Just Effing Entertain Me

Silver Screenwriting Day One!

Good morning everybody! I realize I say that no matter what time of day it is for me – or for you! Effers read this blog from all over the world – so it’s always morning somewhere, right?

No sooner did the Olympics end when we at the Silver Screenwriting Competition said: Let the Games Begin! Today is the first day scripts can be submitted to the SSC – May 1 is the last day. Strictly so, no extensions, no excuses, no exceptions. Lots of cool prizes as always but after the MacBook Air, after the cash, after the trip to LA, there are only four words that really, really matter: LUNCH WITH SHANE BLACK. I am so excited I could scream.

I am pleased to announce that the very talented Sabina Sattar won the Just Effing UK Short Script Competition with her short script, SAMURAI. Excellent work, Sabina! Sabina wins free admission to the London Workshop on March 6th and 7th at the Yorkshire Grey in Islington! See you there, Sabina! Be ready to talk story!

I can’t emphasize enough how fun the workshop was here in NYC. I’m going to miss my class; we really bonded. Such funny, articulate, brave, creative people in that group. And I saw every single class member blossom and get more comfortable and make progress on their script – right before my eyes. I feel selfish, to tell you the truth, because I get such a kick out of that – it is the students who show me what is possible with some encouragement, kind words and a good laugh. Particularly you, Michele, you I will never forget because I think your world just got a lot bigger. And I love your smile.

Beautiful, clear day in New York; snow is melting here and there. Had a lovely dinner in the Village last night with my lovely friend Lisabeth. Working this morning and most of tomorrow afternoon but soon, off to Grand Central to catch a train to Connecticut!

Ménage à Flaw

Hi everyone! What a beautiful day in New York it was today! Well, it was beautiful to me, anyway, because this city can do no wrong. Probably not as beautiful to New Yorkers, who trudged, slipped and tromped their way over the snow. There were people in my class today who came a long way!!

We had an incredible day today: giving and receiving feedback, laughing up a storm and going over two totally new tools (the Ménage à Flaw and the Tracking Map), and tomorrow we go over a whole bunch of material about pitching and getting agents and we’re going to review the premises we’re working on and get them stronger and – big breath – introduce a third totally new tool for writers, something I call the WWYD (what would you do) method of finding the “compelling question” hidden in your script.

I want to leave my students having not only been effing entertained by the class but to walk away using those three new tools going forward into every script in the future. I think they will. I’m not allowed to describe the tools very much on this blog (damn the man! damn him!) but I can say that the Ménage à Flaw is a three step method to help writers knit character together with plot and structure so that a compelling, character-driven script MUST emerge from your pages, and the Tracking Map is the best way to keep you sane since sliced bread. I’m just sayin.

I asked one of my students, who has read my blog for two and a half years, what it’s like to meet me in person, whether I seem different than he’d expected or the same me I seem like on this blog. He laughed and said – exactly the same as you are on the blog. Huh. I’m going to take that as a compliment. Right? Am I right?

And I have to thank Art, the wonderful wonderful man who is facilitating this event and keeping us all warm and organized. Art gave me the best compliment ever – he said that NY Castings has held many, many classes but that this class was more entertaining than any he’d seen – including a talk given by Richard Kline. Richard! Kline! Well, what Art actually said was the class was more entertaining than any he’d seen including one by “that guy who played Larry in Three’s Company” and I was all like – RICHARD KLINE!! The great comedian and author of The Amorous Busboy of Decatur Avenue?? And then Art was all like, yeah, that guy. The Larry guy. Woot!

Can’t wait for day two – I’m quite fond of the students in this class. What a funny, attentive, smart bunch they are. I can’t wait to get to England and Oxford and do this again!!

New York Workshop LOTTO!

Hey everyone – good afternoon. Or evening. Or dawn. Effers live all over the globe, trust me! I recently received a very sweet email from a lovely journalist in Mumbai (hi Harjeet!). But I digress.

As many of you know, I am teaching a number of workshops this spring, in NYC, London, Cairo, Chicago, LA and San Francisco. I’ve never been to London – I hear I should bring my “wellies” and a “slicker.” Thank god somebody told me that, or I’d have pranced about in a trash bag poncho. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Anyway. Digressed again. Gah!

I’ll get to the point already. <sigh>.

So. Any New York area bloggers or tweeters who tweet or blog about the upcoming New York workshops are automatically entered in a drawing for a free seat to the class! That’s a drawing worth over 300 clams, kids. All you have to do is get the word out, then send us the link and we’ll put you in the drawing. The winner will be announced on February 17th. So blog and tweet away, send us the link and YOU could be the lucky winner!

That is all. Now get back to work.

Two Day Workshops in the UK

Two posts in one day and I’m not even in my office yet. Did I tell you guys that I literally walked into Alan Ball’s office the other day, petted his cute beagle and chatted up his assistant? He was just in the other room. I also went to David Benioff’s office and chatted up HIS assistant. I’m trying to see if either writer would like to be the A-list screenwriter this year who dines with the winner of the Silver Screenwriting Competition. Wish me luck!! Benioff’s office is directly downstairs from mine so we’ve worked out a system of stomping and clomping in order to communicate. They know I have cupcakes upstairs so my evil plan may yet work.

So how many Effers recognize this old TRW post that is up on Script Magazine online from way back when? Seriously, raise a hand (or paw) if you remember this one.

If you clicked through to the link you probably saw (and elsewhere on this site as well) that I’m headed to England to do some teaching in March and I definitely want to get the word out because I’m very excited.

Idea to the Page to the Screen (more details on the “workshops” tab above)

At the Compass Pub in London on March 6/7 and then at Baby Simple in Oxford on March 13/14.

It’s going to be SO fun! I found an amazing website, by the way, called Home Away, where you can rent short-term apartments anywhere in the world! I got a great place in London already, and also in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. If you like to travel, look it over. I think it’s the bee’s knees.

All right, I should probably dig into a great script I’m reading for a client. Tally Ho and have a wonderful day!

Los Angeles Saturday Series

Hello everyone! So much news, so little time! Oh wait I have to tell you that I had a MOST thrilling celebrity sighting today…I had just arrived at my offices on The Lot when a big black Mercedes pulled up near the parking garage that has been base camp for THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Fincher! Sorkin!). I paused because I knew it had to be an actor drop-off. Hmm, how to look nonchalant? Look for sunglasses in big purse! Yes! …When who should step out of the car but KEVIN SPACEY! Wow, I was really thrilled.

This is all only very tangentially related to my blog post but you know, I just had to tell someone!

I am doing a three-class series here on the Lot, January 30th, February 6th and February 13th! It’s on another page of this website but I wanted to put it here as well so that any LA Effers can sign up if they’d like to have a lot of fun with free coffee and donuts!! It’s from 9am to 1pm only so you can get in, get out and carry on with your Saturday.

And get these recession-friendly prices: $50 each class or all three for $125! Now, class size is limited so we can really dig in and have fun, and I would like to see a writing sample for each participant so I can gauge where you are on the spectrum in order to delivery a quality class for everyone who comes. You can indicate your interest and send a writing sample in HERE.

Here’s the class description:

January 30th: Writing Awesome Characters!

What do UP IN THE AIR, THE LOVELY BONES and CRAZY HEART have in common? Unforgettable characters. Learn invaluable tools for brainstorming three-dimensional characters your audience will root for, identify with and never forget. Come prepared to write.

February 6th: Structure and Outlining: Twins Separated at Birth!

Tools to help you outline and understand structure like never before. Use outlining as a brainstorming tool, road map and structure check – BEFORE you get into pages.  Come prepared to write.

February 13th: Make Those Pages SING!

Writing for the silver screen using cinematic words that evoke sensation, sound, color and emotion.  Come prepared to write.

Email my assistant Chaia with your interest and writing sample NOW!

Passion Into Action Workshop

Oh, I forgot to post this, Effers – a really great two-hour workshop here in LA on Monday, December 14 at 7pm. It’s taught by the amazing Libby Barnes, who I am also interviewing on my teleclass on Thursday, December 10 at 6pm. To sign up for the teleclass, click HERE.

For the workshop on the 14th, I will definitely be there myself, so it would be fun to meet any local Effers in person as we come out to not only support Libby in her amazing teaching and endeavors but also to improve ourselves and…oh here, this is the class description:

Design Your Ideal Creative Vision: Clarify your artistic passion, create big picture goals, and develop a specific, inspiring plan that propels you into action.

Bust Energy Blocks: Identify energy blocks that may be stopping you, such as limiting beliefs and negative self-talk; learn strategies for changing this negative energy into positive energy in order to bring about extraordinary results.

Get Motivated: Learn proven techniques to keep your passion alive every day and to be consistently in motion towards your creative goals.

Take Action: Create a powerful plan of action for achieving success and apply strategies for turning your career vision into realistic, short-term goals you can achieve NOW.

Doesn’t that sound AMAZING? And all for 20 bucks. Anyway. I’ll be there. Check out Libby’s website to learn more about the workshop or to register.