Get Published Magazine Issue Two

T H E

Secret

T O

L I F T

Y O U R

S C R I P T

Meet

Tom Cronin TONY NASH The Business Of Books

Do You Have A

Script

In You?

MEET AMBER WALKER: THE SONGBIRD WITH SOUL

CONTENTS 6

Amber Walker: Songbird With Soul

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Getting Over Writers Block

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Tom Cronin: Book To Film

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Arisen By Kate Rose

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Blank By Morris Freeman

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Tv, Movie And Play Scripts

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Night Sailing By Niesje Hees

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Do You Have A Script In You?

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Be The Expert And Authority By Darren Stephens

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Tony Nash: The Business Of Books

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Writing That Stands The Test Of Time

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Top Book-To-Screen Adaptations

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Barry Dickins: From Script To Stage

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Elevate Your Script Above The Noise

C O N T R I B U T O R S TOM CRONIN

Founder of The Stillness Project, a global movement to inspire one billion people to sit in stillness daily, Tom is passionate about reducing stress and chaos in people’s lives.

His ongoing work in transformational leadership and cultivating inner peace through meditation takes him around the world hosting retreats, mentoring, presenting keynote talks, teaching and creating The Portal film-book experience, all part of his commitment to the current planetary shift.

Tom is the author of six previous books for adults:, Insights, The Path To Peace: A Guide To Living With Ease In a Rapidly Changing World, Spirit & Soul: Exploring The Seven States Of Consciousness, Faster Deeper Sleep: The Ultimate Guide To A Daily Recharge, Faster Deeper Calm: How To Live Without Anxiety and Panic.

TONY NASH

Tony Nash started his first internet business in 1996. In 2004 Tony founded Booktopia, an online bookstore, with an allocated budget of $10 a day. The company’s first book sold in 3 days. Fast track fifteen years and Booktopia now sells one book every six seconds, with an annual turnover of $130 million a year.

It was listed in BRW’s Fast 100 eight times from 2009 to 2017, the only company to achieve this feat. Booktopia was also voted Australian Bookstore of the Year in 2016 and 2017.

In 2018 Booktopia won NSW Telstra Business of the Year award and Australian Business of the Year for the People’s Choice Award. At the Online Retail Industry Awards Booktopia won Best Pureplay business and Tony was acknowledged with the Industry Recognition Award.

One of the defining aspects of the business is its philanthropic program. So far Booktopia has donated $750K in books and cash to literacy based projects in Australia including indigenous literacy, writers festivals, readers conferences, library fundraising projects and book industry awards.

DARREN STEPHENS

Darren was the founder and International chairman of Mars Venus Coaching, one of the world’s most respected and leading brands, he is the Director of Global Publishing Group, Health By Design USA and Global Trading Room. He has offices and outlets in over 11 countries including Australia, Rome, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, UK, Thailand and North America.

He is on the board of The International Institute of Hypnosis & a certified member of The National Guild of Hypnotists. He was awarded & recognised in Washington as one of the World’s fastest hypnotists.

He is an expert in the fields of business development, internet marketing, sales & marketing, executive mentoring, franchising, international publishing, self-development, & accelerated psychological transformation.

The author of many bestselling books himself he was the marketing genius behind developing the expansion of the Mars Venus Brand, now in 150 countries, with the books having been translated into 54 languages and made over a billion dollars in sales. darrenjstephens.com

BARRY DICKINS

Born in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, Barry Dickins wrote his very first play, Ghosts, which wasperformed in 1974. The writer of short stories, biographies and other non-fiction and children’s books throughout his career, Barry has written over 100 scripts throughout his lifetime and won the 1995 Victorian Premiers Literary Award for his play, Remember Ronald Ryan.

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EDITOR IN CHIEFS

Jos & Tanya Like the Blues Brothers, our Mission is to enable you to funnel your literary creation through our portal, and then into the whole wide world, ready to be consumed by the masses, hungry for your insights, thoughts and ideas that you will portray.

The first project for any aspiring author, is to produce something worth reading.The second project (and arguably the more difficult one) is to disseminate your output so that everyone can read it.

Rachel Kushner (author of ‘The Mars Room’) in a recent interview, said that there were basically 2 types of fiction authors - those who look inward, and those who look outward, and that one should not pretend to be the other.

Which type are you? And, have you actually thought about this before?

We at Get Published Magazine aim to help you to see your whole project come to fruition, and then, to share this success with you.

As Captain Picard (from Star-Trek fame) said: “Make it so.” (a catchphrase first used in “Encounter At Farpoint” - 28 September 1987)

Tanya & Jos

Tanya caught up with Darren Stephens who was the founder and International Chairman or Mars Venus Coaching, one of the world’s most respected & leading brands, he is now the the Chairman of the International Company Global Publishing Group.

Darren has been helping and mentoring Tanya with her new book, which is soon to be released early next year.

“I am so excited to share my new book, writing has been such a journey in many ways and I am so grateful to have mentors like Darren to guide me through, his honestly and integrity, hard work and success has helped me immensely”, says Tanya. You can find out more about Darren Stephens on page 34

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Amber Walker Songbird With Soul

S

ome people have an innate talent for expressing through art. Putting feelings into words is a talent that alludes many people, but for talented Singer, Songwriter and Actress Amber Walker, it can dissolve nerves and dissipate anxiety in no time.

I spoke with Amber about life experiences and how our raw emotions can help shape stories, into songs “I came up with a song from the words that Tanya gave me, by ‘feeling’ what I am writing.

The words seem to flow to me easily that way,” Amber said.

Amber explained that writing for her, comes from how you are feeling at the time, it can reflect your emotions and what you are going through.

People need something to relate to. If I feel nervous, then others are able to relate to my nerves and I can help them transform their

feelings. Writing something positive and relaxing helps people with nervousness and anxiety.

“Sometimes a person might want to simply just sit and feel their emotions, for others they might want to move through their emotions. I then can write and convey a song that is about breaking free and this is what others can relate to. We all want to break free from our emotions at times”.

Most of all, writing can be a way to express our feelings and emotions. It can help others to relate to how we are feeling. Writing is a great way to share a message and a song is a beautiful way of communicating this.

Writing is about creativity and songwriting is certainly about expressing your creativity.

“It can be used as a way to express your feelings and it’s a great way to unleash yourself”, said Amber.

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I decided to put Amber’s writing talents into a song and asked her to compile something for my husband Lukas’ birthday. I had come up with some words a few years ago and this is where; ‘Sing To My Heart’, was birthed.

The song came together from what resonated within myself and with Amber using my pointers on some of the key messages throughout the song. She related really well to the words we had writ- ten, which inspired her to take the lyrics even further.

Sometimes we get lost or stuck in our emotions and need to find our way back on track again. With the light of the moon and the stars that are shining, Amber gives hope to us all through the song, that we can find our way back. Back to the heart, where we can love and have compassion for ourself and others.

One of Ambers most unique talents, is being able to feel other people’s emotions.

“Your words touched my heart, as I could completely relate to them and understood what your message was,” she told me.

This talented songbird has also been awarded medals for acting and singing and written a monologue!

If you would like you to know more about Amber Walker and her singing and acting projects go to: www.amberwalkerofficial.com I wrote; “I’m feeling like I am swimming in an ocean, miles away, I can’t find my way back to the shore.”

Amber wrote; “I feel like I’m swimming in an Ocean, World’s away… Amber changed this to make it flow with Amber’s melody.

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I wrote: “I can’t find my way back to the shore.”

Amber added; “But I’ll, find my way,” to again, make it flow with the melody. I wrote: “The waves keep turning. Just let the stars keep on shining.”

Amber added; “The waves keep on turning, with The Moon, Just let the stars keep shining on when I’m, with you, with you!

When I fall into the deep, you are there, to lift me on my feet, When I lose my ways, in this World, You call me back, you rise me up, you sing to my heart, oh yeah!”

Listen to the full song here

This talented songbird has also been awarded a medal for acting and written a monologue.

Her video is on her website.

If you would like you to know more about Amber Walker and her singing go to www.amberwalkerofficial.com www.instagram.com/amberwalkerofficial www.facebook.com/amberwalkerofficial

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GETTING OVER WRITERS BLOCK

H

aving the right mindset to follow through on project can be somewhat challenging and, writing is certainly no exception.

Writing a book, a script, a manuscript or even a song can bring up a lot of self-doubts and feelings that perhaps, you were not even aware were inside you.

There are many reasons for these bloackages that arise and with kinesiology and other effective tools, I am able to assist clients to bust through the limitations and beliefs that are holding them back from moving forward with their goal of writing.

Like anything that takes time and patience, you need to put in the work to make your writing strong. In fact, in some ways you need to put in more work by addressing the doubts that are holding you back.

Whether it’s writers block, or something else, the challenge of writing can be daunting.

This is because writing reveals some hard truths about our inner-self, which can feel uncomfortable at times, especially if the writing requires you to write with an

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uncertainly and vulnerability. Many writers struggle to keep going and inspiration can be strained by limiting beliefs and feelings of self-doubt, fear, perfectionism, self-criticism and the pressures from the outside world. This all holds you back from the writing that should come flooding out of you.

International Author of; Speak Positively.

Manifest what you really want by saying what you really mean, Jan Henderson, shares with to Get Published Magazine some of the challenges she faces while writing.

“Actually going through the life experiences as you’re writing about them, for example when writing about truth and lying, I was trying to get a real handle on, how others have lied to me and also how much other people lie in the community, but also how I was lying.

This experience has given me new insight and awareness to how I see life and how life is reflected back to me,” said Jan. “This has made me feel really uncomfortable at times, and how I needed to move through the uncomfortable emotions to deal with them, is the bases of what I am all about. I was able to utilise some of the tools I write about in my book, with my own experience, which has helped me immensely. This is a great example of a direct experience, that I am writing about,” she said.

editor@getpublishedmagazine

If you would like a session tailored especially to your needs, you can find out more about how we assist writers to get their work published. We are also offering a $10 discount to all Get Published readers. seeforshorewellness.com editor@getpublishedmagazine.com)

I would like a Bust Through Writers Block session

The good news is, that we all have these feelings, because we are all having a human experience here on earth. They are personal, however, we are here to assist you to be able to work through them with ease and joy.

Some of these struggles when starting a new project do include staying with it, even when is feels hard. How do we stay on the right path while writing? Why are you finding it challenging? Please feel free to let us know at

Here is Tanya at 3 years, she has always had a love for reading, writing, designing colourful books and magazines from a young age.

MAKE YOUR BOOK GREAT! GO

Graphic Design and creativity that flows • • • • • • • • • • •

Logo designs Book cover design Editing and proofing Pod-casts Branding ideas for your book Brochures Posters and banners Web-pages Illustrations Magazine Book Advertising

GOFLOW

C R E A T I V E

Email: goflowcreative@gmail.com Phone: 0418 585 897

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Tom Cronin

BOOK TO FILM How To Co n qu e r Both Worlds

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riting a book is an incredible achievement, but have you ever thought about accompanying your words with film?

one, but my passion and vision for this has kept me on track to see it to the end,” Tom said.

Meditation advocate, keynote speaker, teacher and mentor, Tom Cronin, had a dream to bring his passion for mindfulness to the broader global community. To achieve this, he set about developing a film with producer and filmmaker Jacqui Fifer, simultaneously constructing a book to launch with it. This was no easy feat, but a labour of love resulting in a beautiful, inspiring piece titled ‘The Portal’.

Tom has kindly shared some insights and tips for others wishing to create a book and film with an impact and appeal to a wide audience.

“This has been a long journey that has been very consuming over the last seven years of my life. It's been an intense process that has tested and challenged me in more ways than

The Starting Point – Research Tom and Jacqui began by seeking out personal stories about those who had been through crisis and found meditation to transform their lives.

“The starting point of the project was to make a film that took viewers on a journey which was rich, powerful and transformative by

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immersing them deep into six stories that had all gone through a crisis and a transformation using the power of stillness in meditation,” Tom said.

“The original intention for the project was to share through personal story, the power of meditation and hopefully inspire people to embrace meditation on a daily basis to create a calmer, happier and more harmonious world.”

To begin the process, Tom and Jacqui spent many hours with their team of researchers scouring the globe for contributors who epitomised the deep, inspiring transformation they were looking for. They interviewed many top stories and filtered these down to their top six. From there, the six contributors were filmed during four-hour interviews, which formed the basis for the film content.

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The Difference Between Book And Film By cleverly utilising both mediums, Tom has been able to provide his audience with a much broader understanding of his work. In film, he was able to create visual and audio magic through the storytelling, incorporating emotive movement, thought-provoking voiceovers to the visual cues and rich musical scores to bring the content to life. While this makes for incredible viewing and draws the audience into the issue very effectively, complementing this with a book provides so much more.

The book opened up the opportunity to delve deeper into the background of the contributors, as well as the science and philosophies behind Tom’s passion for meditation and mindfulness. They were able to seamlessly integrate the personal stories

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throughout the written text with a global perspective, backed up by insights from prominent experts in the field, including Daniel Schmachtenberger, Mikey Siegal, and Julia Mossbridge.

“The book, co-written with Jacqui Fifer… takes the reader deeper into the journey and weaves in and out of our personal stories, from the early years of their conditioning through the deep crisis and on through the other side to their transformation which leaves the reader feeling inspired and uplifted,” Tom said.

“It has more content from our futurists and philosophers as we are able to indulge further in the wisdom that they share.”

Considerations And Challenges When putting together the book, the most important factor for Tom and his team was to keep is authentic to the contributor’s interviews.

“We really wanted to keep the original stories as they were told by the people in the film to be true and authentic. So other than some minor editing around pronunciation, all the stories have been maintained in the original style that we received them from the interviewees.”

Keeping this authentic voice provided the biggest challenge for Tom and Jacqui. As they waded through the film and interview transcripts, they needed to intuitively piece together the story in a way that made sense as a book.

“When you have piles and piles of transcripts in front of you and trying to move them all around and tie it up to make a cohesive sequence in your book was some of the challenges that Jacqui Fifer and I faced.

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There are so many different ways that it can go and trying to get the most fluid journey for the reader was our greatest priority.”

Tom’s Recommendations Then number one advice Tom gives to writers wishing to take their book to film is to not try and do it alone – find people who specialise in that area and team up your expertise. For him, that was Jacqui Fifer, a filmmaker with years of experience in authentic storytelling and a passion for the industry that matched Tom’s enthusiasm for the project.

Screenwriters, producers and directors, as well as ghostwriters and editors are just some of the roles you may look at outsourcing. Do your research and don’t be afraid to sit down oneon-one with each to ensure you have the right match.

“We look forward to bringing this out to the world now and hopefully it inspires change and will make the planet a better place.”

Find out more about ‘The Portal’ via www.entertheportal.com

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Emerging Writer

Arisen

by Kate Rose

A

s the scroll delicately fell into the pool, a ripple rhythmically billowed outwards, until it reached the edges of the cavern. The girl watched its journey by the glimmer of her candle and at the precise moment that the water calmed once more she uttered the words.

Words that had been passed down to her by her ancestral mothers, never spoken out loud, always scribed. The scroll she had released into the pool had been written by her great grandmother.

The girl’s soft whispers, like the ripple, set off a vibration around her. For a moment, doubts began to prickle her thoughts; had she said the words right?

Was anything going to happen? Was all of this even real?

Without a perceivable breeze in the stillness of the cavern, her candle suddenly flickered, once, twice, then blew out!

The girl was despairingly cast into complete blackness as not a flutter nor fraction of light existed. She was consumed and buried in gloom. Hairs stood on end all over her and she felt the weight of hopelessness crushing in on

her lungs. Her stomach boiled with fear as she rose to her feet in panic, arms flailing out into nothingness.

All she had was the smell of candle smoke mingling with the iron-dankness of the pool, to keep her company. Nobody knew she was down here, in fact, nobody knew this place existed. She doubted she could find her way back to the tunnel, nor to the surface, without light.

Perhaps this was it! This Was It! Terror clasped her mind as she drowned in the devouring darkness and flapped around hopelessly.

But then, after half a minute, a calmness began to pour over her and she stilled her limbs, her arms hung by her side. She breathed in…………… and she breathed out………..and submitted her senses to the cavern.

Her mind emptied and her eyes closed, she bent her knees and lowered to the ground.

Placing her hands on the cavern floor she crept her fingers forward bit by bit until they found the edge of the water. The surprising warmth from it attached to her and spread through her hands and arms and body, clothing her in a balminess.

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The sound of bubbling from the water broke her meditation and instinctively her eyes flew open and her hands recoiled. She reminded herself that the source of the pool was a spring - perhaps it had been air bubbles? But in the hungry darkness, a tiny glow suddenly appeared from within the pool. Maybe a trick of her mind, she focused on the glowing grain.

The girl could not respond. She shook as the figure rose further out of the water.

At first it was illusive, the more she looked the less it felt real, but then the grain of light began to move, turning and fidgeting restlessly, then as it circled it began to grow.

With every loop it took it increased in size.

More bubbles forced their way from around it, breaking the calmness of the pool’s surface, filling the air with a bitterness and the girl scrunched her nose at the foul smell.

‘Sulis,’ she stuttered. As she spoke, the figure seemed to soften a little, allowing the girl some patience.

As the bubbles fiercely surfaced, light broke from beneath the water and began to fill the cave. The grain twisted and writhed, quickening its pace, and it looked to the girl like it was eating the darkness, getting larger and larger by sucking up the shadows.

The grain was no longer small at all but the size of a seal and its thrashings sent larger waves scattering outwards. It grew shapes and forms and features and the girl gasped as she began to see what looked like arms, wispy hands and fingers.

A face appeared with a distinct nose, and a mouth and the hair billowed around it glowing and glittering. And then the eyes opened, instantly focused on the girl. The creature calmed its motions. Slowly it began to make its way through the water and as it approached she knew it was angry. Fear began to ball in her stomach once more and she attempted to retreat from the water’s edge.

The face ascended above the water and its lips parted, emanating light, as it began to speak.

‘You woke me,’ it said accusingly.

‘What do you want,’ it demanded.

The girl cowered and shrunk as the figure grew in front of her, penetrating itself throughout the cave. Sensing that her time to respond was limited, she finally found her voice.

‘Sulis,’ she whispered again. ‘I’m... I’m sorry.’ She paused in disbelief of what was happening. She tried to process everything she had been taught, drawing on all her knowledge and all the words her mother had spoken.

‘I had to wake you.’

The figure hovered, auspiciously regarding the girl.

‘Then you must be a priestess,’ it stated.

‘Yes Sulis. The last that I know of.’ They both lapsed into silence, the girl awaiting further questions, the figure pondering.

‘What is the need?’ It finally asked. The scroll the girl had placed in the pool reappeared on the water’s surface and bobbed to the translucent fingertips. ‘You need my help,’ it said without looking at the inscription.

‘It is Gaia,’ the girl replied. ‘She is dying.’

The figure immediately approached the shore of the pool and as its feet touched the stones and left the water, they began to take on a solidity and the body hardened like marble.

Its hands raised and gently came to the girl’s chin, cupping it tenderly. ‘Show me…. Please.’

They linked hands and the girl began to lead the Goddess from her forgotten pool, to show her the state of Mother Earth.

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Emerging Writer

BLANK

by Morris Freeman

A

lone in the house, in an upstairs bedroom that had been converted into a study, the middle-aged man sat at his desk gazing at the blank computer screen; it had been that way all week. Now and again his head tilted to the left, listening out for the voice that usually kept him company, annoying though it often was. There! Here it comes.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing” “I can see that. What are you supposed to be doing?”

“I’m in the process of writing a short story.”

“Well what’s stopping you?”

“I’ve got writers’ block.”

“Huh! In order to have writers’ block you have to be a writer first.”

“I am! I’ll have you know I’m a published writer.”

“That’s a laugh. Third prize in a local library’s competition does not make you a published writer. “ “It’s a start. I think a cup of coffee will help.”

“No it will not! Look at your desk there are four cups of coffee, of which you have drunk two,half drunk another and let the last one go cold. “ “Perhaps I’ll go for a walk.”

“You’ve already been on two walks today and anyway it looks like it’s going to rain. What are you doing now?”

“I’m looking out the window and admiring the scenery.”

“You are looking at the young girl across the road. Is she undressing in front of the window again? “ “No she is not!”

The young girl had moved in across the road a few months ago. She was very attractive, slim, with long black hair and small breasts.

Not that he was looking too hard. Her bedroom was on the second floor almost directly in line with his study, but just a little bit to the left.

He found himself staring at her window almost unconsciously; he became aroused by her daily striptease early each morning before she went off to college or work.

His enjoyment had come to an abrupt halt when one day she looked across the road and saw him blatantly staring at her.

Quickly she held one arm over her breasts while the other pulled the curtains across the window. He could see her mouthing some words at him, which did not require any lip reading skills on his part to interpret.

He had felt acutely embarrassed being found out doing the old man perving on young girl routine and worried that he would get into trouble. In anticipation of any trouble ahead, he made a joking reference about the incident to his wife. She had given him one of her ‘Silly old fool’ looks as if she expected nothing better of him.

The girl must have thought better of lodging a complaint about him, because ifhe was perving on her what of her own exhibitionist behavior? Nowadays he made only the briefest

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of glances in her direction and kept well away from the window when he knew she was at home.

The whole episode had been oddly exciting when compared to the boringly staid life he had led. ‘Always does the right thing’ was as good a description of him as you could get.

There were no black marks assigned to his name anywhere, not even a speeding ticket or parking fine.

How did he think he could become a writer with a background like his? Writers should have worldly experience, traveled widely and suffered much emotional turmoil in their lives.

His life had been boringly conventional from the time he had been born right up to now.

“So you’re back then? Disappeared off the planet there for a while. As I was about to say.”

“You still here? Anyway, the girl, she’s going out now. By the look of the little case she is carrying, she won’t be back for a few days.”

“Where are all these brilliant ideas for stories that you keep telling people you have?”

“Probably gone into hiding. I’m tired of all the stuff I usually write about, I need to find something vastly different, even amusing.”

“That would make a change. Do you think you can handle amusing, without having most of your characters dying off in unhappy circumstances?”

“Of course I can. In fact, I think I feel an idea coming on now.”

“I‘m surprised you can still recognize an idea after all this time.”

“Well I’ll show you.”

The man’s fingers started to tap at the keyboard, the words appearing on the screen in a steady stream then stopped.

“Well let’s see what you’ve written.’It was a dark and stormy night’ Oh my god - Is that it? I think

I’ll go back to sleep.”

“You do that! I’ve had enough of you.”

The man tilted his head to the side again; when he was satisfied he could no longer hear the voice he sat up straight and let his fingers return to the keyboard. Still there was something missing as again he waited but this time. for a feeling, a sort of itching, tingling sensation, which once started would grow rapidly causing a rush of excitement to fill his whole body.

There it was! He felt the excitement racing down to his fingers, which waited impatiently for permission to start tapping the keys. He knew what he was going to write. Nothing about people dying or unhappy childhoods, it would be about a happy middle-aged man just like himself. Why couldn’t he be the hero in one of his stories? There he knew his writing power was back.

So let’s get the ball rolling.

His fingers started to dance around the keyboard, going faster and faster though always seeming to be much slower than the ideas that were flowing through his brain. At times, his fingers seemed to work independently of his mind pausing now and then to back track on what he had put down, substituting a word here or rephrasing a sentence there. He was aware that he had an expansive smile on his face and probably looked ridiculously happy.

Time was slipping by and he ignored a nagging thought that was trying to remind him about picking his wife up from the railway station.

The deterioration of the weather into thick black clouds and vicious sprays of rain against the window ignored. Apart from the bit about his wife there was another thought trying to get his attention but with no success.

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He loved this feeling of ideas charging through his brain with no distractions. He felt good all over almost as if he was having an orgasm; that’s if you can have one of those by just writing. That the room had darkened considerably in the last few minutes made no impression on him; only the light from the computer screen mattered. At last, the loud tapping of large raindrops on the window

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caused him to look outside, just in time to be momentarily blinded by a flash of lightning that seemed to come right inside the room.

As his eyes were adjusting from the flash there followed a loud crash of thunder that seemed to roll around forever, causing him to jump up from his chair. He looked outside again in wonder at the rapid change in the weather, admiring the wildness of it all before realizing that the room was dark; the power had failed. He sat there in darkness for about five minutes before the power came back on and the computer hummed into life again. He rebooted the computer and returned to the file he had been working on.

The phone rang and he reluctantly picked up the receiver. He expected the torrent of abuse, so he nodded his head in agreement at everything his wife screamed at him. The abuse ceased only when she slammed down the phone at her end; he replaced his receiver gently, as if in compensation. There would be no welcoming home sex tonight, of that he was sure.

Standing up, he walked to the door on his way to the station to pick up his wife, at least forty minutes late. She did not like being waiting; even a minute was too long by her standards.

He paused and looked once more at the computer screen which glowed, brightly but completely blank. It was like his mind, which could not recall a single word of the story that had given him so much enjoyment in writing.

He had forgotten to save his work as he went along.

He softly muttered terrible language to himself as he went out the door. Then he heard it - the voice, laughing.

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TV, MOVIE AND PLAY SCRIPTS Are They Different?

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s it a TV show, is it a movie, or is it a play?

If you’re about to write a dramatised script, you’ll need to decide which medium you are writing for before you start tapping away at the keyboard. While there are many similarities across all three, there are some important differences to be aware of that will determine how well your script can be adapted to the appropriate form.

If you haven’t decided yet whether your idea fits best on stage, at the movies or on TV, working through these factors may help to crystallise your vision.

Writing for TV If you plan to write a TV series, there are some features that are unique to TV. A TV series does not have to capture an audience for a mere two hours, but over an entire series, or multiple series. There are two key elements to writing a successful TV series – first having a killer pilot episode to hook your prospective

producer, and second, having characters that your audience will want to invite into their homes every week.

Having a strong set of characters, each with their own set of unique characteristics, such as the Friends characters, will open up opportunities storylines for each episode.

With recognisable characters who consistently make the same mistakes, each episode does not have to be jam packed with drama (again, think of the Friends convention, e.g The one where Monica gets a roommate). Characters change gradually because, just like family members, we love or loathe them for who they are.

Another unique characteristic of TV writing, is that once the series is being filmed, each new episode will be written by a team of writers. This means that your vision for your characters, plot and episodes must be easily picked up and interpreted by other writers.

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TV descended from TV plays, so dialogue is important, but you also need to think about visuals and other audio such as music. A benefit of TV is that you remove the distance between characters and audience. Every wrinkle, expression, glint of an eye is visible – so think about whether your story will benefit from the use of camera angles, close ups or voice overs.

Does your story fit the sitcom format? Or, does the drama medium suit better? Anything filmed in front of a live TV audience has limitations of location, particularly outdoor scenes and scene changes, and you will need to factor in potential interactions with the audience.

Last, but not least, you must consider your actors in your script. TV actors may get little time to learn and rehearse before shooting each scene, which often won’t be shot in sequence. They need to live and breathe your characters every day, so it’s important they are clear who they are portraying.

Writing a Movie script In the movies the emphasis is on spectacle rather than drama. Pictures and sound effects can be more important than words, especially with the evolving world of special effects. The focus is on making an impact in an hour or two, rather than over a series, so the writer must be able to tell a great story in a way that no one else can tell it.

Similar to TV, your story will be enhanced through varied locations, scene changes, camera angles, sweeps and close ups. The audience sees every twitch, glance and gory detail, so consider which aspects of your story will benefit from such technology.

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TV dramas and made-for-TV feature films share some similarities with movies – there is more scope for locations, scene changes, and audio. Movie actors get little time to learn and rehearse scripts. They will shoot one scene at a time, often out of sequence, and while they are able to reshoot, time is usually pressed on a movie set. With both movies and TV, it’s likely your story will be filmed once, with one cast and one production team. No one knows what’s coming next, unlike in a play where audiences may have already read, studied or memorised the script.

Writing a Play Live performance of scripted drama is the least forgiving format, since the actors have only one chance to get it right. In writing a script, you need to consider ways for actors to remember their dialogue, with clearly anchored

scenes and limiting repetition. The plot of a stage play needs to be strictly defined, with as few scene changes as possible.

Actors will usually have plenty of rehearsal time, and your play may be performed (and interpreted) by many different casts over time. The story needs to reach everyone in the theatre, which can be some distance.

Therefore, you need to find ways that actors can convey emotions without the benefit of camera close ups. Dialogue and body language are key.

Ultimately you will need to decide which medium your story idea suits best. Do you have the content for a perfectly packaged play on stage, for a gripping two hours of drama, or can your idea be developed and compartmentalised into six (or more) bite sized chunks?

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Emerging Writer Night sailing

by Niesje Hees

Our nightly vigil looms - the watch appears Well-dressed, awake, in buoyant cautious trust, The friendly frothing crests deriding fear While twilight slithers down the heedless seas Rude thuds and crashes hailing each new gust, Our nightly vigil young - the bold watch steers But weary mortals driving blindly see How mild playful peaks betrayed our trust, And hostile menace stalks our covert fear The shrill incessant clamour spawns our pleas To gurgling unseen mammoths, fiends untrussed, The nightly vigil aged - next watch appears In blackness, hidden beasts are frothing free, White knuckled clasping from the helmsman just As heaving peril taunts our unmasked fear Then languid dawn and orange throbbing sea Bring rescue from that fearsome monster’s thrust, Our daylight vigil near - the watch appears The friendly frothing crests deriding fear

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Do You Have A Script In You?

NOW WHAT? T

he world of film is extremely competitive. You may have the best movie idea of all time, but if your script isn’t formatted correctly, there’s a high chance it will never even get read.

Actually writing a script is a very intensified process, so we’ve outlined the key steps to maximise your chances of seeing your writing on the big screen.

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Story Concept

Research

It all starts with the idea. Take an idea and genre-bend it, that is, make a drama into a comedy, or a thriller into comedy. Consider a wide variety of jobs — septic tank disposal guy, guitar builder, driving instructor — looking for a character or a story to pop to life.

This generally goes hand-in-hand with brainstorming as research feeds that process.

Go to libraries, hit the Internet, which is absolutely indispensable, join clubs, sign up for relevant newsletters and start talking to actual human beings.

The two most important words in the story concept process are What if? “What if Peter Pan grew up?” That was the genesis of the movie Hook.

A word of warning: You can get lost doing research. You should need no more than 2–3 months to brainstorm and research and if you can devote full-time to the project, you can likely accomplish what you need in 4–6 weeks.

The importance of your story concept is not to be underestimated. If you are working with a weak or marginal story concept, chances are that the script is probably not going to sell.

So the first step is a big one: Come up with a great story concept.

Brainstorming Once you find a story concept you think might make a good movie, it’s time to start brainstorming. Allow plots and characters leap into your imagination, key scenes to emerge, characters to morph into being, consider bits of dialogue.

The key to doing it right: no prejudgment. All ideas go into a brainstorming file. Any image, scene, line of dialogue, action, or theme I have as I brainstorm goes into the file.

Spend days, even weeks brainstorming, and, more often than not, the plotline and subplots start to show themselves, too. Get curious about the plot. Get curious about the characters. If you keep asking questions, it helps you go deeper and deeper into your brainstorming process.

But if you find yourself using research as an excuse to keep from typing those first words ‘FADE IN’, it’s time to stop hitting the books and start hitting your keyboard!

Character Development At some point, you will have accumulated enough story ‘stuff’ that key characters will spring to life. Then, it’s time to dig into them.

Create individual files (in your computer) for the primary characters. Spend time with each of them, ‘sitting’ with them, and let the stuff flow. This allows the characters to be free to evolve into what they are going to become.

Be curious about them. Ask them questions.

Interview them. Talk with them.

Apply seven questions to each character to try to see what narrative functions each might play in the story by asking: ¾ ¾ Who is my Protagonist? ¾ ¾ What do they want(External Goal)? ¾ ¾ What do they need (Internal Goal)? ¾ ¾ Who is keeping them from it? (Nemesis) ¾ ¾ Who is connected to the Protagonist’s emotional growth? (Attractor)

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¾ ¾ Who is connected to the P’s intellectual growth (Mentor)? ¾ ¾ Who tests the P by switching allegiances from ally to enemy (Trickster)?

These five narrative functions represented by this group of primary archetypes — Protagonist, Nemesis, Attractor, Mentor, Trickster — occur in most every movie.

Plotting A stack of 3x5 cards can be an invaluable part of the plotting process. Go to all the scenes and moments which arose during the earlier processes and write down the interesting beats, scenes or dynamics — one per card.

After writing all the beats, scenes, and dynamics onto individual cards, divide them into three stacks: Act I, Act II, and Act III. Find four major plot points. What’s the beginning?

What’s the end of Act One? What’s the end of Act Two? And what’s the ending?

Then sort and re-sorting the cards. Tack the cards up on a wall, to see the plot unfolding left to right.

Outline Apart from locking down the story’s structure, I also think about every scene, asking a series of questions: ¾ ¾ What is the point of the scene? ¾ ¾ What is the scene’s Beginning, Middle, and Ending? ¾ ¾ What characters should be in the scene and why? ¾ ¾ What is the conflict in the scene? ¾ ¾ How do I enter / exit the scene?

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Okay, now take a deep breath and realize something: All that — story concept, brainstorming, research, character development, plotting, and outline — you still haven’t written one word of the actual script.

First Draft An average scene is one-and-a-half to twopages in length, so it would seem that at a minimum you would try to write one scene / two pages in a day’s writing session. Aim for 5–7 pages per day, which means it’s possible to complete a first draft in a month, assuming you write everyday.

But what if you have a ‘real’ job and you can only write in your off-hours? Even if you can only manage 1 page per day, that means you’ll finish your first draft in 4 months.

Once you finish your first draft, set aside the script for at least 2 weeks. Part of the reason is you’ve exerted a lot of energy; it’s time to recharge your creative batteries. The re-write is where you want to fix the script’s problems and you can’t do that if you’re not willing to admit the script has problems.

Rewriting ¾ ¾ Story structure: Perhaps the first act is 45 pages long. Two big plot points in Act II feel too close together. ¾ ¾ Logic problems: Events happen or characters do things which don’t make sense. ¾ ¾ Lack of focus: This pertains to the plotline, subplots, character functions, themes and transformation arcs. ¾ ¾ Episodic: There will be sections or scenes within the script that feel episodic; this almost always is the result of that scenes not having a strong, direct link to the Plotline or an accompanying subplot.

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¾ ¾ Emotion: Is the emotional experience of the storyline working? Do I feel anything? Do I feel the right things?

It may take as much as 2–3 weeks to break down the first draft. This can require more brainstorming, character work, plotting and the rest.

Start the actual page-writing part of the rewrite; it typically takes around 3–4 weeks to get to FADE OUT. Review. Assess. Rewrite. However many drafts it takes. Remember: “The only way out is through!”

Editing This is the most fun part of the process. Sit down you’re your printed script, pen in hand, and mark that draft up but good.

Run lines over the page, make notes in the margins, be picky. Highlight each verb and come up with better, more active verbs.

It’s time to print out every side of dialogue for each character, and then read them back-toback to make sure you’re nailing their voice.

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BE THE EXPERT AND AUTHORITY People Are Drawn To Trusted Advisors, Authors And Speakers

By Darren Stephens

D

o you want to increase your profile? Stand out from your competitors? Do you want to become the Expert & Authority in your niche?

Are you looking for something that will give you that edge or point of difference?

Are you someone who has always dreamed of writing your own book? Perhaps you can imagine the credibility that comes with being an author. Or maybe you just dream of walking past a bookstore and seeing your own book in the window.

If you look at history’s biggest mass movements, they all follow the same pattern.

A charismatic leader or attractive figure comes along who focuses on an exciting and bright future and offers their audience a new opportunity and pathway to tap into that future.

To find your message so you can then build your following, you’ll need to do the same.

Become crystal clear on who you want to serve, what you want to do and the culture of your future community.

At first writing and publishing a book can seem like a very daunting project. Many people feel like they don’t know where to start or that they don’t have the skills to pull it off.

After all, there is a lot involved in putting a book together, including: • The book needs to be researched • It needs to be written • It needs to be laid out and the design done

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• It must be printed and published • It must be distributed and marketed to attract buyers You probably have no idea where to get started.

The fact is that almost anyone can write a book if they make the decision that it’s something they want to do. It is just a matter of working out why you want to write a book, how you will go about all the things that need to be done and who you will need to help you.

Writing a book is about working smart, not hard. It’s okay if you are not confident with your own personal writing skills. The ability to write, or lack of ability, is surprisingly not a barrier to writing a book.

There are many people who can help you, including ghost writers who will write the copy for you based on a brief that you supply.

And of course I can help you. I have a fully dedicated team to help business owners create a book that seriously has a massive impact on their business and brand. Out of all the marketing tools in my very big tool box, this is the one that has by far the greatest impact on people’s lives and businesses.

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You see, a book is like an octopus – it has tentacles that reach long and far and many people don’t see this at the beginning, until after they’ve taken one of my seminars and produced a book.

I’ve been using this marketing strategy for over 25 years and it’s still my No.1 choice for my clients to rapidly grow their business. As a matter of fact this book system that my wife and I developed has generated hundreds of millions in combined revenue for my clients and I. If you would like some help with marketing and growing your own business, then visit… www.WantMoreCustomers.com.au

OR if you would like a FREE copy of my latest book “The Success Principles – 15 Secrets to Multiplying Your Business Profits” go to… www.WantAFreeBook.com

To join Darren at his next event on how to get published click here.

CLICK HERE

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Tony Nash THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS

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EO of online bookstore Booktopia, Tony Nash, admits he was never much of a reader. It was his skills in internet marketing and a passion for meeting customer demands that drew him to the business. After a long and twisty road from recruitment into becoming an SEO expert, Tony began Booktopia as an evening side project with a budget of just $10 per day. He now has six million titles in the store.

“I didn’t really know anything about books, but I was passionate about selling, customers and meeting customers demands. I could see that by focusing on what customers wanted, that’s how we could make this work,” Tony said.

Like a business, a great book is similarly built on dedication, hard work and a passion for marketing to the right crowd. There are 27 million books currently in print and 4,000 new books are added to the worldwide database every day, so competition is hot. Even the seasoned experts can’t always pick a bestseller, so Tony’s advice? Laser-like focus on your desired outcome, and put in the work.

Tony likens dealing with competition to running a 100 metre race. As a young decathlon athlete, his sprint coach gave him advice which resonated with everything he has done since.

“Slow up, look to your left, look to your right and see where your competitors are. If you want to go as fast as you can, you pick a point down the end of the runway and focus on that.

If you want to know where the others are, build peripheral vision.”

A great book doesn’t happen by magic. “There is no Harry Potter wand for success.” Once you have written your piece, it needs some serious polishing and, as Tony points out, even the best writers have an editorial team to assist.

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“If something you desire is to be a successful, published author, then you just have to keep doing it. It may not come by magic and it may not come by your first, second or 15th book, but you are developing your craft... that’s the key, that’s what’s going to endure”

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It is very hard to be objective with your own work, so Tony highly recommends working with an editor who can work the storyline, guide character development and plot, and provide recommendations on additions or cuts to the content.

Once the copy is complete and you love every word, there are numerous options for getting published these days. The time-honoured way is through a publishing house, who will take a manuscript and run with it. Unfortunately, only around one per cent of books reach customers this way.

The world wide web has opened doors for self-publishing for those who don’t make it through traditional channels and has seen books that would never usually see the light of day, become best-sellers. What makes the best books here is not only great writing, but great publicity and clever marketing – just like any business.

“If you don’t get published, and you still feel your book is worthy, today we have selfpublishing, we’ve got print-on-demand and ebooks,” Tony said.

“A lot of work goes into a book getting some traction. For a book to simply magically gain critical mass by people telling people – that’s very, very unique. You’ve got to be out there, you’ve got to be talking at events, you’ve got to be in bookshops and maybe do some sort of speaking engagement. You need to be doing marketing on the internet or some sort of Facebook posts. A lot of the effort needs to come from the author, and that is hard work but you can be rewarded.”

From a marketing point of view, Tony highly recommends you select your title and subtitle carefully. In today’s online-centric purchasing habits and propensity to Google everything, you need your book to be searchable.

“Think about the keywords that you want to put in the title and the subtitle, because that is how Google, Booktopia and any other site will deliver results. This is especially true for non-fiction. If you want to go for some fancy name because you think it sounds really cool, you need to keep in mind what that might do for sales,” Tony said.

The other important marketing point is the look and feel of your book, particularly if you get it onto shelves. As Tony puts it, make sure it doesn’t look like it was made on your cousin’s computer; make it look like it has already sold over 20,000 copies. Use quality paper stock and contemporary styling so your book will catch the eye of readers as they browse the store. A foreword from someone prominent and a selection of wellwritten reviews can also help.

At the end of the day, no matter how many copies you sell, you have to be in it for you – not the money.

“If something you desire is to be a successful, published author, then you just have to keep doing it. It may not come by magic and it may not come by your first, second or 15th book, but you are developing your craft… that’s the key, that’s what’s going to endure,” Tony said.

“In the end, you need to weigh up whether if you only sell three copies to your aunt, your mum and your best friend, does it really matter? It’s a personal challenge, and that has to be the driving force no matter what.

That sense of purpose is really important.”

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Writing that stands the test of time Why we still love Shakespeare?

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hakespeare has been as dead as a doornail for four centuries, but as luck would have it, his work is more popular than ever. So, are there reasons for his continued popularity, or is it ‘much ado about nothing?’

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and five poetry collections. That volume alone would make an author stand out, but what makes his writing last ‘for ever and a day?’. With volume comes variety – Shakespeare’s plays include histories, tragedies and comedies, while his poems include sonnets of love. With such a range, there is something for everyone. It’s said that not all of Shakespeare’s stories were original, and in basing them on real events, particularly in the histories, he uses a popular and successful writing technique in retelling a familiar tale with a new interpretation.

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The plays were written for the stage, not to be read, and were performed to a broad audience – to the elite one day and the working class the next. Shakespeare encouraged actors to interpret their characters and to change the script at their will. The charm of Shakespeare’s plays is in the playful rhythm of clever phrasing as well as the soliloquies to the audience, which break down the proverbial fourth wall and remind us we are watching live theatre. The characters who use this technique tend to be most memorable to the audience, as they form a closer connection.

“I see their knavery. This is to make an ass of me” confides Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

While Shakespeare is best consumed in a theatre, the plays and sonnets have been on the school and university curriculum for many years, giving them a universal familiarity.

Whether you loved or hated studying Shakespeare, most people can name a few plays that they have read, avoided or just heard of. Studying plays in their written form gives us more opportunity to dissect, analyse and memorise them. But Shakespeare’s phrases are so entrenched in our language, most people will quote them in day to day life without even realising. It’s claimed that about ten percent of the unique words used in Shakespeare were invented by the writer, and his clever turns of phrase have been adopted as colloquialisms that are used (and misused!) today. Phrases as common as ‘a sea change’, ‘fair play’ and ‘in a pickle’ were first used in Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s memorable phrasing is a huge contributor to the longevity of his work, while technology in recent decades has allowed us to continue to access even the less known

plays, or look up particular phrases to find their origin. Despite Polonius’ advice in Hamlet, “Neither a lender nor a borrower be,” Shakespeare’s stories have not only borrowed existing works, but have lent their plots to new storytellers over the centuries. The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet has been reproduced in many forms, notably in Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 film, and the musical West Side Story.

Writers’ techniques and entertaining language aside, the key to Shakespeare’s continued popularity is the subject matter of the plays. In each plot, he explores the human condition. The ten histories were not intended as factually accurate representations, but to entertain the audience with social commentary on politics and the class system. The comedies contain political and social satire as well as a concentration on relationships and the complications of love, brought out through disguises, complex plots and mistaken identities. They are full of fun, irony and dazzling wordplay.

The ten tragedies are Shakespeare’s most famous plays, including Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello and Romeo & Juliet. The focus in these plays is on the paradox of life – the main protagonist, usually a noble person, has a fatal flaw that leads to their own downfall. A tragic waste, mix of good and evil, greed, revenge and supernatural elements are thrown into a complex plot to provide thrilling stories, whose themes are still relevant today.

And ‘this is the short and the long of it’!

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Top Book-To-Screen Adaptations A

s writers, one of the big dreams many of us have is, not only having our books published, but having them make the jump to the screen or stage, too.

While it’s quite rare, considering the number of books released each year, this dream does come true for a select number of authors.

Here are some of the book-to-screen (and stage) adaptations of bestselling novels you need to know about.

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The Color Purple

His Dark Materials

Alice Walker’s epistolary 1982 novel about an abused African-American girl has strong content. This led to it being banned from numerous schools over the years. However, it was praised by critics and won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, amongst other awards.

In the world of children’s literature, one of the recognised greats of the 21st century is Philip Pullman. The English novelist released his most famous works to date, a fantasy trilogy called His Dark Materials, in the noughties.

The first novel, Northern Lights, came out in 1995 (it was released with the title The Golden Compass in North America), followed by The Subtle Knife in 1997, and The Amber Spyglass in 2000.

It’s no surprise, then, that Hollywood came calling. A film of the same name was released in 1985, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. It won multiple Academy Awards.

Almost two decades later, The Color Purple musical came out in London, produced by Winfrey and Quincy Jones. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Around a decade after that, the revived musical hit Broadway and took home two Tony Awards.

A few years after the publication of the final book in the series, Nicholas Wright wrote the play adaptation. It debuted at the Royal National Theatre. The story, based on the trilogy, had to be performed in two parts due to its length.

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In 2007, a Hollywood movie production followed. The Golden Compass film, based on the first novel, starring big names like Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Ian McKellen, and Eva Green. Now, a new television series based on the novels is on its way. Airing in 2019, the series will star, amongst others, James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Ruth Wilson.

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time Mark Haddon’s best-selling 2003 mystery novel, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time was unusual in the publishing world in that it was published simultaneously in separate editions for adults and children.

Haddon went on to win a variety of awards for his book, including the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize.

While it hasn’t been made into a film as yet, the novel did hit theatres. Adapted by Simon Stephens, it premiered in London at the Royal National Theatre in 2012. It won seven Olivier Awards the following year, and went on to open on Broadway in 2014.

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus If there’s one novel that has been adapted continually over the years, in a wide variety of formats, it’s Mary Shelley’s groundbreaking book Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Shelley conceived the tale at just eighteen years of age and it was released in 1818. After becoming an instant bestseller (it’s still regarded as one of the all-time great suspense, Gothic, and horror novels), Frankenstein is said to have helped conceive the genre of science fiction.

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Since its release, countless adaptations and spin-offs have come to the screen or stage; in fact there have been more than 50 to date. In 1910, a Frankenstein 16-minute short came out, while Universal Pictures released its horror monster film version in 1931 to much fanfare. More recently, in 1994, Sir Kenneth Branagh directed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

This movie starred icons like Branagh himself, plus Robert De Niro and Helena Bonham Carter. Other movie takes on the idea of the Frankenstein monster have come out in the last few years, as have various TV movie adaptations.

As for plays, the most famous is the 2011 production that ran at the Royal National Theatre in London. Directed by filmmaker Danny Boyle and starring famous actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, the Frankenstein play was a hit and ended up being filmed and broadcast around the world.

Big Little Lies One of the most famous adaptations of an Australian novel is that of Liane Moriarty’s 2014 Big Little Lies. The rights to the New York Times best-selling fiction novel were purchased by Aussie actress Nicole Kidman, and she and U.S. actress Reese Witherspoon produced it. In addition, they starred in the 2017 HBO show alongside Laura Dern, Zoe Kravitz, Shailene Woodley, and Alexander Skarsgard.

The first season of the TV series was such a hit, critically and commercially (it won eight Emmys from 16 nominations plus four Golden Globe awards), that a second season just premiered in the United States. This time around, Hollywood legend Meryl Streep joins the cast.

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BARRY DICKINS: From Script To Stage

A

ccording to playwright Barry Dickins, getting your script off paper and onto the stage is all about one thing; FAITH. Born in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir, Dickins left school at an early age to be a factory worker and then later, he took work as a set-painter for theatre. Little did he know, he would go on to write more than 100 scripts throughout his lifetime and win the 1995 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for a play titled Remember Ronald Ryan.

His role as the set-painter and association with La Mama Theatre, in his early years, lead him on the path toward his very first play, Ghosts, which was performed in 1974.

Barry has also written short stories, biographies and other non-fiction and children’s books throughout his career.

Then, in 2009, he published his memoirs Unparalleled Sorrow, which shared the story of his career and his battle with depression.

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In 2015, Dickins wrote A Line Drawing of My Father, a memoir of Dickin’s father Len Dickins, who served in the Second World War and was a commercial printer thereafter.

It also gave a portrait of the working class northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Get Published chats to Barry Dickins about his scriptwriting process and breaking onto the stage.

How long does it take you from start to finishing a script?

The gestation period can be a year’s worth of your imagination married to the daily duty of writing and illustration; some stage plays can take years to get right and even then are rewritten in rehearsal right up to the opening night if you are a perfectionist as I am myself What do find the most challenging part of the scriptwriting process?

The scriptwriting process requires strict scene-changes and attention to rhythm if the work is lyrical as opposed to prosaic and the pursuit of characterization is lengthy and it can be taxing to realise the characters if they arrive on stage out of real life by way of metamorphoses What do you most enjoy about scriptwriting?

The sheer letting-go of naturalism or so-called reality and the opportunity to invent that which never existed in the first instance; it is dreadfully dramatic and exciting to let go What are the key steps to going from script in hand to getting it onto the stage?

The faith in the director at all costs; the faith in the actors at all costs; the faith in the designers and sound team and all who toil with you on your show in hope of success!

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Tell us a little about how it feels to see a per formance of your script?

It is fantastic of course to bear witness to the script that you have invented coming to bright life in some theatre space, tiny or cavernous as it may be!

It is exacting and fulfilling and the labour of love and trust in your mind.

How important is reading a script out loud in the process?

If you can’t locate an audience to test your new writing on (and it is very difficult at times to find a willing listener), then sit quietly at your desk and read the prose or poetry out to yourself and take your time with it, finding details in the paragraphs you never assumed were there. It feels great to read back your new stuff and the better you read it out aloud, the more finite you see your own characters.

If you don’t read your own writing back to yourself, and rely on others opinions, you forfeit the chance of visualising the story via the spoken word.

Do you have any words of wisdom to writers wanting to make it off the page and onto the stage?

My advice for any young playwright is to constantly read the script aloud back to yourself, in order to believe in each scene and sentence. It is brilliant to act out the whole play to yourself, the one who dreamt it up.

Don’t be reliant on others opinions because no one is a better judge than the inventor.

The reading of your own writing back to yourself aloud, including all the subtleties of your characterisation, and dramatic and light hearted comic moments is, in my experience, utterly and completely invaluable.

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ELEVATE YOUR SCRIPT ABOVE THE NOISE

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hether you’re a new writer getting into the world of script writing or an author who has already published a book, landing a screenwriting deal is a mammoth task.

With a huge amount of competition to deal with, from all over the globe, there are ways to elevate your script above the noise and get noticed in the ‘slushpile’.

Here are some steps to take to improve your script and get it to the top of the pile.

Study The Artform To stand out from the crowd, try and understand the types of screenplays that have already been successful. Look into what they all have in common, and how they’re unique.

Studying the artform is an effective way to avoid submitting something that reads just like everything else your agent or producer reads.

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Educate yourself by reading dozens, or even hundreds, of screenplays. Compile a list of twenty or so movies you wish you’d written.

Then, re-watch each one, making notes about why you love the characters, pieces of dialogue, plot twists, certain scenes, and so on. It’s also helpful to write a script outline of a film as you watch it. Break it down, analysing how the screenwriter has done what they’ve done, and consider the reasons why.

Push Your Imagination Further You must also take steps to think outside the box. Push your imagination further so you stop producing scripts that feel too “done” or too underdeveloped. While there are certain rules to follow when writing a movie script, you need to know when to step out of safety and comfort and write something that gets attention. Anyone can write a script after reading a few books and taking a few courses, but the screenwriters who get consistent work and big deals are those who have worked out how to unleash their imagination.

Mind mapping is a tool you can use to think differently. For example, rather than just going with the first ideas that come to mind when developing characters, names, settings, plot ideas, etc., mind map to let your creativity run wild. Come up with as many linking ideas as you can, on a really large piece of paper or use a specific tech tool if you prefer. Also, talk through your ideas with movie-loving friends who you know have seen a lot of films over the years. If they feel like your story ideas are “been there, done that”, you know to keep working.

Add Layers Top screenplays provide viewers with more than one layer. Give additional levels of meaning to things such as dialogue, setting,

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themes, and plot. Think about this question: what do you want viewers to come away from the movie thinking or feeling? What are some extra layers they might pick up on after thinking about a film more, or watching it multiple times? Movies with rich subtext engage readers on another level and will be more memorable in turn.

Bring Complexity To Your Characters Rather Than Your Plot A mistake many novice screenwriters make is thinking they have to put in all the bells and whistles and other plot complexities to elevate their work. This often backfires. You need some sub-plots in your screenplay, but don’t put in so many twists, turns, characters and other features that you confuse viewers.

Instead, bring complexity to your characters.

All humans are, after all, multi-dimensional with strengths and weaknesses, competing desires, interesting histories, and quirks. Bring these features to your characters so they have depth and people can relate to them. Always keep the stakes in mind as you’re writing. That is, what happens if the characters don’t get what they want? These stakes must be high and believable.

Surprise Viewers Last but not least, find ways to surprise viewers. You might be using a common genre and setting or character type, but there should still be plenty of unexpected happenings and choices made throughout a script. Zig when people think you will zag, and jolt movie lovers awake. Think about the tropes of the genre you’re writing in and do the opposite or otherwise take an unexpected turn.

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