A Reminder

The Sacramento Film Festival was a wonderful experience.  I was honored to co-chair a panel with Lew Hunter.  He's not only a wonderful teacher, he's a kind and generous man.  The turn out was great and there were some wonderful questions asked by all who attended.

I have some more things coming up, including a writing seminar of my own in Sacramento on Saturday, May 22nd.  Stay tuned.  Also, I'll be leaving on May 1st to return to Manhattan, Kansas (where I grew up).  I've been invited by the high school drama department to be a guest resident artist and work with the kids.  I did the same thing three years ago and had great fun.  I'm looking forward to it.  While I'm in Manhattan I'm also going to have an adult writing workshop on Sunday, May 8th.  I hope to see old friends while I'm in Manhattan.

Remember everyone...keep writing.

Think small, dream big!

Several things of interest came up at my seminar.  One of the actors asked when they could be considered "professional?"  My answer was:  "You're a professional when you can say it out loud."  Being a professional has nothing to do with making money.  It's about how we see ourselves and how we present ourselves to the world.  There's a great deal to be said for identifying yourself as a professional.

I also had another thought at the seminar which is the title of this blog:  "Think small, dream big!"  What this means is that it's important to stay focused on the baby steps instead of worrying about some end result.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with having big dreams as long as you stay grounded in the present and focus on your work.  You can even apply this phrase to your daily work.  Start by writing a monologue, then try to figure out who the person in the monologue might be speaking to.  Next, you create a scene.  After that...another scene.  Perhaps, before long, you've built and entire story...and you started "small."

This Friday, April 23rd, I will be a screenwriting panelist along with Lew Hunter (often referred to as "The Godfather of screenwriting").  Lew has become a good friend and he and I will be the only two people on the panel at The Sacramento Film Festival.  The seminar begins at 2:30.  Anyone interested in attending should go to SacramentoFilmFestival.com to get the details.  Perhaps I'll see you there.  If you've been reading my blogs come up and say "hello."

Acting for writers

I'm not sure that I've mentioned it before but, even if I have, it's worth repeating.  I'll be teaching an acting class in Sacramento, California on Sunday, April 18th.  I want to encourage anyone who is interested in writing to attend either my class or any other GOOD acting class.  Too often writers do not have a good working knowledge of the craft of acting.  I think understanding the acting process is VITAL to all would be writers, whether you're writing for stage or screen.  I began my professional career AS an actor and oftentimes find the tools I learned as an actor have been incredibly valuable to me when I'm writing.  Building character, understanding dialogue, and character and story arcs are all necessary tools for writers.  So...give it a try.  Plus, you might have fun.

Another seminar

I'm going to be doing an acting class on Sunday, April 18th, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The class will be in downtown Sacramento, at 3009 F Street, and will cost $40. For questions or to register, contact me via e-mail or at (916) 599-3486.