social media

Nevertheless, I still play well with others

Maximum Z blog, feedback, public forums, screenwriting, social media, Twitter, writing , ,
I was told there'd be ice cream afterward...
Hey gang! Who wants ice cream?

I was reminded this week why it’s important to build up your own network of trusted friends and colleagues.

Even though I’m pretty confident about knowing certain things, and am more than willing to admit when I don’t know something, I need and always appreciate good feedback.

I’ve been very fortunate to be able to connect with a good number of talented writers over the past few years. The more we communicate (pretty much via email & Twitter), the more we respect and value each others’ opinions. So I’m extremely appreciative when they’re open to reading my stuff if I ask, or offering to read it, as well as asking if I’d do the same for them.

Everybody who’s read my script has liked it, but has also given thoughtful suggestions on how it could be improved.

This system has worked out pretty well for me, and hopefully it’s been reciprocal for them.

Which is why I don’t think I’ll be very active on public forums anymore. Not that I was overly active to begin with, but it’s hard for me to value the opinion of somebody I don’t know and has never seen anything I’ve written compared to somebody who knows me and my writing style.

Case in point: I once posted questions about what should and shouldn’t go into my query letter.  I got about a dozen responses, each with different answers and opinions. Of those, maybe two, possibly three, actually answered the question with well-thought, insightful and unexpectedly supportive comments. A majority weren’t very helpful, and one was just too cryptically-worded that I had no idea what they were talking about.

Don’t get me wrong – there’s a lot of helpful information out there, and connections are made all the time.  But reading responses to various posts, sometimes it feels like some folks don’t exactly have a firm grasp of what they’re talking about, or give advice not related to the original question.  Pointing you in the wrong direction will not help you in the long run.

Most of my connections have come through the other person’s online presence. I read their blog, newsletter or website, it gives me a bigger window into what kind of writer and person they are. I introduce myself, maybe there’s some email correspondence, and before you know it, both of our networks have increased by one.

It’s harder to accomplish that based on a 1-2 sentence not-as-helpful-as-you-had-hoped answer to your question.

It takes time to build up your network, but in the end you’ll be really glad you did.

Hi there. Nice to meet you.

Maximum Z blog, message boards, networking, screenwriting, social media, writing , ,
First impressions count, even online. So be nice.

I’ve made it a point to really work on expanding my network, especially in ways that could help me achieve my writing goals (this applies to both craft and career).

Since I don’t live in Los Angeles, I have to find alternate ways to connect with other writers and folks in the industry. And thanks to living in the digital/internet age, there are lots of helpful options.

These are the ones I belong to, mostly because they were free and matched what I was looking for. I’m aware of Tracking Board and It’s On The Grid, but as far as I know, you need to pay to subscribe to them, and that’s just not an option for me right now.

–Twitter. I like it, but don’t monitor it all that much. If somebody mentions me or sends me a DM, I try to respond in a timely manner.

–LinkedIn.  Split between screenwriting, social media and writing projects. I’ve connected with lots of writers around the world, as well as more people at agencies and management firms, but unsure whether to send them queries (if applicable). Your thoughts?

–Done Deal Pro forums.  I’ve posted loglines (got some good feedback) and am considering posting pages.  There’s a lot of helpful info in the comments of most threads, but a handful of members sometimes come across as a little full of themselves.

–Stage 32. Joined earlier this month. Still building my network. Will explore further.

–Talentville. Joined last week. Still figuring out how it works.  Something about earning Talent Dollars?

–TriggerStreet. Haven’t used this in a while since being criticized for giving honest feedback on scripts.

Something else to keep in mind – blogs. A great way to network! I contacted just about every person behind the blogs over there to the right to tell them how much I enjoyed reading them, and would they mind if I posted a link. See? Not too hard.

One of those unwritten rules about screenwriting is “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”

When I started writing, I knew absolutely nobody. But in the years since then, I’ve tried to get to know a lot more people, and as a result, a lot more people know me.

My jets can cool no longer

Maximum Z feedback, networking, rewrite, screenwriting, self-confidence, social media, writing ,
Oh, how I love visual jokes
Oh how I love sight gags

I had it all planned out. The rewrite’s done, but I won’t be able to send it out for professional notes until after January 1st, so until then, I’d have plenty of time to research the best places to query and work on my western outline.

It was nice to think that.

But as is usually the case, things have changed a bit.

A trusted colleague sent some extremely helpful notes, and more are due from another.

*side note – I connected with both through social media and networking. Proof it has benefits!

It would seem a short rewrite session is in my immediate future.

I welcome these latest developments.  They contribute to making the script as strong as it can be, and that’s what counts the most.

Added bonus: a lot of this first set of notes deals more with format, rather than story, so fixing them won’t be too difficult.

Even better added bonus: the notes ended with the words every writer lives to hear: “I wish I wrote this.”

If that ain’t a confidence-building good omen, I don’t know what is.

-Winter break begins this weekend at our house. Hoping to take V to see THE HOBBIT and LES MISERABLES during that time. Anything a parent should be concerned about with either? (She hasn’t seen LOTR, but seems eager to catch HOBBIT)

Oh so worth it

Maximum Z Julie Gray, Just Effing Entertain Me, Radioslot.com, screenwriting, social media
perfect in so many ways

Today was great on two levels.  I’ll cover the smaller-but-no-less-significant one first.

After much delay, I finally got to work on the DREAMSHIP rewrite. While making my way towards the page 75 twist, I realized I was going to be about 5-6 pages short. Augh! What to do? Got it!  More scenes!  But not just something haphazard and slipshod. No, these have to be scenes that advance the story and character and incorporate the theme.

I did a little brainstorming and came up with at least 3 scenes that should fit in nicely.  Maybe 1 to 2 more, and I’m set.

I don’t mind that progress has temporarily slowed.  It’s been worth it.

Which leads me to the other great thing that happened today.

Since I started working on The Script Adventurer! show, I’ve been sending out emails with requests for interviews with assorted writing-connected folks. Nobody’s said no, but there have been a few “not yet”, which isn’t too bad.

Somebody who agreed almost immediately was Julie Gray from the Just Effing Entertain Me blog/website.  And even better, she was going to be in town for an actual live interview!

I spent some quality time researching her as best I could and prepared my list of questions.

Another sign it was going to be a good day: she found a non-metered parking spot!  Truly a good omen.

While the original plan was to record the interview and insert it into this Monday’s show, at the last minute we opted to do it ‘live’ and will still use it on Monday (1-2PM PST on radioslot.com. Click on number 1 – best mix/listen now).

We talked about her background, how she got into working with scripts, the benefits of social media for writers and her forthcoming plans to move to Israel for her new non-profit Stories Without Borders.

The time flew by and a good time was had by all.  Give it a listen, won’t you?