40 years worth of TV writing experience and info, yours for the taking.
More than once over the years I’ve been approached by someone who says that they have a great idea for a story and that I should write it and then we split any money evenly. The problem with this (aside from the fact that the work is not even) is that I have plenty of ideas of my own that, for one reason or another, never get written. Having ideas isn’t the problem; executing them is.
Here are a few ideas I’ve had in my journal that haven’t seen the light of day.
Suck ‘em in. Don’t let go of their eyeballs – whether they be script reader, editor or reader, that’s your goal as a writer. And I know you’ve all experienced it yourselves. That film that’s fantastic, the book that draws you in until you forget where you are. Some writers have a native ability to paint those characters and backgrounds in such a way that they feel real.
So how do they do that? How can the rest of us writers do the same?
One way is to add realism.
As I said on Twitter last week, my Oscar favorite for this year is Moonlight. I’m rooting for it for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, you name it.
In other words, I’m absolutely recommending that everyone reading this post run out and see the film. But if you need further incentive (oh hell, even if you don’t), you should watch this interview with Tarell Alvin McCraney, the writer whose play of the same name is the basis for the film.
Well, here we are, not so deep into 2017. I’m wrapping up on season three of Vh1’s K Michelle:My Life and looking forward to some new shows and non-TV opportunities the year is already hinting at… including another book.
If you know me, you know what a fan of lists I am. I keep a list of goals to be accomplished in one year, five, and ten, and I’m also a big fan of making resolutions.
While I’ll be keeping mine to myself, as I usually do, here are a few that reality television viewers and producers might want to consider if they haven’t already filled up on “stop eating donuts” and “spend more time with Mom.”
Does this qualify as a meme? It’s an image, right? With info that’s vastly important to writers young and old. Especially those who don’t know what a thesaurus is:
