Category: Productivity

Meanwhile, on the Copyright War Battle Front

Did you know that the best possible way to increase your creative productivity is to get a copyright lawyer? Yeah, we didn’t either. But lookee here, fellow ignoramii:

Does that cute little "c" in "Copyright" actually mean "create?"
Does that cute little “c” in “Copyright” actually mean “create?”

Are lawyers the driving force behind artistic freedom?
by Zach Graves

Are lawyers the driving force behind artistic freedom? Astonishingly, that’s the impression you get when you read the Copyright Alliance’s account of a recent panel on music copyright hosted at George Mason University. To be clear, they note the importance of creators, in the sense that:

Intellectual property drives economic and artistic freedom, thereby supporting a professional class of musicians and innovations that continue to fuel the creation of music. read article

When you need inspiration, figure out what you really need to know

Nathan Bransford has a few words for us now, about how to handle something he doesn’t believe in. Ah, life’s little secrets – sometimes they seem so overwhelming, and then they turn out to be nothing at all:

need to know

by Nathan Bransford

I’m on record saying writer’s block doesn’t exist.

When I say that, I’m not saying that you won’t experience a feeling of idea-lessness or that life circumstances will never get in the way of your writing. Lots of people go through stretches where it is legitimately impossible to write. read article

Are Stories Still Important?

Time now for a sweet little post by the TV blogger we here at TVWriter™ respect the most. Some might call what follows a rant. We’re thinking of it as a lesson…but is it one that will be learned in time?

by Ken Levine

Cat Climbing PoleAre Stories Still Important?

A lot of Millennials say no. They point out that webisodes are very popular and a recent survey claimed that 2:26 is the optimum length. So who needs to kill themselves coming up with stories? They’re a royal pain in the ass to concoct and audiences prefer their entertainment in bite-sized portions. Who needs an ingenious beginning, middle, and end when you can show a cat trying to climb a greased pole? read article

How corporate America killed my writing

via lowriderarte.com
via lowriderarte.com

by Jim Sollisch

A good editor makes a good writer’s writing very good. A bad editor gives your writing a haircut with a chain saw.

And as a copywriter at an ad agency, I work pretty much exclusively with really bad editors. It’s not fair to call them editors; they are my clients, often marketing managers or communication specialists. Many have MBAs and are brilliant at so many things. Writing not included. They’ve had the English knocked out of them. Now, they speak Power Point. Worst case scenario, my work is edited or critiqued by the legal department or by committees.

It’s the same for so many professional writers. Public relations writers have their annual report copy “edited” by corporate executives or their minions. Technical writers have their work “edited” by engineers. And if you buy a corporate speechwriter a drink, be prepared to hear about the horrors of writing for the tone deaf. read article

How to Avoid Turning Into a Jerk When You’re Surrounded by Jerks

One day, years ago, while our Beloved Leader, Larry Brody, was producing the Emmy Award winning series, POLICE STORY, the head of Columbia Pictures Television, the studio behind the show, paid a surprise visit to his office.

LB was uncomfortable with this because, as he tells it, “I was always uncomfortable around the Gerb [David Gerber, President of the studio). He was a literally awe-inspiring bully and I was terrified of him. But I wasn’t worried this time around because we’d just gotten both rave reviews and great numbers for the most recent episode. I figured maybe, just once, he would give the staff the thumbs up.

“Instead,” continues LB, “he reamed us up, down, and sideways for every mistake and inefficiency in the world since before the birth of Christ. After he swaggered out, I stared at his assistant, who was looking after the boss with his eyes gleaming in total adoration. read article