Authoring & Playwriting

Ashley Renee Smith I watch it every year too!

Terrence Sellers, It's our Christmas Eve tradition! =)

Tom Kapinos admitted himself that Californication is a "writer's fantasy. There's no reality in which beautiful women are throwing themselves at the feet of middle aged novelists".

The character of Hank as a writer provides him an excuse to be successful but not have his "shit together". Further proving that financial or critical success as a writer does not at all guarantee financial or personal stability. It's as much a harsh critique of the profession as it is a fantasy of its public perception.

A Protagonist with layers of flaws = Writer...end of story.... LOL!

I have four novels traditionally published and I blow my royalty checks at Starbucks. On the last one, I was short and had to come up with 74 cents. Since I'm in there so often, the barista spotted me the four pennies because I didn't have a nickel. I am a professor of English at the community college. Fortunately, I'm retired, so I'm just having fun. I've always loved a couple of old sayings. "Those that can, do it. Those that can't teach. And those that can do neither become critics." Also: "Writers are the only professionals that revel in the failure of their contemporaries." Maybe that means there's a gap in the ranks.

Ashley. This was nice. I am a lover of theoretical analysis. As a medical professional, I go at a story like I'm making a diagnosis, beginning with the microscope and enlarging.my perspective. In retirement, I am an English professor at community college. I teach a writing seminar to anyone who is interested. I got into all this a bit late. At this point, at 83, I'm just having fun and wondering where it might lead.

Thanks, Ashley! I was thinking on a muuuuch smaller level ;) -- even when having, say, actor friends, people like me who often use audition material or scripts by others that are not produced, to work on personal craft...we were concerned that the smallest leak could turn into some big mistake. Is this silly of us?? Wow, I am definitely green at this...

It's never silly to wonder and ask! I'm so glad you reached out to the community and I hope you'll continue doing so. But the important thing to remember is that no one will ever write something the way that YOU write it, even if they're approaching the same concept. Plus, the material will likely change quite a bit from draft to draft. So don't be worried about making mistakes with sharing it, especially not with friends or people you know. Just trust your gut. =)

Hi Lynelle Paulick - very nice to meet you. I've never had anyone sign an NDA for a draft. Once my script is polished, I do register it with the US Copyright office. And I'm with Ashley on this, it's never silly to ask. It's why we're all here. Glad you're with us!

Yes, people have had readers sign NDAs. I generally discourage the practice.

I keep all my multiple draft levels. I don't allow anyone, except my wife, to read my first draft. The first pass is awful. At least mine is. My wife agrees. Anne LaMotte calls it the SFD. By the time I have the completed product ready for submission, I'll have anywhere from five to eight printed version in various stages. I think if anyone was going to steal my idea, then more power to them. I think I could prove it was mine originally. As they say: bad writers copy, good writers steal.

you can ask PI, GPT, and Gem to act or roll play as a screen writer and it will do it just like one. I have more of these.

What incredible responses [jawdrop emoji]. Thank you, all.

It's a great tool to help with loglines, especially when you struggle with sharing a story in a single sentence.

I'll also echo the same thought as many: while I'm generally against AI in this field of endeavour, if you're doing it for some basic research or to inspire you (maybe creating some visuals to help put a character firmly in your mind's eye when you write), then that's one thing, but for analysis, it's a big fat no. You might think what you get from AI notes is insightful, but I can assure you any script consultant or story analyst worth their salt will find holes. And at the end of the day, who do you make your stories for? Humans or AI? The answer to that question will inform you who you'll really need to check and provide feedback on your story.

I have read some AI generated novels and they are awful. As an English professor, it concerns me because some people are actually reading them. I'm finding that AI is great for generating scenarios. As I move through the first draft of my fifth novel, I'll reach a "what-to-do-next" point. I feed in some ideas on AI and see what it comes up with. I do that repeatedly. It's like adding fertilizer to a garden. The garden in my creative mind.

i've never heard of this! excited to dig in! thanks!

Great informations Jonathan Jordan

I use Scrivener, it works exports to most formats. They have a screenwriting format as well — fantastic, affordable tool.

Allow me to make a comment about Scrivener. I have used this program for years. They continue to upgrade and I own the latest edition. It is a complex and quirky program. The creators are obviously brilliant individuals, but I truly believe they don't think like writers. They think like computer programmers. I attempted to download the manual for the new version and it's 750 pages. What's wrong with that picture"? I was working on my novel when it suddenly disappeared. I couldn't find it, so I emailed Literature and Latte. They told me some steps that didn't work, so I ended up giving them control of my computer. It required several days for them to find it. Since then I am afraid of it and use Word. I am the type of writer that when I want to write, I want to do it. Scrivener has become so cumbersome from my point of view that I spend too much time with the workings of the program rather than my writing. I purchased a new manual from Amazon, one of those supposedly easy use explanations. All it does is make me feel stupid.

John Roane

John Roane - I can certainly understand the frustration especially after losing a manuscript. Although I've used it for years, I wouldn't push anyone to work with something they're not 100% comfortable with. There are great formatting companies out there like Jera Publishing that you can use to format your book. These folks are fantastic to work with: https://www.self-pub.net/

Thanks, Amanda Toney. I just added this to my webinar list.

I love Lane! She's a wonderful person and a really smart filmmaker.

BookTok is everything these days. It's power knows no bounds. Lol!

I am a published author. I started late in life and have four books traditionally published on Amazon. I keep blowing my royalty checks at Starbucks, so I guess I'm going to be forced to jump into social media to make a few bucks. In the social media department I'm a dinosaur, so I guess I need to learn something new. I'll have to see if an old dog can learn a few new tricks.

You got this John Roane! Here's a great resource for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjjjlJw2cgM

I do think there's a market for kid's musicals, Alexander Benra. But when it comes to plays for schools, you have to be mindful of a myriad of factors such as subject matter, budget, scale, etc. Not all schools have the space and resources to stage larger productions. Plus, parents can be very particular about the themes and topics that are explored within schools, especially public schools. Similar to a short film, you want to be mindful about those things while you're writing. That way when you begin approaching local schools, community theaters, etc. with your material, those factors won't be in your way or warrant quick passes.

If anything, the success of the High School Musical movies attest to that, Alexander Benra. You can also take it a step further and incorporate some kind of "readers theater" that includes music. I had written one for a school that my wife taught in and we got to perform it there. They had a blast and it was one of the more memorable experiences of my writing life.

Thats so neat, Leonardo Ramirez! What a fun experience!

Stage 32 has a wealth of information and resources. You've come to a good place. Read the blogs, posts, take a course, pitch your work. You can do it all here.

Hi Mercy Dasan! Great question! We do have reps available for consultations on the platform who either work in IP or rep screenwriters and novelists. I'm happy to recommend some to you if you shoot me an email at success@stage32.com :)

If you search "reedsy agents list" you'll get a lengthy list of agents accepting queries. Keep expectations in check though.

Hi Mercy Dasan

Mercy Dasan I would do as Emily J has suggested she's on track!

Vicente Sanchez, well done. I am an amateur author, writing my stories for the pleasure it gives me. I enjoy the process more than the end product. Anyway, I wanted to congratulate you on your book. I am convinced that many people with similar disorders will find it worthwhile. Go for it!

This is really inspiring, Vicente Sánchez. Congratulations on finishing your book. I recommend this Stage 32 webinar on the journey of adapting IP into a film or TV show - Micky is a fantastic educator and resource: https://www.stage32.com/education?p=8944891724083

Vicente Sánchez, I think the best starting place would be for you to educate yourself on what both those adaptation processes would look like. The more you understand the process, the better you can navigate the one that feels like the best fit for your story. We have a number of webinars here on Stage 32 to learn about film/tv adaptation or publishing your book. We also have free blogs and you can always ask specific questions here in the Authoring Lounge or over in the Filmmaking and Producing Lounges. The clearer you are in what you're interested in learning, the better answers you'll receive. Once you've built a strong foundational understanding of how it all works, you can be more targeted in your networking and approach.

More Webinar Suggestions:

https://www.stage32.com/education?p=8944830742835

https://www.stage32.com/education?p=8944877044019

https://www.stage32.com/education?p=8944938778931

Free Blogs About Adaptation & Book Publishing:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/youve-written-a-novel-is-a-script-adaptatio...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-become-a-self-published-author-2255

https://www.stage32.com/blog/so-you-want-to-publish-a-book-do-ya-1569

https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-adapt-stories-from-the-page-to-the-s...

There are also a number of great blogs here on Stage 32 to help advise you about the best ways to network with filmmakers, writers, etc. If that's something you're interested in, you can search for those on our Blog page as well.

Vicente Sánchez I applaud your bravery in tackling this subject. Always tough to write on such a personal but important issue. To clarify, have you already published your book or are you thinking your unpublished manuscript could work better as a screenplay? (Also, Ashley has posted a lot of great stuff above.)

congratulations! i'm sure it was cathartic for you in so many ways. you must feel proud. i would suggest promoting and marketing the book as much as possible - get on publishers radar... and dig into all of the webinars that address specifics on this topic. very helpful.