It’s a question every writer hears. “Where do you get your ideas?” Or some variation on that.
The answer, of course, is The Idea Store. Not to be confused with IKEA. 🙂
Best Screenwriting Books for Television
This week’s vlog is about screenwriting books for television that I recommend.
In the video, I talk about how I started off writing screenplays in an unusual way—by writing a TV pilot.
Do You Know About Post-Stroke Dystonia?
Okay, this is a bit of an exaggeration! 🙂 But only slightly. Dystonia really does wear one down a whole lot. Have you ever heard of dystonia? Did you know that it can occur post-stroke? Were you aware that absolutely no research is being done on post-stroke dystonia?
That’s because the condition is so rare. Lucky us, huh? 🙂 But I digress …
A Kindle Publishing Story of Rags to Riches (And Vice Versa)
I ventured into self-publishing by accident really. I intended to release my out-of-print novel to get the work out there, for what it was worth. This was in 2009. At the time of its release, I discovered Kindle publishing (the only game in town, at that time). When Nook became available, I hopped onto that, too.
The volume of sales my book had at $0.99 turned out to be much higher than I could get when I priced the book higher. So even though I was earning a lower royalty rate, the volume of sales was so much higher, I was actually making more money.
How to Nail Your Screenplay Format
One of the most essential skills for a screenwriter is to learn proper screenplay format. Unlike novel writing, screenplays have a strict format that developed from the early days of cinema.
Film has always been primarily a visual medium. It started with simple one-scene scenarios and developed into longer pieces made up of scenes. Because the first films were silent, early screenplays were essentially shot lists for the director’s use.