Feedback from 4MQS

I'm blushing a little bit here, but I taught my Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting seminar at NYU on Saturday, and I wanted to share some of the positive responses with you all. The point is that The Four Magic Questions of Screenwriting really helps the writing process, no matter what your writing level is. The next time I'll be teaching the Four Magic Questions will be at the Showbiz Cafe on October 28, at 19 West 21 Street, New York, NY.

Melissa wrote:

Marilyn, honestly I think your enthusiasm was the most important part of the class. Your energy is contagious! I also thought your method of teaching is very effective. You kept the class moving and very methodical without allowing tangential discussions. That is so helpful to someone who is new to this field like me. It is overwhelming as it is so your streamlining the relevant information is critical for someone at my level. Thank you again.

From Hari:

What your class gave me is a different way of looking at things I felt I may know.

The most basic thing being a character starting off with a DREAM. The word dream opened up far more to me than the mundane 'goal'. I don't know why- just did. Starting that- moving opposite (a2.2) and just building around from there shed a tremendous amount of light.

Interlopers Run Amok

If you are looking for story ideas for a rom com, who knew The Wall Street Journal could offer up potential plot pearls? This article about a man who wants to win a woman's race got my possibility meter racing. Where do you look for ideas?

Jonathan Mederos set a personal record in Disney's Princess Half Marathon last year, winning first place with a time of 1:16:17.

The reception he got was far from his personal best, though. "When I crossed the finish line, the announcers were silent, and I got downcast looks from the crowd," says Mr. Mederos, a 25-year-old high-school philosophy teacher in Miami.

That's what a guy gets for winning a women's race. As Rick Cordes took last year's Nike Women's Half Marathon, he slunk across the finish line, with a finger pressed to his lips, beseeching silence after having been heckled throughout the race.

Full article: Interlopers Run Amok: Guys Crash Road Race for Women

Student in Time & Newsweek!

Some writers are also handsome! My multi-talented student, Jeff, who was recently a finalist at a couple of major screenwriting competitions is now featured in both Time Magazine and Newsweek in a print ad by a major pharmaceutical company. When I asked him about the gig, he said, "The great thing about this kind of work is that you actually get paid what you're worth." Maybe all of us writers are in the wrong business!

Using the Bible as a Clue

In the current screenplay I'm consulting on, the main character dreams of a Bible verse and reads it when she wakes up -- it changes her life. In Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Lisbeth figures out that the first clue is not a list of phone numbers, but rather biblical references that describe the specific horror in a series of murders. 7even is another movie where the bible holds the key. How might you use the Bible in your story as a clue or prop that causes your characters to change?

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

I finally watched the Swedish version of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Two women are raped by and then kill their fathers. I was initially upset that 40 million people had read a book and/or seen a movie in which violence against women is shown so vividly, but realized that the story is actually a story of hope for women around the world, because both women successfully strike back and escape. Of course, it would be so much better if these sorts of things didn't happen in the first place.

Do you think that men would stop abusing women if they couldn't be sure that they wouldn't meet an equal force? Is giving women the same skills that men have the only solution to this history violence? I'm not sure but I will be thinking about it.

Let me know your thoughts.

Dance

Danced tango and Rhumba and hustle last night. Dancing is good for the soul. Of course I thought about what my main characters in my current project would dance -- one a hora, and the other, kundalini yoga improvisation. What dance would your character do?

London Screenwriting Festival

UK Film Industry Bounces Back at the London Screenwriters’ Festival

This year London is set to host the biggest screenwriting event in Europe as The London Screenwriters Festival makes its debut in October. The festival boasts a host of world famous speakers including Tim Bevan, Co-Chairman of Working Title, and the BBC’s Head Drama Commissioner, Ben Stephenson, and will draw in hundreds of screenwriters from across the globe.

The festival comes at a time when the UK film industry has suffered a series of losses. The demise of the UK Film Council has overshadowed the collapse of the New Producers Alliance and the end of the Cheltenham Screenwriters’ Festival as it goes into receivership.

Tim Bevan, Chairman of the UKFC, commented, “Scriptwriters and producers (and those who work with them) need a festival like this to share experiences and make sure that British scripts and films can compete in the global market.”
Dean Craig, screenwriter and director of DEATH AT A FUNERAL added, “I'm really excited to be a part of the London Screenwriters' Festival. It's vital that this resource exists for writers at any stage of their careers to develop their skills and contacts.... It's going to be like Cannes for writers, but without the sun and yachts.”

These comments come amid concerns that changes in industry funding and the effects of the recession will make it harder for screenwriters to get spec scripts produced.
Creative director of the festival and Oscar shortlisted film director, Chris Jones, commented, ‘With the emergence of new film technologies and the growing importance of online distribution, the number of film makers embarking on new projects has risen sharply over the last few years. Film making is increasingly being democratized. At the same time, the institutions that once supported the creative industries are collapsing around us. That is why we decided to create the London Screenwriting Festival to provide the invaluable support that writers need to turn their project into a reality. The London Screenwriters Festival is a vibrant, illuminating and forward thinking gathering of creative professionals.’

The three day event is taking place at Regents College in Regents Park, October 29th-31st 2010 and offers writer a series of seminars, workshops and events on film related subjects, including the chance for writers to pitch their screenplays directly to agents and producers.

Literary agent Julian Friedman commented, ‘Screenwriting is very often an isolated profession and the one thing holding many writers back , particularly in the UK, is a lack of industry contacts. The London Screenwriters Festival is a chance for writers to fully immerse themselves in the industry alongside many peers, whether you are an A-list writer or relative beginner. In a deep recession we all need to work hard to build relationships and stay abreast of industry developments so that we can find leads and niches which are relevant to our individual talents. The London Screenwriters’ Festival is designed to do this in spades.’

US born festival manager David Chamberlain adds, ‘We have been amazed at the support and help offered to writers by people at the top of the industry. With over 60 speakers in attendance, every single aspect of the screenwriting industry will be in discussion. From writing masterclasses to seminars on self-producing or pitching your screenplay, it’s truly fantastic to see so much advice and so many opportunities being offered to emerging writers.”

Tickets cost £299, with discounts available.

For more information or to request an interview contact:

Judy Goldberg
London Screenwriters Festival
PR@londonSWF.com
+44 (0)7850 122 370
http://www.londonscreenwritersfestival.com

Get an Agent with Circalit and the London Screenwriters’ Festival!

The London Screenwriters’ Festival have teamed up with Circalit to offer screenwriters a chance to get representation. Screenwriters are encouraged to enter the free competition at www.circalit.com. The winning writer will meet with a top London agent, get £100 and free tickets to the London Screenwriters’ Festival! The competition will be judged by the executive team at the London Screenwriters’ Festival and is free to enter. The deadline for submissions is October 15th.

Creative director of the festival and Oscar shortlisted film director Chris Jones commented, “We’re very excited about this competition with Circalit. Circalit’s unique style of competitions don’t just give writers the chance to win prizes, but also to share their work, gain valuable feedback and make industry connections. Circalit are doing the screenwriting community a great service with their free online social network and we’re very pleased to be able to do a competition with them.”

For more information or to enter your script please visit www.circalit.com

Press Contact

Robert Tucker
www.circalit.com
press@circalit.com
+44 (0)7790 054 721
http://www.facebook.com/Circalit

http://twitter.com/circalit

Fall Classes at the Horowitz Center for Screenwriting

The seasons are changing, and it's time to begin thinking about Fall classes at the Horowitz Center for Screenwriting. I am so excited that classes are beginning, and I hope all of you who have been thinking about writing a screenplay will take the plunge and get it done! Our motto is, "Don't Get It Right, Get It Written!" and I invite you to fulfill a dream.

Our Fall class list includes:

Don't Get It Right, Get It Written!:

Don't Get It Right, Get It Written! If you are thinking of writing a screenplay this fall, this class will teach you to how to get that million dollar script out of your head and onto the page. After 9 weeks, Marilyn will read each student's script and meet one-on-one for a detailed, 30-minute story conference.

This class is limited to 10 students. Cost includes nine sessions, workbook, and one-on-one conference. For more information, including course dates and times, please visit our website.

Finish Your Script:

Get across the finish line with this advanced class. Whether you've got a polished first draft, or a project that's been "sitting on the shelf," this class can help. After 9 weeks, Marilyn will read each student's script and meet one-on-one for a detailed, 30-minute story conference.

This class is limited to 10 students, and only 4 spaces are currently remaining. Cost includes nine sessions, workbook, and one-on-one conference. For more information, including course dates and times, please visit our website.

Structuring a Novel:

This intensive writing course takes students from story idea to outline of a full-length novel in 10 weeks or less. Students must come to the first session with at least a one-page story idea, and are expected to write 10 to 15 pages per week to develop it. The final two weeks of the course are reserved for individual conferences with Marilyn.

This class is limited to 10 students. Cost includes nine sessions, workbook, and one-on-one conference. For more information, including course dates and times, please visit our website.

We hope you will consider investing in your dream!

Good luck and happy writing.