Keepin' It Real with Screenwriter Cynthia Dagnal-Myron

For the month of March, All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP) has gone to the big screen as we talk to screenwriters!

This week, we wrap up our March series with a woman who offers GREAT advice to any writer: screenwriter Cynthia Dagnal-Myron!








For the month of March, I asked SEVERAL questions regarding fave sites for writers, advice, differences and similarities between the different media platforms in regards to writing, etc. When I asked, For those of you who write for different arenas - big screen, boob tube, stage, page, web - what are elements that differ for you as the writer in regards to how you SEE the story unfolding in each arena, Dagnal-Myron replied, "I only write for the big screen and the "page," so I can only speak for those two. But the difference is that when writing a novel or an article, I can offer both action and the "motivation" for what the character is doing in words on that page. A script is all "action." You're showing, not telling. What a character does has to carry that story, and the power is in what the character does even more than what he says. In fact, if you write about what a character is thinking in a script it will receive a quick "pass." When writing a "story," you can have the character ruminate, think aloud, discuss.

"You can also spend a whole page on description, to set a mood or make a point, when writing fiction. You create a whole world with words. Script writing has to be very economical, and exposition is to be avoided like the plague. In other fiction I can tell you what music is playing, what the character looks like, what perfume she wears. In a script, they frown upon this, because in the end, none of that will be decided by the screenwriter. So there are remarkable differences--glad you asked! I hadn't really thought about it this seriously before, though it's something I work with everyday."




To read the rest of Cynthia Dagnal-Myron's comments on screenwriting, head to All the Blog's a Page!


And while there, check out the screenwriting features from Stephen Kogon, Brian Spaeth, Kristin Johnson, and John W. Bosley!



ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing
[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

A Change Came to America - Now CHANGE YOU!

Tuesday, January 20, 2009, marked a major milestone in America. It marked HISTORY. It marked the day America finally put on its big girl panties and became a grown up.

No matter what side of the fence you fell on in regards to the election, it would be hard to deny the magnitude of what took place that day as we ushered in our first African American President of the United States. It would be hard to deny where this country has been and where we are today. It would be hard to deny the truth of slavery. It would be hard to deny the truth of blacks seeking rights in American once slavery was so-called done away with. It would be hard to deny the oppression of an entire race in America after so-called rights were established for them. It would be hard to deny - in a world where a black man can still be beaten, shackled to a truck, and dragged down the street like a piece of meat to his death and we treat it like Tuesday, like it's nothing - that blacks still have a long, hard road to go in this "free" America.

Despite the sour-grapers who will cry that Obama is not all black (though we know that if looks like a black man and does the bump like a black man, then many behind closed doors still see him as a black man...and, unfortunately, derogatory terms, too) or that all blacks voted for Obama because he was black (and forget the many whites that voted for him and the many blacks who did NOT vote for him), Americans have put America on notice; we want CHANGE, and we want it now.

Now, what does any of this have to with writing...OR you?

January 20, 2009, marked for me a new chapter (pun FULLY intended). It resonated, and still resonates within me the chance to wipe my slate clean, see my dreams, and develop a plan to forge ahead and accomplish them.

If a black man can be MY president, then I can sure as hell move forward and accomplish my goals. He runs my entire COUNTRY; surely, surely, I can write a few books and screenplays and have them see the light of day, right?

Yes, nod your head, for the answer is RIGHT. Yes, I can. And yes, YOU CAN, TOO.

On Tale It Like It Is (http://www.blogtalkradio.com/samaraking) today, I talk about the CHANGE that is coming in our country and the change that should be coming in YOU to make this the year you begin or restart or continue moving in your literary endeavors. The whole show (which first features an interview with author Michelle McGriff before moving into my The Write Time segment) is featured on my LISTEN page at my shonbacon.com site.

Below, I want to showcase an arsenal of books, magazines, websites, and the like that serious writers should check out if it is their goal to make a real go out of their literary dreams.

If there are other resources that YOU love and YOU want to share, please leave comments, thanks!

Books

• Writer's Market 2009
• Novel and Short Story Writer's Market 2009
• The 2009 Screenwriter's and Playwright's Market
• 2009 Poet's Market
• 2009 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market
• The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
• On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Non-Fiction by William Zinsser
• How to Write a Damn Good Novel: A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling by James N. Frey
• The Screenwriter's Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, Selling Your Script by Dave Trottier
• Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Cynthia Laufenberg

Magazines

• Creative Screenwriting
• Script
• Writer's Digest
• The Writer
• Poets & Writers

Websites

• Publishers Marketplace* - Welcome to biggest and best dedicated marketplace for publishing professionals to find critical information and unique databases, find each other, and to do business better electronically.
• The Write Life for You - A monthly column dedicated to the craft of writing.
• InkTip* - The mission of InkTip.com is threefold: help the producer easily find a good script, save time for the agent and manager in locating the right people for their clients' scripts, or new clients, and greatly increase exposure for the screenwriter.
• Done Deal* - Done Deal Pro tracks the various script, book, treatment, and pitch sales and options made in Hollywood each day. Subscribers are able to search a sales database of over 9,300 deals and over 600 TV deals by title, writer, representation, company, genre, date, and more. This is an invaluable tool not only for industry professionals but for aspiring screenwriters who want to know each week what material is being sold and to whom, and to track the latest trends.
• Backspace* - The Backspace Online Community is dedicated to helping writers navigate the often confusing world of Big Publishing. Regularly updated articles and columns from industry insiders make the Backspace homepages your first stop to a career in publishing.
• Blood-Red Pencil - great resource for writers to see what what EDITORS think about writing.
• Agent Query - need an agent? You can start here!
• Fundsforwriters - Grants are FFW's specialty. Contests and markets that only pay in cold hard cash, too. To FFW, success means earning a living doing what you love. Our newsletters are our world. Free or paid subscription.
• Writer-Reminders -Organize your writing with FREE Writer-Reminders (daily, weekly and monthly checklists, tips and resources). The weekly ezine gives sidetracked writers a road map to more writing time.
• Writing Tips - The Write Way is a FREE, weekly ezine that has advice on how to improve your writing, so that you can write well - whatever the occasion.

*Paid-membership required for many of site's services


Networking

• Facebook
• MySpace
• Twitter
• Linked In
• Plurk
• YouTube
• Technorati
• StumbleUpon
• Squidoo

Author Eternity Philops Talks about Homosexuality & Writing

For the month of DECEMBER, All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP) is looking at homosexuality and writing, and we have five wonderful writers who marry the subject into their writings in engaging, page-turning ways!

Last week, we premiered the topic with author J.M. Snyder; this week, we have the lovely, talented Eternity Philops, author of Visions of a Cryptic Mystery: Volume One!



About the book: VISIONS OF A CRYPTIC MYSTERY: VOLUME ONE is Eternity Philops' first accomplished collection. A debut of her unique writing style and talent, VISIONS showcases a diverse compendium of poetry and short stories born to Philops' over an extensive period of time.

Divided into concentrated segments, Philops' literary assemblage encompasses works expressing love, life, and loss. Each piece is a real world reflection of the Black lesbian experience: feel the intense sensations of a woman's divergent physical attraction; look on as two lifelong friends reflect on the path not taken. Submerge yourself in the poetic prose of unconditional love, unfortunate loss, and all that's inbetween.

VISIONS VOL. ONE will take readers on a journey that delves into their own emotions and passions. From the sexual to the spiritual, Philops' creative imagery and metaphoric verse brings to life one's own imaginative and emotional senses.


For December, I got greedy and asked the panel THREE questions: How have your works been received by readers of all orientations......In the stories you have written and are planning to write, what ideas and themes do you see reoccurring that shed light on homosexuality......At the end of the day, if there was one thing you wanted your readers to remember in regards to homosexuality, what would that thing be?

In answering the question, "How have your works been received by readers of all orientations," Philops replied, "The response to my book has been overwhelmingly positive, from readers and reviewers, straight and gay. Though I dedicated it to Black lesbians, the raw emotion behind the poetry and short stories is familiar to anyone. I also like to think that my unique writing talent attracts readers. I try to be different, to stand out among other writers with my style.

"Even in cases of disagreement on the issue of homosexuality itself I have still had a positive experience. There was an instance where I submitted myself and my work for review. The reviewer was unfamiliar with the content or my orientation, and upon finding out, he actually considered passing over me because I am gay. In the end he decided that exposing writers was far more important than his personal views, which I of course agreed with completely. The experience was an encouraging one in that this person did not let his personal prejudices cloud his opinion of me as an author. Too often it happens the other way around."


To read the rest of Eternity Philops' responses and to take a peek into her book, head to All the Blog's a Page!


ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing
[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Author Kayla Perrin talks about sex, writing, and OBSESSION

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), we end September with one final juicy taste of our SEX & WRITING discussion as best-selling author Kayla Perrin offers us a glimpse into her latest novel, OBSESSION!




When Sophie Gibson's husband confesses to an affair, she is enraged and devastated. And when her husband suggests that she settle the score by having an affair of her own, Sophie isn't interested. But soon the idea of sex as payback intrigues her, and out on the town she meets Peter. She soon begins an affair with him, but Peter's love turns obsessive. And when Sophie ends their affair, Peter won't take no for an answer. Because if he can't have her, no one can.



So, what does Kayla think about sex and writing? Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read her take, and check out the OBSESSION excerpt!

Also, make sure to check out authors Will Belegon, Rachelle Chase, Lauren Dane, and Zetta Brown on AtBaP, too, as they both offer their thoughts on sex & writing!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing:
[http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Author Rachelle Chase holds CLASS on how to make writing SEXY!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Rachelle Chase, author of SIN CLUB, holds class as she talks about sex and writing...and offers a little contest to those who can pen some sexy stuff, too!






For the month of September, AtBaP authors are talking about SEX; here's the question that was posed: Is sex an important component to develop in your writing? How are you able to weave it into a work AND also have a strong plot development?

Rachelle begins her discussion by stating, "I write erotic romance, so sex is VERY important. The way I weave it into the story and have strong plot development is by making sex a part of the story.

When my characters are doing nonsexual things or are talking about nonsexual things, there are sexual undertones. When my characters are having sex, the sex is moving the story forward – meaning, the hero and heroine are bringing their baggage, fears, dreams, etc. into the bedroom – and after sex, both are changed in some way. This change sends them down a new path, until their new beliefs about themselves are challenged up to and during the next sex scene, which then starts another change-and-down-a-new page chain of events, and so on. Until all the necessary change has occurred and my characters have become “new” people at the end."

What ELSE does Rachelle have to say about sex, writing, and her novel? Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read the rest of her response...and see how YOU can win a copy of SIN CLUB...and another gift, :-)

Also, make sure to check out authors Lauren Dane and Zetta Brown on AtBaP, too, as they both offer up their thoughts on sex & writing!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: [http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Author Zetta Brown Talks about SEX & WRITING Today!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Zetta Brown, author of Messalina - Devourer of Men, talks about sex and writing!

Messalina - Devourer of Men received a GREAT Book Bytes review from ChickLitGurrl: I absolutely loved this book! Didn't want to put it down. It's unique, it has hot sex (with a purpose), and the characters are like some I've never seen in books before. The first chapter alone will get you in the mood...in more ways than one. Messalina: Devourer of Men has much HEAT and much HEART. It's worth the buy! I'm looking forward to seeing what Zetta Brown puts out next.

For the month of September, AtBaP authors are talking about SEX; here's the question that was posed: Is sex an important component to develop in your writing? How are you able to weave it into a work AND also have a strong plot development?

What does Zetta have to say about sex, writing, and her novel? Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read her response!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: [http://alltheblogsapage.blogspot.com]

Subscribe to ChickLitGurrl on Writing

What are hot sites for writers? What videos are available that discuss/illustrate the writing craft? What quickie tips could you use to help your writing?

These questions and more are answered at my new mini-blog - ChickLitGurrl on Writing.

Each tip - whether it's a writing tip, a video, a link, or other - is just a short tasty morsel, so you can grab it, use it, and GO.

Check out ChickLitGurrl on Writing @ http://chicklitgurrl.tumblr.com/ and subscribe by clicking the RSS feed on the right hand side!

Why Subscribe to All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP)?

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE - Where Everything Relates to Writing - is a monthly blogging series hosted by ChickLitGurrl™ in which writers and readers talk about writing and its relation to various topics!

In August, we're tackling FAITH & WRITING. In September, we'll be looking at SEX & WRITING, and in the upcoming months, we will be talking about such topics as gender, homosexuality, memoir, culture, death, and TV and movies.

Take the time to head to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE and read our wonderful works by the following authors: James A. Jimason, Susan McGeown, Pamela S. Thibodeaux, Niambi Davis, and Beth Fehlbaum. Our last FAITH & WRITING author for August will be Cynthia Polansky, who will go LIVE @ AtBaP Friday, August 29, 2008.

While you're there, take the time to SUBSCRIBE to ATBAP, too, so that you can kept in the loop to new updates and author features!

[Subscribe to AtBaP]

Author James A. Jimason talks about FAITH & WRITING today!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), James A. Jimason, author of GIVE ME DESTINY, talks about faith and writing!






James A. Jimason has a passion to see all people fulfill their God ordained Destiny. From this passion was birth the phrase; “Destiny is calling you. Can you hear it?”™ He is a dynamic Bible teacher and has published four books, with a fifth book coming this fall 2008, entitled “God’s House.” He has a three-year diploma in Ministerial Studies from the Spirit of Faith Bible Institute. He is a devoted husband, a proud father, a son, and most of all – a man of God.





Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read Jimason's response to this month's AtBaP question: How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing?




Also, if you haven't yet, check out the wonderful responses by Susan McGeown ("Recipe for Disaster"), Pamela S. Thibodeaux ("Tempered Joy"), Niambi Davis ("From Dusk to Dawn"), and Beth Fehlbaum ("Courage in Patience")!




ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: (LINK)

Writing a Memoir? Check Out My Latest Article for TIPS!

Well, it's the 17th of the month, and that means my latest Blogging in Black column is LIVE!

This month, I'm talking about memoir writing. I've met so many people who not only feel that their life story is important to write, but it's also important to publish for others to read.

This got me thinking about memoirs, about the difference between memoirs and autobiography, and about some of the problems that might occur when a novice starts out trying to write his/her innermost feelings.

Come check out my article - The Story of Me: Tips on Memoir Writing - and leave comments!!

Blogging in Black - (LINK)

Author Niambi Davis Talks about Faith & Writing Today!

Today at All the Blog's a Page (AtBaP), Niambi Davis - author of FROM DUSK TO DAWN - talks about faith and writing!





Something she knows a BIT about considering her novel...


Taliban wanna-be! Bible-thumping Crusader! Is this any way to begin a love affair? In the case of Ayo and Bilal, the answer is a resounding yes! After the dust from religious and familial wars has settled, the 42 year old widow and 32 year old appraiser fall deeply in love, until an unexpected diagnosis convinces Ayo that loving Bilal means letting him go. But has she underestimated the man who, in spite of a tragedy of his own, vows never to let her go?


The question asked this month @ AtBaP is How does your faith, your spirituality integrate itself into your writing and Niambi's first couple of sentences alone will make you want to read the rest of her response: I was a child when I first heard the word ecumenical. Once a year, the local AME, Episcopal, Catholic, and United Methodist congregations of our small town gathered together to praise the Lord. It was the only Sunday of the year when religion trumped race.


Head over to ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE today to read the rest of Niambi's response and to share your OWN thoughts on faith and writing!


Also, if you haven't yet, check out the wonderful response by Beth Fehlbaum, author of COURAGE IN PATIENCE!

ALL THE BLOG'S A PAGE (AtBaP) - Where everything relates to writing: (LINK)

Join Me @ BlogginginBlack.com Today!

Over @ Blogging in Black, where I have a monthly column, I share my ROMANCE with writing.  Please take the time to head there, read it, and leave comments about your own love affair with the WORD and with writing!

Here's the (link)!