The Unexpected Side of Doctor Who

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans!

For those of you enjoying a long weekend (and just in general), the urge to do a little binge watching might be an option. There was a recent article about the cons of binge watching, and I have learned this first hand. Not all shows are meant to be watched in such a manner, of course there are exceptions…the following is not one of them.

I haven’t paid for television in about three years, and even before I found it hard to keep up with everything anyway, so my television viewing has been altered. If they don’t stream it, then I don’t watch it, until Netflix or the like picks it up, and then the binge happens.

Case in point, Doctor Who. I really didn’t know anything about this show before now, in part because I didn’t know anyone who watched it. If I lived in England, as I long to, this would obviously never have happened. I had caught one episode years ago that left me clueless as to what was going on, and because I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it, I didn’t seek the show out again. Circle around to present day, there’s a lot of talk about the new doctor and the premiere of the new season (or series, in England), I have found people who in fact watch it, and I thought, “I am a geek. I should know about this.” and so the binge begins. *Side note, I’m one of those that ignores the bandwagon, or tries to, so says my stubborn mind. If everybody loves something, and I didn’t get in on it early, it takes me a really, really long time to come around and give in. I could give lots of examples, but that’s for another day. I’m sure this is some remnant from my stubborn youth.

So I decide to jump on the Doctor Who bandwagon, starting with the newer episodes that began in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston (who I loved from Elizabeth – he was the villain as the Duke of Norfolk, but more recently he was Malekith in Thor: The Dark World.), not those (not yet anyway) that are now considered “Classic” Doctor Who that began in 1963. Here’s a quick synopsis, for those of you who have no idea, like I did…

“The Doctor” is a time and space traveling, nearly immortal, 900 year old alien known as a Time Lord. Their race regenerates when they are near death, and hence, a new Doctor is born. (This is why there are numerous Doctors. Technically, they are the same “person”, having taken a new form, and although the memories and knowledge of all his years remain, each new Doctor has a different personality.) A deadly war with the Daleks has left him alone as the last of his kind, so he travels endlessly in his space ship which is disguised as a blue police phone box known as the Tardis. He usually finds an attractive English woman to join him along his journeys to show her the universe and to sate his loneliness.

I am on to my third Doctor, Matt Smith, but it is due to the events that precede him that I have stalled in my viewing. Here is what I shall describe as “the unexpected side” of Doctor Who. *No spoilers, I promise.

It is surprisingly depressing. There is a bit of a corny, campy nature in The Doctor, and yet there is often a great deal of tragedy either happening or in the works. The writers will kill people off, separate them, and create a loneliness in The Doctor that is so palpable, I just want to give him a hug, often. I already cry at everything, but this show has really struck me on occasion, causing me to sob, twice, but most nights when I’m done watching, I’m just depressed. It’s not the happy go lucky show it presents itself on the surface, or maybe that’s just what I thought it was going to be. This is the conundrum of having a character like The Doctor who is quirky, witty, and so likeable placed among such heavy handed themes, such as saving the world (a lot), offering salvation to your archenemy, watching people sacrifice themselves for your salvation, and losing the one you love to a rift between parallel worlds.

Gracious. Someone could have warned me.

During David Tennant’s 10th Doctor era, who quickly became my favorite person with his tall, lanky, great hair, and adorable face -ness, there were a few moments that made me not want to watch the show any further. And when it was time for yet another new Doctor, because I was so fond of the last one, it was like starting a brand new show, and my affections do not wane so easily.

The show is brilliant in its imaginative inventiveness. It has created dozens of races and worlds, crazy story lines, and it is a joy to watch…in small increments. Take my word for it. Many episodes have been written by Steven Moffat or Mark Gatiss, of Sherlock fame, and if you’re an avid fan of British tv and film, there are lots of guest appearances from familiar faces. As a screenwriter, this show would be great to write a spec for, because you can do almost anything. Some of the episodes are so…well, strange, but as a writer it would be so freeing. So on that level, it’s good to watch. And once you do, you’ll probably be hooked, like I am. I just need a little more time to become accustomed to a new face, which is why you get so much time off between seasons…

Have a great weekend everyone! And here’s to binge watching! 😉

2Jul2014

Writing Prompt #32

Posted in Writing Prompt by Rachael C Marek

As you’ve probably noticed, I like different landscapes as writing prompts because of the variety of ideas that can spring forth. I was going to find something different for today, but then I saw the following image. I had a random idea, so I will accept this Writing Prompt Challenge. Who will join me?

Happy Writing! And I look forward to reading your creations!

1Jul2014

Movies That Inspired Me

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

I didn’t receive any Writing Prompt submissions this week, and I was playing around with an idea last night, but didn’t actually write anything. I know. Besides, my mind was complete rubbish by the time I wanted to write and I was misspelling words or leaving them out altogether. I decided it best to just write down a few notes about the idea so I wouldn’t lose it by morning. So for today, I thought I would talk about movies. I am a screenwriter, and I don’t think I really have as yet…

A friend and I were recently discussing movies, and how different our taste in film is. If she likes a movie, it’s a guarantee I won’t, so I usually don’t bother once she’s told me she really liked something, and vice versa. We met in film school, so the basis of our friendship is clearly not founded on our mutual love of the same films. The funny thing is, she likes my screenwriting, so what does that say?

It got me started thinking about film in general, and those that I like, and have been inspired by. I once tried to make a top ten list of my favorite films, and ended up with a list of seventeen and that was lumping Disney and Pixar films into two. I was heavily influenced by Disney princess films, still am. 🙂 And I think the people at Pixar are brilliant, and I sometimes muse at how impressed they are with themselves when I see the most amazing effects in their films; like Sully’s hair blowing in the breeze, or a puff of dust being stirred on one of Andy’s shelves. Amazing.

The following is a list of a few movies that changed my perception, my writing, or me in no particular order, except maybe when I watched them.

The Dark Crystal – Most children I know personally could never watch this film. I’m not even sure how I was able to. It’s dark (pun intended) and a little scary, but the cast is entirely made up of puppets. Most 80s kids are Jim Henson fans, but most of my friends preferred Labyrinth to the Crystal. Not me. This is still on my top ten list because of its impact on me when I was a kid. The idea of a magical world torn apart, the story of an unlikely hero, and the themes of good vs evil, immortality, and sacrifice were all highly effective on my young mind.

The Princess Bride – I don’t know anyone who does not like this movie. It’s wonderful. I would later grow to admire its writer, William Goldman, who also wrote Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid, the screenplay for Misery, among many others. He has a great sense of humor and is one of my favorite writers. The Princess Bride impacted me in the sense of combining fantasy and reality, or the reality we create. It is clever, funny, romantic, and full of adventure and swashbuckling, and it is one of the films that would change my storytelling.

Braveheart – I saw Braveheart shortly after my first visit to England. This was the film that got me interested in Medieval times. The film was gritty and brutal, but it was also romantic, and highlighted the values of honor and loyalty. As I had already discovered I was an Anglophile, this just further developed my passion for learning its history, but also, that writers have the opportunity to sway perspective. As writers, we create empathy for our characters. Unlikeable characters can be given a reason for their traits, and become likeable in the eyes of the viewer depending on how the story is told. Current example: Malificent. *I’m not saying she’s unlikeable per say, as she has always been one of my favorite villains.

Sense and Sensibility – This film was my introduction to Jane Austen. Again, shortly after my first visit to England. I was immediately obsessed. I started watching all the film variants of Austen’s work, long before I decided to actually read any of them. Maybe that’s the difference in being a screenwriter vs an author…? I have watched this and Pride & Prejudice so many times, that if we are ever trapped on an island, or whatever, I could recite or reenact this for you. It was this film along with Braveheart that encouraged me to include facets of the time periods into my work.

Elizabeth – My continuing fascination with English history led me to Elizabeth, and my subsequent adoration of Cate Blanchett, one of my favorite actresses. I have become completely fascinated with the Tudors and their times because of this film. The country was torn apart by war, political, and religious issues, so maybe not the best of times, but Elizabeth, a woman (*gasp), became one of the country’s greatest monarchs. She should never have become queen, but it was her destiny, and even this influenced my writing. (I could write a great deal about Queen Elizabeth I.) It was while writing my screenplay entitled, 217, that I discovered my fascination with certain time periods were all separated by roughly 200 years…revelation. *You can read about it in the Excerpts section.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – I have long enjoyed foreign films and this is still one of the best I’ve ever watched. It combines so many elements I enjoy; unrequited love, history (I’m a sucker for a period piece – can you tell by the list?), fantasy, and women who are not relegated to side/nondescript characters. It also has beautifully choreographed fight sequences. All of this further influenced my writing in regards to combining different elements, which is probably why I enjoy writing “fantasy”. I was driven to watch any and all films that were even remotely related to this style, and I did find Hero with Jet Li, Tony Leung, and Maggie Cheung. They utilized a wonderful technique of telling the same story from different points of view and changing the color of their clothes and surroundings to highlight the difference. Lovely.

So how about you? Which films influenced you?

30Jun2014

A Quote & Some Tricks for Being More Creative

Posted in Posts, Quotes, Tips by Rachael C Marek

I like quotes, as I’m sure you’ve noticed. Some people just say the right thing and why not share their words of wisdom? So here is this week’s quote, something as writers we probably all need to keep in mind…because we all have those days. 🙂

Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting. – Joyce Meyer

And not to leave it at that, I thought I’d share this article from the wonderful people at The Write Life, 3 Ways to Train Your Brain to be More Creative, which is designed to help freelancers in particular, but from which we could all benefit.

One trick is to get into a routine. And we all love that. I write my screenplays primarily at night when the house is quiet, the courtyard of my building is quiet, it’s dark and I can’t see how lovely it is outside, and when my phone won’t ding. I’ve always been this way. I switched to writing my blog and doing “homework” during the daylight hours though, so I feel there’s a separation in my work.

One of the other tricks is to do something fun beforehand in order to warm up your brain. The author references Pavlov. On my old laptop I used to play a few hands of solitaire, now I play a little Tetris on my computer, because my original Nintendo system is old. Yes, I still have it. I don’t need to do this all the time, not anymore, I’ve trained myself. But when I get stuck on some facet in my writing, I will play a little Tetris, which doesn’t take any thought process, my hands just keep working, and I can usually work out the problem. I think it has to do with not trying to force the solution. I allow my brain to work it out without concentrating solely on it; it keeps working even though I feel like I shut it off.

I hope you find this helpful.

Have a wonderful and productive week!

28Jun2014

Let’s Celebrate (With a Little Reflection)

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

I’ve read a few times that as writers we need to celebrate any and all victories. Because the process of writing can take a while to find resolution, and due to the thankless nature of our chosen path, writers suffer from a whole range of maladies, so we need to remind ourselves of why we do what we do and find joy whenever possible. Depending on the victory; a finished chapter, first draft, final rewrite, etc. the reward should be commensurate to the accomplishment. Maybe you buy yourself a new pen or keyboard, you enjoy that limited reserve you drink only for special occasions, or whatever it is you would do for yourself for getting over that particular hurdle.

Hence, I am celebrating that after a couple of weeks of watching that follower counter teeter (and why I finally removed it) at the 200 mark, it’s official. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! Now don’t go anywhere, okay? 🙂

Now the question…what shall I do to celebrate? When I hit 50 followers I shared a little personal insight into the evolution of my first script, Fate(s), somehow I missed the 100 follower mark, but did post a little celebration for 100 posts, but this means a great deal more to me – that you share your time with me. So I thought I’d share a little about myself today, something I rarely do.

My name is Rachael, but I do write under a pseudonym. In the novel Timeline by Michael Crichton, one of my favorite books, I fell in love with the character of Andre Marek, portrayed by the lovely Gerard Butler in the horrible film. By the way, it is one of my goals to remake this. The character loved all things about the past, learned how to speak old languages, and to swing a broadsword, so he was the perfect companion to travel into medieval times with, and as I had always felt a little out of place myself, I took his name for my own.

It began when I was nineteen, when I traveled to England for the first time. I can still remember to this day, even though my memory is detestable, the feeling of seeing England for the first time. We hadn’t even landed, we were still flying overhead. My feet hadn’t touched the earth, but I had the feeling that I was home. That moment changed a great many things for me. Not only has it affected my writing, but every other facet of my life. (This will give you a little insight into my love of Jane Austen, Dragon Age, British actors (Hiddleston, Cumberbatch, Tennant, Firth, and so many more), etc.) *Quick edit, I mentioned the boys, therefore I must insert pictures.

Now this is the strange thing. My sperm-donor, yes, I will say that aloud due to the fact I’ve had no association with this person since I was maybe five years old, was English. So it makes me wonder about what things are inherent. I am English by proxy basically, but am more drawn to it than anything else I can think of, besides my writing.

I’m pretty certain I was born a story teller. When I was a kid, I used to tell stories about how things, accidents even purposeful ones, happened which can be construed as lies. Let’s call it early lessons in imagination. I can sort of remember saying a monster burned a whole in the back of the car seat with the cigarette lighter…yeah, that was me. I maintained that “story” for years, never fessing up. I was also stubborn, a somewhat know-it-all, with a lack of respect for authority. Couldn’t tell you why. Oh, and this was all before I became a teenager.

When I was in fourth grade, I started working on my biography, because, you know, so much had happened in my nine years. But it was in fifth grade I was given a blank hardcover book to create a story all of my own design. I think that’s when I was hooked. I wrote about running away from home after my bicycle was wrecked and living in the back of a convenience store of a family friend. There’s a whole lot of backstory to that one.

I tried my hand at short stories, poetry, lyrics, stage plays, and novels but nothing ever felt right. I never really finished anything either. Not until I decided to go back to school and took my first screenwriting class. That’s when I found my passion. And that’s why I decided to write this blog. To share what I’ve learned, to keep track of my progress (you know, because of the bad memory thing), and hopefully help a young writer find their passion. I have a few friends who are still struggling to find theirs, and I can’t imagine living a life not connected to something.

So I must thank, Mr. Sean Clark, my university advisor who introduced me to screenwriting. It changed my life. My writing gives me drive. It makes me look at the world and continually think, “What if…”. It allows my imagination to run wild. And it is for these things I will forever be grateful.

And to all of you, my new friends who are on this journey with me…

xx, Rach

Now…how should I celebrate? 😉

27Jun2014

A Few Rewriting Tips

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

In a recent post, I mentioned the brain dead side effect of rewriting. I am happy to relay that I have at least kept up the momentum, for a whole three days now. My goal is 15 pgs. a day and I have made it to page 50 in my script, but I am nearing the corner towards that dastardly Act III, so the ambitious page count may falter in the coming days. And of course, I’ve had another idea for the third act. Maybe I should write a novel, then I could use all the story ideas I’ve had and propose them as “if you turned left instead of right, this could’ve happened” story lines.

I went to film school, but many of the tools I have learned for screenwriting have come from my own research and interest in bettering my writing; books, articles, and teleconferences. If you’ve read some of my other posts in regards to the differences between screenwriting and novel writing, you’ll understand what a different mindset screenwriting requires, but I’m not going to go into those details here. This one is meant for rewriting.

I thought I’d share a few tips, some good ones, or those that I think are good because I found they made the biggest direct impact. These tips are more inclined for screenwriters, but some of them should be helpful to writers of all forms. Most of us know about cutting scenes that don’t move story, creating subtext in dialogue, and making sure there’s conflict, etc. but here are a few others I’ve been keeping in mind during this final (please let this be my final) rewrite. Also, thanks to irscriptwriter who encouraged me to stick with my two spaces after a period rule because it was causing aneurysms. 🙂

1. Wordsmithing – more meaning with fewer words. For screenwriters this is key as a page count limits us. It also means to take generic words like “walks” and replace it with saunters, struts, or lumbers which immediately gives the reader a visual and negates further description.

2. Imagine the location or setting and try to describe it in three vivid and evocative terms. Do the same with your characters. As with wordsmithing, the right word can have multiple meanings, and immediately stir the reader’s imagination.

3. Make the script fun to read. Screenplays have a specific format, but you can build momentum and action by the style on the page. We create the story and how the reader will follow it, so in that we have freedom. There’s also an unspoken rule of making blocks of action only four lines a piece so the reader doesn’t skip through larger blocks of text, just FYI.

4. Make it a silent film. Read only the action. Would a reader still understand what’s happening? This helps solve the “talking head” problem where exposition is given via dialogue.

I have pages upon pages of rewriting tips, so if anyone is interested in more, I will share them in another post.

Have a great weekend everyone!

25Jun2014

Writing Prompt #31

Posted in Writing Prompt by Rachael C Marek

Last night, I painstakingly rewrote 16 pages; broke out the thesaurus, cut scenes, changed two spaces after periods to one (because that’s evidently the new standard, *ugh), rewrote dialogue and description, and today I’m brain dead.

I was immediately drawn to this image; the contrast of color, the vibrancy, the imagination runs wild…

Happy Writing! And I look forward to your creations!

24Jun2014

Writing Prompt Challenge Accepted #4

Posted in Posts, Writing Prompt by Rachael C Marek

As writers, we like our routine. I’m starting to fall into one with my blog, which I like. So, it’s Tuesday, which means a review of Writing Prompt submissions.

This week, redgypsophila of Adventures in Writing decided to try something different; writing six pieces from different perspectives to convey a variety of moods. So far she’s posted two, and I can’t wait to read what else she has in store for us. Take a look at this creative idea!

And don’t be shy. If you’d like to participate, find an image I’ve posted, write/create something, and share it! C’mon, you know you want to. 🙂

As for me, this week I didn’t accomplish much writing. I started the framework for a tv pilot that will most likely become an enormous endeavor because it requires creating worlds, races, and all the other ingredients of a space odyssey. Yep, too much Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Farscape, and Doctor Who. Luckily I have my partner in crime, my sister the Star Wars expert, to help. It should be fun, and I’m excited about the story. I’ll share more once I’ve developed it a bit more.

In the meantime, here’s a little more of my Dragon Age fan fiction. Continuing on…

I could barely think clearly as pain shot through every inch of my being. The prison had this side effect of lifting its victim mid-air while it inflicted its pain, my feet dangled pathetically just above the ground. I would remain helpless for a short time, unable to offer support to my companions, defend myself, or even be released unless the casting mage was incapacitated mid-spell. The pain was too intense to do anything beyond riding the waves as they ebbed and flowed. I could barely see beyond the glimmer of the surrounding bubble of magic, so I could not tell how many enemies were present or how my companions were faring. Surprisingly, I could just make out the form of Morrigan standing in front of me as my guardian.

Morrigan, the apostate, a powerful shape-shifting mage, hardened and mistrustful from years of the solitary existence she shared with only her mother as her companion, had become an unlikely ally. She was honest, brutally so, and had lived a life so different from my own, that she sometimes pitied me, and I her, but we had shared a common bond, magic, and a respect for one another’s gifts, and thus the beginnings of a friendship had been born. She was quick to react, both physically and verbally, and she was powerful, a useful instrument in a fight. I felt her reach into the prison, trying to diffuse it, but pulling back quickly from the searing pain. I appreciated her effort nonetheless.

The sounds of swords striking were distorted, as was Keiko’s low warning growl, and the commanding shouts of Sten and Alistair as they ordered everyone into position for defense. There were strange sounds filling the cavern, and I could tell everyone had joined forces to fight off multiple enemies. I felt the prison’s effect waning, the spell was nearly at an end. I would have to react the moment it released me, having been weakened dramatically from the spell, and thus opening myself up for further attack.

Freedom. The moment my feet touched the ground, I sent out a shock wave to stun the surrounding enemies; it lasted just long enough for me to get my bearings and for us all to regroup. It took a great deal out of me and I fell to the ground exhausted, but I was able to see what had decided to infiltrate our group. Spiders. Enormous, horrifying spiders.

At the rear of the cavern, where it led beyond, stood a being distorted by the forest itself, a mage, perhaps once, but now a vessel for the magic of the forest. Vines and branches entwined its legs and torso. The skin had turned green, mostly, with hair that stood on end, twisted into a bizarre mass caked with mud and flora. It held no staff, but called forth energy from all the life forms surrounding it. This is what might lie in store for me here, if I dared to give into the wild, unharnessed side of my nature. I involuntarily shivered at the prospect.

Have a great week everyone!

23Jun2014

Quote of the Week

Posted in Quotes by Rachael C Marek

Recently I was talking with someone about goals and dreams, and I realized how mine have changed over the years. When I was in my early twenties, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself, a screenwriter was nowhere in the vicinity. I’ve always considered myself a late bloomer; where I thought I’d be, and where I am now…life can be funny that way. I had the following quote on my graduation announcements, when I finally decided to go back to school and finish on my own terms. I graduated two months before I turned thirty (*Shh, don’t tell!). See, late bloomer.

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined. – Thoreau

Watch out world, here we come!

21Jun2014

Another Tool For Screenwriters (& Maybe Your Next Interview)

Posted in Posts, Tips by Rachael C Marek

“Tell me a little bit about yourself.” A statement we’ve heard time and time again during interviews, but who knew the importance of that question when you’re trying to sell a screenplay? Thankfully I came across this article, The Deal Closer: Your Personal Narrative by screenwriting career coach Lee Jessup, because as screenwriters we needed one more thing to worry about. 😉 To sum up the article, the basic idea is that our writing can be wonderful, but so must we. Selling our work the first time out is rare, but in order to work – staff writing positions, contract work – we must be able to sell ourselves as well. Let me add this to my Professional To Do List: #19. *I exhale a heavy sigh at the revelation of one more element to master.