Write your Screenplay!

It’s been said that everyone has a screenplay in them. In Southern California it’s standard procedure to have a literary agent pitching a screenplay in Hollywood, at all times. But, just writing a screenplay isn’t enough. You must write it right. Film audiences are much more sophisticated, today, than they were in years past. Exposure to a broad venue of brilliantly written features has polished their observational skills, honing their perception of “story” to a place of refinement. Even kids can give a concise, point-by-point definition of why a movie is great or why it “stinks.”

What is that magic formula for success in film? It’s as close as your library or bookstore. The Writers Journey, Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler is one brilliant resource. It takes you through the Hero’s Journey, step-by-step, while describing how and when to introduce a host of support characters and villains. Story by Robert McKee, not only defines story structure but gives examples of screenplays that worked and didn’t work, so you can review them as part of your read. Write Screenplays that Sell, by Hal Ackerman, takes you from plot-point to plot-point, from inception through the inciting event, sharing professional secrets not taught in film schools. And, Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 is a brilliant synopsis of his internationally famous film class at UCLA. (He also hosts a screenwriting colony several times a year. Get info. by email at lew1@windstream.net) Hunter helped found the American Screenwriters Association and has been inducted into its Hall of Fame.

There you go. All the information you need to craft a brilliant screenplay is in these books. Read them and use their tips to fashion a screenplay that will “pop” on the silver screen!

Why Write?

For millennia people have written their thoughts, their hopes, their dreams onto parchment, paper and stone. From cave drawings to pictographs to encyclopedias, writing has chronicled both the hubris and the heart of mankind.

Why do you write? Have you thought about your motivation? Take a moment and put down the top seven reasons why you write at all. Is it to chronicle dreams, to promote business, to communicate feelings, to evaluate thoughts? Writing is an intimate act. When you write the invisible thoughts within become concrete and viewable.

What do you learn when reading the writings of others? What goals, truths or facts can be gleaned? Are you nourished by language? Does your mind broaden when exposed to fresh ideas?

Think about it.

Writing can remain a mundane daily task. Or, it can morph into a luminous act of brilliance and growth.

Why write?

The answer is as close as your pencil…

The Inner Game of Tennis (Writing)

Writing, like any other task, requires focus. Complete immersion in topic and storyline is essential to enable a writer to craft with skill and power. The book The Inner Game of Tennis by Gallwey, acts as a step-by-step guide in how to quiet your mind, let creativity flow and increase concentration. Using tennis as a format, Gallwey reviews the basics of controlling and guiding your mind.

“This is the game that takes place in the mind of the (writer). It is played against such obstacles as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt and self-condemnation. In short, it is played to overcome all habits of mind which inhibit excellence in performance.”

Have you wondered why your writing sometimes flows easily, but is wretchedly difficult the very next day? Do you experience external stress as an inhibiting factor, leaching creativity and craftsmanship from your work? Think of your mind as the steering wheel that controls the direction of your writing. Controlling your mind is an “inner game” that can make the difference between mediocrity and excellence. Tolerance rather than judgment is one important element that leads to such excellence.

“When we plant a rose seed in the earth, we notice that it is small, but we do not criticize it as ‘rootless and stem-less.’ We treat it as a seed, giving it the water and nourishment required of a seed. When it first shoots up out of the earth, we don’t condemn it as immature or underdeveloped; nor do we criticize the buds for not being open when they appear. We stand in wonder at the process taking place and give the plant the care it needs at each stage of its development.”

This is good common sense. Unfortunately, such nurturing does not happen often in the experience of the writer. Insecure, competitive, jealous instructors, classmates and peers trample the tender shoots of our creativity almost before they breach our spiritual topsoil. Harsh or abusive feedback may be insisted upon at critique groups, during classes and by family members. One of my relatives, when reading something I composed in my teenage years, told me that it was “…much too gingerbready for adults. But, maybe you could write for children.”

Hmmm!

After hoisting my courage back up from the depths, I wrote a short story and submitted it to a tri-state competition, slated to be judged by the professor of an elite college on the east coast. In red ink, the judge wrote the following on my entry. “You should read lots and lots of books and magazines before ever attempting to write, again!” Afterward, I was told that this professor sat down with several bottles of wine in front of his fireplace and took great joy, while judging, in “putting blood in the envelopes” of each entrant.

This kind of vicious attack is not uncommon in other professions, but seems particularly rampant in the writing community. The Inner Game of Tennis teaches us how to “explore the limitless potential” within ourselves, how to allow the gracious flowering of talent without setbacks caused by the acidic pruning of the critic. “The unconscious mind hears everything and never forgets…” Review this wonderful book and the act of writing may rise more smoothly and more easily to mind and heart.

(Currently out-of-print but may be ordered in paperback or found at old bookstores).  

Brilliant Silver Linings

It’s been said that every cloud has a silver lining. This is especially true for writers. When something painful or exciting or piquant or unexpected happens in a writer’s life, instead of getting upset or distracted we can be creative. All is grist for our writerly mill.

For example, an anonymous writer said, “I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, ‘Where's the self-help section?’ She replied, ‘If I told you, it would defeat the purpose.’” This writer could have gone away grumpy. Instead, he related the event as a humorous anecdote.

A quote from Dali Lama also illustrates this idea. “Remember that not getting what you want,” he said, “is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.”

Sharing our good luck can set us up to enjoy our own silver linings more enthusiastically. For example, last week, I decided to share a silver lining of my day by dropping “lucky” pennies in the parking lot of a well-known store. It began when I got out of my car and saw a handful of change next to my foot. It was impossible to track down and return it to its owner, so I picked up four bright shiny pennies and tucked one in my change purse…for luck! Then, I dropped a shiny penny next to the rear bumper of my car, dropped another one halfway across the gap between the parking lot and the doorway, and the last penny just in front of the doorway, itself.

It’s not often that we get to observe the results of our efforts, either great or small, but that day I did. On my way into the store, a four-year-old boy ran up and grabbed the bright penny that I had dropped near my car. He jumped around and thoroughly enjoyed himself, rejoicing in that lucky penny. On my way out of the store, I saw a ninety-year old using a walker stop, stoop down and pick-up the shiny penny I had dropped halfway across the roadway in front of the store. He grinned, sheepishly, as he tucked it into his pocket. The third penny was still glittering on the pavement just outside the store entrance when I drove away.

My point? It doesn’t cost much to find and share a silver lining. Silver linings can be as available as a little pocket change, as free as a sunset. At the end of the day, count your silver linings. It may surprise you what creative tales they bring to mind.

Keys to Great Writing

Although many people write for a living and many more love to write as a hobby, great writing is as rare as hen’s teeth. Great writing is genuine, clear and moving. It can be written in many styles, yet has deep universal impact. Whether expressed through poetry, fiction or non-fiction, great writing sears itself into the memory, often moving the reader to act or change.

Keys to great writing are simple yet challenging.

First, the passion behind the topic must be genuine and deep. Blake said he would “…sooner strangle an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.” Deep desires are the mystic touchstones on which great writing is founded. Act on yours. Let yourself feel the passion so common in childhood that has been slowly walled up behind adult responsibilities and daily cares, then express them. Like putting your hand on a beating heart, this passion will move you, as well as your readers.

Second, unbridle your imagination. Flaubert said, “It’s a delicious thing to write. To be no longer yourself, but move in an entire universe of your own creating.” Immersing yourself in imagination is both empowering and addicting. Imagination, like blood, carries life into your writing. Instead of sterile, predictable phrases, you pen words of fire and tales that are brilliant and luminous. Imagination creates atmosphere and purpose that lifts readers above the mundane.

Third, make it personal. When you express truths in your writing that touch you, they will also touch others. Brenda Euland said, “…all people have in them this power to write greatly and well, when they express freely and carelessly what is true to them.” What is true to you? What is the nutritive base in which your life takes root? Open your heart to the unconscious power of what moves you, personally. This is a vital element of great writing.

Finally, embrace the act of writing. Simply write. Every day, write. Open your heart and pick up your pen. Put words on paper, however ordinary those words and phrases. Only by writing, regularly, devotedly, can we develop the invisible muscles of our inward art. As we write, eventually and irrevocably, our writing becomes better. So, write! Write at the grocery store while waiting in the checkout line. Write at the stop light, while waiting for the light to change. Write during each and every boring, formerly wasted moment, on a scrap of paper or in a little note pad. You will be shocked at the end of the day at what gems you have penned. It is these gems, lit by the fire of truth, that will make your writing great! 

Writing Down the Bones

Rarely we discover a book about the craft of writing that shines. Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg, is such a book. Like a ray of brilliance, the text parts the murk of boring and repetitive trade manuals on writing, and introduces readers to the rarified air of hard won knowledge. It’s refreshing to read and enlightening to understand.

“Like a white snail, the toilet slides into the living room, demanding to be loved,” Goldberg writes, quoting a reading. “…In the book of the heart, there is no mention made of plumbing…The toilet slides out of the living room, like a white snail, flushing with grief.”

The humor and originality of this quote discomfits readers while stirring their humor. And, where is the creative lodestone awaiting our touch to shed its magic onto the page? It can be a simple as relaxing, as genuine as a catnap in a patch of sunlight.

“…without thinking, begin to write…” she continues. “This means letting go and allowing the elm in your front yard to pick itself up and walk over to Iowa. Try for good, strong first sentences…play around. Dive into absurdity and write!”

Every writer is a budding writer, whether their works have been published or never seen the light of day. In Writing Down the Bones we experience the childlike awe that led us to believe that a knight could ride down the lane at noon or a monster crawl out of the closet at midnight.

“Writing is 90% listening,” Goldberg states. “You listen so deeply to the space around you that it fills you, and when you write, it pours out of you. If you can capture that reality around you, you need nothing else.”

How often, instead of listening to the space that surrounds us, do we beat ourselves against the polished text of the masters? When did they come up with that opening line? How did that exquisite meter evolve? What did they do to create such matchless rhythm and symmetry? The answer to these urgent questions may be as simple as relaxing, listening and letting the muse within express in its own unique way.

“So while we are busy writing, all the burning life we are eager to express should come out of a place of peace,” she concludes. “…someplace in us should know the utter simplicity of saying what we feel.”

Relax into writing. Rejoice into writing. Refresh yourself through writing. Leave all judgment, critiquing, fearful anticipation and comparison behind. Let the wellspring of creation, alive in children and Spring and stars, pour out of you. As you do, you will taste the joy of…writing down the bones!

Your Writing Room

Everyone needs a writing room, a special place that nurtures creative endeavors. Your room will reflect your personality, but should also include, 1) An ambiance that helps you create, 2) Soothing colors and sounds.

Start with your ambiance. Do you like to be surrounded by sound and activity when writing? If so, your writing room could be the kitchen. In between meals, family members still congregate in the kitchen. It is a place not just for eating but for whispering secrets and sharing the trials of the day. If you are inspired by this kind of ambiance, set up your writing computer or station in the kitchen, or in at local coffee shop. The diversity of a constant stream of varied personalities and their interactions can inspire your creative efforts.

Does your ideal ambiance include a window? For some writers a view is essential to the writing process. To others it is a distraction, a prospect of visual cues that constantly derails their writing process. Personally, I love a view, but a view from the second floor. As long as the window is not directly behind my computer, a view is refreshing, especially when not invaded by noisy passersby.

Next, make sure that your room has colors that harmonize with your personality. Deep creams and jewel tones are my favorites. My room has cream-colored walls, with jewel toned tiffany lamps and a soft-toned tapestry. A forest green-and-gold runner, combined with cherry wood furniture completes my ideal writing retreat. Yet, this room is very small…even tiny. You don’t need a large room to write in, just an appealing one.

Every writing room should have a current dictionary, thesaurus, and Writers Market. Other favorite resources (which I draw upon regularly) include, Six Figure Freelancing by Kelly James-Enger, Eats Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, The Writers Essential Tackle-Box by Lynn Price and If You Want to Write by Brenda Ueland. Inspiring fictional works also empower my vocabulary, so favorite paperbacks also have an important place on my writing room shelves…these range from Fruitflesh by Gayle Brandeis to Ariel by Steven R. Boyett, from the Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, vol. 2, edited by George Mann, to Mystic Quest by Tracy & Laura Hickman. When my mind is fatigued picking up one of these books can renew my creativity and re-sharpen my focus.

 Shelves and files support your writing efforts with an organized system. However, I make sure that everything that could distract is neatly tucked into a drawer. No hanging wires or messy papers for me! That would just drive me into a cleaning frenzy, which would distract from my writing time. So determine what supports you, what appeals to you and what inspires you. Your writing room can be an Eden, as long as you include what you want and need.

           

Relax into the Joy of Writing

In my experience, criticism is commonplace while sincere compliments are rare for a professional writer. So, what does a writer do to fill up his or her bucket with confidence? Remember that writing is its own reward. The act of writing feeds and fills the soul. It is a form of self-expression that requires bravery, commitment and endurance. Notice that I did not say talent! Although there are many talented writers in the world, many less-than-talented writers see their works in print due to sheer gutsy determination. In point of fact, that’s where most of us start! 

Connect with your inner muse by thinking about something that you would love to write about, and then erase everything else from your mind. Put your brain on idle. Lean back, close your eyes and let your fingers drop the pencil onto the notepad in your lap. As you do, a rush of events, ideas, dialogue and actions will stream into your consciousness. When this happens, it’s easy to act as a creative scribe. Pretend you’re at the movies, that you’re watching images from a great film flicker across the screen. Write down everything. This is the best way, the easiest way, to write!

“All my life,” Anne Lamott said, “I’ve felt that there was something magical about people who could get into other people’s mind and skin, who could take us back to ourselves. And…I still do!”

Let yourself relax and nurture your inner mind. Honest feelings, crisp prose and simple yet telling plotlines with pour out of you. Then, even if your work is not brilliant, it will ring true. Dialogue, character, plotline and conclusions will taste of universal feeling, possessing a “rightness” that would be missing otherwise. Tasting that sweetness is something every writer should experience.

The plain truth is that “Once upon a time…” is very, very real. Our lives are filled with “Once upon a time…” beginnings, middles and ends. If you want proof, just look out your kitchen window. You will see people rushing by in their cars, children playing with pets, utility trucks pulling up to disgorge repairmen. The warp and woof of everyday events makes marvelous backgrounds for poignant storytelling.

One of my dearest friends auditioned with me years ago. We were both selected to perform in the same musical, but she received many more parts than I did. She had a nice voice, but so did I. One day, I asked how she achieved her success. “Oh, I don’t wait for the director to assign my solos,” she said. “I decide which ones I want and go ask him to let me sing them.”

Sometimes the best thing we can do is ask the universe for what we want, then sit back and allow ourselves to receive!

Seven Deadly Sins

As with all creative endeavors, latitude is essential to support an original approach. But, there are certain things you don’t want to do as a writer, no matter how unique your craft.

1)         Don’t fake facts. This sounds like simple common sense, but in the heat of the creative moment it’s tempting to type into a book or article something discussed at the dinner table or over the water cooler. Every author should vet his or her research. Nor should statistics be passed over or dismissed. A solid understanding of your topic, including quotes from experts, will reflect well on you as an author, instead of undermining your work with shoddy or unproven guesswork.

2)         Never dismiss your competition. Get hands-on with the best selling authors in your chosen field. Read their work. Critique their top sellers. This knowledge paves the way to success by educating you in currently popular writing. And, since editors usually seek a fresh angle on the tried and true, this study may inspire a cutting edge approach that may raise your works above the ordinary.

3)         Don’t forget the hook. The best first line of defense for marketing success is the title of your book or article. This is where you plant your initial “hook” that attracts the reader. So, get really creative when brainstorming for a headline. Make it something so attractive that any reader must read the rest of the page. 

4)        Don’t fail to edit. Editing is probably the most valuable part of the writing process. It is the act of faceting the gem, of crafting the shape of thought with precision and brilliance. The recent movie Avatar is a great example of brilliant creative concepting and execution that fell short during the editing process. It really didn’t need to be almost three hours long. In fact, if the editor had cut more the movie would have had greater impact. Granted that this was a film not a book, still the same truth applies. Editing turns good writing into great writing. So, always remember to edit.

5)         Never procrastinate your start date. Do it, today. So what if you walk around in a sweaty T-shirt, yank your dinner out of the microwave or miss that episode of Boston Legal? We can’t do everything. Time is limited. Make sure that you write for at least five-minutes, today and every day!

6)         Don’t marry your monster. Many of us get married to an idea even before we start writing. Although the excitement of passionate connection with a concept is seductive, it can also be limiting. There may be a better angle, a fresher approach, a more fascinating tale to be told…but we will miss this completely without keeping an open mind. So, don’t set yourself up for a creative divorce! If your idea is engaging today, it will be entrancing tomorrow. Wait before you commit. It’s a proven formula for writing success.  

7)         Don’t forget to finish. Wherever you are on the spectrum of talent and skill, it won’t get you far if you don’t finish. Completing the project is the most essential part of the job. Look on the shelves, in the art galleries or even at the infomercials touting new inventions, like doggy bed heating pads. If these folks hadn’t finished their projects, they wouldn’t be bringing in the big bucks…and neither will you!

Muscle Up Your Reputation

Since childhood, I’ve dreamed of publishing a book. A wonderful book. A touching book. A book that would move hearts and change the world! My primary goal was to get the book on the shelf. Once the book was written and published, I assumed that everything would be hunky-dory, pie-in-the-sky, perfectly scrumptious, with a scoop of French vanilla on the side.

Oops! Another common misconception. Publishers don’t give a shucky-darn about your professional success, so you won’t get help there. As seasoned authors know, your future as a writer depends upon your reputation. The hard cold truth is that no one will get the word out about your book but you, and possibly some sympathetic friends and relatives. Here are a few tips to help both published and unpublished writers succeed!

1.     Get yourself some PR – You don’t have to be featured in an article, just mentioned. If you’ve won an award, donated your books to a charity, or done anything (including walking the back fence holding a book in each hand) call the editor of your local paper. This is hard to do, especially since most of us feel more comfortable hoarding our kind deeds and achievements in the shadows. But, you must act as your own PR specialist. So, get creative and get your name out there!

2.     Build name recognition – My sister, Roxy Haney, has written four unpublished novels. (Good for her!) Today, she is building name recognition by writing a weekly article for a small local paper. There is no money involved, but lots of people know her name. This is really smart thinking! When a writer brings a positive reputation to the table, publishers pay attention.

3.     Make public speaking part of your platform – You may not know much more than the next guy about any particular topic, but when you speak in public it’s assumed that you are an expert. Find local groups that need speakers and volunteer. Then, you can Google your chosen topic and become an expert before you step behind the podium. Just think how many more people will know about your book once you’ve given a knowledgeable, crackerjack talk.

4.     Submit your work to contests – Roxy Haney (am I proud of her or not?) submitted the first chapter of one of her novels to a contest and won first place! This looks really good on your resume. If the chicken and the egg problem of achievement vs. anonymity has stumped you in the past, go to the local library and write down some upcoming contests. You have a better chance of winning than you realize, and just might be surprised by your success!

5.     Take an active role in a local writing organization – Once you start giving to an organization that supports your writing dreams, good energy (as well as extraordinary contacts) flow your way. Nothing prepares you for success better than serving others. It’s like a bright candle on a hilltop, one that not only guides you toward achievement but inspires others, as well. Remember, if you give it away for a year, it will feed you for life!

Treasures from La Jolla

Whenever I attend a conference about writing, my creativity and spirit are strengthened and empowered. The La Jolla Writers Conference is a unique gathering of authors, agents and literary experts that "pay it forward," without remuneration. Here are a few highlights gleaned from their presentations.

“People get in trouble when they write not from what they believe and know, but from false or contrived perspectives. When you write a screenplay, ignore Hollywood trends. Write from your truth. Remember, our brains process visual media in the same way they process dreams. Build honesty into your script by remembering that all characters lie.”

Warren Lewis/Screenwriter

“Each character brings skills to the table, skills including social engineering or manipulation. Their appearances can disarm. Inner duality sets up conflict, beautifully. Weaknesses inspire lessons learned and, in heroes, can become strengths. When crafting characters, remember that Ted Bundy worked at a suicide hotline and refused to steal cars that were uninsured. Superman needs his kryptonite.”

Lisa Gardner/Author

“I always think that what I write is rubbish. Even today, I feel my editors have been conned by my first eleven books and will discover their mistake in book twelve! But, I want to tell you that the key to great writing is to write. Simply write. Write every day. Write through pain and into inspiration. Your test is just this…anyone can start a book, but few can finish it.”

Jane Green/Author

“We each have a distinctive style by what we choose and how we write. As a writer, I’m not teaching math or discussing natural law. Sloppy craftsmanship is discernable and technical. When you hear the typing as you read, it’s sloppy craftsmanship. Openings are important because they determine whether or not you get read. It’s your last chance to make a first impression. Transparency to the mind of the character is essential. Remember, all there is in a book is writing. Embed the details. Trust the reader. You get character through action. Plant details that keep your reader turning the page.”

Steven Boyett/Author 

“The difference between a published writer and an unpublished writer is one submission. Mastery of a skill usually takes at least 10,000 hours. How can you apply yourself to writing and cut straight to quality? Outlining moves your story forward. When you feel confident with the outline, your muse feels confident with the tale. The telling detail, specific and pertinent, makes the difference. Good enough isn’t good enough. Use all your powers. Write to please yourself, to satisfy your deep-seated urge to be great. If you do less, your writing will not satisfy.”

Mark Clementes/Author

“Get informed about the writing world. Make connections that link your character to significant world events. Make others think that their lives would be improved with your book and that they can’t live without your book. Then, your book will sell!”

Antoinette Kuritz/Literary Publicist

Learning from the best improves your knowledge and skills. More writers should attend conferences, like the La Jolla Writers Conference, where their best efforts are rewarded and their talents refined.

Your True Calling

My earliest memories reveal a fascination with language. Though this passion may have been inborn, I blame the local library. The Multnomah County Public Library, a magnificent three-story building composed of marble floors, granite walls and wrought stone pillars, was built in 1864 and is the oldest public library west of the Mississippi. During my youth, it housed, in addition to ceiling high shelves of books in echoing rooms, a series of open reference stacks. These mysterious, shadowed book aisles were so long that they narrowed toward far away pinpricks of light, like tunnel exits. Here, I happily lost myself in the touch of books, the scent of books, the magnetic pull of well written tales that entranced, as I dreamily drifted from aisle to aisle, with time, unfelt and unnoticed, washing past in an unseen tide. 

            Of course, my first love was a book.

            Was it Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates or The Wind in the Willows; A Little Princess or The Scarlet Pimpernel? No matter. I love them still, and their glorious adventures, humble or noble, still haunt my heart.

            Reading led to writing.

            The lure of writing was far more than the scent of freshly ground pencil lead or the almost painterly look of words on paper. Writing was, and still is, an unconscious, uncontrollable urge, like breathing. If I were to stop writing, I would suffer a very real kind of death. For, writing is my life’s work, my true calling.

             Does that mean I am not a real writer unless my name tops the New York Times Best Sellers List? Some writers believe that. They believe that reputation or publication or money determine wealth. I don’t. Real wealth is the act of writing, the experience of writing, the craft of writing that grows within the soul until it tingles down your fingertips, through your pen and onto the page. Whoever connects the value of writing with fame or fortune, is not a real writer.

            My passion for writing introduced me to the sterling members of the Southern California Writers Association. For the past six years, it has been my privilege to nurture writerly efforts by serving on The SCWA Board, as either the Vice President of Programming or the President, or both. I have received far more than I have given, for which I am grateful.

            Now, stepping out of the limelight, I share this counsel. Write! Write as if your life depended on it…because it does. Write as though generations unborn hunger for your words…because they do. Dismiss all dry, anxious doubts and write! Don’t write to please or provoke. Don’t write for profit or fame. Write to translate your inner fire into language. Write to share the tenderness native to your heart. Write to release your unique wellspring of creativity.

            Write for love…and, love to write!