Location, location, location. It’s important in real estate, in a script’s budget and also in sparking creativity for a writer’s mind. But for me, location isn’t the only thing – it’s the combination of location, people, and inspiration that puts words on the page. Location Finding the best location to write is just as important [...]
I’m feeling a need to stick up for the little people today. I always root for the little guy. Hell, I am a little guy. Hence, this is why I love indie filmmakers. We have day jobs, work tirelessly to get our art noticed, and stick our tin cups out to crowdsource via Kickstarter and [...]
Life cannot be fully appreciated in an insular state. Humanity survives by embracing community. So it’s not a mere coincidence that a writer needs to build a writing community not only for their sanity but also to learn and grow in their craft. Many of my readers are aware I have trained in Chung Do [...]
As I sat in my Panera office today writing, a friend popped in asking what I was working on. When I responded that I had another rewrite of Slavery by Another Name (SBAN) to get done, she gasped, “You’re STILL working on that script… hasn’t it been like 100 years since you started?” My response, [...]
I think a lot about my characters. They come with me everywhere I go. Last weekend I sat in on Welcome Day at my daughter’s new college and listened to a professor of psychology talk about fear, comfort and commonality (how fitting is it that my girl is studying psychology?). I was jotting notes… yes, [...]
Congratulations to all of the writers who went to Screenwriters World Conference East last weekend in New York City. It was an honor and a pleasure to meet our community of writers and learn alongside you. Since my return, my inbox has been popping with post-pitchfest questions, starting with the Pitch Slam experience. I wasn’t [...]
After posting Balls of Steel: 10 Tips to Prepare for Opportunities When They Knock last week, my email and Facebook messages were flooded with responses from my network. “I hear Neil Peart, the drummer from Rush, say his old drum teacher tell him that between gigs, you should prepare since you don’t know when the [...]
This week I had the honor of speaking at Upstate Independents, a wonderful group of filmmakers and artists who, for the past 18 years, have been meeting once a month to share their talent and to network. Whenever I address a new audience, it allows me the chance to see my journey into screenwriting through [...]
As the month of January draws to a close, many of you are scratching your heads wondering how you got sidetracked from the writing goals you were determined to meet. Welcome to my world. My name is Jeanne, and I fell off the writing-goal wagon. Let’s get real here. It’s inevitable a few steel balls [...]
