Labor Day Holiday

Well, Rouge Wavers - the Wave-inatrix is signing off until next Tuesday, September 4th. I'm going on vacation. That's right - me, a mai tai and a slideshow of that time we went to Hawaii when I was in 5th grade. I jest. I'm not that pathetic. I'm actually going to stay home and read. I'm planning to start one book: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert and finish reading a book I haven't been able to put down: When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: a Memoir of Africa by Peter Godwin.

Do Rouge Wavers have any fun plans? Any movies lined up? I'll see everybody next week!

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Wave-O-Gram

Resource:
Yep, that's right, I am the last person in the world to discover and enjoy Absolute Write. Well, that's not exactly true. I've known of this resource for a long time but just haven't made the time to tool around the place. Until today. Wow, what an incredible resource. Any Wavers who have yet to stumble upon it, check Absolute Write out. Please note that I have joined the Absolute Write Blogroll and have reciprocated in kind by listing the AW Blogroll on the Rouge Wave. You'll see some promising blogs listed in the sidebar. Enjoy browsing!

Breaking News:
There are some nifty new doings over at The Script Whisperer which interested Rouge Wavers might enjoy. We have added some amazing readers, we now accept pdfs instead of hard copies and we accept credit cards as well. Not to mention not one but three new services. So heads up you industrious screenwriters.

Palate-Cleansing Non Sequitur
The Wave-inatrix has been ghost-writing a mystery/crime novel and having an absolute ball. The writer had written 25 chapters which I initially consulted on with respect to the narrative and character development. He liked my style and advice so much that he gave me free reign to just go ahead and ghost write every chapter. I've got 10 done and 15 to go. The story is already written - I just make it better; more exciting, smoother, sexier - that kind of stuff. What has been the most refreshing is enjoying exercising different writing muscles. I write prose - don't get me wrong - but not nearly as much as I write scripts. And mystery/crime novels aren't exactly my forte or interest. But I am discovering new sides of myself as a writer in doing this job, not to mention developing a new respect for the genre.

Make sure to write outside of the box, Rouge Wavers. It does a body good.

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Guest Blog: Winds of Change

Today the Rouge Wave presents a guest blog by my dear friend and colleague, Andrew Zinnes, co-author of The Documentary Film Maker's Handbook and teacher of the Documentary Film maker's Course in September here in Los Angeles. Recently, Andrew had a curious experience:

****

It is no secret that the film industry is in a huge state of change insofar as how movies are made. From shooting on HD instead of film to marketing executives figuring heavily in greenlight decisions instead of the sole studio magnate thumbs up or down, the industry is in a state of flux that hasn't been seen since Warner Brothers added sound to movies. But today, I saw what is perhaps the greatest single sign that the old is out and the new is in.

Recently, my manager sent over a script for my directing partner to review and it was bound with STAPLES. You read that right. No brass fasteners.

OMG!!! When I was an assistant I couldn't imagine how those little metal devices would take over my life. Brads (the d-word term for the fasteners) had to be thick enough so they wouldn't pop out when turning pages. They also had to be long enough, which was a challenge when compiling a 400 page manuscript. Some people liked two, some people liked three in their scripts. On Friday nights when copying the weekend read, I found myself on more than one occasion searching under desks and behind cabinets for that one more brad that would lock my work in place and then I could go home. And how many times did I cut my fingers on their sharp edges?

But now all of that could be a thing of the past. Assistants may just have to go CACHUNG, CACHUNG with one of those thick document staplers (or just let the copy machine do it) and finito! Could this be one more way that we are losing literal touch with filmmaking much like digital editing is all done on hard drives instead of actually cutting celluloid? Or is this just business finding a simpler, faster, more inexpensive way to do things? Probably a little of both, which I say as I dump out the old Tupperware dish on my desk that contains all the brads I've collected over the years. Had to, they were expensive!

The Wave-inatrx adds: Keep on using brads, Rouge Wavers. The use of giant staples may have been an anamoly; play it safe and go old school. For now.

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Logline vs. Premise Line

shecanfilmit asks a good question, apropos of Premise Line Testing, and that is what is the difference between a logline and a premise line. I have seen and heard really disparate opinions of the definitions and differences between the two but here is how I personally define the two:

Logline: an after-the-fact, very short description of your script. It's a very brief thumbnail, it ain't poetic, it's not really a big selling tool, it just nutshells the concept of your script very briefly.

Premise line: a tool for you, the writer, as you are developing your idea. Closer to two or even three sentences. Mentions the genre, main character, antagonist and crux of the conflict. When your script is done and your premise line is very sexy and defined, it actually can be a selling tool in a pitch meeting because it elaborates and articulates your story more than a log.

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Premise Testing

The Wave-inatrix was lucky enough to spend the entire day with a Rouge Waver and dear friend who'd flown all the way to Los Angeles from Toronto to participate in the Venice Film Festival. What a fun filled day! As we lunched at the Daily Grill on Hollywood Blvd. at the Kodak Theater, I shared something with my friend that she instantly wanted to jot down on her napkin and that is something I have shared before on the Rouge Wave - the idea of asking some questions of your brand-new premise to make sure it's sound. Kick the tires, in other words, before you get 38 pages in and start banging your head against the wall because your souffle is coming up flat.

Here is a worksheet I would recommend using for every premise you come up with. Simply fill it out in pencil and voila, watch the skeleton of your story come together.


Title:

Premise line:

Genre:

Hook:

Theme:

World (location/situation):

Main Character:
Wants/Needs
Flaw
Age/stage of life

Antagonist:
motivation/goals:

Set up or inciting incident:

1st act break event:

Midpoint reversal:

2nd act break event:

Ticking Clock:

Showdown or Climactic Scene:

How does this story fit into the current zeitgeist?

What age is the audience for this story idea?

What is universally resonant about this story?

Approximate Budget:

List Three Movies which are in ANY way similar:
When was each released?
What was the box office?

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Gearing up for Fall

Summer is winding down, Labor Day is in a week and the possibility of a WGA strike casts a shadow. Kids are going back to school, competitions are beginning to announce results and for some, the leaves might even be turning color. Here in LA the leaves have achieved that nice, crisp, end of summer dust coating. Ah, how I like to watch the seasons turn.

But Rouge Wavers, we cannot afford to get sentimental nor can we afford to conjecture or worry about a possible strike. What writers need to be doing right now is gearing up for Fall by reviewing your cache of writing material for scripts that you want to submit to the competitions next Spring. You heard me right. Because it ain't too early. Another competition season means another opportunity to get your work out there. Take some time to review the scripts you have in your arsenal or alternatively, have a look at what you're working on right now. Is it gonna be ready next spring? A writer's chances go up with the amount of material they generate.

We have had a lot of new Rouge Wavers lately - so this might be a good time to remind everybody about the potentially energizing and motivating idea of writing a personal mission statement. What are your goals as a writer in general? What are your goals for this coming year? This Fall? 2008? Sometimes simply articulating that you will find representation in 2008 can be the key to actually doing it.

Have a great weekend, everybody. And don't forget to make the Wave-inatrix proud and find time to write. Rouge Wave high-five.

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The Documentary Film Makers Course

Here's a pretty great opportunity for Rouge Wavers interested in documentary film making. My good friend Andy Zinnes, who along with his lovely wife Genevieve authored The Documentary Film Maker's Handbook is heading up a Documentary Film Maker's Course here in Los Angeles.

Here's the pertinent information:

The Documentary Film Makers Course
Price: $299 ($249 for Rouge Wave readers with code DOCDISCOUNT)

When: September 8-9, 2007, 10AM-6PM & October 13-14th, 2007 10AM-6PM

Where: The Heart Touch Project, 3400 Airport Avenue, Suite, #42, Santa Monica, CA 90405.
Go to www.hearttouch.org for directions. Free parking on both sides of the building.

For more info and to purchase the course go to Script-Tonic or call 310-941-2168.

Day One:
Concept - how to organize your thoughts and make them exciting to funders.
Finance - where and how to get those elusive $$$!
Legal & Business - how to protect yourself and not get screwed too badly.
Production - what to think about in the field .

Day Two:
Post - what to think about in the edit suite from organization to music.
Film Festivals - which ones are best and how to make the most out of them.
Standard and Alternative Marketing - how to get your film noticed.
Standard and Alternative Distribution - how to get your film sold and out there .
Living the filmmaker lifestyle - how to survive!
Workshop - pitch your project to get feedback or to help you work through specific problems.

Learn how to get your documentary MADE through practical advice in this intensive two day course by two working filmmakers, consultants and authors of The Documentary Film Makers Handbook, Genevieve Jolliffe and Andrew Zinnes!

Andrew and Genevieve’s work has been seen on MTV, PBS, Channel 4 UK and the BBC.

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Think Like an Editor or Executive

I got my start writing for pay over a decade ago by writing first person essays for small publications and online ezines (which at that time was still slightly novel). First person essays are a rough game to play. The pay isn’t that great – it ranges from unpaid work to maybe a few hundred bucks. And the prestige factor is nil unless you’re published in a pretty big, 4-color national periodical. You’d be surprised what prestige means in magazines. It’s not all Vanity Fair and The Nation and The New Yorker, my friends. The bread and butter periodicals are the ones you probably turn your nose up at. Good Housekeeping, Reader’s Digest, Ladies Home Journal, Parenting…the list is long. Writing for periodicals isn't easy; competition is intense, articles have to be ultra topical and the sheer volume of writing you have to continually be hawking is staggering. It takes a lot of elbow grease.

What I learned from the time I spent writing for periodicals is that editors read submissions constantly and because of that, do not get excited about great writing – rather they get excited about novelty. In other words, if you write an essay about say, how hard divorce is, or the cost of living in Southern California and how you think about moving to Nebraska or how after you had your first child you lost your sense of self – those types of essays go into the “bad egg” file. You know, the circular. The trash. The “we’ve given your submission serious consideration, however it is not for us at this time” file.

Now, an article about how disorienting divorce is written by a Wolverine catch-and-release game warden – that would be published in a New York minute. Why? Because that article has an angle. Or, as we would say in the movie business – a hook. Right? Aren’t you curious about Wolverine catch-and-release programs? Who does that??

I read an article in the New Yorker last week about mushroom pickers in the Cascade Mountains. Who does that?? It caught my eye because it’s so far out of my realm that it interested me. My time is at a premium. And I read a lot. So I want to read something new and different. Something that will enrich and interest me.

Thinking like an editor is something that you do every day. Because your time is at a premium. And you consume a lot of media in one form or another. So you want to read something new and different. And you make choices constantly: Which TV show to watch. Which catalogue to thumb through – and which one to toss. Which newspaper article to read. Which billboard to notice. Which magazine article to read. You choose every day based on your interests and based on the novelty and uniqueness of the choice.

So what’s the screenwriting tie-in?

Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. Learn to think like an editor – or a movie exec. Because their time is at a premium. And they read a lot. So they want something new and different.

Screenwriters can be a isolated at their desks with one script for months at a time. But executives have scripts all over their desks every day. And more arrive every day. Dozens, hundreds - stacks of scripts. So you need to stand out from those stacks. It might initially be the title of your script that is eye-catching and attention-getting. After that, it better be a unique premise, well executed. Learn to think the way executives or editors do. It could be exactly the advantage you need to get noticed.

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Ten Things About You

....I was blog-tagged again recently but was too busy to participate. You know those blog-tag games....you have to list 10 things about yourself that people might not know. It's actually kind of fun because it makes you think about yourself from the outside in. What do people not know about you? That you have a birthmark on your toe? That you have three tattoos? That you secretly like watching the airplanes land at the airport? That you identify with Daffy Duck and sing Carmen in the shower?

In what way do these seemingly random constellation of habits, quirks and personal identifiers come together to define you? Or do they?

Make a list of ten things most people don't know about you. Post them here on the Rouge Wave if you care to - and then do the same thing for a character you're currently working on. Don't think, just do it. Ten things about your character that nobody really knows about. These things probably won't appear in your script - but they might. They might just help flesh out and make your character more three-dimensional.

If this seems like a silly exercise, remember, probably the single most important skill that sets one script apart from another is the ability to write believable characters. If you have that skill set and no other - there's a tremendous amount of potential in you as a writer.

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What Does Your Script Want to Be When it Grows Up?

Sometimes I read a script and I just can't draw a bead on what kind of story it is at all. It has funny, violent, profane and poignant elements. I'm not talking about a sophisticated script like AMERICAN BEAUTY which had all of those elements, I'm talking about - oh, what's the metaphor? - lumpy cake batter. Where these disparate elements aren't working because it doesn't feel like the writer him or herself really knew exactly what this story wants to be.

If you're writing a script to produce yourself or to get indy funding for, then I encourage you, by all means, to write a complex, nuanced story with lots of interesting elements. Those are some of my favorite movies. But if you're writing your script to break in to the Hollywood mainstream - whether that means a competition or querying representation - your script does need to have a unity and connectedness on the pages. In other words, if you've got a PG-13 comedy, you really might rethink the beating the woman gets in the third act - with a pipe wrench. Rouge Wavers - am I kidding? Do I make this stuff up? No. I do not. That is a real example.

It's a good idea, as you're formulating your premise to be able to definitely articulate answer to these questions:

What genre is this script?
What rating would it get?
Who is the audience for this script?
Is this a Friday night opener or a Sunday matinee?
How would this story do with foreign audiences?
How does this story speak to the zeitgeist?

There are so many skills to learn when writing scripts. And you never stop learning. And so many elements to do and do well. Just don't forget one of the most elemental things - no, no, not just effing entertain me - which is okay probably THE most elemental thing - but don't forget to be clear with yourself: what, exactly, is this script? A comedy? Horror? Drama? R-rated? PG-13? What is the story you're telling? Be clear to yourself and it will be clear on the pages.

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My Visual Pitch

Rouge Wavers who haven't checked out My Visual Pitch are in for a treat; this revolutionary new website owned in part by my dear friend Susan, is an amazing opportunity for aspiring filmmakers. The featured visual pitches on the homepage are GREAT.

But it gets better - My Visual Pitch has just unveiled their list of 50 under $50 screenwriting resources. It's a fabulously helpful and informative list and all I'm saying is check out number 28 That's all I'm saying.

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The Painful Moments

Movies aren't about the dull times in life. Movies are about adventures, crises, turning points and change. Today the Mini-W started her first day as a freshman in a new high school. Where everybody already knows everybody else. Kid was white as a ghost but teenaged pride wouldn't allow her to articulate how she felt. How many of us read that last couple of sentences and were instantly transported to the feeling of teenaged angst and insecurity? For most of us, even if high school was long ago, the memory is keen. How about moving out of your folks place for the first time? Starting your first real job? Getting married? Or turning back the clock a little, the feeling of having your own car? Being invited to (or not) the prom?

Part of the reason it's so very hard to be a writer is that we tend to feel and remember these emotions more deeply than other people. It's why we write and it's why we write well. When people go to the movies, they go to experience these emotions vicariously. It's a safe place to work out the emotional kinks. Part of the reason that actors are often - let's face it - a little crazy is that they literally summon the emotions of the character in the moment. They feel angry, they feel frightened, they feel insecure. Actors become the character they are portraying and that means wrapping themselves in the experience.

Well, in order for writers to write a really effective painful moment in a script - we have to feel it too. Become your character as you write. Feel their pain, fear, joy or triumph. Tap into your own feelings from life experiences. It's the only way a painful or emotional moment in your script is going to read authentically.

I think we all wish the Mini-W well today. What are some of your favorite high-school movies? Have any Rouge Waves seen SUPERBAD?

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Just for a laugh

I saw this link on Done Deal and it's just so fun. Check out the Hollywood Action Movie Generator and see how frighteningly easy it is to spin the wheel and come up with just about every action movie you've ever seen.

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Learn the Craft

My dear friend Pilar Alessandra at On The Page is offering a wonderful class this fall called "Six Steps to a Screenplay". Take it from me, Pilar is an excellent teacher and wonderful person. Those Rouge Wavers living in the Los Angeles area who keep meaning to enroll in a class but who can't quite commit....this is the class for you. But Pilar's classes fill up very quickly so act fast:

Build your script from premise to pages in six weeks!

Thursdays: Sept 6 – Oct 18 (skipping September 27); 7-10pm.
and
Saturdays Sept 8 – Oct 20 (skipping September 29) 12-3pm.

The cost is $375 but get this - Rouge Wave readers get $50 off!

So check out Pilar's website today!

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Great Blog Resource for TV Writers

...So every once in awhile I check my site meter just to make sure my mom isn't the only Rouge Waver reader (hi mom!) and also look to see where Rouge Wave visitors are coming from. And today I noticed a reader who clicked over from a blog I was unfamiliar with. A short visit later, I was really impressed by this blog and wanted to share it with Rouge Waver readers, front and center. It's Running With My Eyes Closed and it is, as my good buddy Manolo the Shoeblogger would say, super fantastic! So add this gem to your daily reads you aspiring television writers!

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Got Ideas?

...or are you all out? Fresh out. Plumb out. Dried up. Uninspired. Kaput. Okay you get the point. When I taught a Learning Annex class a few weeks ago, I had my students do a really fun exercise. Everybody grabbed a section of newspaper and had ten minutes, with a partner, to browse their section and come up with a logline which included: a main character with a flaw, an antagonist, a central conflict and a genre. The results were actually spectacular. Of the ten partnered pairs, I'd say six had loglines that were absolutely worth developing further. And that was in ten minutes flat.

Sometimes it feels like nose-to-the-grindstone is quite literal when you're a writer. On and on you go working on the same project, becoming frustrated and even bored. Or sometimes too many ideas and projects beckon and you lose focus.

Part of the Writer's Survival Kit is to spread your writing energy out a little bit so that if you aren't working on the first act of your fantastic new horror script, you are taking a dialogue class online and when you aren't doing that, you're outlining your idea for a novel and when you aren't doing that you are always, always being observant and studying people and the weird things they do.

Yes, focus is important but try to avoid that lethal, silent, creativity killer - feeling bogged down and blocked. It creeps up on you and you don't realize it until it's too late. Keep that imagination fresh, playful and joyful as much as you can. Being a writer can feel like a curse sometimes - but it is also an enormous gift. So take your gift out to play each and every day.

Try the newspaper exercise just for fun, just to see if you can do it. Or the next time you're out at a Starbucks, look around at the others waiting in line. Can you come up with a logline based on what's going on right then? Keep those creative muscles moving. Ideas and inspiration are everywhere.

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The Ol' Ball and Chain

Are you wed to some of the elements in your story? And are you stuck because of it? Have you thought about throwing all rules and judgment and presupositions out the window (in other words, your darlings) and really shaking up your story a bit?

Elements in your script are moving parts; you are the writer so if suddenly your modern romcom becomes a Western action story - that's up to you. I know that sounds absurd but sometimes throwing out things you were wed to can invite in all sorts of fresh ideas. Don't let your script become a ball and chain - nobody says it HAS to be the genre it is. Or set where it is.

Here are some ideas to unstuck you when you're stuck.

Genre: read your premise aloud and suddenly imagine it's a:
Western
Science Fiction
RomCom
Psychological Thriller
Horror

Does imagining your story as a different genre suddenly suggest new directions in the premise? Does it make it more original or compelling? It might.

Time Period: Why does your story take place in the present? What about:
The Civil War
The 1950s, 60s or 70s
The Gilded Age
The near future
The distant future

Does setting the story during a different era help you imagine different obstacles and creative choices?

Location: Instead of where the story is currently set how about:
Mississippi
Alaska
Manhattan
South Dakota
Europe
The Bahamas
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Maine
Mexico

Does a different backdrop make you think of setpieces and scenes that you wouldn't have before? How about ancillary characters or even your antagonist? People are pretty different in Alaska than in Mississippi. Think of the local customs, rituals and traditions of each different setting. Can you exploit them?

Dramatic Backdrop: What happened right before or right after your story began?
Is this a romcom set three days before the 1986 World Series in which Bill Buckner blew it?
Is this one week before Katrina? Or a week after?
How about the assassination of JFK?
Would a natural disaster in a far away country affect your main character's choices or moods? How about if they had been in the Peace Corps in that particular country?
What if the Olympics are about to start? Winter or Summer? Is it on the tv in the background of your story? Or is your character hoping to go? Are there sports metaphors you can use?
Does an impending presidential election fill the airwaves with campaign speeches and billboards?

Narrative: Are you being too traditional in your storyline?
Is the end of your story actually the beginning?
Should you tell your narrative in order or mix it up?
Is the middle the end?
Does the whole thing start too early? Or too late?
Is there a different way in to this story?
Is this story actually more interesting told from the POV of the antagonist?

Character: Is your main character really that compelling?
Is your main character the opposite gender? Try it out. Make her a him.
Is your main character ten years older or younger?
Married rather than single? Divorced and not married?
Is your main character a different race or religion than you currently have on the page?
How would that change their point of view, actions and judgments?
Would things get way more compelling if your main character were your antagonist?
What if your antagonist is really your main character? Try it out. Think about it.

In other words, shifting genre, main characters, time periods and events surrounding your story can suddenly shed new light. Don’t be afraid to click different elements in and out of place. I have literally seen writers emerge from a brainstorming session completely excited because when they did this exercise they suddenly got it –the thing that was missing – because they were able to throw everything out the window and just spitball their story and characters until something that had never occurred to them before suddenly made perfect sense.

So if you’re stuck, roll up your sleeves, take a deep breath and simply mess with your story. Ask it all kinds of questions. Go big. And you might just find the solution – and inspiration – to get you unstuck. Do it with a sense of playfulness because never forget, Wavers, this is supposed to be fun. We’re making up stories here, people, not solving prison over-crowding. So let loose with that imagination – don’t be backed into a corner because you won't give yourself permission to change up some of the elements in your story.

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Unicorns

Apropos of nothing, here's something that gave the Wave-inatrix a much-needed chuckle today:

Unicorns are better than cats because....

Unicorns can be trained, whereas you could never in a million years train a cat to fly you to a magical fantasy land on its back.

For more fun McSweeney's Lists

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Don't Forget the Blueprint

Every writer has their own unique trajectory and approach. Some writers write two or three or six scripts and then decide to take a class or read a screenwriting book. Others take classes concurrent with writing their scripts. Some never read a book or take a class at all, thinking themselves natural geniuses.

Here's the thing. I talk to writers every day, whether on the phone or in my notes, about every element of a script. Character, dialogue, structure, storyline and premise. And I'll be honest - for some newer writers in-depth discussion of these elements outside of their particular story is new and difficult to grasp. And they think that a discussion of character from an academic point of view is esoteric; what they really want to know is how to make George more "likeable". Or that a discussion of stakes and motivation in the storyline is b-o-r-i-n-g when they really want to know how to "just make it bigger".

This is the point at which newer writers - and I stress that because more experienced writers already know this - need to step back from their particular story and study up on the element at hand. Because looking at the micro-view and making quick fixes is like slapping spackle on a wall that is already crumbling. You need to understand the architecture inside the wall rather than just spackling and painting it til it crumbles. George will not only be no more likable, he'll be a mess. And worse - with each successive script, you will be no better a writer.

How do I know this? Because I've done it myself. Don't be so impatient to just make your script better. There's no magic solution. Slow down, take a deep breath and endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of the way character works in general. Or structure. Or writing a great premise.

A house crumbling from within will never stand, no matter how much spackle you use.

Here are some of the books I recommend to clients:

Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach by Paul Joseph Gulino
Inside Story: The Power of the Transformative Arc by Dara Marks
Story: Robert McKee
Save the Cat: Blake Snyder
Backwards & Forwards: David Ball
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

(microphone feedback) Paging MovieQuill! (crackle) Moviequill please make your way to the podium to collect your prize! (echo)

A $25 gift certificate for either the Landmark Theaters, AMC or California Pizza Kitchen (winner's choice) and 25% discount on any Script Whisperer service (you must take advantage by August 31st).

Congratulations MovieQuill and to both other finalists - that was a real horserace for awhile there! Thank you to all Rouge Wavers who participted - the creativity, humor and sheer imagination in the submissions was really a joy to see. Thank you to the many Rouge Wavers who took the time to vote. If everybody had fun, we shall do it again sometime. Sometimes it's fun to have a windsprint that has nothing to do with Austin or Nicholls or managers or Hollywood at all. It's just for the joy of writing. Thank you everyone!

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UCLA Extension Writers Faire

Just a quick announcement or reminder for those Rouge Wavers living in the Southern California area, that on September 9th at UCLA, Extension is holding their annual Writer's Faire. It's a really fun event, I've gone many times.

What is the Wave-inatrix always harping on? Network. Network, network, network. There are these fun mini-classes and lots of people milling around, there will be booths there where you can learn more about the WGA for example - if you're in the area - it's a really good idea to go and rub elbows with the writing community.

Here are the particulars:

Sunday, September 9, 2007: 11 am-3 pm
UCLA Campus: Young Hall Courtyard
Admission is free. Parking on campus in Lot 2 is $8.

Join us for our eighth annual Writers Faire. This whirlwind event includes 24 free mini-panels and lectures, where you can hear your favorite instructors/writers in lively discussions about the art, craft, business, and life of writing. Learn more about Los Angeles area MFA programs. Meet and mingle with 15 professional and community organizations. Whether you are interested in writing for film and television, fiction writing, creative nonfiction, poetry, writing for the youth market, playwriting, or publishing, come and hear more than 70 professional writers share their insights, tips, and know-how.

Learn more about UCLA Extension Writer's Program!

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Another Great Question

Our very own Rouge Waver of the Month, Geena writes:

...of the five areas Premise, Structure, Storyline, Character, Dialogue, which do you think is the biggest shortcoming for a new screenwriter? I'll guess and say storyline - structure. I think most of us come up with a decent ideas, then fail getting substance and flow to our stories.

Actually, Geena, total newbie writers tend to fall down in both areas and primarily in premise. Most new writers do not have the tools to test whether their premise is unique, original, compelling entertainment. Well - let me rephrase that - they either don't have the tools to test the premise or they just can't imagine that their idea would NOT be entertaining to someone else. So you get these self-referential, navel-gazing stories about coming of age or partying or the girl who falls for the rock star.

Most premises from new writers are too small and too "soft". Remember, last week when I included two "vague dramas" in what I had read that week? I see TONS of those. Just sort of soft, vague stories with few exciting or memorable moments because the whole idea is just not that compelling. It's not enough to sustain a three-act feature film. Writers get an idea that is actually more a situation than a premise which suggests enough entertaining conflict to draw out over 100+ pages. And it follows that if your premise is weak, no structure in the world can save it.

Geena had another question:

...also I come across mixed comments on dialogue. The keep it four lines max [rule]. But then folks who want the whole grammatical sentence in there, like " I am never going to return to that cave again", and I get jumped for this "Not going back --" as being on the nose.

I've never heard specifically to limit dialogue to four lines but yes, you do want to avoid big chunks of dialogue. It gets tedious to read, it loses that kinetic quality of the cinema and it can also be an exposition trap for the writer. As for full, grammatical sentences - that sounds crazy to me. The character should speak in the way that is totally natural and organic for them! Just bear in mind that writers, especially screenwriters, are always looking for the perfect mixture of economy and impact - whether that's in dialogue, action lines or anywhere else.

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The Ratings System

Screen Scribe asked a good question apropos of my last post:

...how does one know when a script is right or wrong, good or bad, well written or poorly drafted? Is it simply a matter of reading said script and coming to the realization or do you have guidelines that must be met in order to fill all of the required qualifications?

Readers judge scripts for PASS or CONSIDER based on ratings in five areas:

Premise: Is it original, compelling, entertaining?

Structure: Is it technically correct but more importantly, is it effective?

Storyline: Is the way the story is being told working for this story? How's the pacing? Was it confusing or muddled?

Character: Were the characters memorable and three-dimensional?

Dialogue: Was it organic sounding and well written?

After we fill out the grid with "fair" "good" or "excellent" for each element, we write about 1 1/2 pages of notes (depending on the prodco, some like more) and a synopsis. In our notes we say something (anything) nice then list the elements that are or are not working that justify the fact that this is a PASS or CONSIDER.

Then we write about one paragraph about each element and further backup our opinion with examples and comments. We don't say anything about how it could improve or be better, we just lay out why it's not working as a whole and/or why it won't work for this particular production company.

Obviously, notes for consulting clients dig much deeper into the how and why the script is troubled and seeks solutions. Writing coverage for production companies isn't that difficult because you don't have to put too much thought into it, you just look for certain qualities and rate them. Rarely - RARELY - have I ever really been on the fence about a PASS versus a CONSIDER. It's usually pretty obvious. And if the exec who reads my coverage simply doesn't get inspired by the logline, that's not my problem, I've already done my job.

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End of a Long Week

Another week winds down for the Wave-inatrix. My recycling bin is full to overflowing with scripts; I read five scripts from Monday morning until late Friday afternoon. One children's animated adventue, one action adventure, one science fiction and two vague dramas. That's approximately fifteen pages of notes and 20 hours of my time. Not a bad schedule this week. Sometimes I read closer to eight scripts. That's a bit too much, I find. When a production company asks for coverage though, you don't really have a choice. Unless you don't care if they drop you from the team which is what happens if you don't take assignments.

About half my work this week was private clientele, actually. Which I much prefer because those notes I put my heart into. If I don't know the writer from Adam because it's for a production company, well, I'll be honest, I time myself and I try to be efficient. I just want to get through it. PASS or CONSIDER - that's the bottom line.

That's why I started doing this privately. I care more. I guess that shows because Script Whisperer clients call me just to say hello sometimes and tell me how they're doing. I've gotten cases of wine, flowers, lucky plants and E-cards. Oh and a boomerang and tea towel from Oz once.

At the end of a long week of reading scripts, my desk is covered with brads, highlighters, pencils and post-its. Those are the tools of my trade. I pull out the brads first, lay the title page face up for over-all notes as I read through, and start reading. I highlight anything I think is either egregiously wrong or really really wonderful. I scribble pencil notes in the margin. When I'm done, I straighten out the whole script and pull all the pages with notes, reorder them and then write my notes, pulling pages for examples as I go.

I am amazed at my memory. Sometimes a script and writer will return to me after several weeks and yes - I remember the title, I remember the story. There are certain scripts I've read at production companies that really stuck with me. Books too. It's a strange sensation when you see a movie trailer and it s-l-o-w-ly dawns on you that you read that script three years ago. Oh yeaaaaaah!

And at the end of another long week of script reading I realize I already have next week completely booked too. Hey, it's a living, and one the Wave-inatrix is extremely grateful for. How many people pay their way by reading stories all day? It's a pretty cool job.

Have a lovely weekend, Rouge Wavers and remember to vote for the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Competition if you haven't already. This has been a real nailbiter!

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Malapropalooza

That's right, Rouge Wavers, it's that time. I have again collected a small sampling of my favorite belly-laugh malapropisms. I have a special glass jar where I plunk them when I find them and save them just for you. It's just a short list this time. Oh, but such a good one:

Polished to a “I”.

A mop has gathered to watch the stoning.

Our time is neigh.

A medic sows up his leg.

You loose, I win.

The crowd clams down.

Sigmund approaches the Maiterde.

A gigantic blue portly fish bodied bird faced creature flew by.

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Quik-E-Structure Check

Well, the voting on the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot competition has been highly entertaining to watch! Our 3 finalists must be biting their nails watching the percentages go up and down!

I thought I'd take this opportunity to give Wavers a quick way to check under the hood to see if the structure of your script is solid. So put on your grease-stained jumper, stick your wrench in your backpocket, turn your hat sideways and let's put your script up on the rack:

Take your script and turn to page 10. Write down any significant event that occurred thereabouts (two pages before or after is okay too)

Go to page 30 and do it again. Again, you are looking for a significant event.

Go to page 50 and do likewise, and then again at page 75ish.

Now look at the events you wrote down. They should be the most significant turning points, reversals and complications in your story - upon which the entire plot turns. You should be able to look at these events separately, without the window dressing of the scenes in-between. And they should still work from a bird's eye view of your script.

Well - how do the events you wrote down look? Pretty exciting? Does each one hinge on the last? Are the events causal, compelling and escalating in nature?

Sometimes when your script has made it into the "maybe" pile at a competition, a judge will glimpse at the synopsis of the prior reader and simply thumb through your script - to those significant act breaks, looking for exciting set pieces and turning points. Believe it or not - I've seen this done. One competition called it "the page 50 test".

So go on ahead and test your own script by checking these turning point pages. See anything good?

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For Your Consideration: The Top 3 Whiskey Tango Foxtrotters

Well Rouge Wavers, it's the day we've all been waiting for. The top 3 finalists in the Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot Competition. The Wave-inatrix received over two dozen submissions so the judging was tough. I want to thank everybody who participated! Now pay careful attention because here's how we're going to vote: See over to your right? On the sidebar? Click there for the title of the half-page scene you most enjoyed and which most embodied the creative joie d' vivre that the Wave-inatrix holds so very dear. And so, without further adieu, read on, dear Wavers:

FINALIST NUMBER ONE:

SOUPER TROOPER
by
Bernadette Rivero

INT. CAN OF SOUP - DAY
A commercial film crew preps for a shoot inside a three-story tall CAN OF SOUP. Nearby, a heavy-set CLIENT paces nervously.

Not-so-gently fading actress BLANCHE DESMOND - 60’s, whiskeyvoiced - perches on a diving board high above a pool of tomato bisque. Blanche brushes off nervous makeup assistant HONEY as the girl gamely tries to layer pancake makeup onto her weathered face.

BLANCHE
Get that spackle off of me. I
couldn’t care less how I look on
camera -- just like I couldn’t give
a shit about this soup if I
squeezed all night.

Honey GASPS, takes a step back and trips off of the diving board. One leg inadvertently HOOKS BLANCHE’S FOOT, pulling the old woman into the opaque bisque with her. A messy liquid tango results as the two women claw at each other. The crew is too stunned to move. Eventually, two bodies float to the surface of the soup -- both of them face-down.

THE CLIENT
(nervously)
Foxtrot, did you get that on film?

FOXTROT, the director, shakes his head “no.”

The client mops his forehead, breathing a SIGH OF RELIEF.

FINALIST NUMBER TWO:

JUNIPER
By
Jenny Thomas

INT. MANSION - BEDROOM - DAY
Yellowed newspaper clippings cover every wall, touting the career of JUNIPER LEWIS. From child star to superstar.

A foxtrot crackles from a record player.

Juniper (70s) sprawls in bed. An oxygen mask secured against her mouth. She takes labored breaths. She pulls the mask aside, applies a deep red lipstick over her thin lips.

The song switches to a tango. A YOUNG MAID wanders in with a cup of tea. She draws open the curtains. Flips on the television.

Juniper reaches under her pillow, pulls out a small whiskey bottle, adds a dash to her tea.

ON TELEVISION
Black and white footage. YOUNG JUNIPER (10) sits at a table with a bowl of soup.

YOUNG JUNIPER
Have you had your soup today?
Campbell’s of course!

Young Juniper backtracks. Skips into frame. Sits at a table. Slurps her soup. Over and over and over again.

FINALIST NUMBER THREE:

ALPHABETTIOS
by
The Moviequill

INT. DRESSING ROOM - DAY
Glossy 8X10s taped to a makeup mirror: publicity stills, vintage black and white movie scenes. The happy and vivacious STARLET in the photos looks to be in her 20s.

A wrinkled face stares back from the makeup mirror. SANDI CARUTHERS, 70, the same actress from the photos now in her waning years. No smile. The twinkle in her eyes long gone. Sandi takes a healthy sip from a whiskey glass, puts it down and picks up a makeup pad. She applies white powder to her face, totally whitening it out.

Vintage latin jazz MUSIC suddenly drifts in from another room. Sandi smiles as she finishes a layer of makeup. She stands and turns away from the mirror.

Sandi is dressed in an oversized fat suit made to look like the letter W. She begins a tango to the beat of the music.

A KNOCK on the door and a PAGE enters carrying a clipboard.

PAGE
Ten minutes, Sandi.

SANDI
It’s Miss Caruthers, sonny.

PAGE
Sorry. Is that a foxtrot? I think
I saw my Grandma do that at the
home once.

Sandi stops and glares at the Page. Wobbles.

SANDI
You wouldn’t know a foxtrot if it
bit you on your diaper rash...
(begins to foxtrot)
This is a foxtrot!

The Page rolls his eyes, shuffles his feet.

PAGE
I thought we were going to go over
your lines?

SANDI
I’m an Alphabettio in a goddamn can
of soup. I don’t have lines.

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Deadline Looms

ONE HOUR LEFT TO SUBMIT!

The Whiskey Tango Foxtrot competition deadline is 5pm Pacific Time - sorry for you Wavers in different time zones. I have received over two dozens entries and the competition looks stiff. Remember, the Wave-inatrix will post the top three submissions and Wavers will be the final judge. I think we all remember the super fabulous prizes.

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Good Question

A loyal Rouge Waver sent me a question today that many of us wonder about - even those of us already living in Los Angeles. And here's the question:

Do you think it is imperative that a screenwriter live in Los Angeles, or is it possible to function as a successful screenwriter in another state without having to relocate?

In my opinion, it definitely, definitely helps to be here, no question about it. But there are a lot of other things to take into account. A friend of mine and I were just discussing a really neat book called Your Money or Your Life about, well, your money and your life. More specifically, the book is about how you balance out how you want to live, where you want to live and what you want to do all day to support that. Los Angeles is very expensive. Take it from the Wave-inatrix who is currently seeking a 2 bedroom apartment in either West Los Angeles or Santa Monica and if you know of a great place, Let me know.

Ahem. Back to the question. Los Angeles is expensive, large, smoggy and sometimes a bit incestuous when it comes to show-biz. It's also vibrant and colorful with great weather, beaches and amazing diversity and great food. In other words, let us establish once and for all that yes, absolutely, living here is advantageous if you're pursuing a career in entertainment(writing or otherwise) but you have to be okay with living in Los Angeles, warts and all - even if the writing thing never takes off for you. So look at that way, dear readers. Don't move here thinking you will be rewarded instantly - or ever.

So what if you decide no way, I'm staying wherever I am - do you still have a shot? Yes, you do. Because good material will always out. Cream rises to the top. All that stuff. Say you have an identical twin and they have written exactly the same script only they live in LA and they have done some networking, elbow-rubbing and odd jobs. Will they have an advantage? With the identical script? Well, sure. But as long as you can fly out for a meeting on short notice and as long as you go that extra mile to develop relationships in any way possible - going to the upcoming CS Expo, pitchfests, taking the occasional weekend class at UCLA - then you should do fine. Because no packed up Uhaul is gonna write an amazing script.

It's not imperative. But it helps. It's your decision and your life. If you're happy as a clam at high tide where you are - stay there. If you're up for an adventure and a change and your expectations are totally realistic - maybe you should check it out.

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Self Doubt and Sabotage

The other day I was driving down Pico Boulevard when a cool idea for a kid’s book hit me. Excitedly, I turned the idea over and over in my head and began really taking seriously that I should start this book. Then it hit. The Don’t Bother Train. You know the one. It sounds like this:

All the stories have already been told. There’s just no point. There's too much competition. Throw in the towel. Forget it. Throw in the towel. Forget it. Don'tbotherdon'tbotherdon'tbother...

And that dark train of doubt rides on into the night leaving it's faint, melancholy whistle drifting on the wind.

Believe it or not, Rouge Wavers, this negative stream of consciousness is something that goes through my mind every once in awhile. And I am a relatively evolved, spiritual person who has been published multiply in the past. I have a manager, I have a writing partner and I have made writing, in one form or another, my life. And yet I still feel so discouraged by the enormity of it all sometimes. By the odds in Hollywood but worse – by the feeling that every writer has already said everything that there is to say.

The minute I began to think about my children’s book idea, about 38 reasons came to me why I shouldn’t bother. I sabotaged myself before I even began.

How does one fight that chug-chugging train of negativity and doubt that seems to seek out hope only to crush it under its wheels? The Wave-inatrix says:

If writing brings you joy – just do it. Believe that you have something to say and believe that it’s worth the effort. You might just have a brilliant story inside of you, or an Academy Award winning movie. Or a moving poem. You might have a charming, heartfelt story that will be published in the Reader's Digest or simply pressed between the pages of a book and discovered and relished by your grandchild. Write because writing feels good. Write because writing is a gift and it is yours to develop and enjoy.

When you feel too discouraged and the odds seem crushingly, completely stacked against you – take a break from it, get out and exercise, do something fun and then later on, sneak back to your quiet desk – you know you will – and get back to work on that script, novel or essay. Do it for the primal joy of storytelling and the intoxicating romance we have with words. Odds schmods. Tell me a story.

As for that cool kid's book idea? I have begun to outline.

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
Thomas A. Edison

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Whiskey Tango Foxtrot format

Many Wavers have emailed and asked about format: pdf is fine, as is, quite honestly, word. It's only a half-page scene and once I choose the top 3 I will have to cut and paste into the Rouge Wave anyway, so the format will be wonky in any event.

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Rouge Wave Scene Competition

REMINDER: The deadline for submissions for the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot scene competition is Monday August 6th. The Wave-inatrix will choose the top three submissions and Rouge Wavers will have a week to vote.

Here are the parameters:

Write a half-page scene which includes: Cosmetics, an aging movie star and a soup commercial. Choose a genre. Make it funny, make it scary, make it poignant - heck, make it ON GOLDEN POND but you have only 1/2 page to do so. And here's the fun part: you must include the words whiskey, tango and foxtrot somewhere in the short scene.

The winner receives a $25 gift certificate for either the Landmark Theaters, AMC or California Pizza Kitchen (winner's choice) and 25% discount on any Script Whisperer service (winner must take advantage by August 31st).

Submit HERE

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The Sideways Rewrite

I love my job. I love reading, I love writing, I love writers. There are upsides and downsides but mostly I can't believe I get paid to read stories all day. But there's one task I really hate and that's telling a writer, the second time I see their script, that their rewrite was no improvement. In fact, now the script just has a whole new set of similar problems. I call this the Sideways rewrite.

Here's what usually happens. The writer gets notes from me - and my notes are usually over-arching in nature - I don't micromanage and I don't try to take over your creative process. But for some writers, these over-arching notes are their darlings. They listen to me, they nod earnestly and I think they may even take notes. But they don't want to really take a hard look at the main character's passive flaw. Or the crux of the conflict in the premise. No - they want to write the same script they just wrote. So they do. They simply rewrite it and come up with a whole new set of problems because they didn't address the larger issues.

How can you make sure, as you approach a rewrite, that you are really going to be effective? You don't want to do as above and rearrange the script so that you have the same script with new problems, nor do you want to absolutely eviscerate the script so that you have the same problems with a different story or worse - wind up with Frankenscript; born of desperation, stitched together clumsily and chased out of town by torch-bearing villagers.

When you get notes, write them down and group them by element. Then make a rewrite plan. And each time you open your script to work on it, work only on that particular element. Keep focused, in other words, on the element at hand: main character, ticking clock, structure, dialogue - whatever it happens to be. Do not wander off into making a scene funnier or scarier - stay on task.

I know the temptation to make changes but not improvements. My writing partner and I recently got a note on our latest psychological thriller that irritated and confounded us. So we had a meeting to talk it through. We each came up with some excellent, scary moments that would be just GREAT for the first act. But we stopped and realized that was not the problem. Our note was not add more scary moments. It was activate the story earlier. Big difference. But we love writing scary moments - we have more ways to kill a character than you'd ever want to know. But the meat-and-potatoes of the note was actually structural in nature. We had to stop funning around with scary moments and do the harder work of reviewing the structure and making creative choices that were not so easy to toss out on the spur of the moment.

How do you know you're doing a Sideways rewrite? Well - you'll feel vaguely as if you're going around in circles. You'll make a change on page 12, then go to page 37, then page 101 and back again. You'll tweak, in other words. And there will be a slight feeling of defiance within you as you rewrite. Defiance mixed with dread. You know in your gut the script is not really improving.

The most heartbreaking thing I have to tell a writer is that he or she just wasted an entire rewrite and two to three months of their time because they did a Sideways rewrite. It happens to the best of us - I've been guilty of it myself. But as with so many things, awareness is the first step to breaking the pattern. If your rewrite feels too easy - it probably is. Slow down, make a rewrite plan and stay focused. Have specific rewrite goals in mind. Articulate them. And make sure you don't wind up with another version of what wasn't working the first time.

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