SCREENWRITING PROGRAM: Chad Brown - How To Kill Yourself Like A Man

It's a common thing to knock people for working in jobs that kill creativity and passion. But sometimes, that's what you NEED! Take, for example, CHAD BROWN, from Studio City, California. "After 12 years in corporate America, I've finally found the chutzpa to pursue a long neglected passion in writing." Chad was a joy to collaborate with, because he was so engaged in what he was doing.

He made every amateur mistake in the book. Wrote 30 pages when we needed 15. He got lost and confused and drowned in his story. He struggled to to figure out the plot, and had 50 ideas when he needed one strong one. 

But credit to Chad, he made it work. He referred to himself initially as 'amateur', but his work ethic, ability to edit his own material, and the creativity that flowed during the week, showed him to be anything but. Maybe those years in corporate America helped him after all.

Tell me a little bit about where you were at before the program, as a writer.... ?

Before last week I had not completed a full screenplay (short or feature length).  Truth is, I had just recently discovering that I AM A WRITER (caps used for self validation purposes).  For the past 12 years I have worked in finance.  I never thought of my job as a "writing gig", but I've certainly done my share of technical writing over the years. However, from a creative standpoint, I had only begun to draft a few passion pieces.  I was grinding out pages in a vacuum trying to learn more about the craft and tools of the trade. Immediately prior to last week, I was stuck. I had ideas (didn't know if they were any good). I had drive (but no training). I had the beginnings of stories (but I was stuck).  I found the KITFR program late one night searching the web for inspiration, education and/or collaboration - and got all three. 

Did you find the program helpful, and if so, how? 

This was immensely helpful to me.  As I said, I was stuck. The program got me writing.  I wanted to write.  I wanted to write BAD. But I needed a nudge, some accountability.  Someone that would call me out if I didn't get it done. I'm used to deadlines and I perform better with a little pressure. This got my adrenaline pumping.  I went from idea to first draft in the first two days! 17 pages.  I had never done anything like that before. It was cathartic. 

You wrote a lot of pages --- there were a lot of different drafts in the week. At one point I think you were close to 30 pages? 

Yes.  I'm a little embarrassed about this since it screams "amateur", but that shoe fits me right now.  I wrote this piece stream of consciousness, or as I should call it "made the sh*t up as I went along" :).  And that's what I'm trying to change.  I want to outline, develop my story. I want my characters, conflicts, climaxes and resolutions laid out before me so all I have to do is craft characters and forward motion scenes.  I'm not there yet.  So, I write ALOT and then I'm forced to edit mercilessly. Like the adage says, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" and I almost did.  Up until the eleventh hour, I was still several pages long. I want to be a professional and I don't think pros do that.

At times I must admit, I found it hard to help you -- this is actually not something I've done a lot of; helping writers in very specific ways on their own scripts. Was my input always helpful, or did it distract you creatively?

Kid your input was sublime and inspired.  The first two notes you sent me proved to be exactly what I needed (for this and every other story I will write).  You told me 1) make it human and 2) simplify.  I got up to 30 pages because I wrote entirely too many ideas into my first, second and third drafts (and I tend to get WAY too descriptive - but we'll talk about that later).  Again, amateur mistake.  If an assignment calls for 15 pages, I need to know the pace and beat of 15 pages.  How it feels.  So I can write a story that fits the medium.  I began the week by just writing and ended up with a feature trying to masquerade as a short.  I needed to simplify.  Also, in my first draft, my hero was "unrelatable". He still needs work, but your note made me address his humanity and I got to know him better as well.  I feel like I could expand even further on his character in a feature now.   

At what points during the week did you feel stuck, and at what points did you feel the juice was really flowing?

My juices REALLY flowed at the beginning (Sun-Wed) and the end (Sun).  Thurs - Sat were tough.  That's when I found myself getting stuck.  I had become attached to a story and character arc that couldn't possibly be culminated in 15 pages.  So, my dilemma was to choose between starting from scratch or clear-cutting scenes.  I chose a combination of both. I adjusted my premise, removed (and added) scenes and tried to simplify the overall story.  I hope I accomplished that.

How was the process of editing your script, of cutting it down to 15 pages? 

I've never had to cut off one of my own limbs, but i imagine it feels similar.  I agonized over where to take (and not take) the story once it became clear that I couldn't get to the mark through technical edits only.  At the end I ended up dropping several themes that were present in earlier drafts, but I made 15! (Woo-hoo!)

Did you learn anything about yourself as a writer during this week?

ALOT.  I learned that writing is absolutely what I'm meant to do.  I learned that I have weakness, but most importantly, I have strengths.  I learned that I am not alone.  I learned that I have ALOT of learning to do (excited about that).  I learned to utilize readers and others who don't reside in my head. I learned that a writer writes and writes and writes...

Thank you Kid and everyone involved.  This experience has been priceless to me and it didn't cost a thing!!

Read his screenplay 'How To Kill Yourself Like A Man' by clicking HERE.

Follow Chad on Twitter.

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SCREENWRITING PROGRAM: Cheryl Beadling - 'Top Dog, Whisperer'

"I'm in a rut. I'm a college student majoring in cinema. I've found myself studying and analyzing film more than trying to write them. I mean don't get me wrong, I've found a new passion and fervor for film analysis, but I miss the satisfaction of writing Fade Out. I'm hoping that this will get me jump started into writing again." I think that CHERYL BEADLING's reasons for joining the screenwriting program were things that a lot of writers -of all levels- can relate to, which is why I was so interested in working with her.

Cheryl was the least communicative of all the writers. Her instinct was to go it alone. Whether this was the right decision, it's hard to know. When it got to Friday, two days before the deadline, she hit a brick wall and couldn't find clarity on her idea. This led her to switch paths and write a completely different story. Which story was she meant to tell? I guess we'll never know. I sense that Cheryl wasn't looking for collaboration, but just for somebody to give her a deadline. Either way, a script got written, and that is why we are here!

You hit a dead end towards the end of that week. How did it feel, can you describe it for us?

I hit a brick wall on Friday, and I hit it hard. Honestly, it sucked. I had a bit of an inkling that I would get stuck on my story, but I really hoped that it wouldn't happen. I found myself sitting at my local Panera Bread struggling to get pages out. I ultimately didn't know what my character's goal was, and what his end game was. Although I got most of the story down, there was nothing it led up to. I was writing for an ending where I didn't know what was going to happen. I think I hoped that as I wrote, the ending would come to me, but it didn't.

After your dead end; inspiration struck; what happened? 

The inspiration for the second story ultimately came from my friends. Some friends and I meet up once a week for a writers group to workshop our ideas for scripts or pages of our scripts. It's a great way to get other people's feedback and ideas, and truly helped me this time around. At first I asked them to help me come up with a way to murder the main character's dog, but that jumped to the dog was already dead, to the dog was murdered by the main character's girlfriend, to this ghost dog solves crimes, to this man is now a dog whisperer. (Sometimes I don't understand how our conversations get to the points they do.) 

Did the energy of this idea feel different to your original concept? Can you describe the difference?

After brainstorming with the group I felt inspired to write the dog whisperer story. They ultimately helped me narrow it down to the idea that if Cesar Milan had a little brother, who was also a dog whisperer, what would Thanksgiving dinner be like at their house? I felt like I was in a rut with the first story, but this one fueled me to continue writing. I marinated on it for a day, and came up with an outline Saturday, then wrote all Sunday. I had been sitting on the other story for a while, and I think the main reason why I hadn't attempted to write it yet was because it was hard trying to determine what the character's goal was. It was an interesting premise and a funny concept, but that didn't translate to being an actual story. 

In terms of brainstorming with your with friends --- what did you do and how did it help?

I came to them looking for inspiration on how to kill off the dog, but they pulled me in another direction, which I think was good for me. I lost that fire to write, and brainstorming with them helped to push me through the next couple of days. I wrote down all of their suggestions and then focused on the dog whisperer. They helped me come up with ideas for the plot turns and gags. I then thought about it all for a night and came up with the outline of the story. The outline for this story came a lot quicker than the previous. 

Did you enjoy being part of the KITFR screenwriting program? What did you get from it?

I greatly enjoyed being a part of the KITFR screenwriting program, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to participate. This was the first complete script that I have written in a while and I feel a new inspiration to start writing again. Because of the deadline, I had to force myself to finish the story, which is something I seemed to have lacked previously. I would start scripts, but ultimately would fall short in finishing them. This week made me push and produce something. Now, I plan to give myself personal deadlines for writing. I try to write each day, but I need to have a specific date in order to help push for my goal of a finished script.

You can read Cheryl's screenplay 'Top Dog, Whisperer' by clicking HERE. 

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SCREENWRITING PROGRAM: Kim Nunley - 'Tuesday Sunrise'

KIM NUNLEY is a screenwriter living in Oakland, California. She is an accomplished writer whose material has been in heaps of screenwriting festivals and she won the 'Outstanding Nor Cal Comedy Short' at the 2012 Sacramento International Film Festival.

Kim's reason for applying was also one of the key reasons I started this program. Writing is hard work, and it's lonely. Here's what Kim wrote when she applied, "The honest reason I’d love to be chosen to participate in your one-week screenwriting program is that I am DYING for feedback and mentorship. I am a dedicated writer who starts every day with my writing work. However, I sit alone everyday in my office and put in my work without really getting the feedback necessary to know if what I’m creating is of any quality. I am constantly striving to get better and would love to get your help."

When a writer can help another writer, even in a simple way, it's a great thing - and something we should all strive to do more of. Read below to find out about Kim's experience on the KITFR Screenwriting Program.

I enjoyed working with you. You were happy to go away and do your thing and to check in with me when you'd completed drafts. How was it for you?

The process was perfect. I like the challenge of figuring out most things myself. Working to find solutions on my own has been one of the reasons I’ve developed into a better writer over the years. So, whenever I struggled throughout the week, instead of immediately turning to you for guidance, I kept tinkering away on my own. Knowing I had you there in case I did need someone’s assistance was comforting, and it was extremely helpful to have you there expecting to hear about my progress and to provide notes as I was finishing up the script.

 
Did having the one week deadline help you?

 
Every year I challenge myself to have a new feature script ready for Nicholl Fellowships because it’s that submission deadline that forces me to hunker down and finish a project. So, in response to your question, having the one week deadline absolutely helped. There was no getting around that I was going to have a short script completed by the end of the week. Excuses weren’t an option. No way was I going to let you or your readers down when we had agreed on a set deadline.

 
You're an experienced writer, you've been doing this a while --- how was this week different? Did you learn anything about yourself as a writer?

 
No matter the number of years I’ve been writing, it’s always a challenge to start and finish a new project. Though it’s never a calming situation to be in, I typically do thrive in a tight deadline situation. I don’t work under these conditions all the time, so this week definitely required that I remain focused and disciplined. Going through this week-long screenwriting program and successfully completing the script helped build my confidence of being able to produce under pressure.

 
How was my input for you, was it helpful?

 
Sometimes after spending hours and hours alone, drowned in the work of one particular story, I start to lose the ability of being objective. Your feedback and assistance was very helpful because it pointed out both areas that I was somewhat already concerned with, and other areas that I hadn’t realized needed work. Plus, it was awesome to receive positive notes on what you did like and what did work for you, so I knew where I was on the right track.

 
What I said to most of the writers at one point or another, was that they should simplify things -- have one idea and go with it. That's definitely something you were doing here with your writing. You had one solid concept, and the jokes and characters grew out of that. Did that structure come easily or did you need to work at it? 

 
As simple as my story concept is, I did have to put in a good amount of work on the structure. There isn’t much complexity to the story, but it took some effort to keep it moving. I always try to be aware of the pacing of the stories I write. I knew in this one that I wanted it to ease in slowly as we’re introduced to Dennis, our protagonist, and then pick up in pacing as he starts to have fun and get a little crazy. I wanted the tempo of the script to coincide with the energy of Dennis’ journey.

 
What are your plans with this script? 

Nothing is set just yet. As of now, I’m just happy to have another completed short under my belt. If anyone’s interested in producing it, please let me know!

You can read Kim's short screenplay HERE. 

Follow her on Twitter, @KimNunley and check out her website. 

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Off We Went

We went running and rolling and riding through the British countryside in search of life, cause we knew it was out there in the land where phone receptions died and the animals roamed so alive.

We stumbled past roadblocks -the inner ones- which cried at us to stay home and do what grown ups do, but we grabbed a ride to the mountainside as the rains came down and the grass got greener and the woods smelled sweeter.

And some grumpy voice from within us kept pushing us home -- things to schedule, reports to check, thoughts to share. Yet something kept us moving on and out further up the road to anywhere, something that came from a deeper place than what we'd been feeling.

It was out there. The magical mystery IT. The thing. The place that's simultaneously out there in the wild and also here in our hearts. But you have to go all the way there, to get all the way inside here. Far away, free and in the world where the quietness speaks so loud.

We got away from immediate answers and quick solutions and listened to what the world said. It told us, "walk the British Isles and feel the history in each footstep". We understood and bolted for the nearest field and the nearest path and the furthest hillside. 

We felt the souls of old Kings and the spirit of everyone we'd ever known. We breathed in the fresh air and promised to keep walking until we found all the answers.

We were hooked on the wisdom of the outdoors and desperate for the key to life. We kept walking and talking, ever conscious of our desire for meaning. And that's when it stopped.

We felt down and dead, desperately wanting to know where the voices of the skies would lead us. We thought about it a little and discovered our sadness at not being able to extract absolutely everything. Eventually we realised we were getting ourselves down so we decided to just carry on and enjoy ourselves. 

We walked once more, in a direction somewhat resembling home and got all lost in muddy fields and thoughts of love and adventure.

The journey was perfect. We realised, the world HAD spoken after all. The wisdom was in the walking and dreaming. The action we'd taken was to get out there on foot, which was the goal as well as the gift. The world told us "Keep exploring and ignore the voices which think they have all the answers". 

We looked at each other and felt the sparkle of a road travelled and connection made. It got freezing but we felt the warmth of Britain's wisdom. 

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SCREENWRITING PROGRAM: Lesya Hearst - 'StreetMom'

LESYA HEARST lives in Ukraine, Eastern Europe. She works as a translator and proofreader - but her real passion, as was evident in her application letter, is writing. "The point is, I've got stories to tell. I feel that I can do it. I see myself as a screenwriter. But it's been a struggle. As a kid, I wanted to be a writer (and I've been writing a novel for a while), but my true aspiration is my words, my lines, my ideas, transformed into those magical moving pictures".

It was an interesting week. Did you enjoy it?

The week was challenging and it's already a good reason to enjoy it. And I did. Because I wrote my short screenplay and I learned quite a lot in the process. It was also exceptionally exciting to be a part of this program since, for the first time, I felt that I'm a part of the writing community in general. It was a fleeting moment but a precious one.

You were quite critical of yourself throughout the week; I got the sense that you are quite a perfectionist and you expect a lot from yourself. Did this week help you see more positives in your work? 

I expected more from myself as a writer but short scripts are daunting for me, that's why working, contemplating the ways to enhance the script and your advice to drop self-criticism helped me to accept my work as it is now. It made me realize that it's just the first script and I can do much better in the future.

You had a strong idea that you stuck with throughout the week -- what made you want to write this story? 

It's not an easy question to answer as I don't want to give away much for those who might want to read the script but I'm willing to tell about how it all was started. Sometimes my ideas begin with those themes that are important and inspire me, but this time it was not the case. Some of my potential stories, like this one, are born as a picture in my mind. It's like seeing a film image in your head and it's so enticing that you can't resist but grant that image a story. Thus, that visual scene that sprang up in my mind allowed me to tell a story that touched the ideas of solitude and human relationships.

In what ways did you find the screenwriting program helpful, was my input useful?

The program was tremendously helpful. Firstly, I wouldn't even have tried to write a short script without it. Secondly, the pieces of advice that you gave me were amazing. Getting feedback directly on my work is completely different from just reading your blog and it was a great experience. You also helped me to look at screenwriting from different points of view and I'm forever grateful for that.

Another significant thing that I realized was that I'm at odds with short screenplays and that's the reason for me to write more of them. Since I don't have such major problems with feature screenwriting, it was a revelation to me. Thus, it's important that now I know my weakest points to face them and improve.

This was your first script, right? Are you going to do more? 

It was my first script and I aspire to continue writing more than ever before. I'm blessed to have tons of ideas, so I hope to get all my courage, inspiration, and eagerness to develop, and make myself work hard.

Read Lesya's screenplay 'StreetMom' HERE.

You should also read her fantastic blog, and follow her on Twitter. 

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10 Tips on Giving Tips

1. Do it as a list rather than one run along sentence.

9. Do things in the right order.

3. Content wise you should, without doubt, be completely and utterly concise. Only say what is essential and not a word more. If you say too much, it's not as good. In fact it's quite bad. That's rule number 3.

4. Have one tip which is pure filler.

5. Don't use words or phrases that are solely used to attract people through google searches, that's as pointless as Megan Fox's nude tits sex naked body.

6. Speak with absolute authority and certainty.

7. I'm not sure about rule 6.

8. Look at websites that give tips about healthy living, I get a lot of inspiration from them.

9. Eat fresh fruit every day.

2. Be encouraging, simplistic and positive, otherwise the dumb idiots won't understand a thing.

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SCREENWRITING PROGRAM: Matthew Zurcher - 'Café Americain'

From Sunday 3rd June-Sunday 10th June 2012, I mentored six writers for the week. Their task? To write a screenplay each, which had to be no longer than 15 pages. Each day I am sharing the work of one of the writers, accompanied by an interview to hear about their experiences with the program.

MATTHEW ZURCHER is a 22 year old student from the Appalachian backwoods of Pennysylvania. Before last week, Matt had never written a screenplay before. Why did I choose him? This sentence in his application sealed it: "The time is right for me to make a go at it. My job is not demanding. I have the time. I have the drive. I have the desire. I have the ability. I need the kick in the ass."

I think it's been a fascinating week for you! At the beginning, you'd never written a script before, never used screenwriting software, and you were battling around with numerous different ideas for a story. What was the week like for you? 

Wild. Unlike some of the other writers, I didn't have to fit the project around a full-time job. I'm a student and just work in the film department. There was a lot of extra time to think. It was a curse, not a blessing. Initially, I kind of went backwards in the sense that I usually like to be impulsive and then rewind and ponder. That said, I had a great time. I never knew it was possible to be so intimately involved with a screenwriting computer program. It was love at first type. 

Your initial idea was quite complex and difficult to fit into a short screenplay with a 15 page limit. Tell me a bit more about the idea you were working on for most of the week. 

I wanted to write a story about lying and how we romanticize our pasts. Even on a daily level, we pick and choose how our lives are represented. And I wanted to tie that concept into technology and talk about how it can both hold us accountable for our history and allow us to create a new identity at the same time. I created this character who the audience knew was lying to them. I wanted to play around with how something so basic as love fits into all of it. We all lie and we all create ourselves to a certain extent. And we all fall in love. I'll think about it for a few decades and maybe it will turn into something. 

At the very end of the week; you had a flash of inspiration, and completely changed course. What happened? How did it feel? 

Ha! It was Friday night and I was trying to patch up this massive story. I was failing and it hurt. When I'm frustrated, I like to push through it instead of take a break because there's some real energy present when you're pissed at yourself. There were a lot of images passing through my brain about people trying to make themselves into someone new. That's when I thought of the idea to have someone wake up and be a fictional character. I chose to have a woman become Rick from CASABLANCA because he, more than any other character in popular cinema, was made to personify American virtues. 

CASABLANCA was a (brilliant) propaganda film made to relieve anxieties about entering WWII but it almost never reads like that anymore. People say America has changed, but I think our expectations have changed. The character embodies a bunch of stuff and means a lot to me. There are some political things being said at the end of the script, but I can't put them into words. The real flash of inspiration that made me switch course was when I thought of the sex scene. There's something very true about two people only being able to connect by pretending they aren't themselves. And I shot for melodrama through the entire thing. It adds another dimension of humor. I finished a rough draft in about 5 hours.

During the week I kept saying to you to 'simplify' your ideas. Consciously or not, I think that is advice you eventually followed - do you agree? 

Sure. The original story was too dense for 15 minutes. CAFE AMERICAIN is, story wise, a one trick pony and fits perfectly in that time frame. There is a whole web of thematic junk happening in both ideas, but the final product is pretty straightforward. I didn't have enough time to get funky -- a good thing. 

I think your initial script was full of ideas that you couldn't quite get a handle on. But what you finally turned in has a real energy and liveliness to it. I'm thinking maybe you can learn something from this, about your style as a writer. What do you think? 

I learned about what works and what doesn't in a 15 page piece. A good story is a good story, but certain things are more suitable for a short-form narrative. It's a great feeling to strip away all the bells and whistles, to just tell a story with a core. I plan on revisiting my original idea when I'm older. I'm too young and silly for it right now. 

Was my input during the week useful? What positives did you take from the program? 

The most helpful thing was having someone responsible and accountable for my work. It got me writing like a maniac. Everyone knows that the best way to learn writing is to just sink your teeth into it. I came into last week with no screenwriting experience and I came out with 1 1/2 pieces and a real urge for more. The program fed me the bug. I owe it a lot. Thanks a lot and see you around!

You can read Matt's screenplay from the program HERE. 

You should also check out his website, and follow him on Twitter. 

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