THE NEW YORK SCREENWRITING LIFE

2012-01-24T15:56:00.004-05:00

WATCHING A MOVIE WITH MADONNA

January 24, 2012
By: Janet Lawler
New York

I went to the movies with Madonna last night.

Okay, let me clarify... I didn't exactly share popcorn out of the same bucket with the singer... but I definitely was in popcorn-throwing range of the pop icon while watching the premiere of her new movie W.E. at the Ziegfeld Theatre on Monday night.

Madonna about to enter premiere Photo: Carolina Correa

How was the experience? AWESOME! Not so much the movie... but watching Madonna watch her own movie... priceless.

Madonna at the Ziegfeld

Madonna directed and co-wrote the film. She wowed the audience wearing a drop-dead gorgeous black velvet Marchesa gown. All eyes were on her like lasers.
Her movie is about Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII. King Edward had an affair with Mrs. Simpson and caused a major scandal back in the day. Rather than end the romance with the then-married woman, King Edward abdicated his power. After Mrs. Simpson's divorce became final, Wallis and Edward (thus, the title W.E.) married and became known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.

W.E. is beautifully shot (in New York, Paris, London, and Queens!) -- telling two stories -- one set in 1998 in Manhattan about a woman stuck in an unhappy, abusive marriage who becomes fascinated with the auction at Sotheby's focusing on the Duke and Duchess; and the second story focusing on the historic events in the 1930s and 40s. The two stories intertwine nicely for awhile, but unfortunately, not effectively overall. I could have done without two stories. Simpson's story is fascinating enough to watch, as is the actress who portrays her Andrea Riseborough.

The director asks -- why do we only think King Edward sacrificed everything for love? What did Wallis Simpson have to give up? What was her life like after Edward left the throne to be with her? Was it a fairy tale romance? Not exactly. Go see the movie to see why.

W.E. just picked up an Oscar nomination for costume design. Madonna will need a new gown to wear to the Academy Awards next month.

Before watching the movie last night, Madonna walked to the front of the audience, picked up a microphone and spoke about making the film against all odds. I liked when she said her passion in all her work is story telling. It doesn't matter if it's a music video she makes... a new song she writes... a film she directs... story remains key to her. It's what connects us all...

We all have a story.

The writer/director thanked her mother. As most know, her Mom died when Madonna was a child. Madonna whispered into the microphone, "W.E. is the journey of the female soul... and my mother gave me life... and, enjoy the film!"

Madonna took her seat with the rest of us as the lights went down... and her movie hit the big screen in New York City -- the city she most loves.

Lights up... movie over... but Madonna's story continues. Next month it's the Oscars to attend... but first, her flashy gowns come off and she performs live at the Super Bowl on February 5th.

Um, move over, Lady Gaga... this pop icon is far from retired yet.

Here is a link to Madonna's speech last night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjWfrfVbInU.
Don't forget to follow The NY Screenwriting Life on Amazon if you have a Kindle and on Facebook.

Until next time.

2011-12-31T10:11:00.004-05:00

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS... TO 2012
December 31, 2011
by Janet Lawler

New Year's Eve 2011 Photo: Janet Lawler

As the clock ticks closer today to the New Year of 2012, I want to thank you for reading The NY Screenwriting Life blog throughout 2011. Thanks for following on Kindle and Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

It's been a blast reviewing movies, TV shows and discussing writing in the arts... special thanks to writers Leslie Dixon "Limitless", Angelo Pizzo "Rudy" and Steven Pressfield "The War of Art" for their interviews here in 2011.

Tonight, I'll be in Times Square when the ball drops. Crazy, huh? As a native New Yorker and member of the press, I've done it several times -- and nothing is more thrilling than when that clock starts counting down and the ear-popping TICK, TICK, TICK reverberates throughout Times Square... your heart pounds with anticipation... the crowd cheers... the mega-sized screens countdown the numbers from 60... down to 1 at the final minute of the year. And then...

... HAPPY NEW YEAR! CONFETTI... LIGHTS... Auld Lang Syne plays from giant speakers... and New Yorkers, tourists and cops hug -- reflecting on the year past (highs and lows) and hopeful for the new year ahead. A clean slate.

And then, the melancholy music seques into Frank Sinatra singing New York, New York...

... and there's barely a dry eye in the city. If you're from New York, you're filled with pride... if you're not from New York, you're an honorary New Yorker at that very second.

It gives me chills every time. As one tourist said on TV the other night, Times Square on New Year's Eve is the center of the universe. We can't stop time... but that countdown is the closest we come to it.

Janet Lawler

The past few years have been a challenge for America economically, but we still have an awful lot to be thankful for as this year winds down. We can work toward new goals, improve our lives and those of others -- even if by just being more positive in what we say each day at work, school, home -- and reaching for our dreams.

It was a great year for me personally... I got married in NYC this past summer to my partner Carolina!... finished my new play and a screenplay... and am working in the greatest city on the planet. I'm thankful to all my friends and family who make each day of the year joyful.

Lady Gaga performs

Happy New Year, All! Go after what you want in 2012. Hug someone tonight at midnight -- even a complete stranger -- and hope and strive for the very best to come.

Big online hug to you and yours. HAPPY 2012 -- peace, good health and love.

Until next time.

2011-12-16T09:49:00.001-05:00

AWARDS SEASON AND HOLIDAY CHEER
The 2012 Golden Globe Awards Picks
by Janet Lawler

Hey, it's that time of year again for eggnog and Christmas cookies... and the Golden Globes and Ricky Gervais in your living room. Yes, it's Golden Globe season!

Damian Lewis in Homeland

It looks like an exciting year for movies and TV. Some of my favorite picks made the list. I'm rooting for Homeland to win best television series. Claire Danes and Damian Lewis are up for their thrilling performances each week as the C.I.A. agent and Marine hero-possibly-turned-terrorist. They have strong competition with Boardwalk Empire and Breaking Bad.

The Artist

The Artist will no doubt win for best musical/comedy. It's a delightful movie (even if a tad long) but very clever and original. It reminds us of why we love movies. It's magical. The leads actor and actress (Jean Dujardin and Bernice Bejo) chew the scenery on the big screen in black and white and do a great job making a silent film so captivating in 2011.

I liked the dog too in The Artist! He stole many scenes. What, no nomination for Best Animal in a Supporting Role?

Kristin Wiig

I love Kristin Wiig in Bridesmaids ("Let's get ready to PART-TAYYYYY!") and would be over the moon if she wins for best actress in a comedy/musical, but then she's up against Michelle Williams in My Week with Marilyn... and Williams is truly stunning as Marilyn Monroe (she sings and dances as well as acts) Not easy portraying an icon and bringing something fresh to it.

The best motion picture category for comedy/musical is solid with The Artist, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, My Week with Marilyn and 50/50. I think The Artist will win and rightly so. It's got Hollywood written all over it. But I have a sweet spot for Midnight in Paris (Woody Allen is nominated for best director and Owen Wilson for lead actor.) Midnight is the biggest box-office success for a Woody Allen film. Try to see it if you can. If you're a writer, you'll swoon over it.

The Help

As for lead actress -- Meryl Streep is back with The Iron Lady. Need I say more. But, Viola Davis is also nominated for The Help. Both actresses starred together a few years back in the movie Doubt. The Help received solid nominations, especially for supporting actresses Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer. The movie peaked in the summer, but let's not forget what a super cast that movie had and how it touched our hearts.

And what is a motion pictures awards show without Brad and Angie on the red carpet? We can all breathe a sigh of relief because they will be attending the awards. Each has a nomination of their own -- Brad Pitt for lead actor in Moneyball and Angelina Jolie directed In the Land of Blood and Honey, which received a nod for Best Foreign Language Film. Looks like they'll need a babysitter to watch the kids.

New Girl's Zooey Deschanel

My Grab Bag Picks: Modern Family is my fave for Television Comedy. I'm happy for Madeleine Stowe for her nom for Best Actress in a Television Drama for Revenge. I'm doing cartwheels that Zooey Deschanel is nominated for Best Actress in a Television Comedy/Musical. I love her on New Girl! She's a riot, quirky and underrated. So my fingers are crossed for her to win this year.

And Sophia Vergara may take home a Golden Globe for supporting actress on Modern Family. Let's hope so. Every week she delivers on that show. Oh, and Mildred Pierce (HBO) received four nominations!! I'm checking off Kate Winslet for best actress in a Television Mini Series.

Below is the list below of all the nominations for you to peruse and make your picks. Thank you, Hollywood Reporter for this list.

Ricky Gervais

Enjoy your holiday fruit cake and be sure to mark your calendar to watch the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, January 15th on NBC. Ricky Gervais will be sure to deliver the laughs and insults for us all to enjoy after the warm glow of Christmas.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone reading! Don't forget to follow The NY Screenwriting Life on Facebook and also to subscribe on Kindle in the new year!!

Until next time.

MOTION PICTURE
Motion Picture, Drama
The Descendants
The Help
Hugo
The Ides of March
Moneyball
War Horse

Best Performance By An Actress In A Motion Picture – Drama
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Tilda Swinton, We Need To Talk About Kevin

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Drama
George Clooney, The Descendants
Leonardo DiCaprio, J. Edgar
Michael Fassbender, Shame
Ryan Gosling, The Ides of March
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
50/50
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Midnight in Paris
My Week With Marilyn

Best Performance By An Actress in A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Jodie Foster, Carnage
Charlize Theron, Young Adult
Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn
Kate Winslet, Carnage

Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture – Comedy Or Musical
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Brendan Gleeson, The Guard
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 50/50
Ryan Gosling, Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Owen Wilson, Midnight in Paris

Best Animated Feature Film
The Adventures of Tintin
Arthur Christmas
Cars 2
Puss in Boots
Rango

Best Foreign Language Film
The Flowers of War (China)
In the Land of Blood and Honey (USA)
The Kid With A Bike (Belgium)
A Separation (Iran)
The Skin I Live In (Spain)

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
Berenice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Shailene Woodley, The Descendants

Best Performance By An Actor In A Supporting Role In A Motion Picture
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Albert Brooks, Drive
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Viggo Mortensen, A Dangerous Method
Christopher Plummer, Beginners

Best Director – Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash, The Descendants
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Moneyball

Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Ludovic Bource, The Artist
Abel Korzeniowski, W.E.
Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Howard Shore, Hugo
John Williams, War Horse

Best Original Song – Motion Picture
“Hello Hello” — Gnomeo & Juliet
Music by: Elton John
Lyrics by: Bernie Taupin
“The Keeper” — Machine Gun Preacher
Music & Lyrics by: Chris Cornell
"Lay Your Head Down” — Albert Nobbs
Music by: Brian Byrne
Lyrics by: Glenn Close
“The Living Proof” — The Help
Music by: Mary J. Blige, Thomas Newman, Harvey Mason Jr.
Lyrics by: Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr., Damon Thomas
“Masterpiece” — W.E.
Music & Lyrics by: Madonna, Julie Frost, Jimmy Harry

Best Television Series – Drama
American Horror Story, FX
Boardwalk Empire, HBO
Boss, STARZ
Game of Thrones, HBO
Homeland, Showtime

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Drama
Claire Danes, Homeland
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Madeleine Stowe, Revenge
Callie Thorne, Necessary Roughness

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Kelsey Grammer, Boss
Jeremy Irons, The Borgias
Damian Lewis, Homeland

Best Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Enlightened, HBO
Episodes, Showtime
Glee, FOX
Modern Family, ABC
New Girl, FOX

Best Performance By An Actress In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Best Performance By An Actor In A Television Series – Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
David Duchovny, Californication
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Thomas Jane, Hung
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Cinema Verite, HBO
Downton Abbey, PBS (Masterpiece)
The Hour, BBC America
Mildred Pierce, HBO
Too Big to Fail, HBO

Best Performance By An Actress In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Romola Garai, The Hour
Diane Lane, Cinema Verite
Elizabeth McGovern, Downton Abbey
Emily Watson, Appropriate Adult
Kate Winslet, Mildred Pierce

Best Performance By An Actor In A Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Idris Elba, Luther
William Hurt, To Big to Fail
Bill Nighy, Page Eight
Dominic West, The Hour

Best Performance By An Actress In A Supporting Role In A Series, Mini-Series, Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Evan Rachel Wood, Mildred Pierce

Best Performance By An Actor in A Supporting Role in A Series, Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Paul Giamatti, Too Big to Fail
Guy Pearce, Mildred Pierce
Tim Robbins, Cinema Verite
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

2011-11-28T14:50:00.001-05:00

WOODY ALLEN: The Documentary
A lesson in Being Prolific
by Janet Lawler
November 28, 2011

I grew up watching Woody Allen movies all my life.

Back as a teen, I didn't quite get Woody's intellectual wit when I was watching "Annie Hall" and "Manhattan" for the first time, but oh, how I wanted to walk around Woody's black and white New York... and sip wine with his movie characters who seemed to know so much about film, art and this magnificent city.

He presented New York City in the best light for the times. It was far from the reality that most of us had growing up on city streets, but yet we knew there was an Upper West Side and Upper East Side that was within our reach.

I would dream about some day siting by the 59th Street Bridge with the person I loved... with New York illuminated in the foreground. I did just that -- only sitting on a bench on Roosevelt Island -- looking back at the Manhattan skyline, which was a dream come true.

According to the PBS documentary Woody Allen: The Documentary, Woody had to put a bench by the 59th Street Bridge for that stunning scene in "Manhattan". There were no benches there. And although he knew it was a great shot, he never imagined it would become so iconic.

I found this two-part documentary absolutely fascinating. PBS gets a donation just for this program alone. It's filled with gems for the creative person or movie lover.

We think of Woody Allen as closed-off, reclusive, and aloof. He is shy, but in this documentary, he opens up freely, especially about his creative process. He is a writer. It's his roots. Directing came much later.

He takes us into his apartment in New York... to where he writes... He writes all his screenplays at a simple desk in the corner of the room. He writes them on a manual Olympia typewriter. It's the same typewriter he has used since his teens when he wrote jokes for other comedians back in the 50s and 60s. No computers.

Woody Allen has a work ethic like you can't believe which is why he comes out with a new movie practically every year, including movies such as: Take the Money and Run, Bananas, Sleeper, and Love and Death; Annie Hall, Manhattan, Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, Purple Rose of Cairo, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands & Wives, Bullets Over Broadway, and Mighty Aphrodite; and his recent globetrotting phase with Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and this year’s box office smash Midnight in Paris.

His writing gets better and better. So do his movies.

When he finishes one script and the movie, he starts another script the very next day. There is no down time. He works year round -- either writing, shooting, editing or thinking. He shows us a box of "ideas" in his room... with napkins, scribbled papers... containing possible new movie ideas. Each time he gets ready to start a new project... he rummages through his idea box... and thinks if the idea is worth pursuing as a movie.

As passionate as Woody Allen is about writing and directing (movies in general), he also loves music. He plays the Clarinette. He plays in New York every Monday night. When the Academy Awards used to be held on Monday nights, he always missed attending because his band played New Orleans Jazz at Manhattan's Carlyle on Mondays. (He also adds that he isn't thrilled with awards -- unless it's for track -- where there is a clear winner. Otherwise, there is no clear winner for the Oscars.)

Seriously? Miss the Oscars to play your clarinette on a Monday night? Yes, if you're Woody Allen -- being disciplined at the writer's desk or in his band are the same.

I find Woody's recent movies some of my favorites. I loved Midnight in Paris with its whimsy and Paris charm. I also was riveted watching Match Point when a husband decides to kill his wife and take his chances at getting caught. Woody Allen hits and misses sometimes on the big screen, but at least he aims -- and works year in and year out to bring us something unique.

I have a long list of New York directors that I admire... Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Sidney Lumet, Sydney Pollack, Edward Burns... but Woody Allen somehow captures New York (and now Europe) in a glow that no others do.

I still want to grow up and live in a Woody Allen New York movie and on occasion I do. One time walking home from work around 10PM on Central Park South, I saw a movie crew. I almost fainted when I realized it was a Woody Allen movie being shot... right outside the Essex Hotel... there was Woody Allen on the street directing. And in this scene, Melanie Griffith drives up to the hotel and runs inside. Action... cut. It's one of my favorite all-time New York moments. And this year, during the Hurricane Irene storm, my job put me up in a hotel for the night... at the Essex Hotel. Dreams come true on their own timeline. Now, if only I could sit on a park bench in Paris and write a great novel and...

... Woody Allen movies makes all those dreams possible on screen.

You can watch the complete two-part documentary at PBS website American Masters. Here is the link: http://watch.thirteen.org/program/american-masters

Until next time.

2011-10-27T20:39:00.004-04:00

HIDDEN BATTLES - see the documentary in New York

Screening: Monday, Nov. 7th, 2011 7:30PM in NYC

I've seen this documentary and it's extremely powerful. Director Victoria Mills gives us a rare look inside the heart and mind of a soldier. We all think we know about war and its impact on lives -- but do we really know how it changes those who actually fight these battles?

Supporting the troops means more than lip service -- it means listening when soldiers speak from the heart, when they describe their experiences in combat and when they reach out for healing upon returning home. I highly recommend Hidden Battles. In honor of Veteran's Day, attend the screening if you can in New York City on Monday, Nov. 7th at 7:30PM. More details below. Congratulations, Victoria, for this great work and to your Hidden Battles team (a special shout out to Carolina Correa-Lawler, an associate producer on the film.... and my better half!)

Screening of Hidden Battles with Director Victoria Mills
”Hidden Battles” is a 65 minute documentary which follows a female Sandinista rebel, an Israeli officer, a Palestinian freedom fighter and two American soldiers as they come to terms with their combat experiences. The film offers unique insight and hope into the internal conflicts that human beings around the world continue to face long after they have left the battlefield. www.hiddenbattles.com

Slideshow of Soldiers’ Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan with Artist Jennifer Karady:
Jennifer Karady is an artist whom has worked with American veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the past four years to create staged narrative photographs that depict their individual stories and address their difficulties in adjusting to civilian life.
www.jenniferkarady.com/

Reading from Sand Queen with author Helen Benedict:
Helen Benedict's novel, Sand Queen, is culled from real life stories of female soldiers and Iraqis, offering a story of love, courage and struggle from the rare perspective of two young women on opposite sides of a war. www.helenbenedict.com/

Discussion with Scott Thompson, director of Veteran-Civilian Dialogue Project:
Scott Thompson is the Director of Social Dialogue and Training Initiatives for Intersections International. He oversees Intersections’ Veteran-Civilian Dialogue project, a community building effort for returning soldiers to provide meaningful tools of reconciliation and healing. www.intersectionsinternational.org/

Event Details:
When: Monday, November 7th, 7:30 pm
Where: DCTV- 87 Lafayette Street, NYC
Purchase tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/206462

$6-DCTV Members, DocuClub Members and Veterans
$8- Shooting People, NYWIFT, IFP Members and Students with ID
$10-General Admission

For more information about this event, visit: http://www.dctvny.org/events/outsiders-looking

2011-10-12T13:55:00.003-04:00

Author: Barbara Forte Abate

An Interview with a Debut Novelist About Social Media and Words
by Janet Lawler
October 10, 2011

Okay, full disclosure here, Barbara Forte Abate is my longest and dearest friend on this planet.

We met in Study Hall when we were both only 13. Barbara asked to borrow a movie magazine that I was reading (hey, isn't that what Study Hall is for??) and we became instant buddies. She was a country girl and I was a city girl. We both loved books, movies, TV Shows, celebrities and writing! From an early age, we each shared a passion for writing -- I for screenwriting/playwriting and Barbara for literature.

For over 35 years now (yeah, I know, we're old), we've shared rejection letters, ups and downs in life, family moments and just being there for each other when the other gets discouraged. Barbara was recently Best Gal at my wedding this summer. Her first born, Laurel, is my godchild. So, now you see just how important Barbara is in my life. She's truly my sister-friend.

We often note that writing kept us out of trouble in high school. While our peers were listening to Stairway to Heaven and partying in someone's garage, Barbara would come over my house and help me type up my latest script before I sent it to Hollywood. This was way before computers, folks, I'm talking typewriter and carbon paper. Damn, we are old. We were total writer geeks... and remain so to this very day.

Recently, Barbara published her debut novel The Secret of Lies. It's available on Amazon and in e-book format. I couldn't be happier for Barbara's success and for seeing one of her dreams come true. I know how hard she's worked. Writing isn't easy. She's also happily married and raised four wonderful children. She's not only my BFF, but she's an amazing woman and gifted writer. I thought her journey into publishing and social media might be helpful to other writers. Let's jump right into the Q and A.

Barbara, congratulations on your book. How long did it take you to write The Secret of Lies?

Writing this book was pretty much a twenty year learning experience—give or take a few days! I didn’t know it when I started out, but I had a lot to learn. Trial, error, piles of rejection letters, weeping and gnashing of teeth, and yet all essential for a girl who mostly daydreamed through English class. The end result is a book I’m not ashamed to have my name on or to see on my mother’s coffee table.

I have a signed copy on my book shelf at home too! What is your writing process like on an average writing day?

In my dream world I imagine how productive I would be if I were living in a cabin in the woods with no communication to the outside world. In real life, my days are a never-ending road race so I grab what I can at any hour of the day or night that offers some promise of quiet. I am one of those unfortunate writers who can only think in near absolute quiet, and I don’t have to tell you that the world is rarely set on mute. On top of that I’m a slow writer. It’s not unusual for me to spend hours perfecting a paragraph only to find it’s still lousy when I look at it again a day later.

You're so plugged into social networking, blogging and digital marketing for The Secret of Lies. Can you talk about how you immersed yourself in this new world for most writers? How time consuming is it, posting to your web site, blogging, doing podcasts?

That’s a quandary I’m still trying to work out in a way that feels balanced and right. It’s wild to think that social networking is still so new to many of us. There are so many offerings it’s almost too much. I was and am something of a media ignoramus/techno dinosaur so finding a starting point involved my not so brilliant idea of just jumping into the deep end and seeing what happened. What happened, and quickly, was that I nearly drowned. Not only is social networking a very intricate network under the covers, it’s intimidating, time consuming, constantly changing, and insatiably hungry. And then of course wonderful once you get yourself settled in. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned is that “Just because it’s there, doesn’t mean you should be.” Not all media offerings are a good fit, but I haven’t always recognized that until I’ve taken a test drive and seen for myself. There’s a lot of advice circulating about the importance of “Building your Tribe” and “Branding Yourself,” all of which translates as putting in the time and effort to get it right. Putting yourself out there, yes, but not promoting to the point of obnoxiousness. It’s about growing relationships not annoying everyone across cyberspace. On the other hand, unless you happen to be Stephen King or JK Rowling, you HAVE to promote. I think promotion can be a very tricky and fickle beast for anyone, let alone someone like me who loathes the idea of pushing My Book, My Book, My Book, at every click of the mouse. As a debut, non-brand name author, I do understand that no one other than friends and relatives are likely to find my book without promotion, yet I’ve been on the receiving end of those authors who promote with every breath and it’s largely obnoxious. It’s my experience that social networking, promotion, and the like require both patience and sincerity. Things rarely happen overnight and relationships take time to develop. That’s why it’s so important to carve out networking time every single day—now until the end of time—since that’s’ how long your book should be available. I admit that I tend to treat social networking as something of a buffet, trying a little of this and that to determine what most appeals before piling it onto my plate. I make it a habit to visit new blogs and check out interesting links on twitter and fb. There’s just so much great content out there. So much in fact, it can be a dangerous temptation, especially on those days when you’re staring at your own blank screen because your thoughts are hiding behind the clouds and your writing is trickling rather than flowing. You wander off to Twitter or FB and before you know it you’ve left a string of posts from here to eternity, but done no actual writing on your lonely work-in-progress.

What advice can you give a writer about to launch a book online or through independent publishing?

For starters I wish I’d known how important it is to start building buzz for your book as far in advance as possible. I’ve heard 2-3 years is ideal. Can you imagine? I certainly didn’t! Putting together a website with sample chapters, sharing your experience on your blog, maybe a book trailer to let readers know what’s coming. And definitely, absolutely, visit other blogs and websites and leave comments. (Caution—this doesn’t mean promoting yourself or your book. That’s what your blog and website are for.). When you’re consistent in sharing your thoughts and offering suggestions, opinions, or information, you’re also introducing yourself to the world at large and that’s a good thing for when your book comes out. If you have an ARC or PDF copy of your book available it’s also an excellent plan to approach reviewers. There are loads of reviewer blogs, podcasts, and websites devoted to book reviews. A word about reviews, they are invaluable, and not only important in the early life of your book, but something you should pursue for the entire life of your book. (Nee, forever!) It’s essential to remember that there are a bajillion books being published every year and if you hope to keep yours from taking a nosedive into the horror of obscurity you need to keep breathing life into it. Reviews can help do that.

Are you selling books more off the shelf or digitally?

Although my book is available on the shelf locally, (Alas, Borders in particular was very supportive), it’s online sales that have brought home the bacon. And absolutely, the eBook version of The Secret of Lies has kicked sales up a few notches. No question we’re all loving our digital books like crazy.

What inspires you to write?

Words words, beautiful words. Honestly, but I have wild love for the power of words. Things of life inspire me enormously—people, emotions, strength of the human spirit, a certain expression, a beautiful phrase—so often it’s the tiniest seed that becomes a story spanning hundreds of pages. I’m very partial to hands. They say so much about a person and an interesting set—hardworking, lived-in, honest—can start an entire plot ticking in my mind.

What's next on your plate? Any new projects in the works?

I’m hoping to get through the final edit (Ha,final? As if!) of my novel in progress in the next couple of months. But I use the word hope loosely. Having a book out on the shelf, while thrilling, does change the dynamic of writing habits I’ve cultivated over the past twenty years, for the fact that marketing doesn’t ever end. And selling books and writing books, on most days, feels something like a horse trying to run in two separate directions at the same time.

Thanks, Barbara! I know your inside tips will help many writers out there. Good luck with your new book. See you and the family soon for Halloween!!

Note to Bloggers, you can order Barbara's book through Amazon.com or visit her website at:
http://barbaraforteabate.com/Buy_the_Book.html
Barbara is also on Facebook.

2011-10-01T13:00:00.005-04:00

Emilio Estevez Works As Quietly... As His Younger Brother Charlie Sheen Lives Loud

by Janet Lawler
October 1, 2011

Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen

We all know Charlie Sheen. We know Charlie for his tiger blood, winning days and losing ones of late. Charlie made Wall Street and Platoon. He also made the hit TV show Two and a Half Men and was paid more than any working actor on TV... until he imploded in the media.

Emilio Estevez, his big brother, and the eldest child of actor Martin Sheen, has also had success in movies. Emilio starred in Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Young Guns and The Mighty Ducks. He's written and directed movies as well -- like Bobby -- and don't forget he was part of the Brat Pack and dated Demi Moore, long before Ashton came along. (Wow, the Sheen family must really love this guy for always picking up where they leave off.)

Emilio, writer and director The Way (2011)

Nowadays, Emilio seems to have found his passion on the page and behind the camera. His days are busy writing and directing movies. On October 7th, his new movie The Way opens nationwide. His dad stars in it. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the journey.

Maybe you've heard about this new movie -- but, chances are you haven't. Emilio doesn't make splashy headlines like his brother. He's not big on the metaphors and soundbites. He doesn't seem to be on the same wild guy journey as Charlie, but he still wants to reach an audience. His audience. Emilio's ways are lower key.

Martin Sheen in The Way

I'll go The Way when it comes out next week. It looks like a beautiful movie about a father reconnecting with his dead son, filmed in France and Spain. I love Martin Sheen. He's not only a great actor, but a good Catholic always championing for the poor, an activist, an Irish lad (and Spanish), and has made some helluva movies Apocalypse Now and the TV show West Wing.

Brothers Emilio and Charlie with dad Martin

This is a talented family with lots to say, on camera and off. Emilio's voice, however, is not his brother's nor his father's. It's his own. He's got his own style and journey to share on screen. Sometimes it's the quiet ones in the family who have the most to say.
Until next time.

2011-09-19T11:38:00.002-04:00

TV Just Keeps Getting Better
by Janet Lawler

How fun were The Emmys on Sunday night? Jane Lynch did a great job. I loved it when she said she was on "finger shooting terms" with Jon Hamm from Mad Men (gosh, that man gets better looking every year!) and Jane's nod to director Martin Scorsese in the audience. Lucky Jane.

One very funny family

Modern Family won for best comedy series. Every cast member delivers on that show. Julie Bowen and Ty Burrel are terrific together. Hats off to the writers for creating such amazing characters living out ordinary, yet hysterical, situations on Modern Family.

Mildred Pierce

Kate Winslet won for Mildred Pierce. Yay! I loved the original starring Joan Crawford and worried when HBO was producing this remake of Mildred and Veda, until learning Kate Winslet would play Mildred. She's brilliant.

The Miniseries

I streamed the entire The Kennedys miniseries on Netflix and found it well done, even besides the bad press and Kennedy family giving it a thumbs down. (I'm a Kennedy geek. Anything Kennedy and I'm hooked. I can't wait to read Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy.) Barry Pepper won an Emmy for his portrayal of Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys. He doesn't resemble RFK in looks at all, but he steals the miniseries with his multidimensional performance as the brash yet sensitive attorney general.

TV comedies and dramas just keep pulling us in and keeping us home. Television writing is sharp and as top notch, actually better, than any you'll find in a feature films. Movies lack the character depth and dialogue found on television today -- shows like Mad Men, The Good Wife, Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights don't disappoint.

Cheers to Julianna Margulies who won for The Good Wife and Kyle Chandler for Friday Night Lights.

I'm off to set the DVR in anticipation of the new fall season. I love this time of year.

Here is a recap of winners at Sunday's 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

— Drama Series: "Mad Men," AMC.
— Actress, Drama Series: Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife," CBS.
— Actor, Drama Series: Kyle Chandler, "Friday Night Lights," DirecTV/NBC.
— Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones," HBO.
— Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Margo Martindale, "Justified," FX.
— Writing, Drama Series: Jason Katims, "Friday Night Lights," NBC.
— Directing, Drama Series: Martin Scorsese, "Boardwalk Empire," HBO.
— Comedy Series: "Modern Family," ABC.
— Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory," CBS.
— Actress, Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, "Mike & Molly," CBS.
— Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Julie Bowen, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Ty Burrell, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Writing, Comedy Series: Steven Levitan and Jeffrey Richman, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Directing, Comedy Series: Michael Spiller, "Modern Family," ABC.
— Miniseries or Movie: "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Kate Winslet, "Mildred Pierce," HBO.
— Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Barry Pepper, "The Kennedys," ReelzChannel.
— Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Guy Pearce, "Mildred Pierce," HBO.
— Directing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Brian Percival, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Writing, Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special: Julian Fellowes, "Downton Abbey (Masterpiece)," PBS.
— Reality-Competition Program: "The Amazing Race," CBS.
— Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central.
— Directing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: Don Roy King, "Saturday Night Live," NBC.
— Writing, Variety, Music or Comedy Series: "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart," Comedy Central.

Congratulations to all!

2011-09-12T14:58:00.008-04:00

Oprah-isms to Lift My Weary NY Spirits

by Janet Lawler
New York
September 12, 2011

Oprah Winfrey

It's been a crazy few months here in New York. We survived an earthquake, a hurricane, floods, a terrorist threat and the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.

I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. Emotionally and physically.

We need to lighten things up around here. So I'm turning to some O. No, not O for optimism this time. O for Oprah.

That's right. I admit it. I really miss Oprah. Have you noticed since her show went off the air the world has gone to hell? I miss O being a part of my day (on DVR). The good news is her new nightly show Oprah's Life Class (yes, I am enrolled) begins on 10/10 on the OWN network.

But why wait until October? That's like pumpkin season.

I need some life lessons now. Pronto.

It's like Oprah heard me. She appeared on Facebook's new web TV show last week. Facebook's chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg interviewed Oprah for an hour. It was just the fix that I needed to lift me out of my NY funk. During the chat, Oprah revealed tips about her own success and life's journey. (Hey, you know the word journey has to come up when talkin' Oprah.)

Watch live streaming video from facebookguests at livestream.com

So. What journey are you on these days?

Do you have a plan or are you just winging it for the rest of your life?

Well, one thing I've learned is that success leaves clues. So I took notes when Oprah appeared on Facebook. Here's what I came away with from Professor Winfrey. I'm paraphrasing, but you'll get the point. Feel free to apply these to your own life.

Keep standing and keep moving forward.

Be your authentic self.

Don't imitate others work.

Be the highest expression of yourself.

Ask yourself, why am I here? What is my purpose and intention for doing this job?

Always think about your audience. What do you want the audience to get from this work?

Don't produce something that gives energy to darkness (i.e., hatred, violence, etc.)

Move toward the light. Enlighten your audience.

Elevate using your own unique platform, whether you're a writer, teacher, secretary, reporter, or an actor.

Inspire. Educate. Inform.

Before doing something important, be still.

Don't do something simply for ratings or approval.

Surround yourself with people who are "all in" with you. If someone doesn't want you, YOU DON'T WANT THEM.

Move on.

Compete only with yourself.

Raise the bar every day.

Whatever it is you do, do it with service and honor. How can you serve others in your work?

Use your talent as a service for your family, community, country and industry.

Let go of the past.

You will become what you believe.

Oprah wrapped up the interview on Facebook by suggesting we think about our legacy before we leave the planet.

What will your legacy be? O says it will be your "heart print" on others. You don't need a TV show to do it. Or a TV network. Or even a book club, for that matter.

Create your legacy starting now. Today -- right where you are.

Once you find your voice -- your truth -- go deeper and expand your reach. Oh, and enjoy the "journey", where ever it may lead you today.

Class dismissed.

https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey

2011-09-01T12:22:00.006-04:00

Filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green

A Chat with the Writer/Director of the New Indie Film GUN HILL ROAD
by Janet Lawler

The title of this movie caught my eye before knowing anything else about it. I was born in the Bronx and grew up near Gun Hill Road. I always thought Gun Hill Road would make for a great movie title. Apparently, I'm not alone.

GUN HILL ROAD is a new indie movie by a writer/director Rashaad Ernesto Green. Keep an eye out for it at your local art house or soon on Netflix. Keep a closer eye on Green as a new director to watch. Gun Hill Road is Green's first feature film. The NYU graduate and Bronx native's film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January to rave reviews and became a finalist in the 2011 Jury Award.

The film is also a recipient of the Spike Lee Fellowship.

Gun Hill Road starring Esai Morales, Judy Reyes, and the breakout star Harmony Santana tells the story of a family in transition. It focuses on a young man exploring his sexuality in an intolerant and judgmental world and his exploration's impact on his relationship with his parents and himself. Here is the movie's trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0EMxEK2CN8

The NY Screenwriting Life recently asked Rashaad Ernesto Green about his new work and his creative process on Gun Hill Road:

How long did it take you to write the screenplay for Gun Hill Road?

From conception until final draft, it took me about a year and a half to write GUN HILL ROAD.

What is your daily writing process like? Do you write daily or binge write? Prefer to write during the day or at night?

I'm more of a binge writer unfortunately, and bit unorthodox I'd say. I come from an acting background and always left the writing up to someone else. Now that I write for myself, I usually burn the midnight oil before deadlines.

Filmmaker Ed Burns often says he considers himself a writer first. Do you consider yourself more a director or a writer? Which is your primary passion?

I usually enjoy the process of writing once I force myself to do it, but as far as passions are concerned, I'd say it's probably the last on my list. Acting is first, then directing, and finally writing. The trouble is... I have a lot to say, and the only way I have found that I can fully express it is by putting it on paper first.

You directed/edited/wrote several short films before Gun Hill Road. Do you recommend aspiring writers/directors begin with short films before taking on their first feature?

100%. Absolutely. A feature film is a beast. The best way to develop your craft and hone your writing/directing skills is by starting small and making short films.

What was the Sundance Film Festival experience like for you? How has it helped the film along the way?

Sundance has been wonderful. I had a short film at Sundance in January of 2009 when I began writing GUN HILL ROAD. Once you're in the family, they really look after you. I was really happy to return two years later with my first feature.

In this digital age, how can audience see Gun Hill Road if they can't see it at their local theater?

Eventually, the plan will be to release it on DVD and VOD. However, if they want their local theater to play it, they can go online to request the film at www.gunhillroad.com

When will Gun Hill Road be available on Netflix?

Not exactly sure. I'm guessing a couple months after the end of its theatrical run.

I have amazing memories of growing up in the 70s in The Bronx. How did growing up in The Bronx influence you as a filmmaker?

My earliest memories and images of the Bronx are so vivid and bright. The Bronx that I knew has never been portrayed in films, which is why as an artist, I have attempted to offer a different perspective on a section of New York that often goes overlooked.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer/director now since making your first feature film?

Tell the stories in you heart that need to be told. We need them like we need water and air. Never give up, and always work with people you love.

What's next on your plate?

I always have a couple of pots in the fire. I'm working on my next script as well as reading many scripts to see if my voice vibes with someone else's.

Thanks, Rashaad, for taking some time out with us here at The NY Screenwriting Life.

Thank you, Janet! You can keep up with us on Facebook and Twitter at http://www.facebook.com/greenbrotherfilms
***

Cheers for Gun Hill Road and let's support indie films as we head into fall 2011. It will open in many cities like Chicago and Miami on September 16th. Check the film's website for details. www.gunhillroad.com

Hope you all had a wonderful, productive summer!
Until next time.

PS -- Don't forget to follow The NY Screenwriting Life Blog on Facebook. Also available on Amazon.com for all you Kindle lovers.

2011-08-15T12:08:00.005-04:00

Emma Stone plays a writer in The Help

Why Do We Love Movies About Writers?
by Janet Lawler

There are certain professions that movie audiences seem fascinated by. We are obsessed with detectives, doctors and medical examiners. We love to see how they do their jobs, interact with colleagues and overcome obstacles.

We're also drawn to movies about writers.

I know I am.

The new movie The Help is about an aspiring writer. Emma Stone plays Skeeter who is trying to get her big break (submitting articles to New York) while writing for her local weekly newspaper. I liked this movie a lot -- for its genuine heart and focus on Civil Rights in the 60s -- and it didn't hurt that the lead character is a writer.

As anyone who has labored over an article, poem, play, novel or screenplays knows... writing is darn hard work. It takes commitment, discipline and a thick shell to withstand rejection. It also takes courage to tell a story and especially to tell the truth.

Think of the many movies we've loved at the box-office that focus on writers: All the President's Men, Wonder Boys, Hannah and Her Sisters, Finding Forrester, The Hours, Adaptation, Leaving Las Vegas and recently Midnight in Paris.

Remember Sophie's Choice? It was one of the most horrifying, powerful films I ever watched. Sophie's pain of surviving a Nazi concentration camp is told to her new downstairs neighbor -- Stingo, a writer -- played by Peter MacNicol.

How about The Great Gatsby (1974)? We witness Jay Gatsby's lavish and tragic life through his new friend -- writer Nick Carraway -- played by Sam Waterson.

Or Little Women (1994) starring Winona Ryder? She played "Jo", a writer who tells the story of life with her three sisters in a small town.

One of my favorite movies The Way We Were (1973) starring Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand is remembered as a love story. Hubbel Gardiner (Redford) and Katie Morosky (Streisand) start out the movie as aspiring authors in college. Scenes show Streisand laboring over her short story to submit in writing class -- a montage of her at the library, rewriting while working at the malt shop, and racing to class in hopes of her story being read aloud in class. Instead, her professor chooses Hubbell's story (Redford's) and shatters Katie's dream of being a writer.

For me, The Way We Were is as much about Redford selling out as a screenwriter in Hollywood as about McCarthyism and a failed romance. There is a great scene where Katie gives Hubbel a typewriter for Rosh Hashanah. It's her way of pushing him to write. I love that scene -- but of course, everyone only remembers the ending of the movie with the couple outside the Plaza Hotel.

Another movie which I can watch over and over again is Sunset Boulevard (1950). William Holden plays a down and out Hollywood screenwriter who has bill collectors on his tail. He sells his soul to the devil -- or in this case, to Norma Desmond -- and pays with his life. As the movie opens, he's found dead in a Hollywood swimming pool. This is where Joe Gillis' story begins and ends -- a washed up screenwriter shot in the back for choosing to love a woman for the wrong reasons. It's a classic movie with classic lines and it's all about writing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDSRhwSA6f4

Writers may not be as exciting to watch in movies as cops and coroners -- but they sure give us something to talk about when the lights go down or when we open that new book. They give us our voices.

Until next time.

Side note: The NY Screenwriting Life is on Facebook and also available at Amazon.Com if you'd like to subscribe to your iPad. http://www.amazon.com/The-NY-Screenwriting-Life/dp/B004X8FQ4U

2011-08-08T13:08:00.006-04:00

The Woman and Writer Behind Lucy
by Janet Lawler

August 8, 2011
New York

Unless you spent last weekend under a rock, you know that it would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday. Tributes flooded the Internet and airwaves.

Lucille Ball was an original -- a true American icon and legend.

We still love Lucy Ricardo. Thankfully, Lucy lives on forever on TV and through our laughter.

But have you ever wondered who wrote all those hysterical skits and lines for Lucy, Ricky, Ethel and Fred? Think about it. Those shows were hilarious from start to finish, line to line.

The classic comedy ran for six years on CBS. It never won an Emmy for comedy writing. Imagine that? One of its writers was a remarkable "girl writer" (that's what they called women on writing staffs in TV then) named Madelyn Pugh.

Years later, she became Madelyn Pugh Davis.

In the 1980s, I had the pleasure of corresponding with Ms. Davis through snail mail. I still have the letters saved. She was one of my idols in the television writing world. She wrote I Love Lucy for heaven's sakes. At the time of being pen pals, she was writing and producing for the CBS TV Show "ALICE" starring Linda Lavin. Ms. Davis knew of my passion for writing. She sent me Alice scripts to read and study with a note to "let me know your progress."

She was a sweet, refined lady on paper and in interviews. Her letters came typed, professional in tone, but yet closing with warm words of advice and support.

Ms. Davis, along with her longtime writing partner, Bob Carroll, Jr., wrote for every one of the 179 episodes of I Love Lucy. They also went on to write for all of Lucille Ball's TV Specials and shows.

Before TV, Ms. Davis started writing for Lucy on the radio... caught the actresses' attention and was plucked to help with writing I Love Lucy.

It was a match made in heaven -- not just for Lucy and Ricky, but for Lucille and Madelyn. According to articles, the female pair weren't best of pals -- Lucille Ball wasn't Lucy Ricardo off-camera -- but Lucille Ball respected solid, funny writing. She was smart to keep Madelyn close by and she always gave credit to her writers.

Ms. Davis noted in interviews that before putting Lucy through the famous skits, she would run through the scenes herself with her writing partner -- making cigars, flipping pizzas, milking a cow, swimming in the shower, working in a chocolate factory, getting tipsy filming a vitamin commercial, stomping grapes... and much, much more.

As hard and fast as Ms. Davis clanked on her typewriter, the bigger the belly laughs came for Lucy and Ricky.

And for us watching at home.

So this week we celebrate Lucille Ball, but hats off to Madelyn Pugh Davis too -- a great woman, writer and producer. She died in April. She was 90. She lived a life filled with love, success and laughter. Who could ask for more? She was the woman behind Lucy... and that's saying a lot.

After all, I'm certain Lucille Ball wouldn't want us to forget the "girl writer" behind all the classic belly laughs.

(Here is one of the longest live TV studio laughs in television history: Lucy Learns to Tango. Episode 172. Aired in March 1957.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixkijZYcPE8&feature=related

Until next time.

2011-07-30T12:23:00.003-04:00

WORKING AND WRITING... CREATING A BALANCE

How often have you said "Oh, if only I didn't have to work full-time, I could write my novel... my screenplay... my play... my magazine article... my blog" and so on?

How many of you have taken time off from working full-time to do just that?

I have.

I have worked full-time most of my adult life and vented that if only I had more time to write. Well, from 2009-2011 I took two years to work part-time and write, write, write. I managed to finish a first draft on my novel From the Ground Up and write two plays Extreme Green and NetFits that were produced in NYC. I've polished up a couple of screenplays and started a new animation one.

But when you're writing (which is usually on "spec" which means for no paycheck), you spend a great deal of time worrying about making money (or not making money) instead of creating. The first year I was fine working only part-time and writing, but by the second year, I was writing less and worrying more. New York City living is not cheap, people.

I'm too young to retire. Darn it.

Now I may hit the lottery, but won't count on that.

So guess what -- I'm back to work full-time. Back to the grind. 5-6 days a week.

It's a new, crazy, stressful job in TV News in New York. NY is the number one news market in the nation. For this job, baby, you bring your A-game. I'm working with seasoned pros and the stakes are high (and the pay is nice!)... so writing goes on the back burner for now.

That's why I haven't blogged for two months. I apologize. I love writing this blog! If you notice I've posted lot until I went back to work full-time. Bummer, in the summer no less. But, I have to say it's nice to get a weekly paycheck, go to Broadway shows, out to fine restaurants and shop again online.

So I'm making time for writing where I can. TV News is my profession, but writing is my passion. Pay or no pay. Without writing in my life, I could make a million dollars a year in TV and it wouldn't matter -- I'd feel empty inside -- a void.

Life is about balance. Writing and working take balance too -- a juggling act. I'm trying to keep all the balls in the air. I drop one now and then. I'm sure you're doing the same in your life. But we try again...

Have a wonderful summer. Let's try to write between the BBQs and beach days.

Until next time.

2011-06-13T09:25:00.006-04:00

Super 8 is Great Summer Fun
by Janet Lawler

This movie will make you feel like a kid again.

Super 8, the latest movie from director/producer/writer J.J. Abrams is terrific. It literally had us jumping out of our seats. Here is the trailer.

The story is about a young boy (Joel Courtney) who is dealing with the recent death of his mother. He's now cared for by his aloof father, played by Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), who is the town deputy. The boy spends his free time hanging out with a group of neighborhood boys who are making a short film. While shooting a scene at night, they witness a massive train crash and find themselves up to their ears in trouble.

It's a thrilling movie. J.J. Abrams script is tightly written and pays off throughout. The action scenes are amazing. It's paced nicely with scenes between father and son dealing with their fears and grief.

The actors all give solid performances, especially lead actor Joel Courtney and Elle Fanning (Dakota Fanning's younger sister), as well as the cast of young boys.

The adolescent humor is true without being overly crass or gross like in most movies today. It will transport you back to the days when you rode your bike with friends, had your first crush and pondered how to break out of an ordinary small town life. These kids find the way -- and there is no turning back.

Steven Spielberg produced Super 8 and his presence is felt -- in many shots of the film I was reminded of Jaws (the town cop fighting authority and a monster) and ET, kids riding bikes and understanding more about love and yearning than the adults. It's moviemaking at its best.

I saw Super 8 at a screening for the Producer's Guild of America at the DGA (Director's Guild Theater on W. 57th St in NYC). The audience laughed and screamed throughout and applauded at the end (twice!). That doesn't happen often at screenings by "industry types" -- they can be a tough room to please.

They loved Super 8.

So did I.

If you want to see a really fun, suspenseful, heartwarming movie this summer -- check out Super 8.. It's rated PG13. You can bring your kids without worrying much (unless they frighten easily!).

And stay in your seats for the closing credits!! It's then that the audience sees the finished short film the kids were making in the movie. It's sweet and funny.

On a side note, this blog is now available for subscription through the Kindle Store on Amazon.com -- thanks for your support!

Until next time.

2011-06-02T12:33:00.007-04:00

THE MYSTERY BOX

J.J. Abrams gave a talk at the TED Conferences a few years ago that is worth revisiting today.

Abrams, the Hollywood writer/director/producer, talks about how as a child his grandfather took him to a magic store in New York City. He purchased a "mystery magic box" for $15 but it promised $50 worth of magic inside. J.J. Abrams never opened the box to this day. He keeps it in his office in Hollywood as a reminder of his beloved grandfather, who bought him his first Super 8 movie camera, and to always remember to chase the mystery in story.

Abrams points out that in many of the best movies what works are not the explosions and the special effects, but the mystery inside the characters or villains.

What we remember about Rocky is not the fight scenes, but the heart of Rocky Balboa not wanting to end up a bum in life... or Die Hard not just the thrilling aspects of a cop battling terrorists in a skyscraper, but of John McClane trying to win back his wife as she contemplates divorcing him.

Quentin Tarantino used the mystery box in Pulp Fiction. When John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson open the trunk of their car and something mysteriously glows in their faces. What was that thing in the brief case?

Or Jaws, when we hardly see the shark in the water but we know it's there... looming... stalking its next victim in the ocean. That mystery hooks us as moviegoers, as readers of a script or story, and pull us in. It hooks our emotions.

Think of movies that you love and there is probably some mystery involved.

Check out J.J. Abrams TED talk... it's a treat. Who knew he was so funny too?

And remember when writing -- to keep the mystery in every scene, every act and on every page of your next story.

Side note, The NY Screenwriting Life is on Facebook. And also available on Kindle as a monthly subscription for .99 cents!! We're like the Lady Gaga of blogs!! .99 cents... check us out.

Until next time.

2011-05-20T20:55:00.012-04:00

Woody Allen makes Paris look as Magical as his Manhattan
by Janet Lawler

Nobody makes movies like Woody Allen.

From the moment the credits roll, we know we're in for something quite different, something made on a shoe-string budget but with mega talent.

Allen's latest film is Midnight in Paris starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams -- both are terrific as the mismatched young couple about to have their lives transformed while in Paris.

Owen Wilson, as Gil, does a great job as a Hollywood "hack writer" who longs to live the literary life and finish his first novel. He's a true romantic. While visiting Paris with McAdams (his unromantic fiancee) and her well-to-do parents, Wilson wanders the streets of The City of Lights alone... only to be whisked away and magically taken back in time.

I won't give away the delightful moments of this movie -- but let's just say Wilson gets to pal around with the likes of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald (and booze-guzzling Zelda) and have his novel critiqued by Gertrude Stein.

The dialogue is witty (naturally, written by Woody Allen). The cinematography stunning and the music a joy, drifting us back to the days of Cole Porter and the 1920s.

The movie asks the questions -- why do we so often long for the past? Is nostalgia just a cop out from the present? What are we running from and doesn't every new generation think the previous one was the "Golden Age" of something?

The cast of Midnight in Paris is top shelf -- from Kathy Bates, to Michael Sheen, to Marion Cotillard, to Carla Bruni and Adrien Brody playing Salvador Dali.

I loved every frame of Midnight in Paris. If you're a writer, know one, or aspire to follow your literary heart, you'll appreciate this sweet tale.

The movie comes out May 20th by Sony Pictures Classics. Fresh from the Cannes Film Festival.

If you enjoy this blog and like reading on your Kindle, The NY Screenwriting Life is now available through Amazon for only .99 cents a month. http://www.amazon.com/The-NY-Screenwriting-Life/dp/B004X8FQ4U/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr

Until next time.

2011-05-13T15:46:00.001-04:00

Broadway and the Fight Against AIDS Continues...
by Janet Lawler

Larry Kramer's revival play on Broadway

Don't miss The Normal Heart now playing on Broadway.

What an incredibly powerful play! It's about the AIDS epidemic that struck the New York gay community in the 1980s... and how medical officials, a NYC mayor, a United States president, the medical community and even some in the gay community itself turned its back on the disease and on those dying from it.

Back then, there were a few brave individuals who raised their voices over the hot button political issue, the homophobia, the bigotry and demanded attention and research be paid to fight AIDS. Those individuals saved lives.

There is still no cure for AIDS. It remains a global plague (although never officially labeled one).

Actress Ellen Barkin plays one of these courageous souls -- a NYC doctor -- who screamed from the top of her lungs to fight AIDS while her young, male patients died in droves at her hospital. Barkin has one major scene toward the end of Act II, where she confronts a government medical panel dragging its feet on giving her funding to fight the disease. Barkin delivers some of the best lines of the play and leaves the audience stunned and cheering when the scene ends.

Gosh, I hope Ellen Barkin wins the Tony Award in June. She's phenomenal. Go see the play if you're in New York.

35 million people have died from AIDS worldwide. 35 million people.

This weekend in Central Park (May 15th) is the Annual AIDS Walk. I'll be taking part with a group of my friends. http://www.aidswalk.net/newyork/ Sign up online, put on your sneakers and join in. The fight is not over.

After seeing The Normal Heart last Friday night, some of the actors came outside to take pictures and sign autographs. They were all gracious and enjoyed mingling with theatergoers.

Photos by Carolina Correa.

Actor Jim Parsons

Actor Joe Mantello

Ellen Barkin

John Benjamin Hickey

Right next door another play That Championship Season was just letting out. That cast includes Christopher Noth, Keifer Sutherland, Jason Patric (his late father, Jason Miller, wrote the play) and others. The crowd of theatergoers along W. 45th Street went ballistic -- screaming and running to see the actors at the stage door. Noth and Patric laughed and worked the lines smiling, taking photos with fans and signing Playbills.

Chris Noth greets fans at stage door

Chris Noth & Jason Patric sign autographs

Fun night on Broadway! Go see this play soon -- it ends May 29th! http://thatchampionshipseason.com/

Until next time.

2011-05-04T11:30:00.019-04:00

The 2011 Tony Award Nominations
by Janet Lawler

Attention theater geeks and theater lovers! The nominations for the 2011 Tony Awards are out. I'm sure some of your favorite actors and actresses made the list -- Edie Falco, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Al Pacino, Vanessa Redgrave and more.

For some folks, the Tony Awards is the closest they'll come to seeing a Broadway show. Before I moved to New York, I would see maybe one or two shows a year (if I was lucky)-- it was always a special day coming into the city on a Wednesday for a matinee show.

I love seeing plays, but usually everyone else I know wants to see a musical. They say "It's Times Square... it's Broadway... we want singing, dancing, costumes and jazz-hands." Fine, I've seen plenty of big Broadway musicals, but I still like to sit in cramped theater and listen to a well-written, acted play with snappy dialogue... with riveting characters, few costumes, minimal sets... and, unless it's Cabaret or Chicago, please, no jazz hands.

In 1988, I remember convincing my mother to come with me to see Madonna on Broadway. It was Madonna's debut. Madge was starring in David Mamet's play "Speed the Plow". It was a big deal at the time. My mother didn't particularly care for Madonna (the whole Catholic thing) -- and she really didn't care for Mamet (the whole profanity thing on stage) -- but she sat through the play, for me.

However, the next time we came to Broadway we saw Miss Saigon. No more plays, she insisted. "They're long and boring." My mother loved BIG musicals (Tommy Tune and more). She felt she got her money's worth seeing a musical (who could argue -- they landed a helicopter on stage in Miss Saigon.)

Don't forget Mother's Day is this weekend (May 8th). Take your Mom to see a show -- but do yourself a favor and let her choose which one. I bet she picks a musical.

Now more about the Tonys, I'm particularly excited by the list for Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play this year.

	Ellen Barkin	The Normal Heart
	Edie Falco	The House of Blue Leaves
	Judith Light	Lombardi
	Joanna Lumley	La Bête
	Elizabeth Rodriguez	The Motherfker with the Hat

The NY Times review of Ellen Barkin's performance in The Normal Heart said she makes a "slam-dunk Broadway debut".

Ellen Barkin has long been one of my faves. I loved her in the movie Sea of Love (1989) starring Al Pacino. Barkin stole scenes from Pacino in that cop thriller -- no easy task. She also starred in The Big Easy. Barkin is multi-talented, smart and a former Bronx girl. What's not to love?

Al Pacino (a former Bronx boy) is also nominated for a Tony for the The Merchant of Venice.

I'm seeing The Normal Heart this weekend. It's a powerful play written by Larry Kramer, the AIDS activist and playwright. It tells the history of the AIDS pandemic and how it touched everyone's lives in the '80s from nurses to doctors to politicians to the gay community. AIDS is still claiming lives around the world. This play remains relevant.

The Normal Heart promises to be what theater, for me, is truly all about -- conflict, emotion, and the human spirit presented on stage. Here is the play's website http://bit.ly/TNHYouTube

So come visit NYC -- see a musical or drama, or whatever theater your heart desires (Blue Man Group, anyone?). Or just watch The Tonys and sample a little of everything from Column A and Column B. Jazz hands and all.

The Tonys air on CBS, Sunday, June 12th. Here is the official link for the 2011 Tony Award Nominees http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

Happy Mother's Day.

2011-04-30T08:11:00.001-04:00

Ed Burns' New Movie Wraps Up the Tribeca Film Festival
by Janet Lawler

Ed Burns at Apple Store photos by: Janet Lawler

Ed Burns' new indie film Newlyweds ends tonight's 10th Tribeca Film Festival. It's only fitting. Burns was part of festival's debut in 2001 and remains one of its most popular filmmakers.

Burns recently chatted at the Apple Store as part of its Meet the Filmmaker series. Packed house. Seats filled with students, indie filmmakers and admirers. Several aspiring artists stood up to tell Burns that his first indie movie The Brothers McMullen changed their lives, their college majors, their belief in themselves to make movies.

Meet the Filmmakers Series

The talk quickly turned geeky (after all, it's the Apple Store). Burns' shared his tips to newcomers entering the biz: he shot Newlyweds on a Canon 5D (basically a camera that sells for around $2600). No extra lights. No makeup or hair crew. No wardrobe. His editor cut the film on Burns' desktop with Final Cut. Bare bones movie making here. It took twelve days to shoot over four months. No permits (maybe a couple, he laughed). "We didn't worry about permits and cops. My father is a retired NYPD cop anyway. I would tell them 'Go talk to Sgt. Burns.'

Scenes were shot on the streets or in public places -- a downtown cafe, restaurant, etc. Sound recorded on a flash drive. Burns showed a clip of the movie -- and it looked like a movie!

Meeting new filmmakers

Contest Winner By Logogo_Boy

Burns is a filmmaker plugged into social media. Big time. He ran contests on Twitter asking followers to submit original music or ideas for his next movie poster. They did.
One lucky artist won the movie poster contest. He'll be attending the Newlyweds cast and crew party with Burns at Tribeca this weekend. Who says Twitter is a waste of time? Here's Ed's website link http://www.edwardburns.net/

He gives away all trade secrets. Does he worry about competition? Some young, hot shot director moving in on his indie turf? Nah. This Long Island guy would like nothing better than to see fresh movies being made by upstarts. That's how he made it back in the day. He hasn't forgotten what it's like to be an outsider looking in.

Ed Burns made it big -- acting, directing, writing -- he works with Hollywood's top actors and directors, but he isn't clawing to make blockbusters or stay in the box-office rat race. Not even tempted.

He likes living in NYC with his family and banging out a movie a year for about $25,000. No big theatrical releases to sweat over. Those days are gone. In this digital age, Burns' movies do well online, finding his niche audience through Netflix, VOD, Comcast and Time Warner... and, of course, iTunes. He tapped into that new market a few years back with his indie Purple Violets. It was released exclusively on iTunes at the time.

"People said then are you out of your mother-effin' mind? Nobody will watch a movie on their phone. That was back in '07," Burns recalled. "I want to keep making small movies every year. Stay in the biz. Making my stories."

Autograph time

Signing a Brothers McMullen poster for a young fan

Burns recalled how years ago, before hitting it big with McMullen, he was walking down the street in New York City and spotted Spike Lee walking right in front of him. He was a huge fan of Spike Lee, but couldn't muster up enough nerve to stop the director and ask him advice about filmmaking. Burns says he choked. "I didn't have the balls to tap Lee on the shoulder that day," he says, explaining why he's quick now to lend an ear to newcomers seeking their way in the biz.

Just one more photo before you go, Ed.

http://www.edwardburns.net/videos/

SIDE NOTES...

Giving a special Shout-Out Thanks to Hot Damn Short Sales for their donation this week here. We appreciate you supporting The NY Screenwriting Life blog. We'll keep the posts coming thanks to supporters like you!!

Also looking for a new band to download? Check out The Wilderness of Manitoba. They're a Canadian Chamber Folk group that will blow your mind. Love their music. Give 'em a listen. http://www.myspace.com/thewildernessofmanitoba

The Wilderness of Manitoba

Until next time!

2011-04-27T10:44:00.009-04:00

SPRING HAPPENINGS

by Janet Lawler

The April showers have let up, but now the high temps are kickin' in big time here in NYC. Whew! My neighbors in Astoria are breakin' out their flip-flops, shorts and sun dresses already -- summer is fast on our heels. I'm lovin' spring though. Besides my Easter basket of candy, I got to meet some of my personal writing heroes recently.

Seth Meyers of SNL

First up --Seth Meyers, head writer and anchor of "Weekend Update" on Saturday Night Live. We met at C-SPAN's studios on Fifth Avenue (where I freelance). Get ready. Seth has a new Saturday night gig this weekend. He's the featured speaker at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington, DC. He'll be cracking jokes about Obama with the president sitting right next to him. Talk about pressure to be funny.

Seth says his SNL gig is his real first-paying job right out of college. Really, Seth Meyers?! Really?? Yes. NBC plucked him out of his improvisational group fresh after college and he's been working on SNL every since.

Live from New York...

Like most writers, Seth is a procrastinator. Not good since he has to write a live show every week. (Tina Fey gives credit in her new book "Bossy Pants" to Seth for writing that now classic SNL skit between Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton. http://www.hulu.com/watch/34465/saturday-night-live-palin--hillary-open Seth Meyers is not only super cool, but smart and funny... (and um, tall and handsome) what more could you ask for in a writer?

Next up -- story consultant and author Jen Grisanti. Jen held her mini-workshop and book-signing at The Drama Book Shop in midtown Manhattan earlier this month. She talked about her new book Story Line: Finding Your Gold in Your Life. She offered a free workshop filled with great tips for writers about writing a log line for your own life (no easy task!) -- digging deep when writing your truth -- and writing about universal themes. Jen also has a podcast on iTunes and a YouTube Channel. She's also on Facebook and Twitter. She's one busy woman, not to mention genuine and down-to-earth as all get out. Jen will be back in NYC speaking at the Moviemaker Screenwriting Conference June 11-12 with other speakers like Spike Lee and Marilyn Horowitz. Sign me up!

Janet and Jen at The Drama Book Shop in Manhattan

Everything I really need to know about screenwriting I learned in kindergarten. Have you seen this video yet? It's produced by The Onion. Very funny... and true on so many levels about writing movies today (and cheesy talk show hosts) http://clatl.com/screengrab/archives/2011/04/26/fast-five-screenwriter-interview-or-all-i-really-need-to-know-about-screenwriting-i-learned-in-kindergarten

Up next here at the NY Screenwriting Life for May -- Ed Burns' new indie flick Newlyweds and the Tribeca Film Festival. Until next time, enjoy the leftover Easter jelly beans... and be careful walking around New York in flip-flops.

PS -- here is the C-SPAN interview with Seth Meyers. http://www.politico.com/click/stories/1104/meyers_gets_ready_for_big_gig.html

2011-04-18T11:48:00.014-04:00

Q&A with screenwriter/producer Angelo Pizzo

Screenwriter Angelo Pizzo

by Janet Lawler

"Sometimes a winner is a dreamer that just won't quit," from the movie trailer Rudy.

Angelo Pizzo is an accomplished screenwriter and producer. He penned Hoosiers and Rudy. Both films usually make the Top 10 Best Sports Movies of All-Time lists. The NY Screenwriting Life asked Pizzo about his writing ritual and working with actors Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper.

Hi, Angelo, what is your writing process like on an average day?

Pizzo: Every day is different, I tend to write in flurries with a lot of time where I anguish about what I'm going to write. the last third of a script I tend to write quickly so there is a momentum (and because a producer is ready to send out a hit team because I'm so late).

You've worked with director David Anspaugh on two movies, Hoosiers and Rudy, how did that relationship come about?

Pizzo: David and I were good friends and roommates in college.

Your IMDB credits say you were a Second Unit Director on both hit movies mentioned above, would you like to direct a movie?

Pizzo: I have been attached to many of my scripts as a director, unfortunately have yet to get one greenlit.

A screenwriter needs the human spirit and determination of Rudy to keep believing in themselves after facing rejection, how did you overcome early setbacks in your writing career?

Pizzo:. I was fortunate to get a job in development almost by accident and moved up the ranks as an executive fairly easily. I wrote my first script when I was 33 and it was Hoosiers. We got a lot of rejections over a three year period, but I knew that was part of the process. I learned never to take rejection personally in my prior years as an executive. I observed how it ate up and turned writers, directors, actors and producers bitter and disenchanted. Another truth is it takes a minor miracle for any movie to get made. So many, many factors go into it, most out of one person's control.

Besides your own movies, what sports drama is your favorite?

Pizzo: Raging Bull, Field of Dreams

What's it like to be at a table reading with Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper on Hoosiers?

Gene Hackman in Hoosiers

Pizzo: Dennis was shooting Blue Velvet during our table read. Gene said hardly a word, he saved his comments for me the day before we shot the scenes. He wanted to be fresh and immediate with his takes.

How do prefer to watch movies? DVD, theater or online?

Pizzo: I love watching movies in the theater, accept the DVD home experience and refuse to watch anything online.

What's the best advice you can give to a screenwriter trying to make it today in the movie business?

Pizzo: Write, every day. Don't talk about it, worry about it, complain about it. Do it. Passion, vision, commitment count for a lot. Don't do it because you think there is good money or glamor, or fun or hipness. Write the movie you want to see not what you think other people want to see. And always write from the inside out rather than the outside in.

Thanks, Angelo, for being a good sport and for writing movies that inspire us to keep reaching for our dreams.

Below are the trailer links for Hoosiers and Rudy. Rent them (along with The Game of Their Lives) and have yourself an Angelo Pizzo movie marathon.

Until next time.

Rudy Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDKOlH0I0nQ
Hoosiers Trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diwRrudKHDU

2011-04-12T11:18:00.007-04:00

A TRIBUTE TO DIRECTOR SIDNEY LUMET
Some "Serpico" Scenes Shot Right Here in Astoria
by Janet Lawler

Copyrighted Columbia Pictures Sidney Lumet

My two favorite movie directors are named Sidney/Sydney. I love these two guys!

There is Sydney Pollack, who directed movies like "This Property is Condemned" (1966) starring Robert Redford and Natalie Wood (based on a story by Tennessee Williams), "Tootsie", "Out of Africa" "Three Days of the Condor", "Jeremiah Johnson" and "The Firm". This Sydney also made "The Way We Were". Need I say more? Sydney Pollack passed away in 2008 at the age of 73.

My other favorite Sidney is Lumet. If I name ten of my favorite movies -- many from the 70s -- this Sidney made most of them. Sadly for us, Sidney Lumet passed away this week at the age of 86.

Image Credit Freestyle Releasing/Everett Collection

I first saw "Serpico" in 1973. It was about a cop who blows the whistle on corruption inside the NYPD. I saw it while growing up in the Bronx. The grittiness of NYC up on the screen matched the rawness of the city streets I was experiencing. Crime running rampant. Drugs everywhere, destroying a generation. Government failing from local, state, right up to the White House in the 70s.

Sidney captured on film the fear that Americans, and especially New Yorkers, were feeling in that decade like no other -- long before 9/11 introduced us to a new kind of terror.

I live in Astoria, Queens today. In "Serpico" there is a scene shot under the Hell's Gate Bridge here. It's one of my favorite scenes in a movie. It's just two men talking... a police chaplain and a desperate cop... shouting at each other on an overcast day by the East River. The scene was used during the Oscars when Al Pacino was nominated as Best Actor for that role. Pacino paces back and forth talking to the Chaplain like a caged animal... trapped... scared... enraged... the final image is of Pacino standing in a wide shot... under this MASSIVE bridge... alone... shouting profanities as the priest turns his back and walks away from him. The image is haunting. It says everything with one shot of film.

Al Pacino as Serpico

There were also other key scenes from "Serpico" filmed here in Astoria right on Ditmars Boulevard. The scene where Serpico is almost shot by two uniform cops who think he's a perp. They trap him on a side street by a dumpster until he reveals his badge. Rent this movie if you haven't seen it -- or rent it again if you have. It's one of Sidney's best movies. One of Pacino's best too.

Al Pacino & Sidney Lumet

Sidney's next movie "Dog Day Afternoon" was a comedy/crime drama. A perfect blend of lunacy and suspense. Al Pacino gave a dynamic performance -- after playing the reticent Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" and Frank Serpico in "Serpico" -- Pacino turns flamboyant in this movie, ranting, prancing outside the bank and stealing the show.

Pacino about to chant "Attica!"

The scene where Pacino yells "Attica! Attica! Attica!" outside that bank is amazing... when he kicks the glass door and tells the cops "to put your guns down"... and gays cheer him behind the police barricades... I couldn't believe this was happening in a movie. What was going on here??

Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon

"Dog Day Afternoon" showed gay and a transsexual character in a way that a mainstream movie hadn't before. Pacino's character sticks up the bank to get money for his transsexual lover's sex change operation. Sidney took on that story (based on a real incident) and directs a spectacular, confined film with heart.

Sidney said in an interview that he sweated over the scene where Pacino talks to his lover over the phone in "Dog Day Afternoon"... it was 1975, remember... because if done badly, that scene would kill the movie for the American audience. The movie would die on the spot. It didn't. Pacino, Chris Sarandon and Sidney Lumet created a scene that was intimate, uncomfortable, comical and tragic. Rent it and see for yourself.

What can I say about "Network"?

It's a classic and perhaps more relevant today. Made in 1976, it predicts today's state of journalism and media. It's as if Sidney Lumet and screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky looked into a crystal ball and could see how TV News would change for the worse someday if we weren't careful -- if our news became entertainment for profit -- if corporations ran the evening news -- how we'd change as a collective audience and not for the better. Would we really watch a man blow his brains out on network TV? Would it get huge ratings then and now? What do you think?

We're still "mad as hell" like Peter Finch (if not more so today) and still taking it.

Sidney made movies about characters facing outside demons and inner ones and confronting authority. Rent "Prince of the City" or "The Verdict" with Paul Newman as an example of this. Sidney made small movies (except for The Whiz). He made dramas with razor sharp New York wit and sensibilities. Characters in his movies talked like guys off the streets. His actors looked like guys you knew from your old neighborhood.

Sidney had an authentic eye and voice about New York. He presented it warts and all.

If you love movies, or wonder how they get made, read Sidney Lumet's book Making Movies. He describes everything from blocking scenes, to rehearsing actors to editing. He lays it all out for us. He gives away his secrets for making magic. I've read it often (highlighting parts in different colors) because it teaches me something new every time I read it.

There are so many distinct New York directors -- Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Edward Burns, Sydney Pollack, as mentioned above, each present New York City in a different shade of light. Some with romanticism, some with comedy, some with flaws and some with violence. Sidney Lumet is the master though -- the quintessential New York director in my opinion. His work reflects New York City during the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. He worked in live TV during its Golden Age, the same in film, was a native New Yorker to his core and it showed through his lens with every scene, every syllable and throughout his long legacy of work. Sixty years of brilliant work.

Sidney Lumet

Sydney Pollack

Thanks, Sidney (and Sydney), for what you guys left us and for what you will continue to teach us through your great movies.

Until the next time.

2011-04-07T08:52:00.007-04:00

Q&A with "Limitless" Screenwriter Leslie Dixon
by Janet Lawler

Does the name Leslie Dixon ring a bell with you? It will if you love movies. Leslie's written the popular movies Hairspray, Freaky Friday, Pay It Forward, The Thomas Crown Affair, Mrs. Doubtfire, Overboard, Outrageous Fortune and now Limitless, still out in theaters.

Limitless opened at #1 at the box office when released in March.

Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro star.

The film has a cool premise. A down-on-his-luck writer can't finish his novel, his girlfriend dumps him and his life is spiraling out of control until he takes a new untested drug. This pill allows him to use 100% of his brain power... they say we only use 20% of our brains (and we all know people who use a lot less, don't we?). So what would you do if you could use all your intellect? Learn several languages? Finish that epic script? Play an instrument or two? Or would your use your new found gray matter for power and greed?

Writer Leslie Dixon answers questions for the NY Screenwriting Life.

NY Times film critic A.O. Scott recently said as a screenwriter you're an example of "disciplined productivity" because of your body of work. Do you write every day or are you a binge writer?

"Disciplined productivity" is a total diss, don't you think? Sound like code for "hack" to me. I am writing nothing at the moment. Totally burned out. This movie took a lot out of me and I feel, at the moment, like a shriveled-up husk. (I have, in the past, approached the task with equal parts inspiration and iron will.)

On Limitless you were producer, had consulting rights and director/casting approval -- was adding these responsibilities a blessing or a curse? Would you recommend other writers doing it?

It was good for the end product, but it makes a lot of people hate you. I'm glad I stuck to my guns, but it's bruising.

What's a table reading like with Robert De Niro saying your lines?

Duh.

Double Duh. What book would you give to a friend starting out in screenwriting?

A screenwriting book? I'd say, better to stick to my standard rule: does the reader want to turn the page to the next page? It's a toughie.

Who is the first person you let read your scripts?

Don't remember who the virgin reader was. I was shoving my work under everyone's nose.

How has the screenwriting movie business changed since your early days in Hollywood?

Huge question. Seismic shift after shift -- from corporations owning studios, to the DVD revolution, which kept older moviegoers home (but brought huge profits), to direct download as a method of delivery, the revenues from which still haven't rolled in the way they should. Literacy was already on the way out when I started, so that much is the same! (One of the reasons I wrote "Limitless" was that it gave me an excuse to write a literate lead.)

Would you write for TV if asked?

I love cable shows more than anything, and if I could start my career over, that's where I'd go. That said, I might not have the brutal monomania to be a showrunner.

Do you prefer watching movies at home, in a theater with an audience or online?

I love being with the audience in a real theater. I don't think you can write for the screen if you don't know how a film affects its viewers -- where they laugh, groan with disgust, etc.

Today when you sit down to write you pretty much know that script will become a movie one day. How did you find motivation and discipline to write before selling your work?

I don't for a second presume that what I write will get made. I have a great batting average, but I still strike out. I've written my heart out and been fired. I've done uninspired work and had it instantly greenlit. I had a good feeling about this one, but you never know. (The only way you, a neophyte, can get through a script is to please yourself. You have to love it, or no one else will.)

If channel surfing on a Sunday afternoon, what one movie will you watch again (and again) if it's on?

The usual suspects. Godfather I or II. Dr. Strangelove. Oddly, Mr. & Mrs. Smith has wormed its way onto that list. It's so damn well directed.

What's next on your plate?

Nothing. I may take a year off, I make take forever. I mean it -- I'm fried. Maybe too much "disciplined productivity?" I've been approached to write a novel, and I'm seriously considering it. I'm such an audience whore, it'd probably get shitty reviews and sell.

Thanks, Leslie. We hope you don't really take forever to tackle your next script. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Or just pop a pill... ;)

Until next time.

Watch the trailer for Limitless here:

2011-04-05T11:47:00.002-04:00

INCITING MOMENTS...THAT CHANGE HISTORY
by Janet Lawler

Sean Astin as RUDY

I love true stories. Don't you? That's why we watch Jersey Shore or the Real Housewives that only pretend to be true. It's also why Hollywood produces movies "based on actual events". When we know something really happened, we invest more emotion into that movie or character.

Think about some of the great movies that were based on real people...Rudy, Silkwood, Serpico, Erin Brockovich, and most recently, The Blind Side. Would we have been as deeply moved if those movies were about made-up characters with the same names? Doubt it.

True stories. We love 'em. I've been on a big documentary kick lately. If you look at a documentary in the frame work of a movie script, you see many similarities in telling a solid story with structure: intro of characters, a life-changing inciting incident, conflicts, challenges, violence, hope, then the all is lost moments and finally, God willing, victory in the face of defeat. We appreciate a strong resolution for having taken the emotional ride with these characters.

American Experience on PBS is hitting one documentary after another out of the park this season. Each one is powerful and gripping. I recommend them all. They're about real people, real instances and tell great tales of bravery and the human spirit.

As writers, we can learn from these actual events in history and from individuals who turned disappointment, repression, violence, and blind raging hate into stories about love, redemption and achievement.

Some of the documentaries to air on American Experience are:

Freedom Riders. This doc marks the 50th anniversary of Original Freedom Riders. It asks the question Could You Get On the Bus? Some Americans did. They were threatened, attacked and beaten... but their courage helped change the civil rights movement. Freedom Riders is about our American history. These Americans confronted segregation and death to change the law. It airs May 16th on PBS.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/watch

Stonewall Uprising. Today with the political debate for marriage equality discussed openly on TV, we forget what gay Americans endured before the gay rights movement: shock treatments, mind-altering drugs, lobotomy, public service announcements denouncing homosexuals, beatings, excommunication, depression, and repression under the law.

Gays growing up in the 40s, 50s, even 60s were arrested, threatened and hunted. We talk about bullying today in our high schools, but wait until you see what occurred less than just twenty or thirty years ago to gay youths. There was no coming out then, unlike today. There was only in. Hiding for your life. Stonewall Uprising shows what gay Americans long accepted until on June 28, 1969 when the gay community experienced what one Village Voice reporter who was at the scene called its "Rosa Parks moment" and said no more. On that June night, when the N.Y.P.D. invaded the Mafia-owned gay bar at the Stonewall Inn and began handcuffing gays and lesbians for dancing on a Friday night... all hell broke loose.

For the first time ever, gays and lesbians banded together and refused to be led off to jail... it set off a three-day riot in Greenwich Village. It's the inciting moment that launched the gay rights movement as we know it today. Stonewall changed the tide. Pride would overcome shame from city to city across the country. Stonewall in 1969 wasn't about one night of police harassment in a gay bar. It wasn't about homosexuals being upset on Judy Garland's funeral day. It was instead about decades of abuse, hatred and fear rising up and turning on its oppressor. We see it happening today all over the world. Stonewall Uprising airs on Monday, April 25th.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZUZKtko4R0&feature=related

Great job, American Experience and PBS! http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/schedule/

On a screenwriting side note, soon we'll have Q&A's with top screenwriters Leslie Dixon (Limitless and Mrs. Doubtfire) and Angelo Pizzo (Rudy and Hoosiers).

Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Yes, we really do love true stories.

Until next time.

2011-03-29T11:06:00.003-04:00

Do the Work by Steven Pressfield

GET OFF YOUR LAZY DUFF... AND DO THE WORK ALREADY
by Janet Lawler

No more excuses... reach your goals... pursue that dream... but one thing you must do first -- Do the Work.

That's the title of Steven Pressfield's new book Do the Work (I added the lazy duff part as a warning to myself).

He previously wrote The War of Art which I've read a million times. I give copies to friends. The War of Art is a short book with a powerful punch if you're looking to overcome procrastination, fear and resistance in accomplishing what you want out of life.

You might still procrastinate after reading The War of Art, but at least you'll know why... and steps to overcome it.

Steve's new book Do the Work comes out in April. For a short time, you can read the digital edition of this bestselling author's new book for free via the Domino Project. Cool. We like free books!

GE is sponsoring Steve's book (which means GE's picking up the cost to get free copies out to you -- the reader).

You can go to Amazon and pre-order your free copy for your Kindle today. (Man, I gotta buy me a Kindle soon!) It gets auto-delivered on April 20th. The regular version sells for $12.99 (without discounts). http://www.amazon.com/Do-the-Work-ebook/dp/B004PGO25O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1301000199&sr=8-1

We all need motivation and insights on how to keep moving forward with our creative work and every day goals. Steve Pressfield has overcome his own failures to reach success in his work and life -- he wrote The Legend of Bagger Vance and many other novels -- even one solid tip from Steve could be the gem you're looking for to finally pursue your goal. Check out Steve's website at http://www.stevenpressfield.com/

The NY Screenwriting Life will review Do the Work in the coming weeks.

Until next time.

2011-03-23T14:16:00.017-04:00

A CHAT WITH MOVIE CRITIC ALISON BAILES
By Janet Lawler

Hi Alison, thanks for joining us at The NY Screenwriting Life. In a nutshell, can you tell us what you've been up to lately?

I write for More Magazine.....two very short film reviews a month....I am a contributing critic on Roger Ebert's new show "Ebert presents at the movies on PBS where my first piece just aired www.ebertpresents.com

and I'm soon to start work reviewing for a new website/content provider called Buzz60. In addition, I just launched my own website www.alisonbailes.com
where I blog and review as much as I can find the time for!

How many movies do you generally see a week?

Not as many as I should!! I'm constantly feeling that I should see more.....so many new releases as well as catching up on all the stuff I've missed. But I have young kids so I try not to be out every night. Probably about 6 a week? Although Monday I saw 4 and yesterday 3. So this week it will be 9 or 10.

Is your process as a movie critic more cerebral or visceral? For instance, do you take notes when first watching a movie you're about to review? Do you see it more than once before reviewing it?
I do take notes as I find I like to be reminded of dialogue or plot points that strike me as interesting when I later write. I always swear that I will turn the review around the next day....but I don't, cos I'm a procrastinator, so I'm often writing a review weeks after seeing the film. The notes come in handy, if I can read them! The lasting memory of a film tends to be visceral. I very rarely have time to see a film more than once unfortunately.

How important is story in reviewing a movie? Is that the first element you notice missing or evident more than the directing, acting, etc?

Bad acting is the first thing that ruins a film. I can't get beyond it. Directing has to be pretty amateurish to ruin a good film if there's a good story compellingly told. I am a stickler for story. It has to be believable for me.....suspending disbelief is OK in very small doses. Sometimes when I find a plot hole then that casts a pall over the memory. There is something in "Hanna" that I couldn't quite accept, so in my mind the film is tainted, even though it's a great action thriller with amazing performances and a killer soundtrack!!

What advice would you give to aspiring screenwriters who will be writing movies for the next generation of moviegoers?
Write what you know and KISS (Keep it simple, stupid). Invaluable advice. Even Christopher Nolan who twisted our minds with "Inception" started with "Following"....a more or less simple story.

What summer flick are you most looking forward to seeing soon?

Yikes!! what is there again? I don't care about Transformers or Xmen sequels. I'm pretty much over anything with superheroes at this point. I'm equally unexcited about the Pirates repeat. However I loved the last Harry Potter, so I'm looking forward to how they wrap it all up (didn't read the books, so I don't know!). I'm really looking forward to Steve Coogan in "The Trip", Terrence Malick's new film, and yes, "The Hangover 2". I've seen a few of the smaller films coming soon and some good ones are "Pom presents: the greatest film ever sold" from Morgan Spurlock and "A better life" from Chris Weitz. And because I read the book and liked it.....am interested in seeing what they did with "The Help".

Do you prefer watching a movie in a theater with an audience or at home on Pay-Per-View, Netflix or on DVD?

I rarely watch with a "real" audience. Mostly it's with a bunch of other critics who tend to be respectful and quiet. I have been spoiled. When I do go to the movies I am appalled at the noise, smells and rudeness of fellow movie goers. I love to be on my sofa, but it's not as conducive to paying attention 100% so I do try and make it to the screenings. On Demand is great if you miss the press screenings.

And finally, Alison, do you ever text during a movie? ;)

WHO would answer yes to this question? I would never text. I don't even look at my phone. But funnily enough, my babysitter had an emergency on Monday and called me right before a film. I did then check my phone to make sure things were OK. I felt TERRIBLE about it....and did it under my seat with my hand over the screenlight. There were only two other people in the screening room but that's no excuse. People who let their phones light up, or tap away at them shouldn't be in the movie. If you can't give the film your attention, then you shouldn't bother to watch it in the first place. No one can multi-task that well. Everyone can have the occasional emergency. But people who email thru the whole film should know better.

Thanks, Alison, for taking time out to participate with The NY Screenwriting Life.

Check out Alison Bailes on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ALISONBAILES

and don't text at the movies!

Until next time.

2011-03-15T10:23:00.004-04:00

PURGING ON PAPER...
by Janet Lawler

Have you ever wanted to write about your own life? Come on, you know you have! Maybe turn it into a movie or book? We all have a story to tell, right? It takes courage to tell the truth... the raw truth... but we can do it honestly and yet fictionalize it to reach an audience.

I just finished reading Jen Grisanti's new book Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story. If you're considering putting your life down on paper, read Grisanti's book first. It guides a writer through creating a "log line for your life" just like a movie log line, drawing from your truth without shame or fear, writing about universal themes and moments that will hook your audience emotionally.

Isn't that what makes us want to read a new book or go see a movie? We want to feel something... learn something... feel connected to others... to know we're not alone.

Being able to write about a real incident is terrifying. How factual must we be? Will we hurt someone's feelings? Do we have to write it exactly as it happened? Will we wind up on Oprah's show defending our truth, sentence by sentence?

Relax. Grisanti's book frees up the writer to pull from that gritty reality but disguise it in fiction within a solid story foundation (structure).

Jen Grisanti has a track record in the TV industry. She worked for Spelling Television as a creative executive during its "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place" days. Spelling was her mentor and boss. She went on to become VP of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount. In 2008, she left that post (when her contract wasn't renewed, which she writes about with candor) and decided to start her own consultancy business Jen Grisanti Consultancy (during the start of the Great Recession). Now that takes courage!

Grisanti's brand is "Developing from Within". She explains how scripts, plays, novels can be more meaningful to an audience, and to us as the creator, by digging deep into our past and having the strength to reveal what we've survived. Universal moments -- divorce, a parent dying, losing a job, battling illness -- are dilemmas most of us can relate to on some level. Through that loss and pain, we can help others.

Many people find a great Act 3 after a devastating Act 2.

I recently ran into a woman I hadn't seen in about four years. She looked freakin' FANTASTIC! New hairstyle and color, stylish outfit and she had dropped 50 pounds... I kept telling her how amazing she looked... what was her secret? She laughed and said she got divorced. "I like my independence," she beamed. Well, does she ever... she found a new love and an entire new outlook about herself and life. The back story was: her husband cheated on her, she took him back (they had two young sons); he cheated again and she finally threw the bum out! This woman needs to write her life story, pronto! Talk about The Good Wife.

Gristanti's book Story Line touches on stories like above -- in movies and real life. We've all had our "all is lost" moments. So how do we go on? How do we pick up the pieces? Set new goals? Often renewal and transformation comes after we hit that brick wall... when we're forced to change direction to survive.

And, we can also write about it. Purge it on paper. Truth can elevate fiction, Grisanti notes. I'm currently writing a play about my sister. She died at 37 after battling drug abuse since her teenage years. It's excruciating... it's painful... it's an all up hill battle for me... but I know my sister's story deserves to be told... maybe it will save one young girl from turning to drugs.

Grisanti's book is a worthy read for my project. I'm floored by her raw honestly in every chapter. She never holds back about her own "all is lost" moments... her husband's infidelity, her divorce, her climb up the corporate ladder in Hollywood, what that career cost her, losing her job in her 40s, being single again and having to reinvent herself by starting her own business from scratch. Wow. The good news -- she's in a better place for having traveled that path. It's all there on the page. She writes without trying to sugar coat events or protect her "corporate image". Most people would need a glass of wine or two to open up this way. Grisanti's story and experiences touched me deeply as a reader and writer... the whole point of the book.

I've long followed Grisanti through her podcast Story Wise which is available for free on iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/jen-grisanti-consultancy/id315874121. On her podcast she interviews top Hollywood writers and producers. I really like Grisanti's style -- warm, insightful, fun and yet structured. She pulls gems out of these writer/producers weekly for her audience to learn from. An hour with Story Wise is time well invested.

So the next time life kicks your butt, start taking notes. When the stakes are high, when you're facing insurmountable odds, breathe, and remember that setbacks force us into new directions, for a reason.

Attention to my NYC Bloggers... mark those calendars... Jen Grisanti will be at the Drama Book Shop (one of my favorite places!) on April 15th from 5-6:30 PM for a book signing. Also she'll be giving a Screenwriting Conference for Movie Maker Magazine June 11 &12th. Check her out!

Happy St. Patrick's Week!

2011-02-09T11:52:00.005-05:00

IS FACEBOOK KEEPING YOU FROM WORKING?

My longtime friend, Barbara, and I were recently talking about how hard it is for writers to concentrate on our writing routines because of Facebook and other social media.

It has always been a challenge to find the discipline to park it in a chair and get pages out. We're bombarded with distractions that come in the form of friends, family, kids, pets, iPod, iPad, iPhone, cable TV, the DVR (gotta watch Modern Family!) and so on.

But these days it's even worse for a serious writer to focus on getting work done -- because we're writing on a darn computer! Talk about temptation at your fingertips (and eyeballs).

My desktop is connected to the Internet. So is my laptop. When I get stuck writing a scene, sometimes I take a break by checking my e-mail, or visiting Facebook, or checking Twitter, or seeing if there are any new jobs posted on LinkedIn that I really should know about... then I somehow wind up over on the news websites... because hey, there's a lot of important news going on (Lindsay Lohan really stole a necklace?!) and before I know it, there I am over at YouTube watching Christina Aguilera flub the National Anthem but doing one spectacular job during rehearsals. Go figure.

So you see how easy it is to get sidetracked from writing a script or blog post. Like the Lady Antebellum lyrics say "This world keeps spinning faster to a new disaster" so what happens if we're not online for that breaking news moment, that Sarah Palin Tweet or the latest dancing-baby-in-the-car-seat viral video? Can we stand to be out of the loop on the next big thing?

Social media is like crack -- a hard habit to break once you post that very first status update. You're hooked -- and your life is never the same.

I think writers are especially prone to social media because deep down we feel like nerds -- word geeks -- loners. We write solo, usually leading solitary lives when we're creating (except for those few scribes who can write at Starbucks while the ice blender whirls on high speed.) So for us geeks who find ourselves alone in our apartments or writing rooms -- checking in with friends on Facebook is a life line of sorts. A social life line if you will. We're letting people know, yes, we're still breathing, still alive, but working hard. So don't bother us.

Here's a radical concept. What would happen if I unplugged, deactivated my Facebook account tomorrow? Stopped tweeting? Would the world end? Would people even notice I was gone? Would I ever hear from friends again, or worse, make any new ones?

The great writers before new media were able to write masterpieces without a WiFi connection. So should we. Imagine how much more productive we'd be without Twitter, Facebook and the Huffington Post popping up in our faces all day? (Arianna Huffington just signed a $315 million dollar deal with AOL -- I'm helping that woman get richer with every click! I should get a cut of that $315 mill.)

Granted, social media didn't hurt Aaron Sorkin none. He wrote a movie about Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin is nominated for an Oscar this year for best adapted screenplay ("The Social Network"). Yet, he claims to not be on Facebook anymore... that he just "created his account while writing the script". Don't you just hate successful, Oscar-nominated, disciplined guys like that? (Just to tempt you, here is a profile on Aaron Sorkin from last week's CBS Sunday Morning http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6920021n&tag=related;photovideo )

I guess like yoga and banking -- social media is all about balance. Don't overindulge online or offline or you will pay the piper. It's all about finding your inner will and focus to write even if it's just for an hour between profile updates.

Until next time.

2011-01-17T13:53:00.006-05:00

Ocho Rios, Jamaica photo by Carolina Correa

YEARBREAK

This is the first day of this year that I've had a chance to focus on the blog again. Sorry for the delay. The holidays were crazy busy. Santa surprised me with a gift to Jamaica from January 8th-14th. Wow! We experienced the country from a local's perspective (thanks, Kenisha and family!!) and then spent days at an all-inclusive resort (with endless theme nights, free beverages and buffets).

Jamaica is paradise, especially in wintertime. I went snorkeling for the first time. The ocean water was crystal clear and cool. I saw some colorful and strange fish eye to eye. I couldn't believe I was lying on a white sand beach in the middle of the week, in January, while NY was being dumped on with yet another snow storm. Glad we missed that one. Nothing like a vacation in the Caribbean to start the year off right (and a nip of Jamaican Rum). Yeah mon, no problem.

We returned home to very sad news. My friend of twenty-three years, Anna Volino, passed away while I was out of the country. I didn't receive word until we touched down at JFK airport seven days later. I still can't believe it.

Anna and I hadn't seen each other in a few years (I live in NYC and she lived upstate), but we always kept in touch through e-mails, Facebook and phone calls. She was like a kid sister to me. When my own sister, and my mother passed away, Anna was one of my first friends knocking at my front door. She always showed up when needed most. That's a true friend. She was such a great person with an even greater, infectious laugh. She loved TV, movies and pop culture. We always had lots to talk about. I'll miss Anna very much.

Anna was only 43. She died from a heart attack. How could this happen? She was too young to leave us this soon. Losing a close friend like Anna -- in such a sudden, unexpected way -- reminds me how important it is to follow our dreams, make time for others in our life and to be thankful for every day on earth. Life is short, indeed.

Make it your goal to live large in 2011-- I know I am -- for Anna and for every loved one we've lost. We owe it to them and to ourselves to embrace life every day. Speak through your art, any way you can. Now. Today. Don't put it off for tomorrow.

That's a message I took home from Jamaica -- a third world country -- don't waste resources, count your blessings, dance to the music while you can and be happy. Good motto.

Have a brilliant new year!

Until next time.

2010-12-31T15:28:00.001-05:00

... BRING ON 2011

New Year's Eve, Times Square

Another twelve months gone? Seriously? Just like that? In a blink?

So I flipped through my planner to see what I actually accomplished from January to December of 2010. (I don't keep a journal anymore, just a daily planner to jot down events, meetings and experiences from the day.) What do you know? 2010 was a fairly good year.

I blogged a lot more. Hope you enjoyed it here.

I had my second play Extreme Green produced in Florida and New York City. Fun times -- worked with some great NY theater folks at Thespian Productions.

I met or got to see in person some of my heroes: Edward Burns, Thelma Schoonmaker, James Taylor, Carole King, and Bono. Not bad.

I worked out pretty regularly. Surprising!

There was even an opportunity for travel -- from sunny Florida in winter to the southwest of Arizona in the spring to camping on the beach in the Outer Banks of North Carolina in summer to an autumn drive to the heartland of Indiana. It was a great year for visiting family, enjoying the company of friends and road trips!

How about you? Was it a good year? Did you write that script yet or get closer to your dream of writing it? I like looking back on my planner to see when I write most, the projects I worked on and the ebb and flow of my process. There were some dry spells, but overall, I keep plugging away on some story, play or script. Keep a record yourself -- to see when you're most prolific, and if not, what's getting in your way?

If you need some written inspiration, check out this website to read free screenplays online http://www.screenplays-online.de/

And finally, with this being my final post for '10, I want to thank all of you for following The NY Screenwriting Life for another year. Five years! Big thanks to those readers who take a moment to email me with a shout out about the blog. It's awesome to know you're all out there... and that I'm not writing in a void.

I hope all your dreams come true in '11. That you have love, good health, success and passion. Who could ask for more? Maybe a good agent would be nice.

Happy 2011, everyone!! Toot your horn! Sip champagne. Now it's off to the madness of Times Square shortly. I'll post video or pictures in the New Year!

Until next year...

2010-12-07T13:12:00.003-05:00

USING IMPROVISATION AND EMOTIONAL STRUCTURE IN YOUR NEXT SCRIPT...

Creative Screenwriting: Understanding Emotional Structure is a new book out by Christina Kallas. It will get you thinking about movies -- and your scripts -- in a fresh way.

writer/producer Christina Kallas

Kallas is a screenwriter, producer and academic. She's also the President of the Federation of Screenwriters in Europe.

She presented a lab recently held by the Writer's Guild of America, East.

Kallas champions writing emotion and imagery in your stories. Plot points are important, but so is emotion. We've all seen movies that were supposed to move us, but somehow didn't quite accomplish what it set out to do. That's why movies rely so heavily on musical scores to manipulate our feelings -- have you really LISTENED to a romantic comedy lately? Not watched it, but listened... the music takes our hand and leads us along to make sure we're getting the message.

Kallas suggests a writer excite his imagination by turning to Improvisation. I know about improv when it comes to acting class or stand-up comedy, but screenwriting?

She gave a great example in the lab. Two actors, male and female, were given key information about a scene. The information was a young couple was divorcing (the relationship), they have a three year old son involved in a custody battle (goal), and the husband has returned to their home to retrieve "his books" (action). Haven't we all ended relationships and had to go divvy up all the books and CDs before parting ways? Not a pretty scene. Talk about emotions and subtext. Kallas had the male actor leave the room and she told the female actor that her motivation (action) was to get the husband to get violent (for custody points). The male actors returned and was told his key emotion was anger. Begin scene...

What resulted was completely unexpected by us in the audience and Kallas. The actors started out angry, bickering, name-calling, swearing, but then soon softened, joked easily and reconciled right before our eyes. It was amazing. The dialogue was rich, spontaneous and deeply emotional. Actors have to remain truthful in order to reach an audience, as does the writer. Emotion and truth.

The point of the exercise? To be innovative, creative and open to your scene with actors (or friends) and see what develops from the main situation. We tend to get to locked into our beat sheets, outlines and rigid notes. Improvisation is a way to see a scene come to life in an authentic way... you may use what you hear or toss it away, but you will get some direction from the actors interpreting your work.

In this example above, the husband was so set on getting "his books" because he revealed later that he's lonely staying in a hotel room twelve blocks away from his family... and reading is his only salvation under the circumstances. The actress/wife quipped "Read the Bible". It got a big laugh.

I recommend Creative Screenwriting: Understanding Emotional Structure. Be warned, it's not a breezy read -- you'll need to have read several screenwriting books before getting this one. It refers to Aristotle, Plato and all the classic screenwriting mechanics and theories. But, it should make it's way on your writing shelf along with books by Syd Field, Linda Seger, Michael Hauge and Robert McKee.

The book is available at Amazon and at www.palgrave-usa.com and www.palgrave-com in the UK and the rest of the world.

Go tackle your scripts with images, thematic richness and feeling.

Nice Guy Johnny by Edward Burns

Which reminds me... one of my favorite filmmakers is Edward Burns. I had the pleasure of meeting him this year at a Tribeca Film Festival event and he couldn't have been sweeter. Support his new indie movie Nice Guy Johnny (I liked it) -- it's available to rent this week only for .99 cents at iTunes!!
Here's the trailer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBT00dP43_k

Until next time.

2010-11-30T16:14:00.008-05:00

THE ACADEMY...

So, did you hear? Anne Hathaway and James Franco will co-host the 83rd Academy Awards on February 27th. Cool. Maybe that's just what the Academy Awards needs... some new blood and fresh air.

It's the same with the movie industry... it desperately needs new blood and new voices. I only think about "the Academy" (the one everyone thanks in their acceptance speeches) a few times a year -- about who will host the show, who they'll honor, who they'll nominate, and finally, who will they award those precious little statues to next year.

But, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences does many more things year round... especially for screenwriters. Here is a compilation of sound advice from seasoned screenwriters about the art and craft of screenwriting. These videos are produced by the Academy to inspire new writers. Many more videos are available to watch on the Academy's website http://www.oscars.org The advice is insightful... writers who appear in this video were nominated for the Oscar or won.
http://www.oscars.org/video/watch/screenwriters_advice.html

One of my favorite screenwriters is Callie Khouri, whose first script won her an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1991... she wrote Thelma & Louise.

So check out the Academy's website now and not just in February when you download the list of nominees for your office Oscar pool. The Academy is working hard to dazzle you, movie lovers and writers, not just on Oscar Night.

Enjoy, take notes... and start planning that Oscar party. Who will you be wearing?

Until next time.

2010-11-11T09:46:00.002-05:00

EXTREME GREEN...

"You're nothing but a radical with a rake!" a NYC land owner says to a young farmer who is caught trespassing on his vacant lot with hopes of planting a garden.

The play starred Michael Soldati (as Paul) and Cris Morales (as Adesh). This one-act comedy by playwright Janet Lawler and director Chrysta Naron received 3 performances as part of Thespian Production's Year End Event III. The show was recorded on Joria Productions' Main Theater on November 6, 2010.

Enjoy some highlights from the performance.. and continue to Dream Green!

CLICK ON LINK BELOW TO WATCH VIDEO... (warning: some explicit language)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cQapLlUIwI

2010-11-09T11:14:00.001-05:00

A PLAY IN BLOOM


Scene from the one-act play Extreme Green by Janet Lawler

Well, I survived my play being performed and so did the audience.

Extreme Green premiered in NYC this past weekend in a Thespian Productions Showcase. It went very well. Whew! Live theater is one nail-biting event. So many things can go wrong (and right) and the playwright just has to sit there and trust his actors and director.

Extreme Green is about a NYC land owner who deeply resents it when a young, idealistic farmer decides to grow vegetables on his vacant lot. It's a social comedy... about the local food movement.

The audiences really related to it, especially about buying organic, local and cage-free and experiencing the recent food movement in our country as a revolution! In the play, Adesh, the land owner refers to Paul, the young farmer, as a "radical with a rake".

The play was directed by Chrysta Naron, who did an amazing job. The actors (Michael Soldati and Cris Morales) received great feedback, especially on their final show. Thanks to them both for giving hours of rehearsal time and three performances. With just twenty minutes together on stage, they convinced the audiences -- as extremely different as they are as characters/actors -- that they could unite for a better cause (growing an organic vegetable garden)... while also making a fast buck doing it.

Many people have asked me where I got the idea for the play.

I read about an idealistic group in NYC who were throwing seeds on vacate lots in the city (to grow flowers and beautify empty lots) but it was a problem when those lots didn't belong to them. Did these do-gooders have the right to transform lots without permission from the land owners?

And, thus, the play was born.

What's next for Extreme Green? Well, I just might shoot it as a short film come spring. It will also be performed in more community theaters. Somehow, I see the play moving forward.

It seems a play destined to bloom further.

Big thanks to all who spent their hard-earned "cash flow" on tickets to see my play (especially in these tough times) and for supporting Off-Broadway arts.

It was an incredible weekend in a tiny theater.

Until next time.

For those interested in Extreme Green for their theaters, workshops or student drama clubs please visit:
http://www.productionscripts.com/janet-lawler-extreme-green-p-461.html

2010-10-27T10:56:00.000-04:00

Thespian Productions presents:

Showcase III: (Year End Show) NY
4 short plays featuring:

    •    Be More 282 by Rich Espey
    •    Don't Call it Returning by Rosebud Ben-Oni
    •    Extreme Green by Janet Lawler

• The Majority by Darby Alexander

Dates:
Friday, November 5, 2010 @ 8pm
Saturday, November 6, 2010 @ 5pm
Saturday, November 6, 2010 @ 8pm

Location:
Joria Productions
Mainstage Theater
260 West 36th St., 3fl
New York, NY 10018

Tickets are $15.00 through Brown Paper Tickets 1-800-838-3006
Or order online here http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/132977
Tickets are also available $20 at door.
Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of the 3 prizes.   1) 1st Prize - Pocket HD Camcorder 2) 7.1 Mega-Pixel Digital Camera 3) Mini Digital Camcorder/Camera
Donations: $5.00 ea. (To purchase online with show, enter 'raffle' in the discount field)  
Drawing on November 6, 2010 @ Joria Productions, 260 W. 36th St., NYC   Winners need not to be present. Winning Ticket numbers will be posted on this website.

2010-10-22T08:39:00.000-04:00

WANTED: DIVERSE VOICES, CUTTING EDGE SCRIPTS

What's that famous Andy Warhol quote? "Soon everyone in the world will be world-famous for 15 minutes?" Well, here's your chance.

Are you underrepresented in Hollywood? Do the movies you see truly speak to you or do they seem like people in the film industry are from another planet? Well, don't gripe about it -- do something. Write. Raise your voice and put it down on paper. Now. It could change your life.

There is an exciting, new screenwriting competition called The Next 15 Minutes. It's NYC cutting-edge and straight out of Brooklyn. This isn't your father's screenwriting competition. It's for writers willing to write from the heart and without fear of telling their truth.

The Next 15 Minutes is open to writers from groups not usually represented in Hollywood with respect to race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation/identity or physical disability.
All genres are welcome.

Here's the deal -- submit your best 15 pages from your original script. The winners will be chosen for a live staged reading on April 16, 2011. Winners will cast, rehearse and direct the dramatic reading of their work (with guidance from the pros). This competition is being sponsored by Final Draft. Four winners will receive a copy of Final Draft software.

This competition is presented by ActNow Foundation. Celia C. Peters is the series creator and producer. Kudos to her for getting the word out to us.

How much does it cost to enter your 15 page masterpiece? Only $10. Not a bad deal for this stuck economy and hungry writers. Start writing fast, people. No excuses. The submission deadline is NOVEMBER 30, 2010. For more info and to submit go to: www.actnowproduction.org/submissions

Go for it and Good Luck! Pass the word.

Until next time,
Janet

2010-09-28T16:47:00.001-04:00

JAMES DEAN 2010 FESTIVAL

James Dean from the movie Giant

We just returned from the James Dean Festival in the actor's hometown of Fairmount, Indiana (see video link below).

It was a great trip, especially since I'm a long-time James Dean fan. I've always had a photo or two of him displayed somewhere on my desk or at home (there's one in our bathroom -- how's that for devotion??).

Dean was cool personified. He had a hard life (losing his mother at age 14 and being raised by an aunt and uncle). But, all that grief and angst didn't stop him from leaving a small Midwestern town and eventually conquering Hollywood.

James Dean died at age 24 in a car accident in California. He lived life in the fast lane right up to his last breath.

Driving through Fairmount, where he was raised, it's easy to imagine him strolling the narrow sidewalks on Washington Street, studying drama at the local high school and dreaming big. What was it that propelled Dean to leave this tiny Indiana town and head to New York? What gave him the confidence to think he could compete for parts with New York actors? Make it to Broadway? Study at the Actor's Studio?

Talent and drive. He had both.

James Dean only made three movies: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant. All classics. He also had parts in many TV shows and commercials from the 1950s. He died before his last movie was released. He died young, but sure left a mark. Fifty-five years later fans still make their way to Fairmount, Indiana to pay their respects to their favorite rebel.

Dean would be 79 this year if he had lived.

We miss you, Jim!

Enjoy the video, Bloggers.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SI82NJApfw

Until next time.

2010-09-16T15:54:00.001-04:00

DON'T PIGEON HOLE YOURSELF

Come September, many of us return to class.

I'm not an official student anymore, but I attend a weekly playwrights meeting in Manhattan. It runs from Sept-June and is worth attending at least once if you're in the city and a writer. Professional actors -- from SAG and Equity -- also attend the meetings and do cold readings of new plays chosen for the night. It's fun, exciting and theatrical.

In order to get your work read aloud at a meeting, you must first become a member of The NYC Playwrights group. For $60 dollars, it's well worth it. NYC Playwrights meet every Tuesday night on W. 54th Street. It's a great way to network with fellow New York actors and writers and hear some interesting new work. For details, go to http://www.nycplaywrights.org/

During our latest meeting (and first for the season), I met a playwright who told me she just had her first full-length play produced by an Irish theater in NYC. She's a professional chiropractor from New Rochelle, NY and usually writes poetry. But she wanted to try to write a play and so she did. Soon after a theater selected it for their major production. First time out of the gate and she got produced. She said she received a standing ovation after the show. Talk about beginner's luck... or the luck of the Irish... either way, she had no idea what she was doing, but the "words and characters just poured out of me."

I mention this only because sometimes as writers we tend to box ourselves in and label ourselves. Writers will say "Oh, I only write screenplays" or "No, I could never write a novel." or "I couldn't imagine ever writing a stage play."

Why not? What's stopping you... but you?

If you're one of these people -- drop, roll and reread the paragraph above. Break out of your claustrophobic, self-imposed pigeon hole. If you're a writer, don't be afraid to try all formats... screenplays, novels, plays, poetry, a blog, a short story... whatever you like. Just try it.

Dare to write whatever you like however you like.

And that next standing ovation could be for you.

2010-09-06T18:17:00.004-04:00

Outer Banks, NC Photo by: Carolina Correa

SAYING GOODBYE TO SUMMER...

Well, it's Labor Day and summer is unofficially over.

It felt like it the past few days when the weather in NYC went from hot and humid to breezy and cool. Most New Yorkers will tell you that fall is their favorite season and for good reason -- there is nothing lovelier than autumn in New York.

I had a fairly productive summer as far as writing goes. I've been working on my full-length play. It's much harder work than I imagined, but I keep chugging along. I've had a couple of short plays produced and sometimes even 10 minutes of hearing my dialogue seems "long" -- I can't imagine an hour or two of it! The poor audience held captive in their seats. I'm reading lots of successful plays and those famous playwrights do go on and on... page after page... act after act... and the actors have a tremendous amount of lines to remember... but, hey, that never stopped Arthur Miller, Marsha Norman, David Mamet or Neil Simon. Those writers are heroes to me and it's fun to read their work and to imagine that they too once stared at a blank page. It takes courage to write -- to fail -- to be rejected -- and even to succeed.

September has started off with a bang for my writing. I got word that my short play Extreme Green is making its way finally to New York this November 5 and 6th, 2010. It received a staged reading in Chicago at the Chicago Dramatists last year and then went on to be performed in Fort Myers, Florida by Thespian Productions -- and next up, it will come to the Big Apple with Thespian's New York productions. It will be exciting. I'm looking for a director and will cast it soon.

The next day I got word that I sold my other play NetFits (about a couple fighting over their joint NetFlix account) through www.productionscripts.com

Production Scripts helps to market plays for playwrights all around the world. Their website allows high school drama clubs, theaters and actors to find new plays to perform. NetFits sold to a high school drama club... somewhere in Illinois. It will be used for a workshop reading there. How cool is that? And I also get a $3.57 cent royalty too!

Okay, so yeah -- I'll remain a starving artist in New York... but I couldn't be happier!

Happy Labor Day to you. Keep reading and keep writing!

2010-07-12T08:04:00.000-04:00

SOCIAL MEDIA AND SELLING YOUR SCRIPT

Can Twitter and Facebook help you sell your latest screenplay?

Maybe.

Screenwriter Michael Elliot said he found his manager on Facebook.

In his second webinar from Los Angeles on July 11th, the screenwriter of movies "Just Wright" and "Like Mike" encouraged screenwriters to look at movies similar to their own script -- check out the producer credits on the DVD or online -- and then see if those same producers are listed on Twitter and Facebook. If they are, contact them.

Be patient. It may take some investigating to find the correct person listed since 'Joe Smith' may turn up several results, but when you find the right person, shoot them off a brief, friendly message (you don't have to "friend" them first) and ask if they'd like to read your script.

It's worth a shot. In this digital age, think outside the usual box for queries. It won't even cost you a stamp or a phone call.

Social media and e-mail are allowing screenwriters like yourself to reach producers, actors and fellow writers easier and faster than ever. It's often open access to VIPs online if you do some digging. So take advantage of the opportunity to push your brand and that new script.

Keep cool.

Until next time.

2010-06-28T10:56:00.000-04:00

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX WITH A SCREENWRITING PRO

Did anybody participate in Michael Elliot's live webcast on Sunday?

It was a great new media experience for aspiring and seasoned writers. I'll share here with you just some of Elliot's insighst and screenwriting tips. The webinar had a solid amount of screenwriters connected judging from the instant comments and questions coming at the host throughout the 90 minute session.

There were technical glitches at the start with server problems and members not be able to see video, just audio, and trouble logging on... but it was soon resolved and Elliot remained calm and a good sport about what he couldn't control. His job was content and he had that under control -- the web conferencing host Dimdim needs to get their act together making access much easier and keeping the conference online throughout the session.

Elliot has written and sold four screenplays: “MTV’s Hip-Hopera: Carmen”, which launched the feature film careers for Beyonce Knowles, “Brown Sugar”, a hip-hop love story, “Like Mike”, starring Lil’ Bow Wow and “Just Wright” starring Queen Latifah, Common and Paula Patton which is in theaters this summer.

His advice to writers was practical. It's clear to see that he's laser focused, dedicated and enthusiastic about what he does and how he does it. He recommends writers think outside the box. Don't be conventional when marketing your script. Contact stars, producers, agents, directors, other writers (through the Writer's Guild of America)... reach these types through their assistants and hungry associates... Elliot says never count out a star from a decade or two ago either... they are hungry for a meaty role and comeback... those stars usually have producing partners trolling for hot material from new writers.

Elliot advises writers to watch as many movies as possible for entertainment and education on how stories are structured and executed. Read screenplays online (preferably the best). Ready to tackle your screenplay? GREAT, he said his process is to write out a short treatment of the story, then a beat sheet (outline of key scenes) and bang out a rough draft of the script in 10 days... 10 DAYS??... yes, pound it out... ten pages a day, no matter what. It will be a mess, but you'll have something to work with on paper.

He said to find movies similar to your script online and research who produced it, who starred in it and contact them to pitch your new idea. Short queries too, not describing your entire script in boring detail... but comparing your script to other movies that made money in Hollywood. Pitches are hell, but talking about previous successful movies and linking them to your script will get you noticed.

He said don't be afraid to offer to write for a star or producer for free to get your foot in the door. The compensation can be worked out later. I'd add make sure the person you're writing for has some real credits because everyone is looking for people to do their hard work for free. Make it worth your effort and time, especially if you're doing it for free.

Elliot has a laid back style and is generous with his time. The first webcast was a hit with technical bumps and all. I hope he does more.

Until next time.

2010-06-21T09:23:00.005-04:00

BUT, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE YOU'RE A WRITER?
Photo: David Lee

By Janet Lawler

My goodness. A screenwriter can go broke keeping up with all the new books, seminars, Expos, movies, shooting scripts and how-to deals coming at us every day.

If you're like me, you want to be up on the latest in the business, but who can afford it? Besides, don't you find that many writers sometimes rely on all these things... instead of just parking our butts in the chair and writing the script? It's like doing research to avoid doing the actual writing.

As the Nike ads say, the best way to still learn and achieve anything is by just doing it. Theory and advice are helpful, but sooner or later, we have to deliver the script. Writers write -- plain and simple.

Having spent tons of dough over the years on screenwriting books (my personal library keeps growing), screenwriting software (Final Draft is like Apple -- it comes out with a new version all the time), it gets expensive to keep up.

Next weekend, however, I'm happily dishing out my $ for a Live "webinar" with screenwriter Michael Elliot. Elliot has a movie out right now in theaters starring Queen Latifah called JUST WRIGHT. Here is the trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NThQ3SfctsE&feature=channel It's a Cinderella story about a young woman who is always stepped over for the prettier girl until one day she catches the eye of an NBA star. Elliot has done interviews lately discussing how he came from a down-and-out background and achieved success despite it. He was homeless, abused and broke then, but he had one important thing going for him -- he BELIEVED in himself. He believed he could be a writer and he did it. Isn't that what holds most of us back from doing anything? A Lack of Faith in Ourselves? Self-doubt? Procrastination? I love this guy because he learned to be his own biggest champion despite the odds.

Elliot is giving a session online next weekend (JUNE 27th) to help writers. He got his scripts read by not going in the front door, but finding innovative ways to contact producers and assistants. He did whatever it took to get his work read. His seminar is affordable too -- only $20 bucks -- whoa, thanks, Michael, for keeping the cost down for writers who can't afford to blow hundreds of dollars on seminars, online or otherwise. I spend more than $20 going to the movies now in NYC, so this is $20 well-spent. Even if I get one or two new tips, it's worth it. And Elliot is currently working in Hollywood as a writer. He's in the game.

If you want to learn more about Michael Elliot, or sign up for his webinar, here is the link:
http://conversationwithmichaelelliot.eventbrite.com/ You can also read about Elliot in a recent edition of WRITTEN BY (the official WGA magazine) at http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=36445&p=27 This article is a must-read! Very inspiring. Elliot's also on Facebook. He gives his time through a group he founded called The Ladder which reaches out to help aspiring writers. Check it out. Also, http://www.writerslittleblackbook.com/story.php

Today's the first day of summer. Make it a fun and productive Summer of 2010!

Until next time.

Janet Lawler

2010-06-12T22:27:00.002-04:00

EDIT FEST NY

I met one of my professional heroes today -- film editor Thelma Schoonmaker.

She was a guest panelist at EditFest NY this weekend. The seminar took place at the Director's Guild of America in Manhattan. What is EditFest? It's two days of information, education and networking with some of the best editors in the movie and television industry today. It's presented by American Cinema Editors (ACE) and Manhattan Edit Workshop.

Maybe Thelma Schoonmaker's name doesn't ring a bell, but trust me, you know her work. She's a three-time Oscar winner. She edited movies like Raging Bull, The Departed and The Aviator. She won Oscars for all three. Schoonmaker also served as Martin Scorsese's editor on Casino, The King of Comedy, The Color of Money, The Last Temptation of Christ, GoodFellas, Cape Fear, The Age of Innocence, Kundun, and most recently, Shutter Island. She's aces at what she does and she managed to stake her claim in a highly male-dominated field . Her successful collaboration with Scorsese has lasted over thirty-five years. Together they have created some of the best American films ever put up on the screen. And it all began when they met at NYU as film students and she helped the then unknown director finish his project. They get along so well that Schoonmaker also edits Scorsese's documentaries such as A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies. They're working on one about British cinema next. Schoonmaker knows a thing or two about documentaries even without Scorsese at her side. Remember the 1971 documentary Woodstock? She edited that and received an Oscar nomination.

So I was over the moon thrilled to meet her and have the chance to thank her personally for her work. Many of her movies are on my Top Ten Movie List and probably yours. After her panel talk, she stuck around to talk with fellow editors, both seasoned and aspiring, posed for pictures, signed autographs and answered personal and professional questions. She said editors need patience above all else and should always get the job done no matter what. At 70, she continues to learn new technology... now editing digitally on an Avid rather than with film... and although it took some adjustment to change, she loves the challenge and work. She cautioned that all the tools in the world won't make up for a movie with a weak story. It all comes down to basic storytelling in the end.

The editors of Avatar (John Refoua and Stephen Rivkin, minus James Cameron) were also on hand.

They gave a terrific presentation about 3D film innovation, showing clips about the making of Avatar. They were good sports when confronted with some audio-visual glitches during their high-tech presentation... like no sound on a clip... trouble using the DVD remote... and Rivkin's microphone repeatedly falling off.) When you see what these guys managed to do with Avatar, editing for over two years, fourteen hour days, seven days a week -- you quickly learn that editing movies is not glamorous and extremely stressful and a grind. But the payoff can be grand. Avatar has grossed over $3 billion dollars worldwide... and Avatar II will happen, the editors said. Schoonmaker added that film editing requires flexibility. Nothing edited is in stone.

Directors, producers, studios executives, preview audiences all demand constant changes to a film... and like a screenwriter forced to do yet another rewrite on a screenplay... the best editors always find a way to dig deeper and come up with what it takes.

Special thanks to Rubenstein Communications, Inc. and Tessa Kelley for inviting The NY Screenwriting Blog to cover this event. Photos courtesy of Carolina Correa.

Until next time. Go enjoy a summer movie.

2010-06-09T14:01:00.004-04:00

JOAN RIVERS - A PIECE OF WORK
Review by Janet Lawler

This is an amazing documentary. It takes an unflinching look at the legendary comedian Joan Rivers and her forty year career. Love her or hate her -- and this film probably won't change your opinion -- but it will give you an insiders peek at what makes Joan Rivers tick.

She's been ticking a long time in show biz -- since the 1960s when she performed in dive clubs in New York and eventually hit it big once Johnny Carson put her on The Tonight Show and said "she'd be a star". Life changed overnight and she's never looked back... except at press clippings and reviews... but she keeps moving forward, no matter how many critics say she's done. She has two words for those critics and it's not "just wait".

Ironically, Rivers wanted to be a a serious stage actress in her youth, not a stand-up comic. She created her comedy routine as a way to make pocket change and still be free for theater auditions during the day. As luck would have it, her acting career sputtered... but her comedy routine launched her into fame and fortune, and sometimes, misfortune.

This documentary by filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg (THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK) is a character study in ambition, insecurity, success, grief and survival -- Rivers is 77 years old and works around the clock. She rarely turns down a gig. Nothing is too big or to small for her to attempt. She'll perform comedy on stage up in the Bronx at 4pm if that's what it takes to keep working. She considers every open door "a new opportunity". This might explain why though she has been knocked down on numerous occasions and counted out (canceled TV shows, her husband committed suicide, NBC blacklisted her from late night), she keeps reinventing herself better than Madonna and making a very decent living doing it. She designs jewelry, writes plays, writes books, wins reality shows, keeps going... no matter what. And hey, NBC, she returned to your network and won The Celebrity Apprentice. Payback is a bitch. That win put her back on top.

This film shows the results of our youth obsessed culture... on Rivers' face. Comics call her the Queen of Plastic Surgery (she goes on camera here with no makeup -- daring, yes -- and sad -- to see what she's had to do to be accepted in print, TV, film where aging is a no-no). Is this what an actress or a comedian is forced to do to stay relevant in America? Ask Kathy Griffin. Rivers' comedy, like it or not, is still timely and edgy -- but it's hard to watch her keep jumping through hoops to please the public or herself. She would have it no other way -- but will she ever feel good enough? Or successful enough? Her daughter, Melissa, says there is a lot of insecurity there.

The movie focuses on the star and business woman, but it gives a glimpse into her personal life too. Her longtime manager keeps disappearing and so she eventually fires him, which crushes her. She worries about her daughter following in her footsteps into show business. It's a harsh industry, especially for women. One of the tender moments comes when Rivers takes joy in simply holding her grandson's hand in the back of her limo... and delivering a meal to a former photographer who has AIDS on Thanksgiving Day. Rivers also invites people, who are alone in her building, to come for Thanksgiving dinner in her apartment.

She is sharp tongued one second (don't dare call her an icon or say she helped open doors for women or she'll let you have it -- she's STILL opening doors) and vulnerable the next (when she cries about losing her manager/friend and other colleagues over the years).

Keeping with full disclosure here, I wrote jokes for Joan Rivers back in the 80s. It didn't pay much, but it was thrilling to hear her say a few of my jokes. I met her once and she was so kind. Today, she says she plans to outlive and outperform George Burns (who lived into his 90s) and other comic legends because she will never RETIRE. She will never quit.

I believe her.

Joan Rivers - A Piece of Work is an IFC Films release. It opens on 6/11/10. Here is the trailer.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/152380/movie-trailers-joan-rivers-a-piece-of-work

2010-06-02T13:21:00.002-04:00

NEW PLAY READING FROM THE AUTHOR OF... THE ELEPHANT MAN

Always love when you readers reach out to me and let me know what's upcoming and a must-see. I'm excited to find out that the playwright of "The Elephant Man" is about to deliver to us his latest work.

Bernard Pomerance's new play "Spinoff" is set for a reading on June 11th right here in Manhattan. Pomerance, best known for writing "The Elephant Man," has won a number of awards, including the Tony, New York Drama Critics, Drama Desk, and Obie awards. This is the first reading of a new play by him in more than 20 years; it is entertaining, thought-provoking, and timely, and explores themes of identity in our television-obsessed culture. Award-winning film producer Jim Jermanok is directing.

The reading is a fundraiser for PS 10, the school Pomerance's granddaughter attends. PS 10 is facing severe budget cuts and cannot afford text books, art supplies or school lunches. If you plan to attend, here are the details:

"Spinoff" a play reading
Friday, June 11th, 2010
8 p.m.
$15 donationPlayers Club
16 Grammercy Park South,
between Irving and Park (adjacent to Grammercy Park)
Wine reception to follow
Please RSVP to Jessie at jessie.kempf@gmail.com or 917.697.4111

This event is worth marking on your calendar. I'm sure Mr. Pomerance will deliver an incredible new play and you'll be helping to support the students of PS 10 at the same time. It's a win-win.

Until next time.

2010-05-26T07:56:00.006-04:00

THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER HONORS MICHAEL DOUGLAS

Most people fell in love with Michael Douglas when he played Gordon Gekko in Wall Street. I've had a crush on Douglas since his TV days on The Streets of San Francisco. Back then, he was young and cool as the rookie California detective. His character spoke few lines each week, but Douglas held his own even up against his heavy-hitter co-star Karl Malden.

Fast forward 35 years. On Monday night, Michael Douglas received the 2010 Chaplin Award at a star-studded bash for his contributions to the film industry. His wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones, accompanied him to the event, as did his dad, legendary actor Kirk Douglas, also on hand was Jimmy Buffet, Erika Christensen (a sweet person!) Danny DeVito, Tobey Maguire, Bette Midler, Ashley Olsen, Justin Bartha, Brooke Shields and many others.

(Photos by Carolina Correa)

Michael Douglas has starred in some of my favorites films and no doubt yours -- just take a look at some of his work:

Solitary Man
Traffic
Wonder Boys
A Perfect Murder
Wall Street
The American President
Basic Instinct
The War of the Roses
Fatal Attraction
Romancing the Stone
The China Syndrome

Douglas also produced One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest in 1975. He won an Oscar for doing so. Cuckoos Nest won five Oscars that year, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay (based on the book).

Not long ago, he returned to TV for a guest appearance on Will & Grace. Remember his sexy dance with Will? Let's just say, Will got a taste of what it was like to be Sharon Stone and Glenn Close. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kAllg1w92I

I still have a crush on Michael Douglas, only more so these days. His new movie The Solitary Man is getting great reviews and we still have Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps to look forward to in the fall.

Hope you like all the pictures from the event. It was an exciting night in New York.

Until Next time.

2010-05-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

EDITING... ON FILM AND ON THE PAGE

So you write that great script. You sell it to Hollywood. They shoot it with big-named stars and then it lands in the hands of a film editor. With a delicate splice here, and a snip here, that film editor can technically rewrite your entire script. It's the final step in the creative process of a movie and one of the most important.

Editing is a crucial, yet the often overlooked craft and art in movies. It's not a very glamorous job (a lot like screenwriting)... editors, like writers, get little credit... little recognition for their work... but are often the bookends to making a spectacular movie. It's the talents of both the screenwriter, and the film editor, that make words meet images and create movie magic.

Do you pay attention to film editors when you see a new movie? Who edited great movies like The Graduate? Or, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid?

The other night I attended a talk given by Bobbie O'Steen (author of The Invisible Cut: How Editors Make Movie Magic) and film editor John Gilroy (Michael Clayton) held downtown at 92YTribeca. O'Steen has written about the art of editing and knows all about it firsthand. She earned an Emmy nomination for editing Best Little Girl in the World. She not only writes about this skill, but editing is in her DNA. Her father, Richard C. Meyer, edited the above mentioned classic Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Let's face it -- that movie is a gem not only because of William Goldman's witty one-liners and characters, but because of the way the movie is edited -- its pacing and style. That movie grips us from frame one and never lets go -- right up until the iconic freeze frame at the end when Butch and The Kid come out with guns blazing. The talk focusing on the editing of Michael Clayton showed what an essential role the film editor has in shaping the movie, assisting the director, and creating the tone and pace of the movie.

By the way, O'Steen's late husband, Sam O'Steen, edited The Graduate. Not too shabby. If you want to learn about film editing, I recommend you pick up her book.

It's often said that a movie is rewritten in the editing room. A great script is rarely shot exactly as it's written on the page. It can't be -- a director interprets it, then the actors, and finally a film editor. Editing is often about elimination. A good editor has an eye for what works and doesn't in a movie -- and just like with a script, usually less is more. It's amazing how much can be cut from a script, or scene, or movie, and yet the story works even better. Haven't we all seen movies that begged to be shorter? A movie that would have had more punch if only the editor would have been allowed to do his job?

As screenwriters, we can learn a lot from great film editors and their collaborations with top directors. Watch your favorite Martin Scorsese movie, but also thank his film editor Thelma Schoonmaker (pictured below), because she probably edited it (she won Oscars for Raging Bull, The Aviator, The Departed).

Or how about Dede Allen? She edited many of Sidney Lumet's movies (Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico). Ms. Dede passed away earlier this year at age 86.

Michael Kahn edited Steven Spielberg films (Saving Private Ryan, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler's List).

How about Verna Fields who edited Jaws? Wow. We all remember the scary music... but also the visual pacing of Jaws kept us riveted to the screen. Verna Fields won an Oscar for editing that one. Women film editors have put their stamp on so many American classic movies we have come to love and cherish.

So the next time you watch a film, pay extra close attention to who wrote it... and yes, who edited it. It's the delicate craft and art of words mixing with images that capture our hearts in the dark.

Until next time.

2010-05-01T11:37:00.000-04:00

THE PERFORMING ARTS LIBRARY IN MANHATTAN

If you love the Arts, you must visit the Performing Arts Library in NYC. It has a treasure trove collection of plays, screenplays, biographies and performance media. You can watch classic films or taped performances of great stage productions. The New York Performing Arts Library is located in Lincoln Center at 66th Street. It's a beautiful library with rich resources for writers and other artists for research and to borrow. Here is it's link http://www.nypl.org/ for more info.

I've also found that the Museum of the Moving Image located in my neighborhood in Astoria has great films and panelists that are inspiring and informative. I just downloaded a bunch of podcasts online from their Pinewoods Dialogues series. The current one features actor Michael Caine that is worth a listen to at http://www.movingimagesource.us/dialogues/view/333

My iPod is filled with free podcasts also available from iTunes... I download everything from Apple's Meet the Filmmakers to the Creative Screenwriting Magazine's podcasts. I'm taking a long car trip soon to North Carolina, so I'll be able to catch up on many in the car. Podcasts are great on airplanes... I listened to several on a recent trip to Phoenix from New York. It passes the time quickly and drowned out the screaming kid sitting behind me. We're fortunate to be pursuing careers in the Arts now when so much priceless free material is at our fingertips through the internet.

So next time you're in Manhattan stop by the Performing Arts Library in Lincoln Center and have fun browsing the stacks. There is plenty of space to find a good book and read or pop in a DVD and watch the masters at work. Then, after, stroll through Lincoln Plaza, see the recently renovated Revson Fountain (made more famous in that memorable scene where Cher meets Nicolas Cage for a night at the Opera in Moonstruck) and walk across the street for a burger at P.J. Clarke's. You should never be bored living in or visiting New York.

Until next time.

2010-04-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

NICE GUY ED

Edward Burns

The Tribeca Talks: Pen to Paper "Authors at the Helm" event took place this morning. The talk was hosted by Barnes and Noble in Union Square in NYC. Panelists included Nice Guy Johnny writer/director Edward Burns, Snap writer/director and playwright Carmel Winters, and comedian/novelist/screenwriter David Baddiel. The author Susan Orlean moderated.

The Panel

The discussion was about the artist's process of writing, directing one's own work and distributing it in today's world of indies and 3-D blockbusters. All three of the panelists advised writers in the audience to write with a sense of discipline (every day if possible), to push through when you're stuck on the page (Burns suggested "write a bullshit scene just to keep going and then come back to it later and fix it, just don't stop.") and to write with your movie budget in mind. Burns noted that for his first film he wrote five scenes to take place in Central Park because he could shoot there without a film permit. That saved him money on his budget. He suggested using what you have and locations you can use for free.

After the talk, the panelists were gracious enough to stick around and give one-on-one advice . Burns was particularly generous with his time -- signing autographs, answering questions and giving tips on what screenwriting books to read (he likes Story by Robert McKee, Save the Cat by Blake Snyder; and books by John Truby).

Ed Burns & Janet Lawler

There was a minor crisis when Burns misplaced his iPhone at the event, but it was quickly found. (The audio-visual guy had removed it off the stage while cleaning up.) Imagine if that phone wasn't returned? Some poser would be speed dialing Christy Turlington or leaving Bob De Niro a text by now. Burns is a down-to-earth, nice guy from Long Island who hasn't forgotten what it's like to be an artist looking for a break. His new film Nice Guy Johnny is playing now at the Tribeca Film Festival.

(Photos by Janet Lawler)

Thanks to Ed Burns, the Tribeca Talks series and Barnes & Noble. Great day. Here is a clip of Ed giving advice about getting your indie film made.

Until next time,
Janet J. Lawler

2010-04-24T19:29:00.001-04:00

SOME TERRIFIC IRISHMEN

I've been a big fan of New York filmmaker Edward Burns going way back to his "The Brothers McMullen" and "She's the One". I've always liked his style of writing and directing (making small, personal films with complicated characters). Today I went to see a press screening for his new movie "Nice Guy Johnny". It's one of his better movies... it's about a young man who is about to turn 25 and gets an ultimatum from his fiance' -- either he get a real job with at least a $50,000 income or she might call off the wedding. Johnny Rizzo, the main character, is a sports DJ who hosts his own radio show on the overnight shift in Oakland, California... he makes very little money at it, but loves his work. The film asks the question: when is it the right time to give up on your dream or should you ever?

If you're reading this blog, chances are you have an artistic side. Do you write screenplays, books, or make movies? Maybe you're an aspiring actor or producer or director or...? You get my point. In this world, we're told we're not "making it" unless we're bringing in a big income and being validated for our efforts. It's cool to play in a band when you're 21... not so cool when you're 39 with little prospects for that hit song or income to help mortgage a house. "Nice Guy Johnny" shows us a young man who has to make a choice -- please his fiance' or please himself. Which would you choose?

Right after the screening, I attended the red carpet event for Burns' wife's new documentary "No Woman, No Cry" (it's also playing at the Tribeca Film Festival. Of course, Christy Turlington Burns was there to promote the film with the New York media... but the nice surprise was her hubby Edward Burns also showed up. He escorted her to the red carpet, took a few pictures for the media and then stepped aside to let her shine. She did.

He looked proud of his wife and took a picture of her with his iPhone. Cool guy (and very good-looking in person). He says of all he's done -- writing, directing and acting -- he considers himself a writer first. Love him.

And to top off the day -- if all the above wasn't enough for me on a gorgeous Saturday in Manhattan -- Bono and The Edge from U2 came to show their support for Ms. Turlington. It was like an Irish love fest -- below are some pictures that I took. Hope you enjoy them!

Until next time.

Janet Lawler
NYC

2010-04-23T10:10:00.001-04:00

GET LOW
A review by Janet Lawler

This is a new movie starring Robert Duvall, Sisssy Spacek, Bill Murray and Lucas Black. It's a folk tale set in the 1930s in a Southern town. Felix Bush (Duvall) is a backwoods hermit whose only companion is his shotgun. Kids throw rocks through his cabin window to taunt him and others dread his appearances in the small town. Neighbors say he's done "unspeakable things" like kill people... that he's got evil powers... or just simply off his rocker.

The film is currently showing at the Tribeca Film Festival and will be released nationally on July 30th. It's produced by Sony. Duvall gives a first-rate performance as the recluse who decides to pay for a funeral -- his own -- and invite everyone to come tell their stories about him. He wants to know what lies they believe (if they have the guts to do so) and if they show up for this bash they get a lottery chance at winning his vast land.

Bill Murray plays the funeral home owner down on his luck and eager to arrange this unconventional party/funeral. He's looking to make a fast buck off the crazy hermit, but a few twists prevent him from doing so as easily as he intends. Things get a little complicated.

It's great to see Sissy Spacek up on the big screen again. She plays a widow, Maddie, a former love of Felix's. She seems to still hold a sweet spot for him until she discovers his reason for being so tormented -- it hits too close to home.

The movie is by first-time director Aaron Schneider. The well-crafted script is by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell. It's a sharply told narrative with some humor thrown in (the scenes between Duvall and Murray are entertaining.) Lucas Black plays Bill Murray's straight-laced, do-gooder funeral assistant and adds a nice touch to the film.

If you like old-fashioned, solid storytelling with beautiful cinematography, be sure to see Get Low. The movie hits a few predictable notes but overall it delivers. The closing confessional scene alone by Robert Duvall is worth seeing. His anguish is palpable as he tries to find the words to release 40 years of heartache and regret.

Here is the trailer for the movie http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi2880046873/

Until next time.

2010-04-14T14:55:00.001-04:00

THE TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

The Tribeca Film Festival kicks off next week here in New York City.

This festival always has a cool, festive vibe come springtime in lower Manhattan. The hipster directors, producers and actors stroll the streets while promoting their latest movie projects in the city.

Some cynical folks imagined this festival, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, might have puttered out by now after its 2002 launch (in tribute to the World Trade Center and to help revitalize the TriBeCa neighborhood), but TFF just keeps getting better. It's a whole new decade with lots of new films for us to see. 2010 marks the festival's ninth year in presenting top talent and unique films from around the world.

This year TFF promises to be even bigger than ever -- with expert panels, independent features, documentaries, short films, a family festival, a Drive In and movies on-demand. Not everyone can afford to visit Manhattan and attend the festival, but don't fret -- Tribeca Film is making some 15 films available to the public on-demand. Check out the TFF website for more information. http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/

I will be attending the festival and plan to cover some of the events. So keep checking back here to see exclusive red carpet photos, videos, reviews and features. Hats off to Mr. De Niro and his Tribeca colleagues for all their hard work year round to pull this off. They've gone above and beyond the call of duty to booster this great city's spirit and local economy.

The festival runs from April 21st-May2nd. Tune in or come downtown and visit.

2010-04-07T18:01:00.002-04:00

THE OLD BALL AND CHAIN... MY DESK

I'm about to tackle writing a new screenplay and need to figure out where I plan to do it.

This is no easy decision -- the script will take months and months to finish. Don't even mention the rewriting stage. So, where will I be most inspired to write it?

The weather is gorgeous now in New York City (with tulips out and birds singing) and, honestly, I don't want to be cooped up in my apartment when I have the greatest city in the world right outside my door. Sometimes my work desk feels like a ball and chain.

Do I need to be tied down to it this summer or should I try writing in public? I've tried that before and usually find it too distracting. It's so easy to freak watch, or consume too many lattes or eavesdrop on the couple fighting at the next table in the coffee shop. I've tried writing at NY libraries (not bad) and at Starbucks (no thanks).

Where do you write? Are you the traditional sit-at-the-desk writer or a laptop-totting freebird? I'm a little of both, which is the problem here. My usual writing space is my desk right in the living. (I've posted a picture of it above.) It's a sunny, usually quiet spot.

Last summer I wrote my first novel at the kitchen table. I wrote 36 chapters on my Mac laptop. It was hard work, but I got it done. Our kitchen is wonderfully sunny with not much of view except for neighbors' fire escapes. While writing my book, I found gazing at our windowsill plants inspiring and a breath of fresh air. We're currently growing beans and basil in that window.

These days I'm working on the third draft of the book and have returned to rewriting at my old desk. (It was too drafty in the kitchen during the frigid winter months.)

Okay, so, my new project is soon underway -- I guess the location isn't as important as getting my page count in and showing up to write every day.

Happy April, everyone!

Until next time.

2010-03-26T10:58:00.003-04:00

WHEN YOU'RE STRANGE

I went to see When You're Strange last night at a screening here in Manhattan. It's a feature documentary about the rock band The Doors. Johnny Depp narrates it. Using only original footage shot between 1966 and 1971, director/writer Tom DiCillo gives us an inside look at the rise and fall of The Doors and its iconic lead singer Jim Morrison.

Morrison was clearly seduced by fame and also pushed it away. At times on film, he appears the shy poet and then an attention-craving loon. Morrison is absolutely mesmerizing to watch perform. This documentary puts its finger on the pulse of the times during the 1960s and early 1970s, when America was dealing with assassinations, the youth rebellion, the Vietnam War and drug culture.

When You're Strange is more than your typical biopic about a rock band. Thankfully, there are no talking heads or cheesy dramatizations. We see with our own eyes on raw footage when Jim Morrison is too drunk or high to perform and his band kills time playing their hearts out for the audience, while Morrison writhes around on the stage floor in an LSD stupor. Then he's pulled up, as if by some outside force, and leaps to his feet and manages to join in again.

The film gives much-deserved attention to the other three members of The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore). Jim Morrison had the magic and sex appeal with his voice, good-looks and leather pants... but it was his guitarist Robby Krieger who wrote the #1 song "Light My Fire". His keyboardist Ray Manzarek offered the intoxicating sounds and drummer John Densmore was equally dynamic giving The Doors their unique sound.

The Doors produced six albums and countless provocative live performances.

Jim Morrison died in Paris in 1971 at the age of 27.

If you love rock music and The Doors, don't miss this doc. It opens April 9th. Here's the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XR-qzSYsJ9k

Until next time.

2010-03-19T09:49:00.001-04:00

REDEMPTION

That's the working title of my new screenplay. I haven't officially started to write it yet. It's at the gestation stage. I'm seeing the movie play out in my head, making a rough outline of key scenes and developments, picking names for the characters and music to reflect the time period (present and early 1990s). I'm gearing up to write a first draft by summer when I can't keep the movie in my head anymore and it's ready to commit to paper.

Have you ever had a story basically tap you on the shoulder and say "write me". In this case, it feels like that. It's a story that started coming to me in drips and drabs over the past few years, especially whenever I drove through a small town. It's one of those stories where you can't move forward unless you visit the past. A story about redemption -- like in the tone of The Wrestler.

What is your favorite movie about redemption? Where a character returns to pay for his sins? Can you think of any? Where a character starts out bad in the story and evolves to become a better human being?

Look at the news lately -- wow -- talk about redemption. What is going on with people? Every day it's another person falling into disgrace and public humiliation? Human nature doesn't seem so pretty in the press lately. Someone referred to the news the other day as Cheat TV.

I love stories about second chances (although some of these athletes, celebrities and politicians don't deserve it) but we're all capable of letting people down... it's how you get back up and correct the situation (if you can). Flaws. Redemption. Forgiveness. Hope.

Great mix for a screenplay.

PS -- If you know of a terrific redemption movie, e-mail me your pick.

2010-03-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards are only a few days away now!

I love this broadcast every year no matter how dragged out it is, it's a must-see. It's like my Super Bowl. Friends invite me to Oscar parties, but I usually decline. It's more fun to watch the show at home, in sweats, surrounded by snacks and all the comforts of home. Besides, I really like to actually watch the show and that's hard to do at a big party.

As you probably know, The Barbara Walter's Oscar Special will end this year on ABC. The new "Oprah Winfrey Oscar Special" looks terrific though. The format is more conversational than interview. It has the stars interviewing each other (Penelope Cruz and Halle Barry) and appears more energized compared to the traditional BW Special. But I've loved all the specials that Miss Walters delivered to us over the past 29 years! Who could ever forget her doing the tango with Al Pacino? Bravo, Miss Walters, you're Oscar Specials thrilled this movie-lover growing up.

I'm reading the screenplay for "An Education" by Nick Hornby. It's excellent. So well-written and lean. The characters are defined immediately on the page with little dialogue. The main character is Jenny, a seventeen year old London girl (played wonderfully by Carey Mulligan), who falls in love with an older, exotic man. The movie is compelling and shows how we tend to project our wants onto people blindly.

"An Education" is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay, along with District 9, In the Loop, Precious and Up in the Air. Hard to pick a winner from that group. I'm torn between Precious and An Education -- both scripts focus on young girls finding education as a means to transform themselves.

The five original screenplays nominated for Oscars this year are: The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, The Messenger, A Serious Man, Disney/Pixar's Up. I haven't read them all or have even seen them all yet, but I'm leaning toward Inglorious Basterds as the best pick. The movie was better than I expected and a Quentin Tarantino script is always an original ride.

There you have it. So, will you watch the Oscars this Sunday at a party or from home? Either way, I hope you enjoy the show. Plan to be tired come Monday morning with a bad speech hangover. I look forward to it.

Until next time.

2010-02-23T13:20:00.002-05:00

MASTER CLASS WITH CHARLES MEE photo: Joseph Moran

I attended the Master Class Series at the Cherry Lane Theatre in Manhattan last night. This wonderful series gives an inside view of the creative process from masters of the craft of playwriting in an intimate setting. It was a terrific experience!

Charles Mee, the playwright and author, led the talk and offered many gems to our group of about twenty-five playwrights/actors. Mr. Mee has a diverse background. He's a Harvard graduate. He's written many plays and books. He's an historian, a political activist, a husband, a father and a friend of the theater world. He's currently teaching at Columbia University's School of the Arts.

As a new playwright myself, I enjoyed listening to Mr. Mee. He said to trust ourselves when writing. His goal when writing is to please himself only and not an audience. This was a hard concept for us to come to terms with because most writers want to be liked by their audiences. We sometimes don't feel validated unless someone tells us our work is good or professional enough or "ready"to be seen. Mr. Mee says otherwise. He said instead to trust our voice, our talents and write what we like as lovers of art. Our own sense of what is long, slow, boring, untrue, off the mark or useless will speak to us. We don't necessarily need a workshop, a staged reading, a producer, an agent or an audience to validate what we've written.

How freeing is that concept?

Mr. Mee also advised to take in all sources for sparking our creativity. He encouraged us to visit museums, listen to music, see plays or read them, see the composition in everything and the artist's style in all forms of art. His ideas are to start with the classics, the Greeks and go from there up to modern time. His website http://charlesmee.org/indexf.html is amazing. He puts his work up online and encourages others to "steal" from it or to add to it. Mr. Mee says no play is an original. Most of us are "stealing" or "borrowing" from other artists all the time by what speaks to us, or influences us, and I agree.

Who has influenced your voice or your work? We don't literally steal their work, but their structure or tone or voice may appeal to us and inspire our own creations. How many playwrights try to mimic Neil Simon, David Mamet, Sam Shepard, or Arthur Miller? How many actors steal from Marlon Brando, James Dean or Meryl Streep? We study and learn from the masters and then add our own nuance. One generation influences the next and on we go.

The Master Class continues weekly until April 19th. I highly recommend it. The Cherry Lane Theatre is a wonderful place tucked in on the side streets of Greenwich Village.

Special shout out and big thanks to Nancy McClernan and her NYC Playwrights group http://www.nycplaywrights.org for giving me the opportunity to attend this great talk.

Until next time.

2010-02-10T13:45:00.000-05:00

NEW YEAR... NEW PLAY PRODUCED

I just found out that my one-act play EXTREME GREEN will be produced by the Thespian Production Theater in Fort Myers, Florida. My play is one of five chosen for their spring production. The production dates are April 23-24th, 2010. So if you're in that area... please come see my play be performed. If not, I'm told the theater will probably supply me with a DVD copy of the play so I'll be sure to post it here for your viewing.

This is the same play I had produced in 2009 in Chicago. It's a social comedy about the local food movement and how two men clash over their passions for a piece of land in the city.

I'm beginning to work on a full play next. Playwriting is a joy. I'm sorry I waited so long to delve into this medium. Actors are wonderful people to work with and have interpret your writing off the page.

It's snowing here in NYC! Actually it's a blizzard!! Amazing and beautiful. I'm enjoying this winter wonderland.

Until next time.

2010-02-03T09:16:00.000-05:00

THE AGONY IN WRITING

Wow, it's February already? How did that happen? Feels like we were just tooting party horns only yesterday.

So I'm writing to you in pain. Not the existential pain us writers feel from time to time, but true physical pain. I have tendonitis in my arm. I wish I could say I got it from pounding my keyboard and printing out numerous scripts, but no -- I got it from pulling a heavy cart of laundry up five flights of stairs to our apartment in NYC. Yes, it's a walk-up. No elevator. I've done it a million times before (groceries are fun too), but this time my upper body said "Really? Are you serious?".

My left tricep feels like it's on fire and has the worst dull pain in history. I imagine this is what childbirth must be like -- only if I carried the baby in my forearm. So I'm still writing, but I have to stop and stretch often and eat Advil like Tic-Tacs. I can't sleep on my side. I have to lie on my back, zombie-like. It's amazing how our trusted, familiar bodies -- can just turn around and betray us so quickly. It's like my arm felt ignored and suddenly needed to remind me how important it is in my life... just like how my lungs reminded me how precious it is to breathe after battling pneumonia once. There is so much we have to be grateful for... when we're healthy and painless. So much we take for granted.

But, the important lesson here is to work through the physical pain. I can't use it as an excuse not to write or even to workout. My arm hurt riding my stationary bike yesterday. Okay, Good Lord, how is that possible? I wasn't even using my arms to pedal the bike... but, the slightest pressure on the handle bars reminded me of just how important arms are for balance. Thank goodness it's not my right arm that's going through this torture.

And if worse comes to worse, I'll type one handed.

Good thing I'm going on vacation soon for a long weekend in Florida. Sun and beach water might be just the medicine I need to heal.

Be well, peeps. I'd give you a fist-bump if I could.

2010-01-09T10:08:00.000-05:00

SCRIPT COVERAGE... BETTER KNOWN AS "NOTES"

Does script coverage really help screenwriters fine tune their material?

I haven't had tons on coverage done on my work, but I've had my fair share. Most of what I received back was helpful. It's important to find objective sources to review your work. If you ask your best friend to read your script, or worse, your spouse, it may be hard for them to be honest with you without hurting your feelings. We writers can get a tad defensive when it comes to our creations and rightly so, but still, we need to hear what may not be working in our script, play or novel. Maybe it's the structure, the characters or the conflict... maybe it's the dialogue. We need to know the truth to move forward with getting the script produced.

I've received some excellent summaries of my scripts. Sometimes I'll get notes back and compare them from various readers (producer, agent, reader). If all the readers are focusing on the same theme, then I know what I need to fix. Recently I received feedback on one particular script. It got great marks, but all the readers said they wanted the bad guy to be meaner -- like off the charts bad. So obviously I have to revisit my script and ramp up the villain more. I thought he was already horrible as the killer, but the readers wanted him to be even more evil (think Hannibal Lecter). Give your audience what they want with a fresh twist.

So I recommend getting coverage on your work, but be selective in whom you choose to do it. There are a gazillion script services in NY and LA to help you out. Don't pay through the nose for this though. In these down economic times, hunt for a decent rate. Read the completed coverage at least five times when you do get it and then begin making notes to revise your script if it needs another polish or, heavens forbid, a complete rewrite.

By the way, I've never put out a shingle for script coverage for writers on this blog, but I received a lot of requests to do so in '09. So if you want my humble opinion about a script you've written, I will give you coverage/notes on it so for a reasonable rate to cover my time. I will try not to hurt your feelings, but I will be honest. I will help you improve your draft before you submit it to professional agents and producers who won't care at all about your feelings.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

2010-01-01T18:51:00.001-05:00

HAPPY 2010!

Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, happy and productive 2010. Hard to believe it's a whole new decade. We get a clean slate. Let's start fresh and work diligently toward our dreams and goals.

I'm reading this incredible book titled Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl. It's a new book for me, but it's been around for decades. Mr. Frankl survived Auschwitz as a prisoner; he describes life inside the Nazi death camps in the 1940s.

Now you may think that's awfully depressing reading for the New Year, but just the contrary. It's inspirational, awe-inspiring and offers true lessons for survival emotionally and physically. The author says never to give up hope, no matter how dire your circumstances. Don't dwell on what you expected from life, but what life expects from you. You may have some special gift to share yet with the world. We don't know what hope or miracle is around the corner. Sacrifice, rejection and suffering are part of life, Mr. Frankl notes, but that if we embrace those obstacles we discover true meaning for our lives. No experience, good or bad, will be wasted. He writes from experience. I'm only half-way through this book and I can hardly put it down. I see why people call this book "life changing".

Wishing you all a very peaceful and joyous New Year.

Until next time.

2009-12-28T00:07:00.004-05:00

RESOURCES... AND RESOLUTIONS

What screenwriting books do you recommend?

I get this question a lot from people. We all know there are entire sections at Barnes & Noble and Borders dedicated to the art, craft and business of screenwriting. I've read a great deal of these books. I have many great ones on my home library shelf that are creased, highlighted and worn from numerous readings.

So here are some of the best books on screenwriting that I have read and continue to revisit for tips and inspiration.

Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriters by Michael Terno
The Screenwriter's Problem Solver by Syd Field
Screenplay by Syd Field
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder

The Screenwriting Forum by RobTobin
Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hauge
Story by Robert McKee
Screenwriter's Master Class by Kevin Conroy Scott
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman
Screenwriting 434 by Lew Hunter
From Script to Screen by Linda Seger and Edward Jay Whetmore

I also love and have re-read the following books about writing and filmmaking:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
On Writing by Stephen King
The War of Art by Stephen Pressfield
The Spooky Art by Norman Mailer
The Big Picture by William Goldman
Three Uses of the Knife by David Mamet
Hello, He Lied by Lynda Obst
You're Only As Good as Your Next One by Mike Medavoy with Josh Young
Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez

I highly recommend that as a screenwriter you dust off your public library card because it's a super place to get your hands on books without spending a fortune. At my NY Public Library, I can download books and listen to them on my iPod while I'm walking my dog or exercising, so take advantage of this wonderful free resource. Support your local library and book stores.

Enroll in the University of YouTube! There are a gazillion free videos about screenwriting, storytelling, screenwriters, and filmmaking on the Internet. Become a geeky Web student. You can spend hours watching, taking notes and learning from pros who are putting their advice, tips, and books all over the Internet. Take advantage of our Information Age and absorb what is out there. Some of the Web videos are lame: about marketing, self-promotion and making a buck off aspiring writers, but much of it is very good and useful.

iTunes is great. I download screenwriting podcasts and listen to them while riding the subway (better than hearing the guy next to me snore). I subscribe to Storywise by Jennifer Grisanti. Jennifer does some super interviews with major producers and writers in television and movies. I also like Pilar Alessandra's On the Page. Pilar covers a wide range about the business and craft of screenwriting with up-and-coming writers and established agents. Of course, I also never miss Jeff Goldsmith's podcasts with major screenwriters through Creative Screenwriting Magazine. Jeff is too cool for school.

I hope this helps in preparing you for 2010. It's important to stay up on everything out there from screenwriting pages on Facebook to Twitter to new movies to new media to books to e-books to seminars. But make time to write your script or play or book EVERY single day. Don't spend days, weeks, months and YEARS reading about writing... or researching... we still have to do the hard part -- writing. Make that your New Year's resolution come January 1, along with getting fit and learning how to play the guitar.

Somebody recently suggested writers buy an egg timer. Sit down and write for one hour with the timer on. It will focus you to write and put in the time. DING -- when the hour is up you can go about your business and eventually you won't need the timer at all -- unless you want to bake a cake.

Until next time.

2009-12-23T13:55:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL THE WRITERS IN THE WORLD...

There is nothing like Christmas in New York.

Okay, I'm sure it's beautiful almost everywhere for Christmas, but New York City just hums with excitement, lights and tourists this time of year. The Rockefeller Christmas tree is quite a sight, all bright and tall. I attended the 30th Annual The City is Singing at St. Patrick's Cathedral which put me in the Christmas spirit. I just finished wrapping all my gifts and putting them under the tree. Whew.

2009 was a pretty good year. I'm looking forward to 2010, a new year, a new decade and setting new goals. What are yours for this new year? Will you write that script? Finish your book? Contact those agents? I hope whatever your goals are that you pick a new strategy and follow through with action every single day (and not just in January). We can do it. Just focus and follow through. Mull over new goals before now and January.

But until then, enjoy your holidays and time spent with friends and family. Unwind, eat special treats and live it up. It's that time of year. Hope you get all that you asked for and share your joy & gratitude with others.

Until next time, HAPPY HOLIDAYS from New York.

2009-12-15T16:48:00.004-05:00

2009... THE YEAR OF THE SANDRA

Okay, what did Sandra Bullock step in this year? She has two hit movies "The Proposal" and "The Blind Side", just received two Golden Globe nominations and is having one of the most successful runs of her long career. I smell an Oscar nomination. She's come a long way from "Speed".

It's funny because this year I wrote a play about Sandra Bullock called "NetFits". It's a comedy about a young married couple who fight over having a joint NetFlix account. The wife keeps ordering Sandra "Sandy" Bullock movies and bumping her husbands picks farther down the queue.
You can read the play below if you like. It was produced and performed in New York on Off-Off Broadway on May 6th, 2009.
So hats off to Sandra Bullock and all her success! She's 45 and riding a wave. Who says actresses over 40 don't get good work? Look at Sandra Bullock and Meryl Streep. Their movies are packing movie theaters. Keep it up, ladies, we love you.

NETFITS

A play by
Janet Lawler

LIGHTS UP.   NEW YORK APARTMENT - EVENING

A young, married couple are in the living room. The wife tapping on her laptop. The husband listening to his iPod and texting on his BlackBerry.

DANA: Sweetie? Did you change the Netflix password?
TODD: Hmmm? What?
DANA Our password. For Netflix? I keep trying to log in to our account -- for like the millionth time -- and can’t.
TODD: Oh yeah. I changed it. Last week. Didn’t I tell you?
DANA:Um no, Password Phantom, you didn’t. That’s a relief. I thought I was suffering from early dementia.
TODD: Oops. My bad.
DANA: Helllllllllllllllo?
TODD: Hello.
DANA: What’s the new password?
TODD: Oh, um, our last name... birthday combo... anniversary
thingie... something. I’ll e-mail it to you. Later.
DANA: Just shout it out, babe.
TODD: Nah. You’ll forget it. I’ll e-mail it to ya.
DANA: Ohmygod. You are the biggest control freak. You’re holding our Netflix account hostage.
TODD (removes earbuds) What? Say again? I’m twittering.
DANA: Stop twittering... and tell me the password.
TODD: Um. No.
DANA: No? No? Love Bucket? Did you just say no... to the love of your life?
TODD: Yeah. Because the love of my life keeps changing our Netflix queue every other day without telling me. It’s infuriating. You keep reshuffling our movies like a deck of cards.
DANA: I don’t reshuffle. I reorder. And mine usually land at the top.
TODD: Who made that rule, Dana?
DANA: Me. Welcome to marriage 101.
TODD: I didn’t know marriage meant never seeing a movie I’d like again.
DANA: Lesson One. Marriage is all about sacrifices.
TODD: Dana, I think we should open separate Netflix accounts. What? What’s that look about?
DANA: Separate Netflix accounts?   Two accounts?
TODD: Yeah. Yours and mine.
DANA: We’re already driving the mailman nuts with red envelopes coming and going. That’s the lamest suggestion. Paying double for movie rentals every month? It’s a waste of money. We’re in the middle of an economic Depression, you know.
TODD: Yes, I’ve heard, Suze Orman, thank you. Separate accounts
will save headaches. Then, you can choose your movies and I can pick my movies... sweetheart.
DANA: You’re serious?
TODD: Very -- because you put your movies up at the top of the queue and keep pushing mine down into oblivion. It takes me three weeks to climb my way back up to number one -- just to get shoved down again. And then, then, you take forever to watch your movies -- they pile up, sitting unopened on your desk for weeks -- stopping the steady flow of my home entertainment enjoyment.
DANA: The movies I order we watch together.
TODD: Has it ever occurred to you that I might want to watch a movie alone? We don’t have the same tastes. To be blunt, Dana, I hate your movies.
DANA: Excuse me? You hate my movies? Hmmm. Who’s that person sitting on the sofa watching them with me every Saturday night and digging into my popcorn bag? Huh? That person looks an awful lot like you, Todd. Chews like you too. Mouth open. Loud.
TODD: I’m trying to chew and swallow without tasting your popcorn... since you insist on buying that artificial flavored stuff like Honey Buttered Popcorn.
DANA: Wow. I see. So, now, you not only hate my movies... but my snack choices too? What else about me bugs you?
TODD: Oh, don’t open that can of worms.
DANA: Oh, you already popped the lid. Big time. Bring it.
TODD:   Okay. Since we’re venting. I hate the way you hog the TV remote when you don’t know how to use it.
DANA: You mean that contraption that you got from Best Buy? That’s not a remote, Todd -- that’s a NASA control panel. “Houston, we have a problem in Apartment 3C. Houston? I'm trying to change the channel. Houston? Copy?
TODD: Truly boggles my mind how someone with a Master’s Degree in Engineering can’t comprehend a simple DVD menu.
DANA: Oh, I comprehend plenty, Skippy. Plennnnn-tttyyyy.
TODD:   Amazing.
DANA: We’re married what, eight months? But ohhhhh... I’m wise to you.
TODD:   Congratulations!
DANA: What’s the new password, Todd?! I want it! Give it to me! I mean it! Or --
TODD:   Or what?
(DANA SEARCHES THROUGH HIS PAPERS ON THE DESK AND SOFA)
DANA:   I’ll report you to Netflix. They have people who handle identity theft.
TODD: What?! I didn’t max out your credit cards. It’s not against the law to change a password.
DANA: On a joint account? It certainly is, Buckaroo. I think it’s a federal offense.
TODD:    Netflix is in my name, Dana. I pay the bill every month.
DANA:   Well, I pay the phone bill every month. How about I change our phone number and forget tell you about it? Huh? Or better yet, change all the locks on the door? And say, oops - - my bad, Todd, I’ll mail you the key later.
TODD: Whatever, Dana.
(Todd turns away. Dana leaps on his back.)
DANA: TELL ME THAT DAMN PASSWORD?! WHAT IS IT?!
TODD:    I DON’T REMEMBER IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD! GET OFF MY BACK!
WHAT ARE YOU, A MONKEY? I DON’T REMEMBER!
(Dana hops down. Rumbles through his desk on another frantic search. Then, exhausted, she looks at him.)
DANA: If you don’t tell me the password -- this relationship is over, pal! I mean it!
TODD: You would break up our loving marriage over that?!
DANA: Yes! On grounds... of mental cruelty! I was all psyched up about ordering a New Release but now I can’t! You’re a very cruel man, Todd Roberts!
TODD: What new release? Let me guess. Another romantic comedy?
DANA: Don’t worry about it, pal. (A beat, then -- ) The new Sandra Bullock movie.
TODD: Oh God. Now I’m glad I blocked you.
DANA:   See! Cruelllll-tttty! You don’t even know what movie I’m talking about.
TODD: It’s a Sandra Bullock movie! That’s all I need to know.
DANA: For your information, Sandy happens to be the MOST rented
actress on Netflix.
TODD: Sandy? What, did you two have lunch together or something?
Sandy Bullock?
DANA: All her friends call her Sandy.
TODD    News flash. You’re not her friend.
DANA: If we met -- we would be.
TODD:   Oh. So, she’s your famous... imaginary friend?
DANA: Funny. Since when don’t you like Sandra Bullock movies? You
laughed your ass off at “Miss Congeniality 2.”
TODD: Yeah, at how bad it was. We were dating when we saw it. I
had to act like I liked everything back then.
DANA: Oh, you mean, how I had to act when you made me see every
Vince Vaughn movie ever made? Then, have to listen to you recite all the tag lines from “Swingers”? “You’re money, you’re so money.” “Drinks first. Questions later. You’re so money.” I got news for you, Todd, Vince Vaughn is way overrated.
TODD: And Sandy Bullock isn’t?
DANA: Sandra-freakin’- Bullock is hilarious. Shall I list her movie credits? While You Were Sleeping -- brilliant! Hope Floats - amazing. Crash - riveting. I’m out of adjectives... because she’s that talented. Sandy’s got range, baby, range!
TODD: Sandra Bullock’s got about as much range as our kitchen stove. Now, my boy Vinny Vaughn is golden. He’s home on the range.
DANA: Your boy Vinny?   Who are you all of a sudden, P Diddy? You’re an accountant, Todd. Talk like one. “I’m down with my boy Vinny”
TODD: That’s right. My boy V to the V is a comedic genius. Shall I run his credits? Wedding Crashers --. hilarious. Old School -- a pisser. His only misstep was The Breakup.
DANA: We’re making the sequel if you keep bad-mouthing Sandra Bullock!
TODD:    Lame chick flicks... you force me to sit through them at your mother’s every Thanksgiving weekend. Come back with your sisters all giddy from Blockbuster holding every romantic comedy ever made by Julia Roberts, Kate Hudson and Reese Witherspoon. It makes me want to slit my wrists with a turkey bone!
DANA: Fine, Todd! You want separate Netflix accounts? You got it. How about separate beds and lives while we’re at it?
(Todd taunts her for fun.)
TODD: Dana? I know the new password and you don’t. Try to guess it.
DANA: It wouldn’t be hard... you’re about as deep as a puddle.
TODD: Bullock Lover!
DANA: And proud of it!
TODD: And I happen to be plenty deep. Check out my movie picks on Netflix. Foreign films -- Il Postino. Au Revoir Les Enfants. Cinema Paradiso.
DANA: You slept through those! You only watch movies with subtitles to impress your friends at work. So they’ll think you’re intellectual.
TODD: No -- they know we share the account. They forgave me for renting Failure to Launch and rating it with five gold stars! Thank God you don't get to judge the Olympics.
DANA: So. You might order the foreign films but I order the docs.
TODD: Why do you insist on calling documentaries “docs”? Like you’re Albert Maysles or something. (DANA IS AT HER WITS END WITH HIM.)
DANA: GIVE ME THE PASSWORD!
TODD: STOP SABOTAGING MY QUEUE!
DANA:   FUCK QUEUE!
TODD:   Nice.
DANA:   I have to put up with you writing all those pompous movie reviews on Netflix! Who died and made you Jeffrey Lyons? Who cares what you think about art direction and sound?
TODD:   Fellow Netflixers do!
DANA: Right -- you and all the other wanna-be filmmakers, actors and screenwriters stuck in their 9 to 5 boring jobs... and crummy marriages!
(This stops Todd cold. He watches as Dana sits on the sofa. He approaches her.)
TODD: Do you really think... our marriage is crummy, D?
(She doesn’t respond.)
TODD: Do you? I was just kidding about... everything I said. I’m sorry if I take my movies seriously... maybe if... I went to film school like I wanted to instead of --
DANA: Well, you didn’t! I didn’t follow all of my dreams either, Todd. You’re never going to be as cool as Vince Vaughn and I’m never going to be as pretty and witty as Sandra Bullock! Okay? That’s life. That’s why people go to the movies in the first place. To escape being so ordinary.
(They take a moment.)
TODD: Our marriage isn’t crummy, Dana. We just don’t talk anymore. We’re so distracted by work, family, friends... Facebook... Twitter...... and watching too many bad movies.
DANA: I need a moment, Todd. Okay? Just... don’t say... anything.
(Todd sits next to her. Takes her hand.)
TODD: Hey? I really liked one Sandra Bullock movie.
DANA: Todd. Don’t even... which one?
TODD: Speed. That scene when Sandy drives that big-ass bus down the freeway and she screams at Keanu Reeves “Stay on or get off? Stay ON or get OFF?”. Man, that was Oscar worthy. I even said it online in my review. Check out Netflix if you don’t believe me.
DANA: I would -- but I can’t log on.
TODD:   Six-April-07. That’s the new password.
DANA: Six-April-07? That not our birthdays. Or anniversary. How am I supposed to remember that?
TODD: It’s the day we met. The day I found someone who won’t let me get away with being an ass. Someone who tells me... to follow my dreams... even when I’m too afraid to. It’s a lot easier to bury myself in movies.
DANA: I’m sorry I put my movie picks first. That wasn’t cool. But, they’re only dumb movies, Todd. What we have -- will last a lot longer than some two hour DVD.
TODD: Four -- I like to watch the commentaries.
DANA: The way I see it -- deep down we may despise each other -- but our love is real.
TODD: Can we survive a joint Netflix account?
DANA: No returns. No exchanges. That’s what we promised each other almost a year ago. I’m keeping up my end of the deal.
(They kiss, then snuggle on the sofa.)
DANA: We got a new movie in the mail today. Wanna go watch it -- in bed?
TODD:    Is it a special feature?
DANA:   It could turn into one.
TODD: You’re so money and you don’t even know it!

(CURTAIN)

@Copyrighted 2009

2009-11-28T10:05:00.000-05:00

WRITING CONTEST... SORT OF.

So in keeping with the holiday spirit, I want to give away FREE copies of the book "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. I read this short book over the summer and found it very inspiring in overcoming resistance to my own writing (which we all must overcome in all aspects of our lives).

Resistance is when we talk yourself out of writing, or any project (that daily exercise routine, eating better, starting that business, or whatever our goals are today). We know we have to do our project in order to keep our sanity but yet we procrastinate. And if we do this long enough, we give up. We quit. And then we feel horrible. We'll then blame a lack of time, or our partner, or our job for us not being able to get anything done! If only... if only... we'll point the finger at everyone and everything to take the blame off ourselves. But only we have the power within to get our writing done every day, every week and every year.

We can NEVER give up. No matter how hard it is or how many rejections we collect, we have to keep going. We have to put the hours in, the sweat and then enjoy the fruits.

So... back to the contest. Tell me the way you personally overcame resistance in your writing. Tell me something that will truly help other writers. Write your brief kick-in-the-pants regimen here in the comments section and you might just win a FREE book for Christmas. I'll announce the winners before the New Year.

Thanks and let's keep working and don't let the holidays knock us off our game.

Until next time,
Janet

2009-11-26T14:26:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This is such a wonderful day in our country.

I'm spending Thanksgiving in New York City. The sun is shining. It's unseasonable warm. The Macy's Thanksgiving parade was incredible as always. It's a great way to start the day as we chop veggies for the stuffing. I took out a little time to exercise so I can enjoy this feast of food without too much guilt. And the NY Giants are playing on TV tonight. So this is a great holiday!

Right now the bird is in the oven and we're getting close to sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner.

We all have so much to be thankful for -- and I'm very thankful for this blog and all you bloggers out there who come and visit with me throughout the year. You guys are great and keep me going.

It's been a terrific writing year so far and I give thanks for it and all of you.

Enjoy your holiday with your loved ones. Special thanks to our American troops and allies this Thanksgiving too.

Peace.

Janet