community

San Diego Comic-Con: A look back

Maximum Z Batman, comic books, Comic-Con, community, Leonard Maltin, networking, protagonist, Spider-Man, writing , , , , , , , ,

A few days later, and I’ve recovered from my first Comic-Con experience.

Biggest takeaways:

-huge crowd

-even bigger venue

-didn’t see as many cosplayers as expected

-lots of panels covering numerous topics from which to choose. More than a few at the same time, so had to pick which one to attend

-planning out your schedule ahead of time makes a major difference

-figuring out dining options ahead of time also really helped

-comfortable shoes and hydration cannot be emphasized enough

-give yourself a big window of time to wait in line to get into pretty much anything. I was lucky to make it into a few panels that had to turn people away

-most vendors will not say no to cash; only a handful only accepted credit cards

-if I decide to go again, leave the jeans home and bring shorts. San Diego was hotter than predicted

-not as many comic-oriented vendors as expected. If you’re looking for older (and more expensive) stuff, you’re set. A few of the books I’d hoped to purchase – nobody had them.

Among the highlights:

-attending two panels featuring the legendary Leonard Maltin. I took advantage of the opportunity to get a photo with him (taken by his daughter Jessie)

-got to meet a Marvel/DC comic book artist and ask him about character designs while he signed an issue he drew

But what was probably one of the best parts was discovering the work of several writers and writer-artists and talking to them about it.

A majority started by their display catching my eye. Full disclosure – I enjoy art featuring an attractive female protagonist.

I’d approach and ask “Tell me about NAME OF PROJECT”. They’d go into their well-rehearsed pitch. I might have a couple of follow-up questions (i.e. “What was the inspiration for this?” was a common one). My interest piqued, I’d fork over the cash and ask them to sign the book, which they were more than happy to do.

Apart from the obvious satisfaction of making a sale, I got the strong sense that all were very appreciative to not only have somebody ask about their work, but to show a genuine interest in the material.

I bought more stuff than expected, but they were all books. Fortunately, my luggage was able to handle them without any difficulty.

Others will no doubt fondly recall waiting several hours to catch a panel in Hall H (no thank you) or acquiring some exclusive convention swag (pass), but I thoroughly enjoyed working my way up and down the aisles – mostly in the Small Press area – and talking to creators about their work.

No idea if I’ll ever return, but if that does happen, I’ll have a much better idea of what to expect and how to go about it.

And to wear shorts. Definitely shorts.

San Diego, here I come

Maximum Z comic books, Comic-Con, community, film festival, Mel Brooks, movies, screenplay, screenwriting, script, short films, television, writing , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apart from all the work on scripts and beginning the process of entering my short into film festivals, I’m currently getting ready to attend Comic-Con in San Diego.

First time going, and pretty psyched about it. This is one of those events I’ve always wanted to attend, but never had the opportunity. So when a friend offered me a badge, my ever-supportive sweetie said “You should go”, I decided to take the plunge.

For those unfamiliar, Comic-Con is a HUGE event that takes over that part of San Diego over the course of several days. All things comics, movies, TV, video games, toys, games, and beyond. Not to mention the vast number of cosplayers. Hundreds of thousands will be in attendance, including yours truly.

(Full disclosure – it was always a dream/fantasy that the first time I’d get to go would be to promote a movie that I’d written. Not the case, but still thrilled to be going.)

I’ve been putting together a list of panels I’d like to attend, books and maybe some merch I’ll try to get, and creatives of all sorts I’m hoping to meet – especially writers.

I originally considered panels about writing-oriented careers in various industries, but I’d also like just enjoy myself, so swapped some of those out for Q&As with industry vets and topics I like.

One thing I won’t be doing – waiting in line for hours to get into the canyon-esque Hall H (although I would do it for the Spaceballs 2 panel in the event that Mel Brooks shows up, which I suspect he will), or seeking out “exclusives” (i.e. specialty items only available here). I found a “first-timers” group on Facebook, and 95 percent of the posts were all about that sort of stuff (e.g. “We need somebody to hold a spot in line for the Marvel panel!”), so no thanks. That’s not why I’m going or how I want to spend my time there.

I just like the idea of attending this massive event that features a lot of things I’m interested in. No doubt it’ll be initially overwhelming, but the primary goal is to simply enjoy myself while taking it all in. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

And if you spot me out and about, feel free to say hi.

Helping > hindering

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I got an email earlier this week from a writer I’ve never met or interacted with asking for some help/guidance in getting their script out there.

My first thought was “Why me? I’m pretty much in the same position as you are.” But decency won out and I offered up some suggestions of paths they could take, along with asking that very question.

They appreciated what I had to say, and explained they reached out because “I saw that you had interviewed people in the industry and wrote books about it, impressive! I watched you on a podcast and perceived that you were a sharp guy….”

I don’t know about sharp, but it was still nice to hear (along with a shoutout for my books).

As I’ve written here many times, establishing and maintaining your writing community are truly invaluable resources. A key factor is that being open to helping others, especially when you’re not looking for something in return.

It’s just about being a nice person that people enjoy and appreciate interacting with.

Here are a few posts from the archives about that very topic.

Enjoy.

Happy to help

Still happy to help

That’s me – the human flying buttress

Still flying, still buttressing

My brain’s helping hands are ready to go

I despise this with the fiery intensity of a thousand suns

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No doubt many within the assorted writing communities have received at least one email of this nature:

“Hi there!

I found your book/project (TITLE) and was immediately captivated by what an amazing work it is on the subject of (WHATEVER).

1-2 PARAGRAPHS OF FLOWERY ASS-KISSING PROSE AND ASSORTED GENERALIZED COMMENTS BASED ON YOUR WORK AND ANY RELATED DESCRIPTIONS AND/OR WRITE-UPS FOUND ONLINE

I think the potential for the impact this material could have is huge! Just imagine readers having in-depth discussions about the complexities revolving around (SUBJECT).

I would love to discuss this more/have you on my podcast/social media. When would be a convenient time for you?”

You may at first think this is an honest and sincere email from somebody genuinely interested in your work.

To a certain extent, it is, but not from a creative perspective.

Because you know what’s coming next – and they’re never upfront about it. They shower you with praise and lofty expectations to reel you in, before the inevitable:

“I wanted to also let you know what the tier levels are for the varying packages we offer to help to promote your material.”

And there it is.

To paraphrase – “We want you to pay for the privilege of having us promote your work.”

Sometimes I respond to the initial email with lots of probing questions, seeking out at least an iota of truth. Getting even that is challenging.

No matter what, I wrap it up by writing “Thanks, but no thanks”, sending it and then deleting all of it.

Sometimes they come back with a “I’m sorry to hear that. We’re really interested in working with you. What can we do to help make this happen?”

I’m too polite to send my immediate thought of “fuck off and die, you bloodsucking leeches”; others may not be as reserved. I remain silent, delete that one, and move on with my life.

I get it. Some writers are so desperate that they’ll shell out the bucks to do this. That’s their choice. I prefer not to. Although I am curious how effective these campaigns are, or if at all. I’m inclined to think most writers regret having made the investment.

Would love to hear from anybody who’s had a positive experience with this sort of thing.

My inbox has seen an increase in these emails over the past few weeks.

Most of them stop sending, but the occasional note pops up after a few months to “just check in” and ask if I’d still be interested. That one also gets deleted right away.

There are A LOT of people out there more than ready to separate you from your money as part of their effort to “help you and your career”.

Do your research. Trust your instincts. If it feels fishy or seems too good to be true, it probably is. If somebody is genuinely interested in helping you, they’re not going to charge you for it or ask you to cover any “fees”.

Caveat emptor indeed, chums.

Bye-bye, blue birdie

Maximum Z community, marketing, perseverance, persistence, screenplay, screenwriting, script, Twitter , , , , , , ,

After 15+ years of existence, my Twitter account of @maximum_z is no more.

I got hacked. Somebody got in, took over, and booted me out.

A few days later, I got an email saying the account was suspended for “violating our rules against inauthentic accounts.”

Despite my efforts to fix it, Elon’s minions opted to deny any and all attempts.

And that was that.

I’d posted the news on other platforms, and was met with a lot of “Trust me. It’s for the best” and “I left a while ago. No regrets.” I imagine that’s how I’ll eventually feel about it, but for now, it’s still a period of adjustment.

A majority of the screenwriters and the screenwriting-adjacent I know were people I’d met/discovered on Twitter, so it’s a shame that those connections are no more. Especially since many had already voluntarily left – either to other platforms or off social media altogether.

It’ll be very strange not seeing updates from people I’ve known for such a long time – most virtually, with the occasional real-life encounter.

My account was also a strong marketing tool. It was great for announcing news of any sort, including progress on scripts, touting contest victories (and the occasional defeat), being part of self-promoting opportunities like ScreenPit, boosting the work of other writers, updates about my short film (coming soon!), and spreading the word about the Maximum Z Script Showcase.

Even with the loss of @maximum_z, this blog will endure and I’m still on other platforms, so feel free to connect with me on those – if you haven’t already.

Blue Sky – @pezscreenwriting

Instagram – @pezscreenwriting

There’s still the option of trying to re-establish the cancelled account, but that just seems like more trouble than it’s worth. Same goes for attempting to set up a new one.

It was fun while it lasted. Moving on and getting back to working on scripts.