Article first published as <a href='http://blogcritics.org/video/article/reviewing-el-cids-monthly-short-film/'>Reviewing El Cid's Monthly Short Film Night (January)</a> on Blogcritics.

You’ve made your short film to show your mastery of story, directing, and editing. Now what?

One of the venues open to new LA filmmakers to…

Y'know how at the end of a book, on the end-paper flop-over of the book's dust jacket, there's always a photo of the studious, smiling author? And beneath that photo is a hundred words or less describing the author's literary background and achievements?  You know: The back of the book thing that looks like this and starts with the author's name and picture:…

Congratulations to Lisa Michelle for her winning entry in our November "100 Words or More" wrigting challenge, "The Big Elevator Pitch!" My analysis and critique follows her entry below, which begins as actor GEORGE CLOONEY steps onto the elevator where LISA is waiting...

LISA

Hey Mr. Clooney, nice to see you again.

George offers a smile.

LISA

I lived in Kauai, when you filmed there, Hanalei. I was "the jogger." We…

                              LISA

                  Hey Mr. Clooney, nice to see you

                  again. …

December's AWG guest speaker is CHRIS LOCKHART, a story editor at William Morris Endeavor. Chris knows what can turn a good story pitch into a great story pitch.…

I wanted to take a screenwriting class, but I simply could not make the time to drive to a college campus once a week, find parking and sit in a classroom at a prescribed time, so I looked into online classes and I was lucky enough to find an excellent class that was very affordable. 

Over the course of 6 weeks, the instructor takes you through 12 lessons in screenwriting, focusing on such subjects as conflict, beginnings, middles, endings, structure, dialogue, rewrites,…

September "100 Words Or Less" Writing Challenge

 …

Every once in a while, I run across what I think is an interesting news item or personal insight (not necessarily my own) into the world of books and publishing. I'm not sure how long I'll keep up this egocentric summary of news and notes, but I thought I would try a start.

 …

Live with It: 4 Tips on How to Accept Script Feedback And 1 Tip to Prevent A Homicide…

Book Proposal Pitch, Point By Point

Much like a screenplay pitch, a book proposal pitch is confined by time: how much time you have to deliver it or how much time an agent is going to give you to tell it, and how much information you can pack into your pitch and the seconds tick by.

So don't waste time hemming and…

I just love Steven Pressfield.

He can be my writing muse any day of the week... and he is.

Here's the first few sentences from his most recent "Writing Wednesdays"…

Domestic Violence - I want it. http://bit.ly/TiEL6q Actually, I want your guest posts about it. Have you ever experienced it - as a child, as an adult, as a witness, as an abuser? What misconceptions do people have about what it's really like?

Please stop by the link for more details and consider helping me blow the doors off this dynamic, so we can help end it, or sharing…

August “100 Words Or Less” Writing Challenge:…

In this scene from Anton Chekhov's play "The Seagull," The writer Trigorin tells the young actress Nina what it is really like to be a writer, as opposed to her  glamorous, naive notions.  Obviously, Chekhov used the character of Trigorin to express his own frustrations and disappointments about the life of a writer. Such a bittersweet, poignant description of reality vs. fantasy.…

July "100 Words Or Less" Writing Challenge Survivors

 Coverage notes from Strange World Productions Reader

Tondi Lipschultz…

Google "Steven Pressfield."

Read his blog (especially "Writing Wednesdays"), subscribe to his newsletter.

Buy and read his book "The War of Art."

Buy and read his book "Turning Pro."

Really learn - not just about writing - but about yourself, and what's holding you back from living your dream.

Steven Pressfield's writings are a universe ahead of anyone, anything else you've read and probably ever will.

When you've finished reading,…

Here are some tips from Michael Hauge about overcoming writer's block. For more tips on screenwriting, visit Michael's page at  StoryMastery.com

I was shocked and saddened to learn today of the death of Nora Ephron, one of the most talented woman writer-directors of our era.

It seemed just yesterday that I was reading Ms. Ephron's book, "I Remember...Nothing," an anecdotal retelling of her many…

Hello, Everyone.

I am looking for crew, equipment, and guests for the below projects. I am still developing both, but would like to know who would be interested. I do not have any dates, but we will begin production as soon as I can locate a studio. See below and please respond if interested.

Thanks,

Marcielle Brandler

Two projects:

1. I am looking for a professional film studio to rent in which to shoot some interviews.This will not be part of my usuall…

"The Secret of Writing That Real Writers Know"

(From Steven Pressfield's book "…