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Inklings Issue 4.04
================================================================
i n k l i n g s
Inkspot's newsletter for Writers on the Net
Issue 4.4 Feb.18, 1998
================================================================
<http://www.inkspot.com/inklings/issues/ink0404.html>
* Over 28,000 subscribers! *
This issue features an interview with screenwriter Michael
Druxman, tips on getting the most out of rejections by
Donna Jolly, and advice about agents and original stories
by sf/fantasy author Michelle Sagara.
This issue sponsored in part by:
================================================================
THE WRITER'S SOFTWARE COMPANION: multimedia software by Writer's
Digest's Nancy Kress. Uses advanced learning tech. and total
immersion to bypass years of trial-and-error, dramatically
accelerating a writer's progress. http://www.novalearn.com
================================================================
FREELANCE SUCCESS newsletter gives nonfiction writers the tools
they need to earn a fulltime living. Detailed market information
for pros and those who aspire to be. SASE to 801 NE 70th St.,
Box IK, Miami, FL 33138. E-mail: freelance-success@usa.net
================================================================
ISSN 1205-6413. Copyright 1995-1998 Debbie Ridpath Ohi. See end
of issue for copyright/contact info. Ad info: sales@inkspot.com
================================================================
| CONTENTS THIS ISSUE: |
| From The Editor's Desk |
| Fresh Ink and Market Information |
| Ask The SF/Fantasy Author |
| Rejection 101: Making "NO" Positive |
| Interview with Michael Druxman |
| Writers' Classifieds |
================================================================
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK:
=======================
Congratulations to Karen Allman, whose name was randomly picked
to win a copy of Chip Rowe's THE BOOK OF ZINES, and Richard
Merrell, who won a copy of Peter Kent's MAKING MONEY IN TECHNICAL
WRITING. More info about these books and the prize giveaway at
http://www.inkspot.com/admin/giveaway.html.
I am currently looking for a young writer volunteer to help me
maintain the Young Writers' section in Inkspot. The position
would involve about two hours a month. I can offer a small
honorarium and (if you want it) an online Inkspot column with
byline. If you're interested, please email editor@inkspot.com
with "young writer volunteer" in the subject header. In your
message, please include your name, age, writing interests,
internet experience (required: knowledge of HTML), brief sample
of your writing style. The young writers' section of Inkspot can
found at:
http://www.inkspot.com/young/
I am also looking for volunteers on AOL and Compuserve to upload
issues of Inklings to the writers' libraries. I've been doing
this for several years now, but no longer have the time. If
you're on either of the above online services and are willing to
help out every two weeks, please send email to editor@inkspot.com
with either "aol volunteer" or "compuserve volunteer" in the
subject header, thanks!
FRESH INK
=========
BOOK PRIZE GIVEAWAY: The Art Of Storytelling
--------------------------------------------
Win a copy of Michael Druxman's THE ART OF STORYTELLING (Center
Press, 1997). To enter, send an email to giveaway@inkspot.com. By
entering, you agree to let Inkspot and Inklings publish your name
and email address if you win. Deadline: Fri.Feb.27/98. More info
about the contest and book at:
http://www.inkspot.com/admin/giveaway.html
Note: If you wish to donate a writing-related book to the
biweekly giveaway, please email editor@inkspot.com with
"book for giveaway" in the subject header.
Freelancing 101
---------------
Professional freelancer Moira Allen now has her own column in
Inkspot. Check it out at:
http://www.inkspot.com/moira/
Fiction Writer's Page
---------------------
Excellent collection of essays on various topics by Canadian
writer/teacher Crawford Kilian.
http://www.capcollege.bc.ca/dept/magic/cmns/fwp.html
Character Names for Specific Ages
---------------------------------
Sample of names organized by time period. Full list available
by ordering Character Naming Software.
http://www.dfcreations.com/Nameandage.html
The Gila Queen's Guide To Markets
---------------------------------
Market info newsletter. Special offer until Mar.6/98. Subscribe
for $30 instead of $34 if you mention Inklings (rates slightly
higher in Canada). Email GilaQueen@worldnet.att.net.
http://www.pacifier.com/~alecwest/gila/index.html
WritersNet
----------
Searchable database of authors, editors, publishers, and agents.
Looks like an excellent resource
http://www.writers.net/
The Muse's Muse
---------------
Resource for songwriters. Articles, links, chats, resources.
To be put on mailing list, email webinfo@musesmuse.com.
http://www.musesmuse.com/
** Please send suggestions for Fresh Ink to freshink@inkspot.com
================================================================
MARKET INFORMATION
==================
Please note: Inklings does its best to print only accurate market
info. However, it cannot be held responsible for lost postage,
time, etc. that you may incur due to inaccuracies. Don't send
submissions by email before inquiring first. Get current,
detailed guidelines before submitting. Include SASE for snailmail
replies. More market info at: http://www.inkspot.com/market/.
Special thanks to the following market sources:
SCAVENGER'S NEWSLETTER: monthly sf/f/h/m mkt info letter
http://users.aol.com/Lemarchand/scavenger.html
THE GILA QUEEN'S GUIDE TO MARKETS: Email GilaQueen@aol.com
http://www.pacifier.com/~alecwest/gila/index.html
THE WRITE MARKETS REPORT: free issue from ForWriters@reporters.net
http://members.tripod.com/~deepsouth/index-writemkt.html
CHILDREN'S WRITERS MARKET LIST: sample from childmkt@inkspot.com
http://www.inkspot.com/feature/shauers/
==-----------------------------------------------------==
"FNASR" = First North American Serial Rights, "SASE" =
self-addressed, stamped envelope, "simsubs" = simultaneous
submissions, "mss" = manuscript, "RT" = response time, "GL" =
guidelines, "wds" = words, "cc" = contributor's copy,
"IWGL" = Inkspot Writer's Guideline Library.
If you are a paying market and wish to add your listing to
Inkspot/Inklings, request a form from mktform@inkspot.com.
Check out the new *INKSPOT WRITERS' GUIDELINES LIBRARY* at:
http://www.inkspot.com/cgi-bin/guidelines/guide.cgi
FUSE MAGAZINE - seeks non-fiction articles
-------------
Fuse Magazine, 410 Richmond St. West, Suite 454, Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3A8, Canada. Managing Editor: Petra Chevrier. Print quarterly
magazine about issues of art and culture. Est. circ. 2,100,
established 1976. Buys approx. 40 articles/yr. "Fuse magazine is
a visual art magazine addressing issues in cultural politics,
visual and media arts, film, and contemporary thought. FUSE seeks
to generate debate. Writers and artists from a range of
communities offer diverse perspectives on the intersection of
politics and the arts." TOPICS: ethnic/minority, gay/lesbian,
interviews, profiles, politics, world affairs, art criticism,
visual arts, film/video, new media, education, feminist, First
Nations, contemporary culture. Pays on publication. Buys FNASR,
one-time rights. Simsubs okay if informed. No reprints.
Encourages new/unpublished writers to send material.
Editorial/seasonal lead time: 5 mos. To subscribe: $24 U.S. ($20
within Canada). Email submissions okay. Send complete mss.
Publishes mss approx 3-6 months after acceptance. Columns are
open to freelancers, 10c/wd (Cdn). Photos required with
submission. WORD LENGTHS: 700 (reviews) to 5000 (features).
Copy/tearsheet policy: 3 copies to author, plus 1 year
subscription. TIPS: "Critical, well researched articles offering
fresh perspective." NOT LOOKING FOR: "No fiction, please."
(Source: IWGL)
URL: http://www.interlog.com/~fuse
Email: fuse@interlog.com
THE LITERARY JOURNAL - seeks fiction and poems
--------------------
The Literary Journal, Lackey Publications, P.O. Box 2597, Los
Banos, CA 93635. P(209)827-8544. F(209)827-8544. Susan Lackey,
Editor. 99% freelance. A wholesome family magazine dedicated to
promoting writers and illustrators, new or experienced. Warmly
welcomes new writer. Circulation for premier issue (December,
1997) totaled 300 - growing rapidly. Quarterly. Pays on
acceptance. Publishes ms 3 months after acceptance. Buys 1st N.A.
serial rights. Occasionally accepts reprints. Responds ASAP.
Sample $2 (first issue will be sold as a sample after second
issue is released). Subscription $16 (CA residents add $1.17
sales tax); $21.60 outside US. Guidelines at website, by mail
with SASE, or by e-mail. NEEDS: "Compositions that are enjoyable
to read, are able to hold the reader's attention to the end, and
can be read by the whole family. Pays $0.01/word for stories to
2,500 words and one-page poems. Submit a cover letter with a
50-80 word bio and a disposable mss by mail (with SASE if you'd
like a response). PHOTOS/ART: B/W graphic illustrations are
welcome for the Gallery section. Pays $10 each. HINTS: "I always
welcome submissions for articles or columns that provide writing
strategies for writers and poets." (Source: The Write Markets
Report, Feb/98)
E-mail: slackey@telis.org.
URL: http://members.tripod.com/~literaryjournal/index.html
REUNIONS MAGAZINE - seeks nonfiction
-----------------
Reunions magazine, PO Box 11727, Milwaukee, WI USA 53211-0727.
Quarterly consumer magazine. Editor: Ms. Edith Wagner. Circ.18k,
est.1990. Buys 21-30 freelance articles/yr. "A how-to, nuts and
bolts, what's-done-what-successfully periodical of lessons and
encouragement for persons who are organizing family, class and
military reunions." AUDIENCE: "Persons who have strong ties to
their families, history and significant events in their lives.
Many are older; most live comfortably and can afford to travel;
have time to devote to an important undertaking." Pays on
publication, max $25. Buys one-time first rights. Simsubs and
reprints ok if informed. Encourages new/unpublished writers.
Editorial lead time: min. 6 mos. Seasonal lead time: 6 mos.
Publishes mss 6-12 months after acceptance. Email submissions ok,
no queries necessary. WORD LENGTH: 750-1,500 ("I hate lengths!
It's said when it's said and it sure depends upon the subject in
our business.") "Preference always to the crisp, to-the-point
style of shortness." LOOKING FOR: "Anything that helps a reunion
organizer organize a reunion. Tell us what made your reunion
great and how it was done; fundraising, activities (and don't
forget the little ones), working with hotels and vendors, getting
the idea ... implementing it. Great unusual reunion stories that
are universal enough to appeal to all reunion organizers (a
military buddy with the boy he befriended or the enemy whose
wounds he dressed or honoring special relatives or classmates."
NOT LOOKING FOR: "Catharsis at your class reunion, a manuscript
with no sign of a reunion." OTHER TIPS: "Keep it lively and
positive, keep it helpful and practical." (IWGL)
Email: reunions@execpc.com
URL: http://www.reunionsmag.com
INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE - seeks non-fiction
----------------------
International Wildlife, 8925 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22184.
F(703)827-2585. Jonathan Fisher, Editor. 80% freelance. The
National Wildlife Federation's award-winning magazine celebrates
wildlife in all its wondrous diversity. International Wildlife,
covering wildlife and a wide range of related subjects outside
the US, uses riveting text and captivating images to educate
readers about conservation issues and to explore the latest
discoveries affecting the natural world. Welcomes new writers.
Circ. 300K. Bimonthly. Generally pays on acceptance. Buys
exclusive first rights; non-exclusive rights thereafter. Rarely
accepts reprints. Responds less than 2 months to queries. Sample
free on request by mail or e-mail. Subscription $20; $26 outside
US. Guidelines by mail with SASE or by e-mail. NEEDS:
Environmental and wildlife issues, wildlife profiles, species
status reports, personal adventure, personality profiles,
scientific trends, humor, essays, how-to's, peoples' relationship
to the land, place stories, gee whiz, wildlife art, anthropology,
paleontology, underwater, and historical pieces. Pays $450+ for
short features of 750 and substantially more for longer pieces of
1,500-2,500 words. Submit a one- or two-page proposal letter to
Jonathan Fisher by mail with SASE. PHOTOS/ART: Not required,
though welcomed if they enhance package. Pays $300+/photo. HINTS:
"Too much environmental writing is self-serving and dull. Yet,
even the dullest subject can be made interesting. We appreciate
creative thinking and novel ways to cover conventional subjects,
and proposals on unconventional or unusual subjects. Give us lean
copy, tight structure, hard reporting, anecdotes, and punchy
endings." (Source: The Write Markets Report, Feb/98)
E-mail: pubs@nwf.org.
URL: http://www.nwf.org/nwf/intlwild.
DEL REY CAT-FANTASY CONTEST - short story
---------------------------
c/o Del Rey Books, 201 East 50th St., NY, NY 10022. Organized by
Del Rey Books and Sovereign Media. Stories must be unpublished
and original, max 7500 wds. Five winners will receive an
autographed copy of Gabriel King's THE WILD ROAD + 1 yr
subscription to Realms Of Fantasy magazine, plus stories will be
posted on the Del Rey website. See full guidelines and rules at
URL below. Deadline: postmarked Feb.28, all entrants must be over
18 yrs old. See full guidelines at URL below.
URL: http://www.randomhouse.com/delrey/ext/wildroad.html
(choose "Cat Fantasy Contest" from menu)
CORRECTION:
The email address for QUOTE magazine (Australia) last issue was
incorrect, but we've been unable to determine whether the
publication is still in print. If anyone has info, please send to
editor@inkspot.com with "Quote magazine" in the subject header,
thanks.
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================================================================
ASK THE SF/FANTASY AUTHOR
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Michelle Sagara <Michelle.Sagara@sff.net>
How can I tell if a story line has been done before?
----------------------------------------------------
Q: I consider myself decently read in sf but there's no way that
one person could know all the stories written even in the sf
genre. I have a few story lines in my head that I'd like to
pursue, but have no idea if these have been done. Where would I
research to find if a story line has been done before? Should I
even worry about it?
A: I would say that if you're decently read in sf, there's no
reason whatever that you should comb the entirety of what's been
done trying to make sure it hasn't been done before. There are
only three different stories, as the saying goes, and what counts
in a novel is that you tell yours in a way that only you can.
Mars has been done a hundred times, for instance, but nobody has
done with Mars what Kim Stanley Robinson has.
My advice to someone who -isn't- well read in the genre would be,
of necessity, quite different. I'd tell them to go and read a
broad spectrum within the genre they're planning on writing in
first. But there's no way that anyone can keep up with
everything being done in novel form, let alone short story --
where many of the cutting edge ideas are really displayed to best
advantage -- and I wouldn't try.
Do I need an agent?
-------------------
Q: What are your thoughts on agents? From what I've read, in
order to get to the BIG publishers, you must have an agent - Is
this a road you recommend?
A: This is not true. Many, many writers find a publisher before
they find an agent. What is often true is that to get big money
you need an agent -- but you also need an agent with the clout to
get that for you, and very often those agents require a
publishing track record -- or a sale that hasn't been negotiated
yet. This means, in case you're not familiar with it, that if an
editor calls you to make an offer on your book, you put them off
and shop around for an agent *quickly*. Most agencies will
consider a complete unknown when there's a contract on the table
ready to be negotiated.
However, at the beginning, during the submission process, it'll
probably take you almost as long to find an agent as it will to
find a publisher. If you wanted to cut that initial time down,
you could start doing research about the agent you'd like to get
-- where one can, reading things like LOCUS magazine and SF
CHRONICLE to see who's agenting and who's selling what -- while
you're submitting to publishers.
==-----------------------------------------------------==
Michelle Sagara is the author of The Sundered novel series (Del
Rey) the Hunter Series (DAW, under her married name Michelle
West), as well as many short stories. Her third West novel,
_Broken Crown_ was recently released from DAW.
Copyright (c) 1998 Michelle Sagara.
================================================================
REJECTION 101: MAKING "NO" POSITIVE
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Donna Jolly <djolly61@aol.com>
To paraphrase an old saying, Rejection Happens. Many writers,
including the now famous, have experienced the joy of having an
agent request their manuscript, and then have hopes dashed when
their work was returned with a note scrawled across the top,
"Thanks, but no thanks." Danielle Steel (www.daniellesteel.com)
sold one book and then couldn't sell the next five. Stephen King
(www.pobox.com/~jepace/king.html) didn't sell his first four
novels. So if you find yourself being turned down again and
again, don't despair. The experts themselves, agents, give the
following advice on surviving rejection and turning a few no's
into a big Yes.
Resist the temptation to ask for a critique, for example, agent
Jim Cypher advises, "Keep this in mind: agents don't receive that
kind of feedback from acquisitions editors. Both are vastly
overworked and as much as they would like to provide answers,
they can't."
While writers may take numerous rejections as an indication that
they need a book doctor, Ethan Ellenberg, of the Ethan Ellenberg
Literary Agency, urges caution. "Many novels simply aren't
publishable and some book doctors are unfortunately not honest
enough to say that. Others have done great things. If you are
thinking about working with one, get recommendations, do your
research, just as you would when you are soliciting an agent."
Miriam Goderich of Jane Dystel Literary Management,
(WWW.dystel.com) suggests that if you've received multiple
rejections, try showing your work to readers before approaching
any more agents. "Get surveys. Try to solicit honest, in-depth
responses from your readers. Writers groups are a great resource
and can help you work out the kinks in your book. They are more
apt to be frank than your family or friends." Michael Larsen, of
the Michael Larsen/Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agency,
(www.larsen-pomada.com) agrees. "I can't emphasize enough the
importance of sharing your work with other writers, especially
ones in your genre. Build your networking list of not only
authors, but of contacts in the publishing field: agents,
editors. Conferences, classes, workshops and groups provide an
excellent opportunity to do this."
Jack Kerouac claimed that some of his novels were published only
in heaven. Numerous rejections from agents and publishers are
not unusual, but when should a writer resign him or herself to
celestial publishing? "If you get ten to fifteen rejections,
rethink your novel," suggests agent Meredith Bernstein.
"A caveat to that rule is if several agents make the same comment
about your book, then reconsider the work," says another agent,
Linda Allen. Allen believes that passion helps writers move
beyond rejection. "Even established authors sometimes get turned
down, so it's part of the business. If you love to write and
have a true desire for the craft, you're going to keep going no
matter how many people tell you no." Most agents agree that
apprenticeship for beginning writers is longer today. "As you
begin your career, each book you write has to be the best," says
agent Ruth Cohen. "It takes tremendous hard work and tenacity to
create a successful novel. Even then, not every book may be
publishable. A writer has to learn to develop a reliable
judgment about his/her writing. If it isn't good enough now, put
it in a drawer. Give it some emotional distance then look at it
again. Revise, rework, rethink, reconsider."
Author Penny Warner knew the heartache and frustration of
rejection. After eight years of unsuccessful attempts at getting
an agent, her two mysteries ended up "buried in the back yard."
Rather than give up, she got smart. "I decided I needed to
figure out what I was doing wrong. I went to conferences, joined
mystery writers' groups, and read books. I figured out what was
selling and how to make my voice unique. If you want to be
published, that desire doesn't go away, so you figure out how to
succeed." Warner's tenacity paid off. She sent her third
mystery, Dead Body Language, to an agent who picked it up within
two weeks. A month and a half later, the agent sold the novel
to Bantam.
Another author, Mary Russell, was turned down by thirty-one
agents before her novel The Sparrow was finally accepted. "There
is a fine line between admirable persistence and being a
blockhead, and I was not at all sure where that line lay. I had
fifteen chapters of the sequel to The Sparrow written before I
had an agent for the first book, so I simply accepted that I was
writing for myself and a few friends, even while I was working my
way through the Writer's Digest Guide to Literary Agents. I was
up to the N's before I found the right person."
Russell cautions new writers seeking representation to understand
how difficult the search can be. "When I first sent my
manuscript off, I thought I would DIE if any agent turned me
down. But to my astonishment, my gut reaction to the first
rejection was a very calm, 'Well, you're wrong.' The Sparrow can
now be honestly called both a critical and commercial success,
but 31 agents thought it was hopeless. I had to withstand a lot
of cognitive dissonance during the eighteen months of
rejections!"
Like Steven King and Danielle Steel, Russell and Warner are
further proof that talent alone does not get an author an agent,
much less published. Persistence, skill and a good knowledge of
the market all aid writers in their journey to see their books in
the window of Barnes and Noble, instead of buried in their back
yard, or published Kerourac-style in heaven.
==-------------------------------------------==
Donna Jolly is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. She
has written for Shape, Fitness, Cooking Light, Commitment, and is
a frequent contributor to a local San Francisco life-style
magazine, Nob Hill Gazette. Her fiction has appeared in various
journals including Nexus and the anthology Living Room.
Copyright (c) 1998 Donna Jolly.
================================================================
INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL DRUXMAN
----------------------------------------------------------------
by Rand Bellavia <asstedit@inkspot.com>
Michael Druxman is a screenwriter, writing instructor, and author
of _How to Write a Story...Any Story: THE ART OF STORYTELLING_
(The Center Press, 1997). His new book, CHEYENNE WARRIOR: THE
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY was recently released by The Center Press.
In your experience and opinion, how important is networking to
selling your screenplay? Is it who you know or how good you are?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Networking can be extremely important. I wish I did more of it.
You run into an actor...director...producer, and you tell them
about your script. Sometimes they'll read it. Sometimes they
won't. About 2 weeks ago, I bumped into a well-known actress at
my local drugstore. We'd never met, but I told her about a stage
play I'd written that I thought might interest her. She gave me
her home address and told me to send it to her.
I did. As yet, I haven't heard back from her and perhaps I never
will. Maybe she didn't think the part was right for her. Who
knows? But, the point is that a contact was made and, at the very
least, that actress is now aware of me and my abilities as a
writer. Last week, I sent out a script to a woman who was the
co-producer of CHEYENNE WARRIOR, one of the films that I've
written. She requested it. Maybe she'll buy it. Maybe not. If you
have ability and you cast enough fishing lines out into the
Hollywood Seas, eventually somebody is going to bite.
How did you make your first screenplay sale? Please take us from
the humble beginning to the bloody end.
----------------------------------------------------------------
It took me ten years to sell my first screenplay, KEATON'S
COP (actually it was the 6th or 7th I'd written). Abe Vigoda (THE
GODFATHER, "Barney Miller") was/is a friend of mine...and, at
that time, I was also his publicist. The key role in the movie
was written with him in mind. Abe liked the part and arranged for
me to send it to the producer/director of an independent film
he'd recently made. The guy was located in Texas.
The producer liked it; said he wanted to do it, and that we'd
begin shooting in February (This was said, I believe, in
October.) We agreed upon a sale price, but he did not offer any
option money. There was no contract...so, in effect, he had no
legal hold on the property. To cut a long story short, the movie
started shooting in Texas in April...not the following April, but
one year after that. It had taken the producer that long to
raise the money (slightly over $2 million). At my insistence, he
had finally signed a memo deal the previous October, but no money
was forthcoming even then. Finally, in December (four months
before the start of filming) I was given a "holding fee," not
chargeable to the total purchase price of the script.
Around this time, the producer and I had a falling out...after he
re-wrote my script behind my back and totally screwed it up. I
know, all writers say that...but, in this case, it's true. The
plot is now so convoluted that, even though I have a solo writing
credit (via contract) I still don't really understand the plot as
presented.
Indeed, what should have been one of the happiest occasions of my
life (i.e. seeing my first film made), was actually one of the
most distressing. What did I do right? I insisted on items in my
non-WGA contract that guaranteed me certain future payments and
that the rights to the original script would revert back to me
within a short period of time. It's a good premise; very
resaleable. What did I do wrong? Considering that this was my
first sale, I didn't have much power. Today, I probably wouldn't
deal with this guy again. For the record, KEATON'S COP starred
Lee Majors, Abe Vigoda, Don Rickles, Tracy Brooke Swope and June
Wilkinson. It was released by Cannon Pictures in 1990.
When you write, do you write with a specific studio, director,
star, or audience in mind, or do you simply write what you feel
like writing?
----------------------------------------------------------------
Unless I'm being paid a fee in front, I write what I want to
write...keeping in mind that I want to sell it when it's
finished. I carried the basic premise of CHEYENNE WARRIOR around
in my head for, perhaps, 20 years before I wrote it, because,
until DANCES WITH WOLVES, LONESOME DOVE and UNFORGIVEN came
about, there was virtually no market for westerns. Usually, when
I'm writing, I picture some actor in the lead role...but I try
not to be too specific, because if he/she passes, you then have
to do a rewrite...and I don't like to do those until there is
money on the table.
What is the most basic advice you have for aspiring
screenwriters?
----------------------------------------------------
1. Learn three-act structure
2. Create believable characters
3. Finish what you write.
Compare and contrast writing for the stage and the screen.
----------------------------------------------------------
I like writing for the stage. The writer has final control of
his words. Once, I did, in fact, close down a show of mine prior
to its official opening because the director decided to re-write
my play to suit HER "vision." I took the actress (it was a
one-person play) to another theater, re-directed the show myself
and we played to full houses and got excellent reviews.
These days, I try to direct my own plays...if done locally...but
my licensing agreements all state that nothing can be changed
without my permission IN WRITING.
Don't misunderstand, I welcome valid suggestions from directors
and actors, but the final decision on my words will be mine.
Movies, though they pay much better than the stage, are an
entirely different matter. Once you take their money, they can
do what they like with your script...and often do.
In your opinion, how could the Internet help the film industry?
Do you use the Internet in your writing career, and if so, how?
------------------------------------------------------------------
The Internet is electronic "word-of-mouth" advertising. Good
word-of-mouth helps. Bad word-of-mouth hinders. Nothing has
changed, only the means of communication. I conduct half my
business on the Internet. It's the way I make theaters around
the world aware of my stage plays. Just visit:
http://pw1.netcom.com/~druxy
Any final advice?
-----------------
A friend of mine, the late Jack Miller, who for many years was
the story editor on "Gunsmoke," once advised me: "Always finish
writing that book or screenplay. If you don't finish it, it will
never sell. If you do, there is always a chance that it will
some day find a buyer"
I've found that to be true. All my scripts that have sold have
been 2-5 years old.
So, keep writing. Maybe the money/success will come. Maybe it
won't. But, if you don't enjoy the work for its own sake, you
shouldn't be doing it.
==-----------------------------------------==
Rand Bellavia is assistant editor at Inklings. He is a librarian
and songwriter who lives in Buffalo, New York, and works as a
cataloger for Coutts Library Services in Niagara Falls. You can
find lyrics and information about his band Ookla the Mok at
http://www.infinet.com/~scoteder/otmfan. More info available at
http://www.inkspot.com/admin/masthead/rand.html.
Copyright (c) 1998 Rand Bellavia.
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Debbie Ridpath Ohi <editor@inkspot.com>....................EDITOR
Rand Bellavia <asstedit@inkspot.com>.............ASSISTANT EDITOR
Tina Kennedy <tina@inkspot.com>......EDITORIAL/RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Noah Chinn <noah@inkspot.com>...........................LIBRARIAN
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS:
Moira Allen, Judith Bowen, David Breeden, Charles Deemer, Mark
Fowler, Susan Graham, Paula Guran, Carol Henson, Ken Jenks, Tina
Kennedy, David Leit, Bob Sablatura, Michelle Sagara, Lee Wardlaw,
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