Jen Grisanti TV Staffing and Development Class - FREE!

Jen Grisanti

There are plenty of terrific classes and panels at Great American Pitchfest this weekend (Saturday, June 1st are the panels and classes; Sunday June 2nd is the pitching). But one we wanted to highlight is Jen Grisanti's TV Staffing and Development class. 

We had the privilege of hanging with Jen at Big Island Film Festival last week, and she is the real deal. As a former TV exec with over a decade experience, she knows her stuff. This 90-minute class is a great way to get started in pursuing the last remaining space where the writer is king (or queen): television.

So after checking out our incredible Agent's Hot Sheet-Live! free panel from 11 AM to 12:30 PM, stick around for Jen Grisanti's class from 2:30 to 4 PM. Trust us -- you'll be very glad you did. Great American Pitchfest is THIS WEEKEND at the Burbank Marriott, so juggle your schedule and make room! See you there.

Agent's Hot Sheet - Live! Panel Announced

Hi folks! It is with great pleasure that I present to you the full panel of our upcoming Agent's Hot Sheet - Live! panel. This can't-miss 90-minute extravaganza will cover everything you ever wanted to know about agents and managers -- specifically, how the hell to get one (and much more.)

PANEL:

Mitch Solomon, Magnet Management
Peter Dodd, UTA
Mark Hartogsohn, Gersh
Zach Cox, Circle of Confusion
Adam Perry, APA

The panel will take place Saturday 6/1 at 11AM at Great American Pitchfest at the Burbank Marriott. If you're unaware of the coolest screenwriting event of the year, let me fill you in. Every year, day one of Pitchfest (Saturday) consists of a panoply of (mostly) free panels. It is truly the best damn deal in town. For the cost of parking at the hotel, you get a full day of priceless screenwriting info, including Jen Grisanti's panel and so much more (check out pitchfest.com for the full schedule.)

Then Sunday is the pitching, and that is a paid event, but of course, well worth it if you have a script ready to rock and the idea of meeting 120-plus creative execs and representatives appeals to you. So get your questions ready for the agents and managers and come on out and take part in the fun. And while you're at it, stop by the Coverage Ink booth and say hi! See you there.

Jim C.

Coverage Ink/Writers on the Storm Newsletter May/June 2013

1. I Don't Have Any Freaking Time to Write!
2. Shorties
3. The Fasano Factor
4. As If Hollywood Movies Aren't Homogenized Enough

I DON'T HAVE ANY FREAKING TIME TO WRITE. How many of you guys know this mantra? Well, I've really been feeling it lately. Life has a way of overwhelming us with its obnoxious demands, and the first thing we sacrifice  is our precious writing time. Work hassles. Car repairs. Relationships. Laundry. Medical issues. Children. Social events. Pets. Dental work. Workouts. Facebook posts that need responding to. And of course "The Bachelorette - The Guys Tell All" special episode is a must-not-miss. All of these things take precedence, and before you know it, it's "Eh, I'll get some writing done maybe this weekend."

Compounding the problem is that if you're like me, you need quality time to write. To really immerse into the world of the story and get anything done, I need a minimum of two hours, preferably a lot more. A 17-minute window in my schedule ain't gonna do it.  I have to get comfortable and go away into the story world, and then when I'm back up to speed on all the characters and conflicts, I can actually produce something. When I attended the UCLA Professional Program some years ago, they said that writing every day was not just advice, it was required. And I was like, "Yeah, right." Just too damn busy!

Now I know some of you are thinking this is all a bit of an excuse. Many of you can write anywhere, anytime. My 13-year-old daughter recently blew me away with a several page fantasy story she had written during lunch at school on her iPhone. (I might try this if my clumsy, fat fingers could actually manage a decent new phone. I got a touch screen phone last year and promptly returned it when I couldn't even successfully enter the activation code.) And I know there's a little bit of truth in the statement that while I may prefer to have four uninterrupted, distraction-free hours in my office with my door closed, the truth is, I don't NEED it.

I am fully aware that in theory, you can tell your kids, "Dad needs to work now, don't bother me until 3PM." You can grab your laptop and write while waiting on your mechanic or in the doctor's office or the jury pool room. I've even heard it may be theoretically possible to NOT check social media or e-mail for several hours straight, although I have yet to test this somewhat outrageous theory. So yeah, I know all this, okay? But does it make it any easier? NO. This is 2013 and our lives have become this crazy cavalcade of crapola. It seems like there's always a fire to put out, always an errand that needs doing, and before you know it, it's too late for any real creativity -- might as well just put on Jon Stewart and try again tomorrow.

Now if you're reading this expecting some sort of great revelation at the end of this rant, sorry, pal. I don't have any. No, I'm basically just whining here. I have no solutions! I'm just saying this is how it is for me, and it kinda sucks.

But you know what keeps me going? Knowing that I WILL HAVE SOME DAMN WRITING TIME SOON. Maybe it'll be next Tuesday afternoon, or on that short hop flight next week, or even (I've done this) on that sick day you take for the express purpose of knocking out 15-20 pages. I must always know there's a window of time coming up. It may not be for days, but I know it's coming and it gives me solace. It's the only way to get through sometimes. Being able to go away into a script for several hours... it's like a mini vacay. Better than any day spa or movie marathon or sporting event as far as I'm concerned. It's just around the corner.

And it will be mine, bwah ha ha ha ha! Um... sorry.

So for all of you guys in the same boat, how do you cope? How do you find time to write in this day and age? E-mail me and if anyone has any good suggestions I'll post 'em. Because you guys have got to be better at time management than me.

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Bunch of coolness going on. We have our contest wrapping up -- we're down to the top ten and will be announcing the winners soon. Somebody is gonna grab a big fat $10,000 check! And on the screenwriting education front, we have two sweet events coming up -- Great American Pitchfest and John Fasano's new workshop series. We'll talk about both below. If you're at the Pitchfest, make sure you stop by the CI booth and say hi. And I'll also be hosting the Agent's Hot Sheet-Live! panel at Pitchfest Saturday June 1 at 11AM featuring five top agents and managers. Not to be missed.

Keep on writing, brothers and sisters (ha!)

Jim Cirile
Like us on Facebook!

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Continue on to Shorties

Shorties

WRITERS ON THE STORM TOP TEN ANNOUNCED. The best of the best are here! It's our annual Writers on the Storm screenwriting contest top ten -- which for the first time this year also adds top ten TV scripts as well. To see the list of finalists (Top Ten features and Top Ten TV) just visit writerstorm.com. Also posted are our semi-finalists (top 50) and quarterfinalists (top 100.) We will be announcing the winners shortly. Who's going to walk away with the ten grand check? We'll know on June 3rd!

COVERAGE INK SALE. Time to get those screenplays ready to kick abundant quantities of buttock. Use discount code COVINKMAY20 and get $20 off any feature analysis or $10 off any TV analysis. Expires 5/31/13, and discounts cannot be combined. Submit online at coverageink.com.We look forward to seeing what you've got in store for us and the world!

PANEL EVENT OF THE YEAR. It's comin' at ya at this year's Great American Pitchfest. Saturday June 1st, 11 AM at the Burbank Marriott. CI will be presenting Agent's Hot Sheet-Live! This rollicking 90-minute free panel discussion features five top agents + managers talking about how to get their attention, what you should be working on right now, what not to do and much more. Panelists include: Mitch Solomon, Magnet Managament, Peter Dodd, UTA, Mark Hartogsohn, Gersh, Zach Cox, Circle of onfusion, and more TBA. Hosted by long-time Creative Screenwriting columnist Jim Cirile. This is your chance to talk to the very people we're all constantly trying to get the attention of. Did we mention it's FREE? For more info: www.pitchfest.com.  

Remember, Pitchfest is a weekend-long event, and most of the awesome stuff on Saturday is FREE (the pitching is Sunday, and you have to pay for that.) Best deal in town, no question. Stop on by the CI booth and say hi. See you there!

AGENT'S HOT SHEET - THE E-BOOK. Ten years. Over 80 columns. An invaluable trove of crucial intel for writers. Now Jim Cirile's long-running Creative Screenwriting series is coming back as an e-book. We've compiled the best of the columns along with a handful of important stand-alone articles into a single volume. There has never been anything like this before! For the first time in one place, the top literary representatives in Hollywood are telling you how to get their attention. Packed with a decade;'s worth of knowledge, tips and empowerment. Get your 235-page Agent's Hot Sheet e-book in PDF or Kindle format for only $5.95.

LIBERATION CONTINUES. Last year, we produced an ambitious little short film called LIBERATOR, starring Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) as a washed-up, disgraced ex-superhero trying to get his life back on the rails. Since then we've been screening at comic-cons and festivals and to date we've won two awards -- Best Dramatic Short from CalShorts and the Award of Excellence from IndieFest. We're now pleased to announce that Bluewater Comics will be publishing a Liberator comic book series this summer! Featuring art by Gerry Kissell (Code Name: Geronimo) and script by Jim Cirile + Aaron Pope, the Liberator comic picks up where short left off. Please "like" Liberator on Facebook for your chance to win original signed art and other cool merch. And check out Liberator at any of the upcoming screenings, including Big Island Film Festival, New Media Film Festival, San Diego Comic-Con and Wizard World Comic-Con Chicago.  

Continue on to The Fasano Factor
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THE FASANO FACTOR

by Jim Cirile

Writer/Director/Producer John Fasano has done something very, very few writers manage to do: forge a successful career in Hollywood and keep it going for decades. Fasano's ever-growing list of credits includes features like TOMBSTONE and ALIEN III as well as numerous high-profile TV movies like Tom Selleck's STONE COLD and The HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME starring Mandy Patinkin and Salma Hayek, for which Fasano was nominated for a WGA writing award. Perhaps even more impressive however are all the movies Fasano did not get credit on (see our article on the WGA arbitration process right here.) Throughout the 1990s, he did uncredited drafts and polishes on practically every studio action/adventure film.

All those years in the trenches have given Fasano an ultimate insider's perspective. So when we heard he was launching his very first workshop series for writers, we knew it was a must-not-miss. They say those who can't do teach, and one quick glance at the field of "experts" lecturing on screenwriting more or less bears that out. But Fasano's done it all, and he wears his battle scars with pride. Now he's ready to share his unique experiences, perspective and razor-sharp story chops in his Teaching the Craft workshops. 

They're your huckleberries.

Jim Cirile: How did you get into this crazy biz, John?

John Fasano: I come from New York where, inspired by Ray Harryhausen and John Cassevettes, I started making 8mm films in my neighborhood when I was seven years old. I studied art, writing, acting – anything that I thought could apply to making better films. When I graduated from SUNY Purchase college, I started doing ad campaigns for New York-based grindhouse producers. They gave me a chance to actually work in their films, and after re-writing one, I got the chance to write and co-direct ZOMBIE NIGHTMARE with Adam West and Tia Carrere. This led to a string of Canadian-made horror films like BLACK ROSES and THE JITTERS. I moved to Los Angeles in late 1988 to try and break into the film business. In January 1989 I sold my first spec script, TAILGUNNER, to Morgan Creek for $450K in a bidding war with Paramount. In 1990, my first studio gig was ANOTHER 48 HRS, which is still director Walter Hill’s most successful feature. 

JC: You've been a working Hollywood writer for over two decades. What sort of changes have you seen in the Hollywood landscape that affect writers?

JF: The biggest change is the explosion in the cost of films. In the 1990s, the studio was willing to take a chance on a fresh idea in a spec because maximum budgets were in the high 30 millions. Most films were being made for less than that. Now tent pole pictures regularly cost $200 million, and even animated and comedy films cost nearly $100 million because of actors' salaries. Because of this, writers who want to work for studios are working on a smaller number of big films, all based on other movies, TV series, books and comic books. The studio is therefore turning to the people who delivered last year’s hit, so a handful of writers basically have the lion’s share of ALL studio writing assignments.

The GOOD side of the last decade is that their has also been an explosion of independent production fueled by filmmakers being able to get their hands on cheap digital cameras and equipment. Now a writer can see his movie made outside the system. Sadly, many chose to do parodies and horror films, while the real opening is for quirky dramas that no one would normally take a chance on. 

JC: What's the secret to longevity as a working writer?

JF: Write. Have a good attitude when you work, show that you WANT to work with the producer and director to see the movie made, and people will remember that and hire you again. And don’t have down time between assignments. If you don’t have a paying gig lined up and the one you’re currently working is is going to end soon, MAKE a deal to get the next one going.

JC: There are a million ways writers can get screwed. What are some of your favorites?

JF: Giving their whole idea to an exec who doesn’t intend to hire them, then being surprised a year later when that company has made a similar film! .Overselling themselves in the room and then taking forever to deliver the script. Not being willing to take criticism – this is the biggest thing.  Film is a collaborative process, so unless your family is putting up the money and you are writer and director, you HAVE to be able to make your partners happy while not betraying your vision of the project. Not easy. There’s luck and psychology at work in there as well. I’ve made some major mistakes – all of them, in fact. But I never let them destroy me or my career. What mistakes? I’m always glad to share them with people who come to me for advice.
 

JC: What do you hope to offer in your workshops to writers that they may not be able to get elsewhere? What's your special sauce?

JF: My secret is that I have had nearly ONE HUNDRED paid studio and network writing assignments, and almost half of them have been made. Most of the people who are out there teaching writing are teaching it on a theoretical level. I’ve had an average of two projects filmed every year since I arrived in Los Angeles.

From working with film companies and other writers for over twenty years, I understand the process, and my greatest desire is to let my writing students understand how to navigate the system without going crazy or losing themselves in it.

Everyone has a story to tell. I WANT you to tell the story you’ve got inside you. I don’t want to turn your story into my idea, I want to help you get your vision on page. It all starts there. It’s that beginning of the process, when your idea becomes story and story becomes script, that’s most vital. One you have that, the first draft screenplay will follow, and your producer and director can change it all they want, but if you got your original vision into your screenplay, they can never take that away from you. And that’s where my experience comes in – in guiding my students through the process of taking that script to market.

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Fasano's Beginning Screenwriting workshop is June 1 + 2; Intermediate is June 8 + 9. To sign up, please visit his website right here. Don't forget to ask for your 10% discount for Coverage Ink clients.

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Continue To As If Hollywood Movies Aren't Homogenized Enough

As if Hollywood Movies Aren't Homogenized Enough Already

Worldwide Motion Picture group's Vinny Bruzzese and Miriam Brin

Interesting and perhaps chilling article in The New York Times online about Worldwide Motion Picture Group. This company does script analysis, which is something we know a little something about of course, but from a unique perspective. For $20,000, they'll analyze your script according to box office performance data of similar movies and generate a list of recommendations based on what audiences respond best to, according to the numbers. For example:

“Demons in horror movies can target people or be summoned,” Mr. Bruzzese said in a gravelly voice, by way of example. “If it’s a targeting demon, you are likely to have much higher opening-weekend sales than if it’s summoned. So get rid of that Ouija Board scene.”

Accordingly, the company has a growing list of big Hollywood studios and producers, looking to remove as much risk (and some would say writer creativity) from the equation. And there's the rub. Certainly it's understandable that the people investing millions in movies want to try to get their money back. The majority of pictures released do not make back their production costs. So is this really any different than say, using a Joseph Campbell/mythological template, or following a strict Save the Cat! formula? Or is this trend going to further emasculate studio writers and limit creativity? Read the article and form your own opinion.

“It takes a lot of the risk out of what I do,” said Scott Steindorff, a producer who used Mr. Bruzzese to evaluate the script for “The Lincoln Lawyer,” a hit 2011 crime drama. “Everyone is going to be doing this soon.” Mr. Steindorff added, “The only people who are resistant are the writers: ‘I’m making art, I can’t possibly do this.’ ”

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Writers on the Storm TOP TEN

We proudly present our Coverage Ink/Writers on the Storm TOP TEN screenplays and teleplays for 2013.

It will come as little consolation to the 80 of you who just got eliminated that it was an insanely tough series of decisions, right down to the wire (in fact, past it -- it's now 1 AM May 2nd, and we were supposed to post May 1.) There were at least 4 feature scripts that were nipping at the heels of ones we ultimately chose, as well as several TV scripts that had people from our team passionate about them, only to ultimately be outvoted. We know it's an imperfect process by nature, but it's all we got.

Suffice it to say, if you made it to the top 50, you're a pretty damn good writer. You may well be "there" or close to it. To quote "Galaxy Quest" -- "Never give up; never surrender." There's nothing we like better than those e-mails we get a month or five after the contest telling us a script that was eliminated went on to win another contest or get optioned. That's awesome and we are ecstatic every time that happens. Regardless of whether you advanced in our little contest or not, don't let it get you down for even a second. Power forward and go kick freakin' ass.

As for the folks below, well, you lucky 20, you. Nice going, guys. But to quote another movie, "There can be only one." ;)  We'll know who that one is on JUNE 3rd. (Yes, we're pushing back announcing the winners from May 15th to give us more time to thoroughly scrutinize the 20 scripts.)

I'm proud of every single one of you for having the stones to put yourself out there and face rejection every single day in pursuit of your craft. Hell of a crazy path we've chosen. Could you imagine a dentist or attorney or a pilot facing as much rejection in their careers as we do? They'd be quivering, useless wrecks. Be proud.

We're freaking WRITERS.

Writers on the Storm Top Ten (FINALISTS) for 2013:

TV

Ditch Plains by Bernard Urban
Freebird by Simon Kay
Freetown by Jeremy Dickens
Path by Michael Wright
The RetroCog by Steve Morris
Shaman by Eric Ian Steele
Stealing Home by Sebastian Arboleda
Strategic Services by Jonathan Jones + Francisco Magdaraog
Triple Agent by Steve Morris
The World by Kathleen Cromie

FEATURES

The Basement by Dawn Marie Guernsey
Cake by Patrick Tobin
Carn Evil by Jason Siner
Clouds of Sorrow by Jack Davidson
Damascus Cover by Daniel Berk + Samantha Newton
The Heckler by Mike Hanson
The Idea of Fireflies by Don Balch + Zack Smith
Lulu by Samuel Bernstein
On the Edge (aka Speedville) by Patrick Hunt
Resilience by Lena Slachmuijilder

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Announcing John Fasano's Screenwriting Workshops

Well, this is something to take note of. Our pal John Fasano -- one of only maybe five guys who has had a 2-decade-plus career as a working Hollywood writer -- has announced his first-ever Screenwriting Workshop. John is an incredible storyteller and probably one of the best teachers around. Here is a rare chance to learn from someone who has actually DONE IT. On top of that, he's offering a 10% discount to Coverage Ink clients. Read all about the workshops below and then visit his site. Then when you're ready to rock, e-mail him at TITMinc (at) gmail.com and say, "Man, let's do this!"

--Jim C.


FROM YOUR HEAD TO THE PAGE

Learn the craft of screenwriting with Hollywood’s most prolific screenwriter, John Fasano.

In a world where getting a single script sold is a major accomplishment, WGA award nominated Screenwriter John Fasano has more than forty credits on feature films and prime time television including:  Another 48 HRS, Darkness Falls, Alien 3, Universal Soldier: The Return and Tombstone.

Former president of the Sony/Canal + Equinoxe Screenwriting seminar in Bordeaux, France and guest lecturer at AFI and the Writer’s Boot Camp, John will personally guide you from concept to script.  Classes will be held in a private Brentwood, California location. Enrollment will be limited to ten students per class so personal attention is ensured!

BEGINNING SCREENWRITING • JUNE 1 thru 2, 2013
Transforming your “big idea” into a viable outline.  Find the outlining method that works best for you. Who are your main characters?  Structure is the key.  Learn how to create a three-act structure that brings your story to life. Prerequisite:  An idea you’d like to transform into a screenplay.

$300 for two-day class*

John Fasano at the helm.

 INTERMEDIATE SCREENWRITING • JUNE 8 thru 9, 2013
Complete the journey from outline to script.  Write scenes that bring your characters to life and reveal their distinct voices.  Learn what makes great dialogue with tension on emotional and physical levels. Bonus:  Preparing to face the marketplace.  An insider’s secrets to success. Prerequisite:  A fleshed-out outline or draft of your screenplay.

$300 for two-day class*

For more information and to register contact us at: TITMinc [at] gmail.com

*10% discount for clients of Coverage, Ink.

In addition to his screenwriting John is also an accomplished Director and Producer.  His feature film credits include:  Another 48 HRS, Darkness Falls, Universal Soldier: The Return, Judge Dredd, Rapid Fire, Cargo, Tombstone, Sniper Reloaded, Sniper 5: Kill Zone, Alien 3, as well as story development for Alien vs. Predator, Flushed Away, Marvel Comics', Werewolf by Night and Hostel: Part III.  His projects for television include:  The Hunchback (WGA nomination for best teleplay), The Profiler, F/X The Series, Hannah’s Law, the Tom Selleck hit Stone Cold, The Hunley, Saving Jessica Lynch and Lifetime’s highly rated Holiday Switch.  John also works in New Media, creating and writing the Sony/Crackle series Woke Up Dead starring Jon Heder and the Anime feature version of the video game Saints Row.  

Writers on the Storm Finalists to be Announced 5/1/13

Just a slight delay, less than a week, so please don't be too angry with us! The truth is we have tough choices to make still. 50 scripts down to 10. Ugh. It never gets any easier. But we will announce our top 10 finalists, TV and features, on May 1.

Is there a Brooks Elms/Glenn Sanders in this year's batch? Brooks and Glenn are last year's winners, who got signed by UTA and their careers are now exploding. They've both landed writing assignments, and they have another project with a major producer attached which I can't say anything more about yet -- except to say holy crap, our boys done good!

So until then, sit tight -- aw heck, don't sit tight. if you made our top 50, you should definitely enter the Nicholl as well, so hurry up and get your script in quick as the deadline is rolling in fast. I seem to recall back in the day entry was free. Ha!, yeah, not anymore. Best of luck and KEEP WRITING.

Jim C.

WOTS Semi-Finalists

Writers on the Storm semifinalists are now posted! http://writerstorm.com/(and also below for your convenience.) By now, everyone should have received your feedback forms. If you haven't, please 1) check your spam filter for anything from writerstorm, then 2) email Julie at writerstorm@gmail.com and we will resend right away.

BIG Congrats to everyone who made the cut. And to the vast majority who didn't -- we feel your pain. We've all been there. Every one of us have been eliminated from contests, from consideration for jobs, grants, assignments, from so many things. Being a writer means you have to learn to take getting whacked upside the head repeatedly and pretend you're OK with it. 

The only thing I can say is, hey -- yeah, it sucks, BUT... maybe it's only a draft away. Check out the feedback and really study it closely. The stuff that made the reader balk could be fixable relatively easily. It's worth that extra level of scrutiny. It's easy enough to say "These people are idiots" and forget about it. And maybe we are. But if the feedback is even close to the mark, then as students of the biz we should all take it under consideration and at least chew it over. Knowledge is power, and sometimes even iffy notes can make us think of creative solutions or better ways to approach situations in your story. Best of luck to everyone, and to all my fellow writers: I APPLAUD YOU. 

Now comes the hard part: whittling these down to the top ten by the end of April, when they will be posted right here and of course on our facebook page. Yikes.

Much love -- Jim C.

WOTS VI SEMIFINALISTS

FEATURES

20 Million Rides To Earth by Erik Ratiff 

A Rising Tide by Chris Knight 

All God's Children by Natalie Hanson 

American Supervillains by Andrew Watt 

Arctic Circle by Daniel Ragussis

The Basement by Dawn Marie Guernsey 

The Bond by Kim Putman 

Bullets for Silverware by Jim Antonini 

Cake by Patrick Tobin 

Carn Evil by Jason Siner 

Clouds of Sorrow by Jack Davidson 

Common Ground by Robert Fullerton 

Confiteor by William Shedlick 

The Contestant by Allen Hahn 

Covers by Francis Jay 

Damascus Cover by Daniel Berk 

Dead Dolores by Michael Yagnow 

The Deal by Brian Fox 

Due Process by Shaun Raad 

Equipoise by William Shedlick 

Francis Lange by C.M. Robinson 

Fury by Dane McCauley 

The Galaxy’s Littlest Prince by Joe Borriello

The Guide by Henry Radoff 

Hap by Brian Nicol 

The Heckler by Mike Hanson 

The Idea of Fireflies by Don Balch + Zack Smith 

Illusion by Suzanne Kelman  

La Mujer (The Woman) by Steve Lucas 

The Last Lifeboat by Luke Yankee  

Lawman by Kingston Medland + Kingsley Medland 

Lulu by Samuel Bernstein 

On the Edge (aka Speedville) by Patrick Hunt 

One Bad Day by L.E. Bond 

Orange Dissection by TJ Barkwill

Passing Through by Robert G. Rhyne

Petrology by Colin Mummery

Probable Cause by Shane McCabe

Resilience by Lena Slachmuijlder

The Rim Of The World by Bettina Moss

Rum House by Michael Sieve

Second Earth (aka Divergence) by Victor Grippi

Self-Storage by Glenn McGee

Seven Times Seventy by Laura Lagasse

Silas by Scott Parisien

Sleeping Beauty by Tony Boland

Slippery Things by Lane Baker

The Taloquan Network by Robert Hestand

Theory of Everything by Tim McSmythurs

Wild Bill Rides Again by Jim Antonini

Wormweed by John + Jessica Walker

TV

Borderland by Mark O'Neill + Jonathan Ross

Ditch Plains by Bernard Urban

Freebird - And This Bird You Cannot Change by Simon Kay

Freetown - Pilot by Jeremy Dickens

Lovecraft by Levi Bailey

Messiah Project by David Baugnon

Path by Michael A Wright

The RetroCog by Steve Morris

Shaman by Eric Ian Steele

Sitters by James Papa

Stealing Home by Sebastian Arboleda

Strategic Services

Teen Spirit by Jacob Burstein-Stern

The Thief and the Prophecies by Barry Leach

Triple Agent by Steve Morris

The World by Kathleen Cromie

Wilbur Shaw by C.M. Robinson

The Death of "Daily Variety" and the Return of "Creative Screenwriting"

Talk about yer good news/bad news! First the bad: Daily Variety, that venerable showbiz rag that informed the biz for the better part of a century, is now gone. Like The Hollywood Reporter did a year ago, the daily has ceased publication, and will be replaced by a combination of web/email updates and a weekly print magazine.

The trades, as we know them, have ceased to exist.

Now I can go on for hours about the logic of this decision. The cost of printing, paper and postage are ever-rising; the economics of a daily paper just don't make sense anymore in our bankster/military industrial complex-controlled society. Furthermore, Daily Variety by its very nature delivered yesterday's news every day. Obviously, websites like Deadline and of course variety.com and hollywoodreporter.com can be far more timely. With most of us getting our info constantly blasted at us via smartphones, a paper publication seems almost quaint.

Still, and please forgive a little rant, but this frickin' sucks. Some of us grew up with, and still love, the trades as we know them -- and that means on paper. You can't read a website on the subway or in a no-wifi zone. I like reading the trades every day over dinner and so forth. My partner and I read and talk about articles. It's fun. I can't see us doing that with a smartphone. And yeah, we can do that with the new weekly edition, but it's not the same of course, since it's not going to be there every day, now is it? There's a reason I canceled my Hollywood Reporter subscription when they went digital and switched to Variety. Now who am I going to switch to?

Well, how about CREATIVE SCREENWRITING?

The cover of the very first CS, when it was a zine.

And now the good news. Erik Bauer, the founder and original publisher of Creative Screenwriting and the creator of the Screenwriting Expo and the CS Open writing tournament, has just purchased CS back.

As many of you know, both Creative Screenwriting and Script magazines also ceased publication last year (are you sensing a trend?) Creative Screenwriting had seen the brand get tarnished a bit in recent years, as management tried to keep the ship afloat without much success;  unfortunately, they couldn't make good on some promises in the final year or two. It was a sad end to a once-great magazine and platform for screenwriting education.

Not one to let his baby get folded, spindled and mutilated, Bauer has stepped back in and seized the reins. He plans to analyze the business carefully, then implement initiatives to revitalize the brand and hopefully rebuild any burned bridges.

What does this all mean for screenwriters? Is the Expo coming back? How about the magazine? Bauer says that right now the focus will be on rebuilding and restoring the website; he'll be making decisions on when/how to proceed with the Expo and the magazine in the future. Clearly, it's a brave new world out there, and online rules the day. Bauer wants to proceed carefully and make sure that CS will be as innovative in the new media space as it was almost 20 years ago when it became the very first print publication about screenwriting.

As a long-time columnist for Creative Screenwriting, I'm excited for the future and wish CS the best moving forward. The best is yet to come!

Jim C.

Cardin' It Out Old School-Style

TWISTED is a messed-up horror/time travel movie written by Tanya Klein and yours truly, to be directed by LIBERATOR director Aaron Pope. For the last six months or so, we've been developing this as Coverage Ink's first feature film, which we plan to shoot this fall. We're pretty pleased with the script, but there was something in Act 2 that was just not sitting right. The script's only 100 pages, yet it felt like maybe it's running a bit long. But why/how/where?

We narrowed the issue to the end of Act 2. A certain ennui was creeping in there, a feeling of enervation. But in scrutinizing our structure, it looked spot-on; and every scene felt necessary and important. We couldn't cut anything without wrecking the delicate chain-of-dominos structure. That's when I realized that we needed to go back to basics. Time to break out the ol' index cards.

"Twisted" act 2, all carded out and color coded.

Of course, first I tried the index card feature of Final Draft. It's pretty cool that with a press of a button, you can have ready-to-print mini versions of all your scenes. Problem is, they're not color-coded (I always like to color-code my cards based on character so one can quickly see if a character is off screen for too long or hogging too many scenes in a row.) Easy enough to fix with markers, but the real issue is, FD's cards just give you a snippet of the dialogue at the top of each scene. I wanted PROPER index cards, you know, which list the important plot events in the scene at a glance. And so for the first time in probably ten years, I ripped into a pack of actual index cards (cutting them in half because they were too freakin' big) and carded out Act 2.

A couple things popped out right away. An important cutaway suggested itself for a character we hadn't seen in a while; another two scenes felt like they could easily be consolidated into one. But it wasn't until Tanya and I went over the cards scene by scene that lo and behold, we found The Issue.  Around page 70 or so, our protagonist has rescued her three siblings -- uniting the beleaguered family for the first time since they were taken prisoner. From here there was about 15 pages of them being pursued and then finally taking out the henchmen before rushing into act 3. Tanya quickly sussed out that we don't need any of that. With one fell swoop, six index cards went away. We cut right from the reunification scene to the siblings taking out the henchmen. It worked perfectly. That cut probably saved us thousands and lopped a couple days off the schedule. And when you're shooting the thing yourself, that's important as hell. But even better, we solved the problem that had been bugging everyone and kept our intensity level high right into the end of the second act.

Sometimes I think when you've been doing this for a while, you kinda start to think you know everything. "Yeah, I know structure; I know the Save the Cat! beat sheet, I know the UCLA method and Writer's Journey/Joseph Campbell and blah blah blah..." You think you can take shortcuts. But when push comes to shove, some damn index cards and markers got it done where two smart writers who know all this stuff backwards and forwards could not.

Deal the cards, my friends!

--Jim C.

WRITERS ON THE STORM VI QUARTERFINALISTS

Hi, folks! We proudly present the Writers on the Storm Quarterfinalists for 2013. This list represents approximately the top-scoring 10% of our submissions for this year. We'll be sending out the feedback forms over the next few weeks via e-mail. If you have not received yours by month's end, please check your spam folder, and then email us at writerstorm@gmail.com. Up next: The SEMI-finalists (top 50) coming April 1st. Thanks, everyone, for participating!



FEATURES

20 Million Rides To Earth by Erik Ratiff

A Rising Tide by Chris Knight
 
Albert's Lie 2013 by Judy Vann

All God's Children by Natalie Hanson

American Supervillains by Andrew Watt

An Atom of Freedom by Yehuda Yaakov

Arctic Circle by Daniel Ragussis

The Basement by Dawn Marie Guernsey

Better Days by Kingston Medland

The Bloodline by Christine Feldman

Bioterror Conspiracy by Louis Lio

The Bond by Kim Putman

Bullets for Silverware by Jim Antonini
 
Butterfly Children by Melanie Schiele

Cake by Patrick Tobin

Carn Evil by Jason Siner

Clouds of Sorrow by Jack Davidson

Common Ground by Robert Fullerton

Confiteor by William Shedlick
 
Conflict Resolution by Don Hofmeister

The Contestant by Allen Hahn

Covers by Francis Jay

Creeped by Robert Chomiak

Damascus Cover by Daniel Berk

Dead Dolores by Michael Yagnow

The Deal by Brian Fox

Degenerate by Karen Frank

The Devil Knows Your Name by Malibo Jackk

Diamond Express by Kyle Curry

Diamond Jim and the Blue Rose of Brazil by Carl B. Clark

Ding-Dong-Ditch by Erin Donovan
 
Dirty River by Jeremy Novick

Dogs of the Pacific by Julian Surface + Pat Gaston + Travis Parke

Due Process by Shaun Raad

Equipoise by William Shedlick

Faking It by Scott Taylor

Fifty-Nine Lost by Lynn Betts
 
Francis Lange by C.M. Robinson

Frontman by Elise Carr + Dennis Carr

Fury by Dane McCauley

The Galaxy's Littlest Prince by Joe Borriello

Game On by Hamilton Mitchell

Garden of Lost Souls by James Scott Mason
 
The Guide by Henry Radoff

Haber by Daniel Ragussis

Hap by Brian Nicol

The Heckler by Mike Hanson

How Deep Is Your Love by Noga Pnueli

The Idea of Fireflies by Don Balch + Zack Smith

Illusion by Suzanne Kelman
 
Inner City by Scott Taylor

Isolation by Mark Allen

Kosovo by Tim Guay

La Mujer (The Woman) by Steve Lucas

Lady Smoke by John Celona

Ladykilaz by Karen Hope

The Last Lifeboat by Luke Yankee
 
Lawman by Kingston Medland + Kingsley Medland

Live from the Milky Way by Joe Borriello

Lulu by Samuel Bernstein

Nerdgasm by Sara Williams
 
Ninety Nine Days by Francis Jay

Ole by Jon Price

On the Edge (aka Speedville) by Patrick Hunt

One Bad Day by L.E. Bond

One Night Stan by Tony Boland

Orange Dissection by TJ Barkwill

The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet by Justin Kosch
 
Passing Through by Robert G. Rhyne

Petrology by Colin Mummery

The Plutonium Blonde by John Zakour

Prion by Tom McCarron

Probable Cause by Shane McCabe

Redemption by Scott Yedvarb
 
Rematch by Antoine Mizel

Resilience by Lena Slachmuijlder

Reverse the Curse by Steven D'Arcangelo

Ride to Vengeance by Dave Vaughan

The Rim Of The World by Bettina Moss
 
Rum House by Michael Sieve

The Savior by Wade Ballance

Second Earth (aka Divergence) by Victor Agrippi

Self-Storage by Glenn McGee

Settling the Books by Russ Meyer
 
Seven Times Seventy by Laura Lagasse

Silas by Scott Parisien

Sins of the Father by Randy Oliver

Sleeping Beauty by Tony Boland

Slippery Things by Lane Baker

The Something by David Hudacek
 
Stay (aka Layered) by Jocelyn Osier

The System by Amy Whittenberger

The Taloquan Network by Robert Hestand

Theatre of Death by James B. Saunders

Theory of Everything by Tim McSmythurs

The Tiniest Prince in a Big Galaxy by Joe Borriello

Tranquility Base by Daniel Turkewitz

The Undeflowered Maiden by GK Noyer

Under Erciyes (Under the White Mountain) by Janet Ritz

Wild Bill Rides Again by Jim Antonini
 
Wormweed by John + Jessica Walker


TV PILOTS

Blue Light by Andrew Fisk

Borderland by Mark O'Neill + Jonathan Ross

By the Book by Robert Kuang

Cass McGhee is a Werewolf by Dorian Hess
 
Ditch Plains by Bernard Urban

Dream Walker by Chris Hutton

Freebird - And This Bird You Cannot Change by Simon Kay

Freetown - Pilot by Jeremy Dickens

Goth and Jock by Jay Joseph

Konspirasi by W. Palmer
 
Level 4 by Frederick Kim

Lovecraft by Levi Bailey

Matt Sneed - Adolescent! by Jordan Jacobson

Messiah Project by David Baugnon

Milltown - The Devil We Know by Bob Gookin

Night Clan - Identity by Felicia C. Ansty
 
Ordnung by Aaron Rollins

Path by Michael A Wright

The RetroCog by Steve Morris

The Second Oldest Profession by Jim Bernfield

The Sensualist by Suzanne Griffin

Shaman by Eric Ian Steele
 
Sitters by James Papa

Stealing Home by Sebastian Arboleda

Strategic Services by Jonathan Jones + Francisco Magdaraog

Super Phillainy by Jeffrey Meurer

Tainted by Elisa Graybill

Teen Spirit by Jacob Burstein-Stern
 
The Thief and the Prophecies by Barry Leach

Touched by Anthony Ripo

Triple Agent by Steve Morris

The World by Kathleen Cromie

Underland Pilot by Garon Cockrell

Wilbur Shaw by C.M. Robinson