I guess I'm moving to LA... Not!

The Bitter Script Reader explains in this short webshow why it's essential to move to Los Angeles if you want to earn a living as a screenwriter.

It makes sense, but still... Aww man!

I absolutely admire those who take such drastic measures to fulfill their dreams! You go, guys!

But it's not for everyone. The question you have to ask and answer for yourself is: how bad do you really want it? (My personal answer: definitely maybe not bad enough)

Bad enough to uproot your whole life, move away from family and friends? (Yes)

Bad enough to dig into that nest egg, small or large, you've painstakingly built for yourself over many years? (It's not much, but yes)

Bad enough to work crazy-schedule shifts as a waitress/shop assistant/taxi driver/other low-paying-job? (Not with any motivation, but yes)

Bad enough to work your butt off without knowing whether it will ever amount to anything? (It's what I'm doing right now, so yes.)

Bad enough to stand in front of those important executives, even though you think you're not really the type of person to "work a room" and "be engaging"? (Umm... maybe?)

Bad enough to push and dig, and keep pushing and digging, in the face of rejection after rejection? (Without the support of my friends and family close at hand? I shudder just thinking about it)

My guess: If the answer to every one of those questions isn't a resounding yes, then moving to LA with the goal of earning your living as a screenwriter will probably make you miserable. 

Personal conclusion: for now I'm going to stick to novels and German screenplays; I might be able to sell those without having to move halfway across the world. 

How far would you go to make your dream come true?

I Am Now A Certified Screenwriter

Pass the bubbly! Break out your best party knickers! And drumroll please, for I have an announcement to make: 

Today I handed in the last assignment of my scriptwriting studies.

Finally it is done. I'm happy while also nervous, since I don't have my final grade yet. I'm tired from all the long nights these past few weeks (of course I left the biggest two assignments for last and a little too late, 'cause that's how I flow. Deadlines are my best friends. Yeah right. *rolls eyes*). Yet at the same time I'm energized and inspired because I am now a certified screenwriter (at least in Germany).

Okay, back up a step, say that again. Savor it. Fully comprehend it.

I am now a certified screenwriter.

Wow! Is that cool or what?!

I have no clue if this will help me get my movies made, but I sure do have a lot of ideas and I damn sure will try to get them to the studios. But for now I shall power down my laptop, pour myself a glass of wine, maybe read a book from my ever-growing TBR-pile, go out with some friends or hang with my flat mates.

Time to celebrate. 

Insight on The Avengers Movie

Over on The (Comic) Beat, screenwriter Todd Alcott shared his very detailed and interesting insight on The Avengers in his post


Everything you EVER wanted to know about THE AVENGERS movie

The Oscar nominations were announced the other day. To no one’s surprise, the screenplay for The Avengers was not among them. That’s a shame, because the screenplay for The Avengers is a startling model of precision, density and propulsion. It manages to juggle no fewer than ten wildly disparate main characters in its ensemble cast and give each of them weight, clarity and purpose. Dear readers, I’ve worked on many a comic-book movie, none of which ever got near production. To get one superhero narrative to work is damn near impossible; The Avengers soars with seven.
...
See more



It's amazing how much thought goes into every little scene, action or dialogue. That's why screenwriting is so difficult: you have to show, insinuate, create unconscious impressions in the viewer. 

Sources For Free Screenplays and The Brilliance Of Easy Access

My novel-writing has taken a step back to accommodate my current "literary" fling: screenwriting.

Not only am I taking an online course in that very subject, but I've been perusing the Interwebz for examples and - boy-oh-boy - is that an amazing hunting ground. There are a lot of sites that offer scripts for free: TV Writing and The Internet Movie Script Database being just two of them. 

Having such easy access to my "study material" is very helpful. Writing a screenplay is quite different from literary writing, which I've been doing for many years now, while screenplays are very new to me. They are far more simplistic in style and prose, yet that brings its own challenges and doesn't make them easier to write. The "show don't tell" issue takes on a whole other meaning in screenwriting, since nobody wants to watch a character monologue his way through his emotions. 

But I'm getting off-topic. My point is that having this easy access to all these scripts, to be able to compare them to the finished movie and see how it translated... well, basically it's every student's dream. 

Not to mention: it's fun!

Back To School - Screenwriting

I did it. As considered about a year ago, I started my distance learning studies in screenwriting. I've gone through the first few lessons and tests and am very satisfied so far. I haven't learned that much brand-new stuff, because right now it's all about plot, characters and conflict - things you need in novels, too ;-). So the exercises aren't only helpful for screenwriting and it will get more specific soon. 


The fun thing is, I already see and watch movies through different eyes. As in: Why is this scene necessary? Could it have been left out? Why am I not relating to this character? Why is this a tad boring - no conflict potential, no identifiable characters, or is the setting unbelievable?


I've been niggling like that when reading books for a long time, but now my sense for questioning every element of a story has sharpened. Like I said, the lessons so far don't only apply to screenwriting, but to any writing. Especially my own.

Screenwriting - Possibly A New Writing-Chapter Of My Life

About a year ago, while I was writing my thesis, I came across a German distance learning school that offered a one-year state-approved online study program in screenwriting. This course spooked around my mind for many weeks, but since I barely got through the month with the meagre pay I was earning, I decided to put it on the back-burner until I had a steady job and income.

Screenwriting is something I’ve always wanted to try, because I love movies as much as I love books. I might have studied screenwriting at the Ludwigsburg Film Academy if I’d had the courage to show others my writing at the time. I’m especially fascinated by the process of turning a book into a movie. I love seeing what movie producers make of a book; do they manage to capture the story’s essence, mood and characters, or do they tank it? Then there are great movies about which I wonder “would this story work as well as a book, even without the visual input?”

So, now that I have a steady income, I’m seriously considering going through with this course. Participants pay a - for me affordable - monthly fee for a year, with the first month being a free trial-period after which you can cancel the course if it isn’t what you expected. If you don’t manage the course in 12 months, you can extend it for another 6 without paying extra, which is a great deal for working people, in my opinion. At the end of the course, participants receive a graded certificate - in an English version, if you so wish.

I think that’s a pretty good deal. I know I could learn the basics in cheaper ways - by reading books and scouring the internet on the subject, like I’ve done with novel writing - but a course has one major advantage: you get timely feedback from people successful in their area of expertise. If it’s as professional as it sounds, I’m very willing to pay for it.

My only hesitation is on the point of timing - when do I start the course? From the school’s point of view, I can start at any time, which is great. But do I really want to give up my new-found working-woman’s free evenings and weekends, and leap right into studying again? I know that if this course is as I imagine, I’ll love it and will learn a lot. I also know I’ll want to give it my all, my best effort - and I’m not sure I’m quite ready for that yet. Once I start paying money for it, it will become an obligation - mostly a fun obligation, I expect, but there will probably be times when I won’t feel like racking my brain for it after a full day at work. Plus, summer is coming, and I like spending a lot of free time outside. I know for sure I won’t want to be stuck inside on a sunny weekend day, just because I might otherwise fall behind the curriculum.

On the other hand, I know it’s something I can manage and really really want to do.

I think I’ll mull over the possibilities a little more before deciding how, or rather when, to proceed. The great thing about a course like this is that there’s no pressure except that which I put on myself. I don’t have to do this, like a kid who has to go to school.

I want to do this. So I will - in the not too distant future. Doesn’t really matter if I start tomorrow or three months from now, does it?

Incidentally, Chuck Wendig over at Terribleminds recently blogged about What Novelists Can Learn From Screenwriters. So it seems this course could be more beneficial than just scratching an itch.