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)
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
Review: Spartacus, War of the Damned (Damned Entertaining!)
I love “Spartacus” so much I don’t know where to startacus! ADVISORY: If you object to dirty words or thoughts, or have qualms about cartoonish ultra-violence, this isn’t for you. … 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
Why I Love Index Cards: The Humble Office Supply That Can Leap Tall Problems in a Single Bound
I’ve been working with a client who developed and outlined his screenplay using index cards. (See photo left. One wall of the garage where we were working had easy access … Continue reading
7 Reasons Agents Stop Reading Your First Chapter
Blogger Livia Blackburne reports on the reasons a panel of literary agents lost interest in books. Please note that this panel was at a public conference (a horrible environment to … Continue reading
Stuck in the Middle: 12 Things To Do If You Stall In the Middle of a Rough Draft (Most of Which Are Good to Do in the Middle of the Project Anyway)
I was a guest on Kelly Carlin’s podcast this week and we were discussing the dreaded middle of a writing project – you know, that stretch where you run out … Continue reading
