Pounding Keys

Texas Hodown

Texas Hodown is a memory of a romantic and troubling time from my childhood. I was ten, just moved to Texas with my folks and desperate to fit in. It was the western part of the state, dry as bone and full of anticipation. The late 70's were a desperate time for many people in the U.S. Gas prices were out of control, jobs were few, and the world was getting smaller. We moved from Michigan, away from family and friends, my parents hoping to settle down and plan for a bright future. Financial strains, immaturity, and loneliness would ultimately snuff out the flame of any bright future.

The Texas summers were a lot of fun. I would often run through the desert, chasing road runners, catching horned toads, and having imaginary gun battles with outlaws and Indians. The desert was and still is a wonderful place to escape. Hopefully, Texas Hodown carries well into that memory I still hold on to after all these years.

On summer days when the wind felt feisty,
Small dust devils bounced and whirled about.
Tumble weeds baked brown in the hot Texas sun
Danced a square dance up and down and all around.
Lizards and snakes did a promenade, clapping their scales
To a hodown funk. One played a fiddle and
Sang a slithery song. I stomped my feet and yipped
Like a puppy being kicked.

From inside the house Mother yelled, "What's that noise?"
I am a lizard and I am a snake.
I dance with devils and spin with weeds.
"Wait till your father gets home."
Suddenly devils became resting dust and nothing more.
The wind skipped off for another part of
Town. And snakes were snakes,
And lizards were lizards.

October 1, 2008 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

Talking To Hear Yourself Talk

This poem first appeared on www.gwallison.com. It was written after I suffered many hours of listening to some self-absorbed woman drone on and on about her writing. Normally, I find this interesting; however, she took herself way to seriously. You would have thought that she was writing the Holy Bible or something! I say hours, but it wasn't in one sitting. It was over a couple of days. Finally, I couldn't take it, but I couldn't snap and tear into her either. That just wouldn't have been a nice thing to do. After all, who am I to tell someone that they're full of crap when it comes to their art? I could be the one full of crap!

Anyway, here's a curse poem for all to enjoy. Apply where necessary.

Literary poetic
vomit spews
violently from
the leather
faced lady's
mouth.
Stinging bitterness
eats away
the enamel
of her already
piss stained
teeth.
Eyes close
Teeth grind
Ears turn
down to the
ground.
"Why me?"
they asked.
"Why not?"
says she.
She's a verbal
enema that
strong arms you
to wish you
never heard
language.

August 14, 2008 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

Cookie Jars

Ever been caught with your hand in a cookie jar? Did you still get a cookie? Most of the time, I ended up with a cookie regardless of whether or not I should have had my chubby little hand in the jar. I knew that if I just went for it, I would (a) get a cookie and no one would be the wiser, (b) get caught, but get a pity cookie, or (c) get caught and get nothing. The odds were always good that I would eventually be wrapping my lips around a sweet chocolate chip cookie or its equivalent, if there is such a thing. Fast forward to now.

I've got my hands in several cookie jars, increasing my odds and the stress of it all. I often ask myself if I am in over my head, or if I should just say screw it and pull out. I'm ink deep in 4 writing assignments! It should be 5, but at the time I thought that was too much. I have the adaptation I am working on, RAISED FROM THE DEAD; a sit-com pilot that I pitched successfully a few weeks back, but haven't written yet; a treatment based on another successful pitch for a feature film; and a rewrite of a screenplay that's getting a fair amount of attention, but is in need of some sub-plot tweaking. The fifth one is a rewrite I should be doing on my screenplay, BAD LEROY BROWN. It's going to have to wait. The previous 4 have the potential of being a career catapult for me and are a must do.

In the meantime, I'm producing at a sound effects company. In other words, I make a lot of phone calls, emails, write up budget reports, make schedules, gather releases, set up locations, conduct some PR work, evaluate effects, and do general busy work that would make any creative monkey crazy. Don't get me wrong, the producing gig is nice. Who would ever want to turn down a steady paying gig for the world of speculation? Not me. I've got a family that demands food in their bellies and clothes on their backs. Me? I could live on coffee and go to work in a loincloth.

Anyway, the whole point of this little moment we are sharing here on the Internet is to let me vent, avoid actually writing something towards the various projects I just listed, brag, and have a self realizing moment that I am a self-indulging knucklehead. I love honesty, don't you?

So, I'm interested in hearing your stories of overcommitting. What say you?

GW

July 21, 2008 9:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

Adaptations = Constipation

I've been hired to work on an adaptation of a novel. Yahoo! Yea! Cheers from all around! Gary, you're the best. Remember me in your acceptance speech! You suck!

Well, it's the hardest thing I've ever done thus far. I should qualify that by saying it's the hardest thing in the world of writing that I've ever done. I thought this gig would be a snap. Yeah, sure I can turn your book into a screenplay. I'm a professional. Why the treatment is practically done already! I'm writing it right now even as we speak. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I just recently turned in the outline to discuss plot points and such. Outlining normally takes me about a week to do when I'm working on an original screenplay. It's not the final outline, but it's usually a good working one. Outlining this book has taken me a good 2 1/2 weeks! I had to wade through a lot of fantastic, but useless prose. I say useless, because it didn't translate to needed screen time. For those that have work on adaptations, you know what I'm talking about.

I've read the book at least four times now and know the story pretty well. It's an autobiography and it just screams for the silver screen. But, now comes the tricky part. During the actual writing of the script, I will be working closely with the author. Now, that's good and bad. Good, because I have the source, the man that lived it right there with me. Bad, because, well, I have the man that lived it right there with me. Needless to say, I'm a bit nervous.

This is proving to be a good experience for me though. It's teaching me about the aspects of work for hire as a writer. Up until recently, I've been writing original scripts. It was only last year that I was first hired to write a sit-com pilot (not my idea) and then this year the adaptation. I don't count all the radio and television ads I had to write over the years. Not quite the same as writing drama, if you know what I'm saying. Severe discipline is a must in the work for hire business.

If anyone has had experience with writing adaptations, please spew your wealth of wisdom my way. I'm not proud. I'm just a humble writer.

June 26, 2008 7:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Add Comment

STINK BOMB - from the short story collection "BURN BAGS."

This short first appeared on www.gwallison.com

STINK BOMB
By

Gary W. Allison, Jr.

From the short story collection - "Burn Bags"

That night was just like most nights. Not much going on behind the iron curtain except for a couple night flight training exercises out of Vladivostok, Ivan's East coast air defense base and our biggest pain in the ass. The Commies liked to ring our bells every now and then by flying too close to Japan's air space or tailing an airliner or two. A couple of times Ivan "accidentally" crossed over the line and even once knocked a Korean airliner full of passengers out of the sky. Though the Soviets officially denied that little catastrophe, we all knew the real story.

Hindu was over at Stinky's console trying to convince him to bet that he could not eat a pack of cigarettes for one hundred and twenty dollars. Always in need of cash, Stinky would do anything to support his love for Japanese whores and liquor.

"Can I drink anything?" asked Stinky.

"Only if you want to forfeit your cash," said Hindu.

"How long?"

"One and one half minute," declared Hindu. "That's ninety seconds."

Stinky thought as long and as hard as his perverted little mind would allow him then made the bet.

"We need a relief for Stinky," announced Hindu.

Gonzo, our supervisor, took Stinky's headphones. He was smart in dress and attitude; always overachieving in everything he did. He pulled an alcohol wipe from his pocket and wiped the cans clean. They were, after all, Stinky's.

"Put me down for twenty," said Gonzo.

"Oh no, this is between Hindu and me," stressed Stinky.

"Not if you want me to relieve you."

Stinky bit his lip and turned to march out to the smoke area. Following triumphantly behind him was Hindu, already counting his winnings. I had to see this for myself and quickly shut down my console and yelled out that I was taking a fiver. I worked the search console and could get up at anytime without missing a set schedule, because there wasn't one. I had to go out and find my targets. The rest of the consoles had specific targets and specific targets had specific schedules. Sometimes they didn't keep their schedules and the operators had to be ready for when Ivan felt like lighting a fire under their asses. All one had to do was kiss up to the right honcho and they could be on search for a good part of the year. I had been on search for almost two.

Gonzo waved an acknowledgment to me and I followed Hindu and Stinky out. The trail of body odor from Stinky was overwhelming. Nothing like stale beer and cigarettes mixed with a little cheap cologne to make you curse your nose for being so aware of its surroundings. It was enough to make a blind man see again. I quickly made my way around Stinky and Hindu to get out of the wake of his stench. We walked out into the moist air of a Japanese summer night, relieved that we were the only ones in the smoke area. Although this was a voluntary operation for Stinky, the Navy tended to look down on such foolishness. The Navy didn't pay us much, but they expected us to be good stewards with what they did give us.

"Hold on," said Hindu. "I want to get a cup of coffee."

Hindu went inside to the snack-bar to get a cup of brew. Stinky lit up a nail to prepare.

"You're going to smoke one before you eat twenty?" I asked Stinky.

"Yeah, why not?"

I shrugged and joined Stinky in a smoke, waiting for Hindu. It was hot and a slight breeze gently came down over the roof into the smoker's court. Cigarette butts filled the grassy patches and the ash trays were hardly used. I thought of the poor bastard that had to come out and clean up this mess, picking up one soggy butt at a time, leftovers from cigarettes smoked by people like Stinky. Thank God for the lesser ranked.

Hindu returned with a steaming paper cup full of coffee. He set it down and pulled out a brand new pack of lights.

"Twenty smokes, Stinky," Hindu said revealing the pack. "All you have to do is eat them all in ninety seconds."

"Do I have to eat the filters?" asked Stinky.

"They'll kill you," I said.

"No, just the paper and tobacco," decided Hindu. "We don't want you dead, just sick."

Stinky took the pack and pulled out a handful of ten. Hindu checked his watch and set the timer. Stinky took one last puff of his stick and tossed it into one of the grassy patches, another butt for the collection.

"Okay Stinky," readied Hindu, "This is for one hundred and twenty dollars!"

"Nothing to drink?" checked Stinky.

"Nothing," Hindu answered grinning.

I couldn't believe this guy was going to chow down twenty cigarettes. A devilish anticipation overcame me as Hindu placed his finger on the button of his watch. He pressed the button and it beeped. Stinky quickly raised the wad of smokes to his lips and bit into it like a piglet that found its mother's teat. At first I thought he would eat them all like this with no problem and I was a little depressed. But with that first bite and pitiful attempt at chewing, the tobacco from those ten cigarettes expanded and sucked up all the moister in his big stinky head. What followed was the most idiotic and comical display of desperation to survive and to win I have ever witnessed.

Stinky instantly began gagging, his mouth wide open revealing the enormous ball of tobacco. With each attempt at swallowing Stinky would gag. A couple of times he managed to force the tobacco down only to throw it back up. Any normal human being would have quit. Stinky was not a normal human being, nor was he a quitter, and chances were he couldn't afford to lose one hundred and twenty dollars. After each puke, he would swallow it back down, stuffing the wad of soggy tobacco down his throat with his fingers. It was a rather disgusting display of melancholy, but one that added to the comedic value of the moment.

He began to thrash around and grab onto us for support, gagging and hacking as he did. Hindu and I laughed so hard that we could hardly breathe. Tears rolled down our cheeks. I thought I was going to pass out from laughter. Each time he grabbed us we would laugh even harder. He couldn't keep it down no matter what he tried. Finally, out of fear that Stinky would die, Hindu said he could drink something. Relief filled Stinky's eyes.

Now, given the circumstances, this may have seemed a very kind gesture on Hindu's part. However, there was one small detail that Stinky failed to remember. He didn't have anything to drink. Of course, we couldn't let him go into the snack bar and we weren't going to leave the show either. Stinky was desperate and the clock was ticking. He spotted Hindu's hot cup of coffee and grabbed a hold of it. Hindu tried to tell him that it was too hot to drink, but the laughter kept him from doing so. With one gulp, Stinky downed that coffee and tobacco. The screech that followed should have alerted the guards, but thankfully it didn't. It did make the event that much funnier and I could no longer stand. My knees weakened with each belly buster. I sat down at one of the picnic tables to watch the second half.

"Only thirty seconds, Stinky," chuckled Hindu.

Stinky quickly grabbed the remaining ten cigarettes and bit them off at the filters like a pro. Again the tobacco sucked every bit of moisture out of his big stinky head, but he quickly responded with a second gulp of coffee, screeching and hopping around like a fool. All in all, Stinky only managed to gag a total of three times this second time around. Upon his final swallow he looked at Hindu for his time.

"Oh, man, you just missed it by four seconds," said Hindu with a sly grin.

"What?"

"Sorry, man. The deal was one pack in ninety."

He stared at Hindu in disbelief. Hindu just shrugged. With that, Stinky doubled over and vomited three times, wetting his trousers only a bit. It was like watching a cow spitting up his cud, a little brown present for the lesser ranked. He straightened up and eyeballed Hindu for a moment and looked as if he wanted to say something, but he never did. His body went limp, almost deflating, and he walked away a defeated man. Hindu and I waited until he was gone then began to chuckle and imitate his performance. Soon our chuckles turned to outright laughter. After the moment passed, Hindu turned to me.

"He actually won by three seconds, but that was just too damn funny."

"What? Are you going to tell him?"

"Hell no! I'm going to get him to do something else for double or nothing."

We enjoyed a smoke before stopping at the snack bar on our way back to Alpha Company. I ordered a couple cups of coffee to carry me through the mid-watch. Hindu ordered a tuna fish sandwich with cheese and called the woman behind the counter "tits". She didn't speak English that well and that made Hindu feel superior. I said nothing and we worked the rest of the night without incident.

Later that day, Stinky woke up with bad stomach cramps and brown blotches all over his body. He went to the hospital and was admitted for nicotine poisoning. A few days after he left the base hospital he would gulp a can of snuff for double or nothing. He won.

THE END

June 17, 2008 5:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

Notes For A New Writer - An Open Letter

I read your first ten pages. I’ll hit the good then address the bad.

I like how you portray James as just some guy getting ready for the day then revealing the wad of cash and gun, showing me that this dude is bad news or at least is in the business of bad news.

Your dialogue is pretty good. It could use some tweaking, but it’s expected for a first draft. Overall, it reveals the characters in a real way and makes them human (i.e., people we can relate to).

Now the bad.

Your descriptions are way to long. Bottom line, you have to shorten them up in a big way. The problem with long descriptions is that it takes forever to get to the meat of the story. For example, after ten pages I should have a pretty good idea of not only who the main characters are, but what their goals might be. Now this isn’t always the case, because the first major plot point doesn’t usually happen until around page 25 in a three act script. However, there is usually a sub-plot point at around page ten. Pull me in as quick as possible. Like a song, a screenplay needs a hook and that hook should happen at around page ten.

You had some grammar problems in your descriptions. Clean that up. It’s okay to fool around with grammar in dialogue, but it is a no-no in action. Aside from incomplete sentences, you pretty much need to stick to the rules of grammar. Here’s an example of what I mean by incomplete sentences:

James is in the room. Exhausted. No time to think.

The short incomplete sentences cause a sense of urgency in the reader. You read it faster, making you think that something is going to happen. A trick of the trade.

Some common grammar problems with new writers, and even veteran writers are: using “then” instead of “than”, “your” instead of “you’re, “there” instead of “they’re” or “their”, going between past tense and present tense, forgetting the words “is” and “a”, not using apostrophes correctly, etc.

Get a pocket grammar book for quick and easy referencing while you’re writing. Even the best writers depend on a grammar book to help them out. English is one of the most complex languages on the planet. No one can know everything about it.

Now, here are some things that will really help you in fine tuning your craft.

First, realize that screenwriting is very difficult. It’s not like prose where you can go off on a tangent describing everything there is about a character or thoughts or anything. That's not to say that prose isn't difficult, but it's the one form of writing everyone is more familiar with. In screenwriting, one must tell a story in pictures in about 90 to 120 pages. After all, that’s the end goal: translate the writing into moving pictures. Improve your vocabulary by using a thesaurus, finding more descriptive words that convey emotion and word pictures.

Second, read screenplays before you start writing screenplays. I can tell by your first ten pages that you’ve seen a few screenplays, maybe even read the formatting section of “The Screenwriting Bible,” but I can also tell that you haven’t read many, if any good screenplays. Go to www.script-o-rama.com and start reading scripts. Begin with your favorite movies then move to award winning movies. Read similar genres that your story is going to be in. Take note of the way the writers communicate their vision. Try to stay away from shooting scripts. They are jammed with directions and camera angles, useless to a screenwriter.

Third, read some books on screenwriting. A few that come to mind are: The Art Of Screenwriting, The Screenwriting Bible, and Syd Field’s books. These books are not the end all to be all, but they’ll help you understand the craft of screenwriting.

Fourth, study movies. Pay attention to how the plot points come about, how characters relate to one another, and so on. Watch movies with screenwriter commentaries, too.

Fifth, live life. Nothing adds to a writer’s quality than actually experiencing life. You’ll have more to offer in the long run.

I hope this helps. You can do it if you are willing to put in the work and have the patience. Good luck and good writing.

June 13, 2008 6:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

INDEPENDENT TENDENCIES

This blog first appeared on www.gwallison.com

As I browse the various "writers job boards" on the wonderful world wide web, I've noticed a trend among the independent film making crowd. Let me first start off by saying that I love independents. I've done most of my work, well, in fact, all of my work in the independent world of film making. Many fine little gems are dug from the heap of films that are made every year. Sometimes, if we're lucky, we even hear about them! But let's not kid ourselves, I'm not planning my retirement while toiling away on some little independent film script. That's not to say that there isn't money to be made writing for an independent producer. There is! It's modest, but it keeps me from working at Home Depot. No offense to the gang over at Home Depot.

The trend that I've noticed, and I guess that it has always been there, is the barrage of requests, posts, emails, and forum notices from those trying to break into the "biz" asking for scripts for no money, just credit and a copy of the film. Yes, some filmmakers say they'll pay the poor writer once the film is sold, but most of us writing for a living know that you might as well go out and buy a lottery ticket. Your odds might be better! My favorites are the ones that say "dynamic up and coming director needs a good story." Well, shoot, a dynamic up and coming writer needs a good producer!

Asking a writer to give you a script for nothing is like asking Kodak for film stock at no cost on the promise that once the film is sold, you'll pay. Yes, I'm a little insulted by these posts. I'm even a little angry. I can spend anywhere from three months to eighteen months working on a screenplay, fine tuning it, massaging it, and marketing it. A lot of time, money, and "sweat equity" goes into these pieces. I'm not giving my work over to a hopeful soul on a promise and prayer. Neither should any other writer worth a lick! We need cash!

Filmmakers need to realize that this is a world ruled by the dollar. Unfortunately, I cannot live without money. The grocery clerk is always demanding that I pay for my meat and veggies. I have a feeling that if more independent filmmakers started treating their passion more like a business, they would (a) get better material, and (b) be more successful.

So, I've put together a list of options for the independent hopefuls:

Option the script (with actual money) then try to raise the funds to make the film. (Don't forget that the first person you need to pay is the writer)

Write your own screenplay then make it into a film.

Hire a writer to bring your story to life. You can hire on a step bases and pay the scribe as he delivers.

Settle on the hacks giving their crap away and never sell a film!

That's it. No other options. If you want quality then it's going to cost you. If you just want to hurry up and make a film, it'll still cost you, but you won't have the quality. If you don't want it to cost you anything, you'll be making your movie for a very long time...and it may or may not suck. Chances are it will suck.

Everyone wants to get somewhere in this business. Some want to be famous. Some want to be rich. Some just want to make a living doing what they love. Whatever your motive, remember that money is always at the root of your dreams. So, if you want to make it, be prepared to spend it.

May 29, 2008 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment

Cut Print

Yesterday was a good and busy day. I went to the test screening of Cut Print. It's a horror movie I penned about 7 years ago and it's starring Ken Foree. For horror fans that name means something. The screening went very well. For the most part, the director stuck to the script. There were some additions, but no omissions. I discovered something that I found very interesting. During the show, I found myself on the edge of my seat, nervous, even a bit creeped out. Now what is so amazing about this is that I wrote the damn thing! I knew what was going to happen, for crying out loud! Hats off to the cast and crew.

I'm not much of a fan of horror films. In fact, I never watch them. I think they are tired. However, not to toot my own horn or anything, Cut Print is a bit more cerebral and more of a character study on the dangers of uninhibited ambition. Yes, it's bloody. And I do mean bloody. Great special effects! But the film delves into the mind of a killer and how society, in one way or another, tends to glorify serial killers. I am very proud to have my name attached to it.

I had one problem with the film. The ending is not the original ending I wrote. Of course not! Why would it be? This is Hollywood. My ending was a bit more open. The new ending adds a twist and closes the door a little tighter. Making my job for writing a sequel harder, but it's not impossible.

After the screening, I met with the producers and investors, talked shop, talked about the future, and talked about other projects. Then I met with a gentleman who wants me to turn a book he wrote into a screenplay. I have a follow up meeting with him on Friday. It's a drama and it's heart wrenching. I read the book and highly recommend it. It's called "Raised From The Dead" by Frank Turner. Check it out. It's a great story about redemption and how no matter what you have gone through, there is always a way to overcome.

I'll keep you posted about Cut Print. It's going out to Shoreline, Lionsgate, and some other companies that have expressed interest in it this week. Fingers and toes crossed.

That's it from Pounding Keys.

Peace.

April 29, 2008 4:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | Add Comment

Top Ten, Bub!

Everywhere you look there is a top ten list for something. They are meaningless and ridiculous. Here is another one.

These are the top ten films that I think everyone should see at least once in their life. I'm not guaranteeing that you'll like them all, but I will guarantee your life will never be the same. Now, whether that's a good thing is up to you.

10. The Super Cops - Two NYPD rookies buck the system and become the city's youngest detectives and earn the nicknames, Batman & Robin. Good luck finding it. Circa 1974.

9. Midway - Heston, Fonda, & Mitchum, WWII, and the battle of Midway! A great story told with great acting and direction. I watch this once a year, always around the Army vs. Navy game for some reason. Circa 1976.

8. The Seven Samurai - So good it makes me weep. It's not a sad movie. It's just so well done. For those that do not know, Samurai is in Japanese and you will need to read subtitles. It's worth it! Watch it! Now! Circa 1954.

7. Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind - Clooney's first directing gig. He should have been nominated for an Oscar. It's shot well, directed well, acted well, and written well. If you don't mind a few "F" bombs (by few I mean a lot) then you should see this movie. From hit man for the CIA to host of The Gong Show, the story of Barris is unforgettable. Circa 2002.

6. Silverado - I love westerns and it's really hard for me to choose one, but this flick takes the cake. Costner, Kline, Glenn, & even Danny Glover! It's a blast. Circa 1985.

5. Carolina Skeletons - This is a TV movie, but it will leave you shaking your head and wondering why you never heard of this movie. Starring Lou Gossett, Jr., Skeletons is the story of justice and redemption. Circa 1991.

4. The Man With One Red Shoe - One of the best Hanks movies. Also stars Jim Belushi. Very funny and a great movie to watch with your better half. Don't let anyone tell you different. They're film snobs. Circa 1985.

3. Star Wars - no explanation needed. Circa 1977.

2. Raiders Of The Lost Ark - Come on! It's Indiana Jones for crying out loud! Circa 1981.

1. Jaws - This changed a day at the beach forever. Nothing beats the shark. Circa 1975.

Now go out and see these movies. Fill your head with trivial knowledge and bore your friends to tears with lines from the films. You'll be a better person because of it. I promise.

What's your top ten?

April 1, 2008 5:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | Add Comment

Got A Bite!

Well, a lot can happen in just 72 hours. In my last blog, "Making It Up As I Go," I talked about time and the lack there of. I then hit some small details in my writing pursuits. As you may recall, my screenplay The Scarlet has been my white whale in the sales department. Only little nibbles here and there from modest independent film companies. Today, though, was a big bite. One of the larger independent production houses in L.A. has requested The Scarlet. Now let's see if I can reel them in for a sale.

It’s been a long and winding road marketing this script. Some ups and a lot of downs, but the ups always kept me going. It’s a lot like playing golf. All you need is one good birdie and you’ll be back, forking over the green fees and whacking away at that little white ball that mocks your every effort.

This would be a big step from independent productions to studio productions if this goes well. Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed. I’ll keep you posted on details as they come in.

Also, I wanted to share some good advice that I received from an A list producer the other day. I often reach out to the well established and ask for advice. I have never received a negative response. So, reach and touch someone. Anyway, here's the advice:

It doesn't really matter where you live as long as you are free to travel in
for meetings. That can get annoying, but it will work in direct proportion
to your talent. That is the more talented and in-demand you become, the more
your location doesn't matter. The biggest issue is quality of work. The
next biggest is speed. Ideally both are good, and you will work a lot.

My best advice is write original screenplays that are original, and that are
character based. Also, decide what genre you function best in and stick to
it. Become known for a specific thing before you spread your wings and
experiment in other genre¹s (at least publicly).

Rgds,
L

That's it from Pounding Keys. If you have any questions, comments, or snide remarks, let me know and I'll happily receive all. Have a wonderful weekend.

Gary

March 21, 2008 9:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | Add Comment