Jack B. Sowards Tribute

I just learned that Jack Sowards, my main UCLA screenwriting teacher, passed away a few days ago on July 8, 2007.

Jack was 78 and had Lou Gehrig's disease. He wasn't feeling well during my final quarter, and I was concerned for him. Looking back, his passing was foreshadowed.

He was an actor and a writer from the 1950s to 1990. His credits include episodes for Bonanza, Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, and Star Trek TNG episode "Where Silence Has Lease."

He'd also served in the military during the Berlin Airlift crisis of 1947 and the Korean War. He's survived by his several children and grandchildren. He had a full life to put it mildly.

Jack was the most memorable screenwriting teacher I've ever had. I was lucky to have him for 4 of my 6 quarters in the UCLA Professional and Advanced programs. He taught both my first class in 2002 and my last class in 2006.

Not only did he give great feedback on people's stories, he was also a fount of wisdom, experience, and anecdotes about life and his time in Hollywood.

I'll miss you, Jack.

Thanks for everything you've given me.

The following quote from today's CS Weekly newsletter was something he'd said in class one day. I'll keep it in mind always.

"In Hollywood people don't fail, they quit."
– Jack Sowards (1929 - 2007)

Client/Agent-Networking questions with a Novel Consultant

Here's the transcript of the Q and A event I had organized under the auspices of WeHo in which novel consultant Michele Wallenstein kindly fielded questions on networking in the film industry and the Agent/Client relationship.

Good thing is Michele answered my questions. Thanks a million!

Bad thing was no one else offered questions though the event was promoted and I'd sent messages out to people both on WeHo and off.

C'est le vie...

or Nichevo if I were Russian.

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Client/Agent Question

Hi Michele,

I hear that nowadays, it's recommended that a screenwriter obtain three reps:

1. a manager to provide career guidance
2. an agent to help submit scripts to producers/studios,
3. an entertainment attorney to help negotiate contracts.

If a screenwriter were to obtain an agent from a boutique agency that gives more attention to its clients than an agent from a huge packaging agency like CAA, ICM, and William Morris where writers aren't so valued, will the boutique agent serve the functions of 1 & 2?

Thanks!

Boris

Client/Agent Answer

Q: I hear that nowadays, it's recommended that a screenwriter obtain three reps:

1. a manager to provide career guidance
2. an agent to help submit scripts to producers/studios,
3. an entertainment attorney to help negotiate contracts.

If a screenwriter were to obtain an agent from a boutique agency that gives more attention to its clients than an agent from a huge packaging agency like CAA, ICM, and William Morris where writers aren't so valued, will the boutique agent serve the functions of 1 & 2?

A: Timing is everything. When a writer is just starting out and perhaps has interest in one script, all that's needed is an experienced agent.

Having a manager and attorney may be helpful when one is building a successful career with a few "credits" in one's work history.

The boutique agencies are quite well equipped to handle most aspects of a writer's career. They will know where to submit your material. They will know how to guide your career and/or project. They will know how to negotiate a deal and review a simple contract. In the event that you are lucky enough to have a very complicated deal, then the agent should help you to bring in an attorney to help close the deal and review the paperwork.

If you have an agent that is passionate about your work, you probably won't need anyone else. This is a strong statement, but one that I know to be true.

Moving from a small agency, that believes in you and gets your material read, to a large agency is almost always a mistake. I have never seen a writer's life improve by such a move. Invariably their careers sink into little or nothing.

Michele


Networking Question

Hi Michele,

Since the internet is more pervasive nowadays than it was 10-15 years ago, how well can it serve to help screenwriters living outside of Los Angeles (assuming they have marketable scripts that studios want) to network with major industry players?

Thanks again.

Boris

Networking Answer

Q: "Since the internet is more pervasive nowadays than it was 10-15 years ago, how well can it serve to help screenwriters living outside of Los Angeles (assuming they have marketable scripts that studios want) to network with major industry players?"

A: The absolute best networking is done face to face. Anything that makes working together easier is what one must strive for. Clearly, it is better to have a personal relationship, than a distant one.

That said, if the distance cannot be closed, than one has no other choices but to use telephones and internet.

Hollywood is not simply a state of mind. It is, indeed, a place. It is where the action is and where the buyers are situated. If you are lucky enough to have a "marketable script that the studios want," then it is imperative that you try to move heaven and earth to move to Los Angeles immediately. The expression "out of sight, out of mind" is quite realistic.

You wouldn't expect to work on the Alaskan pipeline while living in Detroit.

Michele

"The Black Donnellys"

I saw the Monday night premiere of "The Black Donnellys."

Awesome beginning.

A real, gritty show with interestingly flawed characters. Sure, the mob thing has been done before, but who cares? At this point, you're not going to come up with some amazingly original idea...all you can do is try to put out something that is entertaining and engaging...and this show definitely does that. The storytelling style is much like the movie "Goodfellas" as it has occasional narration. The character that does the narration is great...his delivery has a lot of personality and humor to it.

I'm not usually into mob stories, but I saw it since a UCLA mentor of mine, Laurie Hutzler, was part of the writing staff.

I heard vaguely that critics don't like the show and that it got low ratings following "Heroes," but I hope viewers and NBC give this show a chance.

The characters are compelling and the writing is exquisite. The acting is also good. It is insanely interesting and the excitement keeps building throughout the episode. A lot of thought and effort went into this series and episode and I would hate to see it fail without viewers even giving it a chance. The music score also goes along perfectly.

I loved the character development, loved the story line, and loved the over all atmosphere of the episode. I also liked that the story was being told from another character's point of view, Joey Ice Cream, from some time in the future as he sits being questioned by the police. It sets the tone right there, that there is more to this story, more to come.

The first 30 minutes without commercial breaks were great. I thought it helped pull people further into the story. We got enough background information to know what’s going on, but doesn't drag on so that people don't lose interest. It was also nice to see the different personalities of each of the brothers . . . Nice twist on the typical mob formula. Irish (not Italian) and late teens, early 20s. Not to mention the love story that is right under the surface. I am sure it will lead to some interesting conflict to go along with keeping the neighborhood under control.

Jimmy's plan to help Kevin out of gambling debt backfires, forcing the two to kidnap local mob boss Sal Minnetta's nephew Louie. When Sal's right-hand-man Nicky Cottero decides to take the matters into his own hands, it's up to Tommy to set things right.

Not sure if it can sustain the quality of the pilot...we'll see where it goes from here, but the pilot was great.

LARRY HODGES FOR SFWA PRESIDENT

Fantasy writer Larry Hodges, a friend of mine, is being encouraged (tongue in cheek) to run for SFWA office in 2008.

Normally, I don't pay attention to such things. But the thought of his candidacy makes me go "hmmm..." :-)

Here's his platform:

OK, OK, I'm being drafted, so here's my Platform for President. My main goal is in regard to the name "Science Fiction Writers of America." I'd like to do the following:

*Take the "Science" out since science is really hard; *Take the "Fiction" out and start telling the truth; *Take the "Writers" out since writing is really hard; *Take the "America" out so the rest of the world will stop hating us.

Once the above has passed, and our name has changed from "SFWA" to "", we can move on to more important stuff, such as allowing fictional characters to join (Paul Sheldon, Jack Torrance, Karen Eiffel, Mort Rainey, and that "jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk" guy*) and blaming all problems facing "" on that small minority of members who write good or sell too many books, making the rest of us look bad. (We're going to require all Nebula & Hugo winners and Times Best Sellers to wear little yellow stars so we can identify them when we start rounding them up.)

-Larry (will take bribes) Hodges Candidate for President of "" Vote the Hate in 2008!

*Bet nobody can identify all five, especially the "jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk" guy!

Online Journal of Lew Hunter's 2005 Superior Screewriting Colony

A fellow colonyite, Cash Anthony, created a journal of the above screenwriting colony held for two weeks in July 2005. Click here to go to the journal http://www.msgroup.org/msg/introducing_superior.htm

Thanks a million Cash! Her website's at http://www.msgroup.org/msg/Default_new.htm

It was a unique time that I'll never forget.

Must get back to writing, though. Especially my Decatur script rewrite.

Later

ODYSSEY WORKSHOP QUOTES


When I attended the Odyssey 2000 Fantasy Workshop, I was quoted twice in the crit circle by Jeanne Cavealos, the writer/editor who created the workshop and runs it magnificently.

She got me when I didn't know it: :-)

• "With a plot, it will be that much better."
• "The image I had of this guy was he was slender and prissy and needed to be roughed up a little."

Quotes of my workshop classmates are at http://www.sff.net/odyssey/grads00.html

An acquaintance of mine, Larry Hodges, a published short fiction comic SF/fantasy writer (http://www.larrytt.com/fantasy/) has shared some quotes with me that he's preparing for Jeanne's consumption at his upcoming Odyssey 2006 workshop.

Enjoy the read:

• Am I the only one here who is smiling and nodding his head and has no idea what this story is about?
• The main conflict in the story is our disagreement over whether it needs conflict.
• If I used the same word over and over, it must have been a really good word.
• Do the aliens wear pants?
• Those aren’t typos, that’s creative writing.
• I think I understand that we’re not supposed to understand the ending.
• That’s an awful lot of words without a plot.
• It’s a nice story, but some characters and a plot would improve it.
• I like it when the main character dies at the start.
• Stop trying to make me write good!
• Do slimy aliens have to wash their clothes a lot?
• The opening made it clear that this was a story we didn’t want to read.
• The story had a great ending, if it had only ended at the end.
• If I had wanted you to tell me everything instead of showing, I’d have asked.
• I love how you resolved the climax by never getting to it.
• That’s one of the best written stories I’ve read, but what happened?
• I guess it’s plausible since you’ve established the characters don’t act plausibly.
• Do all the bad guys have to die?
• It was rather interesting, but in a boring sort of way.
• I like the story’s title, but isn’t that false advertising?
• I like how the story started right in the middle of the action, but will there be a sequel that explains what was going on?
• I know it’s not plausible, but was it interesting?