Recently I had the privilege of spending time with Robert Horn, who won a Tony for writing the book to the Broadway musical “Tootsie.” We shared the unique opportunity of comparing scenes from the Best Picture winner with analogous scenes from the musical, and discussing the fascinating process of adapting a classic and setting it to music. It’s a master class for writers of comedy, film, stage, and music.
Read moreGet your screenplay seen by the pros
I’m pleased to announce my association with Event Horizon Films as an official judge and consultant. Event Horizon Films provides Hollywood access to filmmakers and screenwriters by partnering with film festivals, film professionals and leading film companies. As part of EHF’s commitment to share exceptional work with award-winning film professionals, EHF has asked me to judge entrants in several major film festivals, and for select writers, provide real world evaluations on the story's overall strength. Visit Event Horizon Films at Event Horizon Films.
An Historic Talk!
Well, okay, a talk in an historic place.
Thank you, Pequot Library of Southport, Connecticut, for the privilege of hosting my presentation on “Creating Compelling Characters.” Inscribed in the National Register of Historic Places, The Pequot Library is a breathtakingly beautiful edifice in a lovely bucolic town on Connecticut’s “Gold Coast.”
The all-wood, vaulted exhibition hall was packed, and enthusiastic writers and others interested In the power of storytelling kept me for 90 minutes afterward answering questions about everything from what software to use, to the business of writing, to my favorite (and least favorite) stories about “Shrek,” “Living Single” and the major (and minor) studios.
I had a grand time.
If you’d like me to present at your venue, contact me from the website and let me know what you need and when you need it. Passing on the power of storytelling to others is my joy in life.
Meanwhile, visit the Pequot Library in person, or online at www.pequotlibrary.org. In addition to being a charming experience, the Library houses an important collection of vintage documents, including a letter by Christopher Columbus written in 1493, and the signatures of all signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Don’t find time to write.
“I can’t find time to write.” It’s the single most common plaint of the creative or commercial writer, right before, “I don’t know what to write.” Today we focus on solving the first problem. Ready?
Forget about it. You’ll never find time to write.
And don’t think I’m about to say, “You must make time to write, grasshopper!” If you think you’re capable of creating time, you’ve got a bigger problem than finding time to write. (See “ grandiose adjective gran·di·ose\ˈgran-dē-ˌōs\.)
Read moreA File Format That Will Make You a Better Writer?
There’s a file format — a structure for saving data — that is as powerful a tool in the writing world as a U.S. passport is in world travel. It’s known by the acronym OPML, and those letters should become as familiar to you as QWERTY.
Read moreThe Tool that Gives You an Infinite Number of Brains
A decision tree is a tool that gives you an infinite number of brains. Once this happens, repair to your laboratory and stay there, as any creature with an infinite number of brains is loathe to behold (although one heck of a writer).
Read moreObsessing over the first few pages? Good!
They say you shouldn’t get bogged down in the first few pages of your writing. They’re wrong.
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