you like it. Maybe I like Black Swan because I was a gymnast for 15 years and know the pressures that come with performances like that. Maybe I hated Children of Men because I didn't like the premise. Or Julianne Moore's acting. (I always love Michael Caine, though).

Who knows? The reason that there are so many movies made is because folks DON'T conform. We like to have variety.

So, like what you like. And be proud of why you like it. I've agreed to disagree with my mentor and we respect each other.

I'll try to do better in keeping things posted more regularly now that I have sprung the big bucks and made my house a wireless family.

Let me know what's going on in your world!

~SC

Update on the Assistant Directing

2011-02-22T14:28:00.000-06:00

My first bout with Assistant Directing was a success! I was very organized, and had a list to go by, so all went well. I learned a ton and met some totally awesome people who are going to use me for future movies. You can't get much better than that!

We film all this weekend, and may I say, I am a bit bummed about that. I will miss the Oscars! :(

AND on top of that, THE HABITUAL LIAR, my labor of love, is set to be screened and possibly awarded at a film festival that same day.

Needless to say, I'm very sad. At least MY Assistant Director will be there to snag the award should we win a prize!

I'll let you know how it goes!

~ScreenwriterChic

I am Assistant Directing

2011-02-11T14:19:00.000-06:00

Hello all,

I am in the process of (well, we actually start shooting tomorrow, but I am preparing schedules) Assistant Directing a film for Will Akers. I've never done this before, so it's a challenge. This is more a nuts and bolts type job, so it's strange for me not to be on the creative side.

I'll let you know how it goes!

~SC

No Rest For Me!

2011-02-03T11:22:00.001-06:00

I feel like I need to keep you, my most loyal fans, updated with what is going on with me!

First of all, THE HABITUAL LIAR, the screenplay that I adapted and directed came out extremely well. I learned a lot on this shoot. Like, don’t let anyone upload your favorite footage because it could become corrupted and you might not ever see it again. Or, your sound guy needs to be extremely aware that the mics take the rectangle batteries and not AA’s. Ugh!

Here is the finished result:

The Habitual Liar from Atomic Jello Productions on Vimeo.

The production starts Leslie Li Voorheis, Emily Byrd, Danielle Ivery, Keagan Haney, Lucy Turner, Stephen Cornwall, and Kim Kinsley. They are all very talented and I was priveledged to have them for my cast. I can't say enough about each of them.

For the month of February, I have been made the Assistant Director of a short film written by Hillary Schoelzel and Will Akers, with Will directing.

As they further along their story by rewriting drafts, I throw in my two cents. Sometimes they take it, sometimes they don’t. I’ve been working as a bit of a person of all trades on this one.

I location scouted a couple of days ago. An extremely nice couple allowed me to take pictures inside of their home and were willing to allow us to shoot anytime we needed. Is it the right set? Not sure. Director’s call.

I’m extremely busy! So, if you don’t hear from me in March, know that I am living the dream… not sleeping and working my butt of for some street credit! I have NOT forgotten you all! :)

Work For What You Want!!

2011-01-19T14:45:00.000-06:00

The movie industry is a monster.

It will eat you up, spit you out, and never look back. So, to get what you want, you have to fight for it. The best example I can give you at the moment is this story:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110118/WILLIAMSON0702/101180302/Take-a-Bow-Budding-actress-eager-to-work-for-her-ride-to-stardom

This little girl has a once in a chance opportunity and do you think she's relying on anyone else to get her to Tinsel Town? No! She has totally taken life by the horns and is captain of her own destiny. (I can say this with my pride in my font because this little girl happens to be my daughter!)

Our family has obstacles, whose doesn't? But for my daughter, Keagan, the word NO is not an option. She believes. She fights. She wills. She overcomes.

We all need that tenacity in life, no matter if you're a screenwriter, a gaffer, a pediatrician or an electrician!

Do you have a story? Write it! Take criticism constructively! Make notes, changes and whatever it takes to get your work read! And then... like my little girl....

DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

2011: A Call To Arms!

2011-01-10T09:51:00.001-06:00

Ahhhh… My first post of the new year.

What will 2011 bring?

More writing, more ideas.

I read over the weekend that this summer will be known as the SUMMER OF SEQUELS. Movies that will fill slots on movie marquees for 2011:

Pirates of the Caribbean 4

Harry Potter (I’ve lost count on these)

The Hangover 2

Mission Impossible 4

Final Destination 5

Cars 2

Scream 4

Transformers 3

Spy Kids 4

Kung Fu Panda 2

Fast Five (the latest segment in the Fast and the Furious franchise)

Some of these may be good, and some may be a colossal failure, but one thing jumps out at me just from looking at this list.

Hollywood needs originality. A new story. A new idea. Next summer we’ll have another Superman, Spiderman and Batman movie.

There are plenty of great writers out there, you included!

Let’s all sit down, write a kickin’ story and show Hollywood how to make money off of a story that’s fresh, new, and innovative instead of beating dead horses until they’re well, more dead. Did you know they are making another installment in the SHREK series? Yep! Now it’s just about Puss ‘N’ Boots.

THE MATRIX took Hollywood by storm. New, thought provoking and it broke boundaries. I adore this movie. Even though the trilogy is over and done with, I still watch and am amazed at it. What inventive minds to create such a story!!

I’m sick and tired of paying $10 to see a sequel that 1.) Either never should have been made or 2.) Should have been a made for TV movie. Granted, these sequels have better budgets than made for TV movies!

Where are the writers? Where are the great ideas? YOU have them! I have them!

So, let’s sit down and write it out… let’s make time to get those rewrites done and share our scripts! We have great ideas!

Anything is better than a life dominated by sequels, isn’t it?

In conclusion, my first blog of the year is a call to arms. For all great writers to create that script of their dreams. For in the months ahead to bombard Hollywood with new ideas and not take no for an answer.
So, write, write, write! It's in your hands!

Make It Tough!

2010-12-31T14:30:00.000-06:00

I was going through some past dated blogs by other screenwriters the other day and found this one from Will Akers blog called (like his book) Your Screenplay Sucks! This is so true. Read on wonderful reader!

Make It Tough For ‘Em!

March 9, 2010

Never GIVE your characters anything.

Make them earn it. Make them fight for EVERYTHING. Every single little thing… if it’s easy for them to get, then the story is boring.

Go through your script and list everything your hero gets. The boy’s phone number. The key to the hotel room. The location of the hidden safe. The cure for cancer. Whatev. Anything they get, look at it, and see if you can make it more difficult for them to get…

Make them earn everything. Make them sweat to get it.

If your hero just gets stuff cause he’s cute, then we don’t feel he deserves it. Just like Robert Redford, when he was auditioning for the lead in THE GRADUATE. The director asked him what it was like not to score with a girl… and Redford said, “What do you mean?” Redford never had to worry about a girl telling him “No.” so he didn’t get the part. Nichols cast a guy who would have to earn Katharine Ross, and we believed his story.

Look at every single event in your story and see if your hero has to struggle to get what you give him (or her!). If it’s easy, you’ve got a weak moment… and you can fix it!

Words of wisdom from Will Akers. I suggest you heed his advice! :)

The Last Word

2010-11-24T09:58:00.000-06:00

One of the best things I've learned as a screenwriter is to put the most important word at the END of sentence.

THAT is where the punch is!

For instance:

I had written a line of dialogue where a naughty merc stated: "I'd kill my mother for that kind of money."

Rewritten it became: "For that kind of money, I'd kill my mother."

See? It shocks you... the brain works to put the sentence together and the last word is the final piece of the puzzle.

One of the best examples I have ever seen was written by Louis L'Amour. (My nod to Will Akers for the quote.) Tell me what YOU think about it.

“I just pointed my rifle at him … and let him have the big one right through the third button on his shirt. If he ever figured to sew that particular button on again he was going to have to scrape it off his backbone.”

Make Some Short Films!!!

2010-11-03T16:25:00.000-05:00

If you are a screenwriter, then you should be filming some short films.

Will Akers told me to start filming short films after I had completed his exciting and always entertaining screenwriting class. He told me it would make me a better writer to understand what a camera can or can't do, and what a director will have to put up with some of the crazy shots I saw in my head.

I heeded his magnificent wisdom and here I sit. A blogger, screenwriter and director of another short film that we will be filming in one week. I have a full crew, a full cast, and a full plate. I'm learning more in one semester than I have in my life. Besides writing, of course. :)

Something that will help as well... HELPING out a crew member on someone else's film. That will teach you a lot too.

A while back I blogged on MUSICA CAMPESINA, a movie I worked on with Chilean director Alberto Fuguet. I started off as a P.A. and then got promoted to Line Producer. How? I just did what everyone else didn't. I got noticed and have gotten street credit that I'm a hard worker. Not to mention that the film has been submitted to Sundance and should it get in will be AWESOME to have producer credit on my resume!

See the trailer here:
MUSICA CAMPESINA TRAILER

You don't have to stay in one arena if you're a writer. Get out there! Meet folks! Just in my short time on campus, I've met and worked with people who are now in LA. So, they are CONTACTS that I have now. Contacts that I can send a script to. Contacts that, should I ever move to the coast, could help me get jobs. Contacts who can help me make independent films of scripts that I wrote.

How could I have met them if I stayed inside writing ALL the time and never made a movie?

Are you afraid of what people will think? Don't be. YOU are the artist. The writer. The director. It's YOUR dream.

Are you going to let someone else determine if you reach it or not???

Not me.

Use Your Gift!

2010-10-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

Writing is a craft.

Some say a skill. I think that's a little obtuse. Skill means it can be learned. Craft means it can be felt and expressed. At least to me that is.

Writing is a gift.

Some of us have it, and some of us... don't.

I received a script yesterday from a very talented and I believe gifted writer. She asked me to peruse it and tell her what I thought. And I did.

I don't lie. What good am I to you if I don't tell you the truth about your writing?

Luckily, "Heinzy" is a great writer, with fresh ideas. Her script was easy to read and well thought out. She had a compelling and thought provoking story. And I loved it.

A couple of things were "off" like changing from present to past tenses (writers always have to be on their toes for that), and using the word IS.

If you see the word IS in your script (not during dialogue of course) then it is probably followed by a verb ending in ING, which makes your story have passive voice. Agents, producers, readers, etc., HATE passive voice. However, I personally, overlooked that for the sheer intelligence and brilliant story line she had woven.

So, way to go, Heinzy! You have a great talent, wonderful ideas, and I can't wait to see your stuff get made!

Now for the rest of you...

What are YOU doing to chase down your dreams?

ALIENS! UFO'S! OH MY!

2010-10-17T17:39:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if anyone has been following this on the news about the recent documented sightings of the UFO's that have been seen in the U.S., China, etc. All of the sightings are similar.

News report on recent sighting in El Paso, TX

Now, when it comes to this, I'm such a skeptic. I held out for YEARS about crop circles and wouldn't you know it, someone came forward and admitted they did it. And they showed how. I don't know if they were telling the truth. I'm just saying I'm a skeptic.

But with this, I'm a little enamoured. Not because of the possibility of life outside of Earth, or the possible answer to a Bible prophecy. And then there's that part of me, deep down that secretly hopes if they ARE aliens, they don't REALLY do anal probes.

I'm interested to see what movies come out of this.

You know it'll happen. Writers everywhere are watching these stories, talking with people in the area of the sightings, and making notes. And it'll hit theaters before 2012 to ensure we have mass panic and cult suicides.

So, while part of me is thinking this is an Orsen Welles' thing (it's rather profound to have it all over the world), part of me is thinking, "Man, who's gonna write the story first?"

Will it be you?

Adaptation... A Moment In Time

2010-09-27T10:02:00.000-05:00

When working on an adaptation, you will have to prepare yourselves that the story will change.

It’s inevitable.

Remember the story of Pinnochio? Jiminy Cricket and all that real boy stuff? Well, in the true story, Pinnochio KILLS the cricket! And on purpose, too! It wasn’t during a cheerful musical moment. Now ask yourself why Walt Disney didn’t put that in his now classic animated movie?

I’m currently writing and rewriting an adaptation from a short story with some students. It’s the longest short story I’ve heard of, and has several stories within the story. How can we get all of that into ten pages for a ten minute short?

We can’t.

We must ADAPT.

We read the story and saw that the main strain, the main truth through the story was that our hero was a habitual liar. Bam! Now our story is about a habitual liar. From here, we pick our favorite scenes and push the story forward. We lose the fact that the hero has an uncle with Down’s Syndrome. Did it move the story forward? No. Cut it. Did it matter that her false boyfriend went to Dartmouth? No. Cut it.

An adaptation is different than a creation of a script. It’s like you have a puzzle box full random of pieces. Some of them fit and some don’t and it’s up to you to figure it all out to make a picture people can see.

And when adapting a SHORT film (as we are):

It’s all about a moment.

Once you find the truth of the story, focus on the one moment that moves you. That’s all you have time to show. One moment.

And that is a FAR cry from an entire story, isn’t it?

Student Film Fun

2010-09-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

I’m currently in the process of making a short film. An adaptation.

My crew are students.

Some of them have never had anything to do with a movie in their lives. **pops an aspirin**

This will be an interesting road to go down.

Wish me luck.

Honing Your Craft... and a little Matt Damon

2010-08-14T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hello my wonderful fans and readers!

My tribe of munchkins are now in school, so my life MAY become a bit quieter now… (insert insane laughter here).

Anyhoo… since I’m a writer, I figured I would share with you another way to become awesome. Or at least prove to yourself that you need to take classes OR find another route of prospective employment. (I’m not trying to be harsh, believe me).

Go online to Drew’s Scriptorama. You can google it. From there, download a script. Not a script that says First Draft, because I can assure you it is almost NOTHING like the movie.

Print it out, but don’t read it. Seriously. Don’t.

Then, rent the movie.

As the movie plays, have your laptop or whatever with you. Pause the movie.

Here’s the fun part:

Write a script for what you saw.

For instance, if you are watching the movie, THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, you would possibly watch the first two minutes and write what you saw. (I’d watch the whole movie first though, because it is an amazingly fun ride).

So, you would something like write:

EXT. MOSCOW STREET – NIGHT

JASON BOURNE runs to a pharmacy.

And then pick up from there. After you have about a page or two done, pull out the script that you printed. Compare. You will be flabbergasted at how different they are.

EXT. NIGHT – HOUSING PROJECTS – MOSCOW

We are JASON BOURNE and we’re running down an alley.

SUPER: MOSCOW

BLUE LIGHTS -- from the distance -- strobing through the night -- rushing toward us -- POLICE CARS -- three of them - - SIRENS HOWLING as they bear down -- closer -- faster -- until they whip past the alley...

That’s a little big more descriptive than Jason Bourne runs to a pharmacy, isn’t it?

Try it! I started with more laid back films, but as I progressed in my writing and writing hardcore action flicks, this has really come in handy.

You may find that you are missing information that your script NEEDS. You may find that you are giving too much boring information:

SUSIE (blonde, scantily clad, 23) sets down her coffee before dialing her cell phone.

Becomes:

SUSIE (blonde, scantily clad, 23) dials her cell.

It’s amazing what you can learn about the craft and yourself. Plus, you get to see a movie!

In Memory Of Blake Snyder

2010-08-05T00:14:00.001-05:00

If you don't know who Blake Snyder is, you're probably not serious about screenwriting. His Save The Cat! books have been screenwriting bibles to folk.

I've never met Blake. I've never spoken to him. Never spotted him across a room and was too shy to speak to him. Yet I'm a product of him.

You see, my mentor, Will Akers, met Blake one day and the two formed a friendship. Out of that friendship, a book was created, but not only that, a bond between the two. Blake cheered Will on and taught him a lot of great stuff that Will, in turn, has passed on to me... and countless classes before me.

It's been one year since Blake's passing. It's strange. I remember the tweets, the Facebook posts, all saying Rest In Peace and what not. I remember reading Tracey Jackson's tear jerker of a blog as she told why she would miss him so.

As a tribute to Blake Snyder, I have copied the following from Will's blog, Your Screenplay Sucks! It can be found at http://yourscreenplaysucks.wordpress.com/. If you'd like a great blog to follow, I highly recommend it.

Anyway, here's hearing from William M. Akers:

Blake Snyder

August 4, 2010

I miss him.

It has been a year. I’m sitting here in my office sweating because I have to turn on the air conditioning and because I worry I won’t write the right thing about Blake.

What a prince among men. That cliche certainly fits.

He is 100% responsible for the existence of this blog because he is 100% responsible for the existence of my book. When I got the idea for a book on screenwriting, he encouraged me and said he’d tell his publisher. They agreed to publish it and here we are.

Blake was long on encouragement.

I miss that a lot.

Anyway, I miss him. I miss his advice. I miss his voice. I miss his loyalty and his kind nature. I miss his smile and I desperately miss his friendship.

Boy, do I miss that.

We Miss You, Blake.

Checklist of Champions

2010-07-30T11:27:00.000-05:00

I was recently given a checklist from Will Akers. This checklist was written by Jeanette Winterson and is very good for aspiring screenwriters... and practiced produced screenwriters, too. Like Will!

I wanted to share it with you because it's just so good.

1. Do your work. Discipline allows creative freedom. No discipline equals no freedom.

2. Never stop when you're stuck. You may not be able to solve the problem, but turn aside and write something else. Don't stop altogether.

3. Love what you do.

4. Be honest with yourself. If you're not good, accept it. If the work you're doing is no good, accept it.

5. Don't hold on to poor work. If it was bad when it went in the drawer, it will be just as bad when it comes out.

6. Take no notice of anyone you don't respect.

7. Take no notice of anyone with a gender agenda. A lot of men still think that women lack imagination of the fiery kind.

8. Be ambitious for the work and not the reward.

9. Trust your creativity.

10. Enjoy this work!

Hi again, it's Screenwriter Chic. I would like to touch base on a few things.

You must write everyday. Not as a chore, but as a work out. An Olympic champion can't just skip a few work outs and then expect to win the gold. They have to stay finely tuned. Same for the writer.

If you're stuck, and I've been there before... I suggest the following. Take a sheet of paper and write the characters name (or type it, whatever) and make a list of the first thing that comes to mind. It's very freeing.

Example:
Bonnie Spailsenberg
She could:
learn to shoot
be abducted by aliens
have a baby
go back to school
sell bottled water

It doesn't matter how silly or weird it becomes, because only you will see it. And it can spark some truly wonderful ideas. Everyone say thank you to John Truby for this exercise.

You MUST love what you do. If you don't, and you consider this work, well, you'll probably be miserable.

If you can't seem to "get it" and you're work stinks, like Ms. Winterson said, maybe you should walk away. It's not that you don't have talent. It could be that your talent is elsewhere, like directing. Writing is hard and not everyone can do it.

Seriously, don't hold on to poor work. I've gutted scripts and reworked them only to gut them again. If I've written a scene that I love, but it doesn't push the movie forward, it gets cut. Actually, I put it in a file on my computer because I may actually use that scene, but for a different script. That's the fun part of my job.

The taking no notice of anyone you don't respect is HUGE. Say you have Daddy issues. All your life you have just wanted to please him. You write a touching story about a dog who saves the world by flying to space on a giant hot dog and in the process discovers who his father is. By the end of the movie Papa Dog has accepted Astro Dog and told him he's proud of him. Fade Out. And what do you do? You let Daddy read it. He hates is. No guns, no sex, no swearing, you name it. And you're crushed. You throw the next Pixar gem in the trash because of what Daddy says. Unless he's a producer, director, or screenwriter, don't do that! He has no idea what it's like to 1. write a screenplay and 2. get it made. Surround yourself with people you can trust and respect. I personally, have my script read and reread by folks. My 'club' consists of Jill, who is a smart screenwriter with great insight. Kristy, who will read it from an 'audience' point of view and show me where she gets confused. If she gets confused, a reader will get confused. I can't have that. Then Ann, who is my editing queen. She locates all the grammar mistakes that spell check missed. Again, she tells me if my scenes are confusing. Once it looks okay to me, I'll hand it over to Will. From there, it comes back, bathed in red ink and I start the rewrite. The point is, all of these people I respect highly, and all help me form this work into something that could possibly wind up on the coveting silver screen. And none of them kiss my butt. If they don't like something, they tell me.

Take no notice of anyone you don't repect. You can love Daddy and respect him as Daddy, but he doesn't determine if your script is made or not. Shrug and walk away.

The gender agenda is huge. I recently set a query to an agent. He wrote back and said, "Not interested... women don't write like that." I can't wait for my stuff to get made and I'm going to track him down one day. Poo on narrow minded folk. Break molds!

Being ambitious for the work and not the reward, trusting your creativity and enjoying it all is totally up to you. I write because I love it. I come up with stories and get them out. It's a fun puzzle piecing for me.

Anyhow, dear fans, I hope this helps you.

Good luck!

Drama is Action

2010-07-17T13:08:00.000-05:00

Thanks to you, my wonderful readers, for your patience as I grieved (and still do so) the passing of my sister, Tracey. If I know Tracey at all, she’d be severely upset with me for not posting another blog entry sooner, and about screenwriting. SO! Here you go!

I read in a fantabulous book called “Essentials of Screenwriting” by Richard Walter that “drama is action.”

“Well, duh!” you say. But let me ask you. How many times have you seen a bunch of characters sitting around talking about nothing that advances your movie plot? It’s the lull in the movie where folks go to the bathroom and get more popcorn. Or worse.

If you have a script with that kind of scene in it, cut it out NOW. If you’re going to have a scene with people gabbing, it better darn well advance your plot. You can’t be precious about your script. By that I mean, if you write a kickin’ dialogue that you love; it really doesn’t help your plot but you still keep it in there. Why? Because you like it.

It’s not what you like that will sell your screenplay.

Your plot must always be moving, always be pushing ahead. By doing so, your reader will gladly follow and that is exactly what you want.

Again from the book mentioned above, the author states (and quite accurately):

“Screenwriters are required, therefore, to determine for each scene the action that most effectively advances the story and expands the characters and also to craft the ideal setting for that action.”

As a screenwriter, we can’t hope the reader will ‘understand’ what we’re hoping to convey. We must show them. Readers don’t have time to try and decipher. That’s what the grand round circular file is for, and I really don’t think that was the action, the drama, you wanted for your script, now was it?

I Miss My Sister

2010-07-03T22:14:00.001-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to share about my sister, Tracey Michelle.

She passed away on Thursday. She was 34. It wasn't fair and it sure as hell wasn't planned. She had kidney failure, brought on by lupus and other ailments. The doctors said she wouldn't make it past 30. She planned on living forever. I planned on her doing the same.

As I write this, numb from the shock, the eulogy I had to give, and the realization that my Christmases will be bittersweet for the rest of my life I wanted to say that Tracey was the best damn sister anyone could ever have. She loved my kids like they were her own. If I set a rule, buddy, that was it. She was on board with upholding it until she heard otherwise.

Tracey was a memory maker. She lit up my life, even when she broke her foot on Halloween in our storm drain. Only she could have found that in all the leaves. I spent her last birthday with her. She cried when I took a picture of her with my daughter. She said that we were the best family and that she cherished us. She would send me random texts telling me what a great "sis" I was. I would do the same, but she was so much better at it than me.

She was my cheerleader. When I decided to begin screenwriting, she was one of my elite few that I would share ideas with. She wasn't afraid to tell me if she'd go and see it or not. She helped me. My children adored her.

She was a champion. She faced horrible odds with her health and she never complained. She would get tired, but she never asked, "Why did this happen to me?" I never once heard her say it wasn't fair. Which I don't think it was. Not in the slightest. Even at her sickest she would still make time for all of us. We would have parties and movie nights. My daughter would visit and they would have girly days.

Because of seizures, Tracey couldn't see movies. I would have to see them for her and then tell her if they were good to rent. We'd grab a blanket, turn the lights off, and share popcorn and watch (and sometimes mock) the ones she'd rent. I will forever miss that.

I found out that my sweet sister had passed from my husband. He's a paramedic and heard the call go out on the radio. He asked me to call to see if Tracey was okay, which, I did, seeing as she was only ten minutes away from me. She didn't answer the phone. Someone did. I didn't recognize the voice. They told me that Tracey was gone.

My heart shattered.

For the next 48 hours I was a blubbering mess. I'd be fine for a half hour maybe, and then the grief would crash over me like a wave and I'd lose it. I told my kids, but, it just never sank in...

... until the funeral.

When my kids, my daughter especially, saw her in her casket, it was all over. My precious thirteen year old daughter with her first real experience with death. At first she tried to be tough, but once the tears started, she sobbed the entire funeral. Why not? It was her aunt that was gone from her life. Her aunt who'd take her shopping, and out to eat, and have the girly days with. I'd say our family was devastated, but that's too light a word for one to wrap their head around the pain we all felt seeing her, cold, posed, and surrounded by satin and flowers.

Today I buried my sister, Tracey Michelle. I gave the eulogy and slaughtered it with gasps, tears, and high pitch squeaks that no human should emit in times of pain.

But I wanted all of you to know, my readers and fans, that Tracey Michelle was once credit away from graduating college. She was going to be a sign language interpreter for the deaf.

She helped out the Special Olympics Bowling Teams every year. She'd plan her life around those days.

She loved helping people and loving people.

She was full of life and oozed with love.

She battled kidney failure, lupus, autoimmune disorder, and countless other ailments but always put others first. I watched her body swell from steroids and medicines her doctors tried as they attempted to save her.

She taught me what selflessness was all about.

I always thought I'd have more time with her, that she'd be in a hospital and I'd get a last goodbye in. But I guess if life wasn't fair to her, why should I expect it to be fair to me? I don't know what I did to deserve to have her in my life, but I thank God she was in it. Forever a bright spot, she's taken a part of my heart with her to Heaven. I pray we have mansions side by side.

I know this is a screenwriting blog, but I wanted you to know that the world lost a precious gem, a jewel, on July 1st.

And it was my sister, Tracey Michelle Barrow.

Tracey Michelle Barrow

Nov. 10, 1975 - July 1, 2010

Reversal Rollercoaster Ride!

2010-06-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

Ever seen a movie and thought: This is SOOOOOOOOOOO mundane? You can tell where every scene heads and you can predict the outcome? Can we say BORING?!?!? I hate movies like that! UGH!

The screenwriter probably is very good at what he does. The problem is REVERSAL.

A reversal is that part of the scene where you go, “Oh my GOD! I never saw that coming!”

A great reversal is in THE DEPARTED. Leonardo Di Caprio’s character has worked and worked on nailing the bad guy, Matt Damon. He finally has him in his control and they’re on an elevator. When the elevator door opens, BAM! Leo’s shot in the head! I don’t know about you, but I NEVER could have predicted that! And I love the movie for that. It completely changed the tone of the movie! And, if that wasn’t enough…here comes another reversal…Matt Damon’s friend is the one that saved him. Matt thanks him and BAM! He shoots his friend! If you haven’t seen the movie, it’s highly recommended. By little ol’ me.

Reversals add a depth to your script. It shows you aren’t contained in a pretty little box and you actually think outside it. You have innovative, new, and unique ideas.

Have you ever seen Shutter Island? Another FANTASTIC example of reversal…all the way to the very last scene. Amazing! And one of my favorite movies of all time, now.

Look at it this way: the more twists on a rollercoaster, the better the ride, right? Same thing here. Your audience, your reader, has committed to spend time on your “ride”. Give them the twists, turns, and drops that make a ride so great! Make it worth their while! Because…

…if the reader loves the ride, your chances are much better for your script to find its way into the hands who can hook up with your vision, see the movie posters, the taglines, the merchandise, and hot dog! You’re off and running!

Reversals. Your script needs them. It’s what separates a good script from a great one.

I Got A Pat On The Back!

2010-06-21T09:21:00.001-05:00

As you all should know, Will Akers, author of Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It Great, is my mentor. I continue to help him on projects, and he in turn, helps me on mine.

Recently, I outlined a new screenplay I'm working on. I believe it's a fresh idea, but I needed some help on opening it. I had a lot of fade ins and outs at the beginning and consulted him on how to write it.

"Email me your pages," he said.

I did.

The next day, this showed up on his blog:
(Reprinted with permission from Will)

a little research is good…

June 19, 2010

Be specific, but be specific in the right way.

A student of mine, who is a very good writer… probably because she is a very good writer, not because she’s a student of mine, wrote this…

***

INT. MERCY HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM – NIGHT

Meg completes her run ticket.

***
Do you know what a “run ticket” is? I do not. Do you think Meg knows what it is? I bet she does. This is a marvelous example of knowing what you’re writing about… but not letting the research get in the way. We read that sentence, have no idea what “run ticket” is, but we also get the sense, mostly via osmosis, that it is the CORRECT thing, and that it fits and is meet and right and good and just and all that stuff.

Good on ya, Marti!

Conversely, I recently critiqued a screenplay… and I have no idea who wrote it, or what it was about… One of the marvelous services I provide as screenplay critic is a leaky brain, one from which knowledge and memory of your story trickles with the setting sun. I read. I crit. I forget. So, if you want me to crit again, it’s like I am reading for the first time. I’m like a bee. I have a three day memory.

Anyway, this writer was writing some sort of WALL STREET type business script. The writer obviously was not a Wall Street business type, because the scene description, instead of some perfectly perfect description of a Wall Street woman hard at work, would say “Alice works on some papers.” That shouted for Lassie like little Timmy in the well, “Get me outta here!”

Every time the writer would take us to the office, there would be bland references to the work being done. “They work hard.” “Everyone is busy.” Stuff like that.

Not: “Meg completes her run ticket.”

THAT is a fantastic sentence, and it TOTALLY makes me buy that the writer knows what she’s writing about, and it calmed me down and urged me forward, secure in the knowledge that I was in the hands of Someone Who Knows, instead of Someone Who Hopes I Won’t Notice.

**Wow! Thanks for the pat on the back, Will! Considering it comes from one of the most objective voices in screenplay critquing, and from a seasoned actual screenwriter with movies that have been made, I'm truly honored. ~Marti AKA ScreenwriterChic**

You can order Will's book (HIGHLY recommended and such an easy read) at http://www.yourscreenplaysucks.com/html/order_my_useful_book.html

And I'm sure it's on Amazon as well.

FIRST DATE: UPDATE

2010-06-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

Hello Readers!

I'm not to the breaking point of exhaustion yet, but I fear I'm headed in that direction. FIRST DATE is clipping along at a nice speed, even though I had to reshoot over an hours worth of film yesterday.

"Why would you reshoot, Screenwriter Chic?" I hear you ask.

Well, because we set up so fast no one caught that the bedspread in a shot was turned over. And yes, it was quite noticeable? How could I have missed that? Lack of sleep? Because the actor had the giggles and I was just trying to pull a performance out of him that didn't include bursting into laughter? Perhaps...

Could I have left it? Yeah, but if I slack on the little stuff, I'll want to slack on the big stuff.

We had a great time, however, and the Lunns were ever so gracious to allow us to film in their home. They were wonderful. Their two dogs, Diesel and Romeo were superb. Diesel was shy but Romeo is in a few shots. He's a big sweetie.

My children have taken it upon themselves to take along OUR camcorder to make themselves a documentary about the filming of FIRST DATE. Hilarious. I can say right now that I do NOT appreciate the paparazzi. Especially when I'm on the toilet!

And since this blog is about getting my work into Hollywood, I will give you an update. My action script, RUNNING WILDE is in Tinsel Town, hopefully getting read. It's been there for a week now. I am forcing myself to 1. not go crazy with anticipation and 2. call, email, tweet, or write him. I'll keep you updated!

Keep me in your thoughts, prayers, mantras, chants, whatever!

Sean reviews a shot of his mad acting skills.

Later!

PROOFREAD!!!

2010-06-10T12:11:00.001-05:00

You know what reeks of amateurs? Work riddled with type-o's.
I've been cleaning out old emails and I found one that I had written to my staff. (Yes, I have a staff, no it's not that kind).

I wanted to share it with you, since I had to eat humble pie and admit I actually sent an email with an error in it. Horrible. And, before you ask, yes, I DID have to send out the email. Why? To squelch rumors. Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Read on, dear fan! And see how important it is to proofread! And yes, this IS an actual email I sent out.

Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 9:44 AM

To: All Staff

Subject: amendment

Okay Girls,

This is an amendment to my email I sent out earlier.

I want to make it very clear that I did have a type-o and that Patti had mice rice on her SHELF. NOT her SELF.

I hope this corrects any problems that could have been misconstrued.

So, to make it clear: Patti is NOT infested with MICE on her person. It's her shelf that they apparently like to hang out on. NOT Patti.

Patti is not a friend to rodents, as my hedgehog can attest. Patti does not have mice on her or anywhere in her clothing. Patti, as a person, is completely 100% mice free.

Therefore, Patti will NOT be exterminated, nor will we call an exterminator to check her out. I hope this clears everything up.

Should you have any questions about the matter, feel free to ask me.

Signed,

Your Loving Boss

See what I mean? How embarassing! PROOFREAD!

Update On FIRST DATE & life in general. It's Good.

2010-06-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

Swinging by to let you, my faithful followers, that I am doing well!

As you know, I’m shooting another short film that I’ve written, this time NOT in a twenty four hour period on severe lack of sleep. I think I’ve determined that I’m a time Nazi. I finished three days of shooting in ONE day, which gives me TONS of room for reshoots if I don’t like what I see in the editing suite.

Yes, once again, my kiddos are my guinea pigs, but they are doing quite nicely and giving authentic performances. Plus, they are having fun. Isn’t that what it’s all about? They enjoy helping me on my projects. I enjoy the family time. For me, it’s a win win situation. I’ll keep you updated!

On another note, during my one day of shooting, I took a four hour break to attend the Nashville Screenwriter’s Conference (thanks to my friend Jill and her phone call reminding me)! I am SO glad that I did!

I heard some great words of wisdom from Jeff Lowell (Hotel for Dogs, show runner for Spin City): “In television, you should write so you can be doing the dishes and HEAR everything and know EXACTLY what’s going on. In movies, you should be able to be on a plane, not purchase the earphones and SEE it and know exactly what’s going on.”

That is SO true! I’ve never thought of it that way, but now, I’ll never forget.

The highlight for me, however, was getting to finally meet Derek Haas. Remember him? He wrote WANTED, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 2, 3:10 TO YUMA, to name a few. (He also wrote CATCH THAT KID which my youngest loves). For those of you who don’t know the story, my screenwriting class had a conference call with him last fall. From there, I found him on Facebook and we became friends. We banter back and forth and I teased him about coming to Nashville and told him that I’d bring him a cupcake. His response was that it had to be cinnamon, his favorite spice. That was six months ago.

So there I am, sitting with Jill, watching the end of a panel. Everyone leaves and there is Derek in the back of the room chatting with someone. He heads to the main chair and I call to him, introduce myself which receives a hearty reaction and I offer him the cupcakes. He gleefully takes them and is floored to discover that they’re cinnamon. I beam with pride at my accomplishment. I’ve made his day. Everyone around me (other than Jill) scoffs, believing this to be a putrid attempt at bribery.

I don’t care.

I’ve met someone whose writing I esteem highly, whom I consider a "real" friend now. We’ll continue to banter on Facebook.

And, when all is said and done, whose name do YOU think he remembered from the conference?

Marti, Derek, & Jill

Be Prepared For Anything!

2010-06-02T15:02:00.001-05:00

This Friday I begin shooting another short film. A real one, not shot and edited within 24 hours for a competition.

What have I gotten myself into????

Every weekend in June I will be consumed in this new project. So if you don't hear from me for a while, I have not abandoned you, precious fans... I'm merely exhausted and probably collapsed in a puddle of my own drool as my body tries to recover from stress and lack of sleep.

Ah, stress. That brings me to my the point of this blog... be prepared for anything!

This project has been rolling around in my pea brain for a good many months and thanks to the graciousness of the powers that be, all equipment is on loan without a penny paid. Yeah! I have a shooting schedule prepared and a list of things for my Production Assistant. Who bailed.

It wasn't her fault, there were a lot of factors involved and family goings ons that caused her to cease her service to me. It was her family also, who was graciously allowing me to film in their wonderful home. It was her mom who was going to a role in the film. In fact, I had rewritten the script so her little sister could be in it too! So my PA bails and guess what?

No house, no actress, no little sister actress, no Production Assistant.

Sigh.

In a screenplay, this would be known as the "All Is Lost Moment".

(pause)

And then, the hero finds the strength to go and gives an award winning speech:

Shall I be discouraged at this HUGE GINORMOUS mountain in my way? Heck NO! Mountains are made to be climbed!

I shall press on... the shooting will go as scheduled. I have a Production Coordinator, Michael. He is chomping at the bit to show his worth. My advice to him? Snag a Production Assistant and get ready! I have never micro managed, so I'm leaving it to him to find the actress and site.

I'm revising the script as I go. Welcome to filming. If you think you're done when you type Fade Out, or when your agent says he'll shop it, or when the producer says he loves it, or when the studio buys it, you're wrong. There's always a rewrite dangling just a breath away!

Be prepared and don't melt. You're being watched at all times.

If I freak out over a short film, what will I do if I'm directing something huge in Hollywood? (Which I WILL do one day, mark my words).

Every day is an adventure. Be prepared! Roll with it. Put out fires. Solve problems. LIVE!!!

Later sweet fans! One more pic for ya...

Memorable Characters Take Memorable Writing

2010-05-27T11:52:00.003-05:00

To create memorable characters, I’d like to make a suggestion.

Keep a journal of overheard dialogue. Gasp! ScreenwriterChic, are you telling me to eavesdrop? Yep! I’m not saying stalk anyone, but you can grasp different rhythms, different accents when you eavesdrop. No one wants to hear characters that all sound like you. Each character must have a distinct voice. Each character must be different.

One of my favorite lines from a movie is, “Yeah. You blend.” It’s from MY COUSIN VINNY, written by Dale Launer (whom I have had the privilege of speaking with… but about RUTHLESS PEOPLE). I love this line so much that I posted it as a status on Facebook the other day.

You’d be surprised the reception it had! For three pages, people posted their favorite lines from the movie. Which tells me it was great writing.

When you make your character, each one MUST have their own voice. Lisa didn’t sound a THING like Vinny (of course she was female!) They both had thick New York accents, but her rhythm, her speech pattern was different. Her ideas were different. Her focus was different, which crafted her character. By the time Marisa Tomei got a hold of the part, it was just finishing touches that were needed.

Each character had a distinct voice. You could tell each character was DRAMATICALLY different.

“Are you mockin’ me in that outfit?”

“Mrs. Reilly. And only Mrs. Reilly!”

“A doe eyed little de-uh!”

“I don’t know! I’m a fast cook, I guess!”

“Same make and model tire!”

“Aidin’ and abettin’!”

“Maybe the laws of physics cease to exist on your stove! Were these magic grits?”

“Ladies and gentlemen of the j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-j-jury.”

“Seb’n bushes!”

“The two what?”
“What?”
“Did you say, Utes?”

Oh, excuse me, Your Honor. The two youths.”

Can you see these characters? The diversity adds so much depth to the story, a reality to it, if you will, and every scene becomes memorable. So much so that Marisa Tomei walked away with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Make your characters memorable. They will make or break your script, and ultimately, your movie.

Confusion = Bad

2010-05-18T11:51:00.001-05:00

When you write a script, you are writing it for the READER. The reader is not the producer or the director, your mom or your dad. The reader is the one who holds the power. Why? Because they give coverage on your script with the ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ to move it along TO the producer or director.

The READER.

Yes, it’s an actual job. It’s thankless and overwhelming and time consuming. I know this will be a shocker, but they WILL toss your script into the doomed circular file if:

1.) they get confused
2.) they hate your script or
3.) your script isn’t properly formatted

Don’t blame me, I don’t make the rules! I’m going to break this down in the next few blogs for you. So, let’s take Number 1.

How can a reader get confused?

Besides a poorly constructed script, I’m going to focus on the most recent and one of the most pertinent errors to cause confusion in a script: NAMES.

I recently read a man’s script which was pretty good, however, he had three characters that all started with the same first letter. To make matters worse, he had a dialogue with all three of them. I was completely lost and if I wasn’t critiquing it for the guy the script would have been deep sixed. It was extremely hard to follow.

Jesse, Jessup, and Justice.

Sweet Lord, people. Don’t give your characters the same first letter. You have an entire alphabet at your disposal. Please use it. There are baby names books that can help if you get stuck!

Another note: try to change the syllables of the names.

Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for the reader to intake the information, keep up as they speed read, and give you a good mark. Don’t have Bob and Tom. Have Bobby and Tom. Or Bob and Tommy. Bonnie and Annie should become Bonnie and Ann. Make it easy.

Don’t have rhyming characters. Kelly and Shelly. Mindy and Cindy. Craig and Greg.

Let me try to break it down a bit better for you.

Imagine an office. Desk. Fluorescent lights. Office supplies. Starbucks.

Now imagine the desk with stacks upon stacks of 110-115 page scripts. You can’t see the office supplies. You can’t see the desk. There are scripts in stacks on the floor. Two things can be made out in this room. The chair and the rather large wastebasket. And your script is in the stack.

The reader picks up a script. Not one with an embellished covering or title page. Those reek of amateurism and are immediately tossed into the dream eating can. She looks at the title page. If it looks good, she flips it open.

A reader will know by page 10 whether he or she will continue. It’s not that he or she doesn’t like you. It’s not that he or she doesn’t like your idea. It’s the fact that he or she has to understand what you’re trying to say. What takes us an hour or so to read will take them thirty minutes. They’re speed reading demons!

Why wouldn’t you want to make it easy for them? If you make it easy for them, you make it easy for them to give you great coverage and move your script along.

“Now, hold on a minute!” you say. “I’ve seen movies where there are rhyming names, and people start with the same first letter!”

Yes, that’s true. Most of those movies were written by the producers or already had money behind them.

Let’s take Twilight, New Moon, and Eclipse for example.

Two of the characters names are Jacob and Jasper. I have heard countless people get Jacob and Jasper confused. Even more so with the folks who read the book. Did it hinder the success of the movies? Nope! But Stephenie Meyer was approached to make her book into a movie and had a screenwriter adapt her work. This wasn’t a script she sent in.

You can do what you want. Take my advice or leave it, it’s up to you. I’m just trying to give you some insight to offer you the best possible chance to get your work up on that coveted silver screen.

Why make it harder for the reader?

Why make it harder for yourself?

There's A Method To My Madness!

2010-05-14T14:05:00.000-05:00

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

There’s nothing more exhilarating than typing FADE OUT, sitting back, and letting out that sigh that says, “I’m done with this one!” It’s a great feeling of accomplishment. I pat myself on the back for ten seconds and then print it out.

“Oh! You shop it around?” you ask.

NO WAY!

I’m going to share with you my method of making a kick butt screenplay.

First, write the darn thing! You’re not a writer if all you do is complain that someone stole your idea and you’ve not written a lick about it. Write it!

Then, find yourself a group of people who will not kiss your butt, yet are supportive in your endeavor.

I happen to be surrounded by people who love my ideas and I’m constantly bouncing ideas off of them. When their eyes light up and they exclaim, “I would SO go see that!” I start making rough outlines.

By rough outline, I mean I take a beat sheet and give my idea a small amount of framing. Then, I start fleshing it out a bit. I ask people what outcomes would be better, what twists would be cool… the point is, I get a free focus group on what people want to see. I write the script. I let people read the script.

“What confuses you about the plot?” I’ll ask. “Can you see everything I’ve written?” If the answer is no, I tackle that section. If they are confused, I know I need to work on setting things up earlier.

I enjoy this part of the writing because this is where I really get to “meet” my characters.

Melissa Scrivner, a writer on the hit series CSI: Miami stated in an earlier interview, “I feel like on the first draft, the characters don’t speak to you until you go through the pain of rewrites. Then they become real to you.”

I couldn’t agree more.

I’ve recently completed a script. I’ve been working on it close to a year. I don’t even know how many rewrites I’ve already done on it. My main character, in the first draft, was calculating, cold, and could kick some serious tail. Action packed, yes, but there was nothing human about her. At all. It was through the rewrites that I found out why she did what she did and why she was who she was. She revealed her humanity to me, not me forcing humanity on her. The character became a breathing person on my pages. Strange to say, but it’s true. And right now, on my pages, she’s in her truest form. A director will see her differently. A producer will see her differently. The actress will see the character differently. And I’ll have to let her go and be who they want her to be. I'm okay with that.

I wrote this for me.

That doesn’t mean I throw what people tell me out the window. The people I have who read my stuff critique it. They know what to look for. They show me grammatical errors and mistakes. I’m glad to have them around! If they say that something confuses them, then it will confuse the READER and that’s who I need to be on my side!

I do not use flowery description. That screams you’re an amateur if you do. Precise. Short. Words. Bingo.

I have to say, I’m a blessed woman to have the people around me that I do. They read my drafts, lines of dialogue, scene descriptions… and willingly! What a great group of people I know! And the best part, is that when I say, “Gut it!” or “Bathe it in blood!” (Meaning red ink, of course!) They do. They know my feelings aren’t going to be hurt. I want to know what is wrong. I don’t want to send out something that is not professional. If you don’t have that kind of support and you want critiques, feel free to shoot me an email. If I have time, I’ll do it.

Just don’t act like Raul. (check him out on a few posts past).

Different people have different methods. Don't be afraid to try! What method works best for you?

Just Slug Away!

2010-05-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

Let’s talk slug lines.

For beginners that read this blog, a slug line is that one scene description in one line:

INT. OFFICE – DAY

That’s a slug line. But it’s not terribly descriptive, is it? You want to get as much information across to your reader has humanly possible in that one line. Make the slug line work for you!

INT. SCREENWRITERCHIC’S EMPTY OFFICE – DAY

Now, you know four things:
1. The scene takes place in an office
2. The scene takes place in MY office
3. My office is empty.
4. It’s daytime.

That gives out a lot of information. Which is a great thing! I read one guy’s script that said:

EXT. OPEN RANGE – DAY

Well, what does that mean? Is it a shooting range? A cattle range? A range in Kansas is WAY different than a range in Colorado. Help the reader out!

EXT. COLORADO CATTLE RANGE – DAY

Gives a better description of where you are, doesn’t it?

Slug lines are your friend. They’ll work for you if you let them. Which brings me to NAKED slug lines. Ever heard of those?

Naked slug lines are slug lines that have no description under them at all.

EXT. COLORADO CATTLE RANGE – DAY

JOHN
Hand me that there shovel, Curly.

What? There’s a shovel? What is going on? You don’t want to confuse the reader! So… always have your slug line follow with some sort of description. It can even be two words.

INT. MUSTY BANK – DAY

Busy. Crowded.

Annabelle prepares the deposit.

So, now you know that you’re in an old musty bank (because new banks aren’t musty) and it’s a busy day in there. The slug line has set the stage for you to then tell us what Annabelle is doing. You get a better feel of her surroundings and is the framework of that scene.

You’ve used the slug line to work for you AND you’ve probably saved two or three lines of writing thanks to your precise writing skills…two or three lines that can now be used on your witty dialogue!

Great job, Slugger!

Don't Cheat The Audience!

2010-05-04T11:38:00.002-05:00

When it came to theaters, I was like, “Oooooh…interesting!”

But then I heard reviews. And I decided to save my money and wait until THE LOVELY BONES came out on Netflix. Which I did. I saw it last night.

Now, I want to offer a disclaimer here. I have not read the book. So, I have nothing to compare with the movie. And this is not a movie review. When I see something in a movie that is the writer’s fault, I simply WANT to point it out to HELP all of you future Oscar winners out there.

I agree with critics and I’ll tell you why.

While I cannot say enough about Saoirse Ronan’s spectacular performance as Susie Salmon (like the fish), I can see why people turned up their noses at what could have been a great movie. And let it be known, I did like the movie. I didn’t like the ending.

I’ll tell you why.

For the entire movie, we see Susie’s killer plodding along. For the entire movie we see Susie’s family in shambles. Susie’s caught in the “in-between”. She watches her family. She’s close with her father. Her mother can’t stand the fact that her daughter was murdered and leaves for a bit. Their grandmother comes to help out. Susie’s murder was a horrific event that toppled this poor family. To make matters worse, no one ever found the body. Just a hat and a large amount of blood. I could think of nothing worse to happen.

There was an enormous set up throughout the movie.

Act 1 established Susie as a bright, sweet girl who had dreams and crushes like the rest of us. She was at odds with her mom about wearing knitted gifts and close with her father as was shown in the model boat scene. She’s a very trusting little girl and is lured into a bad situation.

Act 2. Enter Susie’s new world of the in between. Sometimes she’s happy, sometimes she’s sad, or angry. Meanwhile, the killer rolls a charm of a dollhouse in his hand. He took it from Susie’s bracelet. We see him fidget with it throughout the movie. He’s interested in Susie’s younger sister, Lindsey, now. While he is plotting her demise, Susie’s father, wracked with grief, attempts to find who murdered his daughter. It drives the mother to the breaking point, and she leaves. The grandmother comes to help with the family. Susie watches from the in between as Lindsey gets her first kiss. We see the heartbreak of all that has been lost. We really want this killer to suffer. What a bad man!

After awhile, Lindsey gets a feeling of who the killer is. The father develops a roll of Susie’s film and he remembers the strange neighbor who, ironically, paints his flowers red. The dad has a conversation with the killer. Susie watches and gives Dad a sign. Dad chases the killer into the killer’s home. The police speak to Dad and explain that no charges will be pressed. Guess what the killer has rolling around in his hand? Susie’s charm! We hate the killer even more. He’s mocking this poor father. He said that he was sorry for his loss! The nerve of that guy!

Let’s go to Act 3. Lindsey has had enough of this. She sneaks into the killer’s house, finds damning evidence, and barely escapes. HA! Take THAT Killer! Now he’s on the run! Or is he?

Susie watches him load up her body (which is stuffed into a safe) and heads to a sinkhole.

And here is when the movie loses EVERYONE.

The killer rolls the safe end on end. Susie possesses a girl who took her boyfriend after the murder. Instead of screaming, “HEY! There’s a body in that safe!!!!” What does she do? She gets her first kiss from the boyfriend. Granted, that was sweet. But Susie seems to be the type that hates to watch her family suffer. It seems that it would be out of character for her. Meanwhile, the killer rolls her body into the sinkhole and it’s consumed by water. No one will ever find her! So, we feel like that was stupid. Maybe we could have gotten over that every little girl wants a magical first kiss. Maybe. There’s room to wiggle. A LITTLE. VERY little.

So, the writer has lost some of the folks. Let’s move on and see why people were so upset with this movie, why they felt so cheated.

Police swarm the killer’s house. He’s obviously gone. The only closure the parents have is that the killer was a neighbor. No body to bury. No face to face with the killer. No mom screaming, “How could you?!?!” No justice.

Outside a diner, the killer, still fiddling with Susie’s charm, attempts offer a girl a ride home. An icicle falls, and he topples over a ledge.

WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

The audience was completely cheated!!!

The set up was so great throughout the movie. We WANTED the killer to get caught; we WANTED to see the parents and family have closure. We WANTED to see Susie’s body returned to her parents. For Susie to have HER closure with her parents. And it’s not so much what we WANTED to see, it’s what we, the audience NEEDED to see. While there was a little voice over tying everything in together, it was a horrible ending to a beautiful film.

Why tease with a charm that won’t be used later in the film? If you, as a writer, do that, there has to be some sort of closure for that as well.

Now granted, this was based on a book. Perhaps the resolution in the book was better. They have more time to get things across in novels. This movie was apparently difficult to write for, since it had three, count ‘em THREE, screenwriters. You would think of the three, someone would understand what the audience wants to see. I know the book may have ended one way and the book is probably better, but it’s the screenwriter’s job to ADAPT the book.

So, if you have learned nothing from this rant, learn this: DO NOT EVER EVER EVER CHEAT THE AUDIENCE.

If they’ve put in the time to follow characters on a journey, don’t let them down.

And Saoirse Ronan: Should you ever read this. I became your fan watching this movie.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

2010-04-26T12:01:00.001-05:00

Saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in the theater yesterday.
WOW.

What an amazing storyline and plot! Extremely complex, and dazzling to comprehend. Sure they left out a character from the book (and not I’m not telling you which one) but that’s par for the course.

What I really wanted to draw your attention to is the character of Lisbeth Salandar, played masterfully by Nooma Rapace.

You’re shocked when you first see her, but over a series of extremely harsh events, understand why she is the way she is. She’s an incredible character. She’s tough, she doesn’t take crap from anyone, but she’s also extremely intelligent… and extremely likable. Kudos to the screenwriter for capturing that from the book!

Currently the movie is being rewritten for Hollywood, and there are rumors swarming that Brad Pitt will play one of the main characters, if not the lead. I’m interested to see who they will bring in for Lisbeth. I don’t think Angelina could pull this one off as well as Nooma did. Maybe they can just keep her in the role and she can speak English…? Who knows. By the time it actually makes it to production it will have circled Hollywood a few thousand times.

UDATE: CAREY MULLIGAN SET TO PLAY ROLE OF LISABETH SALANDAR

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article7107260.ece

I can’t see how Hollywood could make this movie any better.

So, if you get the chance to see this movie, go see it. Be warned: This movie is NOT one for the kids.

Tell me what you think about it.

Don't Waste My Time

2010-04-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

Someone heard that I’m an up and coming screenwriter. This person, who I will, for all intents and purposes of this blog refer to him as: Raul. Which of course, is NOT his real name or ethnicity.

Raul sent me his “life-changing manuscript.”

He certainly changed MY life. I don’t think I’ve ever been so incredibly bored with a script in all my life. When you begin to dream of going to a dentist for a root canal, you know the script is bad.

The premise was shaky, it was poorly constructed and he repeated himself at LEAST ten times a page. And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

Granted, I started in the same place Raul obviously was. Thank goodness I had the sweet feedback from a Hollywood producer that said basically, “You’ve got great ideas, but you need to learn more. This won’t cut it.” Keeping that in mind, I attempted to extend that same wisdom to Raul. I called him.

“Raul, what is your script about?”

“Oh, it’s a life-changer.”

“Raul. That didn’t answer my question. What about it is life-changing?”

“The character’s journey.”

“Okay, what is the journey? Because I didn’t see it. At all.”

Raul proceeded to speak but never said a word. I tried to rephrase.

“Raul, what color is your car?”

“Do what?”

“Your car. What color is it?”

“Well, it’s kinda bluish-green, more green than blue, but when the light hits it, it shines blue. Teal? Yeah maybe that’s the color. Or seagreen?”

Bingo. I located him.

My advice to Raul at that time was to 1.) purchase Save The Cat! By Blake Snyder and Your Screenplay Sucks! by Will Akers. I gave him some general pointers such as: Never repeat yourself. Write short concise sentences. Vertical structure is great.

And then he asked me the inevitable question: “Did you like it?”

Heck no, I didn’t like it! I’d rather be kicked in the face by a Clydesdale! Of course I couldn’t SAY that!

“Raul, I can’t see how this is a life-changer. I couldn’t get through it.”

Raul proceeds to tell me that I don’t know what I’m talking about and when it gets bought he’s going to post nasty comments all over my blog. I tell him to calm down, he contacted me for serious advice and that’s what I’m giving him. I also tell him if he wants a group of cheerleaders for his scripts he needs to keep within his family. I explain that I am as objective as possible. I actually WANT him to make it and I point out that I’m being much nicer than anyone in Hollywood would ever be. His script was amateurish and would never make it past the reading floor. I tell him I started out the same way. We all did. All he has to do is listen, make some adjustments and rewrite.

“It’s perfect the way it is. I finished it last night. It’s complete.”

At this point my jaw drops to the floor with a loud *clunk!*

“You sent me your first draft???”

“And the final one. It’s perfect the way it is.”

I realize Raul is narcissistic and will not listen to reason. I will help people as long as they want or need help. But this guy, I do NOT want my name associated with. If you ever bump into him, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.

“Raul, that script will never make it to a producer. And if it does it will only be because you know someone. You do know that writers rewrite all the time, right? On the set, etc.?”

“I won’t need to. It’s perfect the way it is.”

You’re an idiot, Raul.

I had the opportunity of speaking to Derek Haas, screenwriter of blockbusters like WANTED, 3:10 TO YUMA, & THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS.

I asked him, "Derek, how many drafts of WANTED did you go through before it was made into a movie?"

Derek's reply: (NOTE: THIS IS A WELL KNOWN SUCCESSFUL SCREENWRITER SAYING THIS!): "Oh I had about 84 drafts on my computer by the time it was ready to be shopped around."

84. 84 drafts, Raul. 84.

A screenplay is the bones of the production. You provide the structure for a story. The director comes in and adds the flesh to it, with the actors, the sets, and the vision. The producers come in and make it look pretty and gus it up, make it presentable for the viewers. It’s a team effort. Even if this guy somehow sold his horrible slaughter of verbiage, he’d be fired on the spot for not being willing to rewrite. The only award Raul will be receiving is Employee of the Month at his local hamburger joint.

If that sounds harsh, I’m sorry. This is a tough business to get into. And you can’t break into it if you aren’t willing to work and do what it takes to make your work better. If your pride gets in the way of that, well, then that path is all yours to walk. Alone. I’m not going with you.

So, dear readers and adoring fans, if you plan to send me anything to read, please make sure you have rewritten it a few times and be prepared to hear the truth about what I think. Friends will pat your hand. I won’t do that. Friends will tell you your work is awesome. I will look for holes you need to fix and dialogue that is boring and trite. I will never call you names, but I will encourage you to take a long look at your work.

Your work is NOT perfect.

Neither is mine, for that matter.

But I’m willing to rewrite it. Even it means 84 times.

DRAW Wins Honorable Mention!

2010-04-19T10:47:00.001-05:00

I’m on my way!

Tonight (well yesterday night by the time I get this published) was the awards ceremony for the Vanderbilt Film Festival.

You may remember on March 19th I had entered not only my first short film contest, but it was also a 24 hour contest. This is what I submitted:

DRAW from ScreenwriterChic on Vimeo.

We didn’t win the overall competition, but we did win Honorable Mention! I consider this an honor. I can’t tell you the feeling I get watching a movie I made, my creation, up on the silver screen, and hear belly roll laughter from the audience. I can say with pride, that no other short film we watched had as many laughs at mine. And no, I’m NOT being biased with that one.

So, since I will obviously need the practice later on in life, here’s my acceptance speech:

"Wow! Thank you so much! Gosh! This is heaver than I expected….

“Thank you, God, for honoring me and humbling me at the same time. Never let me forget who I am or where I came from no matter where any award comes from. I’m nothing without the great grace You’ve bestowed on me. I appreciate the favor, the love and the mercy You show me every single day. I’m nothing without You.

“I have to thank my cast and crew, Kristy Miller, who was my production coordinator and made all the phone calls I didn’t want to. Ann Eubank McKinney for lending me her son for the boom mike (you’ll go far in life, Will!). The cast, Bree Miller… you did great in your first onscreen performance! Michael Haney… yes, your accent did keep changing but we all loved it… Sean Young… you stayed up all night and performed every time I needed you too and were simply fantastic! Keagan Haney… you added depth to the role of Charlotte. Hard to do when you’re twelve but did it magically! And of course, my sweet Elijah. Elijah, you never cease to amaze me. You learned not only your lines, but everyone else’s! I’m in awe of your professionalism and eagerness. You never got tired, never complained and were always ready when I needed you to be. I’ve never been more proud!

“To Craig, my husband who puts up with my writing madness, mania, frustration, mood swings, hopes, dreams, and fears. You’re one in a million.

“Thank you to Will Akers who prompted me to enter the competition. Will, I appreciate you letting me learn from you. I hope to work with you again in the future. You have great insight.

“I also want to thank Dr. Louise Hanson and Jen Swails-Wenger, my bosses. It was their allowing me to audit Will’s classes that I ever 1.) knew about the competition and 2.) had learned enough where I was comfortable enough to give it a whirl. Thanks for allowing me to follow a dream.

“To everyone who’s cheered me on and prayed for me: THANK YOU. It’s the best feeling in the world to know that you have someone rooting for you. I can actually feel your warm wishes, thoughts, and prayers if that makes any sense. Please continue! I want to create, I want to work, I want to infiltrate Hollywood with movies of purpose and value. And I’ve started with DRAW. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Until next time, sweet readers….

Keep dreaming… keep writing!

Director/Writer Marti with the cast of DRAW enjoy the Golden Slate Award

Nuggets from a WME agent

2010-04-14T09:26:00.001-05:00

Got to sit in on a discussion panel with WME Agent Alexis Garcia. I’m always interested in learning the different facets of Hollywood. Alexis’s created quite a niche for himself. He’s extremely smart and knows the game.

Here are some nuggets I was able to put into my trusty laptop. (Alexis talks FAST!)

“If you want to be in the entertainment business, get into a mailroom as soon as possible. If you want to be an agent, get into the entertainment business as soon as possible. If you’re curious and aren’t sure what you want to do in the entertainment business, get into a mailroom as soon as possible. If you want to be a screenwriter, that’s hard. Because it’s hard to balance writing and… you should be writing all the time.”

“To get screenplays noticed, it’s a Catch 22. It’s a Catch 22 and it’s not fair. Seriously. It’s not. If you’re a good writer, you’re better than 90% of what’s floating around in Hollywood right now. Seriously. Trust me, I’ve seen it. I know. I’d have to say do screenwriting contests, labs, foundations, festivals. Query letters are dead. No one sends them and if they do, no one responds. It’s a digital age. Everyone sends query emails. If you have something that’s targeted for the person whose email you’ve found, the it’ll find its way in. Just keep plugging. But if it’s good, someone will see it and say, “Hey, this is good. Let’s move this along.”

“In regards to marketing, a lot of marketing people didn’t start in the mailroom. What you learn more than anything else is, you see all the information pouring into and out of the agency. Now you’re seeing how the agency works. If you see how the agency works, you see how the town works. And it’s all about information. The information we see and control.”

“Entertainment is closely related to sports management. Very closely. We (WME) do it. For marketing. We represent Serena Williams. At the same time, she’s also repped by IMG. We have different functions.”

“I remember trying to go online when it was dial up and trying to read Variety. Now there’s www.deadline.com and Nikki Finke. There’s so much info. I would say, in order to be successful, to be way more educated about how the business operated and what the trends are, how deals are made. It’s competitive.”

And for those of you who are wondering, who IS this Alexis guy?

Alexis Garcia

The Official Alexis Garcia blurb:

As an agent in WME Global, the finance and distribution group at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, Alexis works to create advantageous financing packages and innovative distribution deal structures for the group’s financier clients and the agency’s content creators. WME Global functions as a consulting group within this rich content and talent ecosystem. Equity, foreign markets, brands, new media platforms – WME Global provides a connection to every traditional and innovative source of project financing throughout the world. And WME Global agents have unparalleled expertise in securing distribution deals in the US and abroad.

Within the group, Alexis focuses on global financing sources and regularly consults for financier clients in evaluating projects and structuring deals. Alexis joined Endeavor in 2006, prior to which he practiced entertainment law at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton and O’Melveny & Myers, where he counseled entertainment industry clients, both at the studio and independent level, in the development, production, financing and distribution of motion picture and television content. Alexis earned his J.D. in 2002 from UCLA School of Law, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Entertainment Law Review and Business Editor of the UCLA Law Review. He earned his B.A. in English and Theatre from Vanderbilt University. He is a regular speaker on film financing and distribution and serves as a board member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers and a member of The Next Generation of the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

Among film projects Alexis has worked on in his career as a lawyer and agent are Be Kind Rewind, We Own the Night, Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov’s 9, Brokeback Mountain, Che, Black Dynamite, Transsiberian ,and the upcoming major studio releases Kick-Ass and Robert Rodriguez’s Machete .

Ask questions!

2010-04-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

James Benning

Every opportunity for a new experience, I take it. (You should do that, too, by the way. How else can you experience the adventure?)

I was invited to attend a viewing of James Benning's latest work, RR. (That's Railroad for numbskulls like me!) I gratefully accepted, and dressed up my kiddos in their nicest garb and for the sake of culture, trucked them to the event. (I'm happy to say they were extremely well behaved, perhaps for fear for their lives, but nonetheless, made me proud).

Originally, we were to eat dinner with James, but alas! His flight was delayed. We ate by a nice fountain outside and at 7:00pm on the dot, took our seats. I let the children choose our spots...the second row. And the movie began.

Trains.

Trains.

Trains.

Did I mention, trains? No music. No actors. Just: Fade In, train tracks, a train appears and goes by, leaves. Fade Out. Fade in, train tracks, a train appears and goes by, leaves. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. For 48 shots.

We were not prepared for this.

However! Thanks to my excellent parenting skills, the children remained silent and still.

Twenty minutes in, my youngest leaned over to me and whispered, "Are there any people in it?"

"I don't think so," I replied.

"Okay."

Once they got past the shock of a film with no plot, shooting sequence, or sex scenes that I make them cover their eyes for, they resigned themselves that for one hour and one minute, their life was: TRAINS.

Actually, it was quite a good film. The sounds, the scenery. Variation. Just an hour and one minute of trains.

The film ended. Applause from all. Then, the Q&A session. A few generic questions pop up. And then, James Benning, director of RR, points in my direction and says, "Yes?"

I look to my left and my beautiful twelve year old daughter has her hand raised. And that's how it all started. Between her and my thirteen year old son, they dominated the questions. And they weren't "froo froo" questions. They were insightful:

"What prompted you to make a film about trains?"

"Did have a schedule or did you wait for the trains?"

"How long was your longest wait?"

"Is there anything you would change about it?"

"What DON'T you love about trains?"

"There were alot of southern routes, as seen by the landscape. Were any of the shots up north?"

"Will you ever do an animated film about trains?"

And my youngest: "Can you make a movie about super heroes?"

Afterwards, people praised the children for having such great questions and hailed me as an awesome mother for bringing them to the event. I, of course, beamed with pride. It's a family business, this film stuff.

I snapped a quick pic of the kiddos with James and the evening was complete.

My children's first avant garde film, first time to question a director, first time to a screening.

In the car, my thirteen year old commented, "You know, the movie was kinda boring with all those trains. But, now that I've met the director, it seems kinda interesting."

Spoken like a true critic.

How Very Interesting...

2010-04-09T15:58:00.000-05:00

A nice man named Chris came to class yesterday. He's worked extensively in Hollywood as a writer. We really got to pick his brain.

Of all the nuggets of wisdom he shared, this was my favorite, and you, lucky fan, shall have it passed to you!

He said in regards to writing: "The more you're paid in Hollywood, the less of a voice you have."

"If you are hired by a studio, it's because they want you to script their idea. If you want to have a voice, stick with independent film companies."

Very sobering.

It all relates to happiness. Think about it! Can you write stuff you really don't give a rip about for half a million dollars? Would you be happy doing that? Or are you the type that absolutely MUST write what's in your heart every single time?

Me? I look at writing jobs as mountains to climb, races to win, and victories to pursue. It's where your heart is.

No matter what you write, a director WILL see it differently. And he/she WILL see it differently from the producer. Does that matter to you? Will it grate on you to see a different version of what you had rolling around in your head? If that keeps you awake at night, perhaps you DO need to pursue smaller and independent companies. But's it's completely up to you.

Where is your heart?

Musica Campesina!

2010-04-05T12:55:00.004-05:00

Musica Campesina!

Pablo Cerda, Marti King Young, Alberto Fuguet

Last night we wrapped on a five day shoot. It started as a short, it really did. However, director Alberto Fuguet stated, “I have well enough for a feature. I’ll do it and release it in Buenos Aires first.”

One week of non-stop shooting, sometimes 19-20 hours a day. Rough. Grueling. And SOOOOOOOOO much fun!

Yours truly started off as the production assistant on the movie, Musica Campesina. I got promoted to Line Producer! (The movie’s about a Chilean man with a recently broken heart who throws himself into the Nashville scene. The script is quite poignant and moving.)

(My car is in the movie, so all of you MUST see it at some point! When you see the obnoxious yellow car, you can say to yourself, “I know that car! It’s Screenwriter Chic’s!!!!”)

Day 1 on the set: Because of working another job, I come on two days into filming. Not too much has been done. Sarah Childress, the producer (whom I just meet) introduces me to Alberto Fuguet. She tells him I have “great street credit.” I learn there has not been another to assist Alberto and many locations have not been secure. Alberto is overjoyed at my arrival and gives me a list of things to do. Thankfully, I have a notepad and two pens with me and appear prepared and that I know what I’m doing. Alberto calls me his “glue” for the production. He declares that all of his emails should go though me and I will keep everyone in the loop. (I about pee myself…how did I get to wield such power?)

We film Pablo at dusk looking at the Nashville skyline. Very nice take.

Alberto tells me that he wants to film at a certain diner the next day, but the manager yelled at a student and refused. He begs me to try again. I’m told filming begins the next day at noon.

Day 2 on the set: Before the daily production meeting, I drive myself to the diner Alberto wants. I personally speak to the manager. He was quite nice, but worried that we would invade his customer’s privacy. I explained there were no lighting crews or huge cameras, and that we would come at his least busy time. I listened to his concerns and addressed them and secured permission to film in the diner. I call Alberto and he hails me as a miracle worker. In fact, the entire crew does. I do a happy dance (but on the inside).

We film Pablo doing research in the Vanderbilt library. I never knew the library was that big OR that creepy. If you ever go there, bring a friend.

2:30pm Producer Sarah Childress and I leave the crew. I leave for my class with Will Akers on screenwriting. Sarah leaves to teach her class at Vanderbilt. It was so hot out, I was thankful to spend a couple of hours in air conditioning, actually. Will was good enough to let me take a break during class and purchase two liters of bottled water, both of which I downed before I returned to class.

Sarah Childress, Producer and Sound Back Up

5:40pm Sarah and I go shopping for food and then rejoin the crew on location at a house. Sarah works sound, I work the slate and continuity. Ten people on set. Alberto gets antsy. Too many people on set for him. Pablo is happy he has food.

We move to a bar called Fiddle & Steel in Printer’s Alley. It’s amateur night. The bar graciously gives us permission to film. The patrons have no clue Pablo is an actor. He sings one song. The crowd cheers him on, “Uno mas! Uno mas!” Reluctantly, Pablo sings another song. The crowd cheers and congratulates him. It was perfect for the film and it was extremely fun to shoot. I get home around 1:30am.

Day 3 of shoot: Before heading to the production meeting, I swing by Jason’s Deli for menus for the cast and crew. Somehow this gives me more kudos since I thought to ASK what they wanted instead of choosing for them. I also bring my sixteen year old son, Michael, to the set with me. He’s the official runner of Musica Campesina. He’s a hard worker and almost gets adopted by Pablo and the director. Michael’s first time to help with a “real” movie. His life is changed forever. I could see it in his eyes.

Michael sits in for lighting as Alberto preps Pablo

At the production meeting the schedule changes, the script changes. No problem. Alberto is great at rolling with the punches and is ready to get filming done today. We are slated to work on production until Monday, but he’s adamant we will finish today. Pablo wants to sight see on Saturday and Alberto wants to make sure he gets to do that. The crew is on board. As we head up to a room in the Embassy Suites for a scene I call the three actors and give them times and locations to meet us. Pablo does a great job in his scene.

12:00pm We change locations for a scene involving day laborers. Pablo gets filmed walking down the street and then waiting for work. I almost was the one that would be in the movie “hiring him”, but a drug dealer came out with his posse and started asking questions, and in a not so pleasant manner. Pablo declares the set is unsafe and wants to leave. It was and we did.

We change locations and move to a rooftop pool, film a scene there. There is a bathing beauty who’s fallen asleep beside the pool and has no clue that she played an intricate part in the background.

Michael drives me to pick up the lunches and we return to the crew at their next location, which was the house from the day before. Everyone is thrilled to have real food in a sitting and not have to munch on granola bars and fruit in between takes.

We film at the house, and James and Jeffrey create an impromptu song from three words that Pablo gives them. It’s in the film. Great stuff.

We change locations to get a scene outside a pawn shop. This was an interesting shoot. As Pablo walks down the street, the owner runs out screaming at us. Something about privacy laws. Michael is inside the pawn shop and reports that she went back inside afterwards and was swearing about “Latinos in this country.” As we’re packing up, she returns outside and screams more not nice things. I personally was embarrassed. Not that we were filming there, but because of her attitude toward Alberto and Pablo, visitors in our country. It was shameful. She said that it was illegal to use the name of their business in the movie. Well, she didn't say anything about my blog.

And the name is SO terribly creative, too!

We move to a billiards hall and I learn that it hasn’t been secured with approval to shoot. I run inside and speak to a skittish bartender. Another miracle worked and we’re good to go. Michael is in the background of the scenes playing pool along with Will, a student in Sarah’s class. They both loved it.

I’ve become a timekeeping Nazi by this point and announce we need to get to the next location. We hurry off to the Greyhound bus station in Clarksville, TN. The crew, an actor named Ty, and Pablo will film the bus ride from there to Nashville. It’s my job to drive them there and drive the car back. Because of all the people needed, it takes two cars to get everyone there. Michael drives my car, and I drive Ashley’s. (Ashley is our camera operator. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen and has an upbeat and sweet disposition.) We leave before the buses to get gas for the vehicles. The arrival time back in Nashville should be 9:30pm and no one has eaten dinner. We pull in at the gas station to grab some food for everyone. A man has a seizure and our vehicles are blocked in by an ambulance for thirty minutes. We’re late and I’m freaking out. I hate being late. HATE it. I drive like a bat out of Hades and get to the bus station ten minutes after they’ve arrived. Luckily, I have food as an offering and the cast and crew are THRILLED to eat.

We head to a laundry mat for a scene with Pablo and Karin. I take Ty home and meet the crew. The doors are locked and a redneck sixteen year old girl comes to the door. She’s obviously working there. She refuses to let me in stating, “We close in ten minutes.” I have the suitcase of props with me and point to it. “It’s laundry,” I say. “We close in ten minutes.” She has an attitude and my blood immediately boils. She won’t let me in. Finally, I yell over her head to Alberto, “She won’t let me in!” He runs over and says, “She has my clothes.” The girl curses and throws open the door. May I also point out that there is a cell phone glued to her ear which she never removes? I grab some props and give them to the actors. I make sure I keep away from the Redneck Queen of Dirty Laundry for fear of having such lack of sleep that I could deck her. Ashley begins to film Pablo and Karin talking. Russell (sound guy) has his boom and records room tone. Redneck Queen starts screaming to screw up our shot. She says that we can’t film and no one told her we had permission. (Even though we did. She didn’t want to hear it. The entire deal was a control issue for her.) Russell says that he’s recording sound and there’s no law that says he can’t record sound. The trailer park in her really comes out now, and she threatens to call the police. “I find that unlikely as you never remove the phone from your ear.” She starts cussing all of us out. A sixteen year old girl. Poor thing. She’s so lost. By this time, Pablo has had enough. “Let’s go.” He leaves. The girl says, “I’m just doing my (#*%&(#&(# job you %!@&@%#@ wetbacks!” Alberto: “It’s one thing to do your job, and another thing to be rude.” She starts cussing again and he slams the door in her face. Russell peeks back in and announces that her dryers are broken and laughs. I’m glad I’ve taught my children better than her. What a horrific person. And so young. I pity her children. Again, I was ashamed by the representation of my country to visitors.

We move to another laundry mat at the Americana. The landlord stops by and she is thrilled that a movie is being filmed at her place. She gives us free parking passes so we don’t get towed. The scene is a success.

Change of locations to a motel. Awesome murals in the room. (Just don’t sit on the bed). Pablo earns his money for these shoots. The pool is closed. Ashley sets up a camera in the bushes. He jumps over the fence to the pool in his underwear. He jumps in (and it was COLD last night) and comes out, takes a drink. Looks amazing. He hops back over and we go back to the room. We all take pix together.

And it’s a wrap!!!!

Alberto & Pablo (that's my writing on the slate!)

Last night was the wrap party. Perhaps I’ll post pix.
I had a wonderful time, met some wonderful people and hope to do more of this in the future. Just one more step for me to take over Hollywood!

How 'bout you? Got any good stories?

Wrap Party: Me, Sarah Childress (producer) and Ashley Zeiger (Director of Photography)

My short film: DRAW

2010-03-30T11:58:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally got it up and running. Thanks to some very nice people who heard me whimpering and pounding my head against the computer.

My short film, DRAW, is now online!

http://www.vimeo.com/user3488418

Now, this is my first thing ever to upload at vimeo, so give me a chance.

About the film: Done for a 24 hour film contest. Genre was given to me. My genre was: British Western. We had to use one prop: Bunny Ears. And, we had to have a line of dialogue incorporated. The line? "That's what she said."

The children are all my offspring except Bree, who is the girl in the vest. It was her first time acting and I think she did great.

The little one is my special needs 10 year old. I am extremely proud of him. Of all my kids. It was one of the best days of my life, not only to make a short film, but to spend the day bonding with my kiddos. Priceless. Enjoy!

DRAW! My first short film is done!

2010-03-25T13:43:00.000-05:00

I’ve recovered from the 24 hour film race.

My team, “Team Triumph” did extremely well. We won’t know who won until April, though. AND I have the finished movie on DVD but I can’t figure out how to upload it to any web sites as of yet. I promise I will have it here as soon as I can.

What happened, you ask? Good question, adoring fan.

Friday afternoon, I arrived at the competition headquarters at Vanderbilt. There were 9 teams total. (One team later dropped out…and they were senior year film students! The sissies!)

We drew numbers. Our numbers correlated with our genre, which was mix-matched. By that I mean, categories were: Superhero horror, British Western, Sci Fi Musical, and Romance Mystery. I got Sci Fi Musical and was NOT happy. I accepted the challenge, however, and didn’t quit like those senior wimps.

We were given our equipment and checked it out. We were handed an envelope with one line of dialogue. We had to incorporate it into the script. We also were given a prop we had to place in a scene. The prop? Bunny ears. The line of dialogue? That’s what she said. We were also told that throughout the night we would be given texts with twists along the way. And of course the final rule: Turn in our finished movie on DVD by 6pm on Saturday. Everyone was excited. Except me with my stinkin’ Sci Fi Musical.

6pm: The race began! My crew (Kristy and Ann) and I loaded up and trekked to my house. For three hours we brainstormed on how to create a Sci Fi Musical. I was at a loss. I don’t watch Sci Fi. I don’t like alien crap. Ghosts, maybe. Loved the Matrix, but you know, my special effects budget was lacking for this flick. Exasperated, Kristy and I drove to the top of an overlook to get some shots of the moon since OBVIOUSLY Sci Fi stuff would need to have that in it. Ann took a puppy (I’m giving them away, want one?) and went home to rest.

At the overlook, all was well until the police pulled up and shone a bright light in my face. Maybe he thought the camera was a weapon? Kristy and I tried to explain we were filming a movie, but we were frisked against the car anyway. Kristy enjoyed it. I was rather miffed. I had the camera in my hand! Then we were told that no one was allowed up there after dark. AGAIN I explained that I needed a shot of the moon. He told me I needed to go in five minutes. Whatever. I was gone in four.

Fifteen minutes later, the text came: “The first person to respond to this text will be able to swap genres.” I was on that like white on rice! Kristy made the call and our genre became: British Western. Okay. THIS I can do.

By 11pm the script was made, copies were given to the actors, who just happened to be my four children and Kristy’s daughter.

At midnight production stopped. We spent an hour and a half in WalMart so the girls could get their DVD of New Moon. (We won Awesome Mom awards for that one!) I snagged a few props there while I was at it.

2-4am: Viewing of New Moon while I tweaked script. Michael, my eldest, went to bed so. He did this because he knew if he wasn’t well rested 1.) I wouldn’t let him drive me ANYWHERE and 2.) He needed to be able to be in a good mood in order to maintain peace between siblings.

5am: Breakfast at Waffle House. My youngest was slow to rise, but he had known about this for awhile. He was generally excited and happy. The girls put on their outfits and we were all good to go.

6am: Carnton Plantation, Franklin, Tennessee. Cold. Got good shots of sunrise. Overcast day. Perfect lighting.

6:45am: Started filming the kids. I admit, I was a bit worried about filming my youngest. He’s 10 and has special needs. He can be whiny and difficult. However, he was so stoked about being in a movie, he was amazing. He worked so hard for me! Time after time after time! He had memorized his lines, too! All of the kids were wonderful! My boys did their own stunts.

7:15am: The boom mike quits working. We changed out batteries, nope, that wasn’t it. Fiddled with wires. Finally worked, but wasted thirty minutes.

8:00am: First camera battery dies. Swap out with another. No inverter to charge first battery. Muffled grumbling begins.

9:00am: Filming pauses so hot air balloons can float across our sky. Grumblings get a bit louder.

10:15am: Last line of dialogue taped. Camera dies. Grumblings are very vocal at this point. No way to charge batteries. We will have to make due.

10:30am: Ann departs. Kristy and her daughter come to my home to grab their things, leave. It’s up to me to edit it and make it pretty. I leave the kids with my parents and Michael and I book it to Vanderbilt.

10:50am: Get tutorial on editing station. I try my best to figure out Final Cut. It’s not my niche. Michael, however, seems to be a natural and takes over. My son, who was an actor, now becomes my editor. We edit for five hours straight.

4:30pm: Discover that the last line of dialogue was erased when the camera died. Screams fill the station. People run to see if I have had an embolism.

4:35pm: The next twist: You must film an alternate ending. Very happy about this, Michael, still wearing the same clothes, takes a seat against a wall. I film him improving an interview for our “new ending”. The old ending (the ORIGINAL ending) doesn’t work without the last line of dialogue, so it becomes an outtake ending.

5:00pm: Michael leaves to retrieve the children for the film screening. I’m left in charge of the movie and still can’t figure out stuff on Final Cut. I’m just not a techie. I enlist aid from Dean, a guy stationed at the competition to help people like me out. He helps me with credits, titles, and music. He also ensures that the editing is smooth. He was a great help. I was and am grateful. My grumbling subsides.

5:30pm: Our film, “DRAW” is burned to DVD.

5:35pm: DRAW is handed in to the powers that be. Early. I like that.

5: 50pm: Michael and the children return and are out of breath from sprinting from the parking garage. We take our seats in the theater.

5:55pm: My youngest takes a potty break.

6:00pm: Screenings begin. My mentor, Will Akers, is a judge. Didn’t even know he was coming!

All in all, the evening was fantastic. I won’t find out until April sometime if we placed. I will say that everyone laughed and LOVED our film. The kids loved seeing themselves up on a silver screen. Rave reviews from everyone who saw it. It was extremely entertaining. And so much fun to make.

Hands down. One of the best days of my life. Making my short film and being able to bond with my kiddos at the same time. Priceless! If any of you ever get a chance to make a film, oh my gosh, do it! Remember to laugh. We laughed a lot on our film. Wouldn’t change a darn thing.

Like I said, once I figure out how to upload it, I will.

On another note, TODAY I get to speak with Linda Woolverton, the screenwriter for Alice in Wonderland. I’m pumped. Most in my class didn’t like Alice, but I did. I really enjoyed it. I like things with twists…things that are done differently than expected. Weird. Maybe because I’m weird. Who knows.

I’ll post it here in a few.

Thank you for following my blog. Keep writing!

I'm so thankful there are youth that understand technology!

Michael is a superb editor!

My Short Film Adventure Starts Tomorrow!

2010-03-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow I get the stuff to make my short film. I am extremely excited.

Still don’t know the genre I will be given.

Still don’t have the prop they are to give me. (They being the stellar school I am currently linked with and ever so grateful for these outstanding opportunities).

Still don’t have a script.

But I’m eager. I have a Production Coordinator that has agreed to spend the entire night filming the short with me. I have a crew. I have a small ensemble of actors ready to go.

I’m ready. I can do this. In the immortal words of my awesome cousin Carol: “I’m not asceared.” I am ready! Let’s make a movie! Whooooo hooooooo!

On to even BETTER NEWS!

I received an email today:

“I’m working with a visiting filmmaker, Alberto Fuguet, on a digital short he’s making during his time here at Vanderbilt. He’s a famous novelist and an experienced director (whose films have shown at the Rotterdam fest) - and he’s working on a cool new filmmaking concept he calls “garage cinema.” Basically, it’s a guerilla approach to filmmaking that involves the use of a still camera to surreptitiously shoot films. Shooting video with a still camera definitely seems to be the wave of the future and a cool way to make great films on a shoestring budget. Which is what we’re hoping to do. We’re beginning to prep the project now and will begin shooting on 3/29 (wrapping on 4/4).

“Will Akers recommended you as a stellar PA. And we’d love your help. Would you be interested in joining our gang of merry pranksters? If so, could you please share your schedule/availability with me? I’m putting together a crew list and would like to include that information so we can begin figuring out logistics. Thanks!”

Um….YEAH! I would LOVE to work as a PA!!! I’m slotted to assist the last week in March and up until Easter. I am STOKED!

Things are looking swell and uber sweet for me!

I’ll keep you posted!

Next week I will have the opportunity to interview Linda Woolverton, screenwriter of the newly released Alice in Wonderland. Hopefully I will have some helpful tidbits and help!

Keep writing, keep dreaming!

Gearing Up!

2010-03-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

In four days, I will get my short film assignment. I will have 24 hours to return my results.
I am a perfectionist when it comes to my craft.

I work way too hard.

I sleep too little.

I obsess.

Why am I telling you this?

I have never never never ever shot a short film before.

Am I nervous? Yes. I have no idea what to expect! Do I feel over my head? You betcha! But you know, every archer who picked up the bow and arrow for the first time, had to do just that: PICK IT UP.

And so I shall. So should you!

Short films are a great way to hone your skill, your timing, your work ethic…and the scripts are just darn easy. Where a feature length script must have (well, okay, it doesn’t HAVE to, but the majority do) a three act structure, A + B storylines, a short doesn’t need that.

All you must do is capture a moment. That’s it! One moment and your short’s a hit!

I have no clue what mine is going to be about yet. Oh the joy of entering a competition. But this I know:

I will put every ounce of my being into it. I will work my tail off. And I will have fun.

And of course, post the end result here!

On another note, I'm back from the conference in South Carolina. My presentation went well. I had a full ballroom of people. (I was only expecting ten)! Got home Saturday night with the sniffles and crud. Yesterday, knocked out fifteen pages on my script (action sequences are fun to write) and couldn't fall asleep last night. Insomnia. Bleah. Doing better though. My fever from the crud has broken and prayerfully I'm on to better things tomorrow!

I know you, my loyal fan, are concerned for my well being, which is why I have shared that. Thank you for being supportive of me during my sniffles and feeling like I've been run over by a bus.

Look for more about my short film soon!

Stay tuned and keep writing!

While I was in Columbia, SC, my hubby and I went to the zoo there. They have koalas! I was able to talk to this little guy and get him to pose for pix. Isn't he gorgeous? I want to keep him!

New Project Afoot!

2010-03-08T12:52:00.000-06:00

My 28+ days of pain are over!!!

I have now had one complete off day and I slept for HOURS. I’ve caught up on a month of sleep deprivation and let me tell you, it feels good. Sleep is wonderful for rejuvenation. Which brings me to my next sleep-depriving activity.

A 24 hour short film contest.

I’ve never participated in one of these before. It was brought up in my class, and I though **foolishly** to myself, “How hard can it be? It’s a short film and I know people.”

I wrote a short script in a half hour (and let me tell you, it’s Oscar bound), lined up a cast, even got the location set when…*cue dramatic music*…the RULES were sent to me. Actually, they make sense since it IS a 24 hour contest.

On March 19, I will with my team to get my equipment (everyone gets the same stuff). From there, I will get an envelope. In the envelope is one line of dialogue and a genre. I am also given a prop. I’m told there will be one more twist thrown in, but we’ll find out that day what it is. From the moment my envelope is opened, I will have 24 hours to write, secure locations and actors, direct, produce and edit the movie. I must turn in a complete short film on DVD by 6pm March 20. Screenings directly follow.

Needless to say, I’m excited. I’ve never done a short film before, and at this point, honestly wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. Not that I don’t think I could deliver a short film. I know I can. It’s the 24 hour deadline I’m concerned about.

My crew consists of my fellow employees who also have never done anything like this before. I get to train them. This should be interesting.

I have to remember to have fun. Anything to do with something like this and I set the bar really REALLY high for myself. My fear is that I’ll turn into a film Nazi or something like that, making my entire crew hate me….I’m usually pretty cool to hang around and do my best to make things fun, so I really hope that’s just a silly thought.

Could this experience be used for a future feature length script? Hm……

I’ll make sure to post the end result here. Wish me luck!

As I close this, Kathryn Bigelow has created history by becoming the first female to win in the Best Director category for the Academy Awards. Congrats, Kathryn!

This night is such a magical time...people around the nation will stand before mirrors with shampoo bottles or hairbrushes and practice their acceptance speeches. I know this, because I've done it. It's a night for dreamers...where people wish upon a star for something bigger than themselves to take root and come to fruition. I know, because I'm a fellow wisher.

So, to everyone who has a dream: Keep dreaming! For everyone who has something to day: Keep speaking! Keep creating! Keep making films, or music, or scripts, or whatever it is you do that sparks that fire deep within.

We would be lost if people stopped dreaming. So don't give up! Press on!

If you think you're small, you're small. If you think you're defeated, you're defeated. If you think you OWN those Oscars, guess what? You will.

See you on the red carpet!

I repeat, I repeat: Don't repeat!

2010-02-25T23:48:00.000-06:00

No, I haven't stopped writing my blog. It's only been five days, come on!

Since my last blog, two of my kiddos have had birthdays (they are the lights in my life and I am honored to be their mother), I've worked as a production assistant on a short film, in addition to a medical refresher course that I MUST attend (while I am waiting to make it to the big times of actually taking a vacation and NOT go into debt), created a powerpoint presentation that I must present on Maintaining Motivation in Your Staff (that I am being sent to South Carolina to deliver), plus worked my regular forty hours a week and trained a staff on a new computer program being issued in my department. My so-called "real job". Sounds busy?

Tomorrow, I'm off to be in a documentary called "Poisoned Apples" about bad and really mean teachers. I get to vent! Get ready world! The best part about this is that my kiddos get to be in it as well. They're stoked. They can say they've been in a movie AND had a speaking role.

SO. What wonderful pearl of wisdom can I share with you today?

Don't repeat yourself. Never ever ever ever. If you say:

Bob runs to the counter. Searches register. Empty. Bob runs to the back. Finds cash. Hauls it out of there.

It sounds okaaaaaayyyy, but the word runs is in there twice. Which makes it boring. Why not sprints? Jogs? Hauls butt?

Don't limit your vocabulary! The world is at your fingertips and you wanna repeat!?!?

I repeat, I repeat: Don't repeat!

Just so you know, this is what he wanted for his birthday. He takes after his MOM!!!

Shutter Island

2010-02-20T00:30:00.000-06:00

I have been waiting for this movie for ages, it seems. First it was to come out in November (I believe) but got pushed to February thanks to Avatar.

Opening night! Me and my besties had a Girl's Night Out. Dinner and a movie. Haven't done that it FOREVER it seems. So much fun. Now on to the movie.

One word: Hitchcock.

Completely done in the style of Alfred Hitchcock (at least I think so). Very little blood, guts, and gore. Not very scary. Suspensful? Eh, some. But it IS a psychological thriller.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is (and don't worry this isn't a spoiler) is when Teddy (Leonardo Di Caprio) hears the voice of Max von Sydow. Max is seated in a highback leather chair, which it turned diagonally to a roaring fire. The writer makes you wait to see his face....the camera pans around the back of the chair, only to continue to pan because the chair protrudes on the sides like wings. Right before you see his face and as the camera continues to pan, a vase on the table obstructs your view.

Excellent writing! The writer, Laeta Kalogridis, has the audience wait, wait, and wait to see his face. We, as an audience are suffering! We want to see who this guy is...this mysterious man.

We were in a packed theater. As the scene progressed, I listened to the audience's reaction. They were strained a bit with the wings of the chair, but when the vase was in the way, audible voices: "Oh man, come on!" "WTF? Move the f-ing vase!" "God, come on, I wanna see the guy!"

Wonderful reactions! Great writing! So suspenseful. Go see it.

I think this is one of the most well written screenplays I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. I think it's one of the best adaptations I have ever seen. (The book by the same name is by Dennis Lehane, who also authored Gone Baby Gone and Mystic River).

The direction by Martin Scorsese was superb. The set up of potentially creepy scenes was very well done. His use of characters, the actors, everything really, was fabulous. Truly felt I was watching Hitchcock. (Except with better music).

But the writing. The writing is GREAT.

A Pat On The Back!

2010-02-16T22:31:00.000-06:00

Just got in from a screenwriter's group meeting.

I met two people who knew what they were talking about. The jury is out on the third. He didn't bring any writing samples and he didn't say anything. But, he did order chili.

I gave the guys the first fifteen pages of my action flick. Since this was my first meeting with them, they didn't know what to expect. (I didn't either. This was MY first screenwriter group meeting other than my classes).

I told them to gut my script if necessary and that I was open to suggestions. So they read it. And then the questions:

How long have you been writing? (This can be good OR bad when asked. I suggest watching body language when they ask. You can tell alot from someone's shoulders and eyebrows.)

Why did you use all caps for this word?

Why don't you expound a little on what the bad guy does in this line....

And that was it. It took ten minutes. They stared at me.

I blinked.

I think my body language said something to the effect of, "That's it?

The younger guy said, "I know we're being nitpicky about the caps and little stuff. But, it's because this is so extremely well written. There's nothing wrong with this."

A verbal pat on the back to me! Yay! I will enjoy this for tonight. Thursday, however, I take my fifteen pages before the jury of my peers and mentor. Will it get gutted? Oh, no doubt. Am I up for that? Sure! It's all good. How else can I learn?

But that's another blog. For now, I'm enjoying my pat on the back.

Sometimes The Best Writing Is The Simplest!

2010-02-13T18:01:00.001-06:00

So I went to see my 9 year old's class play called, Pirates! The Musical!

He had a speaking part this year so we (the entire family) were THRILLED. (My 9 year old has special needs. This was HUGE.)

And before I finish and actually get INTO what I'm trying to write about, let me just say, he did great and of course, was amazing. But then again, he's related to me!

Now to the crux of my blog:

As the third graders were singing their swashbuckling hearts out, I checked the program. The script was written by John Jacobson!

John Jacobson was a choreographer for Disney at one point. He did the choreography for the shows and parades. When Tokyo Disney opened, they flew him out and gave him a house while he prepared the performers. I tell you this because this same John Jacobson ALSO did the choreography for my high school show choir. His energy was amazing and was a super fun guy to hang around. We all loved him.

Now he's writing scripts. And MY children are performing them.

It's the simplest thing. A well placed 'Argh!' and the audience rolled. One little 'Avast!' and the entire scene changed. Of course the acting was stellar by all the third graders (although mine would have walked away with an Oscar). But how could they act if no one had written the parts for the King of the High C's? Or Purplebeard? Or the Stowaways?

I learned that sometimes you don't really HAVE to say that much in order to get your point across. Less is more. At least sometimes.

AND I learned that John Jacobson NEVER rests!

I know this wasn't a very technical post. I wanted to brag on my shining star son. I was pretty excited to see John's name on my little's ones program. It's super personal when you know the guy, y'know? Argh!!

From Paris With Love, Baby!

2010-02-10T13:04:00.000-06:00

I went to see "From Paris With Love" on opening night. Loving the movie, "Taken" as much as I do (as Will says, it's a rocket sled on rails!) I was uber excited to see where Pierre Morel would take it. (He directed both movies). Plus, I respect John Travolta's acting abilities. It's always good to see Jonathan Rhys Meyers on the silver screen too!

The movie was good, I'd say, but what I was personally impressed with was the writing of John Travolta's character, Charlie Wax. Charlie's an unconventional CIA agent whose methods are a bit unorthodox. The character knows his stuff and is fun to watch. Nothing is lost on him. He's contraversial. He's fun. He knows different variations of swear words and explains each one. He's definitely an interesting character. John Travolta plays him well. It was an enjoyable movie. (I admit, I liked "Taken" more, though).

But it's all about character! Wax is a tough as nails, go getter. Meyers plays the role of James Reece, a low level operative that wants to make it to the big time. Wax and Reece are great opposites...Wax has experience, Reece has none. Wax spends time with prostitutes, Reece is loyal to his girlfriend. They have a good ying/yang polar opposite dynamic.

Which is great for a script!

Just remember, each character has to have their own voice, their own feel, because they must be, and I stress, MUST be a living, breathing, character in your script. Each character has his own motive, his own desires, his own style. Charlie Wax has that in "From Paris With Love". His character is great!

Go see it and tell me what YOU think!!

It's Superbowl Sunday!

2010-02-07T20:20:00.002-06:00

So I have my laptop with me and I'm watching the Superbowl as I type this. I'm wondering how many years it'll be before someone makes a movie about the Saints coming this far...being so reslient following Hurricane Katrina, never before making it to the playoffs much less the SuperBowl....

What an amazing story!

Don't get me wrong, the Colts are amazing too. Which brings me to another story:

My father, before he had his director job for the network, was a camera man in Mississippi. He had to go and film college football games. Guess who he used to film? Archie Manning, Peyton Manning's father. They spoke on a few occasions and becaucse of that alone all of my childhood consisted of faithfully following the Saints status, going to some games, even MOVING to Louisiana at one point. He and my father's friend, Mike Falgut, would say EVERY year, "This'll be the year the Saints go to the Superbowl. You'll see!!!" History shows they never did. Part of that was due to the horrible coaching by Bum Phillips. (Never trust someone with the first name Bum). After Archie retired, my father was a bit sad...he followed other teams, but for him, it wasn't the same.

Life got better when he heard Peyton was at Tennessee. Man, then it was all about college ball. When Peyton got drafted, it was all about the Colts. Still is.

So, here I sit. In the living room with my father. He's rooting for the Colts. I'm rooting for the Saints. Not because they're my favorite team. I'm rooting for the underdog. Stories are everywhere.

Rooting for the underdog.....perhaps that's my writing style? After all....

I'M the underdog.

UPDATE:

Now that the Saints have won, I have to say, what a GLORIOUS ending to such a story!!!! They overcame tremendous odds, saw the prize that they wanted, worked hard and just TOOK IT!

We could learn something from that, don't you think?

Good Reviews!

2010-02-05T16:27:00.001-06:00

I've gotten good reviews on my beat sheet!

Now I'm on to laying out the sequences of my script. For direction, I look to the movie Chinatown by Robert Towne. What a tight script. And...tight sequences. Great flick. Recommended.

From there, I'll start crafting my pages. By April I'll have a full feature length movie screenplay ready to market. And it will be superb.

You can all say you knew me when!!!

More to come....

So excited!!!

2010-02-04T11:44:00.000-06:00

I have a concept. A good character, complete with her flaws. Is the villian bad enough? Bad enough to be her equal? Hm....

I completed Round 1 of the BS2 (see previous post). I emailed it to my group and got helpful feedback, although some of the comments told me that a couple of them don't actually read but pick out choice words and form opinions...

Completed Round 2 of the BS2! Emailed it to everyone, including my teacher/mentor. We will discuss it today in class, as we will discuss everyones.

I'm so excited! I've done a good amount of research for this plot to work, I've gotten my A/B stories worked out. I write good dialogue. I know this bc if it's not forwarding the plot, I strike it.

This process has me hyped. I've watched a shell of an idea with a character I thought would be cool become a character with her own voice, heart, demons, what have you. And the story breathes on its own. At least I think it does. I hope it does!

Which is why I'm so excited to share with my group. Not because I want them to "get it" (although that would be marvelous!) but because they will find the weakest links for me. So I can pound it out; MAKE it breathe on its own. I love to hear things like: "I don't find that believable," or "That doesn't make any sense that he would do that...what's his motive?" Pertinent questions.

And I get to dig for the answers.

I adore this process.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Just another step...

2010-02-02T23:10:00.001-06:00

As you know, I'm currently taking a course at a prestigious university for screenwriting. It hones my skills. And, I make friends and contacts I hope to keep for a long time.

Our assignment this week was to fill out a BS2. That's Blake Snyder's formulated Beat Sheet. (I use this alot. It keeps my script flowing exactly where it needs to flow without senseless rambling. Blogs are for that!)
Once we completed the BS2, we had to email it to our group. So, you know, I did it.

I'm amazed.

First of all, the sheer talent in my group is awesome. One girl has such an "indy" spirit. It cries out in her scripts. One of the guys is big into the armed forces. And whaddya know...his script is about the marines. Another guy created a hilarious absurdist comedy. I really am rooting for him to make it big just so I can see it hit the big screen. Their scripts were great!

So I critiqued them and told them where I was confused, things like that. I emailed the critiques back to the group.

Then I got my email. MY critique. From three extremely talented individuals -- my group. All coming from different points of view. All points valid, engaging. I love objective feedback!

My script is an action flick with a strong female lead rising above harrowing trials (she's an assassin so she HAS to) emerge the heroine. I like it. But I need a fresh set of eyes...eyes that aren't attached to me and can't read my mind. I need my script to be able to be understood by the reader. They can't take time to decipher what they think I may be saying. It needs to be clear.

Indy girl had some good comments. Changes will be made. Military man had some good insight. Changes will be made.

I have to say, though, that the best review I got was from the comedic absurdist writer. After reading my beat sheet and giving me some ideas he gave me a compliment: "I like the character and I feel you can write something with the ferocity of a Bourne movie."

WOW! What a compliment! I was stunned to read that. Why? Because I was doing my best to have it read like a Bourne movie. It gave me a boost. Maybe I can do this after all!

Tomorrow I have to resend my new and improved BS2 back to my group. Where some may hate feeling vulnerable to let another read their work, I welcome it! I admit it's painful to hear someone say, "That doesn't work there," or "This doesn't move the plot along" when I've worked so hard. But not only does this teach me things and give me a fresh perspective, I get to become closer with my group and learn from them, both their triumphs and mistakes. And they learn from me as well. (Well, HOPEFULLY!) I love it this process. I look forward to it now. The pitches in class. The feeling of my throat becoming dry and my hands turning clammy...I'm living the dream, man.

Just another step so you all can say you knew me when....

...and you ALL will say that one day.....

For more information the BS2 or Blake Snyder, please visit http://www.blakesnyder.com/

Draw From A Memory

2010-01-31T19:43:00.001-06:00

I just got back from taking my twelve year old daughter to a Twilight Convention.

"Ugh!" some of you say.

"How nice of you," others may say.

Let me tell you how it went.

After getting tickets (yes, tickets needed to be purchased), we walked into a room full of Twilight merch vendors. My daughter and two of her friends made out like bandits. Three shirts, some buttons, pictures, a hoodie, and a purse later and we were ready to go. We entered the ballroom to finish a screening of Twilight the movie. Then, Michael Welch came on stage. (Michael Welch plays Mike Newton in the movie).

It was a simple Q&A. At one point, he bounded from the stage to give an impromptu hug to a girl. Another time he ran out to ask a girl a question. At this point, my daughter touched, yes TOUCHED his shirt. I thought she would faint. She and her friends were all a dither. (My southern roots are showing with that one!)

After that, we had a quick bite to eat at one of the many over-priced eating establishments in the hotel and got back in time to pay for another ticket to get a photo op with, guess who? Michael Welch. Well, the girls were flabbergasted and swooning, so we just HAD to go. When we arrived there were four people ahead of us, I think. Michael entered. The girls whispered, bounced up and down, and squealed with delight.

First up: Brianna. She was so nervous she was pale, as if she was about to throw up. She probably was! Michael looked at her and asked her if she was okay.

"Yeah. I love you," she squeaked.

He grinned and CLICK! The picture was made. Move along, Brianna.

My daughter creeps up to the platform. Michael turns and says hey. She throws and I mean THROWS herself ONTO him and latches on with a kung fu jedi deathgrip around his rib cage. She hugs him with her eyes closed, squeezing his breath from him.

"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you," she whispers.

The crowd bursts into a unified, "Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww."

Michael grins and hugs her back, almost just as tight. She opens her eyes. He smiles at her. They smile at the camera. CLICK! The photo op is over. Move along.

Samantha takes the platform. Perhaps a bit repulsed by Brianna and my daughter's polar opposite performances, she quietly takes her place next to Michael and flashes a beautiful smile for the camera. CLICK! And she's done.

The girls, for the next two hours, giggle and squeal about the ordeal. My daughter threatens to "laminate" her shirt so she could keep Michael's cologne. They were absolutely giddy. And happy.

So, why am I sharing this?

It was interesting to watch. I have a great memory now to go by should I write a screenplay that needs to capture the excitement of a trio of tweens. I have a great memory to go by should I write a screenplay that needs warm fuzzies of a parental heart. I had plenty of warm fuzzies for my daughter today. It was wonderful to see her smile, laugh, and carry excitement in her eyes.

To get an audience to believe what you've written, you have to capture a moment. Capture the feeling. The excitement.

I'm grateful for today. Did I have better things to do with my time than walk around a hotel filled with people dressed like Volturi wannabes? Sure, I did! But I am so glad I braved the ice (well, okay, my hubby braved the ice for us as a chauffeur) to bring her.

Watching the girls taught me a lot today. And now I get to incorporate it into my writing!

Do you have a warm fuzzy YOU can draw from? Any lifechanging events you can pull from? Of course you do! Take them and find your story! Now, the hard part is, which way will you go with it?

Wonderful Writing In A Short Film

2010-01-29T12:23:00.003-06:00

This is a short film. Amazingly written.

What Is That?

Thanks, Will, for sharing it!

Sometimes The Stories Find You!!!

2010-01-26T13:28:00.001-06:00

I was sitting at my desk one day and a good friend of mine emailed me one of her forwards. You all have friends like these. They forward everything, and I mean EVERYTHING with the hopes of money, love, angel’s protection, winning the lottery in Nigeria, etc. Usually I peruse them and hit delete.

Something caught my eye in this one.

In a long LONG list of humorous TRUE story articles, check this out:

“After stopping for drinks at an illegal bar, a Zimbabwean bus driver found that the 20 mental patients he was supposed to be transporting from Harare to Bulawayo had escaped... Not wanting to admit his incompetence, the driver went to a nearby bus stop and offered everyone waiting there a free ride. He then delivered the passengers to the mental hospital, telling the staff that the patients were very excitable and prone to bizarre fantasies. The deception wasn't discovered for 3 days.”

Now, would that not make a great movie? Comedy OR drama? I shared this some friends. Their input: What if it was set in Vegas? Or New York? What if it was aliens?

The point is, I wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary. This was given to me. Stories are everywhere. Waiting to be told.

Are you up to it?

See? I'm not crazy!

2010-01-25T10:12:00.002-06:00

In a follow up to my rant from yesterday, I found another blog that expresses the same sentiment. I've attached the link in case you want to see if I'm just making all of this up.

Writing On Spec: How Come Fish Travel in Schools, But They're Not Learning?

See? I'm not the only one who thinks this way!!!

Listen, Listen, Listen!!!

2010-01-24T14:05:00.001-06:00

So, someone gave me their script over the weekend.

“Read this, you’ll love it!” they said.

I come to the table with a clean slate and moderate expectations. This was not David Mamet, so you know, I give room for error. But his script was so incredibly sloppy and confusing I wanted smack him…especially since he hadn’t even written FADE IN: at the top of the page! What the heck is THAT!?!?!

No fade in; your script goes in the trash, tossed by the reader who has moved on to another piece of work that doesn’t reek of unprofessionalism.

There were few slug lines, and the ones that were there had no DAY or NIGHT or LUNCHTIME or whatever you want. So, it was unclear when the scenes were actually taking place. Confusion.

Also, in reference to a crowd of people, an animal name was used. That is fine and dandy when introducing them, but from that point on, you would need to refer to the crowd simply as that: CROWD. To keep referring to them as dogs, dingoes, whatever, will confuse the reader.

Do you see a theme here? You must not; I repeat MUST NOT EVER confuse your reader. It’s the READER that moves your script along to the producer. And they don’t have the time to decipher what you MEANT. They have no problems chunking your script and moving on. None at all.

There were a few other mistakes that I found…clichés, repeating words…all of which I brought to his attention in a polite but objective way. I thought (silly me!) that he would be happy to get the help. But you know what I got?

Summary: “Thanks for your help, but I don’t need to write any slug lines because I know what’s going on, besides, it’s a form of art. I interpret it as I see fit. As for the names for the pack of people, readers are smart and they’ll know what I mean. Thanks for checking it out, but you know, I’m gonna do it my way.” He snatches back the script that’s bathed in a red pen and storms out.

Learn from this, prospective screenwriter. Learn.

Ask yourself, how high do you want to go with this screenwriting idea? If you ask someone for help, and they give it, before discarding their advice, I suggest you listen. Not because it’s me. Always give an ear to anyone that gives criticism to your work. And for God’s sake, be polite and thank them when they’re done. Your script may have given them the worse migraine of their life, and what they say may help you win an Academy Award one day. Be gracious to those who take the time to help you.

It’s painful to have your script gutted when you’ve worked so hard on it. Trust me, I know. But do you want to sell it? Do you want it optioned? Do you want to see it up on the silver screen with Morgan Freeman playing a role YOU created? If it’s too hard to admit that maybe something you wrote didn’t work, if it’s too hard to admit that maybe you need to write a few more drafts for what you “see” to actually make it to the page, how can you grow? How can you stretch your talent? It’s a craft, this writing screenplays.

Ask yourself: How good do you want to be?

Have A Dream? Find A Will!!!

2010-01-23T11:07:00.000-06:00

This posting is for all aspiring screenwriters.

Okay, so you have a story rolling around in that noodle of yours. What do you do? If you're like me, you go to a library or amazon.com and start borrowing/buying all the books you can on the subject. And then..you feel overwhelmed. And lost. The books do not compliment each other at all.

In fact, they contradict one another.

As you gaze in frustration down the road you suddenly realize that the tumbleweed gently bobbing across your path is actually tufts of your own hair you've pulled out.

Not a good sign.

I have a few suggestions, of them being Rogaine.

Beside getting more books on the matter (I highly and will always recommend Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder), I would like to suggest this:

See if any universities or colleges in your area have screenwriting classes and see if you can audit.

True story:

I had written a script which ,of course I felt was a sure winner. I didn't have any Final Draft software so I attempted to do it all on Word. (NOT recommended at all). When I was done and had rewritten it a few times, I decided I was ready for the plunge. I began querying around and a producer actually wanted to read my script! I was elated. I sent it to her and she got back to me in a month's time. She said she loved my story, but it wasn't formatted correctly, and gave me some feedback. I still have her email. It was a very gracious thing for her to do. Because now, the classes I've taken, I realize what a piece of crap and how amateurish it was. I bang my head on the computer when I think about it. She did leave me an open door, however. When I rewrite it, she wants to see it. Like I said, she was extremely gracious. Finding this kind of "niceness" is rare in these waters.

So, since I work at a prestigious university at the moment, I decided to see what classes I could audit. Lo and behold, there WAS a screenwriting class I could take! And, HOLY SMUDGEMUFFINS! The teacher was Will Akers...the author of the book I was currently reading! I contacted him and he gave me permission for the class. I was on Cloud 9.

I can't tell you the wealth of information I've gotten from his class. It's WAY different from reading a book. You can ask questions, bounce ideas off the teacher, etc. I wouldn't change my attending his classes for anything. In classes, you can not only find out about the craft, but also the intricacies of the business. WHEN my screenplay is being considered, I can tell you right now the first person I'm going to call for guidance is Will. You can't call a book for advice. If it's written, it's written. Anything else that you need that's not in that book, tough tiddlywinks, kid!

So, find a mentor. Find a Will Akers. And when you do, for God's sake, LISTEN to them!!! If he/she is in a position to teach a class, there is probably good reason. If you're willing to listen, shift plots, ideas, dialogue now, it won't be such a shock to you when a producer asks you to do it later.

Keep dreaming! Keep writing!

PS I DO highly recommend Will's book: Your Screenplay Sucks! 100 Ways To Make It Better. I've also added some other links of his.

Book - Your Screenplay Suck! 100 Ways To Make It Great
Blog by Will Akers
Website - Will Akers

Greetings to all!

2010-01-23T09:44:00.001-06:00

Hello to my family, friends, and fans!

As I embark on my journey of getting my scripts optioned and sold (and prayerfully made!) I've been thinking of what I wanted my first post to be. True, this will be about my exploits, advice, and personal anectdotes. There are thousands of blogs like that.

I don't want mine to be the same.

So, my first post will be about GRATITUDE.

Thank you's are in order. To my family who puts up with my incessant bouncing ideas off of them, the long hours of typing, the dragging the laptop with me even to Chuck E. Cheese's...I thank you. You let me experience every stage of the writing process: creation, dissection, rewrites...you let me be me. Gold. It's gold. Thank you. And a special thank you to my husband, Craig. He got me a laptop just for my writing and just so I could put Final Draft on it. My laptop is my seventh child. (Yes, I have a tribe of children). My family: wonderful. I love you all.

To my friends. You all are wonderful. Thank you for reading rough drafts, for editing, for throwing ideas out there. I'm grateful that you invest your precious time in my dreams. I'm especially grateful that you don't candy coat anything for me, you're are not "yes men". If you're confused you say you're confused. You don't let me whine; you tell me to fix it. You keep me pushing the envelope with stories, layers, and content. You help me with my ideas and let me hold think tank sessions with you. Some of you aid me in my research. All of you are incredible. I'm so thankful for each of you. WHEN my screenplays sell, I'm indebited to each of you. Not only do you help with my work, but you always cheer me up, always build me up. How can I not succeed when I'm surrounded by people who are cheering for my talent? Each of you help keep my dreams alive. I love each of you dearly.

To my fans. I know you're my family and friends. I love you.

As I conclude my first post, I would like to encourage you. It's cliche, but it's true: Your attitude will determine your altitude.

As you pursue your own dreams, remember to thank the people you come in contact with. Always give credit where credit is due. Even if you don't like them, find something to be grateful for. An attitude of gratitude can open doors long shut.

Follow your dreams and keep writing!

Screenwriter Chic