“Pain is temporary, pride is forever.”

Over the past few weeks while I’ve tried to concentrate on revising Bystander I’ve found myself being pulled towards something different. Something slightly biographical. And a departure from what I’ve been writing over the past few years. It’s the story of how my uncle made the 1972 U.S. Olympic team for the steeplechase. I’ve mentioned this in a few posts and one of my videos, but in today’s post I’m going to go into a bit more detail.

This was a significant event in my family’s history (as it would be, I assume, for any family). However, it was a story that occurred when many of my aunts and uncles were still young (my mother was the only sibling old enough to really be a part of it), and obviously it occurred several years before I was born. It was also an event that took place before the digital age. There are no VHS tapes of any of any of the races my uncle ran. No TV broadcasts. No radio broadcasts. No old magazines. No websites. No articles. For such a significant event, it’s is one of the least documented pieces of history my family has.

But this isn’t just a neat story about my Uncle. It is also the story of a young collegiate runner thrust into a situation he was not prepared for, not supposed to overcome, and certainly not supposed to excel in. And that’s part of the reason I want to tell it.

My uncle was a freshman at the University of Tennessee. He had been recruited to run the 5,000M and 10,000M distance races after performing extremely well as a high school cross country and track athlete at Notre Dame High School in metro Detroit. While he was a promising freshman, he was certainly not yet a top tier runner at the collegiate level. But when the University of Wisconsin requested that Tennessee provide a set up to run the steeplechase at an upcoming track meet, that was all about to change.

At the time (1970s), the SEC (Southeastern Conference) did not run the steeplechase at its track events. However, Wisconsin had the current Big Ten champion for the steeplechase. They wanted to run the event, but Tennessee didn’t have any runners for it. In a stroke of chance, my uncle was asked if he would run in the event, basically to serve as a sacrifice to the Big Ten champ, and to placate Big Ten officials.

My Uncle’s preparation for the event consisted of basically going to the track the night before and practicing jumping over the steeplechase hurdles. The steeplechase is a shorter race than my uncle currently trained and competed in, so his game plan for the race was to keep pace with the Big Ten champ between the hurdles and hopefully be able to catch him after the last hurdle.

The day of the race my Uncle did just what he set out to do. He kept pace with the champ, falling behind after each hurdle, especially the one with the water pit, and then catching back up as the race headed toward the next hurdle. After the final hurdle my uncle kicked it into high gear and races to catch up with the Big Ten champ. But something was odd… the Big Ten champ was gassed. He didn’t have any juice left. My uncle caught up and passed right by the Big Ten champ, winning the race! In a screenplay this is the perfect way to end a first act.

With this seemingly easy defeat of what was one of the top tier collegiate steeplechase runners at the time, my uncle and his coaches were faced with the task of trying to adequately train one of their athletes for a race their conference didn’t run. Over the next few months my uncle continued to excel at the steeplechase in the various track meets he was able to compete in it at, getting better and better, loosing less and less time after each hurdle, until he qualified for the US Nationals meet, where the members for the 1972 Olympic team would be decided. This would serve as great content to move the story through the second act.

Obviously, he went on to qualify and make the team (which would easily be the third act and close out the screenplay), but there was a lot of drama that went down at Nationals that I’m just beginning to crack the surface of.

You can see how I viewed this story in the eyes of a potential screenplay. I think it adapts really well. I’m going to have to really look at some additional dramatic events, either real of fictitious, to flesh out the second act. I’ve never had to do that before. Everything I’ve ever written was completely fictitious. So this poses an interesting challenge to me as an amateur and aspiring writer.

My uncle and cousin will be coming with me and my wife to a beach house my parents rented for Thanksgiving. It’s going to give me a really solid chance to interview him and get some more background information on what transpired between that first race and making the Olympic team. It’s an opportunity that I really can’t pass up. While there are no guarantees that after I sit down to start fleshing the story out I won’t realize there isn’t enough there to write a screenplay with, it’s something that I’d like to go through the motions on. An exercise that will continue to nag me until I do it.

So that’s what I’m going to be moving onto in the next few weeks.

If any other writers out there have written any screenplays about their own families, or real life events, I’d be interested to hear how you approached your subject matter, and any tips or tricks you can offer me or any other writers.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

Please ignore the title of this post. For whatever reason I can’t get the song “Back to the Hotel” out of my head.

I had a nice trip to Orlando this weekend. I go down at least twice a year. Usually once in July for the race in Daytona, and once in October/November for my college’s Homecoming game. This year I wasn’t really looking forward to going since UCF was playing Houston, who was ranked just outside of the top ten in the BCS standings. I assumed we’d get crushed. Boy was I wrong. We not only beat Houston, we put an end to the Heisman trophy hopes of their quarterback Case Keenum. But that’s not why I’m writing this post.

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I’m not a good flyer. Even short plane trips. I find them just dreadful. There are two reasons for this. One, I have control issues, and trusting some stranger to keep me safe a mile up in the air is hard for me to accept. Two, I’m 6′3″ and airplanes just aren’t meant to handle people that big. I feel like a sardine, and less than human while I fly. Anyway, I prefer to drive to where I’m going.

I don’t choose to drive just because I hate flying. I choose to drive because I literally enjoy driving. Maybe it’s because my family always managed to take one “great American road trip” each summer growing up. We weren’t going anywhere luxurious, (usually a relative’s house, or some far off campground) but driving always provided me a certain sense of adventure. Heading to a destination unknown. I find few things more relaxing than cruising down stretches of highway with the windows down, sun roof open, and some good tunes roaring from the stereo.

While on long drives I usually think about writing. I’m not kidding. I go over stories. Think about scenes. Flesh out ideas. And sometimes just brainstorm/day dream. When it’s just you and the road, you’ve got plenty of bandwidth to think about stuff like that.

During the beginning of my trip I was doing a lot of thinking about Bystander. I’ve completed the partial outline I posted from a few weeks ago, but the reality is that even though I’ve got an “outline” done something is bothering me about it. It was hard to put my finger on too. It’s like, while I know I’ve got a complete story I can write, I’m looking at it and asking myself, “Is this the story that I want to be writing?” And I don’t mean that in the “Is there something better I can be writing about,” I mean it in the more, “Is this really the story I want to tell with these characters.” I mulled this over for a good hour or two before finally accepting that, in fact, it wasn’t the story I wanted to tell with these characters.

I was trying to force the new direction I wanted to take the story on top of plot points and story beats that were around way back from my first draft, and that was over four years ago. I wasn’t doing the total rebuild that I wanted. I was retrofitting. And that’s what was bothering me. Even though I’d put in all this work on the outline, I was forcing it. I was forcing the characters (which have changed drastically over the years) into decisions they wouldn’t make anymore. Finally, I realized, “Enough. You’re not ready for this. If you keep on you’re going to spend time writing something that you’re just going to go back and write again.” So I decided to back off, do some more thinking and brainstorming, and come at this fresh with a new set of plot points. Plot points that actually make sense, and are not some legacy from a time when I knew next to nothing about screenwriting.

And this goes back to my earlier post “On Progress.” This is progress. This is writing. Just because I’m not typing words into Final Draft doesn’t mean that I’m not going somewhere. I am actively working on storytelling, crafting, engineering. When I first started out I might have looked at a situation like this and go, “Man, I must not be any good, or I’d be able to figure this out by now.” That’s simply not true. I realize now that being able to see these types of problems, this high level analysis, was something I wasn’t capable of four, three, or even two years ago. For other writers maybe this comes easier. And I’m sure some of those people get paid to write for a living now. But for me I’m not there yet. I’m still the student. Still just like you.

On the flip side I also made a decision about something that’s going to effect what I work on over the next few months. But I’ve written enough for now. That’ll will come with another post, or maybe a video.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

Off to Orlando for a few days of R&R with some old college buddies.

Then it’s back to Atlanta, and back to the grind.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

Kevin, a reader of the blog, asked an interesting question the other day in the comments. He asked, “What do you do when you watch movies?”

I think anyone who has educated themselves on the movie making process (be it in front of, or behind the camera) got to a point where they never really looked at movies the same way again. For me this occurred during my first quarter at Savannah College of Art and Design. Specifically it was the day in my “Introduction to Video Production” that I first learned about the shot reverse shot:

Now, this might not seem like much to you, but to me I could never look at this sequence of shots again without going in my head, “Oh, there’s a shot/reverse shot sequence.” It doesn’t matter the movie, the TV show, the cartoon, any time I saw it from that point forward I knew what it was.

The point I’m getting at is that I had reached a new level of understanding about what goes into the film making progress. Once I had understood what a “short/reverse shot” sequence was, and knew how to identify it, I quickly worked it into my own camera work. My video projects quickly went from a series of establishing shots, with a close up here and there for good measure, to something DRASTICALLY better visually just because I started to use “shot/reverse shot” sequences.

This type of creative growth easily translates into writing. As I went about educating myself on screenwriting I’ve come across a lot of theories on how movies should be paced. Ways to dissect movies into major and minor beats. How to identify when a major plot point is about to unfold. I could go on… but instead I’ll fall back to Syd Field’s paradigm to give a quick summary of how he suggests a two hour movie should play out.

In a screenplay, the first plot point comes at the end of Act One, which should be at about page 30. On screen this should be about thirty minutes into the film. The mid point comes in the middle of Act Two, which would be at about page sixty. On screen this should be about sixty minutes into the film. The second plot point comes at the end of Act Two, which should be at about page 90. One screen this should be about ninety minutes into the film. Finally, “Fade Out” should come at the end of Act Three, which should be at about page 120. On screen you should see the credits start to roll right at about the two hour mark.

So, visually it breaks down like this:
30 minutes – Plot Point One
60 minutes – Mid Point
90 minutes – Plot Point Two
120 minutes – The End

There are other minor beats that can occur, Syd refers to them as Pinches, and includes the first one in between plot point one and the mid point, and the second one in between the mid point and plot point two. However, those aren’t really important for what I’m talking about.

As I’ve learned about story breakdowns and structuring methods like this, I’ve again started to look at films in a different way. Instead of visual cues, I’m thinking about plot elements, and when they occur. I’m often checking my watch when I’m in the theater, taking a mental note of when something happened. Is it close to 30 minutes? Closer to 20? Was it rushed? Things like that. I pause DVDs when I’m at home, looking at the time line to get an idea of how far the story has progressed.

A lot of times I try to figure out where the acts all start and end. Not all movies fall into the three act screenplay breakdown, but I’ve found DRASTICALLY more do than do not. Especially the big budget summer films. These movies follow that formula almost to a T.

I don’t take many notes when I watch a movie. Though sometimes I’ll have my computer nearby to jot some things down as they pop up in my head. There have been a few times where I’ve really decided to study a movie as an example. I’ve taken significant notes on “HEAT”, which I’ve mentioned MANY times is one of my favorite movies of all time, “Thelma and Louise,” “Collateral,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “Tombstone.” These are all movies I’ve seen dozens of times, so breaking them down in to more detailed components was really an interesting case study.

Like I said above, I do hit the pause button a lot when watching movies. Often times ten or fifteen times in a viewing. It drives my wife nuts. But to me it’s important. Sometimes a movie is moving along so swiftly I feel like the mid point or third act should be coming up, but then a pause it and realize I’m only 40 or 50 minutes in. That’s when I knew the writer and film makers did a great job. I’m on edge anticipating the next big beat, completely lost in the moment. Unless I hit the pause button after certain things happen, I have no idea of how they’re being paced out, or what page they’d like appear on in a screenplay.

I also pay attention to how certain plot points play out, sometimes rewinding them and watching them again. I pay close attention to why the director, or writer, chose to go about structuring the scene the way they did. Why are certain characters there? What did the event play out that way? Was there more that could have been done? Did they give away too much? Did they not give away enough? Was it predictable? Was it cliche? These are the types of questions that run through my head when I watch.

The more I write and read screenplays, the better I’m getting at dissecting films on a technical level. I’m by no means an expert, but the move I learn about the screenwriting process, the more I find myself enjoying films. For example, I don’t think I’d have enjoyed “Ingorious Basterds” as much had I not been writing. There were just elements in how scenes played out I thought were brilliant. I still think it ran too long though.

So there you have it. Some info on how I watch movies, and what I take away from them when I’m done. There is a bunch of stuff on the web, and in print, that can help you develop your viewing to a more educational and technical level. I don’t think any one method is better than the rest, but like with how I go about outlining, I read what I can and take what I need and make it my own.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

….the need, for speed!

I can explain my lack of posts, and nothing new to mention or talk about, with the following video:

I picked up Forza Motorsport 3 a few days ago and have been putting in WAY too much time.

I love racing games… probably too much.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

I just pre-ordered this sucker on Blu-Ray today. Can’t… freaking… wait!!!

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

I sent out my first draft of “Served Cold” to a few friends of mine, who also write, to get some feedback. This can take some time, because asking someone to read a screenplay and then give you some feedback is basically asking for about three to four hours of their time. This is not a small deal. So it’s understandable that it can take a while for someone to get back to you, if at all.

I got some feedback from my friend “Dusty” yesterday. Dusty has read some of my stuff in the past, so he can provide me feedback not only on my story but on me as a writer, which is a HUGE benefit. He always gives great feedback, going above and beyond what I’m usually looking for, shooting me an e-mail with notes as well as marking up my screenplay with additional notes.

What I wanted to do with this post was share what Dusty wrote. Dusty is honest without being mean. If he doesn’t like something he says so, but he explains why. He gives the type of constructive criticism that is important for an aspiring writer to come across. While he enjoyed “Served Cold”, it was by no means a home run, and there are a lot of things that I’ll need to address, but that’s what a first draft is for.

If you’re ever asked to read a screenplay and provide feedback, but aren’t sure how, Dusty’s comments are a great example of how to do it the right way. The point isn’t to be mean, or vicious, the point is to help the screenplay become better, and the only way to do that is with constructive criticism… but don’t be afraid to call a spade a spade. Writing feedback is hard, especially if you’re not confident with your own writing, but as with writing your own screenplay sometimes you just need to dive in and let is all come out.

Without further adieu, here is Dusty’s feedback:

So I have attached Served Cold pdf with my notes, they’re just logistics overall, now for the real thoughts:

Hope this helps.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

I watched the series premiere for V tonight. Not too bad. They had a lot of ground to cover in the first episode, too much ground in my opinion. It felt a bit rushed. Maybe a 90 minute premiere would have worked better. Not sure. But it shows a lot of promise.

The acting was solid. Elizabeth Mitchell shined yet again and I’m digging Morris Chestnut, and was completely surprised by his plot twist.

The effects were above average for a TV show. Though I’d venture to guess we’ll see less CGI as the series progresses and it doesn’t need it as much. The big money shots were the ships showing up. With that over it’s an establishing shot here, a transport ship there, not a whole lot needed.

Which brings me around to the ships. Count me as not a fan of the new designs. I had on the ScyFi channel on, since it was showing the old series, for a half hour or so before V started tonight and the ship designs on that were a lot better. Somewhere between Star Trek and Star Wars. These new ships look like something out of Halo, or better yet a cheap Halo knockoff. But this is really a minor gripe.

Anyway, I’m digging the show so far and will be interested to see where it goes. Hopefully it slows down a bit, because I don’t think I can deal with a show that moves this fast on a weekly basis.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

When I think hard action movies, my head drifts off to a better time. A time where the ozone layer depleting was our greatest environmental threat. A time when WHAM! was a socially acceptable music group to listen to. A time when Theodore Huxtable was America’s dad. A time when greed was good, and coke was everywhere. Yes, I’m talking about the 80s, the golden age of hard action movies.

I’m not sure what happened to to action genre (the PG-13 rating is prime suspect), but after the 80s it all pretty much went downhill. I mean, where were the Die Hards? Where were the Robocops? Where were the Predators? Where were the Rambos? I could go on… oh, and I don’t mean sequels. I mean original movies with action like those.

Anyway, one of my favorites from the 80s era is Lethal Weapon. I’ve always had a soft spot for detective flicks. So it wasn’t hard to love this movie. You’ve got Mel Gibson at his best. Danny Glover being… Danny Glover. And Gary Busey, GARY FUCKING BUESY, as the villain! Lethal Weapon is the quintessential hards action 80s flick.

I wish they made action movies like this still. But they don’t. Everything has to be PG-13, which in and of itself prevents and serious villains or subject matter to be brought up. It’s a shame really.

Also, remember, this is pre-CGI, so all this stuff is stuntmen and wires. Well, and insurance. But that doesn’t make it any less awesome. It also takes place on and around Christmas, which puts it, along with Die Hard, in my Top 10 Christmas Movies of All Time.

Until next time, keep writing!
-Steve

Who doesn’t like puppies?!

This random post was brought to you by http://www.dailypuppy.com/

-Steve