Happy weekend, Ya’ll! So this week: I got an email from a screenwriting competition — through the Writers Guild, so a pretty good one — saying I had progressed to the next round. Yay. Then I did a pitch for a big job, and I didn’t get it. Sigh. Then I got an email saying … Read more
This past weekend, my friend tried mushrooms for the first time. It had been on her list of things to try for a while because she was intrigued by reports that they make you feel smarter, more creative and happy, and even give you spiritual insights. She wanted to have spiritual insights! [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5kqThVON18&w=560&h=315] Lots … Read more
Last week, I went to a presentation where a speaker mentioned that rejection imprints more deeply in the female brain than the male brain. I thought this was pretty interesting, so looked online for details but failed to find any article to corroborating this, although I don’t disbelieve her. In any case, it got me … Read more
Warning: This is going to be a craft post, likely boring for non-screenwriting nerds. I’m reading a new book by Yves Lavadier called Constructing a Story, and I’m reading about character arcs. One thing that we talk about in drama is character want versus character need. The want tends to be a tangible, external, and a conscious … Read more
Saturday was Earth Day and March for Science day. I almost went to the march, but did not. It’s okay though, because I made it a point to like all the Facebook posts of friends who did go. (That last sentence was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek but really just makes me feel sad for reasons … Read more
Persian people like watermelon. Black people like watermelon. But there’s some history there, and miscommunications can occur, as in this scene where Mehran shows up at brunch to meet Taylor’s family for the first time…
A few weeks ago, I was delighted to receive an email from Colorado Review inviting me to be on their podcast. They would read one of my short stories from their archives, “Superman Falling,” and then interview about the process of writing the story. The podcast came out this week, here. (Or maybe I can direct to … Read more
Because this blog is sadly neglected of late, I don’t think I’ve mentioned that I’m teaching a screenwriting class this term. A friend alerted me to the opportunity around the same time that I was leaving my other day job, and it seemed like a message from the universe saying things would be all right. That … Read more
So, here’s a little news on the professional front. I’ve got representation now! A little more than a year ago, I received an email from a college classmate, introducing me to his manager and suggesting that we might enjoy working together. I had some work ready to go, so I sent the manager some samples which … Read more
