Your desktop, that is. I find that writers, especially budding ones, have a (somewhat useless) fixation on other writers’ work spaces. Heck, they run a whole photo-series about writers’ rooms over at The Guardian. What I’m interested in seeing here is your virtual workspace. Here’s what you do: Fire up your word processor — whatever…continute reading »
Writers are a diverse bunch. Quirky. Independent. Opinionated. In other words, hard to buy for. If you are trapped in a relationship with a writer, get out. If you can’t, attempt to tame your writer with the liberal application of gifts they will appreciate. Here I have gathered a few ideas that range from classic…continute reading »
I’ve been giving much thought lately to epublishing and self-publishing in particular. There aren’t necessarily good reasons for the things I think, but in this case there were at least two precipitating points along the space-time continuum that contributed. Firstly, I’ve recently decided that ten years of nothing-but-screenwriting is enough. I hope this screenwriting thing…continute reading »
Amazon.com just announced that they are opening the doors to Amazon Studios. Yes, “studio” as in movies. They are inviting screenwriters and directors to submit material for contest prizes. Large contest prizes. Like $100,000 prize for best script. You’re reading that right. Six zeroes. The entry fee? Nothing. UPDATE: After the writing of this post,…continute reading »
A Feast at Midnight is a little overlooked gem of a kid’s movie streaming now on Netflix and Hulu. When a young boy arrives at prep school and finds everyone at the mercy of the school’s new health food program, he uses his kitchen skills and the recipes sent to him from his ailing father…continute reading »
Monday night was the last meeting of my eight-week Advanced Playwriting workshop at South Coast Repertory. Like most good things it was over far too soon. I haven’t attempted to write a play since my brief love affair with Beckett as an undergrad back in the 80s. That attempt at a degree didn’t take. Neither…continute reading »
Why yes, those are multiple Scribometer widgets running in my sidebar. For those of you who have waited so patiently for the next Scribometer update, my heartfelt appreciation to you. The most requested feature — multiple instances — has been incorporated into the upcoming release. You can now track as many projects as you like…continute reading »
The greatest Broadway composer and lyricist of his generation, Stephen Sondheim is the true heir to such Broadway masters as Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and Irving Berlin. After his first big break for West Side Story, Sondheim went on to revolutionize musical theater with intricate and emotionally complex works including A Little Night…continute reading »
Redesigning the blog again. No one cares but me, because everyone reads via RSS feeds these days, right? And anyone dropping by from a Google search or something isn’t going to know anything changed. So — who am I talking to exactly? Besides myself? If for some reason you enjoy visiting actual web pages, and…continute reading »
David Sedaris, one of America’s superlative humorists, returns for an evening of consummate storytelling, incisive social critique, tall tales of odd jobs and humiliating family anecdotes. Sedaris’ annual appearances at Royce Hall have become a staple for culture lovers, literature hounds and anyone who enjoys sardonic wit delivered with laser precision from a modern master…continute reading »