How to Find Story Solutions

Happy New Year . . . almost. As I write this there are about 15 more hours left of the year.

It's hard not to get excited when faced with all the possibilities of a new year can bring. I hope that everyone's writing careers blossoms in 2010!

I'm sure you've got parties to go to and festivities to get ready for, so I'll make this entry short. Just want to leave you with a writing tool/exercise you might try in 2010.

Ask the question

I've been troubled with a couple plot problems lately. For example, I have a story where I need something funny and romantic to happen in a large hole in the ground. I hadn't come up with anything in over two weeks, so I decided to try something I'd heard about years ago — ask the muse.

I wrote the question out and pinned it up for the muse to see. "What happens in this hole? Can you please come up with something good?" I also asked him to give it some thought as I went to bed last night.

Thank you

Woke up this morning with answer! The answer isn't fully realized — that's my job — but the foundation is there.

How do you thank my muse? Maybe I'll pin a note on the wall that says just that, "Thank you Muse!!!"

Not sure if this is of any help in you 2010 pursuits, but had to pass it along.

Happy New Year!!!

di

Use Your Relatives for Future Stories

Just finished up another Christmas holiday. With my family that means three days of dinners, present exchanges, and LOTS of relatives. With lots of relatives come some unavoidable tension.

This year I decided instead of getting frustrated, I'd pick up a pen. I collected some interesting character sketches and scenes that I tucked away for future stories. Here are a few:

• My aunt brought her two large dogs into a crowded house, even though she's been asked to leave them home. Tension built as the dogs jumped on people, tried to eat off the table, growled at the family dog, and left my brother, who has dog allergies, wheezing and barely able to talk. The aunt seemed to think this was all as it should be. The rest of us will forever call this The Christmas of the Dogs.

• Took a walk on my folks farm to feed a calf. It was dusk and the fog had rolled in, so I didn't realize my parents had gotten a new bull until I was face to face with it. Luckily, the bull was seriously interested in one of the cows, and hardly noticed a woman running across the field, screaming like a banshee.

• Got a very interesting gift — a huge bat house. It will house over 300 bats. It's not the house that has me thinking of future scenes, but the idea of 300 bats come to roost. (Do bats roost?)

These are just a few of the story ideas/scenes I collected over the holiday. How about you? Any good ones you want to share?

di

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J.P. Patches — You're My Hero

Today is my birthday and also the anniversary of one of my coolest writing memories.

If you grew up in the Northwest in the 60s and 70s, you probably remember J.P. Patches. In the late 60s, I was a dedicated viewer and of his TV show and an official Patches Pal.

J.P. had this thing called an ICU2 (I See You Too) TV set and he would look into it and tell kids on their birthdays where they could find presents.

On my 7th birthday J.P. looked into his I See You Too TV set and told me, Diane Mettler, to go look under my bed. I screamed upstairs and there was a present, just like he said. It was my first diary — green plastic vinyl with a little gold lock, which was extremely easy to pick. Good thing, because I lost the key immediately.

I wrote in that diary the first day I got it and I've been writing diligently in journals for four decades.

It was a big day for me. J.P., wherever you are, thank you!! And mom (who I'm sure had a hand in it too) I'll give you a big hug later.

Have a wonderful day today!

2010 Writing Resolution

I'm trying to come up with a good 2010 writing resolution.

Usually I'm too optimistic — make a big sale, finish four manuscripts, spend an hour a day marketing. I never come close to accomplishing my goals, mostly because they are out of my control or impossible to carry out.

This year I'm taking a new approach. I'm going to make my resolution something I have complete control over — my attitude. In 2010 my new motto will be:

YOU'RE NOT A WIMP! BE BRAVE!

I get so frustrated with myself when I'm hesitate to call back producers, approach new markets, or take risks with my writing. 2010 is going to be different. No room for nervousness or excuses. I've got one life to live, a limited number of manuscripts and I can write and I'm going to make the most of both.

Of course, now I'm already nervous I can't pull this off — completely defeating the purpose. I figure I've got 10 day to get in mental shape!

What's you're resolution this year?!

di

Creating a Writers Group

I just joined the board of the NWSG. The topic of writers groups just came up. Members have said want to be part of one and the board is trying to see how we can facilitate that.

For a couple days emails were flying around. Everyone had an opinion on what made a good writers group:

• It should be a large group

• It should be no larger than 6 or 7

• It's chemistry, not size, that matters

• Everyone needs to be at the same level in their writing

• Everyone should have the same level of life experience

• It should cover marketing

• It shouldn't cover marketing, but focus on writing

Well, you get the idea. The group was basically describing the elements of successful writers groups they had belonged to. And, it appears, there are as many types of writers groups as there are writers.

(I think we ultimately decided to put together an evening mixer, where writers who are interested in forming a writers group can meet, talk and see what happens.)

My experience

I've been a part of the same writer's group since it began in 1988. We try to meet weekly, and we read our pages out loud and people give constructive feedback.

Today it's a rather tame group. When we started out, we were a radical bunch. We would crash other writers groups, bring in speakers, and go on road trips to conferences. We even started our own agency so we could represent each other and get our work out there (a story for another blog).

Over the years people have come and gone. Many have become produced, published and/or have full time jobs writing. And although we've had our ups and downs — like the time a woman left crying because she was there for complements not critique or when we had to get rid of the original leader — overall it's been a great experience.

I think there are several reasons why our group has been successful:

• There's a positive chemistry. We inspire each other.

• We're willing to try new things.

• We truly want to see the other writers succeed.

• We take time to have retreats, parties, etc., to breath new life into the group (In fact, the picture above is of our writers group at a retreat - minus the guys. Not sure why they couldn't make it.)

• We allow people to become the artists they need to be — even if that's not necessary a writer.

• We try to be honest with each other.

• We re-evaluate the goals of the group and let it evolve.

Life Expectancy

I've been part of other groups that have lasted as little as 1 year to up to 7 or 8 years. Groups are organic things. They change with the people. And like some relationships, they have a certain life expectancy.

One group I belonged too fell apart because the majority of the group became successful writers and didn't need the support anymore to help launch their careers. All writers groups should have such break up.

Final Thought

I could go on about writers groups all day, so I'll make this brief. If you are considering putting a writing group together, just make sure:

• it's a group that respects each other,

• that you all agree on the same goals, and

• you're willing to put in the time.

A writer's group is only as effective as its members. The ones that work are ones that ascribe to the old adage . . . it isn't what the writers group can do for you, but what you can do for your writers group.

Thoughts?

Do you belong to a writers group? I would love to hear how yours works and any insights you may have.

Talk to you later!

Advice from a Producer

Yesterday a producer called to give me feedback on my latest script. She started out with, "Your banter is great, but not your storytelling." After that, she went on to tell me everything that needed to be changed — from the major premise to the tone.

At the end of the conversation she ended with, "I'm looking forward to reading the rewrite."

Still Alive & Breathing

A few years ago, comments like this would have taken me out at the knees. Today, I'm happy to discover I wasn't devastated. In fact, I'm upbeat and ready to rewrite.

Maybe it's because I know a couple things I didn't know back then:

1. Producers don'ts see your script as a personal story with an important message needing to be communicated. They see it as source material that can be used to create something marketable.

2. They don't mean any of the comments as a personal attack. This is business. Your write the product, they sell it. And they would like direct you to create a product they can sell.

3. She doesn't believe my storytelling is bad. She wouldn't ask me to rewrite it if that were case. She just wants me to write the story she wants to sell, not necessarily the one I want to write.

A Revelation

I thought I might be disappointed today, considering what kind of rewrite this producer was proposing. But after all the rewriting I did with the last movie, I realize I kind of missed it.

There's a creative rush to have someone give you what seem like impossible comments and creatively find ways that not only solve the problems, but MAKE THE STORY BETTER in the process.

I'm surprised to find I'm aching to hit the keyboard running. Amazing what a few years and a little perspective will do.

Write What you Know - Steal Your Family's Stories

People often tell me, "You should write about your family."

That usually stops me. My family seems kind of boring. It's hard to write what you consider "ho hum".

I needed to flesh out a character, so I decided to look a little closer at my family today and see if I could find a few interesting nuggets. I don't know if my dad's possum counts.

The Possum

Dad started feeding a baby possum. It was fuzzy and white and about eight inches long. And although I could see why my dad thought it was cute, it did kind of resembled a large rat, with a pink nose, giant teeth and hairless splayed claws that were so creepy you couldn't look at them without having nightmares for a week.

My dad was looking forward to a time when he could pet the shy little guy and it would crawl into his lap like one of the cats. My Mom was upset for exactly that reason. Dad had been feeding it cat food and now when she fed her cats, the possum and cats all came running. (I should mention that my parents live on a farm and feed their cats outside. Thank god for small favors.)

When you came a visit, you got to listen to the possum saga. My dad would show us pictures of it like it was one of the kids. Mom talked about my dad needing better hobbies that didn't include disgusting rodents.

I was enjoying the whole thing. I was also secretly rooting for dad because I'd been feeding possums at my place. They are cute in their own ugly way. They also seem to be at the bottom of the food chain. It's hard not to root for them when the raccoons and skunks treat them like second class citizens.

Not long ago, dad informed us that Possum had died. Of course, it took him a while to accept his passing. For several days he hoped he was "playing possum" and would suddenly jump back to life. Unfortunately, he wasn't playing dead, he was experiencing real thing.

My mom is silently rejoicing. My dad's a little blue. He is also keeping his eye out for another possum.

Write What You Know

I'm not sure if this is interesting. It's hard to be objective when it's your own family's stories. But David Sedaris uses his family stories, and they're pretty good. And it's definitely easier to take your family's stories and weave them into my own than to come up with them from scratch.

So I guess there's probably something to the expression, write what you know.

How to Carve out Writing Moments During the Holidays

Is the holiday season crazy busy or what?

I just checked my calendar and I have three days between now and Christmas day that don't include a social event — and that doesn't take into account time needed to buy presents, mail christmas cards, decorate . . . watch Christmas movies. When is a person supposed to find time to write?

It's tempting to say, "I'll get back to it in January." Just like it's tempting to eat those extra Christmas cookies. But we have to be strong. And creative. If we don't have the time, we have to make it.

Here are a few of my tricks for carving out time. If you have any others, please share.

1. Get there early. I try to show up at lunches or dinners at least a half hour early. I use that time to peacefully sit at the table with a cup of coffee working on my manuscript. Yesterday it worked out GREAT! I got there early, and the person I was meeting was late, and I had over an hour to write.

2. Make a writing date. Find another writer and set up writing dates during the season. This can be as simple as meeting at the library with laptops. However, it's important to get these on the calendar as soon as possible.

3. Waiting in line. I spent 20 minutes waiting in line at the post office yesterday. Thankfully, I had my notebook with me so I could work on my story. It also made the wait less boring.

4. Plan writing into shopping. Take your writing with you to the mall. After you've been shopping for a couple hours, head to a coffee shop and take a break and write for an hour before going back at it. You'll give your feet a break, and you'll get some words on the page as well as gifts in your bags.

5. Get up a little earlier. If you're not too sleep deprived already, you might want to set your alarm clock for a hour earlier during the holiday season. Write when you're fresh and before you're wiped out by all the activities.

Hopefully these are a little help during the season. Keep writing!

ho, ho, ho

di

Five Ways to KIck Start Your Muse

I woke up at 4:30 a.m. with the answer to a story problem. For a couple weeks I'd been trying to find an answer to a structural flaw, then suddenly at 4:30 a.m., YURIKA, there it was!

Some people tell me they come up with their good ideas in the car or in the shower. The underlying theme seems to be that our muses need us to be quiet so they can present the answer.

If you're not quite ready to just wait around for your muse to jump in, I do have a few tips to speed it along:

1. Feed the Muse

Sometimes the muse is just hungry. Depending on what problem you're trying to solve, you might consider cooking a new meal, listening to music, taking a long walk. Muses aren't completely cerebral (at least mine isn't), and sometimes they're are moved by new tastes, sounds and experiences.

2. Relax & Trust Your Muse

A stressed muse, being told to perform on command, is a silent muse. Have confidence your muse is at work on your story, even while you're eating, sleeping or doing your taxes. Muses require a little faith.

3. Make a Date with Your Muse

My muse likes structure. I'll work on a story in the evening until I run into a problem that isn't easily solved. I let my muse know that it's quitting time and that we'll pick it back up at the same time tomorrow, when he has an answer. So far, he's never let me down.

4. Talk it Out with Friends

This kind of falls under "feeding the muse", but I like to bring up issues at my writer's group. They will discuss all kinds of options, and although none of them may be avenues I will take, it does provide new ideas for my muse. He often takes off running with one of them.

5. Be Open to Anything

If you're only looking in one spot for an answer, you're limiting your muse. Open your mind. I have an "10 Different Options" exercise I sometimes use. I write down 10 different solutions to my problem to get the juices flowing again. They can be completely insane ideas — again the purpose is to get outside your self made box.

For example, if I were having a problem with the scene where one character is trying to kill another on an tropical island (where there are no guns) by drowning them, I would think up 10 other ways to kill them — hitting them on the head with a rock, throwing them off a cliff, poisoning their coconut milk, finding a poisonous snake, running them over with my jeep, paying a native to off them, etc.

I probably won't use any of these, but the different options will spark your muse.

New Breakthroughs

Hopefully these will get you mused off an running. If you want more ideas, just let me know. I LOVE breakthrough moments, and so does my muse.

di

Christmas is a time for Networking

For anyone who was thinking about coming to the NWSG's (Northwest Screenwriters Guild) Christmas party, you better decide fast — it's tonight. Get your RSVP in ASAP at rsvp@NWSG.org. It's free for members and $4.00 for guests.

I'm a HUGE fan of Christmas. (When your birthday's the 23rd, you can't really help it.) Over years I've discovered that the season is not only a time for giving, but also a time for networking.

Bad Networking

Networking is not going out there, hunting down people who can help your career and sucking up to them. That's anti-networking.

Good Networking

Real networking is about going out and meeting people, learning about them and making human connections. In short — becoming friends with people. And because friends tend to do nice things for their friends when they can, healthy networking is born.

There are a variety of ways to meet people and make friends — going online, attending conferences, participating in events, etc. — but during the holiday season, networking becomes amazingly easy. There are parties galore, folks are happy, and (in my opinion) in the mood to make friends.

In fact, you'll be networking whether you know it or not. While you're drinking eggnog at the next company party and talking about about Bad Santa, you'll actually be networking. How easy is that? No swapping cards and awkward moments — just good ol' fun. Networking the way it was meant to be.

So get out there network folks — and drive safely.

Editing on the Cheap

Professional editing can be expensive. It's worth the investment, but sometimes you just don't have the dough.

When money has been tight, I've used friends and family to help me edit. What am I saying? Money is always tight and I'm always using them to help me edit. They do require direction though, so I give them some easy-to-use editing marks:

! = liked this section

? = don't understand what's going on

:-) = like this character

X = this is where I took a break

I would continue, but I think I may abandon my old list for this one on Bookpublishing.today.com.

I hope my friends and family are somewhat artistic, because they are a little more challenging. But on the bright side, they should have a whole lot more fun.

If you've got some to add, please share!

di

How to Proof your Manuscript

I wish I could proof. I come from a long line of people who can barely spell, which you've no doubt noticed from my previous blogs.

I used to get C's on college papers not because of poor content but because of poor spelling. I've almost lost jobs because of my incredible dyslexic abilities. The worst experiences were at law firms.

As it turns out, attorneys are extremely sensitive about spelling, and I gave them reason to be more so. Like when I kept turning this poor man's name Gerald Giesler into Gerlad Geisler.

The attorney I worked for tried to be understanding and said, "Although I'm sure the client appreciates the gratuitous name change, please stick with the original."

I tried to spell it right, but no matter how hard I tried, it kept coming out wrong. It got to the point Gerald would call and say, "Hi, it's Gerlad."

So, you can image that I'm nervous about sending off my new script because I'm sure it's loaded with typos invisible to my naked eye.

I know that a bad speller isn't necessarily a bad writer, but unfortunately no one else knows that. Plus, I don't want the poor reader to wade through typos.

I've done the standard:

• run spell check

• had my friends look it over

• read it out loud

I'm tempted to pay a professional proofer to go through it. The last time it cost over $350. That's kind of pricey, but maybe it's worth the cost to weed out those last 'Gerlads'.

What do you guys do to make sure your stories are proofed well? Please share.

Desperately Proofing in Enumclaw

Movies versus Novels

I just saw a rough cut of my movie, Growing the Big One. I still call it "my movie", but at this point, there's not a lot of "me" left.

I may have come up with the story, written the script, and written rewrites of the script, but the final product is far from mine. Lots of people have been involved — actors, directors, producers, and even other writers.

It's a lot different story than I imagined at the start. I might not like all the changes, but it's also a lot more "produced" than it was on my laptop.

I'd always heard that if you want more control, then write novels. It's true. But you say, "I really like to write movies and see my story on a screen." I can't argue that.

Sometimes it's hard to decide. Here's my short Movie Versus Novel list for what it's worth.

	Movie	Novel
Control of story	Maybe some if you direct & product	Quite a bit from start to finish
Money	Better than a book	Not a lot of rich novelists
Ownership	They own it	You own it
Union	WGA	You’re on your own
Respect	Not much – you’re at the bottom of the Hollywood food chain	Quite a bit
Viewing	3D & in living color – very cool	Read it
Breaking In	DAMN HARD	DAMN HARD

It's hardly an exhaustive list, but it covers some of the highlights. If you think I've missed some important ones, please share. Writing is hard work, and it's just a bit easier if you pick the right medium.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Add Tension to Your Scenes

Another day, another embarrassing moment.

I had an interview yesterday, which I was extremely excited about. I'd prepped like crazy — everything from pulling work samples together for a week to flossing twice on the drive in.

When I got home, I was feeling exhausted but pleasantly positive about the experience — that's until my husband pointed out I had my shirt on inside out.

Multitasking Scenes

Since I can't go back to the interview with my shirt on right side out, I've tried to see what I can salvage from the experience.

If I look at it as a scene versus another embarrassing experience, I did learn something about adding tension.

Ideally scenes should have more than one thing going on at a time, and they should leave the audience wanting more.

In the Diane Interview scene, there was multiple layers:

Layer #1

• Character stresses and preps for the interview

• Character interviews with potential bosses

• Character feels confident as interview concludes

Layer #2

• The audience sees the shirt inside out

• The people conducting the interview see tag on the shirt

We leave the scene not only wondering if the character will get the job (the primary reason for the scene), but by adding tension (the inside out shirt), we:

• learn more about the character and her dress habits

• wonder if she will ever notice if her shirt's inside out

• wonder what the reaction will be if she does notice, and

• wonder if this is going to forfeit her the job

Good Interview

So, I guess it was a good interview in that I learned how to beef up my scenes.

But I also learned that I'm going to have SOME LOOK ME OVER before the next interview.

di

Turn Embarrassing Moments into Comedy

It would be nice if I could avoid embarrassing moments, but that's not happening any time soon. It's like I have a guardian angel with a sick sense of humor following me around.

Over the years, I've learned to just grin and bear the moments, but then jot them down later to use in stories later when I need a little comedy.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I've chalked up quite a few recently:

• Halloween: Each year we throw a Halloween party for friends and family. This year, after everyone gone home and I was changing out of my costume, I realized that the back side of my "dead english maid" costume had ripped out. It appears I'd been mooning everyone all evening. To make matters worse, I'd been wearing my floral print, granny panties.

No one had said a word, which made me wonder, did they think it was all part of the costume? Were they telling their friends the next day, "Diane's costume was pretty weird. She was an Inappropriate Dead English Maid with Hideous Underwear. Yeah, it was as gross as it sounds."

• Restaurant. Two days later, on our way to lunch, the butt of my old jeans ripped out. (Obviously, I need to call Jenny Craig.) What was I wearing underneath? Those same, stupid floral print granny panties.

I spent the next couple hours finding a dozen ways to keep my butt covered, like running from the car to the restaurant holding the back of my pants together. That night, I threw away the granny panties.

• Food. Not long after, I was carrying pizza out the car and tripped. I dropped the pizza and while spinning my arms to keep my balance, managed to also step in the pizza. On the bright side, I did this with my butt entirely covered.

Lesson Learned

It would be nice to avoided these situations, but they happen. Luckily, we're writers. Most people are just embarrassed when things like this happen. We get to use them!

Signed

Red Faced in Enumclaw

You Knew You Were a Writer When . . .

Every writer has had them . . . those moments when you realize, "I can't believe it. I'm a real writer."

I had one yesterday. I showed up in IMDB for Growing the Big One. The first thing I thought was, "That's me! I'm real writer."

Monumental Moments

It got me thinking about the other moments.

• My first book in 4rd grade.

Of course, it was a book only in the sense that it was a story and it was bound. I wrote the 6-page epic entitled The Silver Knives on notebook paper, drew a cover, and bound it with yarn from a disintegrating sweater. I thought it was pretty dang cool though and I still have it.

• My first sports column in the Eatonville Dispatch.

This was a terrible experience. I didn't know the first thing about journalism — my English teacher just said that writers do this kind of thing, so I applied.

I covered girl's tennis and even though I was on the team, I still managed to spell some of my friends' names wrong. What made this a moment? People came up to me and said, "I didn't know you wrote." That was extremely cool.

• My first rejection letter.

This would be followed by MANY other letters, so many I kept a three-ring binder to catalog my journey of rejection. But that first one was fabulous, because only writers get rejection letters.

• Being a finalist at the Austin Film Festival.

I went to the conference knowing I was a finalist, but for some reason I figured there was loads of them. I had no idea there were only three per category. When people saw my Finalist Badge, they started talking to me like I was a REAL writer. It was incredible.

• Receiving a WGA card. When that card arrived, it looked like a nondescript credit card. To me though, it was tangible, 3D, plastic proof was I was a writer.

What are your moments?

There you go. My big "real writer" moments.

So what are yours? We've all got them!

di

Great Scenes by Calvin and Hobbes

My Dad gave me his collection of Calvin & Hobbes comics to reread.

This time around I wasn't just laughing, I was inspired. Every strip — about four or five frames — is a unique scene with a beginning, middle and end. Most are tiny, stand alone mini-stories.

What's more amazing is that writer Bill Watterson came up with new, fresh ideas day after day after day. Holy smokes. I complain because I'm having a problem coming up with one good scene to bridge my second act to my third. Heck, Bill would have written 40 fabulous scenes in the time it's taken me to come up with one.

7 Comic Book Tips

I learned a lot about scenes last night, like:

1. Scenes don't have to be long — in fact they must be as tight as possible

2. You can convey volumes with one expression

3. You must have a beginning middle and end

4. Great scenes are character driven

5. Make them fresh and catch your reader quickly

6. Get in as late as you can, and leave as early as possible

7. Leave them wanting more

You've probably already seen these snowman strips, but I'm printing them out and posting them on my bulletin board — a remind of how great scenes should be written.

di

Are You Compelled to Write?

In the last several months I've heard no less than 4 agents, 3 publishers, 1 manager and 5 producers say that they are looking for for writers who are "compelled to write".

What they mean by this — I think — is that they're looking for writers who are more driven by the act of writing than they are by the desire for a big check. They're looking for the writer who (I quote), "just keeps churning it out."

The manager even said, "I don't want to represent the writer who just writes one script a year."

Compelled or Crazy?

The phrase "compelled to write" bothers me partly because it makes me think of some wild-eyed, crazy person with their desk overflowing with manuscripts . . . and also because I'm not compelled to write.

The writing process is hard. There are about a million things I find more enjoyable than sitting in front of my laptop trying to fix a scene or figure out why my subplot isn't working. It's mental boot camp! Half the time I'm wondering, "Why am I doing this again?"

What I DO like is getting a response from readers.

Storyteller

What drives you to write? I'm curious, and would love to hear.

I'm not compelled to write, but compelled to tell stories. No, let me change that. I'm compelled to have my stories HEARD — to bring something to the reader that matters. Maybe that's what the industry folks are talking about too, but that's not quite the vibe I get.

Stories are a conversation. If no one reads my story, it's like talking on the phone with no one on the other end. Or telling joke without someone there to laugh. It seems pointless.

I don't need the big check, but I do need a minimal audience. Heck, one person will do.

Gentle Reader

Stephen King, one of the most prolific (dare I say compelled) writers out there, talks about the gentle reader and taking them by the hand through the story. That's a great image and one that helps when the writing gets tough.

But I have to wonder if Stephen King would have been such a prolific writer if no audience had shown up. Would he have stopped talking to a non-existent crowd or would all those novels be filling up his closets?

Your thoughts?

Crazy writer?

Sorry for rambling. I guess I just heard "compelled to write" one to many times and snapped.

Keep writing. I know your readers are waiting.

di

Writer vs. Sentence Maker

Just finished teaching a writing class. The students were fabulous and I'm happy to report none of them were savants.

The Dreaded SWS

I dread the Savant Writing Student (SWS). They are usually very nice, but overly optimistic and believe the first thing they write will be picked up by a publisher or producer and consequently make them millions. For the SWS, it's just a matter of getting their manuscript into the right hands.

I know the SWS well — I used to be one. It took me three or four scripts, and piles of rejections, before I realized how little I knew about my craft and that I would spend years (actually a lifetime) developing as a writer.

On the bright side, after three or four scripts, I had inadvertently learned a bit about writing and was several steps closer to being produced.

It Takes Time

I'm not saying you shouldn't try to sell your early manuscripts, but be prepared that learning how to write is like learning anything else. And it takes time and dedication.

In short, just because a person can put a sentence together doesn't make them a "writer". It just makes them a "sentence maker".

I think Turgenev put it best:

"It is a strange thing. A composer studies harmony and theory of musical forms; a painter doesn't paint a picture without knowing something about colors and design; architecture requires basic schooling. Only when somebody makes a decision to start writing, he believes that he doesn't need to learn anything and that anybody who has learned to put words on paper can be a writer."

Learn, learn, learn

If you've just started your journey as a writer, don't beat yourself up because that first story didn't sell . . . or the second, or the third.

Chances are you're not a savant — just like the rest of us. You're in the process of developing your skills like every other professional, from pianist to doctor.

And as a reformed SWS, I'd much rather be putting my hours in writing stories than going to med school.

Give the Monkey a Banana

Last Friday, producer Tracey Becker, spoke to the NWSG (Northwest Screenwriters Guild) members. (She was one of the producers of Finding Neverland, staring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.)

Tracey had a lot of great stories about her experiences as an actor and producer. One piece of brilliant advice stood out for me — "Give the Banana to the Monkey".

Simple but True

The advice is simple, give the audience/producers/industry what they want. Don't try to sell them stories they don't want or can't sell.

If they are looking for character driven, high concept stories, give them those. Don't try to sell them your story about three women in a restaurant talking their divorces — it doesn't matter how dripped in drama those divorces are.

Value Proposition

I'd heard this advice before, but it was in a corporate environment. They called it the Value Proposition.

When I was writing for the Weyerhaeuser Company a few years back, the leaders hit upon this novel idea — instead of inventing products and then trying to convince customers they needed them, why didn't they ask the customers what they needed and create those products.

I wrote countless articles on the topic, trying to convince people this was the way to go. The articles were filled with phrases like "the sum total of the benefits the customers will receive as a result of the relationship".

I should have just written . . . GIVE THE MONKEY THE BANANA!

But MY Story is Great

You might have that amazing story that isn't high concept/genre based/[you fill in the industry need], but one you know they will LOVE if they just read it.

You can try to sell it. It'll be tough though — maybe impossible.

Tracey's advice, see if you came make that amazing story look like a "banana". Could the divorce drama told in a restaurant be retold as a thriller? A romantic comedy?

There are tens of thousands of books and scripts being written each year. The competition is fierce. We would do ourselves well to get the bananas to the monkeys.

Love What You Do

A couple weeks ago, I spoke to a Gig Harbor high school film class about screenwriting — the ups and downs I'd experienced.

The Downs

As I went along, I realized there were a lot of downs.

• As a writer, lots of people will reject your work — quick possibly for YEARS

• You'll be rewriting countless hours, with no assurances of a sale.

• When someone does buy your script, you will loose creative control.

I left thinking, "I hope I didn't tell them too many downs. I hope I didn't turn anyone against writing. I hope they saw there's a lot of good stuff too."

The Good Stuff

Writing's a personalized journey and the good stuff for one writer is completely different for another. My good stuff? Where do I start?

Working to become a screenwriter has lead to:

• a freelance career

• meeting my husband

• traveling around the world

• wonderful friends and experiences

• and eventually a movie and some money

Class Response

I got the thank you card from the class yesterday. I was hesitant to open it, expecting something like, "Thanks for nothing!!!"

Instead I read, "You truly reminded me that you should absolutely love what you do. Thank you so much!"

It made my day. Despite the downs, I realized I really DO love what I do. How cool is that?

Everything comes with ups and downs. I guess the trick it choose the thing you're passionate about — it'll make the roller coaster ride worth while.

National Eavesdropping Day

The title of this blog may be misleading. If you write dialogue, every day is Eavesdropping Day.

I don't know about you, but I LOVE to eavesdrop. How else are you going to develop great dialogue for your characters?

I've got my standard spots:

• supermarkets

• anywhere I have to stand in line

• conversations on cell phones (Hey, if you're going to talk on those things in public, you're fair game)

• restaurants and coffee shops

• restrooms (I don't know about guys, but girls do a lot of stall talking)

The more exotic locals:

• sporting events

• anywhere I'm on vacation

• family events — especially weddings with lots of weird guests

• concerts and other social activities

Then there's the happy accidents:

• visitors from out of town

• catching an argument in a street. (My favorite quote is from an angry 5-year-old girl, upset with her sister. She turned to her parents and yelled, "She's MEAN and she's STUPID!")

• any spontaneous incident

Carry a Notebook

I used to carry a notebook and try to capture great bits of dialogue. One year I challenged myself to write down a memorable piece of dialogue each day. I did it, but the problem was that I never went back and read any of those memorable quotes. (Note to self, go back and read those.)

Subtext

My current challenge is to see if I can spot subtext. Each day I want to capture dialogue where someone says something that meant something else. Like when someone tells you that your outfit is "interesting", which really means "Seriously? You wore that in public?"

I'm not sure if I'll meet my goal, but the real goal it to continually improve my ear for dialogue.

If you've got some tips on eavesdropping, I'd love to hear about it!

In the meantime, happy National Eavesdropping Day!

When You World Gets Wild . . . Take Notes

In the last 72 hours I have:

• had our house broken into

• attended a funeral

• had two offers on our house

• thrown a Halloween party

• judged a writing contest

Sometimes life throws a lot of stuff your way — stuff that takes a lot of emotional energy. It's hard to sit down and write when things feel like they're moving so fast you can't keep up.

Take Notes

I've listened to countless writers tell me, "I can't write right now because of all the things going on in my life." Not true.

OK, maybe it's hard to stay focused on a story when your overwhelmed, but you can still take notes. In fact, this is the best time, because these moments — loaded with emotion and drama — will make great scenes. (Not to mention, jotting them down will help you vent a little.)

Here are just a few of many I gathered over the last 72 hours:

Note #1 - Sheriff's interviews can be calming in a crisis.

Note #2 - Sheriff's are people too. Ours forgot to write down the items stolen, then had to get the info again back at his truck.

Note #2 - Criminals aren't all smart. In fact, some of disturbingly stupid.

Note #3 - Eulogies impart not only information unknown to the audience about the deceased, but impart a great deal about the person giving the eulogy too.

Note #4 - It's humbling to find out your costume ripped out in the back and you've unknowingly mooned your friends all night.

Note #5 - My husband and I can have a romantic moment picking out battery-activated alarm systems at Home Depot after a stressful day.

These were a few of many moments I wanted to remember. I added a few more details. In fact, a lot of my notes are the simple details within the scenes — the boarded door of our new house, the trays of spaghetti at the funeral, the crestfallen faces of the home buyers when we said we'd already gotten another offer.

Bringing Your Life to Your Writing

I say capture it, use it. You may not be able to write your story now, but you will soon. And this is the stuff stories are made of.

Dead Words

We're two days away from Halloween, so dead words seem like a good topic.

Amazingly, I'd never heard of the term dead words until last week. I'd stopped by my friend Cindy's 4th grade class and she was showing me some of the things they were learning — cool stuff like character development and fictional narratives. Oh what I would have done to have a teacher like her in 4th grade!

Deleting Dead Words

Cindy pulled out a student's notebook to show me some examples and it fell open to a page on dead words — words that are used to death. The kids were learning to spot them and either eliminate them or find a better substitute.

Very is Very Bad

Until that moment I only knew of one dead word — very. On July 4, 1982 (I can't believe I remember the date) another friend, Monica, was home from her first year at college and telling me what it was like. I'm sure she recounted all kinds of tales, but the only thing I remember is that they told her not to use the word "very". So, for the past 27 years I've been paranoid about using that word. Now I find out there are all kinds of words I should have been paranoid about using.

You're probably saying, "Are you nuts? Every one knows this!" But somehow I missed Dead Words 101. So for any of you others who also missed the class, here's the list. Just click.

DEAD WORDS

I can't help but notice that my word "very" has a lot of (oops, "a lot" is also dead, I've got to remember to use "many") alternatives. I can now use: extremely, exceedingly, fantastically, unusually, incredibly, intensely, truly, fully, especially, shockingly, bitterly, immeasurable, infinitely, severely, surely, mightily, powerfully, chiefly.

The scary part is that I see I've used at least a dozen dead words in this blog alone. Yikes!!

A big thank you to Cindy Greetham's 4th grade class for making me rethink my corpse-like words.

Happy Halloween!

Write Something REALLY Cool

"What should we be writing about?"

Writers inevitably asked this of agents, publishers, producers, managers, etc. We don't want to waste our time. We want to be writing stories that will sell and audiences will flock to.

What floors me is that most agents, publishers, producers, managers, etc. have an answer.

At a recent NWSG meeting, a producer said about scripts, "Just look at what's selling. That should give you an idea of what we're looking for." (And we were to gather, that was what we should be writing about.)

I disagree!

The producer's answer has been bugging me ever since I heard it. Those words are of no help — especially for a writer who is setting out to write a story.

Say it takes a year for you to write your story. If you're lucky and someone likes it, it could take another year to sell it. Then you've got to produce and/or publish the story.

More helpful, would have been the advice from an agent at this year Pacific NW Writer's Conference, "I'm looking for wonderful character-driven stories with a high concept plot." This may sound vague, but it's great, honest advice.

Taking a project from concept to product can take literally years, and there is NO way to know what is going to be in vogue then. The only thing you can probably bank on is that whatever is popular today will probably be old hat by then. People constantly want something different.

Keeping Tabs on the Market

You should definitely keep track of what's being purchased. It can save you some wasted time.

I was about three-quarters of the way through a spec script on a giant elf when I checked the trades and saw ELF with Will Ferrell had just gone into production. I moved on to another project, but gave myself points for at least coming up with a marketable idea.

You Decide

So what should writers write about? Whatever we decide to write about! We're the storytellers.

I truly believe that producers, agents, publishers, and mangers, just want to be blown out of the water.

You've heard agents say, "When I read it, I knew I had a winner." In other words, I never would have conceived of the story, but now that I've read it, I want to market it.

Blowing Them Away

What blows industry folks out of the water? Your imagination, creativity and talent!

Like us, and every other reader and movie goer, the industry wants to experience something original, fresh, compelling, moving . . . you fill in the adjective.

That doesn't mean recreating the wheel. Heck, I would have thought after Anne Rice, vampires had pretty much been done to to death . . . then comes Twilight and True Blood and we're off to the races again.

Choose Wisely

Pick the story that you are passionate about. One that keeps you up at night. Whose characters that speak to you and are more real than your Aunt Marie. If we tell the stories that resonate with us, they are likely to resonate with others.

It's hard enough to write a novel or script or nonfiction book. You don't want to get to the end of the project and if (god forbid) it didn't sell, say, "Man, I wasted a whole year on this!?"

We are the storytellers. We don't need to ask what to write, we need to write what needs to be told — and tell our stories like no one else has told them before.

Despite what they say, the industry will know a great story when it sees it.

Teleplay versus Screenplay

Feeling a little dumb today. I was working on a statement to demonstrate to the WGA that more than 50% of the final shooting script was mine. (This statement is required for them to determine if you will receive sole or shared writing credit on your script.)

It turns out that although that's what's needed for a screenplay, I had written a teleplay — a script used for a cable movie. And, it turns out that the rules for teleplays are completely different.

You Share Credit if . . .

In short, you will share credit on a teleplay if there is a substantial change in just ONE of the following:

• dramatic construction

• original & different scenes

• characterization or character relationships, or

• dialogue

How do they determine "substantial"? It's very scientific — it's whatever the panels deems substantial.

I spent yesterday bummed out. I didn't think I'd have any problem showing that overall the script was more mine than the other writers' versions. But showing that they hadn't substantially changed the dialogue? That would be close to impossible.

Getting On With It

This whole week has been a downer — trying to figure out rules, working on statements and worrying about credits and residuals. I understand that this isn't a hobby, it's a career and it's all part of the business. But talk about a piece of the career that sucks the creative forces.

Got up this morning at dawn, grabbed my journal and started writing. Spent an hour forgetting about percentages and WGA arbitrations, and writing about the pouring rain and the soggy Northwest.

I wrote about how rain washed away everything when you're young. About how much fun it was to splash in puddles and float things down overflowing ditches. And about how many stories I created running with my dogs through the valley where I grew up, hoping I'd find some treasure that had washed up in the flooding creek.

That's all it took. I'm no longer bummed. I'm ready to write. My muse was just waiting for me to get done with the paperwork and come out and play in the rain.

Hope you write some wonderful stuff today.

Getting Your Screen Credit

I'd heard about writers having their screen credits arbitrated by the WGA. I imagined it was a last resort between writers and producers, complete with huge drama and big dollars hanging in the balance.

No Drama or Dollars

Now that I challenged my shared credit and started the process to have it reviewed by the WGA, I find out my expectations were WAY off. First of all, there was zero drama. A producer sent around a notice of how they intended to post the credits and I could agree or disagree.

I called the WGA to find out how to contest. A woman there said, "It's easy. Just email me and tell me you want full credit and we'll get the process started." It was all very common place for everyone but me, who was stressing like crazy.

And as far as the big dollars . . . I wish. I know writers where getting sole credit instead of shared credit has meant the difference between receiving residuals in the amount of $500,000 and $250,000, but unfortunately that's not my scenario. If I get enough money down the road to pay for car tabs, I'll be smiling big.

Getting it Right

I just want to get it right. I read the final shooting script and more than 50% of my original script is still there. I'd like full credit, in part because it seems like it may make getting future assignments easier, but mostly because it just seems fair.

Of course, now I'm stressing because I'm going to have to put together writer's statement explaining why I think I deserve full credit. When I asked the woman at the WGA how detailed these statements are, she said she's read anything from two lines to 15 pages. Her advice, "15 pages seems a little long, but some writers are wordy".

I'm sure once I write the statement and turn it in, it will be less eventful than I'm imagining. I'll get a form letter that reads "Received", or something equally as exciting, and all this sweat will be for nothing.

Until then, I've decided that this imagined stress is an excellent reason to go out and buy a nice bottle of wine to sooth my nerves.

Hone That First Paragraph

I'm not sure if you follow Nathan Bransford's blog. If you don't, you should check it out.

Nathan is a literary agent and does some seriously interesting stuff in his blog. For example, last week he hosted a contest for the best opening paragraph to a novel.

The winner

The winner of the contest was Travis Erwin, with:

Coming-of-age stories are often fraught with symbolism, hidden metaphors, and a heaping mound of other literary devices. Not this one. I came of age while working at a dusty, Texas feedstore. A place where To Kill a Mockingbird involved a twelve-year-old and a BB gun. Of Mice and Men was a problem easily solved with rat poison. And David Copperfield was nothing more than a dude that made shit disappear.

What's more interesting and inspiring than Travis's great first paragraph is Nathan's commentary on what went through his head while he was making his decision on the winner. This is a "must read" blog to see what agents, among others, look for in an opening paragraph.

What the opening needs

In short, Nathan believes the first paragraph needs to:

• establish the tone/voice

• get the reader into the flow of the book

• establish a trust between author and reader.

That may seem like a lot for one paragraph to accomplish, but take a look at finalists in this contest. You'll see it's absolutely attainable.

Scripts too

If you're a screenwriter, you might not think this would apply to you, but give the blog a read. Storytelling is storytelling, and that opening scene of a movie also needs to set a tone, bring the audience in and establish trust in the storyteller.

If anything else, after reading this blog you'll have a whole new appreciation for opening paragraphs.

10 Tips to Staying Motivated

Writing isn't a team sport. Other writers don't come up — like athletes — slap us on the butt and say, "Way to go!" (Which is probably a good thing.) We are in charge of keeping ourselves motivated.

Since I've been writing for quite a while, I have come up with quite a few ways to keep myself motivated. Here are my top 10.

1. Read something inspirational each day. Today's was "When you lead a big, full life, it's idiotic to think that your missteps are gonna be small. And to me that's a risk worth taking." Oprah Winfrey.

2. Try something new. What you learn can both improve your stories and inspire you. I'm taking a bookmaking class, which at the very least is demonstrating how much better I am at writing than bookmaking.

3. Celebrate every step. My motto has always been "Don't waste good excitement". Heck, five rejection letters are worth a celebration — that means you're marketing and getting your stuff out there.

4. Keep a journal of all the positive steps you've made. Read it over when you're down. My writer's group kept one of these. It was pretty amazing to see what progress we'd made over the years.

5. Find someplace fun to write. Sure, you can take your laptop to a coffee shop, but what about taking your paper and pen to the beach, a little bed and breakfast, or a nice spot in the woods?

6. Do what research you can do in person versus over the internet. Talk to people, get out and check out new locations. It's fun!

7. Surround yourself with enthusiastic people that want to see you succeed. Don't limit yourself to a writers group.

8. Visualize your success and don't worry about the failures. I read that athletes who visualize perfect performances also improved their performances. So start thinking of cool stuff.

9. Teach. Giving back and tapping into the excitement of others does wonders for the psyche.

10. Read fabulous works. You not only find inspiration, but you can get an good education at the same time.

Wow, this was kind of inspiring just writing this. I'm off to my story.

di

Will I Get Credit?

When you write a script you have this fantasy — the fabulous story you're writing will appear on screen with your name alongside the Written By credit.

This may actually happen to some writers, but I haven't met any of them yet. The reality is, you write the script, you rewrite the script based on notes, others are likely to also rewrite the script, and if you're lucky it gets shot (where more changes are made), and when it shows on a screen you, along with others, get writing credit.

Reality Bites

Today got a statement from producers, which shows me who all rewrote my script and who of those will get credit. I also got the dubious pleasure of reading the final shooting script to see if I think more that 50% of my original script is still in there.

For those of you who aren't familiar with how credits are given, here's the abbreviated version. If a writer rewrites more than 50% of your script, then you share credit with them. If they write more than 75-80% (you'd have to check with WGA for the specifics) then you get "story by" and they get the credit.

It's Fair

You may say, "Oh my God, that's not fair! The original writer should get the credit." But actually, it's really fair. If someone asked me to rewrite a script — and it's a lot of work — and over half the material up there was mine, I'd want credit.

The problem arises when you try to figure out what constitutes 50%. 50% of the scenes? 50% of the words? 50% of the story in general?

All I can say is, THANK GOD, the WGA figures that stuff out, because after reading the final shooting script all I can say is "My objectivity is shot!" In some ways I think it's exactly like my script, just a different hue, and at times I'm thinking "What the heck is this?"

What to do?

I'm glad I'm onto other scripts and detached somewhat from this story. Otherwise, I'd be a basket case.

It would be nice if writing scripts was like the fantasy, but it's not. It's a business and a collaborative process. Unless you also produce and direct the movie, you won't have control of your creative work.

If you have to have that control, you might look into writing novels.

You're Getting Better All the Time

With each script, book, essay or short story we improve. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell when you’re knee deep in words and working on character motivation.

Also, we’re hardly objective about our writing. When we look at it, we tend to see the blemishes versus the brilliance. But you just have to have faith. You are constantly evolving and improving. Like the Beatles song, Getting Better . . . it’s getting better all the time!

Finding Proof

You say you need proof? Well, you could ask your friends and other writers, but even if they told you your work was improving, you probably wouldn’t believe them.

I look to other artists work.

My husband, for example, started making these rather simple totem dolls that over the past few years have evolved into much more complex sculptures. Each work builds on the next and it’s motivates me to see the gradual transformation.

My artist friend down the street, Sharman Owings, paints a small painting each day. Each day she just keeps getting better and better. Watching her paintings evolve is truly inspiring and lets me know the same things are taking place in my work, even if I can’t see it as easily.

We’re Getting Better

It might be hard to see, but have faith. With each new work you’re gaining more insight and skills. Trust me . . . We’re Getting Better All the Time!

I Mud Wrestler for my Writing

At 16, I read that "the average age of a published writer is 35". That line changed my life.

I was horrified. Thirty-five was a lifetime away — 20 years!! I would be a old lady by then. I didn't doubt that you needed maturity and life experiences to write well, but 20 years of it?!

The Plan

In my panic-induced state, I struck out on a plan. I would double up my experiences. By the time I was 26, I would have as many life experiences as your avery 36-year-old — peeling 10 years off the writer's timetable.

The only rule was that the experiences had to be legal. The article didn't mention anything about "the average published writer has spent time in prison."

And so began the journey.

Weird Stuff I've Done for Writing

Flash forward 30 years. I've got a truckload of experiences under my belt. Some are bit weirder than others — like mud wrestling.

Some years back, I heard there would be competitive mud wrestling at the Puyallup Fair. I'd seen John Candy in Stripes. I signed up immediately. How many chances like this come around?

If I had known that the first thing they have you do is stand on an enormous scale to be publicly weighed in, I may have reconsidered. But I was already there. I stepped up, got my weight and my official mud wrestling T-shirt.

Turns out you have to wear a T-shirt over your bathing suit because the mud is more like axel grease than mud. Because it's slick, you're natural response is to grab your opponents suit, which has a good chance of coming off under the strain. Since this is was family event, they didn't want any youngsters seeing exposed parts — although I could tell from the audience's reaction that a good number had come for just that possibility.

The Line Up

The officials pulled names from a hat at to see who we would wrestle first. I was in the lightest of the three weight groups and my opponents looked pretty wimpy. I felt extremely confident I had a chance at the $25.00 grand prize.

Then came the last-minute contestant — a 110-pound woman that looked like she just got off a Harley Davidson. She was decked out in leather and looked like she could bench press her equally tough-looking boyfriend. I knew instantly I would draw her name, and I did.

On the bright side, I made it all three rounds without being pinned. I still feel bad about ripping her expensive, black leather halter. But it was her fault. She wouldn't wear the official T-shirt.

Afterwards they hosed us off in the cow barn. (That water is COLD!! How do cows stand it?) And I had another life experience to add to my resume.

The Moral of my Story

Did I get published at 26? No. I started publishing regularly in magazines at about 35. Right on schedule.

Am I sorry I started my odyssey. No way. It was the best panic-driven decision I've ever made. I'm still racking up experiences and my stories are benefiting because of them.

Please tell me I'm not alone!

di