Story Structure: What In The World Is It?

Let me first start by saying, I’m no teacher.

Wait a minute, I am. I mean, that little piece of paper they gave me upon completing my Master’s degree, as well as taking a bunch of NY State Certified exams, clearly gives me the right to screw up a bunch of young people’s lives.

So, I think it’s only fair that I share the wealth, and what better venue than this bloggy thing?

There are so many things I’ve learned over the years and so few of it I’ve retained. It’s taken me a while to warmly embrace the fact that I’m the living incarnation of “in one ear and out the other”.

So, I’ve recently began revision work, yet again, on a script of mine. A script that has been reworked so many times, I’ve started taking up residence and paying taxes in that world.

I’ve read almost every book on

My Festival Moment... As I Best Recall

Okay, so it’s been a month since my short film, Artistic Closure, premiered at the Stony Brook Film Festival. It’s taken me a month to process that whole experience, and I’m still not quite sure there’s a clear blueprint etched in my memory.

First and foremost, it was an amazing experience. I was treated like..., well, let’s see...



A Filmmaker

I guess because I am, but, that’s besides the point.

The Stony Brook Film Festival has one of the largest screens - I mean, gigantic. A forty-one foot screen - blemishes and all, right there.

Right

“This is the right way to hold a fork.”

“This is the right way to tie your shoes.”

“This is the right way to make a million dollars doing absolutely nothing.”

...and this is the right way to punch the crap out of those who insist there’s a right and wrong way of doing things.

For the record, I don’t believe in right or wrong - but just don’t tell my kids. In terms of parenting, it makes things a lot easier. After all, easy frees up time to spend on the hard, and, besides, it’s too damn time-consuming explaining to a child that the human race is a true study in contradiction. Well, maybe it’s not that time-consuming - I just don’t want to, okay.

We’re complicated, interesting and just plain screwy.

That, and we all like being right - knowing it all. Come on, it feels damn good to be the smartest prick... I mean, person in the room. And when you make someone else feel stupid - I mean, really small - damn, life is good.

The Procrastination Bug

It’s that time again.

A tidy house. DVD collection in alphabetical order. Windows sparkly clean. Even the dreaded visit to the dentist - twice in one month. Any and every-thing to avoid putting butt to chair and “punching the damn keys”.

Writers often talk about writer’s block; the inability to put words to paper. For me, I don’t think it’s a block, as much as it’s... what’s the word? Oh, yeah, FEAR! Good old-fashioned scared shitless.

I’ve never been one for the unknown. I like to know what’s at the end of that dark, deserted alleyway before I send twenty buffed body-builders to check it out, draw up a detailed blueprint and aerial view, and gather a posse to join me only after they’ve installed lighting and security cameras.

I don’t like the unknown.