Pitching your Story Idea or Script to Hollywood

If you have a script idea or a completed script that you would like to discuss with a certain producer or studio, the best method is by calling the producers production office. Chances are you will probably speak with a member of the producers staff. Normally a secretary or production assistant.

The producers staff is very important. Think producers assistants are not important and/or a waste of your time? Think again. They are very important. The Producers staff are always looking for a reason to barge into their bosses office with - “Boy, have I found a good story for you!” Producers’ assistants are always looking for ways to impress the boss, why not give them one.

When you have a member of the producers staff on the phone, remember not to sound over anxious. You don’t want to sound like you will just die if you can not land an interview or that your next meal depends on the sale of your story. You want to sound as professional as possible.

Keep your call brief and to the point. Do sound excited, but not overly. Also, if a member of the producers staff asks you to give a brief summary of what your script is about, you should tell them without hesitation. If you display one ounce of doubt in revealing your story idea, or if you show the slightest concern that you are afraid to disclose your story idea out of fear that your creation will be stolen - then you are dead in the water.

The stealing of scripts in Hollywood by agents and/or producers is almost non existent. In Hollywood today - where million dollar deals are common place - nobody in their right mind needs to go around stealing scripts. It’s just not going to happen. And, anyone who shows concern about their script being stolen, is usually looked down upon by industry professionals.

In-Other-Words, if you go around displaying fear that your script may be stolen - then a little red warning flag is raised. Hollywood insiders begin to think to themselves, “why is this guy so afraid? What does he think were going to do, steal his script? Sheeesh, he hasn’t even made his first sale yet, a real No-Namer, and he’s anticipating were going to rip off his script!”

The last thing YOU want to do is make Hollywood insiders feel uncomfortable. Especially about working with you. When you start displaying fear about whether your story idea or script will be safe under their care, in a way, that’s very insulting, and clearly displays how much trust you have. You then have “I AM an OUTSIDER” written all over your face. And, Hollywood is very reluctant to do business with OutSiders.

Remember - Hollywood is a close knit family and they are many times fearful of doing business outside of their secure enviroment. They often make deals over the phone and many times at lunch. If you want to fit in, you must make them feel at ease. Your chances of survival in Hollywood will be much greater if you come off looking like an INSIDER rather than an OUTSIDER.

Hollywood is a puzzle, a very unique, fun and mysterious place. Nothing is as it seems in Hollywood World. And, that seems to be the way they like it.

If you come from the old school, where you think talent alone should be sufficient enough, then you are very sadly mistaken. Talent is a major factor, yes - sometimes, but not always.

But, being a good game player can many times eclipse the fact that you lack talent. Personally, I feel making contacts in Hollywood is VITAL. Take a trip there and make a scene. Hollywood loves ‘em. And Take an agent to lunch, they love that. Call a production office and take a producers assistant to lunch too. And, don’t forget to make make them feel important.

Call anyone and everyone you can in Hollywood. Be energetic and fun. Hollywood likes energy. Announce your arrival. Make it an event. Hollywood loves events. In-other-words, play their game! Dare to be outlandish. SELL! If you want it - want it so bad you can taste it - you can make it happen!

by: Paris Anderson

Prose vs. Poetry

Prose - a simple word that confuses so many people. What is it exactly? According to dictionary.com:

1.the ordinary form of spoken or written language, without metrical structure, as distinguished from poetry or verse.

2.matter-of-fact, commonplace, or dull expression, quality, discourse, etc.

Prose encompasses most of the writing and speaking we engage in today, including what I am writing here. It is everything from novels to blog entries to television/films and everything in between. Prose is simply a fancy literary term used to separate general writing from poetry or verse. (Though, just to confuse you, we do have prose poetry, the halibun and free verse which can muddy any clear distinction.) Prose is typically written in plain language, follows the standard rules of grammar and punctuation and is arranged in paragraphs. It often reflects ordinary speech patterns. In fiction, writers do develop different styles of writing and employ various techniques to add interest for readers, but the writing is still considered prose.

Now that you understand a little about prose, let’s discuss poetry. Most people recognize poetry if they see a traditional poem. For instance, writing that has lines similar in length (each starting with a capital letter, of course), is arranged in stanzas, and has rhyme at the end of the lines. Most of us were taught about this type of poetry around the third or fourth grade. But poetry is so much more complex and varied than that simple example. In fact, those few things don’t necessarily define poetry at all.

Poetry is much more than just a few basics such as the form in which it is written, some general meter and rhyme. Modern poetry often deviates from traditional poetic form and rules. Poetry presentation has, once again, become somewhat artistic for some poets who write in everything from couplets to verse paragraphs. These lines can also be arranged on a page to enhance the visual appeal of the poem (as in shape poems), to aid in the rhythm of the poem (adding space between words to create longer pauses while reading aloud, for instance) or to add to the meaning or irony of a poem by causing words to appear in specific places. Standard punctuation and capitalization practices are falling by the wayside, as well, for many contemporary poets.

This still has little to do with poetry itself. So, how do we define poetry? I think Iowan, Paul Engle, had the right idea with is explanation: “Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power. Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words.” That, to me, is what poetry is, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t break it down somewhat. I am not providing definitions, they are easy enough to come by.

Basic, Poetic, Devices, Diction, Meter, Caesura, Enjambment, Rhyme, Repetition, Alliteration, Assonance, Consonance, Onomatopoeia, Personification, Irony, Imagery, Symbol, Metonymy, Simile, Hyperbole, Metaphor, Oxymoron.

A quick internet search will provide you with reading material on each of these devices. Some are easier to hone than others, but all are useful if you wish to write interesting poetry verses writing simple poems.

Hopefully the lines between prose and poetry are now a bit clearer than before. Sometime in the future, I will have to address those other pesky fellows I mentioned that muddy the waters between the two. For now, whether you chose to write prose or poetry or both, I wish you the utmost success.

by: Terry J. Coyier

Techniques to Make Quick Money Writing Articles

For the most part, article marketing is a long distance race, not a sprint. By writing articles and submitting them daily, you will increase the amount of traffic to your site and see improved profits (as traffic builds). The more you submit, the greater your benefit. But, even if you submit ten articles this week, don’t expect to retire any time soon. As I said, it is a long distance race.

However, there are techniques that you can use to make some quick money writing articles. From time to time, certain niches will capture the public’s attention and there will be a flurry of interest in that sector. If you discover the trend, you can make some quick money with your articles. Following are several ways to profit writing articles:

It all starts out by doing some research. Look for niches (or products) that everyone is talking about. Forums are a good place to find this type of information. Hang out in these forums and look for postings that have a large number of responses. Read through a number of these items. If it related to a single product or niche, you may have found an exploitable subject.

You can also find hot products doing research on Ebay. Search for popular products that have sold well during the past 2 weeks. If you find several products that are selling really well and are related to a common theme, you may have found a hot area to exploit with your articles.

Lastly, check your bulk emails. This is one my favorite (and easiest) ways to find hot topics. When you see an explosion of emails on one subject, it is a pretty good bet that the niche is hot.

Once you find a hot topic, do research to find an affiliate program that is offering a product in the same area. Research the topic so that you can write knowledgably about the subject. Develop effective article titles using keyword research. Make sure to include two or more keywords in each title, because you will want the search engines to pick up your article. Write five to ten articles on the subject. Submit one to two articles per day to the largest article directory sites. Make sure your article contains a link to the affiliate program you found previously. Or, you can direct readers to your site and re-direct them to the affiliate program from there.

If the niche remains hot for some time, you can make a fair amount of money from this technique.

by: Jo Mark

The Simple 5 Step Secret To Great Fiction

Stephen King says he starts his novels with a "What if?" question. What if a woman and child are trapped in a car by a rabid dog? What if a family pet buried in a Pet Semetary came back to life? What if a young girl could start fires with her mind? I have also heard many other bestselling novelist such as Jodi Picoult, Janet Evanovich and Nicolas Evans lay claim to the same thing. And I have heard others say they just saw an image in their mind, or had a persistent sentence knocking on the inside of their brains, and they just followed that to where it lead them. And while their insight and tutelage is invaluable, when I was a budding writer it left me with another question.

What's next?

It's all good and fine to have a starting point. In fact a starting point is imperative. But in answering the question of "What next?" you will lift your novel from "What if?" to "Howzat!" So in answer to the "What next?" question, I defined the five essential elements of any good story, whether it's a novel, a short story, a play or a screenplay. Use these five elements to plan your story and you're guaranteed to write a bestseller everytime.

Step One: Desire

It is essential that your main character want something. Even if it’s only a glass of water, they must have an “object of desire” to pursue. It can be anything from a way of escaping their predicament, or a way to bring their world back into balance, but the key is that your main character must want something. Without that you will not have a story. This “desire line” is the golden thread that will run through your story. For example, in a love story, the object of desire is the beloved. In a story of illness, the object of desire may be anything from a medical specialist who can treat the patient, to a specific medicine guaranteed to cure. In a failing marriage, the object of desire could be the best divorce lawyer in town, or an apartment of their own. It’s your choice and will be dictated by the type of story you are writing.

Step Two: Conflict or Opposition

You will undoubtedly know that nothing ever moves forward in story except through conflict. So once your main character knows what they want, there has to be something or someone around to stop them. And the most powerful person, or thing, to oppose the main character is the one who can put the most pressure on them and force them to change. It’s critical to remember this: the strength of any story is directly related to the strength of the opponent. If it’s easy for the main character to reach their goal, then where’s the challenge? Where’s the drama? Where’s the struggle for growth and change? The Harry Potter novels kept us on the edge of our seats for seven books and ten years because of the promise of a showdown between Harry and Lord Voldemort. The success of Star Wars hinged on the multilayered battle between Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. The Bourne series enthrals us because it's one man against the CIA. In our earlier examples, the opponent in the love story is always the lover. If boy meets girl and they get together and live happily ever after, where is the story? There isn’t one! So the lover must resist in some way. In the case of the illness, the main opponent could be a government department that is withholding approval for a drug that will cure you, or it could be a lack of funds to travel overseas to see that one specialist who can treat you. And in the failing marriage, the opponent would be the other marriage partner, who is either trying to send you broke or stopping you from moving out. Really take the time to explore your opponent. They can often be the most interesting character in the story!

Step Three: Moral Dilemma

The conflict must build so that your main character is forced into a corner, where they must make a decision that challenges their values. There is only one question you need to ask yourself at this stage, and that is, “how can I push my main character into a place where they feel as though they are stuck between a rock and a hard place?” The decision they make here must be a true test of their core values, and whatever decision they make needs to tip them into the most intense conflict of the story, where they battle the opponent in a do-or-die climax to your story. For example, in the love story, your character may be forced to choose between love and security, or love and family, as they enter new territory in the relationship stakes. In the illness story, your character may need to choose between health and authority, or health and pride, if they are forced to ask for charity to finance their overseas trip. And in the case of the divorced couple, your main character may be forced to choose between freedom and control, or financial security and love, depending on the scenario you choose. One way or the other, your character has to make a choice and this choice sends your story into its most intense conflict.

Step Four: The Battle or Climax

You are now entering the most intense conflict of the story and the action here must take place between your main character and the main opponent. This is the classic “fight” scene, or where the great revelation comes out, where you can otherwise surprise or shock your readers. Push it out there! Allow whatever comes out to come out onto the page. Remember you are just exploring your story here. If it goes too far you can pull it back in the writing or the editing. Just remember that the most powerful climax will be one that brings about absolute and irreversible change. It’s a good idea to explore your character’s highs and lows at this time. By this I mean look at how they can behave really badly, as we often do when we are pushed into a corner. Does your character come out swinging, or do they submit and surrender? Neither answer is wrong or right. It will depend entirely on your story.

Step Five: Resolution

Every good story asks a question at the beginning. Whether it's a Stephen King "What if?" question, or something entirely different, it's imperative that you answer the question here. How can you show your character having learned their lesson? How are they seeing themselves clearly for the first time? What impact does that have on those around them? What is the "solution" to your story? I recommend not spending too much time planning this final step, as it almost always simply comes out in the writing. Stories that you are meant to write have a way of just coming out the way they need to, and too much planning of the ending will make it seem contrived. So those are our five simple steps to great fiction. Have a character who wants something, add something or someone who tries to stop them, put them in an impossible situation, watch them fight their way out and see what they learn in the process! Simple really!

by: Suzanne Harrison

10 Smart Moves For Getting Published In Top Magazines

Eager to see your byline in magazines like Smithsonian, National Geographic, Parade or Outside? Here are 10 tips on getting past the threshold of "Maybe" to "Yes" at top magazines.

1. Put timing on your side. You can change a perennial story, where there's no special reason to do it now rather than next year, to one that prompts an immediate assignment by adding a connection to some upcoming season or event. For instance, "the disposable versus cloth diaper debate" lacks any time element. But you can peg it to Earth Day, coming up in April, or specific future environmental powwows. You can get the same effect by tying a perennial topic to recent front-page news. If devastating floods are lingering in North Carolina, use that to make a piece on adequately insuring a business sound timely.

2. Freshen up perennial topics. Some magazines revisit the same topics again and again because relationships, or toilet training, or camping in national parks lie at the core of the magazine's mission. Hunt back about four or five years in the magazine's archives for these central topics and update them.

3. Create cover-worthy article titles. Editors sweat over the blurbs that go on the magazine cover. If you study the kinds of blurbs they favor, and give a similar title to your proposed article, you may score an assignment from a title that is exactly on target.

4. Be brief and detailed. This combination of skills has great value in the magazine world, and a query offers a perfect setting to demonstrate your mastery of rich compression. Let every sentence sparkle with detail, but say just enough to get the idea across.

5. Stay ahead of the pack. I once heard someone say that if you've read about an issue in Time or Newsweek, you're too late to query other top magazines on it. Spend energy pursuing stories that seem both trendy and unexplored.

6. Get your details right. Nothing kills confidence faster than factual errors! Recheck all information in your query before sending it.

7. Be truthful. Don't exaggerate the facts of a story, don't present fiction as real and don't inflate your credentials. This should go without saying, but not long ago a freelance writer sold an article in which she had presented a story she heard from a fellow airline passenger as something that had happened to her. She claimed she didn't realize that that was unethical.

8. Don't have a hidden agenda. Forget about any kind of revenge story, or about hyping a company in which you have some sort of covert financial interest.

9. Show enthusiasm. Make sure your writing feels alive and flavorful, not parched and pinched. I've heard a number of editors say they like to work with writers who show enthusiasm for their work.

10. Flatter an editor. A good number of editors write on the side for other publications, and if you happen to spot his or her freelance work and mention it in your query, you win points. Mentioning that you liked a particular issue of the magazine, or a certain cover story, helps build rapport, too. Make sure that any praise is specific and sincerely enthusiastic.

by: Marcia Yudkin