So I’ve come across two writing opportunities that I’d like to share:
1. NBC is casting a net to find new comedy writers. Here’s the link.
2. Disney ABC Creative Talent Development is looking for scenes for their talent showcase. You can find more info on their Facebook page, and because I couldn’t find a proper link, here’s a screenshot of the details.
I’ll keep my eyes and ears open for any other opportunities!
Good luck!
I had to share this. And just to forewarn you, it’s painful. One of the first rules of etiquette in this industry (or any), don’t abuse your contacts. This should almost go without saying. I understand the excitement that goes along with finding someone who can help you with your career (I’ve talked about this before), but this is not how to go about it. If this writer had done any research on how to network, how to maintain relationships, and how to take any amount of criticism, this may have been someone he could have contacted again in the future, but now he’ll be lucky if he’s not blackballed from the entire industry. It’s a small world and people talk. All I can say is wow.
Enjoy!
Why producers will not read your script – shocking case study from one exec.
Have a great week everyone!
Sometimes I have to question my sanity. As writers, it’s something we probably do more often than we should. I recently watched the documentary, “Tales from the Script”, which is available on Netflix, and I highly recommend it to any aspiring screenwriter. Which is why I was again forced to reevaluate my sanity. There was one comment that has stuck with me, it was something to the effect that “if you can do anything else, do it”. That’s when it was reiterated to me that I can’t. I love screenwriting. It’s my calling. And I hope all of you have found yours.
If you can quit, then quit. If you can’t quit, you’re a writer. – R.A. Salvatore
I’ve tried my hand at poetry, and just for kicks and giggles, maybe I’ll post some one day. They’re terrible. Which is probably why I’ve never tried to write any more beyond my angsty teenage years. I wrote a few short stories, and I’d be willing to try again, I’m just not sure when. I wrote a one-act play that I really liked, but I feel that was a one-hit wonder moment. I’ve never written song lyrics, but I’m actually going to give that a try this year. I have this interesting opening line that I’d like to explore. I actually finished a novel (based on one of my screenplays) and have another, that one that I started in my youth that was too advanced for my adolescent mind, that still needs to be finished, but now am thinking could be a screenplay…I’m satisfied knowing I’ve at least tried other avenues, and have found the medium that works best for me.
I’m pretty sure it all started with my love of film. I see my stories like a movie in my head. I used to get buried in the details of description when I was trying to be a novelist, the only form of writing I thought there was, and screenwriting allows me to get my story out quickly. So for those of you who are following a similar path, I’ve attached this article on how to improve your screenwriting descriptions, and if you can ignore the off-putting color of the page, there’s some wonderful advice. I made lots of notes.
I’m keeping this one short and sweet. I’m not going to rant or ramble, as I have to get back to the many things I have lingering…
Have a great week!
Y’all know how much I love a good quote…so here’s 25 for writers from BuzzFeed.
Okay, so just a forewarning, this might be a bit of a rant. And this should be titled “Satisfying Endings”. I finally finished Dexter (thank you, Netflix) and (no spoilers) was extremely disappointed with the ending. After 8 seasons, I expected better, and although I haven’t read the books, so I’m not sure how the author ended his series, I was mad at the tv writers for not giving the fans a more satisfying ending. You have to stay true to the character, and after some time recollecting on Dexter as a character, I don’t think his character arc found justice in the end. This made me reconsider endings of other shows and movies and I couldn’t think of one that ended in such a way that I was left so angry and resentful. I even voiced aloud that I would never watch that final episode again. The distaste caused me to start rewatching earlier seasons to give me the love back. Even Game of Thrones, which has the power to shock and surprise me (I just started reading the first book), has left me hopeful, since there are still more episodes (and another book) in the works. So all this made me think about my own endings.
I’m an 80s girl with a love for all things princess (thank you, Disney). So I love a happy ending, but I want it to be warranted – that’s come with age. I also love foreign films. They tend to be more honest. They might not end the way we want, but most of the time you’re still satisfied, or at least understand that life doesn’t always work out the way we expect or hope. This is the blessing about variety. The whole point of film is escape (documentaries aside). I enjoy becoming invested in a story, walking in a character’s shoes sometimes so different from my own, and escaping into another world, and depending on my mood, there’s a movie that can fulfill those expectations. *Obviously, novels work the same way. I’m a screenwriter, so I tend to refer to films more often.
So far, my own stories are “happily ever after” types. It’s part of who I am. I want the girl to get her boy in the end. I want wrongs to be righted. There are elements of struggle and tragedy, but mainly, I think there’s enough bad in the world that when you come to one of my movies, eventually, you’ll leave a little happier. I hope. Except with my spy story. Lately I’ve been thinking it should end a little open-ended…maybe everything doesn’t end “happy” but I want it to be satisfying and truthful to my characters. I say this now, but I love the boy I’m writing as the love interest, so in my heart (and the back of my mind), I’m probably going to write them together…
I recently wrote a blog about a few things I learned while attending an event where a producer talked about the 5 elements of well-being in both life and writing (movies in particular). What she said was to “end your movie at the peak of audience satisfaction”. The truth of the story is “the relationship”. Which relationship is the most important? And how it’s portrayed is what gives us that satisfaction. Take Rocky for an example. In the end, he doesn’t win the fight, but does end in his woman’s arms. A movie for guys ends with a sort of bait and switch, where the accomplishment becomes secondary to the relationship, but you don’t know that until the end. What are considered “women’s movies” are all about the relationship. And it doesn’t have to be strictly the romantic relationship, but whichever relationship is the most important. We, as the audience, love to watch a character survive, to overcome great obstacles, but it is the moment after, between the hero and their loved one, that completes the story for us. Of course there are modern-day tragedies, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that are about achieving the goal without the relationship, but it all depends on the story you’re trying to tell.
I’m no expert. I just think that as writers we should not force an ending to be something it’s not. Our characters are the way they are for a reason, and they’ll probably tell us what’s right for them – mine do anyway, most of the time, I just sometimes have cotton in my ears. As writers, we are the gods of our universe, and we are responsible and free to create the world the way we want it. So we should exercise that freedom. I suppose we shouldn’t worry about the audience when we’re writing, for that might skew the process, but you may want to be prepared for some angry fans if it doesn’t end well. Dexter…
I told you this was a rant, but thanks for letting me get it off my chest. I don’t really have a tip to solve this dilemma, except to say, do right by your characters…and may they live happily ever after.
Best of luck in your writing endeavors!
It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and I suddenly realized it’s going on almost 11 weeks since the New Year and all those resolutions (verbalized, or not), and I decided to reevaluate my “to do list”. I currently have 18 items on it, some of them have subcategories, some are on-going, but of the 18, I’ve been working through 14 of them. Not too shabby. Some days I flounder. Some days I struggle with my writing. Some days I feel like all I’ve done is run in circles, but at least I made the list to keep me focused. It’s like a tether that draws me back to reality. I bought a monthly wall calendar to keep track of goals and to visualize them. I created imaginary deadlines, and some more concrete…and yet I still feel like I could have made better progress. I’ve let too many days pass without doing a thing…at least on the writing front.
I feel like maybe I should cut myself a little slack, but then I think, I can’t slip back into old routines and bad habits. Maybe I need more (or better) structure. I applied for a six-month membership giveaway to a local writer’s space that would give me an “office”. I’m crossing my fingers. It’s too easy to be sidetracked at home. This is why I think I should have done more these past 11 weeks. I felt I was making progress on my first script, until I hit that historical snag. I switched gears, started working on something else, and then figured out how to solve the first problem. I started making progress on the other piece, then got the news that I could start writing for “real”. On an actual show. So I’ve had to switch gears again. I better write down all those thoughts.
So how are your resolutions coming? We’re three months in. What I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter when you decide to change your outlook, just that you do. If you’re struggling to make your way, reach out and find the resources that will help you move forward. The New Year was a great jumping off point, but you don’t have to make those new year resolutions to make things happen for yourself. So what that it’s March?! If there are things you want to accomplish, each new day is your new opportunity. So in this vein, here are a few articles that I hope you’ll find helpful — 1. 50 Ways Writers Can Prepare For the New Year 2. 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump 3. 6 of the Best Pieces of Advice From Successful Writers
Here’s to continuing progress! Best of luck everyone!
So I (finally) decided to take my own advice and work on something else. One can only bang their head against the same wall for so long. In my last blog about rewriting madness, I mentioned how we, as writers, feel guilty when we leave our unfinished beloved behind. I think for my part, I was just so desperate to make it work, because I wanted it to be ready in time for submission season, that I lost the love. It was quickly becoming a burden, one that I wanted to relieve my self of, and move on. But how could I after all the effort I had put into it? All the time, the worry, the stress, could not be for nothing. It had to be completed. And until a few days ago, I couldn’t take my own advice, because of this desperation. I was so sure it was almost ready. I couldn’t deny myself the next important step of sending it out for consideration, but that is exactly what I have decided to do. On Monday night at my writer’s group I felt I had made some progress, by Tuesday I had shelved it.
I moved on to my fifth script, which is currently in its first draft. It was refreshing to see these other characters I had created, to visit their world, and remember why I had started this story to begin with. Ideas were coming easily and I was happy with the progress. Then it happened…I had an idea for the script I’ve been struggling with. Literally, only three days had passed. I wasn’t even writing when the light bulb flickered. I was listening in on a teleconference about selling to Hollywood. An hour or so in, I’m not even sure what was being discussed, it happened. I wrote it down quickly in case it tried to escape me. I had a new idea that could possibly change the whole story; tell it from someone else’s perspective. I can’t believe I hadn’t come up with this before. We have to know which relationship is the most important, who is the true lead character, and then it seems everything else will fall into place. Or so I’m theorizing (is that a even a word?) / speculating / hoping.
We have to be diligent, but also know when to take a break. Trying to force a story to work for our own vanity doesn’t do our story or characters any justice. I’m thrilled to know my advice evidently works, and maybe I should’ve listened to it earlier, then I wouldn’t have wasted so much time…So here I am at another crossroad, trying to decide whether to let this new idea simmer for a few days and continue on in the other story where I’ve found myself invigorated, or carry on and get the job done…If I am to ever be a professional, I’m guessing that completing the problematic one first might be my best option. I think I’ll touch base with my writer’s group, spitball, and see how I feel about it after. I’ll let you know if this works.
I came across this blog post by fellow writer, Myke Cole, and really enjoyed it, because it really is all about the work and our passion for it. Even when we feel beaten down, it is our passion that carries us forward.
Have a wonderful, passion-filled, productive weekend!
*image from Jeff Bullas’ site
I’m finding that most writers have a hard time moving onto something new when there’s still work to be done on the piece they just completed. Take me, for example. I am so determined to get my first script right, that I can’t move onto anything else (I have tried), and what’s worse, more ideas keep popping up for other stories or new ones, so that I feel like my brain is running in every direction possible without really going anywhere, not with any real progress anyway. I should learn from this, go work on something else, and then maybe the answers I seek would come to me…but I can’t. I am compelled, driven, possessed…Last night at my writer’s group, we discussed this very topic. When you’re so close to a piece, it’s hard to gain any perspective. Sometimes you need little break. I’ve written about this before and it was reiterated to me last night. It’s the “forest through the trees” scenario. It’s hard to leave something unfinished. We tend to feel guilty that we aren’t working on it. Why would we spend all this time without seeing it through to the end?
This particular script has always been my baby (but is quickly becoming the redheaded stepchild – sorry redheads, no offense intended, as I’m sure you’ve noticed my love of ginger boys 😉 ). The one I thought would do good things. And yet every pass I make at it makes me feel further away from its original purpose. This is why it would be a very good idea to separate myself for a little while. There are a few impending deadlines, but getting some distance is probably best for everyone involved, because I’m not sure if the new ideas are any better at this point. *If anyone has any resources to utilize to solve this dilemma, PLEASE share them!
When I talked with another writer, a novelist, last night, about the rewriting process, we agreed that being a novelist is better because of ownership. You work with an editor who helps suggest ways of improving your work, but you are the author of that piece. Your name will be the only one on it. Whereas a screenwriter works alone for months or years honing that script into a viable, sellable work, only to be replaced. It makes me cringe every time I think of it. And this is where the crazy begins…
Okay, I realize I’m rambling. Probably because I’m going crazy. This is all madness. Rewriting madness. I believe it’s a state of mind that happens to all writers driven to finalize their work. And then I heard this –
“The mind of a writer can be a truly terrifying thing. Isolated. Neurotic. Caffeine-addled. Crippled by procrastination and consumed by feelings of panic, self-loathing and soul-crushing inadequacy. And that’s on a good day.” — Robert DeNiro
I’m not quite sure how to respond to this except to say that now maybe people will understand what we go through on a regular basis. If you’re also struggling with the “madness” here are a couple of links I shared before about editing. One from The Write Life and the other is a list of essays regarding rewriting from LitReactor so you can decide on the topic that might work best for you.
Here’s to regaining some sanity! Wishing you all the best!
Depending on where you are on your career path, networking may be something you have yet to encounter, and may need a little help in understanding. Networking is a social device that serves a business purpose. Regardless of your anxiety at putting yourself into large (or small) social gatherings, mingling with strangers, and having to “talk shop”, networking is something all creatives will have to undertake at some point, if they want their careers to progress forward. The goal of any networking opportunity is to build a contact list of potential/hopeful business associates, people who can help you advance your career, perhaps become a mentor, someone you might be able to work on a project with, and in turn, those you might be able to help with your portfolio of work, or when you move up your ladder.
And depending on where you live, like L.A., every new relationship could be a potential networking opportunity. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “six degrees of separation” (there’s a game involving Kevin Bacon), it’s the idea that all people in the world can be connected through just six people, and this has never proven more true than in Los Angeles. Let me give you a little example of one of my “six degrees”. Let’s say I want to connect with dreamy Tom Hiddleston. (You know what that means…picture time!) My sister knows an attorney who represents a man who’s father worked on The Avengers. Only four people stand between us. Then Hiddles to the lovely Benedict Cumberbatch – five. Actually three, if I take another route. And back to Hiddles would still be four. You get the idea. So let’s put this into a business perspective. Any executive, producer, publisher, what-have-you is only a few people away, if you can figure out the path. So every time I meet someone new, I put on my best face, pull out the best conversation skills I have (both speaking and listening), talk about my work and theirs, and then give them my card (and hopefully receive one in return). This is how you start building your rolodex (yes, that’s an old school term) or contact list.
It is after this initial meeting that you must take the next important step, the “follow up”. Depending on how your conversation advanced, you may need to send a sample of your work, you may just want to say “it was nice meeting you”, if other information was exchanged, a “thank you” might be in order. The point of the follow up is to keep you fresh in their mind. Now this is something to bear in mind – don’t abuse the connection. This new contact you made could be in a wonderful position to help your career, but you don’t want to turn them off by bombarding them with calls or emails. Tread lightly. Allow them ample time to reply, taking into consideration their busy daily lives. It’s easy to become overeager when faced with the prospects of advancement, when those six degrees have been narrowed down to two or one, but business is business. Treat each new contact with respect, honesty, and professionalism, so that your reputation grows as someone people want to know and work with.
My previous post was on positivity, and I believe that works in conjunction with networking. Even if you don’t feel it when you’re surrounded by strangers in a new environment, staying positive and being friendly is infectious. People are drawn to good vibes, and even if it’s a temporary façade, do your best to maintain it in public and who knows who you’ll meet. I try to keep this in mind every time I leave the house, in particular, because I recently met one of my neighbors who is also a director and we’re meeting for coffee next week. Who knows where the connection will lead, but if I want my career to go to the next level, I have to be open to the possibilities.
I hope this was helpful, and as always, I wish you all the best of luck!
There’s a reason life is referred to as a roller coaster, or a merry-go-round, because the uncertainty, the highs and lows, and the sometimes nauseating experiences we encounter on a daily basis leave us either winded or reveling in those moments. And sometimes it’s hard to maintain a positive outlook when everything you encounter is telling you to expect the opposite. Most of the battle is uphill, with numerous peaks and valleys, and so many twists and turns that you have to wait quite some time to be certain that you’ve made the right choices along the way. This is also the life of a writer. And people wonder why we go a little crazy sometimes; between deadlines and submissions and the waiting, our own tendencies to sabotage either ourselves or our work, and the years of hard work we have to put in before we can even be taken seriously…yea, staying positive is definitely a trick that needs mastering. Here’s an article that may help a bit, 15 Things that Emotionally Strong People Don’t Do.
I’ve always thought of myself as a positive person. Obviously, as any artist does, I’ve had my low points and questioned if I would ever feel happy again (well that sounded a little dark), because it’s easy to be waylaid by negative outside (and inside) influences and voices that would eagerly delight in our giving up, because it’s easy, and this is why we should be more determined to prove all those voices wrong. This is why staying positive is such a necessity. In order to continue down a thankless path, there has to be something that propels us forward. A reason, a hope, a glimmer of something beyond the darkness, and in order to see it, we have to be willing to stick it out. How would we ever accomplish any of our goals in the face of such adversity if we weren’t positive (at least in some regard)?
I’ve been (mentally) all over the place the last week. There’s been a lot going on. Last week I attended a lecture by a producer whose message was all about “being positive” and creating positive stories, and I left in a great state of mind with a few tools to improve my writing. The entire time I listened to her speak, I was thinking of my own stories and how they might be altered according to these ideas (and my life, as we are the heroes of our own stories). I’ll share a few things I learned, in regards to writing:
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. Stories don’t have to be complicated to be interesting. She used the example of the Disney film, Tangled. Every character’s want is clear and obvious.
We love to watch a character who is really good at something, or learning how to be good at something.
Audiences don’t care about a character’s accomplishment, but the moment after between the hero and their loved one (and knowing which relationship is the most important is key to the whole story). We also love a character’s resilience to overcome great adversity or loss.
Learn to end your story where it is satisfying, not necessarily happy.
Since taking this new outlook on my career; trying to make industry connections, joining writer’s groups, trying to be more social in general, and taking chances, I’ve discovered that the dark cloud has lifted. The knowledge that I’ve taken control of my life is empowering. A lot is still left out of my control, as a screenwriter I can not achieve my goals alone, but doing what I can to achieve some forward momentum has helped reiterate this positive mind set. Then a friend called, inviting me to be a part of a new animated series he’s working on. I’m so excited by the prospects of a “real” writing job that I had to share. Hopefully, this is the first step at that turn in the road that I will look back on one day and remember “this is where my new journey began”…Let the uphill battle continue!
I wish you all the best of luck in your endeavors! And remember, stay positive! 🙂
A Writer's Discrepant Memoirs and Other Tales 