I’m bringing back the blog so I can jot down the thoughts that have nowhere to go, as well as rant about the odd industry-related thing or give a mini review of something that really impressed me. Been toying with writing some fiction and figured my own website would be a perfect place for it. I don’t know, and probably won’t know until I do.

See you around.

I’ve been frustrated with the internet, nerd culture, and fanboyism at large for awhile now. For the longest time I couldn’t really put my finger on what was rubbing me the wrong way, but then I had a lightbulb moment while listening to the Scriptnotes episode in which John and Craig discussed the idea of “positive moviegoing.” Craig set out a very interesting method to watching film that resonated with me and got me to thinking about positivity in general. I realized that a lot of what was missing from the internet, nerd culture, and fanboyism at large was just that: positivity. Somewhere along the line we forgot to enjoy shit and instead turned everything into freaking Thunderdome.

That’s why Jandy and I have decided to make 2014 our Year of Positivity. Internet culture is built on extremism and it’s become too damn much. Nerd rages? Consider us over ’em. Hysterical tirades about that one flick that ruined our childhood forever? Nuh-uh, done-zo! Check out her post. She breaks the whole thing down further and even throws in an interesting twist to the concept; she picks out a “souvenir” from her entertainment, whether she likes it or not.

In light of Scriptnotes pushing me (and ultimately us) to this concept of a positive year, I’ll probably call my “souvenir” One Cool Thing, or Cool Things About [insert title here], or MAYBE even The John And Craig Of It All.

Will this plan be executed flawlessly? Probably not. I’m still a recovering cynical bastard and that tends to slip through sometimes. What I’m hoping this does is flush out most of the negativity in my system and give me a better outlook on my entertainment.

Because at the end of the day I want to enjoy shit…you know?

The past few months have been all over the place for me. I’ve oscillated between busy and not-busy so fast that there’s a serious danger of whiplash. I’m sure I’ll go into more detail in future posts, but right now I wanted to offer my thoughts on a game I played recently called BEYOND: TWO SOULS. You know, the latest and greatest [1. debatable in some circles..] from Quantic Dream?

Here’s the synopsis of the game. In a nutshell you’re Jodie and you have this special connection to an entity, which gets exploited by the Government in some pretty messed up ways. Depending on how you enjoyed the previous games from Quantic Dream, your mileage here may vary. Personally, I loved the game. There were a lot of nitpicks I had while playing and some of the ending didn’t quite sit well with me, but I really latched onto the ambition in the storytelling. One moment I’m playing a young Jodie about to be handed over to a Government agency by her parents and then not thirty minutes later I’m sneaking through a devastated lab to find and close a rift in reality. Before I can say, “shit, bro, that was intense,” I’m playing a homeless Jodie trying to break into a small supermarket to keep from starving. Don’t even get me started about the VERY end.

While some people were left cold by the QTEs and “non-gaming” aspects, I thought they were great. These elements allowed me to focus on the story and not get too bogged down with points or skill trees or some of the more “traditional” mechanics of gaming.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Just wanted to put this out there to get back into the habit of writing as well as share my thoughts on a fun game.

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

Emily Blake over at Bamboo Killers has posted this week’s Scribosphere Carnival topic which is MYTHBUSTERS.

In today’s Screenwriter Carnival, I’m challenging my cohorts to think of one screenwriting myth they would love to correct.

Dispelling myths is important for something like screenwriting, where it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the romanticism and ideals of the craft. Last week’s post covered the idea of being realistic about screenwriting as a whole, and this week I want to carry that thought further by dispelling what I think is a rather problematic myth:

WRITING IS A FEELING

Let me elaborate.

There’s the notion that we as writers are just “switched on.” We are always in tune with our muses and all we need to do is just sit down in front of Final Draft (or Scrivener or Celtx or Slugline or Highland) and BAM…off we go! Writing is a religious experience and we’re not truly writers if we don’t feel it.

Right?

I think the only time I’ve truly felt this religious sense of inspiration and enlightenment while writing has been within the first 3 pages of any of my projects. Everything after that initial burst has been a slog, and for the longest time I thought that meant that I might not be cut out to be a writer. Each time this happened I’d feel guilty and ashamed that I didn’t maintain that magical “spark” or that days would go by where writing that one page felt like pulling teeth.

I couldn’t reconcile any of these feelings with that one rare time where I cranked out a feature-length script in a week and felt “that magical feeling” the whole way through.

That’s the problem, though. I put so much importance on the feeling that I never stopped to think that maybe I don’t have to enjoy or draw inspiration from the things I love 100% of the time. Does anyone love their job 100% of the time? No one honest with themselves would say they did. Sometimes it just DOESN’T gel, but that doesn’t mean I hang up the towel and consider the whole thing an expensive waste of time. If anything, it means the honeymoon is over and I have to get serious.

I wish I had some industry myth to dispel, but that’s not where I am right now. I’m still learning and growing and getting this career path figured out. I have goals and I have plans to complete those goals, and that’s where I sit. My sincerest hope is that if you want to do screenwriting as your career that you will a) be realistic about it, and b) not get too wrapped up in the feeling.

Time to get back to this block of action text that just isn’t working. Do I feel like fixing it? Not really.

SEE ALSO:
Bamboo Killers

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

Emily Blake over at Bamboo Killers has posted this week’s Scribosphere Carnival topic which is ADVICE.

The topic for this week’s Scribosphere Carnival is one I’m not entirely prepared for in the grand scheme of things. Compared to the others, I’m the new guy. I’m greenhorn. I’m “aspiring.” Emily’s post about what to do with your screenplay is pretty killer and you can bet I’ve taken a lot of that to heart. Michael’s follow-up is also pretty great and dispenses the important advice of “keep writing!”

So, what’s next on the advice checklist?

BE REALISTIC

Early on I had quite the romantic notion of writing for film and what that entailed. Tried my hand at writing a film of my own and producing it using the tools at my disposal. Thought I was hot shit. Premiered my stuff at a local theater, and realized I was mistaken. I went to film school where they reignited and reinforced my romantic ideas about the craft. Started thinking that I was hot shit once again, but this time with an extra helping of ego on the side.

Feedback on my script? They just don’t “get it.”

That Tarantino guy? Psh. Can’t even follow the screenplay format.

I look back on a lot of these thoughts of mine and get downright embarrassed. There was such an unrealistic view of screenwriting up there in my noggin and I bought into it 100%. I’m sure you can guess what happened next. I moved to LA and no one gave a damn.

That was the wake up call I needed to get realistic about this thing. If I wanted to get serious about this whole writing thing, I was going to have to buckle down and write, write, write. I was going to have to start meeting and pitching and getting my hustle on if I wanted to get anywhere. No one was going to hold my hand and usher me through the gates of Tinsel Town. No one was going to just be at the ready with a contract handy.

I’d have to start at the beginning. I’d have to *gasp* get a “real” job for awhile.

Am I anywhere close to being that screenwriter I was destined to be? Not yet by a long shot. I’ve only been here in LA for a few years, and have only recently gotten realistic about all of this. My biggest advice to offer – as someone at the bottom of the totem pole – is to keep it real. Don’t get wrapped up in the romance and hustle your ass off.

How does one do hustle their ass off, you ask?

Good question.

SEE ALSO:
Bamboo Killers
Red Right Hand

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

Michael Patrick Sullivan over at Red Right Hand has posted this week’s Scribosphere Carnival topic which is CRITICISM.

This week’s Scribosphere topic is how we each take criticism, or how we don’t, who do we seek out to provide it, and what do we do with it once we have it, how we give it, or, you know…whatever.

Criticism.

What a scary concept.

People might not like what I’ve written. People might downright hate what I’ve written. People might even “nothing” what I’ve written. Heck. People might love what I’ve written but think the entire last act is garbage. How does a relative newbie such as myself prepare to handle the onslaught of feedback? The popular consensus is that our writing is somehow our “baby.” Babies are cute, and our own babies are amazeballs to the nines. Why would anyone want to hurt our baby? Don’t they understand all the work that went into creating this baby? THINK ABOUT THE GOSH DARN BABY!

Perhaps we’ve got it all wrong and our writing is instead the gestating, tentacled, face-hugger from Prometheus. Maybe for us to grow as writers and not die horrible deaths we need to get some distance between us and what we write. I’m not talking ten feet away, either; I’m talking about hauling ass out of that medical bay and barricading the Mothra-flipping door with everything in plain sight. Or maybe tricking an Engineer to come in and get attacked by the–

Okay. So I didn’t think this example all the way through, but you get the idea. I’m still wrestling with how to receive and synthesize feedback on my writing on a day-to-day basis. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to hear that my stuff needs work or that it needs to be tweaked like so. All I can do is work at that distance thing and just know that the feedback is there to help me grow and improve as a writer. And I hope that when the shoe is on the other foot I can give feedback that is both helpful and useful.

Yeah.

Definitely didn’t think the Prometheus example through..

SEE ALSO:
Shouting into the Wind
Red Right Hand
Bamboo Killers

Hey guys, don’t forget that the Scribosphere Carnival is still ongoing and we’re still talking about our workflow. If you haven’t had a chance to submit your post for this week, you have about a day or two before we move on to the next topic. Per the rules, I get to pick the topic for the following week, so make the decision tough!

Let’s do this!

Image of Loki used for no reason, but hey, he’s quite the dapper chap!

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

I’ve never been good at introductory paragraphs, so let’s get through this as fast as we can. Shawna over at Shouting Into The Wind created a new blog series to bring a bunch of us writerly types together to discuss the things that interest us as screenwriters. In that same post she set up the guidelines for the first week’s topic as well as how we would go about handling each new week. As it turns out, I was picked for this week’s topic:

WORKFLOW – Everybody has one, and none are the same. Inspired by a post from John August (referencing THIS SITE), you should explain where and when you write, what hardware you use, what software you use, and what you would change about how you write. Have at it!

Where and when do you write?

As a first time parent with a seven month old in tow, my where and when is pretty limited. I’ll do most of my writing during the hour lunch break I have at work, which turns out to really be forty-five minutes because..well..lunch. Later, if I’m not too tired after putting my daughter to bed, I’ll do some more writing to wrap up what I was doing earlier in the day. It’s hit or miss in the evening, though, because I also have to do the social media for some YouTube Channels. With the release of GTA V (or Skyrim, or Dark Souls, or BioShock or..) I also try to get some evening gaming in.

So, yeah. Crowded.

What hardware do you use?

I’m not a big pen and paper person, so my hardware of choice is my trusty ’06 MacBook Pro. I use it for all my writing and it hasn’t let me down so far (finger’s crossed). Eventually I will need to find a replacement, so I’ve been doing some research. The Chromebooks look like a good, affordable option if I’m interested in cloud-based screenwriting. They’re lightweight and don’t damage the pocketbook. There are also a few Windows-based laptops that have caught my eye as well. I’m also eyeballing the smaller MacBook Pros. Yes, they’re expensive for what you get, but I love the OS look and feel and a lot of my apps and licenses are OS-specific anyway.

What software do you use?

Speaking of apps..

My go-to writing software at the moment is Scrivener. I managed to snag it during one of those “indie bundle promotions,” and have been using it ever since for all my feature-length projects. I love all the organization it offers, as well as the project goals, word counts, and outlining. It also allows custom fonts, which means I get to use John August’s Courier Prime font. While I’m not super-savvy in the realm of fonts, I do appreciate the mentality behind Prime and it’s future-proof aesthetic.

I also use CELTX, which is a cloud-based screenwriting app. Think Google Docs but for screenwriting. The collaboration aspect is useful, if a little rudimentary, and they are constantly updating and tweaking. Their customer support is pretty great, and they are responsive to any inquiries you have. At the moment I only use it for short-form writing and for the animated shows I work on. I’ve written a feature length script on there before, but wasn’t too keen on how it handled the revision process. Also, forget about exporting and importing scripts with ease. The iPad/iPhone app is great, though, and syncs immediately. Good for on-the-go writing.

I’ve used Final Draft before, but wasn’t too wowed by it. Will probably use it for a feature length every now and then just to keep myself diversified.

Once I move on to a newer laptop, though, I plan to get both Highland and Slugline and start working with the Fountain screenwriting language primarily.

What would you change about how you write?

At the beginning of the post I mentioned how having a child has cut back on a lot of my “when” in regard to writing. My goal in the coming months and years is to reclaim some of that lost time back through better management of priorities. Obviously family is priority numero uno, but everything after that is in a state of flux. I want to lock the “everything else” down and get this career started, which means I need to crank out these scripts and be more assertive in the revision process.

My short form writing for Toonocracy is fine, but I could do better. By next year I hope to diversify what I write for them more and get even more shows under my belt. I have a very particular sense of humor and want to step out of my comfort zone, even if it boils down to script-doctoring or helping the others work through their ideas.

I’m sure there’s more that I’d like to change about my writing, and maybe soon I’ll write up a post that’s covers all the rest. For now I’ve got to kick off Part Two of this Scribosphere Carnival!

Remember to comment with your links and I will update the post with them!

PARTICIPATING BLOGS:

Bamboo Killers
Red Right Hand
David Anaxagoras
Shouting into the Wind

The Scribosphere Carnival is a weekly discussion from a variety of screenwriting blogs around a rotating theme.

Shawna at Shouting into the Wind has posted this week’s Scribosphere Carnival topic which is TIME CAPSULE.

This topic is actually a 3-parter. First, recount your journey in screenwriting up to this point in time. Second, tell us where you are on your journey now. Finally, for the really fun, creative part — blog as if it is one year from today. What has the past year of your journey been like? What has changed? Be as realistic or not as you like — it’s your time capsule! One year from now, we will revisit our time capsules to see how we did with our predictions… Your post can be as long or as short as you like — the most important thing is to have fun with it!

Here we go:

A Short History of Getting Into This Writing Thing.

I say “short” because I’ve only just begun my arduous journey into screenwriting. This business started when I got the itch to get into filmmaking and made my own independent, feature-length film. Learned a lot on set and in the editing room, namely that I needed a lot of work before I could get anywhere with this. I went to the local university hoping to find a robust film education and community. It was nowhere near adequate and was ultimately a hindrance so I packed up and moved out to Chicago to go to film school.

Learned a lot of interesting things there and met a lot of great people. Started writing some screenplay drafts and took as many different classes as I could. From there I got work at a web animation startup as a “writing/editing intern,” and met I Tom, who taught me much of what I know now about writing for animation.

Eventually, the call of LA reached our ears and we begrudgingly packed up and left. Yes. Begrudgingly. We really liked Chicago.

Once we arrived in LA he started getting work at Animation Studios and I meandered. I knew I had arrived to get into screenwriting, but I was broke and needed some kind of 9-5 that could pay the bills. I shelved the writing for a bit and got a job at a notable shoe store.

And then I got married.

And then I got a daughter.

A Sausage Fest and Several Drafts!

Right now I am a writer for a show called Sausage School, and a show called Tequila Tae Kwon Do, both of which are featured on Toonocracy. The short form writing has been kind of a godsend, especially now that I’m juggling work and parenting. I’ve still got a bunch of drafts sitting on my computer, waiting to be finished. One is a Steampunk Western Revenge flick, and the other is a cynical Romantic Comedy. There are also a dozen scribbles in a notepad that constitute ideas.

Progress is progress, even if it’s small…right?

My goal is to one day make this writing thing my 9-5, whether it be writing for cartoons, writing for features, or writing for television. I get asked for specifics when I tell people I’m a writer. “Well, what do you want to write?” they ask, to which I reply, “Stuff people would pay for.”

A Step Into The Future!

[scrippet]

INT. HARDESTY APARTMENT – NIGHT (2014)

FUTURE JONATHAN sits in a rocking chair, laptop at the ready. He clacks away at the ancient MacBook, occasionally hitting the backspace and swearing under his breath.

We hear a familiar WHOOSH-WHOOSH and a TARDIS appears nearby.

The doors swing open and out steps PAST JONATHAN. There’s a look of understanding between them.

PAST JONATHAN
Is this the–

FUTURE JONATHAN
Yes. 2014. And no, no flying cars yet.

PAST JONATHAN
DAMNIT.

FUTURE JONATHAN
I know. I’m starting to think that was a bullshit promise. Maybe next year, right?

From within the TARDIS.

FUTURE FUTURE JONATHAN (OS)
Nope. Not then either.

PAST JONATHAN
Okay. Would love to stay and wreck the continuum, but I’ve got to ask…did we make it?

FUTURE FUTURE JONATHAN (OS)
We came here for this?! You could have just asked–

PAST JONATHAN
Shh. I wanted to pinpoint when.

Future Jonathan closes his laptop.

FUTURE JONATHAN
We’re close. Uploaded a few scripts to The Blacklist. Got some decent feedback.

FUTURE FUTURE JONATHAN (OS)
YEP! COULDA TOLD YOU THAT, ASSHOLE!

PAST JONATHAN
(to Future Future Jonathan)
Well, then why don’t you tell me about where I am in 2015?

FUTURE FUTURE JONATHAN (OS)
I don’t wanna.

Past Jonathan sighs. Future Jonathan sets the laptop down and goes over to our distressed protagonist. He pats him on the shoulder. Doc Brown and The Doctor simultaneously have heart attacks.

FUTURE JONATHAN
Don’t sweat it, man. Balancing it all becomes easier. Karina gets older and more self-reliant day by day. You write when you can and you hustle when you can. We’re not there yet by a long shot, but you have made new friends and they have helped you come a long way.

A brief moment.

FUTURE JONATHAN
We cool?

PAST JONATHAN
Yeah. Thanks!

Past Jonathan gets back into the TARDIS and it disappears with that familiar WHOOSH-WHOOSH.

Future Jonathan chuckles slightly and gets back to work on Transformers 10.

FADE OUT:

[/scrippet]

Other Participating Blogs:

Shouting Into the Wind
TV Calling
Red Right Hand
Bamboo Killers
Britt in Boots

I often find myself wondering what my cats are up to when I’m out and about. Do they talk about meaningful things or do they just sleep all day? This (semi) regular post series attempts to shed some light on what goes down when no one is around.

Today has been six months in the making! Dave and Killer discuss THE BABY!

[scrippet]

INT. THE HARDESTY APARTMENT – DAY

A nice two-bedroom apartment that’s not in The Valley, which makes it pretty much the best apartment ever. There’s decor and stuff, but no one really reads this for the furniture description.

DAVE stares out an opened sliding glass door at the end of the living room. The only thing keeping him from sweet escape is a flimsy screen. He meows and taps the screen with his paw. It appears to be a thoughtful gesture, which is odd because Dave is an idiot.

Killer watches Dave from underneath the nearby cat tower.

KILLER
That’s not gonna do anything, you know.

DAVE
It might.

KILLER
No, it really won’t.

DAVE
I don’t see you trying to get out of here.

KILLER
The baby has finally gotten to you, huh?

DAVE
What baby?

KILLER
The one who lives here now.

Dave looks over at Killer. He doesn’t remove his paw from the screen door.

DAVE
A baby lives here? What does it look like?

KILLER
Oh, come on! You’ve seen it before. It’s smaller than us and makes all kinds of noise.

DAVE
What are you even talking about?

KILLER
It crawls on all fours like us, goes “bah bah bah bah” all the time, and has even hit you in the face.

DAVE
I would know if something hit me in the face.

Killer bristles.

KILLER
Okay. See that swing over there?

They both look at the Fisher Price Baby Swing.

DAVE
Yeah.

KILLER
What do you suppose goes in that swing?

DAVE
Sausages?

KILLER
Ye–wait. NO. What?! A baby goes in there! YOU’VE SEEN THE OWNERS PUT THE BABY IN THERE.

DAVE
So no sausages?

KILLER
A BABY, DAMNIT! It’s a baby! B-A-B-FRICKIN’-Y! BABY. INFANT. YOUNG ONE. OFFSPRING. CHILD. BABY!

DAVE
What baby?

Killer gets up, scoots over to Dave and bops him on the head with his paw before leaving.

Dave watches him go and then stares at the swing for a moment. He looks back out the screen door.

DAVE
I’m stuck.

FADE OUT:

[/scrippet]

Dave And Killer is formatted using SCRIPPETS which utilizes FOUNTAIN, a plain text markup language for screenwriting. In short, it’s pretty dope.