We love Alec Baldwin’s WNYC-FM show, on which he gabs with the cream of the showbiz crop. And every once in awhile he even lets a writer in the door. This time around, the writer is Lena Dunham, award-winning, megabucks making writer-creator-star of HBO’s GIRLS.
This woman really knows her stuff. We just wish she’d be a little more, erm, forthcoming. Just listen to how reticent she is. (Uh, “reticent” does mean “yakkety yak, gettin’ everything offa mah back,” right?)
Dear Jimmy,
Your family asked me to speak at your service and I am so honored and touched.
I’m also really scared and I say that because you of all people understand this, “I would like to run away and then call in four days from now from the beauty parlor.
There we were, minding our business and surfing around Kickstarter, when lo and behold, this is what we saw:
Yep, some guy with a few thousand backers has built a Tardis satellite and now, thanks to Kickstarter, has enough money to celebrate DOCTOR WHO’s 50th anniversary by putting this baby into orbit.
Disgraceful. (Not this article, just the stats/info in it. What the hell is wrong with this Biz?)
To be fair, the article also tells us that if you’re a female/woman (what the hell word are we supposed to use here anyway?) writing for television, your chances of getting somewhere are much better than if you’re trying to sell a spec feature film screenplay. So there. (We’d say, “Nonni, nonni, nonni,” but our hearts just aren’t in it.)
by Lucas ShawHollywood has long been inhospitable to women, and it is only getting worse for those who are also aspiring screenwriters.
The always aware Charlie Jane Anders has the rare gift of being able to put her finger right on the crux of all things writerly. Don’t believe us? Read this, motherfuckers:
by Charlie Jane AndersA grand adventure needs an inspirational hero. Not just a cool person in a fancy suit, but someone to believe in. It’s not quite true that a science fiction or fantasy story is only as good as its hero, but the hero’s greatness is certainly a limiting factor. Here are 10 essential qualities a hero ought to have.
1) Being Unique in Some Way
And no, this doesn’t have to mean that the good guy is “the chosen one,” or the subject of a particularly juicy prophecy. The hero could just be the youngest captain ever to command a starship, or the only human ever to take on a particular mantle. Or maybe the “good guy” is just the smartest man or woman in the room, or the one person who stops to ask the tough question before rushing into a situation. Something has to make this person stand out, from the beginning.