MOM'S ADVICE... FOR SCREENWRITERS

I'm a big fan of teacher/script consultant Pilar Alessandra and her weekly podcast ON THE PAGE. She sends periodic email updates, and I liked her Mother's Day commentary. I figured it would be okay to re-post as long as I mentioned her website (onthepage.tv) a few times.

"Don't talk with your mouth full."
"Stop hitting your sister"
"Because I said so."

We've heard mom's advice throughout our childhoods. For the most part, we've written it off. What does she know anyway? Well, when it comes to screenwriting and the film industry... everything.

"TOO MUCH OF ANYTHING ISN'T GOOD FOR YOU."
Your dialogue snaps. But, you lean on it. Your scene direction is gorgeous. But, you're writing so much of it, your script feels like a book. You used flashback to make your script more visual. But, you also used voice over and dream sequences. Your mom knew that "less is more." Take her advice and edit!

"I BROUGHT YOU INTO THIS WORLD AND I CAN TAKE YOU OUT!"
You made that plot point up. If it isn't working for you, you can delete it. You gave that character that monologue. It doesn't really have to be there. And what's with all the back-story? Is it relevant? That's right: kill those precious darlings. Clearly your own mom once thought about doing that to you.

"IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, DON'T SAY IT AT ALL."
This is great advice to remember when you're on the phone with an agent's assistant, waiting in line at a pitch-fest or giving feedback in a writing group. The person you insult today could easily be the studio-head of tomorrow.

"SIT UP STRAIGHT. DON'T FIDGET. ACT LIKE A HUMAN BEING."
Your script sold and you're taking a meeting? This is where that mom advice really comes in handy. If you look uncomfortable or bored, you'll make them uncomfortable and bored. Smile big. Shake hands firmly. Tell them a great story. Then "put your listening ears on" and take their notes.

"DON'T RUN WITH SCISSORS!"
This has nothing to do with screenwriting at all. It's just good advice. I mean, why would you do that? You could put an eye out!

Pilar Alessandra will be offering more advice and screenwriting tips at the Great American Pitchfest in her Character/Dialogue Intensive June 13. Great American Pitchfest

And one more time: onthepage.tv

ON THE OTHER HAND

My last post didn't completely sit well with me. I read it, and read it again. Something felt off. I absolutely agree with everything I wrote, but the tone and my enthusiasm to defend my college degree was slightly misguided. Let me add two more ideas for balance:

(1) Like with relationships, writing requires hard work, but if it's only hard work, something is wrong. Study and develop your craft, but there is an element to writing that can't be studied or quantified. Look at Shakespeare. For hundreds of years, scholars have tried to pick apart Shakespeare to understand what made him so good. Genuine passion, wit, humor, drama, how do you quantify such things? There is a zen quality to people who master their craft, who love what they do. It can't be fully explained. To quote Kung Fu Panda: "There is no secret ingredient." Yes, I did reference Shakespeare and Kung Fu Panda in this paragraph. Bonus points.

(2) Love. "If you are going to dedicate your life to writing, then it should require a lifetime of work." It should also require a lifetime of love. I'm not afraid of that word. Couples dance around the word like it's an indictment on their better judgment. Love. Love. Love. Love. You shouldn't be afraid to love. You should write because you love it. There is no need to explain or justify that love. You love seeing the right combination of words, the right moment with a character or a decision he or she has to make. You love seeing a story move and take shape. A jealous love. A love that endures all things.

There you go. I'm completely fascinated, bi-polar, and nutty about the writing process.

BEGIN WHERE MATISSE BEGAN

A few nights ago, April and I were reading the most recent issue of American Artist magazine. On pages 58-59, we came across a section that resonated with both of us in our respective creative fields. Article by Daniel Grant on the work of Ben Aronson:

Although he was diligent about producing his own art on the side, Aronson had a hard time marketing his work. Galleries initially weren't interested and many university art departments turned him down for teaching positions. Traditional skills and traditional subjects were becoming more the exception than the rule at a growing number of art schools, replaced by an emphasis on theory and new media. "I think I was passed over because what I brought to the table was, in many cases, an indictment of what those schools' programs were about," Aronson observes.

"There were a lot of cutting-edge art happening, and students didn't want to hear that it was going to take years to learn how to draw. I hear aspiring painters say, 'I'm beginning where Matisse left off,' and I often suggest to them, 'Maybe you'd do well to begin where Matisse began.' There are fundamental things that don't change with style and time. I think it's important to rephrase the timeless and universal objectives of art using your own voice and style. You find students who went through an art-school experience that was more like recess -- and perhaps had a wonderful time but didn't really learn anything -- coming out of those programs with huge student loans and not even the basic training to take illustration jobs to help them pay back those loans. It has done a lot of art students a tremendous disservice."

I'm fortunate that in college I took a variety of writing classes. I learned technical writing, journalistic writing, and creative writing. I took classes in modern grammar and linguistics. I read the ELEMENTS OF STYLE (Strunk and White) and ON WRITING WELL (Zinsser) as if it were holy scripture. I had professors go line by line, terrorizing my work with a red pen. My department head told me I was taking too many writing classes. (He wanted me to add more literature to my degree plan.) When I started writing comics, I pursued it with the same care. The ghosts of my English professors scrutinized every script. It's not necessary to have a college degree to be a writer, but it still may take years to learn how to write. There are fundamentals, timeless and universal objectives. If you are going to dedicate your life to writing, then it should require a lifetime of work.

I'm certainly not where I want to be, still searching for my voice and continually in awe of other writers.

AFRAID TO READ BORING SCRIPTS

Lately, I've been listening to the ON THE PAGE podcast by Pilar Alessandra. It deals with the craft and business of screenwriting. I enjoy the podcast, and about 80% transfers nicely to scriptwriting for comics. In contrast, a few weeks earlier, I listened to a podcast on prose writing and found it wasn't helpful at all. Nope, I'm hooked on Pilar.

She keeps coming back to one bit of advice: You should take time to read scripts. I don't do that as much as I used to. I'm especially bad about reading comic book scripts, when people email them to me and want an opinion. It's odd considering when I first decided to write comics; I immediately bought the POWERS SCRIPTBOOK by Brian Bendis. Read it cover to cover in one afternoon. In fact, I have a whole shelf dedicated to scriptbooks. I've read the entire FREAKS & GEEKS series, THE OFFICE (BBC), BUFFY Seasons 1-3, ROYAL TENENBAUMS, AMERICAN BEAUTY, FARGO, QUEEN & COUNTRY vol 1, and FOUR FILMS OF WOODY ALLEN. I enjoy scripts, but recently I've been dragging my feet. In particular, comic book scripts. I need to break that habit. But many of them are so poorly written (sorry), it's near impossible to visualize what the writer had in mind or get a sense for the story.

I realize I'm opening myself up to all sorts of criticism. My scripts are available on this website. You are free to read them, and let me have it. I'm not trying to step on toes. Since a comic book script is an isolated correspondence between writer and artist, and there isn't much formal training for comic book scriptwriting, I think we've gotten lazy. A script should be so good it can stand on its own merit. And instead, we depend on the artists to carry our sloppy writing. That's a shame. Once again, I apologize for the inclusive "we". I'm writing this post mostly to challenge myself to fine tune my craft -- read more scripts, read more books on writing, attend seminars and workshops, teach a seminar or workshop, get some consultation or find a script coach, challenge people to challenge me. A year or two ago, I asked Nunzio and Christina to read my ASTRONAUT DAD script in exchange for designing their website. (Updates coming soon, N&C!) The feedback was helpful. The mentorship was invaluable. I need more of that. At the same time, acknowledge that these things can sometimes become deceptive distractions from actual writing. A subscription to CREATIVE SCREENWRITING does not equal an improved sense of voice and style.

OSWALT'S SPEECH

A graduation speech given by Patton Oswalt to his old high school on June 18th. (click here to read)

"Reputation, Posterity and Cool are traps. They’ll drain the life from your life. Reputation, Posterity and Cool = Fear.

Let me put that another way. Bob Hope once said, “When I was twenty, I worried what everything thought of me. When I turned forty, I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. And then I made it to sixty, and I realized no one was ever thinking of me.” And then he pooed his pants, but that didn’t make what he said any less profound."

SPACE TO OCCUPY

April is moving in next Friday. Thus, I've been busy making space at the house. Throwing away stuff, removing clutter, organizing the garage, the office, the bedroom. While doing so, I've stumbled across some old scripts I've written. Notebooks upon notebooks of ideas and bits of dialogue. Some of my old stuff isn't too terrible. Good intentions, so-so on the execution.

Two seconds before I started writing comics, I wrote a short play performed at UTA. Due to time constraints, I had about two weeks to come up with the whole thing from beginning to end. It was an interesting first step into my new identity as "writer." Anyways, I found the script today, and read through it. Yeesh. This thing needed at least two or three re-writes. However, not surprisingly, the final scene was the most solid-ish. Here it is. Unedited for your scrutiny. Do not expect any more plays from me.

Basic set-up: The normally eloquent student philosopher WILL is going to commit suicide by setting himself on fire. However, the gas fumes render him completely nutty and unable to light a match. Chinese food delivery girl ASHLEY comes to stop him, maybe.

ACT II, SCENE 3

Stage lights rise. The scene takes up where we left off in Scene 2. Will is drenched in gasoline. Ashley stands behind him -- conflicted. Will progressively gets more and more "out of it," as the gas fumes affect him.

WILL (not looking at Ashley). Are you here to stop me or to watch?

ASHLEY. I don't know.

WILL. If you don't know, then I sure as hell don't know.

ASHLEY. So this is it.

WILL. I was thinking about doing this alone. It saves me the stress of trying to have "last words."

ASHLEY. Do you have any last words?

WILL (not really listening). I'm getting lightheaded from the fumes.

ASHLEY. Those your last words?

WILL. No, I got different last words and you can't hear them, because it ruins the moment to tell you before the fact.

ASHLEY. I guess so.

(Long awkward pause.)

WILL. Don't feel guilty. That whole "I could've said or done something to stop him." You know my mind has been made up.

ASHLEY. You can't tell me to not be affected by your decisions. You do this, I will feel responsible for not stopping you.

WILL. Then I'm sorry for including you.

ASHLEY. Why me? And not because I'm a stranger. You knew me. Why me?

WILL. I thought you'd understand.

ASHLEY. What do you mean?

WILL. I don't know anymore, but this is not your fault.

ASHLEY. I know it's not my fault, but I will feel guilty.

WILL. Well, that's awfully-- (long pause) Oh man--

ASHLEY. Are you okay?

WILL. Just fuckin' peachy. I'm covered in gasoline with a box of matches. What do you think? (pause) What was I talking about?

ASHLEY (prompting him). "Don't feel guilty."

WILL. Exactly! I chose this nine months ago. My decision. Not yours.

ASHLEY. I can't stop you.

WILL. Well, that's awfully (pause) something.

ASHLEY. You know, you can't do this.

WILL. Where are my matches?

ASHLEY. You're holding them.

WILL. Shit. I'm messed up. (Opens the match box upside down. Matches fall out.) Oh shit. (Begins trying to put the matches back in the box... unsuccessfully.)

ASHLEY. Need some help?

WILL. Yeah, do you have a lighter?

ASHLEY. No.

WILL. Does God?

(Ashley goes to help put the matches back.)

"Per molestias eruditio." It's Latin.

ASHLEY. What's it mean?

WILL. I forgot. My last words -- I forgot what it means. "Per molestias eruditio." (pause) What am I doing? (Will breaks down.) It -- hurts -- so -- much. I'm just -- I'm just -- I'm just scared of what happens next. You know -- after we're done preparing to live our life. (pause) I don't know what to do, where to go, who to be.

ASHLEY (comforting). I know.

WILL. I don't want to settle for -- (Can't think of what to say next) I don't want to -- (Still out of it) I don't feel too good.

(Will can barely stay vertical. He's swaying. Ashley moves closer to him and holds him lovingly like a mother.)

What are you doing?

ASHLEY. It's okay. (Catches a whiff of the gasoline) Ooo, that cologne. Let me guess... regular unleaded, Texaco.

WILL. No, it's super unleaded. Hell-- if you're going to go -- don't be cheap about it. (pause) I'm sorry about your mother.

ASHLEY. I am too.

WILL. Can't set myself on fire if you're holding me.

ASHLEY. I guess you'll have to wait.

WILL. How long?

ASHLEY. It might be awhile. I don't have anywhere I need to be.

(Music cue #6. As in the beginning, a home video montage is projected onto the back wall of the set. Slowly, very slowly, fade to black. The home videos continue until the end of the song.)

END.

SHAKESPEARE

I've been on a huge Shakespeare kick lately. Last year, I made a New Year's resolution to read all his plays. That fell through. So, I'm renewing my resolution. However, I've limited it to these ten as a starting point -- Othello, Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Hamlet, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. I figure by 2009 I can add some more titles. It's also easier to find film versions of these ten. So that when I finish reading the script, I can then watch it. The whole idea is to come to a greater appreciation of good storytelling. Hopefully, it'll serve to inspire me in my own writing. What better writer than Shakespeare?

In the car, I was listening to This American Life on my glorious iPod. The episode Act V:

Jack Hitt followed a group of inmates at a high-security prison as they rehearsed and staged a production of the last act -- Act V -- of Hamlet. Shakespeare may seem like an odd match for a group of hardened criminals, but Jack found that they understand the Bard on a level that most of us might not. It's a play about murder and its consequences, performed by murderers, living out the consequences.

ACTUALLY THIS LINK IS DEAD NOW, SORRY

A quicktime video of my thirty minute presentation from La Reunion Workshop: Scriptwriting for Graphic Novels --

http://antiherocomics.com/media/LaReunion-David.mov

It's a huge file (roughly 171 MB). I'd recommend you "right click" and "save as" to watch it, but either way. Thanks to Luke Hawkins and Hawk Digital Media for recording the event and all the presentations. I received my two disc DVD set in the mail a few days ago, and it came together nicely. I'm especially pleased with how Luke integrated the power point.

QUOTE BY BECHDEL

"It's easy to joke and say that part of the reason visual storytelling is such a trendy thing is that people are becoming less and less literate. That might be true in a very strict sense, but the way people process information is constantly evolving, and comics is a language whose expressive potential has only begun to be tapped."

-- Alison Bechdel, quoted on AfterEllen.com

PLANNER

Taken awhile ago at the Meridian Room. Photo by Bethany Keeler.


Great interview with Antony Johnston (click here).
I'm a planner, a plotter. I like to know where I'm going before I start scripting. That's why the brainstorming phase is so essential to the way I work.

I never work without some kind of outline, but the detail of that outline can vary a lot. With WASTELAND, it's relatively loose from issue to issue, because I know the characters inside out and know roughly where I want to go. But with, say, THE LONG HAUL it was extremely detailed, because it was an original cast and the book revolves around a heist. If I'd jumped in and started without a plan, I would have ended up rewriting the entire first half of the book a dozen or more times just to make sure plot points were foreshadowed and that the heist plan would work. I've never seen the point of that, when you can deal with all that in an outline.

Not that I don't rewrite or revise at all. I do, a lot. But that's because I tend to write scripts with increasing amounts of detail in each pass; basic blocking and dialogue first, then a second pass to add detail and revise pacing if necessary, and a final pass for overall polish. These stages all inevitably end up incoporating revisions as I go.

LA REUNION WORKSHOP


I've been busy planning La Reunion Workshop: Scriptwriting for Graphic Novels. It's an all day event, and to my knowledge there haven't been opportunities such as this -- not directly associated with a comic book convention.

Thank you Paul Milligan for designing the logo and promotional art. Tonight, I'm putting together sponsorship packets for DFW-area comic book retailers. We've confirmed our morning and afternoon group leaders -- thanks to Lisa Taylor. And Sarah Jane is organizing our evening event. Luke Hawkins is filming it. You'll be able to pre-order a DVD of the La Reunion Workshop. All in all, pretty frickin' cool.

THIS IS A BAD IDEA

I signed up to participate in National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo). You think I would've learned my lesson from the past two 24 hour comic books I did, but no. 175 freakin' pages (50,000-word) in one month. Ugh. If I don't post much in November, this is why. I apologize in advance.

Blame Leah. She had the guts to sign up. I figured, why not?

This isn't going to go well. I'll tell you right now-- I won't be able to do this. But then again, it'll be fun to try.

MY FRIDAY COLUMN IS ONLINE

Thankfully, the wonderful folks at comixtreme have not fired me for being so infrequent with my antihero column. They have welcomed back their prodigal with open arms. This week, I give a little bit of advice concerning genres. When we understand the genres we operate in, we also become more self-aware of the cliches that plague each genre. Cliches are the bane of storytelling. The audience can sense them coming from page one. They do nothing to excite and move an audience. Cliches remove the audience from the created story world and make them think, "Been there. Done that." [read the column]

A NEW LOOK FOR ANTIHERO AND OTHER UPDATES

This past week, I re-designed the website. The content is basically the same, but I thought a new look was in order. Antihero Comics, i.e. my work as a comic book writer, is entering into a new stage.

When I began to focus on my writing, I spent much of my time learning the craft, studying the pros, reading some helpful books, and basically searching for a clue. A year and a half later (after 300+ pages of script), some of my material is ready for mass consumption-- to be independently produced and sold. The "new look" signifies an increased set of expectations for myself. I want to improve as a writer and get people interested in my stories.

This weekend is Wizard World TX. I will be volunteering a good ten hours at the ACTOR booth. It will nice to hang out, meet with some cool artists and writers, and possibly snag a t-shirt. ACTOR is a good and necessary organization for comic book professionals. If you are at the convention, stop by to say "hi".
FRIDAY 4 pm - 7 pm
SATURDAY 10 am - 2 pm
SUNDAY 11 am - 2 pm

An upcoming episode of Fanboy Radio will feature a roundtable discussion with my friends Roxanne Bielskis, creator of *Poverty*, and Jeff Elden and Matt Leong of Exit 126. Our conversation will focus on the "do-it-yourself" approach to independent comics. I will be the guest co-host for this episode.

Speaking of Fanboy Radio, Scott Hinze opened an online store. I'm one of the featured t-shirts. And yes, I really did start a Comic Book Club when I was younger. Ask my friend Wim. We even created an annual awards event to recognize our favorite books.

The antihero cafepress store is still in existence. However, I will be making changes to it. I would like to partner with a particular local clothing company to create and sell cool antihero t-shirts. No use in doing it, unless it's done well.

On January 3rd, Dallas Comic Con will present a Fan Appreciation Day. Admission is free. So if you live in the DFW area, you won't want to blow this one off. Antihero Comics will have a booth at the event. More information soon.

On a personal note, Melissa finished her first trimester of the pregnancy. Our baby is due around May 29th. We're so incredibly excited; words fall short. In a few months, we'll know if it's a boy or a girl. We have a few names in mind, but we're keeping it hush-hush until the birth.

Other good news, Melissa and I will be buying a house. Yep, we're heading the way of home ownership. We received our loan approval letter and have a realtor. Now we're looking around.

Lastly and (possibly) most important of all, Melissa got me a really cool jacket.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!