A blog about the topics of writing, Writing tips and ideas

Screenwriters are amazing but infuriating

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Screenwriters are a breed of writers that make us laugh, cry and get angry. They give us movies that will invoke all kinds of emotions.

But as you are watching a movie, do you ever wonder at some of the lines you hear?

One of my favorites is when someone hears a noise, and that person turns to their friend. “What is that?” to “Who’s out there?”

How in the blue hell do they know? Did you not come down from the same staircase at the same time? Is the villain going to say loud and clear, “It is I, the bad guy of the movie coming to kill you.”

I know you can come up with other lines that make you wonder.

Being a screenwriter is a bit different than other writers. You have to say so much that the actors will convey on film. But can you give the audience some credit that they have some sense?

I know my family is getting tired of me fussing at the TV when I hear a line or see a scene and have to say something.

There are times my mind can wrap the brain around a script and enjoy the movie. But if it is missing key components that stalls my brain in accepting all that is on the screen, my mind will wander. After that happens, I will start looking at the reasons why it does not work.

Movie tickets are not cheap. How about giving us a little more than worn-down lines that every genre in film leans on? How about doing a better job in writing it out? A good actor can make most films sing from the rooftop. But they can only do so much regardless of how talented they are.

A blog about the topics of writing, Writing thoughts

Can you be Too Old to be a writer?

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When is one considered old? This headline caught my attention. It made me wonder if one can be too old to be a writer.

Of the writers I know locally, many are long in the tooth, as the saying goes. That has not slowed them down much.

If the bug is in you to write, or whatever your passion is, it doesn’t matter why your age, race, gender, or nationality is. For once it is in you, little will derail you. Yes, life has a way of slowing us, stopping us in our tracks. Even if one writes with no intention of being published, it is part of who you are.

I know writers who have been writing since they were teenagers. They always seem surprised when I tell them that I began writing in my 40ties. Yes, I wrote some poetry when I was a teenager, but it was my way of letting things out.

I wonder if I had continued on that path where my writing career would be, how many more would I have written.

While I am relatively new to this field, in comparison to those around me, this is something that I will continue to do as long as I can do it.

The bug is strong within me. May it be with you and the passion that burns inside.

A blog about the topics of writing

Making contacts through a social platform

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A fellow author reached out to me to collaborate with them on a book. Others have reached out to me over the last few years, and it has always fizzled out.

Knowing me already from a couple of local conferences where he was the lead speaker, he reached out for my expertise.

Yet, this post is not about me collaborating. It’s about making contacts through your writer’s group, online form, webinars, and conferences. I can’t stress enough how valuable it is in making contact.

I’ve said this many times in the past. I met someone through social media in a writer’s group. He told me about his editor, and at the time, I didn’t have one and couldn’t afford one. Reaching out, she soon became my editor. Nancy is worth her weight and gold and then some. But that’s how I found my editor. How did I find my first publisher? It was through LinkedIn. My second? Another contact

I stay vigilant when it comes to my social media, paying attention to everyone else, watch what’s going on. I keep my eyes out on people who I can help and who can help me. And from that, I’ve been fortunate in having some books out. I have met editors, illustrators, and just amazing people who have been supportive and helpful.

But it comes back to making contacts. If you want to do this alone, go for it. The journey is more interesting when you don’t.

The Musings of A New Englander