“A new homeowner discovers he’s being haunted by the ghost of a comedian who keeps telling the same terrible jokes over and over, and who refuses to leave – or stop.”
The campaign may be winding down, but there are still plenty of ways to support this indie film project: the usual donations and tier rewards – just click on the link above to get all the details.
But there are also some perks you might want to consider, including:
-$125 – script notes from me
-$250 – be a guest on my podcast The Creative Writing Life to talk about yourself and your work (available on both Spotify and YouTube)
-$250 – if you’re an actor, Trevor Nagle, who plays one of the two SHECKY leads, will do a critique on your reel, a self-tape set up consultation, or an audition coaching session
-$500 – for filmmakers, award-winning director Ally May will give you notes on your reel, offer tips on filmmaking, or give you notes on your script
We’re also offering producer credits, complete with onscreen credit:
$500 – Associate Producer
$1000 – Executive Producer, which also includes one ticket to attend a screening of SHECKY at a local film festival
Just to get an idea of the quality of talent involved with this project, here’s Ally talking about her involvement with the project.
Had a great Zoom chat the other day with a newer writer. They’d found me on social media and liked what I’ve had to say about screenwriting and working on establishing a career at it. Would I be open to imparting some of what I’ve learned and any other advice I might have that could potentially help point them in the right direction?
Even though I admitted to still being one of those trying to “break in”, so my two cents of guidance was probably worth about that much anyway, how could I say no?
We talked about wide variety of topics, mostly involving screenwriting, including our respective backgrounds, experience, short- and long-term goals. They also asked for potential suggestions as to how they could go about achieving those goals.
I told them what I’ve said to many writers before, and it still rings true.
Everybody’s path to success (however you gauge it) is going to be unique to them and them alone. What works for me will probably be totally different than what works for you. If you know what your goals are, then it’s up to you to figure out what it will take for you to get there.
You need to create your own doorway, because nobody’s going to do it for you.
Use everything at your disposal. You might think you don’t have anything to work with at first, but you’d be surprised how effective even the littlest thing can be. It’s all about perspective and determination.
For example, the writer had worked on some short films in various capacities. They could use those to showcase their skills, as well as adding the other filmmakers and crew into their network. You never know who knows of another gig or has heard of a project that needs someone who can do the things you do.
If that’s what it takes for you to find that way in, that’s what you do.
The writer said nobody had put it that way before, which really helped them as they start to figure out their approach and possible strategies. They appreciated the advice, and the honesty.
This sort of stuff might seem pretty basic to those of us who’ve been at it for a long time (such as yours truly), but there will always be those just starting to dip their toes into these turbulent waters. I didn’t really have anybody like that when I was starting out, so why not offer up a helping hand in some capacity?
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a doorway to finish creating, followed by kicking it wide open.
“And then he actually asked, “But what’s your Save the Cat moment?””
Had a really nice in-person get-to-know-you coffee chat with a writer this week, which are always a pleasant experience. I highly recommend doing them, whether you’re the inviter or the invitee. (Iced sugar-free vanilla latte with oat milk for me, please.)
I’ve written about these more than a few times, including this classic post from August 2016.
(And a friendly reminder that my book is now available)
It’s been a busy week around here, and not just in terms of writing.
I’ve had some great in-person meet-ups with three other local writers over the past couple of days. Two were first-timers, the third was someone I’ve known for a couple of years. Each one was great in its own way. This really is one of my favorite parts of networking – actually meeting somebody else and getting to know them.
Because of my work schedule, lunch or early afternoon coffee are ideal. I prefer a nice little cafe because it always makes for a better one-on-one environment: quiet, sociable, pleasant. Larger networking events, usually at bars, tend to be pretty crowded and noisy, which makes it tough to establish a solid rapport. I’m not too keen on having to continuously shout and not be entirely sure either of us can hear the other.
The first meeting usually involves the exchanging of “here’s my story” mini-bios, and then moves on to what’s going on for both parties. Over the course of about an hour, we’ll share and discuss our individual journeys as writers. Everybody’s journey is different, and I always find each one quite fascinating.
We often share many similarities: our constantly working in the hopes of eventually succeeding as a writer (or filmmaker), the noticeable excitement while discussing our latest project(s), wondering how it’ll go and how it’ll be received.
We are also allowed free rein to vent our frustration about whatever’s currently sticking in our respective craws. Bad experiences, lack of funds for a project, feeling stuck with developing a story, dealing with lousy notes, and so on. One of my new connections even stated, “It’s nice to know I’m not the only one this has happened to!”
That may be what’s at the heart of all of this: knowing you’re not the only one trying to do this, and that somebody else totally understands what it is you’re going through. Simply being able to chat about it in a casual social setting can do wonders; one might even call it therapeutic.
I also make a point of offering to help out in any capacity I can, which tends to usually be either giving script notes or suggesting potential contacts and strategies, and just about everybody is more than happy to reciprocate. Who can’t use a little help?
If you haven’t done so already, I heartily recommend reaching out and connecting with somebody in your area, especially if both of you are within close proximity to each other. Chances are they’re seeking to do the exact same thing.
You know the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”? Well, this not only applies to breaking in, but also to helping you work your way towards that. Building up your personal network of fellow creatives is easy, won’t cost you that much (just what you’d spend on a cup of coffee or a meal), and is a definite plus for all involved.
Just a friendly reminder that my book GO AHEAD AND ASK!, VOLUME 1, comes out next week (22 April).*
It contains some of the over 100 interviews I’ve done with script consultants, writers, filmmakers, and overall creative types, as well as their contact information, plus a wide variety of what kinds of pie they all enjoy.
I’ve received an advance copy, and I’m thrilled with how it turned out.
I sincerely hope you’ll take a look.
*Volumes 2 and 3 tentatively scheduled for late June/early July and September, respectively
Coming soon to a trillion-dollar online retailer near you!
This one’s been a long time in development, and I’m quite thrilled to be able to finally discuss it.
Over the past few years, I’ve done over 100 interviews with script consultants, screenwriters, television writers, filmmakers, and writers across several mediums on this blog, and my intent for quite a long time was to collect them all in a book.
Turns out all of those interviews in print form would have resulted in a book approximately 700-750 pages long, so the book then became two.
After some additional editing and formatting, along with a little more re-evaluating, it was decided that the two would actually work better as three.
So…
My 3-book GO AHEAD AND ASK! series will be coming out over the next few months.
Volume 1 collects the original set of interviews that kicked the whole thing off, and will be available in paperback on Amazon starting on 22 April.
(All three books will only be available in paperback. Sorry, e-readers.)
Volumes 2 and 3 contain the interviews that have come out since then, with Volume 2 slated for release in either late June or early July, and Volume 3 wrapping things up in September.
I am truly elated to finally be able to offer these books to the screenwriting community, and hope they prove to be both informative and entertaining, as well as inspire you to enjoy a piece of pie while you read them, because what else would match so perfectly with something I wrote?
Maximum Z 