Salute To The Troops

Yesterday, I was on the subway when a pale, dark-haired man in a tattered uniform made his way down the aisle.

"Please help a homeless veteran," he said as he passed by.

An older lady in a pink pantsuit sitting next to me gave him a few dollars.

"Thank you," he said.

"No, thank you," she said, and saluted him.

He smiled at that, and saluted her back.

Then the train stopped and he got off.

My late stepfather served in all the wars from WWII through Vietnam. He ran away from home at 14 to join the marines, and performed seven tours in Vietnam, but at the end of his life had completely reversed his position on the value of war. I salute him and all soldiers who served.

How does your main character feel about the men and women serving in the military? How does she feel about charity? Would he/she have given this man money? Why?

Love, Art and Politics

Margot Fonteyn, a true life Prima Ballerina was also an activist. This article reveals why Fonteyn is a perfect example of the kind of complex characters I am always trying to help my students and myself create: A creative artist who acted out politically out of love.

I actually met her when I was a tiny girl who wanted to be a ballerina. I sat at her dressing table and she showed me how to put on stage make up, and never ignore love for a career.

How does your main character feel about love, art and politics?

Danny Manus in NYC

This is a shot of my friend and colleague Danny Manus and me in my office today. He's in-town to teach his seminar on becoming your own development exec. It's a great class that really helps you focus your idea with the market in mind. As of this morning there were 4 seats left.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Omonze Got It Written!

Kudos to my talented student Omonze. She was able to finish a movie script in 10 weeks! Congratulations.

Horror House

Our friend Katie's latest CNN.com blog post is about the sale of the original (i.e. real) Amityville Horror house. It actually looks quite pleasant.

As an exercise:
Describe your main character's home. Is it an apartment, a house, a castle? Something different? How long have they lived there? Why did they move there? Would they ever consider leaving? Does the outside of the home match what's going on inside?

For more information about writing a horror movie visit www.MovieBreakdowns.com.

Kameron Got It Written!

A big congratulations to my student Kameron. He got his screenplay written in 10 weeks. Bravo!

Law & Over

The various Law & Order shows shoot around my neighborhood a lot and I had grown accustomed to seeing the cast and crew walking past my front window on the way to their trailers and craft service tables in-between shoots.

For those of you who haven't heard, after 20 years of production in New York City, the original Law & Order was canceled by NBC and their final episode airs tonight. Combined with last night's Lost finale and the series finale of 24 (also airing tonight), some critics have said this looks to be the end of an era for smart TV dramas.

I don't agree.

Even though I will miss all three shows, I see this as a good thing for writers, particularly new ones because it means more real estate (3 hours/week) to work with.

Yes, I've heard everyone talking about how scripted television is being passed over for reality and talk show formats but the same people say the same thing every year, and once again the announcements at the upfronts are proving them wrong.

My advice:
Make sure your product is as good as it can be/needs to be and stop worrying about what you "hear from Hollywood." Creativity and talent always win in the end.

E3

While flipping through this week's Time magazine I read an article about Prince of Persia, a new blockbuster movie based on a video game and Variety's lead article is called, "How To Be A Player," and talks about how video games and movies relate.

I'm a big fan of learning as much about a subject as possible. If you are writing this type of script, or want some inspiration for your next story, I suggest you invest in yourself and head to the E3 conference in LA, June 15-17.

More info about the conference, CLICK HERE.

Become Your Own Development Executive

My friend and colleague Danny Manus will be teaching an exciting course for NYC Screenwriter on Saturday called BECOME YOUR OWN DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE...

Click Here to register now.

Topics Covered include:

How a Development Exec reads a script – what they’re looking for and the difference between how a writer reads and an executive reads.

The 3 questions executives think of while reading

The Top 10 Notes an executive gives and how to avoid them

How an exec hears/interprets a pitch

The three different types of projects execs read

What it takes to get a “recommend” from a script consultant/reader

The development process – giving and getting notes - what to expect and how to survive it with flying colors

Q&A session to follow.

Click Here to Register Now.

Daniel Manus is an in-demand script consultant and founder of No BullScript Consulting, which can be found at www.nobullscript.net and is the author of the E-Book “No B.S. for Screenwriters: Advice from the Executive Perspective.”

Heath Got It Written!

Me and Heath after his final script consultation. Heath was able to finish his movie script in 10 weeks! Congratulations to him.

Jessica Got It Written!

Jessica and I at a library at New York University. She took my Writing A Screenplay In 10 Weeks. It's always sad to reach the end of the semester but looking forward to reading all of the other stories my students create.

Anthony Got It Written!

A photo of me with my student Anthony who wrote his screenplay during my 10 week screenwriting course. I'm so proud of his accomplishment.

If you're interested in "getting it written" too, visit www.ScreenplayClass.com.

Matt & Julia Got It Written!

This is me with two of my wonderful NYU students right after their final script consultations with me. I'm so proud of their progress and can't wait to read their next drafts.

The New Romantic Comedy

I was forwarded this entertaining commercial for a new dating site catering to geeks that made me consider the "new" romantic comedy.

I work on many screenplays in this genre and writers struggle in various parts of this type of film. One of the hardest moments to create in a romantic comedy is how the main characters meet.

My advice: Keep it simple, and just have them meet. Get to it fast!

The Kid

Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Kid, a wonderful musical written by dear friend and colleague Michael Zam.

The songs are wonderful, the lines funny, and the pathos very real.

My most favorite out of many favorite moments comes near the end, when the couple is about to find out if they are going to adopt the child. Dan looks at his boyfriend, Terry, and demands a promise that no matter what the outcome, they will continue to love and support each other. Terry says, " I promise." I choked up there, because it was such a truthful exchange! Bravo! Bravo!

The Return Of Skeeter

My friend Katie wrote a very entertaining post about the reemergence of "Baby Skeeter" for CNN's Marquee Blog. Read the whole story here.

Star Wars & Science

This morning I was recording a bonus CD for my screenwriting home study course when I saw this article. It deals with why we exist from a scientific perspective and suggests to me that good literally outweighs evil.

I was discussing Star Wars for my course while reading the article and was reminded that Obi-Wan told Luke: "The Force will always be with you."

An interesting parallel that I will no doubt tuck away for a future script.

Bleep To Write About

I happened upon this story about the new CBS sitcom based on the very popular blog "Shit My Dad Says." It's an inspirational story about someone finding a "story" in their everyday life.

When people find out that I am a writing teacher they say one of two things:

1) I have a great idea for a story!

2) I don't have anything to write about.

On the surface they seem to be completely opposite statements but I've found after working with hundreds of writers that both groups are in the same boat.

The first group of people - that believe they have a great idea for a story - often just have part of a story and quickly run out of steam, usually around page 60 or 70 of their screenplay.

The second group of people - the ones that don't think they have anything to write about - don't realize that they do have, at the very least, part of a story inside them and they, like the other group, just need to structure their story correctly and get it out.

As an exercise:
Think of a recent experience from your own life that you find interesting? Why do you like it? Was it funny? Sad? What did you learn?

Now, set a timer for 10 minutes and write down everything that happened. Include every detail. Who did it involve? Where were you? What were you doing? What was the other person doing?

When you're finished, take a look at what you've written. Could you see this as a movie, i.e. sustain for 90-120 pages? Would it be better as a short? A play? A blog? What did you include that is unnecessary? What would you have to add? Does it answer each of The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting? Which question does it not?

Professional Versus Amateur

I came across this wonderful story about a 101-year-old filmmaker who is making a splash at the Cannes Film Festival. I was inspired by this story and wanted to share that I often remind my students and myself, that it is never too late to become the person you were meant to be!

A professional is an amateur that never gave up!

The Use Of Religion In Your Story

While researching a recent project, I came across this account of a Jewish exorcism ritual and noted how different it is from the Catholic ceremony.

The article also talks about "Dybbuks" the Jewish version of other worldly creatures. Finding out the cultural and religious beliefs a character has been exposed to can yield rich character insights and plot twists. The notion of a Jewish exorcism intrigued me, but after reading the article, I was surprised that there were no lawyers involved!

As an exercise:
Consider which religious/spiritual ceremony could/does factor into your story. Is there a wedding? A funeral? An exorcism? Take a moment to consider if it was a ceremony from a different religion? How would it be the same/different?

Steal This Movie

I saw this story on the AP today about a man who defrauded Comerica Bank out of millions of dollars to finance his independent films.

I obviously don't condone his methods but I do have to respect his creative drive.

As an exercise:
Why does your character (hero or villain) steal? Is it to feed himself and his family like Jean Valjean in Les Miserables? Or to get revenge against a former employer like Woody Harrelson's character did in Money Train? Or maybe it's to protect a family member's reputation like in How To Steal A Million...

Even if your character doesn't steal something in your story, imagine they do. By deciding what it would take to drive them to steal, you can learn a lot about them. And no one said they have to steal money or priceless works of art. Maybe they just steal the girl ;)

What Language Does Your Character Speak?

Living in the United States, a writer can fall into the trap of writing only English-speaking characters. That doesn't accurately reflect the country's linguistic makeup and with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter it's possible that you "meet" non-English speakers on a daily basis.

I happened upon this story about four students at NYU who were profiled in the New York Times for producing a Facebook-alternative. That's interesting in itself but the real story is what they did when they got their press coverage...

Says Gawker:

Four NYU students were lucky enough to get some New York Times coverage for their would-be Facebook killer. But they seem to have helped slip a nerdy sex joke past Times editors, as well.

The joke, written on a blackboard behind the students in their Times picture, is a sequence of Unix commands that could double as a crude hook-up manual: "touch grep unzip mount fsck fsck umount."

As an exercise:
What lanaguage does your characters speak? Is it a common language or something only known to a few people? Do they speak other languages? Does the fact that they speak this language help or hurt their cause?

Location, Location, Location

An interesting setting/location can give our characters more to work with and drive our story and as writers, we should constantly be searching for new places to set stories.

This article about Newburgh would make a great setting for a movie in the urban drama and crime genres and is just one of the "locations" described in today's newspaper.

As an exercise:
Where does your story take place? Is it a big city, a small town or something more exotic? Why does your story have to take place there? What if you moved your story to a completely different type of place? Would your story still work? Would it be better?

Nashville Charity Fundraiser

My friend Lori is teaming up with friends to help raise money for the Nashville flood victims. If you'll be in the NYC-area, please support this worthy and under-reported cause:

What: Songwriters Lori Fischer, Casey Black, Skipp Sudduth and Brian O'Neill are keeping time and strumming tunes with special guest Charlie Black.
Why: It's a benefit performance to raise money for the Nashville flood victims.
When: Monday, May 17, 2010
Where: The Richmond Shepard Theatre 309 East 26th Street (at 2nd Ave)
Time: 8:00 p.m.
How: Tickets are $12 and can be purchased at the theatre.

MORE INFO: http://www.richmondshepard.com/theatre.htm

The Way You Wear Your Sombrero

I just read an article about the Phoenix Suns' decision to wear special jerseys for the game tonight. For those of you, like me, who aren't up on sports, basically what the story boils down to is that the team has decided to wear jerseys that read "Los Suns" for their Cinco de Mayo game in support of their latino fans and to show their opposition to the new law passed in Arizona that allows authorities to force people to prove they are, in fact, legal residents of this country.

No matter how you feel about the law it provides excellent dramatic material/inspiration for your story.

As an exercise:
What's an article of clothing your character wears that's important to them? Do they wear it as a show of support (like the Ducks jerseys in Mighty Ducks 2) or defiance (like Charlie Sheen's sleeves in Major League)? Does the piece of clothing serve another purpose (like Batman's cowl)? Do they wear this clothing every day or just on special occasions? What would it take for them to stop wearing it?

High Concept - How to Create, Pitch & Sell To Hollywood

My good friend Steve Kaire's new e-book, High Concept - How to Create, Pitch & Sell to Hollywood, is now available at www.HighConceptScreenwriting.com.

I'm so excited about his new product that I've offered a special bonus to everyone who orders his system. If you visit www.HighConceptScreenwriting.com today and order his e-book, you will automatically receive a free bonus excerpt from my book The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting.

STEVE KAIRE has been in the business almost 30 years. He’s sold or optioned 8 projects to the major studios. All were sold on spec without representation. The last project he sold, he’s Co-Producing. He holds a Masters in Dramatic Writing & has taught classes at the American Film Institute. He was voted a “Star Speaker” three times at “Screenwriters Expo,” the largest screenwriting conference in the country. He was also featured on the Tonight Show's “Pitching to America” with Jay Leno.

May The Fourth Be With You...

I was reminded by one of my private students that today is (unofficially) Star Wars Day because the date (May The Fourth...) sounds a lot like the Jedi greeting.

According to the Los Angeles City Council, the official Star Wars Day is May 25th (commemorating the anniversary of the film's opening on May 25, 1977). However, since that is also Geek Pride Day and Towel Day, more and more Star Wars fans have adopted the Fourth as their own.

As an exercise:
Which date is important to your main character? Is it their birthday, graduation day or the day they will be released from prison? Is it an upcoming date or one in the past? Why is it important? What do they do to celebrate/remember it?

Finding A MacGuffin

As writers, we're constantly looking for a MacGuffin to catch our viewer/reader's attention and drive our story.

But where to find them?

One often overlooked place is non-fiction work, particularly that which offers up a bunch of "future is now" ideas by government officials and scientists.

For example, Richard A. Clarke's new book, Cyber War: The Next Threat To National Security And What To Do About It, suggests a number of scenarios that could cause "trains to collide, gas lines to explode, or the nation to lose electrical power for months."

As an exercise:
Think about a current or near-future problem/disaster. Is it technological, environmental? What impact will it have on your story? How can your hero save the day? Why does it have to be your hero that saves the day?

I Know What Girls Like...

Depending on your taste in programming, it could be good news or bad news for creative females that Variety reports shows like The Bad Girls Club and Keeping Up With The Kardashians have seen "significant spikes among women under 35 that enabled them to shoot up the first-quarter cable rankings."

Combine that with news of Oprah's new network and Martha Stewart's deal with Hallmark and a group that has been at the forefront of social networking (young women) could finally be delivering on their promise as a viable television audience.

Who Does Your Character Read?

I went online looking for the author of a book I saw someone reading on the subway, called The Challenge of Fate. It turned out to be an out of print book by a German writer but my search led me to this amazing website that will connect a writer with other writers:

www.literature-map.com

I chose William Faulkner because the main character of my new book read him in college. I went on this site and got a real insight into how my character reads. I am always teaching the importance of knowing your characters frame of reference, and to be able to instantly gain a possible chain of writers and as a result to have a map of the characters reading history seems like a great tool.

As an exercise:
Decide the most influential book your main character has read at any age and use this website to see the connections. Pick one book by one of the connected authors and write a short book report or essay as if you were the main character.