Converting The Singing Volcano screenplay into a novella

The process of converting a screenplay originally titled the Singing Volcano into a novella allowed me to come up with more ideas to insert into the text and become more objective about what to cut.   While writing the book, other ideas to improve the screenplay emerged.  The process of changing format provided another way to break out of a creative rut.

The text to speech option in Windows 8.1 provided help in editing the book.  Hearing the text gave me a better perspective on the naturalness of the dialogue.  It also helped to have several people read and edit the book.

Before publishing the book on Amazon I read Self-Publish Your Novel made Easy by Richard Williams and James Blissett.  The authors provided helpful information on publishing and marketing a digital and paper book.

I took the photo for the digital cover on August of 2002 in a shopping center parking lot.  The light represents truth or knowledge just beyond our reach and comprehension.   Unfortunately, the low resolution image could not be used for the paperback version.  Book cover images for print need a minimum of 300 dpi.

Final cropped version of image for the book cover.

The book The Smell of Truthiness: The future never looked this cool or felt this hot is available at Amazon in both Kindle and paperback. 

Don Knotts Movie - How to Frame a Figg

Don Knotts did a fun series of movies with Universal Studios in the late 60's and early 70's. 

• The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
• The Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
• The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) (remake of Paleface - Bob Hope)
• The Love God (1969)
• How to Frame a Figg (1971)

My favorite is the last film in the series.  It features the trick elevator, actors Joe Flynn and Edward Andrews and Yvonne Craig.  We also get a glimpse at the dawn of modern computing. 

Opening music to How to Frame a Figg - Vic Mizzy - 2:25 min.

Converting a book into a screenplay - A World Without Time

Last year our family worked on a short children's book A World Without Time with our daughter, Maggie as the primary author.

I am working to adapt it as a screenplay.  I am about 1/2 the way through the process at page 45. They travel to a place beyond Neverland and it looks eerily similar to a Dairy Queen restaurant.  In the land of Dairy Queen...

 Dairy Queen jingle - 6 seconds

Stage 32: Social network for film and theater creatives

I came across a networking site for actors/directors/screenwriters called Stage 32.

The site reports to have over 300,000 members from all over the world.  Because contacts and creative insight often come from people outside of a close group of friends,  it has the potential to be a good experience. 

If others have joined this group let me know your experience. 

Podcast - Ashely Scott Myers from Selling your screenplay.com interviewing Joey Tuccio (Happy Writers at stage32.com)- 31 minutes   This is a transcript for those who would rather read it.

Making Bubbles

A short video on making bubbles with Dawn Soap and hand soap.

Net Neutrality - John Oliver

Comedian John Oliver's 13 minute monologue on Net Neutrality caused FCC servers to crash according to CBS News.  John points out the cozy relationship between the person put in charge of the FCC and the companies he is charged with regulating.  John compares this to hiring a dingo to be a babysitter.   Mr. Oliver notes that Comcast is second only to a large defense contractor in the amount of money spent lobbying congress.

Here is the clip - Warning the clip contains bleeped profanity.

John Oliver - Net Neutrality

New York Nightfall Script now available online

Update:
  
The screenplay: New York Nightfall is viewable as a downloadable pdf at  http://studios.amazon.com/projects/48808

I completed my second screenplay today working with Saba M.  She came up with the original story.  We then worked together on a 27 scene outline. 

It took approximately one year to convert the outline into a proper screenplay format.  After almost 40 script revisions,  the script is now registered at WGAW Registration Number: 1708967

Plot synopsis:

The movie occurs during one night in NY City. It starts at sunset and ends at sunrise the next day.

A Russian crime boss visits NY City on business. He brings his daughter, Anna, with him. Johnny, the protagonist, is sent by his boss to make a trade with Anna’s dad.  The deal goes poorly an Johnny escapes using Anna as a shield.

Johnny and Anna then travel through the city of NY at nightfall chased by a pair of NY detectives, the Russian and Italian Mafia.   Along the way, Anna and Johnny meet a cast of colorful characters as they attempt to survive a night in NY.

Please post a comment if you would like more information about the script.

Save Previous Drafts - fitting the pieces together

Fitting the pieces together

I've been working on a screenplay for about a year with a collaborator.  Fortunately I saved a new version of the script each time we modified it.  In the fall of 2014, one scene in the script was taken out and altered.
Several months later we agreed to put that section back in.  I copied a section from the old script and reincorporated it.

The old versions of the script allowed us to take more risks with the script. 

As always I email myself a copy of the revised script as a way of backing up the revised work.

We hope to have the script completed by the first part of April of 2014. 



 

Script vs. Novel Update

Infrared image of a hand brought in from the cold.

 

I am now working on a novelization of my first screenplay: A Very Convenient Truthiness.  The conversion to a novel has given me more ideas for the screenplay and helped me get out of mental block.  Doing rewrites over 6 years has been more work than I expected.  At the suggestion of my wife, I've now cut the initial scenes set in 2008 and gone straight into 2028.

I'm also working with another writer on a screenplay titled: NY Nightfall.   Working with a partner on a script allows for some back and forth creativity and usually makes the final product better.   I got a bit ahead on some plot details and needed to rewrite a long section.  Instead of being frustrating it allowed me to look at the material with a fresh perspective.

Script vs. Novel format:

The script format places the dialogue directly under the person speaking the lines.

In the novel format, I'm dealing quotation marks and trying to find a clever way to note who is speaking using something other than the standard dialogue listed below.

Trever said, "run away from that pterodactyl.  He looks a bit peckish.  Oh, and while you are running for you life, please avoid trampling the flower bed.  The marigolds don't take the abuse like the hostas." 
 
Also, novels with overly long scene and character descriptions make the reading tiresome.   I'm working on giving just enough for context. 

In movies, fight scenes in movies can also be drawn out and dull like watching someone tenderize meat.  The sword fight from the Princess Bride movie gets it right.

Princess Bride - Sword fight - 3min. 

 

Where do good ideas come from?

Steven Johnson covers the natural history of innovation.  The incubation period and collaboration is very important in the development of a screenplay or a book.

Steven Johnson - 4 minute talk

 

Steven Johnson has an interesting talk about the origin of good ideas.  It is a combination of incubation, environment, experimentation and connectivity.

Longer version in more detail RSA -36 minutes