Read a Good Book Lately?

I am currently reading Richard Botto's 'Crowdsourcing For FilmMakers'.Brilliant information in an enjoyable read!I have been hitting Social Media for years, in the hope of building an interested 'Crowd'.A lot of rethinking and targeting to be done, methinks. :-)Highly recommended:https://www.amazon.com/Crowdsourcing-Filmmakers-American-Market-Presents/dp/1138849898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519029686&sr=8-1&keywords=richard+botto

Am currently reading Bruce Forsyth's autobiography Brucie, and am thoroughly enjoying it.

I hated Eszterhas's films as a kid, but as I went to the movies almost every week (sometimes twice or three time) I couldn't avoid them. I remember being extremely disappointed in Jade, after hearing great reviews. When I realised all the films I most despised (Jade, Showgirls, Sliver) were by the same writer, I expected to detest his book.But, this is not like one of those plotless movies. In fact, it explains some of the changes from his original scripts. And, after reading this, I saw his much better work "The Music Box."Eszterhas was typecast. Like many screenwriters, he didn't win a contest, he didn't even want to write screenplays, but was recruited after being a successful journalist and novelist.There are some graphic parts of this book, but it is paced so you can pretty easily skip over them. The main lesson for filmmakers is that 1) many producers don't ever read a script. 2) a great script can be destroyed. 3) everyone wants to be a screenwriter 4) producers, directors, crew etc usually don't know how to write screenplays. But that doesn't stop them trying to muck with scripts.He indirectly admits to many writing mistakes too.

Amazingly modern interpretation of a Greek myth about a demi-goddess who becomes a witch! This is quite a feminist tour de force about the struggle to break free from the constraints of patriarchal family and the larger forces of social control (here, the gods of Olympus). The writing style is fairly typical of the modern era (my pet peeve--too many pointlessly long lists of herbs), but the character development and plotting are exceptional. For instance, Circe is not immediately rebellious, requiring years of experience to see accurately the behavioral inhibitions she had absorbed. Circe is not a 100% admirable heroine by any stretch (e.g., selfishly trying to keep Oddyseus away from his wife), but a very compelling protagonist. This could be a movie blockbuster if adapted by a gifted screenwriter and produced/directed with vision.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou. It's not industry related, but it's non-fiction that reads like fiction about the rise and fall of Theranos (Silicon Valley medical company). They're making it into a movie with Jennifer Lawerence to play the CEO. Fascinating read.

As many of you already know, Francis Ford Coppola started out with The Godfather by reading the book. He then took that book and created his own prompt book filled with notes. He basically said he relied more so on that than he did when writing the actual screenplay. This notebook showed me so much when it comes to getting the best details out of your own script. Or, if you're a writer wanting to see a favorite book of yours being made into a film, step up to the plate and practice your craft and vision (Make sure you have the rights!) I think it's helped me break down my scenes, characters, and sub plots. It's also given me a chance to rely on this if I'm looking at wanting to write a book to film adaptation. It's a great book! It's pricey, but it's worth buying.

Currently reading "Turning Pro" by Steven Pressfield - the follow up to his highly successful "The War of Art". I like how the chapters/sections are a page or less, allowing me to dip and out when I need to :)

Any fans of his? If you haven't read this guy, you're missing out. His books are short, almost like a collection of vignettes. Marigold is probably my favorite book ever. It's about a suicidal floral salesman searching for reasons to keep living.

To the core of Barkskins is the message of reverence for all living things.

I finished reading The Anatomy of Story and put together some notes for other screenwriters (The full notes are at https://kiingo.co/anatomy-of-story).Here's the gist:- A story's moral argument, or theme, is the exploration and consequent answer(s) to the question, "What's the proper way to live in this world?" - Every character is a manifestation of a different argument for or against the story's theme. In this way, characters grow out of theme. - Through desire, characters drive plot, thus making plot a second order manifestation of theme. - The "22 Steps" are elements and stages usually found in the process of seeking a goal (i.e. the hero's desire). - Structure is content. Theme should be expressed structurally--through story, rather than by story. - A story must at a minimum consist of 7 elements: Weakness and Need, Desire, Opponent, Plan, Battle, Self-Revelation, New Equilibrium. - Character values can be highlighted and accentuated by contrast with other opposing characters. Truby recommends the use of "four-corner opposition" to lay out a web of a hero and three opponents who all take fundamentally different approaches to the story's theme. - A symbol is an image or idea that gains meaning through repeated use and differing context. Symbols can be representations of larger ideas, characters, structures, or themes. - Story worlds can function as physical representations of a character's current stage in their overall inner journey. - Revelations must be logical, must build in intensity, and must come at an increasing pace. - Conflict is not the clashing of two personalities, but rather of two opposing sets of beliefs. - The end of the scene is the point of the scene and thus should end with a keyword or line that gets at the purpose of the scene.

Jeff Schimmel tells screenwriters things that others don't discuss, and he does it in such an interesting and straight forward way that is both entertaining and easy to read. The title may claim 25 questions answered, but it's really far more than that! Just another book that I'm glad to add to my screenwriting book collection! You can find it on Amazon, but here's the link to make it easier for you to check it out:https://smile.amazon.com/Maximum-Screenwriting-Commonly-Questions-Straight/dp/099973900X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524603519&sr=8-1&keywords=jeff+schimmel

Tonight I can write the saddest lines. Write, for example,'The night is shattered and the blue stars shiver in the distance.' The night wind revolves in the sky and sings. Tonight I can write the saddest lines. I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too. Through nights like this one I held her in my arms I kissed her again and again under the endless sky. She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too. How could one not have loved her great still eyes.