THE OTHER NETWORK WRITER'S ROOM
INSIDE THE ART, CRAFT AND BUSINESS OF WRITING for Film, TV, Books, Stage, Print or Digital Media (with Particular Attention to Comedy)
Category Archives: Creative Process
Just Say No: A Simple One-Word Key to Productivity
Thanks to Blogger Kevin Ashton for his inspiring post justifying my lack of inspirational posting this month – I’ve been busy writing! – and his post about why creative people … Continue reading
“This One Will Write Itself” – and 5 Other Lies We Tell Ourselves to Keep Writing
What’s wrong with a little well-placed denial? If we really let ourselves embrace and admit how much work it takes to write a script or book, very few of them … Continue reading
Why I Love Index Cards as a Writing Tool (Pt. 2): Full-Color Edition
Writing doesn’t always look like ‘writing’. For the last 2-3 weeks, my work on the current screenplay has consisted of staring at a wall of index cards (in photo at … Continue reading
4 Stars from the San Francisco Book Review for “How To Be A Writer Who Writes”
“Excellent advice… tips that would help any writer.” **** San Francisco Book Review Do you have a novel in you just waiting to come out? Or a screenplay, or a … Continue reading
Happiness is a Warm Desk: How Your Work Area Affects Your Productivity
Some writers put way too much attention into their working environment – and then don’t actually get much work done. Many others (like me) pay barely any attention at all … Continue reading
How To Get Feedback on Your Draft
“Don’t pay any attention to the critics—don’t even ignore them.” — Samuel Goldwyn 1. Get feedback BEFORE re-reading your draft (if you can possibly wait) 2. Ask for the kind of feedback you … Continue reading
When to Stop Rewriting (Pt. 1): Don’t Be a Chicken
If you can’t tell whether a scene is better before or after that 4th rewrite, stop. Like a doctor who takes the Hippocratic Oath, rewriters should “first do no harm”. … Continue reading
So You Have An Idea For a TV Show? What Does It Take To Actually Sell It?
The actual pitch for an original TV series is usually pretty short – like 10 minutes (See my previous post on pitching a TV series), but you have to do … Continue reading
Rewrite Desk: 4 Reasons to Cut Something and 14 Things to Cut
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” — Michelangelo I’m a cutter. I love deleting. Sometimes I don’t wait to re-plan the rewrite. Sometimes … Continue reading
Creative Writing Quotes to Help Writers Be More Creative (Pt. 2, 3 & 4)
I hope you find these thoughts inspirational, but do, eventually, get back to work on your own writing project, won’t you? See my previous post for inspirational quotes to get … Continue reading
Do you really want to call it “DEATH of a Salesman”? (Even Arthur Miller Got Notes)
Screenwriter Nicholas Kazan wrote a memorable article for the Writer’s Guild Magazine about receiving notes. His father features in the story, which revolves around the first draft of Arthur Miller’s … Continue reading
7 Ways to Use Visual Elements in Your Writing
Writer-Director David Lynch develops a film by coming up with 50 memorable images. That obviously works for a screenplay because movies are a visual medium, but it’s also very effective … Continue reading
