Month: September 2014

Herbie J Pilato: Happy Silver Anniversary to Samantha and Darrin

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today is the 50th anniversary of BEWITCHED’s debut on our screens. What better way to celebrate it than to turn this space over to the World’s Foremost Authority on this show, Contributing Editor Herbie J Pilato, author of 3 definitive books on the subject –  The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery, Twitch Upon A Star, and Bewitched Forever? Take it away Herbie J:

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by Herbie J Pilato

So, what makes Bewitched great – and why are we still talking about it fifty years after its original lengthy hit run on ABC (from September 17, 1964 to July 2, 1972)? read article

How to Apply Lateral Thinking to Your Creative Work

…Cuz it’s wild, it’s zany, it’s…well, it’s about learning to look at things outside the box those things create for you, and isn’t that what good writing always should do?

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by Shane Snow

Pretend that you’re trapped in a magical room with only two exits. Through the first exit is a room made from a giant magnifying glass, and the blazing hot sun will fry you to death. Through the second door is a room with a fire-breathing dragon. Which do you go through?

The first door, of course. Simply wait until the sun goes down. read article

Your Characters’ POV

Getting into the heads of your characters, especially your protagonist’s, is the name of the game for all good fiction writing. Time now for some tips for those of you who are writing prose fiction. (But if you’re very, very smart and read closely, all you TV writing peeps will benefit as well.)

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by Rita Karnopp

Your primary character’s point of view can only be real if you empathize and understand them inside and out.  You want your reader to see the story through the eyes of your character.

We get to know our characters by asking them questions . . . like you would a new acquaintance or perhaps a new family member you’ve never met.  So what kind of questions can you ask that will give you the understanding you need to get to know your primary characters? read article

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie 75

R.I.P. Joan
by Leesa Dean

joan_riversI’ve been working towards a deadline and it’s been nuts (pulling 12-15 hour days) so this week will be short.  I was going to postpone but instead decided to write a few words about Joan Rivers, who, unless you’ve been living under a rock and didn’t hear, recently died.

I don’t think there’s a female comedian today who’s not indebted to her.  And while I’m not a stand-up, I do write comedy and her influence and the kind of material she did had a huge impact on me. The political incorrectness. The great snappy one-liners. The I give zero f*cks of it all. When she was on, as Chris Rock said, nobody could follow her.

I think the moment I really started paying attention was when she began doing red carpet (which, I guess, is a reflection of my age.) read article