Writing The End First

The best part about being a screenwriting teacher is occasionally you're able to get yourself out of literary jams by using your own techniques.

Recently, I found myself stuck while working on my new book. I somehow had lost the thread of the narrative and didn't know how to proceed. But then, while working with my students at NYU last night, I suggested a tip that helped them and me.

Here's the tip:

Whenever you're stuck at a point in your story, stop working on the part and immediately move to writing the end. You will be amazed to see that once you figure out where you're heading, you'll know what you need to get there.

Good luck and happy writing.

Cake Every Day

Another great character study in the Times today, this time about a 83-year-old man who has been the doorman at the same building since 1960. He has a number of wonderful things to say about life, love and working at the same place for 50 years. My favorite part of the story is when he describes his diet:

What he eats for lunch: Only homemade eating. No restaurants. Everything from home. Today I have ham salad and cake. Cake has to be every day. I love cake. Cake every day. This I have to have. My wife makes the cake. If my wife don’t bake, then I bake. Soup and cake. This is my favorite.

As an exercise:
What's the one thing your character does every day? Do they eat cake like this doorman or wake up to Sonny & Cher on the radio like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day or scrape away at the wall under a Rita Hayworth poster like Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption? Why do they do it? Habit or necessity? What happens if they don't do that thing?

Happy Passover

Tonight is the first night of Passover.

The story of how Moses led the Jews out of Egypt is one of the best, and my personal favorite, because while it celebrates Jewish freedom, it respects the 10 plagues that were visited on the Egyptian people because of their stubborn leader.

During the ceremony, the plagues are recited and drops of wine poured out of our full wine glasses -- the point is that we cannot be content if others suffered for our happiness. I do wish this idea were more widely circulated!

Akeelah and The Bee is a film I love because it has a similar message -- everyone has to win for something to be a victory.

Happy Passover to all!

Writing The Last

The New York Times is terrific at tracking down previously unknown characters living in the city. I was particularly moved by this story about the last homeless man in Times Square.

There have been a number of compelling stories told about the homeless - The Fisher King, Joe Gould's Secret and Hero to name a few - and this story about Heavy in Times Square is no different.

As an exercise:
Think of a situation where your character would be the last of something. Is he a captain going down with his ship like in Titanic or a firefighter trapped in a burning building like in Ladder 49? What are the circumstances that caused them to be in that situation? Did they choose to be the last, or were they trapped? What do they do to pass the time? Do they remain in that situation forever or escape/leave?

Storytellers

I'm in the final stages of writing my new book entitled The Four Magic Questions of Storytelling. It is designed to be a precursor to my system called The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting.

During my research, I read, listened and watched the work of many terrific storytellers, including the comedians below. Please take a moment to enjoy Lewis Black, Dave Chappelle and Norm Macdonald describing where stories come from, how people process information and how people tell stories.

Falling For Grace Extended Thru April 1st

Falling For Grace, the wonderful romantic comedy written, directed and starring my friend Fay Ann Lee has been extended thru April 1st at Big Cinema in New York City.

Falling for Grace is the story of Grace Tang, an ambitious banker determined to work her way up the ladder of life and out of working-class Chinatown. Mistaken as an heiress from Hong Kong, Grace is suddenly swept into the inner circle of Manhattan's elite, and ushered into the arms of New York's most eligible bachelor.

CLICK HERE to order tickets.

Would Your Screenplay Make A Good Video Game?

I came across this article this morning about agents who are attempting to bridge the gap between video games and Hollywood.

Storytelling is an increasingly important part of a good video game and, if your screenplay is action, thriller, crime or sci-fi, attending a gamer convention, reading related magazines and/or taking rewriting jobs with a design firm could be an interesting new way to find an agent.

Congratulations To My Thursday Students!

I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to work with so many talented students. Here's me with my Thursday private class during the last session of this semester.

If you're interested in finishing your screenplay in 10 weeks or less, CLICK HERE to register now.

Congratulations To My Wednesday Students!

This is a shot of me with the students in my Wednesday night private class (CLICK HERE to see them 9 weeks ago). I have mixed emotions at the end of a semester. On the one hand, I'm so happy that all of my students were able to finish their screenplays in 10 weeks or less. On the other hand, I'm sad I won't get to work with all of these talented writers every week.

Fortunately, many of them will be returning to the class in April to write the next draft and/or begin new projects.

If you live in the NYC area and would like to write a screenplay in 10 weeks or less please CLICK HERE or contact my office at 212.600.1115.

***I only accept 9 students each semester.

Why Is Your Character On The Roof?

Yesterday I noticed a number of nude male statues on top of buildings around Manhattan. The 31 body form sculptures are part of an art installation by Antony Gormley and will remain in place until August.

While reading about the project, I learned that many of the people who had seen the statues had mistaken them for suicide jumpers. I found this interesting because when I first saw the statues I was reminded of Batman, surveying the city he has sworn to protect.

As an exercise:
Imagine your main character is standing on the roof. Why is he or she up there? Are they distraught and considering suicide like Michael Douglas in The Game? Or preparing to stop a crime like Spider-Man? Maybe he's unpacking a gun like in The Professional or The Merry Gentleman.

Now think about how the scene will end. Does the jumper end it all or get talked down by a cop? Does the superhero swing to the next building or suddenly lose his powers and fall? Does the sniper kill his target or only use a paintball?

There are limitless possibilities and I encourage you to try out as many as possible before settling on one.

Including Yourself In Your Writing

Albert Einstein knew that the observer affects an experiment the same way a writer influences what he or she is writing no matter his or her valiant attempt to remain, "objective."

I just got an email from a non-fiction writer I met at Author 101 who has taken the plunge and started writing his personal experiences into an exercise book with a totally cool take on easy fitness. When we talked he admitted that he'd had a deeper experience than simply "working out," and that's what he really wanted to share. When he included himself, the whole experience of writing took on a new luster and he felt much more connected to his work.

A screenwriter told me today that when she included herself in her writing as an invisible character her writing improved.

This "including yourself in" has been a basic principle of my teaching. I even go further and suggest that you write for yourself first. Try imagining as if you were reading or watching what you are writing. It will really help you to make smarter choices because you gain a kind of emotional common sense.

Try it and let me know how it works.

Politics As Usual

One of my private students was at work and a co-worker came in and said, "I am so steamed about the health thing getting passed." My student observed that his co-worker was responding to politics as if they were sports and that each of the parties were a team. In this case, the Democrats had scored a touchdown against his co-worker's team, the Republicans. I thought my student's insight was brilliant.

Whatever you think about health care reform, consider that Obama for better or worse is actually getting something done and this is a significant political moment.

The aspect of our characters that is "political" is so often overlooked and can provide a clever way to convey a great deal of exposition. Consider the scene in When Harry met Sally, when Jess. Harry's best friend, suggests that Harry's date is a bit too young. Harry affirms that when he asked his date where she was when (John F.) Kennedy was shot, his date said, I didn't know that Ted Kennedy had been shot," or words to that effect. What is conveyed is Harry's age, his political awareness, humor, and his relationship with Jess.

What political event has impacted your own character's life?

A Grunt's Tale

My friend Justine Cowan's screenplay entitled A Grunt's Tale has been recognized by the Vietnam Veterans of America website.

CLICK HERE to learn more about her script.

What Is Your Character Passionate About?

I arrived in Washington, DC for my seminar about The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting this morning. There were a few other events going on in our nation's capital today.

When I stepped off the train, the first thing I saw was a group of protesters making their way across Union Station, loudly chanting and carrying signs criticizing the president and health care reform.

Later, while I was driving to the seminar venue, I saw runners preparing for the city's annual marathon. They were stretching, drinking water and, in many cases, quietly talking to themselves.

Even though both groups were in the city for different reasons, they were both equally passionate about their reasons. Both groups had spent time and energy to prepare for the respective events and traveled to be there.

As an exercise:
Consider these two events. Which one would your main character decide to attend? Would they be spectators or participants? What would they bring with them to help achieve their goal? Are they successful?

By taking a moment to think about what your characters believe in, you'll learn more about them.

The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting in Washington, DC

Tomorrow I have the pleasure of presenting The Four Magic Questions - Live! in Washington D.C. Presented in conjunction with Classroom 34, the seminar runs from 2-4PM at BloomBars.

Seating is VERY limited. Register now at www.ScreenplayClass.com.

SPECIAL BONUS: Register before Saturday and receive a pass to attend a special Q & A with me and BloomBars founder John Chambers.

R.I.P. Fess Parker

In the past year, we've lost a number of very creative people who have made significant contributions to storytelling.

Today I read about the death of Fess Parker, a talented actor who played both Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett in the Disneyland anthology series. Despite the fact he was much older than some of the other actors who have died recently, he was 85, his passing really affected me, as I grew up watching him.

Please take a moment to read this article about his career and enjoy clips of him on YouTube.

The Film Panel Notetaker

I'm always interested to read blogs by other filmmakers, particularly if they provide useful information to new writers. My friend Paula Landry turned me on to The Film Panel Notetaker which summarizes what's seen and heard at film-related discussion panels.

CLICK HERE to learn more about what you might have missed.

Where Stories Come From

I am finishing a new book entitled The Four Magic Questions of Storytelling set to be released later this year. A large section of the book focuses on where stories come from, and I have spent the past few months collecting some wonderful stories from myths, the classics and real life.

I happened on this story in the New York Times which compares This Side of Paradise, a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald and a true life story about a Colombian immigrant.

As an exercise:
Decide which classic story is similar to your own. Is it an ancient myth, a popular novel, a movie or a story you've heard from a friend? How is your story similar and how is it different? What have you learned/taken from that story to improve your own?

Writing Pictures

I start every session with my private students by asking them - What movie did you see this week?

Even though we are writing screenplays, we are really writing movies and it's important to watch movies during your process.

Last week, one of my private students had the opportunity to screen each of the short films nominated for an Oscar this year. She had a breakthrough.

She said:
"I finally understand what you've been saying for all these classes: The story must be told in pictures, with the dialogue making what is general, specific."

Brava to her and to every other writer who's able to make this connection.

Saints & Mentors

I admit even though I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day every year, I know almost nothing about him.

According to my Irish Catholic assistant, a patron saint is an advocate for a group or individual in heaven, and while looking for information online, I came across this interesting site that details all of the patron saints.

I am not a devoutly religious person but like most things I come across during my day, it made me think about writing.

As an exercise:
Figure out who your character’s patron saint is by determining whom they listen to. Is it a parent, a teacher, an employer, or a less-traditional mentor?

For example, in Shawshank Redemption, even though Red is the narrator, Andy Dufresne is the one who ultimately helps him survive in the “real world.”

Or, in Back To The Future, despite the fact that Doc is a mechanical whiz who helps Marty McFly travel back to the future, it is Marty who helps Doc survive the terrorists’ barrage by giving him a letter in 1955.

What's In A Name

I was going to write this up a few weeks ago but figured it was more appropriate for today.

Last month I was working on a script with a private student who mentioned he was having a tough time coming up with a plausible Irish name for one of his characters. I mentioned it to Chris, whose father is from Ireland, and he said:

"The easiest thing to do is look at the vowels in your own last name. If you have an O, just move it to the front and leave the rest alone. For example, if Moloney wasn't already Irish, it could be O'Molney, and you would be O'Horwitz."

He was clearly having a little fun, but it was an interesting solution to the problem.

A few days later, I stumbled upon a website that took Chris' idea even further, creating names for people of all backgrounds, and even letting you cross-pollinate with other cultures.

As an exercise:
Choose a character in your story whose name doesn't quite work. Consider what type of person they are (personality, occupation, etc.) and what their background is. How does this influence them?

Now, CLICK HERE and choose a name. for them. If the first suggestion isn't quite right, keep clicking.

St. Patrick's Day

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I went to Emerald Inn for lunch. I wore green, drank a Guinness, ate the Corned Beef and Cabbage and felt like I was part of a much larger group.

Looking around the bar, I saw men and women of all ages and races drinking, eating and even singing together. It was an amazing experience.

As an exercise:
What do all of the characters in your story have in common? Are they all in prison like the prisoners and guards in Shawshank Redemption or share a birthday like the characters in Identity? Does the thing they share bring them together or tear them apart? Are they comfortable in this group or desperate to get out?

$20 To Life

There's an old saying that goes, "If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was worth it."

Last night I went salsa dancing and during the course of the evening I realized that a twenty dollar bill I had in my pocket had been lost. For a few minutes I stopped what I was doing and looked for it - under the chair I was sitting on, in my other pockets, in my wallet, until I finally caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror.

Here I was having a great night with friends and I was concerned with $20.

I stopped my search and went back to what I had been doing and had a wonderful night!

Did I lose something or gain something?

Too often when we tell our stories, we focus on the want and ignore the need. To really refine your writing (and improve your story) have the first part of the story focus on what your main character thinks they want and have the resolution deal with the moment they realize what's truly important.

Focusing Your Writing

As a writer, I try to do as many different things as possible because you never know what will contribute to your current story, or inspire your next.

Anne Weiser Cornell, a practitioners of the psychological healing technique called Focusing recently wrote:

"Eventually, everyone inside us, all the aspects and parts, will have something to contribute to us. There are no enemies inside, only partial-selves trying to find their way back to life-forward energy".

I like that, particularly how it applies to writing.

Firstly, as writers we must get past the idea that we are only writers. We do so much more than that. We observe, we analyze, we hypothesize, we dream. Even when we are not writing, we are writing. There are no bad experiences, just new material.

Secondly, we must stop being so critical when it comes to what we've included in our stories. As Cornell says, "There are no enemies inside." My motto is "Don't Get It Right, Get It Written," and instead of editing as you go, just get the story down and then go back and do the fine-tuning later.

Facebook: The Movie

I have been on Facebook quite a bit over the past few days. I think it's lovely to have friends you can reach out to over the web. There are so many possibilities for new friendships and as a result, new story ideas.

One of my friends recently reconnected with a fellow on Facebook she had dated in high school. They have been dating for 3 months and he just proposed.

She's divorced and he's a widow; now she is in love and must decide if she wants to become a stepmother to his two children.

As an exercise:
If you were going to use Facebook as a way to create a story situation for a new script, what would it be? Would it be a comedy, drama or horror? Is Facebook a major part of the plot or something in the background? Does your film take a positive or negative stance about social networking?

Changes

I came across this article on my new favorite blog: SCOUTING NEW YORK.

The site is run by a location scout and this particular article details how the city has changed since Ghostbusters was filmed here. As someone who lives in NYC, it's always exciting to see how dramatic some of these changes are.

As an exercise:
Consider which era you are writing about. If it's in the past, how has the city changed since your story's time period? If it's in the future think about what advancements will have been made. Focus on the changes to buildings, streets, lighting fixtures, businesses, etc.

By incorporating more than just people into your script, you will be able to tell a richer, more interesting story.

Writing Better Dialogue

I'm always interested in improving my process and it's exciting to learn a new writing technique. Here's a terrific way to write better dialogue courtesy of my colleague Lori Fischer:

Here's the dialogue writing exercise. It was first taught to me by Eduardo Machado.

Relax your body and take three deep breaths.

What do you feel?

Where is the feeling located in your body?

Your neck, chest, etc.

Breathe.

What character in your screenplay feels this feeling?

Give it to them.

Breathe the feeling into that character.

Now, let another character, who doesn't want to understand them walk into the room.

Write the scene.

Massify.com

My very talented student Michelle Cutler forwarded me a link to Massify.com. It's a great resource for actors, writers, directors and producers.

Michelle has already posted her pitch to the site. View it (and vote for it) here:


CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PITCH

Genre Collage

I came across this article about the artist Tony Romano and his new show "a fist full of flies," currently showing at the Diaz Contemporary gallery.

Says the article:

His past film work has both elided storytelling, and extracted it from unlikely sources. For 2007's Goodnight, My Love, Romano offered an aerial view of Toronto, circling in a lazy spiral as the city shifted from dusk into darkness; the whole thing was set to a sadly sweet, mandolin-plucked version of "The Maple Leaf Forever."

Meanwhile, 2006's Last Act took the near narrative-free – one would assume – script of a pornographic film and re-created it scene-by-scene, minus the naughty bits. The result is the tidy arc of a surprisingly tender story, pulled off guilelessly and without a hint of irony.

His new show features collages of discarded Hollywood movie posters. As you can see from the one I've posted, it includes the familiar crimson scrawl of Apocalypse Now to advertise a movie featuring a terrier riding the back of a friendly dolphin.

As an exercise:
Choose a movie from a different genre from your own. If you were asked to combine them, how would the new story look? What's changed? Is your main character different now? How about your villain? Have you had to add characters? Or drop them? Does your title still work?

What Is It Good For?

Much has been written about Kathryn Bigelow's historic win as Best Director a few nights ago but I think it's also important to consider what this means for movies about war.

Traditionally, films that take place during a war have done well in the annual Oscar race and it's interesting to think about how your film would work against a backdrop of a military conflict.

Who and what would your war movie script be about?

My story would be about a male soldier who saves a grandmother and daughter even though they are terrorists, and the three are then able to survive and have a new life together.

My friend, Daria Sommers, made a documentary called Lioness that explored the effects of combat on female marines.

If your story doesn't have the Mythic-quality you think it needs, or just doesn't "pop" like you thought it would, adding a war or other external battle can often increase your plot's conflict and immediacy.

Non-Fiction Writing

Bill Zinsser, who maybe wrote the best book on non-fiction writing EVER, On Writing Well, noted that in good non-fiction writing, the writer is able to re-experience and share thoughts as if they were happening for the first time, and the poor writer reports on his or her thoughts after the fact. A great example of non-fiction writing is the book itself.

I tried to introduce this idea to my new Author 101 friends, as all good writing (even true stories) should be dramatic and have a mystery to be solved. If you are currently working on a "How To" book based on your own story, asking and answering questions is the key to success.

A Story Coming To Life

I'm always surprised when someone I'm working with tells me they have trouble finding ideas for a story. Mark Twain famously wrote, "Truth is stranger than fiction" and he's right.

As I was getting my hair cut this morning on West 72nd Street, we were interrupted by a loud commotion outside. Police sirens and shouting. It turns out a woman had just successfully given birth in the doorway next to the hair salon! Some of the stylists saw the baby actually arrive in the world while I saw the baby in a carrier and the happy mother being wheeled away into an ambulance, smiling.

After the excitement, all of us returned to our chairs where I loudly wondered how that woman's hair still looked so great after giving birth outside like that.

The other customers laughed while the stylists showed us.

Catch A Phrase

I happened upon an interesting article about the origin of the phrase "the hurt locker."

Apparently, the phrase dates back to the Vietnam War ("If an army marches on its stomach, old Charlie is in the hurt locker.") but became more widely known when it was used as the title of a poem written by Brian Turner in 2004.

The article says:

On his return from a year of Army service in Iraq, Turner published Here, Bullet (2005), a critically acclaimed collection of poetry inspired by his wartime experiences. "The Hurt Locker" begins in typically wrenching fashion, "Nothing but the hurt left here," and ends:

Open the hurt locker
and see what there is of knives
and teeth. Open the hurt locker and learn
how rough men come hunting for souls.

As an exercise:
What's a phrase or expression you know that would make a good title? Is it something that your parents used to say to you? Or perhaps an expression only people from your geographic location use?

If you can't think of a phrase, take a moment to pick up any book and open it to somewhere in the middle. What's the first sentence fragment you read? What kind of a movie would that title be good for?

Set a timer for 15 minutes and use The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting to plot a screenplay based on a phrase you remember or that you found in the book. What kind of film is it? Genre? Who is your hero? Why?

Congratulations to all of the winners...

82nd Annual Academy Awards Winners: The Winners List

BEST PICTURE
The Hurt Locker

ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mo'Nique, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Up

ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION
Avatar

ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY
Avatar

ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN
The Young Victoria

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Cove

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT
Music by Prudence

ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING
The Hurt Locker

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Secret in Their Eyes

ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKEUP
Star Trek

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Up

ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURES (ORIGINAL SONG)
"The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)," Crazy Heart

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM
Logorama

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
The New Tenants

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING
The Hurt Locker

ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND MIXING
The Hurt Locker

ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Hurt Locker

Author 101 Recap

I just got back from attending Rick Frishman's Author 101, a seminar that he gives quarterly to help writers get their books out into the marketplace. The 2.5 day event is well-organized Rick treats his groups like they are family, and there's a real feeling of camaraderie amongst the attendees.

I was asked to sit on a panel of agents and publishers because I'm a teacher and a writing coach who gets writers ready to do business with these professionals.

The panel members were sincerely interested in answering the questions of the attendees, and were generous with their information. One of them, Bill Gladstone, had just written a metaphysical novel, The Twelve, and I recommend it. All of the agents specialized in non-fiction, and the good news is that they will seriously look at a query letter. They also stayed for the fun cocktail party and spoke with many writers. Very impressive!

The attendees were all writers: about half had finished a project and the other 100 or so wanted to write. I had the good fortune to speak to many of them and every project seemed to have something original and worthwhile!

The two tips I found myself offering over and over again were:

1. Find what is unique about yourself and make sure it's blended into your book. It's another way of saying that you have to have a "hook," but I believe that the hook lies within.

2. Writers write! In order to create well, you must make a habit of it. I recommend that you get a notebook and put it near your bed. When you wake up in the morning write a few sentences about whatever is on your mind. No need to reread or edit, you are training yourself to think on paper.

I wish great success to all the attendees!

Oscar Night

It was so nice to watch the Oscars this year. The movies were so good, and I was pleased that so many deserving people won.

Let's hope that Kathryn Bigelow is a trailblazer and not an anomaly and creative women continue to be honored in the upcoming years.

I also thought it was great that everyone remembered to thank their moms!

Script Consultations at Author 101

It's Day One of Author 101 and so far it's been a terrific experience. I've had the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet a lot of great new people too. While I'm here I will be participating in a panel of agents and story consultants and making myself available for writers interested in discussing how I can help take their projects to the next level.

If you were not able to attend Author 101, but would like to work with me, please visit www.FinalDraftScript.com for free information.

Which Story Should I Write?

I'm at the airport waiting for my flight to Los Angeles. Unlike Louis CK, I don't think I'll have internet access on the plane so I thought I'd post a few things now.

A few days ago, one of my New York University students rushed up to me at the start of class and said that even though he had committed to writing his horror screenplay this semester he had been inspired by the work of his classmates and there was a comedy inside him "dying to come out."

I get this a lot from the writers I work with. My answer is always the same:

"Date your material, don't marry it."

Unless someone is paying you for your work (i.e. you have an obligation/timeline) there's nothing forcing you to stick with one story and ignore another.

My advice is take both of your ideas and run them through The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting and decide which one is more complete and more appealing to you, and write that one.

Then, when you're finished, go back to the other story. I guarantee it will still be there, following you around like a lovesick puppy.

What Is Modern Love?

This probably would have been more appropriate for Valentine's Day but as any writing teacher will tell you, when you get inspired write it down, don't wait around.

I was reading an article today about the ever-changing definition of "forever."

For example, if the tabloids are to be believed, every day a new Hollywood relationship breaks up and, if a showbiz marriage lasts more than 5 years, we hear they've been "together forever."

On the flip-side, just this past year I've stumbled upon a dozen articles about couples still crazy about each other well into their 70s, 80s and even 90s.

So, how long is forever?

As an exercise:
Define forever for all of the characters in your story. Is your hero a romantic who wants to spend the rest of their life with someone? Is your villain a love 'em and leave 'em type who refuses to settle down? Does your hero's best friend secretly love them and consider something as simple as a cup of coffee together part of a relationship?

Once you've decided on how all of your characters feel about love and the concept of forever, it'll be much easier to figure out how they will react to things and interact with each other.

Film Collaborations

Walking through the hallways at NYU last night I heard one of my colleagues tell a student: "If you want to be a better director you better write your own stuff."

I don't completely agree with that.

While there are a number of excellent writer-directors working in the industry today, there is always something to be said for collaboration.

Rather than trying to do everything yourself, particularly if this is your first project, I would recommend finding a partner to work with who possesses the skills or talent you are lacking.

If you are an accomplished director interested in writing their own material, I'd suggest searching out a writer you respect who is currently working on roughly the same level as you. As you work on the project together, you will both learn from the other.

If you are a writer who's trying to figure out how the character would respond to a situation, find an actor and have them improvise the scene with you as you write it.

The entertainment business is an ultra-competitive industry, but sometimes, to borrow a quote from the movie A Beautiful Mind:

"If none of us goes for the blonde... It's the only way to win."

Author 101

Tomorrow I leave for Los Angeles to attend Rick Frishman's Author 101. I have been asked to participate in a panel of agents and story consultants. If you will be at the event - which I understand is already sold out - please say 'hello.'

During the weekend I will also be working with my L.A.-based private students, helping them to get their scripts ready for upcoming contests and pitches. If you are in Los Angeles and at the stage in your process where you feel an evaluation and consultation would be helpful, please visit www.MovieScriptHelp.com or contact my office at 212.600.1115.

And The Rest...

Yesterday I mentioned the premiere of NBC's new hour-long drama Parenthood, starring Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Craig T. Nelson and based on the Ron Howard film of the same name.

Word today that Gilligan's Island is making the reverse move, jumping from small screen to big screen.

As an exercise:
Consider the story you're working on. If it's a TV show, re-imagine it as a feature film. If it's a novel, think how it would work as a play.

What would you have to change to make it work? Add characters? Remove characters? Limit locations? Get to the story faster? Add a sub plot?

By considering a project in a new way you might be surprised to find that the problems with your story become more obvious and the changes you need to make to adapt your story for a different medium are also necessary for the one you're working in.

Let me know what you come up with.

Parenthood Reborn

I was just forwarded my friend Katie McLaughlin's article about the retooled Parenthood set to premiere tonight on NBC.

If you could pick any movie to be turned into a weekly TV show, which one would you pick? Would you make it a sitcom or an hour-long drama? Why?

What do you consider the best film-to-TV adaptation ever?

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