Tip O'Day #455 - The Scary Part about Horror Films

Guest blogger Michael Laimo on how to land a movie deal.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been involved in getting two of my novels filmed as NBC/Chiller original films. The number one question I am being asked right now is, “How did you do it?”

In a nutshell, I pretty much tell everyone, “I got lucky.” There’s a lot of truth to that. To be honest, I also like to think that I told the right story, and hooked up with the right producer at the right time. Yes, there was a bit of luck, but there were many other factors involved in this success.

It all started with an email from Synthetic Cinema’s executive producer, Andrew Gernhard. It was a basic ‘hello’ letter asking me if my novel Deep in the Darkness was available for option. At the time, it had been optioned three times, and was in the middle of a one-year agreement with independent filmmaker Jeven Dovey. Some of you know that Mr. Dovey had filmed my short story 1-800-Suicide, and was looking to film a feature. He loved Deep in the Darkness, and gave it a stab. Since I could not give Mr. Gernhard the rights to that, I asked if he’d be interested in either The Demonologist, or Dead Souls. I’d also asked him how he came across my work, and he told me someone in his crew recommended me. (Thank you Jason!). Andrew optioned three of my books, and pitched them to Chiller, who at the time was just getting into original films.

Then I waited. And waited. Almost a year passed before I heard back. Chiller decided to go with Steve Niles’ Remains. I had been the runner up with Dead Souls. It was a great honor to have been in the running, but I was equally disappointed.

But…Chiller still liked the story in Dead Souls and the option was renewed. A year later, I discovered (months after Chiller gave Dead Souls the green light), that it would become a Chiller original film. As a matter of fact, mere weeks after being told the good news, I was on set filming my cameo. In the meantime, the option lapsed on Deep in the Darkness, and I went to Synthetic Cinema to see if there was still interest. Apparently there was, because while on the Dead Souls set, I was told that DITD was in the running. That was a GREAT week!

Fast forward to the night of the Dead Souls premiere — I had about 30 close friends and family at my home, all geared up to watch the movie. A text came in from Andrew Gernhard telling me that DITD had been green lit. Another spectacular night! So now, it’s a year after the filming of DITD, and I await all the post-production goodies, like the film’s poster, the trailer, etc. It will be a fun ride leading up to DITD’s premiere in May 2014, this time in theaters.

Many of you have asked…will there be more? The answer to that is MAYBE. There are some irons in the fire, but nothing set in stone yet. In the meantime, pick up a copy of Dead Souls on DVD, or read Deep in the Darkness while you wait for the film’s release.

As a reviewer of one of Michael Laimo's books put it, his writing is not the place to find rainbows and unicorns. Learn more about this horror author at www.laimo.com.

Tip O'Day #435 - To Wallow or Not?

Guest blogger Connie Travisano Colón on writing through grief.

I was honored when Dixon asked if I would write a guest blog, and told him I would as soon as I figured out a topic. Like any good writer, I spent a good deal of that time procrast…um…proactively researching and formulating ideas. Then I hit a major stumbling block – life got in the way. Actually, it was death.

My mom had passed away in April of 2012. After “going through the motions” during the funeral week, I was hit more and more by her absence during the subsequent weeks and months.

Not only did I neglect to write this guest blog post, but I also shoved aside my magazine assignments and let my newest manuscript take a rest. A long rest. Matter of fact, I was avoiding my office. I had gone back to my part time job but couldn’t get myself to sit at my desk and do any writing when I was home. I still read books. I answered email from my iPad or phone. Of course, as many of you know, I still spent many hours on Facebook – but not in my office.

Then it dawned on me that the phone call about mom had come when I was sitting at my computer working on my manuscript – on a scene that took place in a funeral parlor. I now knew the reason for my paralysis, yet couldn’t park my butt at the computer to write.

Okay, now what?

I emailed my agent, Jill Corcoran (jillcorcoran.blogspot.com). Surely she would give me that “kick-in-the-pants-tough love” advice that I needed, right? Wrong. Her answer surprised the pants off of me instead. In her infinite wisdom, Jill said I should wallow in it. She told me that if I rushed back into it before I was ready, then that would show up in my writing.

So there I was with my bona fide Permission to Procrastinate. I did just that for a while but knew I couldn’t continue indefinitely. Change was in order. First came a complete office makeover. My husband helped me switch around the furniture and reposition everything. While I was at it, I even cleaned and organized. (In some parts of the universe, I’m sure that could be considered a form of procrastination.) I did manage to slowly squeeze out a few more pages of that particular manuscript but it wasn’t a happy reunion. Being a writer of humor, I needed happy.

Figuring that more change was in order, I tried some new things. My friend and fellow creative soul, Art Fyvolent (www.SquirrelVentures.com), was developing a fabulous concept for a pet rescue website. I helped him tweak some of the writing and did a bit of proofreading and editing. It was for all those sweet, innocent dogs after all – I couldn’t say no. So yes, that is why you see lots of dog rescue posts on my FB page now, as a way to thank the pups for helping me get back into writing. This wasn’t my usual shtick, but hey – I was writing again. My paws were stepping in the right direction.

I also joined an in-person critique group in my area with several children’s writers I had met through NJSCBWI. Yay – deadlines, since my goal was to bring new pages to each of our meetings.

The next big change was taking a TV Scriptwriting class taught by Alan Kingsberg (www.alankingsberg.com). Yay – more deadlines! But this was totally out of my comfort zone. I had never done any writing for TV. So I was spending money to schlep into NYC each week to undoubtedly make a fool of myself in front of people who knew what they were doing. Or as my teenage son pointed out: “Mom, you’re the ‘scrub’ of the class.”

Long story short - I loved the class. The ‘scrub’ did quite well, and signed up for another session. I now have a fun pilot episode based on one of my chapter book manuscripts and I intend on writing more TV scripts. The course helped me punch up the humor, along with making every word count since there are strict time constraints for television. Everything I learned is now helping me strengthen my book manuscripts as well.

Bravo to all of those people able to continue their normal writing routines even when life’s big problems get in the way, but if you just can’t, don’t beat yourself up over it. Perhaps taking a slow detour will lead you up a path that is the perfect place for you.

Have I finished that manuscript with the funeral parlor scene, you ask? Nope. But there’s no expiration date on that one and I’m having a blast with other projects. I’m happy and productive with my new critique group. I love the way my office is set up now, and couldn’t be happier with my newfound love of writing TV scripts. (Okay, I lied. I’ll be happier when I actually start making money at it.) I’m grateful that I had the time to help with some behind the scenes animal rescue, and grateful that it helped me get a jumpstart back into my writing chair at the computer. Lastly, I finally managed to get this blog post written for Dixon - phew!

No doubt, Mom would be proud.

Connie has sold over 60 articles and 100 photos to publications including Highlights, Fun For Kidz, AppleSeeds, and Faces. She is currently developing a TV pilot script for an animated kids series.

One-Sentence Writing Tips, Part V

This is Day Five of One-Sentence Writing Tips Week, with Facebook writers and other book lovers showing they can be both profound and concise.

J.T. Sather: Writing a book is the easy part, selling it however...not so much.

Paul M. Schofield: Write, write, write...right?

Laura Schultz: Pay close attention to everything and everyone around you, as some of them could become great characters.

Literary agent Michael Snell: Eschew obfuscation and sesquipedalian anfractuosities.

Screenwriter Mike Snyder: Most writers are banned from TV or movie sets because they insist every last word is deathless prose; that's just not gonna happen, at least not in North America.

Unless your genial host gets flooded by last-minute submissions, these one-sentence tips will end on Saturday. Tomorrow’s scheduled tipsters: Jennie Gardner Spallone, Mark Terry, Troy Wilkinson and Kristen Wood.

Tip O'Day #428 - Bite Your Lip...

Guest blogger Mike Snyder on “A Cautionary Tale.”

Someone once said, "Writing is the loneliest profession." Let's not kid ourselves, so are accounting and nuclear physics. We just like to feel more tortured because we're creative. Well, maybe...

As authors, writers, bloggers, screenwriters, doodlers, dreamers, what-have-you, we are the masters of our fates ... much like that Seinfeld episode (and often, amounting to the same thing). For any of us know who have come up against editors, publishers, producers, directors, our moms -- name your poison -- it suddenly becomes a lot more crowded up in here!

I'm primarily a TV & film writer, but a lot of my friends are novelists (or recovering screenwriters, as I like to think of them). Some of them have had, or are in the process of having, their novels turned into films. One has even reverse engineered the process: she wrote a script that no one wanted, turned it into a best-selling novel featuring a winning heroine, which became a three-novel deal, which became a further three-novel deal, which then brought Hollywood sniffing around her door wondering if she'd "ever considered turning her novel into a script."

Ah, karma is so sweet sometimes...

I've been fortunate enough, and curious enough, to develop a skill set in other capacities on movie sets, which offers me a more unique insight into the screenwriting process, so I'm rarely asked to stay away when it's my script that's being eviscerated.

In other words, though it's often painful, and occasionally I still get bruised and battered, I know how to play the game. Novelists may have editors, but screenwriters are fair game to everyone who comes down the pike, so you may as well just relax and enjoy the ride. Filmmaking is the most collaborative of professions because everyone feels entitled to a kick at the cat, as my Canadian friends say. The producer who buys your script, certainly, especially if he's putting up the money and has a particular direction in mind for the project; the director, who wants to put his creative stamp on it; the actors, who want to make it their own (which is a whole 'nuther blog); and various network, studio or assistant underlings who need their presence known to justify huge paychecks.

All this requires that you bite the bullet. Hard. You're not going to win every argument and a lot of your darlings are going to be gutted, so choose your battles wisely and have *really* good reasons when you dig your heels in. Most writers are banned from TV or movie sets because they insist every last word is deathless prose. That's just not gonna happen, at least not in North America.

So, you've gone through development - a euphemism for obliterating anything creative from your script - and your Precious is going into production. Now you have every other department, down to the guy in crafts services, whispering in the director's ear because 1) they have an idea to make the script better, which is usually because 2) they have a script at home that's ten times as good as yours and they're obviously much more creative.

At this point you've suddenly begun praying the director has a strong vision, even if it's not *yours* simply to keep the wolves at bay.

Lonely profession indeed...

So, your bottom lip raw from biting it so much, you've managed to remain on the set as, day after day, you see something begin to emerge and take shape that may or may not have anything to do with your original piece.

Huzzah, consider yourself a true survivor. Out of hundreds of thousands (really, seriously, hundreds of thousands) of scripts that get submitted each year to studios, networks, production companies, producers, directors, actors, et al, yours was chosen. It was strong enough to withstand the vagaries of development and is being filmed. Or taped. Or pixeled. Whatever, it's getting made!

So whenever that little voice in the back of your head begins whining about your lovely vision and integrity to self and other silly, non-filmmaking words, sit on it. Hard. Stomp it down somewhere deep in the recesses of your soul where it will remain until you begin to write your next script.

Because ... this time it'll be different.

Tip O'Day #336 - Plot Problems in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Guest blogger Zvi Zaks muses on the Star Wars series.

The first Star Wars, Episode Four, presents magnificent epitomes of good (Obi Wan) and evil (Darth Vader). Luke, at first somewhat bratty, becomes a strong protagonist. It's a clean, well structured story.

In Episode Five, the neatness unravels. Vader is not ultimate evil (the Emperor is), and Luke endangers everyone by abandoning his training. Still, the story moves smoothly to that famous kicker, "Luke, I am your father."

Episode Six reveals Vader has unsuspected goodness, and Obi Wan shows himself a weasel when he says 'in a sense' Vader killed Luke's father. It's a little confusing, but we're more or less satisfied at the end. Stories of pure good and evil are less interesting that those with more ambivalent characters, but the latter need more skill in construction. Vader as Luke's father just does not fit with the original film. Lucas tried too hard for the poignant. Since that idea arose after the first film was 'in the can,’ the story suffered.

In Episode One, everything changes. How can cute, wise, brave little Anikin be a villain? Moreover, Jedis Qui-Gon and the young Obi Wan, unlike wise Alec Guinness, are insensitive jerks. Who are the good guys here?

Later, Obi Wan becomes obnoxiously overbearing. Inexplicably, Padme falls in love with and marries Anakin, an impetuous teen at least ten years younger. In Episode two, we see droids under the evil Dookus and clones, precursors of the imperial storm troopers. It's confusing. Who should we root for?

In a plausible seduction, Anikin succumbs to the dark side. The mind-controlled clones betray the Jedi. Yoda goes into exile on Degaba (in a scene that, sadly, didn't make the final cut.) Babies Leia and Luke are placed with good families, CP3O has his memory wiped to conform with later episodes, and we're ready to watch Episode 4 - A New Hope once again.

Scientific absurdities abound (e.g., using 'parsec' as a unit of time, driving a submarine through a planet's core, and a robot, Grievous, with a hunched back and cough). Most are minor. Much more serious is the failure of the Jedis to rescue Anakin's mother from slavery. Her death is necessary to show Anakin's progression to the Dark Side, but it's unrealistic. A trained Jedi might not need emotional attachments, but Anakin is still a child.

Lucas has created a messiah (virgin birth, no less) who falls into evil and needs redemption himself instead of redeeming others. The idea is lofty, but the execution lacks finesse. At the end, there is no point. Anakin-Vader, the saga's main character, is neither hero nor anti-hero. One is tempted to ask - why bother?

I bother. I love Star Wars. The spectacular eye-candy, inspiring music, and enough shturm und drang to delight a meteorologist sucks me in time after time. And watching it while exercising makes my workouts much easier. It's a lot of fun.

But it's nothing to take seriously.

Learn more about this author at his Amazon page.

Tip O'Day #332 - Are There Any New Ideas?

Guest blogger Ben Drake on a writer’s influences.

My first memory of the original “Star Wars” trilogy was the ending of “The Empire Strikes Back.” Then the waiting in line to get tickets for “Return of the Jedi” and watching that film in the movie theatre. Little did I know how much that movie would influence my life.

When I was in my twenties, a friend of mine gave me the book called Sidharthra by Hermen Hess. Reading this great book, I couldn’t help but notice similarities between the struggles of Sidharthra, and the challenges a Jedi must face, plus the rewards that accompany them. That got me wondering whether this book had a strong influence on George Lucas’ creation of “Star Wars,” specifically the concept of the force.

How much impact do the books we read, and the shows we watch, and the tunes we hear have on what we write? Is there even a chance of an original thought left for writers to write about?

Dixon says – I’ve heard it said there are only two stories: (1) someone goes on a journey, and (2) a stranger comes to town.

That’s a joke, of course, but still…

It’s hard to think of a story, or theme, or plot twist that hasn’t already been none to death. In the end, though, what’s important isn’t the subject matter, but rather your approach and execution. Sure, “West Side Story” was inspired by “Romeo and Juliet,” but didn’t the 1960s film feel every bit as fresh and energetic as the original must have seemed to Londoners at the Globe so many years ago?

When we read a children’s book about the Three Little Pigs – except it’s told from the point of view of the Big Bad Wolf – we recognize it’s not an original story, but we still chuckle at the creativity of the author and the unexpected approach. In fact, I've found it can be an interesting exercise to take a well-worn story and try to "stand it on its head" so it becomes a new and fresh concept.

One Sentence Writing Tips: #5 of 5

This has been a fun week, sharing “one sentence writing tips” from a wide range of FB friends – from literary agent Michael Snell, to newbies, to Amazon bestseller Kathy Dunnehoff, everybody had interesting, sometimes hilarious suggestions. Here’s the final five:

Michael Snell - “Good writers need editors more than bad writers; the best writers need the best editors.”

Linda Swink - “Never trust speel check.”

Peggy Zabicki - “Before you even pick up a pen, sit down and day dream.”

Kathy Rowe - ‎"If you don't know anything about it: RESEARCH!"

Dixon Rice – “If you could use improvement at writing dialogue, challenge yourself by drafting a screenplay.”

Tip O'Day #229 - Write in Scenes

Guest blogger Colleen Cross on borrowing a screenwriting technique.

Like many writers, I start new books with a general idea, a rough chapter outline, and a vague idea of the ending. At the start it's fresh and exciting, and I'm sure I'll knock out a first draft in no time at all. Then, just as we reach double-digit chapters, disaster strikes. My characters hijack the story. Or, even worse, they go on strike, and steer me off the highway and onto that no-exit road called Writer's Block Hell.

How can they do this to me?

Thankfully, I read some screenwriting books. Syd Field's Four Screenplays and Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! offer great advice for screenwriters, and novelists can benefit too.

One idea made all the difference; I started to write in scenes. Modern stories are based on a three act story structure: the beginning, the middle and the end. I determine the three most important scenes for each act, and then write them. Now I've got nine scenes which form the main plot and provide the theme. I don't worry about what happens before or after these scenes, or exactly what order they appear in. I can fill those in later with smaller connecting scenes. I save each scene in a separate Word file, and then I knit them into my novel's first draft.

My characters haven't mutinied on me since I started using this method. They seem happier, and while I still give them free rein, they don't take over my story, or stop it. Writing in scenes is a little messier, but it frees me to be more creative.

Visit Colleen's website and blog at http://colleencross.com and read more about Exit Strategy, Book 1 in the Katerina Carter suspense series.

Dixon says: I had coffee with writing friend (and Amazon Top 50 reviewer) Roxanne McHenry the other day. She is excited about the first draft of her dark YA novel, which consists of a series of unconnected scenes. When she gets further along, she'll worry about whether the scenes are in the right order, and how to hook them together. An interesting approach - I'm not sure I'd have the courage to try it.

Tip O'Day #212 - Write for Films

Guest blogger Carl Paolino II on all you need to know about screenwriting.

To sell a screenplay you need an agent who believes in your work and pushes it.

Tip O'Day for Authors #174

Guest blogger Chuck Hustmyre on “from page to script to screen.”

In late July I saw something really unique: the premier of my movie on the big screen in Los Angeles. Granted, it wasn’t at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard, and it was only in Los Angeles to the extent that the premier was in Los Angeles County. At the Regency Academy 6 Theater on East Colorado Street in Pasadena to be exact, as part of the Action on Film International Festival. But still... It was pretty cool.

How the movie and I got there was an adventure in itself. I used to be a federal agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms . But I’ve been a tinkerer writer since junior high when I started my first novel. In 2004, I “sold” my novel, House of the Rising Sun, to a tiny POD publisher in Oregon. No advance, just royalties. According to the publisher, the book sold just 100 copies and was his worst seller. Fortunately for me, an aspiring local movie producer bought one of those hundred copies. He called me and asked if I would write a script based on the book -- for free, of course. I had some experience with writing screenplays, so I said yes. That began a six-year odyssey of ups and downs. The producer brought onboard a two-time Academy Award winner to direct, but even having two Oscars on the mantle didn’t help us overcome the No. 1 obstacle to getting a movie made -- finding the money to make it.

In 2010, with the local production group’s options long expired, I decided to strike out on my own. I sent out dozens of queries to producers, agents, and managers, the vast majority of which were not answered. I even used a query service that blasted my pitch to thousands more industry people. One producer -- that’s all it ever takes -- got back to me, but it wasn’t to buy my script. He had a question about the book business. I put the question to my book agent, who answered it, which in turn led the producer to pass my query on to a friend of his who was looking for a gritty crime thriller, something akin to “House of the Rising Sun.” That producer optioned my script -- again for free -- and shopped it around to other producers who had production money.

The script went through a few hands, but it ended up at Berkshire Axis Media, a Toronto-based production company. Producer Mark Sanders bought the script from me, and even though the budget was only $1.5 million, he managed to land a notable cast: Danny Trejo of Machete fame, Amy Smart (Crash and The Butterfly Effect), Dominic Purcell (Prison Break), and WWE wrestling superstar Dave Bautista. Meanwhile, my book agent shopped the novel around (the rights had reverted to me) and eventually sold it to Dorchester. Then Dorchester seemed to implode and I was taking steps to cancel the sale, but the Dorchester ship seems to have righted itself. I got paid and the book came out last month in trade paperback and various ebook formats. I even talked the movie distributor, LIONSGATE, into letting me use the movie poster and DVD cover art for the cover of the novel.

So back to Grauman’s in Hollywood -- I mean the Regency Academy 6 in Pasadena -- where we were all set for the premier: me, my wife, producer Mark Sanders, some friends, even my mom was there, and then... nothing. The Blu-ray copy the theater had didn’t work. The projectionist called Mark out of the auditorium. They disappeared for a while. About 20 minutes later, Mark showed back up, sweaty and short of breath. He had run to Blockbuster to rent a copy of the movie, but the nearest Blockbuster was closed down. Then he went to Best Buy but he couldn’t find the movie. Finally, he discovered another Blockbuster that was still open, and he found the movie on the shelf. Then I got to see my movie, on the big screen, in Los Angeles (County). And it was pretty cool.

CHUCK HUSTMYRE is the author of the novels House of the Rising Sun and A Killer Like Me and the Penguin true crime books Killer with a Badge and An Act of Kindness (now Unspeakable Violence). For more information visit www.chuckhustmyre.com.

Tip O'Day for Writers #166

Guest blogger Elisa Manalo-Simon says, “Story is king.”

My most inspired stories come from the heart. I’m a screenwriter, and it helps to craft a tale that can be experienced on several levels - evoking not only a vision, but also the sounds, the mood and the tangible things that bring about an emotional response. I start with an idea written out in one sentence. From that “logline” sentence, I expand into three acts in two pages. Two pages form the skeleton of the outline, beat by beat, scene by scene, into a series of sequences that form the screenplay.

When a story is effective, it has the capacity to entrance, enthrall and most of all, to teach and inspire an audience. They walk out of the theatre with an insight into the world they live in - or a window into another world they had never perceived existed. Writing a story is an art. Reading or watching the story can make us better people.

THAT is writing.

Check out Elisa’s website at www.storyartisan.wordpress.com

More on Screenwriting

Guest blogger Peter Floro on screenwriting and structure.

In my limited experience, I’ve found that structure is essential. If my work is ever optioned, it’s quite possible the studio might want to rewrite it, or the director has ideas, or the actor has ideas, so the dialogue can change. But if the structure is sound, then no matter what is said, the story remains the same because it is anchored in the structure. Blake Snyder's Save the Cat is one of the best examples of explaining story structure. Snyder talks to you, not down to you. My advice is to spend the time beforehand nailing the structure and getting it tight, and the rest will flow.

Screenwriting advice

Guest blogger Roy Gonzales has screenwriting advice.

When I first started out writing screenplays, I learned that you need to hook the reader within the first ten pages.

You need to at least introduce the main character, and tell the reader what the story is about and what to expect. Your target audience is that reader who gets paid to read twenty scripts a weekend. If you want him or her to pick out your script, make sure your first ten pages keeps the reader wanting more.

Sometimes it may take twelve pages, but try for ten.

Tip O'Day #39

Dennis Foley on becoming a better scene writer:

We can learn something from the Cold War Soviets. They often created weaponry from reverse engineering weapons the US and NATO invented in the 60s and 70s. They'd start with reconnaissance photos of something and then work backwards until they had a similar weapon.

As writers we can use a variation on the same technique to become better scene writers. Scenes are the basic increment of the novel, the heart of everything we write and not an optional skill to master.

Improve your scene writing skills by watching a favorite DVD or recorded TV program and paying attention to one scene. Watch it, turn it off, go write what you just watched. Then play it again and see if your prose was complete and effective at what you see in the scene. Doing this often, and with favorite scenes, will sharpen your skills as a scene writer. Good scene writers become good novelists.

Novelist/screenwriter/producer/writing instructor Dennis Foley blogs at http://dennisfoley.blogspot.com/