It has been a tough road this past year, writing all 36 of the chapters of what represents over 32 years of hard times trying to make a living as an employee and then a consultant in the IT field. Even into my last days of editing this over 600 page book, I am still finding areas that i want to fix up and improve. I have found a cheap publisher and the next step is to print out 15 copies for friends and family and for all time sake. Next year I will make a new version for possible release as a published book or ebook.
I recommend anyone who has completed his/her career to write a book about their experiences. For me it was therapy but I have to admit that even after writing it all down I am still not over all the bad times and I have had more than my share.
I added one last chapter where I copied in some emails from an old college professor from 32 years ago who helped me during a very tough time. This last week of November 2014 I sent out the book to get a test printing and i have submitted my manuscript for review.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Friday, November 14, 2014
On Writing my first novel
They say write about what you know.
That is what I did when I wrote a 600 page Novel/Biography about my completed career in the Information Technology field. I started it in late January and now I am about done writing, re-writing and editing it.
I really had no trouble remembering anything, all those thousands of incidents both good and very bad over a 32 year span of trying to make a living. The title says it all, "Because of the Money", and what we all do to make money in this world is a major work of economy and art within it self.
That is what I did when I wrote a 600 page Novel/Biography about my completed career in the Information Technology field. I started it in late January and now I am about done writing, re-writing and editing it.
I really had no trouble remembering anything, all those thousands of incidents both good and very bad over a 32 year span of trying to make a living. The title says it all, "Because of the Money", and what we all do to make money in this world is a major work of economy and art within it self.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Great Amazon Books on Screenwriting!
I have read several screenwriting books in my career - this is one of the best.
The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated)
Another good book about screenwriting
The 90-Day Screenplay: from concept to polish
44
This is a great book about how to write great movie dialogue.
DAZZLING DIALOGUE
http://www.prosperly.com/2009/recession-proof-internet-business-model-flipping-websites/
More great Amazon Books:
Drowning Ruth: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)
The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
The Screenwriter's Bible, 6th Edition: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script (Expanded & Updated)
Another good book about screenwriting
The 90-Day Screenplay: from concept to polish
44
This is a great book about how to write great movie dialogue.
DAZZLING DIALOGUE
http://www.prosperly.com/2009/recession-proof-internet-business-model-flipping-websites/
More great Amazon Books:
Drowning Ruth: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)
The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Protect your screenplay
The most important thing you must do before you show your completed screenplay to anyone you dont know is have it protected by the WGA West or East organizations. They are very easy to find on the internet and have online forms to submit your screenplay to be registered. Once registered you will get an official document and a registration number. The cost for this is 25 dollars.
You can also get copyright protection to be extra careful, but for my screenplays so far I have not found this necessary.
You can also get copyright protection to be extra careful, but for my screenplays so far I have not found this necessary.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Where do you get Screenwriting Inspiration?
Where do these ideas come from? How can you get inspired with what has been called the most difficult of all art forms to master.
For me it comes to me either when I am driving or when I am sleeping. One of the problems when your are sleeping is that very often you forget what you were thinking about when you wake up. I am definitely not writing down ideas in the middle of the night so I don't forget my thoughts, but maybe I should.
Great ideas for a movie are few and far between and that certainly comes through when you consider how many actually good high quality movies are made each year. The reason for this is because of politics and other unknown reasons, but the obvious other reason is because it is extremely difficult to think about a great idea for a movie and then see it through to its completion. This is especially true if your new to the field and trying to break in for the first time, trying to get past all the middle men and agents out there.
What I have done so far and I have started writing my 4th screenplay, is to start writing once you get the new idea or inspiration to make sure that the idea doesn't die on the vine. Start the process moving forward before you lose or forget your new idea!
The main thing is to KEEP WRITING!
For me it comes to me either when I am driving or when I am sleeping. One of the problems when your are sleeping is that very often you forget what you were thinking about when you wake up. I am definitely not writing down ideas in the middle of the night so I don't forget my thoughts, but maybe I should.
Great ideas for a movie are few and far between and that certainly comes through when you consider how many actually good high quality movies are made each year. The reason for this is because of politics and other unknown reasons, but the obvious other reason is because it is extremely difficult to think about a great idea for a movie and then see it through to its completion. This is especially true if your new to the field and trying to break in for the first time, trying to get past all the middle men and agents out there.
What I have done so far and I have started writing my 4th screenplay, is to start writing once you get the new idea or inspiration to make sure that the idea doesn't die on the vine. Start the process moving forward before you lose or forget your new idea!
The main thing is to KEEP WRITING!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Be Wary of Script Coverage Companies
What is script coverage? Very simply its when you pay a company as much as 200 dollars to have some experts review your screenplay.
DO you have a guarantee that the people who read your script are in fact movie experts or even worked in the field? No.
Do you have a guarantee of getting an agent or having your work sent to a production company if they like your script. No.
What are the odds or your script getting a SUBMIT rating, rather than a PASS? Less that 5%.
So your paying as much as 200 dollars for a 5% or less chance of getting anything in return. Just some arbitrary opinions on people you dont know and whose credentials are not published by the company.
Is there are better way of getting someone else's opinion? Or just to have some else see your work? What I found out the hard way was that you get far more for your money from a web site like FIVERR, where the fees are only 5 dollars. Of course there are other web sites like FIVERR out there that could be another option. You can also use family members or friends. Feedback on your script is vital to your screenwriting success, but just be smart about it.
I have also tried a few screenwriting contests, but your odds there are pretty low as well.
The best thing you can do is just keep writing and creating and doing research online.
DO you have a guarantee that the people who read your script are in fact movie experts or even worked in the field? No.
Do you have a guarantee of getting an agent or having your work sent to a production company if they like your script. No.
What are the odds or your script getting a SUBMIT rating, rather than a PASS? Less that 5%.
So your paying as much as 200 dollars for a 5% or less chance of getting anything in return. Just some arbitrary opinions on people you dont know and whose credentials are not published by the company.
Is there are better way of getting someone else's opinion? Or just to have some else see your work? What I found out the hard way was that you get far more for your money from a web site like FIVERR, where the fees are only 5 dollars. Of course there are other web sites like FIVERR out there that could be another option. You can also use family members or friends. Feedback on your script is vital to your screenwriting success, but just be smart about it.
I have also tried a few screenwriting contests, but your odds there are pretty low as well.
The best thing you can do is just keep writing and creating and doing research online.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Screenwriting: Review of a craft
Screenwriting is a job, and its job you have to do every day. I have to admit that I don't write every day but I do continue to write a book about my now completed IT career, which was very challenging.
To be honest its been a very tough process even getting an agent, and I have been quite amazed at how impossible a hill this new profession has been to climb. I have learned a great deal over the past year, but I need to know much more.
So how did i start to learn this craft. First I read many screenwriting books and there are quite a few below and they are valuable for screenwriting tips and screenwriting ideas. Feel free to select the ones you like below which will take you to Amazon.com. I also got a few reviews of my first screenplay entitled "RB" on FIVER, which is a website where you pay 5 dollars for a small task and some advice. I have been both impressed and very disappointed at some of the results of my five dollar reviews. I also see many movies every year and i have also started a blog about my movie reviews. In my many years of seeing many movies i am always stunned at how many bad movies are made when you consider how hard it is to break into the field as either a screenwriter or actor or director.
I have also entered a few screenwriting competitions, the best one I have heard about is BLUECAT. Its important to research and find out which ones are the best ones, because you don't want to waste your money. Screenwriting is hard work and there is no magic bullet. Keep writing is the secret. If your inclined, perhaps a screenwriting school would be something you would want to try.
To be honest its been a very tough process even getting an agent, and I have been quite amazed at how impossible a hill this new profession has been to climb. I have learned a great deal over the past year, but I need to know much more.
So how did i start to learn this craft. First I read many screenwriting books and there are quite a few below and they are valuable for screenwriting tips and screenwriting ideas. Feel free to select the ones you like below which will take you to Amazon.com. I also got a few reviews of my first screenplay entitled "RB" on FIVER, which is a website where you pay 5 dollars for a small task and some advice. I have been both impressed and very disappointed at some of the results of my five dollar reviews. I also see many movies every year and i have also started a blog about my movie reviews. In my many years of seeing many movies i am always stunned at how many bad movies are made when you consider how hard it is to break into the field as either a screenwriter or actor or director.
I have also entered a few screenwriting competitions, the best one I have heard about is BLUECAT. Its important to research and find out which ones are the best ones, because you don't want to waste your money. Screenwriting is hard work and there is no magic bullet. Keep writing is the secret. If your inclined, perhaps a screenwriting school would be something you would want to try.
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