Folks in the screenwriting community are always warning each other about the potential of being scammed by cash-grab screenplay contests. I've always ignored those warnings, assuming that I was smart enough to spot a bad competition long before I was dumb enough to plunk down my money for an entry fee. As so often happens, … Continue reading They warned me but would I listen?
Looking for L.A.’s seediest alley
When I think of gritty cinematic streets and alleys, I think most of New York city and the Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, area where The French Connection car chase scene was filmed. [Check out Gene Hackman in action here] Even better are places like Big Apple's Cortlandt Alley, used to shoot segments of Men in Black, one … Continue reading Looking for L.A.’s seediest alley
One of my screenplays is in preproduction!
Has it really been nearly three months? I've been so far down Ye Olde Scribe's Underground Bunker™ I had to check my calendar. It's been a bit of a whirlwind since December, when I met an indie filmmaker from Los Angeles looking for a cool new project to shoot. He dug some of my earlier … Continue reading One of my screenplays is in preproduction!
The worst (best) writing advice you’ll ever get … from me … this week … maybe
One of my many many many little brothers charged me with scribbling some thoughts on self-publishing a couple years back. This afternoon I stumbled upon it while googling myself—oh, the unmitigated narcissism—and was reminded just how acerbic and generally on target it was. I know, I know. I'm supposed to pretend my own writing never … Continue reading The worst (best) writing advice you’ll ever get … from me … this week … maybe
Pleasantly surprised by my 2022 Austin Film Festival screenplay notes
At the heart of the story I submitted to this year's Austin Film Festival screenplay competition is a man taking on difficult and morally questionable work in order to fund the medical needs of a dying loved one. Nothing new under the sun, right? My big twists are the bizarre ways he makes the money, … Continue reading Pleasantly surprised by my 2022 Austin Film Festival screenplay notes