What is your favorite super power?
If you possessed this power, how would it change your life?
How would it change the world?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Writing prompt for October 30, 2008
If you could change the ending of any book ever written, which one would you pick?
How would you change it?
Write the new ending.
How would you change it?
Write the new ending.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Writing prompt for October 29, 2008
Read an autobiography, and find an inspirational quote.
Write about what it means to you.
Writing prompt for October 28, 2008
If you had to name one person (famous or not) who should NOT have divorced their spouse, who would you pick?
Describe what their future would have been like had they stayed married.
Describe what their future would have been like had they stayed married.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Writing prompt for October 27, 2008
Research a famous (or as close to famous as you can find) relative or ancestor.
Write a short summary of why she's famous (or infamous).
Write a short summary of why she's famous (or infamous).
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Writing prompt for October 26, 2008
Turn on the radio, and wait for the start of a new song.
During the tune, write continually, without worrying about spelling or punctuation.
When the song is over, revise your short work.
If it's good, keep writing.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Writing prompt for October 25, 2008
If you were to name the one person you know who is lacking sound judgment about their own relationship, who would it be?
Why?
Describe their relationship.
Why?
Describe their relationship.
Sorry
I hate making excuses. Yesterday was just... a really bad day for personal reasons.
Hope you still found something to write about!
Hope you still found something to write about!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Writing prompt for October 23, 2008
If you had to identify the worst hotel room you have ever stayed in, where was it?
Describe it.
Remember colors, textures, smells.
Describe it.
Remember colors, textures, smells.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Writing prompt for October 22, 2008
Fill out a mock application to be on a reality show.
Which show is it?
Why should you be chosen?
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Writing prompt for October 21, 2008
Suppose all world leaders agree to defer to your judgment for 24 hours.
What orders would you give?
What orders would you give?
Monday, October 20, 2008
Writing prompt for October 20, 2008
Find a new place to eat or drink, and introduce yourself to the server.
Later, write a character sketch based on what the server told you.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Writing prompt for October 18, 2008
Look around the room and pick an object.
Write one paragraph describing the object in full detail and a second paragraph explaining where it came from.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Writing prompt for October 17, 2008
Select a paragraph from one of your current works.
Change the point of view to see what new details you might find.
Change the point of view to see what new details you might find.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Writing prompt for October 16, 2008
Write a Super Bowl jingle for your favorite product.
What's the product?
And what's the jingle?
What's the product?
And what's the jingle?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Writing prompt for October 15, 2008
Make a list of products or services that no longer exist, but you remember (i.e., turn tables, 8-track players).
What memories are connected to them?
Write to the next generation describing them and relating your experiences.
What memories are connected to them?
Write to the next generation describing them and relating your experiences.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Writing prompt for October 14, 2008
If the moon were made of cheese, how would the rest of the universe be affected?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Writing prompt for October 13, 2008
Consider your favorite hero whose life was cut short (i.e., Martin Luther King, Jr., your mother, JFK, John Lennon).
What would they have done with the rest of their life?
How would the world, your world, have been changed?
What would they have done with the rest of their life?
How would the world, your world, have been changed?
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Writing prompt for October 12, 2008
Take one bite of your favorite food or candy.
Pretend it's the last bite of your last meal.
Write down what you're feeling and thinking.
Pretend it's the last bite of your last meal.
Write down what you're feeling and thinking.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Writing prompt for October 11, 2008
You've been promoted to vice president of a huge toy conglomerate.
What new toy would you suggest the company start making?
What new toy would you suggest the company start making?
Friday, October 10, 2008
Writing prompt for October 10, 2008
Describe today's weather using 10 words that aren't typically applied to the weather.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Writing prompt for October 9, 2008
If you could have any magical power for only one hour, what would it be?
How would you use it?
Why?
How would you use it?
Why?
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Writing prompt for October 8, 2008
Pretend you find yourself in the hospital without a clue who you or how you got there. You have no identification or personal effects.
How did you get amnesia?
What's the first thing you'll remember?
Do you want to go back to your old life or start a new one?
How did you get amnesia?
What's the first thing you'll remember?
Do you want to go back to your old life or start a new one?
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Recommended Reading for Screenwriters
A list of texts that are worthwhile for every screenwriter to be familiar with. I've done my best to categorize them according to specifics fields (ie, writing, production, etc.).
Filmmaking
Jolliffe, Genevieve and Jones, Chris, The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook
If you get one book, make it this one. Huge, heavy, indispensable. This goes through every step of the process in the form of interviews with people who actually do those jobs. Fun to read, distilling a wealth of experience and guided by authors who are focused on making very small, very inexpensive movies.
Maschwitz, Stu, The DV Rebel's Guide
Maschwitz is the founder of the FX house The Orphanage and the maker of extremely cheap DV movies with ridiculously high production value. The book is focused on shoestring digital effects work.
Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and In Control
Great war stories from a wide range of filmmakers working without a monetary net.
Writing
Ackerman, Hal. Write Screenplays That Sell
In a world of good screenwriting books, this one really stands out.
Seger, Linda, Making a Good Script Great, 2nd Ed
Many people view this as a rewriting book, but it can be used as a writing partner for the first draft.
Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and Written that Way
More great anecdotal lessons from screenwriters sharing their adventures and techniques in the low budget world.
Craft
Hitchcock, Alfred & Truffaut, Francois, Hitchcock/Truffaut.
Entertaining and illuminating exploration of a master's creative processes. Best if you can accompany it with DVDs of the films.
Murch, Walter, In the Blink of an Eye, 2nd Ed
Oscar-winning film editor and sound designer (and Final Cut Pro user) Murch is a renaissance man and it shows in this slim, elegant gem of a book about editing.
Mascelli, Joseph V. The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques
A venerable book that is a remarkably clear primer on basic film-language. If you know nothing and memorize this, you won't go wrong.
Acting
Weston, Judith, Directing Actors
An extraordinarily valuable book about how actors work and how to work with actors. Designed for film directors, but equally essential for producers and anyone who wants to understand the most elusive, public and misunderstood job on the set.
Comey, Jeremiah, The Art of Film Acting
Idiosyncratic examination of film acting, by an actor, for actors.
Financing
Wiese, Michael , Film & Video Financing
Hugely comprehensive. Start here.
Cones, John W. , 43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film
A technical, comprehensive book covering every imaginable finance arrangement. Hard-core money stuff.
Levison, Louise, Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents, Fifth Ed
Production and Scheduling
The two books below are similar, but Goodell comes from a production standpoint, while Halloran focuses on entertainment law.
Goodell, Gregory, Independent Feature Film Production
Straightforward, encyclopedic rundown of the whole process, start to finish. A bit dated, but there is a wealth of “how it works” and standard practices in here, conveyed with great clarity.
Erickson, Halloran and Tulchin. Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook
Great book full of agreements, standard forms, sample deals, and an entire chapter on what “profit” means.
Simon, Deke and Wiese, Michael. Film and Video Budgets
An updated industry standard that walks you through every line item on a selection of presented budgets.
Singleton, Ralph. Film Scheduling
The book is eleven years old, but the considerations that control scheduling are basically unchanging. The entire book walks you through scheduling the movie “The Conversation.”
Distribution
Anderson, John & Kim, Laura. I Wake Up Screening
After you've made the movie, then what? Festival and distribution insight and case studies by two of the best in the business.
Hall, Phil. Independent Film Distribution
A great overview on the current state (2006) of independent film distribution.
The Big Picture
Vachon, Christine. A Killer Life
What it's really like for one of the best indie producers.
Kaufman, Lloyd. Make Your Own Damn Movie
Edgy tales from the front line of Troma Entertainment's camp-sleaze empire. Warning: Has as much swearing as the average film set.
Biskind, Peter. Down and Dirty Pictures
The appalling history of the behind the scenes machinations that built American indie film. An essential cautionary tale about art and commerce.
Suber, Howard. The Power of Film
An examination of the audience's psychological relationship with movies. If you're looking for the subtleties that make a movie last for decades, Suber's spent decades trying to figure it out.
Filmmaking
Jolliffe, Genevieve and Jones, Chris, The Guerilla Filmmakers Handbook
If you get one book, make it this one. Huge, heavy, indispensable. This goes through every step of the process in the form of interviews with people who actually do those jobs. Fun to read, distilling a wealth of experience and guided by authors who are focused on making very small, very inexpensive movies.
Maschwitz, Stu, The DV Rebel's Guide
Maschwitz is the founder of the FX house The Orphanage and the maker of extremely cheap DV movies with ridiculously high production value. The book is focused on shoestring digital effects work.
Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and In Control
Great war stories from a wide range of filmmakers working without a monetary net.
Writing
Ackerman, Hal. Write Screenplays That Sell
In a world of good screenwriting books, this one really stands out.
Seger, Linda, Making a Good Script Great, 2nd Ed
Many people view this as a rewriting book, but it can be used as a writing partner for the first draft.
Gaspard, John. Fast, Cheap and Written that Way
More great anecdotal lessons from screenwriters sharing their adventures and techniques in the low budget world.
Craft
Hitchcock, Alfred & Truffaut, Francois, Hitchcock/Truffaut.
Entertaining and illuminating exploration of a master's creative processes. Best if you can accompany it with DVDs of the films.
Murch, Walter, In the Blink of an Eye, 2nd Ed
Oscar-winning film editor and sound designer (and Final Cut Pro user) Murch is a renaissance man and it shows in this slim, elegant gem of a book about editing.
Mascelli, Joseph V. The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques
A venerable book that is a remarkably clear primer on basic film-language. If you know nothing and memorize this, you won't go wrong.
Acting
Weston, Judith, Directing Actors
An extraordinarily valuable book about how actors work and how to work with actors. Designed for film directors, but equally essential for producers and anyone who wants to understand the most elusive, public and misunderstood job on the set.
Comey, Jeremiah, The Art of Film Acting
Idiosyncratic examination of film acting, by an actor, for actors.
Financing
Wiese, Michael , Film & Video Financing
Hugely comprehensive. Start here.
Cones, John W. , 43 Ways to Finance Your Feature Film
A technical, comprehensive book covering every imaginable finance arrangement. Hard-core money stuff.
Levison, Louise, Filmmakers and Financing: Business Plans for Independents, Fifth Ed
Production and Scheduling
The two books below are similar, but Goodell comes from a production standpoint, while Halloran focuses on entertainment law.
Goodell, Gregory, Independent Feature Film Production
Straightforward, encyclopedic rundown of the whole process, start to finish. A bit dated, but there is a wealth of “how it works” and standard practices in here, conveyed with great clarity.
Erickson, Halloran and Tulchin. Independent Film Producer's Survival Guide: A Business and Legal Sourcebook
Great book full of agreements, standard forms, sample deals, and an entire chapter on what “profit” means.
Simon, Deke and Wiese, Michael. Film and Video Budgets
An updated industry standard that walks you through every line item on a selection of presented budgets.
Singleton, Ralph. Film Scheduling
The book is eleven years old, but the considerations that control scheduling are basically unchanging. The entire book walks you through scheduling the movie “The Conversation.”
Distribution
Anderson, John & Kim, Laura. I Wake Up Screening
After you've made the movie, then what? Festival and distribution insight and case studies by two of the best in the business.
Hall, Phil. Independent Film Distribution
A great overview on the current state (2006) of independent film distribution.
The Big Picture
Vachon, Christine. A Killer Life
What it's really like for one of the best indie producers.
Kaufman, Lloyd. Make Your Own Damn Movie
Edgy tales from the front line of Troma Entertainment's camp-sleaze empire. Warning: Has as much swearing as the average film set.
Biskind, Peter. Down and Dirty Pictures
The appalling history of the behind the scenes machinations that built American indie film. An essential cautionary tale about art and commerce.
Suber, Howard. The Power of Film
An examination of the audience's psychological relationship with movies. If you're looking for the subtleties that make a movie last for decades, Suber's spent decades trying to figure it out.
Recommended Reading for Playwrights
Recommended Texts on the craft of Writing:
Boleslavsky - Acting: The First Six Lessons
Easty - On Method Acting
Hagen, Respect for Acting
Lewis - Method or Madness
Meisner - On Acting
Morris - No Acting Please
Shurtleff - Audition
Stanislavski - An Actor Prepares, Building A Character, Creating A Role
Strasberg - A Dream of Passion
Recommended Texts related to Theatre History:
Clurman - The Fervent Years
Hethmon - Strasberg At the Actors Studio
Jones - The Dramatic Imagination
Stanislavski - My Life in Art
Recommended Plays:
Aeschylus - Agamemnn
Albee - Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf, The Zoo Story, A Delicate Balance, Three Tall Women
Anouilh - The Rehearsal
Beckett - Endgame, Waiting for Godot
Brecht - Mother Courage, The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Buchnet - Woyczek
Chekhov - The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard
Churchill - Cloud Nine, Top Girls, Mad Forest
Coward - Private Lives, Blithe Spirit
Durang - Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Betty's Summer Vacation
Durrenmatt - The Visit
Euripides - Medea, The Trojan Women, Phaedra
Foote - The Young Man From Atlanta
Giradoux - The Madwoman of Chaillot
Goethe - Faust
Gorki - The Lower Depths
Gurney - The Dining Room
Hansberry - A Raisin in the Sun
Hare - Plenty
Ibsen - Peer Gynt, Ghosts, A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler
Jonson - Volpone
Kane - Blasted
Kopit - Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma's Locked You In the Closet…
Kushner - Angels in America
Lorca - Blood Wedding
Mamet - American Buffalo, Glengary Glen Ross, Oleana
Margulies - Sight Unseen, The Model Apartment
Marlowe - Doctor Faustus
Mee - Big Love
Miller - Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View From the Bridge
Moliere - Tartuffe, The Misanthrope
Norman - 'night, Mother
Odets - Waiting for Lefty, Rocket to the Moon
O'Neill - Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Parks - Topdog/Underdog
Pinter - The Homecoming, No Man's Land, Betrayal
Rabe - Hurly Burly
Racine - Phedre
Rice - The Adding Machine
Schnitzler - La Ronde
Shakespeare - Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shaw - Mrs. Warren's Profession, Man and Superman, Saint Joan, Pygmalion
Shawn - The Designated Mourner
Shepard - True West, Curse of the Starving Class, Buried Child
Sophocles - Oedipus the King, Antigone
Strindberg - Dance of Death, Ghost Sonata, A Dream Play - Easter, The Stronger, Miss Julie
Vogel - How I Learned to Drive
Weiss - Marat/Sade
Weller - Moonchildren
Wilde - The Importance of Being Ernest, Salome
Wilder - Our Town
Williams - The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof
Ball - Backwards & Forwards
Bradbury - Zen in the Art of Writing
Brohaugh - Just Open A Vein
Cole - Playwrights on Playwriting
Keyes - The Courage to Write
King - On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
Sweet - The Dramatist's Toolkit
Spencer - Playwright's Guidebook
Recommended Texts on the craft of Acting:
Boleslavsky - Acting: The First Six Lessons
Easty - On Method Acting
Hagen, Respect for Acting
Lewis - Method or Madness
Meisner - On Acting
Morris - No Acting Please
Shurtleff - Audition
Stanislavski - An Actor Prepares, Building A Character, Creating A Role
Strasberg - A Dream of Passion
Recommended Texts related to Theatre History:
Clurman - The Fervent Years
Hethmon - Strasberg At the Actors Studio
Jones - The Dramatic Imagination
Stanislavski - My Life in Art
Recommended Plays:
Aeschylus - Agamemnn
Albee - Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf, The Zoo Story, A Delicate Balance, Three Tall Women
Anouilh - The Rehearsal
Beckett - Endgame, Waiting for Godot
Brecht - Mother Courage, The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Buchnet - Woyczek
Chekhov - The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, The Three Sisters, The Cherry Orchard
Churchill - Cloud Nine, Top Girls, Mad Forest
Coward - Private Lives, Blithe Spirit
Durang - Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Betty's Summer Vacation
Durrenmatt - The Visit
Euripides - Medea, The Trojan Women, Phaedra
Foote - The Young Man From Atlanta
Giradoux - The Madwoman of Chaillot
Goethe - Faust
Gorki - The Lower Depths
Gurney - The Dining Room
Hansberry - A Raisin in the Sun
Hare - Plenty
Ibsen - Peer Gynt, Ghosts, A Doll's House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler
Jonson - Volpone
Kane - Blasted
Kopit - Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma's Locked You In the Closet…
Kushner - Angels in America
Lorca - Blood Wedding
Mamet - American Buffalo, Glengary Glen Ross, Oleana
Margulies - Sight Unseen, The Model Apartment
Marlowe - Doctor Faustus
Mee - Big Love
Miller - Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, A View From the Bridge
Moliere - Tartuffe, The Misanthrope
Norman - 'night, Mother
Odets - Waiting for Lefty, Rocket to the Moon
O'Neill - Anna Christie, The Iceman Cometh, A Moon for the Misbegotten, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Parks - Topdog/Underdog
Pinter - The Homecoming, No Man's Land, Betrayal
Rabe - Hurly Burly
Racine - Phedre
Rice - The Adding Machine
Schnitzler - La Ronde
Shakespeare - Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, As You Like It, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shaw - Mrs. Warren's Profession, Man and Superman, Saint Joan, Pygmalion
Shawn - The Designated Mourner
Shepard - True West, Curse of the Starving Class, Buried Child
Sophocles - Oedipus the King, Antigone
Strindberg - Dance of Death, Ghost Sonata, A Dream Play - Easter, The Stronger, Miss Julie
Vogel - How I Learned to Drive
Weiss - Marat/Sade
Weller - Moonchildren
Wilde - The Importance of Being Ernest, Salome
Wilder - Our Town
Williams - The Glass Menagerie, A Streetcar Named Desire, Cat on A Hot Tin Roof
Writing prompt for October 7, 2008
Change one scene of your favorite movie. Write what you want to happen.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Writing prompt for October 6, 2008
Observe people as they exit a store. Try to pair them with their vehicles before they get to them. Write about someone who surprised you with his car choice.
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Writing prompt for October 4, 2008
A writing prompt is a word, picture, phrase, quote or set of directions to help you kick start your writing for the day. I find them especially helpful on mornings when I feel like I have nothing to write about. They are intended to get you going. They may be privately held journal entries or may serve as a launching point for a new story, play, scene, novel, etc. And sometimes a writing prompt can even help you break through an obstacle you've hit in an existing piece.
So, are you ready for your first prompt?
Drum roll please!
Write a poem about a color that especially appeals to you this season.
Any kind of poem, any length, doesn't have to rhyme, just put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard for a few minutes and let her rip!
So, are you ready for your first prompt?
Drum roll please!
Write a poem about a color that especially appeals to you this season.
Any kind of poem, any length, doesn't have to rhyme, just put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard for a few minutes and let her rip!
The Doctor Will See You Now
Welcome to The Script Doctor's In!
This blog is dedicated to the art and craft of play and screenwriting. And writing in general.
I have three goals for this blog:
1. To offer up ideas, thoughts, advise, stories from the trenches, etc, as I please.
2. To address any craft related issues readers may have. So, please, don't be shy about asking.
3. To post a daily writing prompt. (I will probably randomly post my writing prompt results and strongly encourage anyone brave enough to do the same.)
Keep checking in, and more importantly, keep writing!
This blog is dedicated to the art and craft of play and screenwriting. And writing in general.
I have three goals for this blog:
1. To offer up ideas, thoughts, advise, stories from the trenches, etc, as I please.
2. To address any craft related issues readers may have. So, please, don't be shy about asking.
3. To post a daily writing prompt. (I will probably randomly post my writing prompt results and strongly encourage anyone brave enough to do the same.)
Keep checking in, and more importantly, keep writing!
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