Step One:  Reread the entire work to glean what you are actually trying to say.

Step Two:  Make index cards for each scene to sort out structure. 

Step Three: Know your characters thoroughly  from Karen Reddick, The Red Pen Editor, author of Grammar Done Right

Step Four: Evaluate your structure. 

                   Are there continued high points and challenges that accelerate every 2 pages forcing the main character to change?


Got any more suggestions. www.WriteYourLifeStory.org   info@SoupKitchenWriting.com

        

Just back from teaching in Santa Fe at the Screenwriting Conference.  My workshops were at 7:00 AM!  I get good person credit for early hour creating.  Now is time to get back into Editing.  Here is the beginning of a few good 1st steps to get going again.

One step to brilliant editing is to reread the entire work to gleam what we are actually saying (or trying to say.)

Step two:  make index cards for each scene to sort out structure. Got any more suggestions.  www.KitchenTableWriting.com

        

With the Screenwriters Conference in Santa Fe coming up next week, here are a few notes on how to present your script and to organize a pitch to Producers.  Hope some of you can join us the end of May. 

To present a Pitch you need 3-4 Presentation Materials.  Each takes a good amount of time to put together. Present the Logline, Leave Behind, Synopsis or Treatment of your story idea.

1.    Logline: One (or two) sentence description of the story (Think blurb in TV Guide or film poster)
 
2.    Leave Behind:  One page sheet with your logline with all your contact information. You can include bulleted information about yourself—awards, publications

3.    One Page synopsis:  Introduce time, place, characters, the dilemma of the story, and the basic conflicts.

4.    In addition to this, you can write a Treatment of the story, which is a 3-4 page synopsis of the actual conflict and action of the story.

Even if your story idea is interesting and has potential, the manuscript must be ready to present.  If it is filled with basic errors such as first letter capitalizations of character names, omitted punctuation, periods and commas, make all these corrections before anyone reads it. 

The material has to be perfect to be presented. 

Basic formatting rules must be followed.  Novice errors often hasbasic film script violations.  The greatest is telling the actor how to deliver a line. The second is saying that someone is going to say something, example “Brodwick goes on to say, excitedly.”   

A 50 min TV film has a 5 Act Structure which therefore allows for commercial breaks. To catch a producer and audience imagination, create a title that gives a colorful image for the story.

All drama is based on conflict. There must be conflict on every page and a major conflict and resolution in every scene.  Study Sid Fields’ Screenplay and The Screenwriter’s Workbook.  For formatting and basic screenwriting techniques study The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier.  Also Linda Segar’s Make a Good Script Great.

Contact me at info@SoupKitchenWriting for more tips.  Anne

        

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Check out this blog for Happy Endlings which mentioned Soup Kitchen Table Writing as a way to jump start your work. Look at #9.  Thanks folks for the endorsement.  We write on Tues and Wed mornings and Thursday evenings in April.  Join us. www.SoupKitchenWriting.com   Anne


9.  Janet Lane from my Kaizen Support Group started participating in a process this year called Soup Writing.  She swears by it now and I admit I'm intrigued by the idea.  Essentially, you meet with other writers, make soup (or a meal) then a inspiration thought or writing prompt is shared and you spend the evening writing new material. The creator of Soup Kitchen Writing is Anne Randolph.  She has a book out called Soup Kitchen Writing and a website:  www.annerandolph.com/SOUP_KITCHEN_WRITING.html

Muse Management or Ten Ideas for Kicking Your Psyche to the Curb
Posted by pattiann colt Apr 15th, 2009 | 7 Comments

Pearl Buck once said:  "I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work."

Apparently, mine frequently doesn't know how to get down to work.  Because I'm still striving to beat Stephen King's 2000 word a day habit and not even coming close.  Just out of curiousity sake, please take the quiz below and identify your muse management style:

When I can't get the words to flow:

A.  I bang my head on the keyboard and pray the words will fall out.

B.  I plug into my IPOD and go for a walk, hoping to sweat the words out.

C.  I do my nails and hope inspiration will strike the words out.

D.  All of the above.

I'm embarassed to admit that I'm a "D".  The other day, frustrated by a lack of progress, I made a list of all the techniques I had in my arsenal for fighting a "no words" day and was surprised that I actually have something better in my toolkit than banging my head on my keyboard.  Go figure.

Guess who benefits from that?  You do, because of course I was smart enough to realize that this was great blog material and wrote them up for you.  After all, walking around with bruises on our foreheads just ruins a good hair day.

I don't know about yours, but my psyche, muse, creative genius - whatever you want to call it - is just damn temperamental.  "Sophie" - yes, she has a name - likes to do things her way and in her own time.  She has to her credit one month with almost 20,000 words written. Unfortunately, on her demerits list is also one six month period without one single word written, in a snit or some such nonsense.  Hence, this is why my file of ideas for managing "Sophie" is an inch thick.  I've bought all the best books on the subject, surfed the net, and experimented with the ideas so you don't have to — and be thankful - one author suggested the bright idea of just sitting at your desk and not doing anything else and pretty soon you'd get bored and work.  Really?  This person does not know Sophie.  So check out this list and see how many are in your bag of tricks.  And please . . . if you have one I don't have listed . . . well, hand it over!

1.  Kitchen Timer.  Remember timed multiplication tests?  Do they still do those or am I dating myself?  This technique is a variation and you don't even have to do math.  15 minutes.  Starting now. Go.  Only one rule.  No editing what you're writing in your head.  15 words, write as many words as you can in that time.  Write those words in your work log and count it as your goal for the day.  You're done.  Go do your nails.  I heard that huge sigh of relief.

2.  Move.  Away from your usual work place.  Clear the dining room table. Go to the library.   Yeah, yeah, I know.  "But I have an office."  Yeah, me too.  Move.  Find a clean surface with only the notes you need to continue your story.  Must be somewhere that you usually don't write.  Trust me.  This clears the brain and improves the focus.

3.  Brainstorm. 30-40 minutes per day.  Blank pad in front of you.  Scribble.  Some of this you may never use, but my muse likes to come out and play and many a time, this technique punches through the wall, and has rolled over into productive ideas for the current work in progress without any pain.

4.  Just write.  This is what I call a three hour block, one day a week where I sit and write a story that doesn't have to have a dynamite plot, or rich, friendly characters, or any brilliant writing.  It's Sophie - aka my brain — putting down any words to any story I dream up.  Only rule – I've promised myself no one will read this content.  Ever.  This last part is important.  No one will read it, so it doesn't matter if the facts don't match up or in one chapter the dog is brown and now he's black, or if you just don't have any idea what you're talking about.  Just write and enjoy the moment.

5.  Back up the truck.  You know that six months I went without writing?  Took a misstep in the prior scene and it trapped me in story hell.  If you find yourself avoiding your desk, avoiding this crackerjack of a story and any hint of being responsible to it, back up.  Read what you wrote.  Copy and paste it to a blank document, then delete it and write something else.  Amazingly, it's not uncommon for many of us to paint ourselves into a corner, just don't let your muse trap you there.

6.  Mental issues, er.. messages.  My six months again?  Yes, that's going to keep haunting me.  I also noted during this time period, ummm, yeah, I was chanting 'this sucks, this sucks, this sucks' for every sentence, every paragraph, every idea.  Guess what happened?  Sophie took a vacation and wasn't speaking to me AT ALL.  Then I realized what I was saying and changed it to 'fix it later, fix it later, fix it later'.  Did she come back over night?  No, but within a few days . . . check your mental messages.  What are you saying to yourself as you're writing.  If "fix it later" doesn't work, try "this is brilliant."  Say it.  Believe it.  It makes a difference.

7.  Clear the guilt.  I have all these great goals.  Then the reality of my life gets in the way, but somehow the goals never get adjusted to adapt to that reality and then I feel guilt, guilt, guilt.  Makes me feel so bad that the words won't come - what's the use, I've screwed up, this isn't where I want to be.  If any of that sounds familiar, try this out instead:  I'm not going to feel guilty today.  I'm just going to work and see where that takes me and when I get to the end of the day I will celebrate and move to the next day. Sounds hokie, but again, it works.

8.  Friends. Family. Colleagues.  Don't lose your connections with those who support you.  I have a critique group and a support group - both of which are filled with fabulous writers who understand when things go wrong, who will chat with me and kick my . . . well, you know . . . when they think I'm slacking off, or falling into a comfort zone, or giving out too many excuses or need some hugs and support.  My family nags, rewards, and hugs, too.  All around, I have a support network that works for me if I only use it.

9.  Janet Lane from my Kaizen Support Group started participating in a process this year called Soup Writing.  She swears by it now and I admit I'm intrigued by the idea.  Essentially, you meet with other writers, make soup (or a meal) then a inspiration thought or writing prompt is shared and you spend the evening writing new material. The creator of Soup Kitchen Writing is Anne Randolph.  She has a book out called Soup Kitchen Writing and a website:  www.annerandolph.com/SOUP_KITCHEN_WRITING.html

10.  Rewards.  Back a few years ago, I took Margie Lawson's Defeat Self-Defeating Behavior course.  Margie's big on rewards.  When things go your way, reward yourself.  When things don't go your way, reward yourself for trying.  Took me awhile to get on board with this, because well, most of the things I want are books and reading time and I buy my books and take my reading time no matter what.  Encouraged by my friends in my Kaizen Support Group, I've shamelessly borrowed things they use as rewards - pedicures, movie nights, glass of wine, and use them lavishly.  Sometimes I even reward myself BEFORE I meet my objectives.  Hmm. . . that was the month I hit 20,000 words.

Finally, I'd like to share something that author/editor Kelly McCrady — my friend and crit/writing partner — said to me when I was getting angsty one day:  "Don't allow the pressure of writing twist in your gut and steal your joy of telling stories.  Your role is to tell those stories.  The possibility that you could earn money from selling these stories is a fringe benefit, a reward, a bonus.  Let the joy of writing them come first."

So there you have it — my initial list.  Now go get to kicking.

http://www.AnneRandolph.com/SOUP_KITCHEN_WRITING.html    www.KitchenTableWriting.com

        

I had the opportunity to offer a Write Hot! workshop for the CIPA (Colorado Independent Publishers Association) College last weekend, a stunning event despite the blizzard! 
In fact, the sun shone bright the whole weekend.

An illustrious group of participants attended,  including Eric Kampmann, President of Midpoint Trade Books and Beaufort Books. To my great surprise, as a keynote speaker on Saturday, Eric began his presentation with glorious praise of this  Write Hot! Kitchen Table Writing workshop.  Here is the entry that he wrote during our session. 

Thank you, Eric for the words of praise at CIPA College.


  Apparitions  by Eric Kampmann

I spent last weekend in Denver at an independent publisher conference. Though I was a speaker, I had an opportunity to sit in on a two hour writing seminar lead by Anne Randolph, an excellent writing coach.  Anne led us through three exercises and the first was to write for five minutes starting with the word “unfamiliar.”  Here is what I came up with:

Unfamiliar faces crowd the confined space of the stalled car. No one speaks. We are strangers,  riding toward our individual destinations. We have unexpectedly paused and the sudden silence causes unease. The faces are impenetrable masks, revealing nothing of the complicated stories lying below the surface. Eyes avoid eyes and some peer out the darkened windows toward grey, soot packed walls that encase us here. Then relief: The train jolts into action and moves forward, slowly resuming speed and carrying each one of us on our singular journey toward an assignation that will add yet another chapter to each of our fragmentary books.

Ezra Pound is the father of this short piece of writing. In college I had memorized a two line poem he had written early in the 20th Century. It goes like this: “The apparition of these faces in a crowd/pedals on a wet black bough.”

His blog: www.EricKampmann.blogspot.com

Eric M. Kampmann
President
Midpoint Trade Books, Inc
27 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011

www.MidpointTrade.Com

Eric Kampmann is the president of Midpoint Trade Books. Previously, he served as Vice President and Director of Sales for Simon & Schuster, and held similar positions at St. Martin's Press and Viking Press. Over the past twenty-five years, Eric has taught at several prominent universities, including Harvard, Columbia, New York University and Hofstra. The main focus of his teaching has been in the areas of book publishing, but he has also taught courses in English Literature. He has also taught and participated in innumerable bible studies at local churches in and around Fairfield County, Connecticut. He holds an undergraduate degree from Brown University and a graduate degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.  He is the author of three books: The Tree of Life, The Book Publisher's Handbook: The Seven Keys to Publishing Success with Six Case Studies, and trail thoughts.

        

Now you have written your scene.  What are the steps to bring tension to your scene.  Here is the first process.

To begin to a clarify specific scene and define what is needed to make the scene work, go through 10 to 25 pages of your work.  Make a large index card for each scene. 

On each card write the following:

1. Name of the scene
2. Characters in this scene
3. Next to character name, write what this person wants at this specific moment
4. Define the conflict between these characters at this time
5. Create and magnify an obstacle in the scene
6. Now, rewrite this scene.  Have one character want something and have the other character go to any level to keep them from getting their want.

Thinking of rewriting what we have already written is a challenging thought, but starting with a blank page, now that you know what needs to happen in a scene, is the best way to improve the writing.

Send me the notes you have on your card for one scene.  info@SoupKitchenWriting.com 

        

Here are a few more start lines.  Try 15 minutes on each line and send your results or post in comments. info@SoupKitchenWriting.com

“There’s that feeling of...”

“The possibilities are endless...”

“When we didn’t...”

 

“My real name is...”

Post your writing in comments here or at http://blog.WriteYourLifeStory.org

        

All we need for our writing is TO GET GOING.   It is easy to sit down in the chair when you write with START LINE. 
Here are a few suggestions for 10 to 20 minutes segments.  Comment or email me your results and receive an award.
info@SoupKitchenWriting.com 

    “Write first always!”  Henry Miller

Try these start lines to ignite your writing.  Begin with one of these openers.  
Enjoy!  Ignore, or create your own!

The Trick:  Repeat the start line until ideas starts churning. Write whatever comes out of
your pen.  Allow yourself to say anything, from your "grocery list" to "I’m darn made at ..."

Write 10 minutes or three pages.  If you get stuck, repeat the start line. 

One writer surprised at his reaction to his writing exclaimed, “It’s the pen’s fault!”
Try timed writing.   Set a timer for at least 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 45 minutes. When the
buzzer goes off, give myself a few minutes to complete your work.  With timed writing, your
body adjusts to the time, giving you a natural beginning, middle and end. 

Tell yourself to “wrap up” and your body will cap your time with a great closing line.  Let the pen lead!  

1.    Begin with these Opening Lines: 

“If it wasn’t for...” 
“If only...” 
“What I really mean is...”

2.    Try writing by subjects:  My Grandmother's Closet,  Cherries,  My Most Embracing Moment.

3.    Read what you wrote aloud.  Mark the images that moved you.

4.    Write everyday and watch your material grow! 

Click comments or  info@AnneRandolph.com.

After work as director of two opera companies and the Colorado Symphony, Anne Randolph
writes full time and leads Soup Kitchen Writing and www.WriteYourLifeStory.org workshops in
Denver and at conferences including the Screenwriters Conference in Santa Fe. “Soup Kitchen
Writing helps writers find the courage and craft to create!”  Her workbook, Soup Kitchen
Writing: An Easy Guide to Kitchen Table Writing available at www.AnneRandolph.com  

        

This might interest you.  Join us on Sat.  Let me know.  303-758-3426  AnneRandolph@comcast.net

Free Workshop
sponsored by
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

"Anne is a real pro and these workshops are free!"
Mark Stevens, Author Antlers Dust

WRITE HOT!   
Ignite your fiction
Sat Feb 21,  1:00-3:00
  Virginia Village Library, off Col Blvd
at Florida and So Dahlia St
with Anne Randolph
r.s.v.p.
info@SoupKitchenWriting.com
393-758-3426

==============================================
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Kitchen Table Writing
"Make a good writer great!"
   THURS Feb 19  6:15 pm-9:00
plus you get soup!  
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