At last, a video about writing, by writers, genuinely lives up to its promise to take us behind the scenes. Now that this TVWriter™ minion has watched this long but potent lesson, I might even start watching the show.
Um, it’s still on the air, right? Huh? Is it?
Remember that WGA-ATA standstill we talked about last Monday?
Turns out we aren’t the only ones who think the Association of Talent Agencies is, um, full of beans. Check out what these fine, upstanding California state legislators have to say.
LB’S NOTE: How the %$#! did I forget to include this in Monday’s article? Major apologies for the oversight, but at least it’s here now. Keep on carrying on, bros and sisters.
NOTE FROM LB: Those who know me know how crazy having to do revisions makes me. Or rather, “made me.” It’s different now because this:
After years of creating the puzzle, making sure all the pieces fit perfectly, it became time to embrace the unthinkable: Throw out a third of the pieces, and reorder the rest into the same story, only different.
The challenge was immediately apparent – I’d spent so long coming to understand the story in one specific way I’d lost the ability to see how it could be improved by cutting certain scenes, or how moments could be combined to keep the pace moving. Then there was the insecurity – what if I cut a scene that had some important subplot, or breadcrumb critical to later story happenings? I needed a way to make sure nothing essential fell through the cracks during the revision process. Not to mention the sense of overwhelm when I thought about the work involved in the revision I was contemplating.
I needed a new perspective, a safety net, and a way to bypass the inner critic. Here’s what worked for me . . .
I printed out the entire story, single sided. I stapled together each scene or chapter, so I could move story moments in discrete blocks. In the upper left hand corner I wrote why the scene or chapter was essential – what plot point happened, and what character emotional growth was realized. I used blue pen for these notes. In the upper right hand corner, I noted any breadcrumbs, foreshadowing, or subplot elements I wanted to keep in mind. I used purple for these, just to keep them visually distinct.
Then I started to place chapters on the floor by guessing generally where they might fall in the re-envisioned story. I had in mind that I would create a plot map on the floor of my living room….
We love the opening of this piece from Seth Godin’s brilliant blog. And the rest is just about as feelgood as a written work about writing can be. Keep reading and you’ll see what we mean:
Even if it’s not graduation week for you…
Consider writing.
Not plastics.
Not Wall Street.
Simply writing.
As we race toward a post-literate world, the surprising shortcut is compelling indeed: Learn to write.
Audiobooks outsell print. AI can turn text into speech. People scan, they don’t read.
Doesn’t matter. Learn to write.
Yes, it would be great if you could become a full-stack developer. If you put in the hard work to be a civil engineer or a mathematician on the cutting edge. But most people were persuaded from an early age that this isn’t the work for them.
But writing?…
SoCreate, a new screenwriting site based in San Luis Obispo, CA, with a website addy that kind of implies it’s in Italy, is “working on a new way for people of all ages to transform their amazing stories into scripts.”
We aren’t clear on what this new way is because the site itself doesn’t say much more than that…oh, and also “We’re Hiring!” which is something we always like to read or hear, but theannouncement below definitely has gotten our attention.
What do screenwriters really need to succeed? Talent, of course. Perseverance, yes. Connections, you betcha. But there’s that other big thing – you know, the luxury of time to write? We know so many of you are working more than one job to make ends meet, writing during odd hours, and struggling to balance it all. Wouldn’t it be great if you just had more time?
Well, we’re here for you screenwriters, and to prove it, we’re putting our money where our mouth is. SoCreate wants to pay the bills for one deserving screenwriter, so she or he can focus on writing FOR THREE MONTHS. YES! For 90 days, we’ll pay your rent, car payment, utilities, grocery bills and more (up to $3,000 per month) so that you can focus on screenwriting! Put one of your many jobs on hold for a bit. Or heck, quit that second job! For at least 3 months, you may not need it.
There’s more, of course, including some caveats, but all in all we find the energy and good intentions quite appealing. And the video below is kind of fun too.
As usual, we aren’t recommending this opportunity, just letting you know it’s out there. If you get in touch with SoCreate, please let us know how it goes.
