I just heard that screenwriting author/teacher Blake Snyder passed away suddenly today from cardiac arrest. I took Blake's class in NYC back in 2006. It was truly inspiring. I had taken the class soon after reading his helpful book Save the Cat. His class was fun and focused. To this day, I keep those class notes handy and refer to the information he gave to us on that day.
He truly had a love for writers. He was patient, kind and supportive.
Some screenwriting author/teachers are in it just for the money they can make off of hungry writers. I took a seminar once with one L.A. guru (who shall remain nameless) who limited our questions and berated students in a highly condescending manner (like he was doing us a favor by even talking to us, even thought we were paying him.)
Blake Snyder was never like that -- never doing this for a quick buck -- but rather he was trying to help us stay focused, enthused and in the know. He rooted for us to succeed in a very tough business.
Blake was to return to NYC this month. I saw the posting for his seminar and thought about taking it... now he's gone. A young man in his fifties. This reminds us all not to waste a single day, to keep the dream alive, and to connect with others both on and off the page.
We'll miss you, Blake.
2 comments:
You’re lucky to have had the opportunity to meet and learn from Blake Snyder, Janet. He was a genuinely lovely person, sincerely interested in others. It’s such a rare quality.
Listening again to the recording of a 2008 interview for Writer’s Digest Books, I heard him answer the question of what character archetype he’d apply to himself. “I’m the old soldier,” he said, “going back for one last mission—damaged, wounded, limping—but one last glorious mission.”
you got a great blog here! thanks for an interesting read...you make a screenplay writer-wanna-be take a first time course. any recommendations for a one day seminar like Blake's (he sounded like a great man) that I can take in November or December of this year? thanks for any tips and all the best to you in your writing journey.
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