People get writer's block usually for one of two reasons. Either you're not sold on the topic you are planning to write on, or you just don't have the proper motivation. Seasoned writers learn to work around both of these obstacles, often by just realizing that writing an article or a story is really no different from following a recipe for chocolate chip cookies. You put each ingredient into a bowl in the prescribed amount and in the right order, stir, bake and pull it out of the oven and let it cool. Then enjoy. [ Read The Rest ]

I giggle like a school girl every time I read about someone who plagiarized whole chunks of prose and then got caught. The motivations for plagiarism continue to confound and amuse me; I can't imagine a way to rationalize it. It can't be a timesaver because it takes way more time to piece together someone else's words than just write your own. And it can't be because you're a bad writer. I mean, yeah, sure, maybe you are a bad writer, but the reality is, taking blatant credit for someone else's prose isn't really making you a better writer, right? No, there is really only one way to justify the fact that people still plagiarize. [ Read The Rest ]

by Jeremy Goodman

Last night, while reading Orson Scott Card's science fiction classic Ender's Game, there was something bothering me. It took quite a while for me to realize what it was. I finally realized that it was intrinsic to the writing; the expository material that set the scene throughout the book makes not-infrequent references to the "Russian Empire" and the "Second Warsaw Pact." [ Read The Rest ]

by Jason Mariner

Review of Christopher Riley's The Hollywood Standard for Screenwriters

What’s been around for ages but no one’s quite sure what it is? Hollywood standard screenplay format rules. Still awake? Without them, your script is toast, rubbish, already in the recycle bin. No production company will read it or touch it, or so they say. Or at least, they won't take you seriously as a screenwriter if you don't follow them. [ Read The Rest ]

Kurt Vonnegut passed away yesterday at 84 years old. As one of the authors that molded my literary perspective as a teenager - and at the top of that list no less - I feel the need to honor his impact. [ Read The Rest ]

By Jason Mariner

Most screenwriting books will tell you to write some every day. And mostly I am in agreement with that. Mostly. Now I'm going to recommend heresy. Take some time off. Really. Don't be afraid not to write. If you already feel inspired and motivated - by all means, write! But don't be so cajoled and feel so pushed by every "advice" book or article to follow their every word to the letter like it is dogma. It’s not. If it is, then you (and the author of that book or article) have found the secret formula, discovered the fountain of screenwriting, God Bless! [ Read The Rest ]

The empty page. Writer's block. Call it what you will, but when your will and your writing are out of sync, what you have is a stalemate.

Whether or not you are writing for income, or to fulfill a class assignment, or just for pleasure, the end result is that you have to break the stalemate somehow. You need to submit the article to your editor, you need to turn in that research paper, or you just need to stop drawing fancy bubble letters on an otherwise blank notepad.
[ Read The Rest ]

by Jason Mariner

Unless your life is like that of the real life Erin Brockovich or Jim Carrey's character in The Truman Show, there comes a time when one realizes his or her own life isn't exactly "movie-worthy." Or is it?
[ Read The Rest ]

by Jason Mariner

The key to writing a hot, marketable script for the Hollywood newcomer is first coming up with a killer concept. But how? Crafty Screenwriting by Alex Epstein just might have the answers.
[ Read The Rest ]

The toughest part of writing is being an objective editor. The standard trick is to give yourself (at least) 24 hours to let the article sit before you publish it. You write the draft and then set the entire project aside. When you come back to it, the next day or a week later, you get a fresh perspective. It helps the editing process because it removes your expectation of what is supposed to be written on the page and helps you see what is actually there.
[ Read The Rest ]