text:
#Racing Metro
# racing-metro - Tuesday 24 October, 2017
'It's a big call to miss out on a World Cup': Sexton laments loss of Zebo from Ireland's cause
'If I was to advise anyone, I'd say wait until the end of your international career before you decide to go over'.
# racing-metro - Tuesday 17 October, 2017
A week of technical improvement for Munster before facing another fierce French outfit
Two points on the board, but Munster feel they have a point to prove when ROG and Racing come to Limerick on Saturday.
# racing-metro - Thursday 1 June, 2017
Schmidt happy that he and IRFU did all they could to keep Donnacha Ryan
The Kiwi head coach feels the deal on offer from Munster and the IRFU came close to matching the contract offered to Ryan by Racing.
# racing-metro - Saturday 21 January, 2017
Racing deliver a stern test, but Munster grind their way to home quarter-final
Ian Keatley's late try ensured Munster are second only to Clermont after the Champions Cup pool stage.
# racing-metro - Saturday 7 January, 2017
As it happened: Racing 92 v Munster, Champions Cup
We were in Paris for Munster's rescheduled clash with Ronan O'Gara and the French champions.
# racing-metro - Thursday 5 January, 2017
'Rassie always preaches 'play what you see', even if it's on your own try-line' -- Keatley
The Munster out-half backed his skill-set on a tough night in Galway.
# racing-metro - Tuesday 18 October, 2016
Dan Carter pleased to put 'disappointing and frustrating' doping investigation behind him
"I hold my integrity and the game of rugby's integrity in the highest regard."
# racing-metro - Friday 14 October, 2016
'I'd be licking my lips': ROG v Munster an intriguing battle for O'Callaghan
'No one gives them a chance, they barely qualified. It could be a great story.'
# racing-metro - Tuesday 23 August, 2016
'Pure enjoyment': James Hart more than happy to learn at the feet of Dan Carter
And Ronan O'Gara, of course.
# racing-metro - Friday 24 June, 2016
Controversial red card gives Racing a mountain to climb against Toulon in Barcelona
You all remember Mathieu Raynal, right?
All eyes on Carter and Halfpenny as Nou Camp prepares for tight Top 14 final
The French championship final is south of the border tonight.
# racing-metro - Friday 17 June, 2016
So clutch! Dan Carter sends Racing into Top 14 final with last-gasp extra-time conversion
Juan Imhoff's dramatic late try gave Carter the chance to send Racing to the Nou Camp – and Clermont home empty handed again.
# racing-metro - Saturday 14 May, 2016
Saracens claim first European Cup victory as flawless Farrell kicking sees off Racing
Mark McCall's men completed an unbeaten European season by coming out on top of a dull final.
# racing-metro - Sunday 24 April, 2016
ROG's Racing hold firm away to Leicester to seal Champions Cup final berth
It'll be Racing v Saracens in the European Cup final in Lyon on 14 May.
# racing-metro - Friday 25 March, 2016
Springbok international lock to swap ROG for Strings at the end of the season
Ronan O'Gara's Racing 92 are set to lose one of their big names for the 2016-17 campaign.
# racing-metro - Wednesday 9 March, 2016
New deal will keep ROG at Racing Metro until 2019
The Cork man continues to impress in his first coaching role.
# racing-metro - Sunday 17 January, 2016
This brilliant skill from Mike Phillips to set up Casey Laulala summed up Racing's day
Everything went right for Ronan O'Gara's side.
# racing-metro - Saturday 9 January, 2016
Dan Carter helps Racing maul to bonus point against Glasgow
Four of Racing's starting tight five got on the score-sheet to cement their dominance in Pool 3.
# racing-metro - Saturday 12 December, 2015
Dan Carter enjoys dream debut as Racing crush Saints
The All Black legend made an instant impression for his new club.
# racing-metro - Thursday 8 October, 2015
# racing-metro - Friday 29 May, 2015
Comin' home: Jonathan Sexton wore the Racing Metro jersey for the last time tonight
We'll always have Paris.
# racing-metro - Sunday 10 May, 2015
Sexton tastes defeat in Parisian derby as Morris scores for the Tigers
Here's how the Irishmen based in France and England got on over the weekend.
# racing-metro - Wednesday 28 January, 2015
Analysis: Ronan O'Gara's defence lifting Racing to new heights
The former Munster and Ireland out-half is excelling in his duties at Racing Métro.
# racing-metro - Monday 26 January, 2015
Jamie Roberts' highlights reel from the weekend is hugely impressive
The powerful centre demonstrated his quality with the Six Nations looming.
# racing-metro - Friday 19 December, 2014
Racing Metro rule Jonathan Sexton out until mid-February, when Ireland host France
After his fourth concussion in a year, his club confirmed that he will be stood down from contact training for 12 weeks.
# racing-metro - Thursday 18 December, 2014
Dan Carter can't wait to replace Johnny Sexton and work with ROG at Racing Metro
"Let's just say I'm really impressed by Jackie's vision," says the Kiwi after signing a contract worth a reported €1.5 million per year.
# racing-metro - Saturday 6 December, 2014
Ospreys swoop late to snatch draw against Racing Metro
ROG will be fuming.
# racing-metro - Tuesday 25 November, 2014
Concussion not a concern for Sexton with ever-increasing knowledge protecting players
The out-half insists his head injury is not overly serious, but is pleased that he has more information than ever to review the issue.
# racing-metro - Thursday 6 November, 2014
Ronan O'Gara banned for two games for criticising officials
Racing's backs coach Laurent Labit was slapped with a 15-week suspension though.
# racing-metro - Friday 17 October, 2014
What challenge will the French clubs pose in the Champions Cup this season?
The three Irish provinces have Top 14 opposition to deal with in the pool stages.
# racing-metro - Thursday 18 September, 2014
Toulon beat off Racing Métro offer to secure Matt Giteau's future
The Parisian club had hoped the Australian would replace Johnny Sexton next season.
# racing-metro - Thursday 11 September, 2014
Racing Metro's Johan Goosen might have a bionic leg
What would be the next level up from monster drop goal?
# racing-metro - Friday 5 September, 2014
'I'd like my son to see me play for Leinster' -- Jonathan Sexton
The Ireland out-half spoke about his decision to leave France and also about his jaw injury this evening.
# racing-metro - Thursday 4 September, 2014
Sexton's return to Ireland a 'logical decision,' says Ronan O'Gara
The former Ireland out-half is now part of the coaching set-up at Racing Métro.
Here's how Twitter reacted to the news that Sexton is coming home
There was plenty of happiness on the social media network as the transfer was confirmed.
Jonny's coming home! Sexton to re-join Leinster on IRFU contract
The 29-year-old out-half will re-join his home province on a contract that lasts until 2019.
Racing Métro linked with Talès as replacement for Jonny Sexton
The Parisian club's president says the pressure on Sexton has been an unwelcome feature of the start of the season.
# racing-metro - Sunday 31 August, 2014
Sexton's Racing down champions Toulon as Grenoble get off the mark
It was a good day all round for the Irish exiles in the Top 14.
# racing-metro - Saturday 16 August, 2014
Sexton nails 45-metre penalty to fire Racing to victory over Montpellier
The Ireland out-half kicked 11 points for the Parisians on the first weekend of the new French season.
# racing-metro - Friday 15 August, 2014
Munster always a draw but O'Gara feels there is still much to pick up in Paris
The Racing Métro assistant coach would love to work with the likes of Conor Murray and Simon Zebo.


text:
Craft & Career
Issue 10 May 7, 2010
Regular and Coverage Deadline: May 15
Dear Writer,
Welcome to our tenth issue.
I have included excerpts from a recent interview I did which, as you will see, inspired my craft article. Director Brian Belefant joins us this month with a quick Attitude Adjustment column about his experience judging the student Academy Awards.
April was a busy month. And a good one. I was in Paris and New York within a week of each other. A friend asked me if my Paris trip was for a writing assignment. I told him yeah: "My wife and I are cowriting checks to our American Express."
I also started casting on a low budget film I am directing. I will find a way to share the process so that it is helpful to screenwriters. During the June/July shoot, I might have guest columnists or include excerpts from my
Killer Endings
DVD but
Craft & Career
will be here as usual.
Remember, the regular deadline (and last chance for coverage service)for the
Champion screenwriting Competition
is only a week away. You can read about our new sponsor iScript in the
Champion Corner
. And remember that every entrant in the coverage category receives a free copy of
Killer Endings
Catch us on the
blogs. Plus, follow us on
or become a
fan to keep up to date with our announcements.
Jim Mercurio
My interview in this issue comes from a longer one I did with
, who runs a popular blog where he reviews current spec scripts daily. There were several handfuls of comments at the site about our interview and they seemed to fall into three tidy categories:
1) Compliments.
2) Insane ramblings and tirades.
3) Constructive criticism.
Compliments. Cool. Big fan.
Insane ramblings and tirades. Cool, too. Any publicity is good publicity, right? I always say, "As long as they are talking about me..." Plus, inane insults are effortless to ignore.
Constructive criticism. As a person who is in the business of constructive criticism, I was happy that a poster of a comment offered a suggestion that was meant to be constructive. The writer of the post said that I sometimes go too far in-depth with my analyses. He prefers breezier and pithier analysis with which to illuminate craft or to critique scripts.
Whether the poster was right or wrong, I was happy to ponder it as a way to grow as a teacher. And I thought it might be helpful to you for me to ponder it publically.
Consider this article's alternate title to be The Ponderable Post.
To read more
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ScriptShadow: You've read a ton of scripts, I'm pretty sure way more than I have. What is the big difference you see between amateur scripts and pro scripts? What really sticks out in your mind?
Jim Mercurio: If you don't want this to turn into a 20-part interview, give me some leeway to give a smart-ass answer or at least a creative one.
SS: Go for it.
JM: I am going to make up a word. Most aspiring writers' scripts don't have a high enough "story density." Story density is the amount of good storytelling you can cram into 110 pages. For beginning writers, there is often too much dead space between the good shit in their script. For some, it might be cumbersome language or style. For others, it might mean the antagonist's plan in their action script doesn't have enough twists. In a non-goal-oriented script, it might mean a sequence goes slightly astray and wastes our time. Check out the first page of
The Beaver
The Beaver
's first page has high story density. I know, that sounds bad.
SS: Okay, let's get more into craft later. What do you personally look for in a screenplay?
JM: I think some contests and university writing programs overvalue the "heaviness" of a subject. Let's say we take
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Nutty Professor
. When the writer aims for the
To Kill a Mockingbird
masterpiece but only accomplishes 55% of his goal, you can't argue that it is a better screenplay than a well-crafted broad or high-concept comedy that accomplishes 95% of what it set out to achieve.
Screenplays can't be compared or quantified like that. Their aim is not to be literature. The best screenplays are blueprints for stories meant to be told on film that will meet their audience's expectations. The closer writers get to accomplishing their goal with a script, the more of a chance they'll have to satisfy their audience.
I look at scripts for what they are trying to be. I want them to aim to surpass what the other writers in the genre have already consistently achieved. And then I look at how well the craft and execution achieves that goal.
SS: If you were a new writer, sitting down to start your next script, how would you approach it to give yourself the best chance of selling the screenplay?
JM: It depends on how new the writer is.
SS: What do you mean?
JM: If you are a beginning writer, write WHATEVER script you want to write and then finish it. Use it to develop your craft, learn your strengths and weaknesses, and grow as a writer.
SS: Yeah but come on. You remember what it was like writing those first few screenplays. The last thing you wanted to hear was that your script was basically worthless, that all it was good for was "to get better."
JM: True, but that's what screenwriters have to learn. This industry isn't a cakewalk. It takes several scripts, sometimes up to a dozen, for most writers to reach a tipping point with their craft. And that's okay. Don't think of it as "it doesn't matter," think of it as practicing free throws at 11pm when everyone else has gone home for the night. This is your preparation for the big leagues. So write whatever material you're passionate enough to FINISH, and when the moment comes, pick a genre you know or love so you can transcend it. You have to be willing to do the research or brainstorming to make sure you can nail a genre. For instance, if you aren't up to the challenge of finding a hundred clever and integrated ways to exploit, say, the first-person camera technique, then don't write
or its American remake
Paranormal Activity
The Blair Witch Project
SS: Okay, so this leads to one of my favorite questions: "Should I write a more character driven piece, something I can put my heart into? Or should I write something more high concept, despite my heart not being in it?" The argument is that the character-driven piece will have more depth, but Hollywood is scared off by the fact that it's not marketable. The high-concept script is more marketable, but is often labeled as "not having enough heart." Which route should I take?
JM: I think the answer is both.
You are going to write several scripts on your way to learning the craft, so I suggest writing each kind of script at some point.
If you have a character-piece, decide one of two things.
1) It's a sample: Spend six months on it. Get it done. Move on to the next script.
2) You are going to make it: You can't really control if it gets made, but you can make it actor bait, easy to shoot, and maybe even have rabble-rousing material (In the Company of Men, The Woodsman). Be or find a "producer."
At some point, you should write a high-concept script, but be warned -- writing a well-integrated, high concept piece is labor intensive. Look at the first draft of your high concept story and circle the conflicts that are unique to the script's specific set up. And then circle the ones that are generic (like the drugged out sequence in
Land of the Lost
, wtf?). If you are not at an 8:1 or 9: 1 ratio between the cool/specific-to-the-concept stuff and the could-be-in-any-movie stuff, then you are not going to compete with Leslie Dixon and
Freaky Friday
or Charlie Kaufmann and
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
. You have to hit most of the character beats of the character piece but you have to cleverly wrap it ALL around the concept.
SS: What is the biggest mistake you see writers make?
JM: Hmm, having read half a million pages of screenplays, I am not sure I can pick just one. Here are a few.
Not writing. If you're a beginning screenwriter, write a few scripts. They may suck. So what? Keep writing.
Beware of the faux masterpiece. What is that? That's when you try to tackle something huge like a critical piece of history - the Holocaust, slavery, World War II - or try to set an expensive politically-charged love story against that sort of backdrop. You might be a deep thinker and have an unparalleled understanding of the subject, but as a beginning writer, your craft is not going to be able to do the story justice.
You don't write
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Schindler's List
Sophie's Choice
or even
as your third or fourth script. When a writer aims for that sort of script - one that only works if it's a masterpiece - then whether they achieve 50% or 75% of their goal, it's sort of irrelevant. They haven't crossed the tipping point where the script has any viability.
SS: Great point about the faux masterpiece. I see a lot of those. But does that mean writers shouldn't try? Aren't you the guy who is supposed to be championing people? Ore you are contradicting yourself...you said writers should write whatever they want when starting out.
JM: Fair enough. If you are writing your attempted masterpiece to learn about screenwriting, go for it. And get it over with ASAP. The skill you need to pull off the masterpieces come from finishing several non-masterpieces.
So, let me contradict myself again. One of the biggest mistakes is to not have high enough expectations. Writers shouldn't just nail a genre. They should innovate and transcend it, too. For example, The Hangover is an okay mystery but the genre-crossing makes it a great comedy. When you come up with a hook like Memento or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, you will spend several hours banging your head against the wall to find your way through it. If your script isn't driving you nuts, then you didn't challenge yourself enough.
And when you are finally in control of your craft... PREACHING TO THE CHOIR ALERT, CARSON! ... If you want to be calculating and commercial-minded, aim for modestly budgeted high concept fare with a good hook.
SS: Choir preached to indeed. I know each contest is different, but is there a specific type of script that does better in a contest?
JM: It's the writer's responsibility to research who's running and judging a contest. Look at the winners from previous years. If the contest is giving away 10k or 20k to period biopics, stuffy dramas and literary-sounding faux masterpieces, then don't enter your "Die Hard in a skyscraper" script, right? Be aware of their tastes and limitations.
Because the stakes in the production world to find good in a screenplay or to find a good screenplay at all are higher than in the contest world, I suggest making your contest script a little bit more the "theoretical good script" that the screenwriting education niche prescribes. You know -- being a good read, having no typos, having a brisk pace, setting up the reader's expectations very quickly regarding tone and genre and being less than 120 pages.
SS: What types of scripts do better in your contest?
JM: I have an inner film snob that appreciates film as an art form. My last script's influences are Bergman's
Scenes from a Marriage
, the plays of Patrick Marber and Neil Labute and a few French films like
Dreamlife of Angels
. And I have made three low concept features as a director or producer. On the flip side, I am also first in line at the Thursday midnight screenings for
The Lord of the Rings
and Iron
and have given development help to some of the most commercial-minded people in Hollywood.
I pride myself on being able to appreciate good screenwriting "across the board." Last year, Champion feature winners were a high concept comedy, a coming-of-age drama, and quirky buddy picture. One of the shorts winners was a masterpiece (non-faux) and the other a smart comedy.
We have a prize (and a micro-writing deal or option) for best low budget horror and our short categories include prizes for serious scripts, comedies and best script under three pages.
SS: I think contests are a great way for new writers to test their mettle. If your script is good, it will do well, which gives you confidence, pushes you further along in the industry, and buffers your bank account in the process. But I always believe in a multi-faceted attack. So while these writers are waiting for their names to be announced as winners, what else should they be doing to break into this industry?
JM: Writers need to know what stage they're at in their writing career and act accordingly. The basic stages:
1) Learning - They need to knock out a couple scripts, get some feedback, read scripts, watch movies, take in every opportunity to improve.
2) Mastering the Craft - Here, writers start choosing scripts with some practicality in mind and are writing a couple of scripts per year. They enter contests and share their work with peers or professionals who are willing to give feedback. Don't blow a potential contact by submitting a script before it's ready. When you have confirmation via peers, contests and professionals, then you are ready for the final stage.
3) Marketing - Spend some time studying queries and loglines. Consider pitch services and get your material to producers and managers, or people who can help you get your script read. Contests might be a part of your strategy but use your wins or advancements as ammunition in cold calls and query emails. Spend some time with the "salesperson" hat on and get your script out there.
SS: Can you tell me anything else about your contest? Entry fees? Deadline? Where you sign up? Any tips you have to improve the readers' chances?
JM: I think our prices are the lowest of any of the contests with a Grand Prize of $10,000. For an additional $40, entrants can enter our Coverage Category (and get a free copy of my DVD Killer Endings) and receive a page and a half of notes. Coverage will never be the Holy Grail of insight into improving your script, but I designed the category to help writers advance to the next round where their script garners additional attention. It's meant to take some of the luck out of the process.
May 15 is the Regular Deadline and the last chance to use the Coverage Service.
Enter at
SS: Last question. I understand you just got back from Paris for work, right? How the hell did you get out of the country? Did you take a tramp steamer back here?
JM: Yeah and I met a hobo on the tramper who was working on a script. We made a barter deal. In exchange for a semi-stale baguette, I told him his second act was way too long.
SS: And that's it. Thank you Jim for taking the time to let Scriptshadow pick your brain.
JM: It's all good. Thank you.
My Report from Judging the
Student Academy Awards
Brian Belefant
I just spent two days judging the Student Academy Awards.
Back when I was in film school, there were student films and there were real films. You could tell the student films because they had lousy sound, inconsistent lighting, terrible acting, and stories involving the trials and tribulations of student life.
You were supposed to see past all that to the undiscovered genius, the raw talent that, in the real world, might have what it takes to create something that was both important and watchable.
Judging by those standards, you'd be hard pressed to tell that the films I watched were made by students.
These were stories about poets and day laborers and security guards and ex-wives, told with confidence, skill, and individual style. They were, almost without exception, productions. Real, legitimate productions.
I'm not talking about the amount of money thrown at them, even though there were several with crane shots and Steadicams and one even had helicopter shots of Los Angeles. (One film even had an Academy Award-nominated actor in the lead.) I'm talking about work of professional caliber across the board.
What's important here is that student films are no longer competing as student films. They're competing as films.
That's not to say they were all good. Some were extraordinary. Some were lousy. Just like in Hollywood.
I once met Brett Ratner at some Hollywood function. At the time I was quite proud because I'd written six screenplays that were tearing up the screenwriting competitions. I got something like 32 awards for them.
He was unimpressed. He gave me a bit of advice that I found and still find incredibly profound. He said (and I'm paraphrasing), "The only contest that matters is real life."
You can't just write a screenplay that's good in the context of screenwriting competitions. And you can't just make a film that's good film for a student film. Your work is either good or it's not.
If the people who made these films are smart and ambitious, and I bet most of them are, the films I judged in the Student Academy Awards will also play at film festivals. Right up there next to films by established, working directors. Like me.
They'll be holding their own. Even blowing my work away.
That's a good thing. A great thing.
The success of these films isn't qualified. And I'm looking over my shoulder.
Brian Belefant has spent the past 15 years directing commercials for the likes of Nissan, UbiSoft, McDonald's, Sony PlayStation, and Bud Lite. He writes a semi-regular blog as The 60 Second Director, in which he delivers bite-sized lessons on directing techniques, along with the occasional acerbic commentary about Hollywood. The above comes from one of his more recent posts at
Analysis, Microanalysis and Psycho Analysis (continued)
Jim Mercurio
A few months ago, I took the opening pages of one of the newsletter readers (who volunteered) and wrote a brutally in-depth and specific
on some of the craft mistakes he made. The notes are three times longer than the script pages. Here is an excerpt from that blog entry:
Mayor, we've already talked about this...
I like that the scene is starting in media res. Good efficiency. I get of McD. He is a tough cop who picked on his subordinate for being a drinker but has enough loyalty or honor to defend him here. But brevity challenge: could you cut the first line and start with the mayor's line
You've gotta cut Strong loose, Chief.
But like the cops earlier, the Mayor is just fulfilling his role as politician: trying to get rid of a troubled employee. This isn't special. This isn't specific. Maybe it's passable to start here, but it's not okay to stay.
I guess the beat is: pushing, persuading. Don't know why it's important yet. McDonald's reply is to refute, to argue. But notice that his second line implies the first. So cut the on-the-nose part ("Not a good idea") and only keep the line that captures it ("He's one of my best detectives").
NOT a good idea. He's one of my best detectives --
-- with a drinking problem.
I like the fact that he interrupts him. Nice flow. Problem is that it's information the audience and both of these characters already know. So really there is no need to say this and you should be able to cut it. Instead, maybe just have Acadian do a disapproving gesture like shaking his head and let McDonald know he has to escalate his argument:
Not anymore. He's been clean for four months.
Notice once again, this phenomenon of a double line. A line that expresses the subtext explicitly. And then ALSO a line that captures the subtext implicitly. You don't need both. A more extreme example from some imaginary script would be: "What the fuck were you thinking? That was sort of stupid." Do you need both sentences? No. And which is better? More emotional? More fun? ;-) Cut "Not anymore."
The Mayor squirms in his chair.
It's not entirely my idea, Frank. The Board of Supervisors had a meeting...
This is the EUREKA moment for me where the mayor finally REVEALS himself. This first draft of the scene has led us to gold, albeit half-way in. The mayor to appeals to what other people (board of directors) want. Although he is the boss, he permits the peer pressure from some nameless board to get in his way. (It's also possible that this reveals something slightly different: he is weak and, whether the board really agrees with him or not, he wants to use it to avoid responsibility.)
I rewrote and even wrote some dialogue to help him brainstorm solutions. Was I the perfect consultant who only suggested stuff that organically flowed from his material? Or was I a bit of an overbearing pig by jamming my own ideas down his throat?
It's sort of a trick question.
I wasn't being a consultant. I was being a teacher. I had gotten the writer's permission to do an overkill analysis on it as instruction for him and others. The point is to help the thousands of beginners who read the blog and newseltter to see the gap between where their writing is on the first draft of their script, as opposed to where it might be by the tenth draft. It's a lot easier to not get defensive about someone else's work.
As a consultant, I am not going to spend an hour on a scene that that isn't even going to be in the next draft. Bombarding a person with 100 things he did wrong isn't going to help him at all. Had we been in a class or in a consulting/client relationship, I might have said something like this:
"Try to find a more visual opening. Is there an image or series of images that can foreshadow what this movie is about? Try to find a situation that reveals the essence of the characters. I am less worried about the stock police procedural and what they are doing than I am about how they are doing it. If the characters don't have a unique way of doing their police work or of dealing with a crime scene like this, then it's the wrong opening. If we agree that the theme is xxxxx and the essence of the character is yyyyyy, then do you see how (insert 10-second brilliant brainstorm here) might resonate a bit more?"
Maybe we would discuss the clever and completely different ways the writers and filmmakers set up other cops: Riggs, Murtaugh, Serpico, Dirty Harry. Maybe a Socratic method of sorts would allow us to discover more specific solutions.
However, I do think that super-specific analysis of other writers or filmmakers' work is essential to the growth of a writer. Of the 60 hours I spent in casting sessions last week, I spent 20 of them watching 120 actors perform the same scene a total of 250-300 times. As boring as it was at times, I realized that this sort of experience has been an integral part of my writing and filmmaking growth.
Unless you are making movies too, how do you expect to keep up with Jason Reitman or Quentin Tarantino as a writer? Is Jim Mercurio's
4,000-word breakdown
of a three-minute scene in
Once Upon a Time in the West
all you need? No. Does it hurt? Hopefully not. But there are many other ways you can create a rigorous workout for yourself that will allow your writing to rocket upward to the next level.
Here are some self-directed ways to dig deep into the hard-to-see craft of screenwriting:
DATA - Count the jokes per page or minute of a successful script or film in the same genre as yours. Then count the jokes per page in your script.
SEQUENCES - Breakdown the sequences of a film that is in the same genre as yours. Play around with the names of the sequences. Whereas low-concept non-goal-oriented dramas might have labels like "their conflict compounds almost to a breaking point" which basically tracks the inner journeys of the character, in a high-concept "fantasy-conceit" story like
Liar Liar
, your sequences will also have to align to the concept: "Discovering the rules of the curse", "The Curse complicates his work life", "The curse complicates his personal life."
STOPWATCH/TIME CODE - Measure the length of the sequences in a movie you like. Take a canonical 70s or 80s film in your genre and measure the average length of its scenes and then do the same for a current film in the genre. Repeat the exercise with your own script. For example, check out the classic
"boat scene"
Some Like it Hot
(start at minute two or three). Assuming Tony Curtis' accent is part of the humor, then this is theoretically a flawless scene. However, I think this scene would have trouble holding a modern audience's attention. But don't take my opinion for it: I challenge you to find a scene in a successful modern rom com that takes its time like this (seven to eight minutes). How's that for breezy analysis?
READING - Have a table read or a public "performance" (where you rewrite the action description for pacing) of your script. You can do it on your own or consider this an organic plug for iScript, the new sponsor of Champion Screenwriting. In the self-directed reading, there are two productive phases. First, you get to fiddle around with directing actors. I promise that several times you will frustrate them with unperformable adjustments and advice, and they will frustrate you with a complete inability to "get" a line the way you intend it. But remember, the original purpose was to force you out of your comfort zone and to face the craft from others' perspectives. Second, there is a way to make the actual performance create another epiphany. Watch the performances during the rehearsals, but during the reading - AND I REALLY MEAN THIS - spend the entire time watching the audience. You will find out when they are bored or interested, and you will find out which jokes are working and which aren't. You will also have an inner critic that will help you with the rewrite. When you get a sick feeling in your stomach, you know the line, joke, or beat needs some work.
ACTOR'S BREAKDOWN - In the Champion Lab, I teach writers to break down scenes as a director and an actor. The classic way to break down a scene (Check out Harold Clurman's
On Directing
) is to assign a beat, usually in the form of a gerund or infinitive, to each line, part of line, or action. For instance, in the margin, the actor might write the following beats:
To persuade/Persuading
To seduce/Seducing
To flatter/Flattering
To blackmail/Blackmailing
If your beats are repetitive or don't culminate enough or are simply spread out too much, then you can address the scene. However, by forcing yourself to get beyond mere intuition (I guess we are coming full-circle back to DATA) you will be able to see your work much more clearly.
I remember in my film school days, Professor William Paul at the University of Michigan, taught a class on the gross-out genre (check out his book
Laughing Screaming
). I was able to earn the tuition for my graduate degree in film by being a teaching assistant where we watched horror films like
The Birds
The Exorcist
The Brood
. That was the hard part. The cooler and easier part was that we also watched
Heaven Help Us
Animal House
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
, It's not a coincidence that that class yielded the writer of
American Pie
. (If you want to nail a genre, LEARN IT, one way or another.)
Professor Paul's analysis was so in-depth that he would psychoanalyze us, the audience, by the unexpected places where we laughed. For example, in
Animal House
, when the guys ram all of the cars on the way out of the parking lot, our laughter implied some racist intent, i.e. hostility toward African Americans. He would wax eloquently for an hour about the racism in the scene with Otis Day and the Knights and posited that the chorus in
Shama Lama Ding Dong,
"ooh mow mow" was a reference to the Kenyan Mau Mau Rebellion.
Psychoanalysis. Or psycho analysis?
But then one day he did one of my favorite scene analyses of all time. He broke down the dugout sex scene in
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
with such specificity that it opened my eyes to the control a filmmaker has over his, or in this case, her work. It changed my expectations about what I thought films could do, the amount of meaning that could be put into a commercial and Hollywood film.
And I guess that's what this is all about. Expectations.
I make a living by helping screenwriters raise their expectations about their writing. I think intensive microanalysis of great and not-so-great scripts can be an eye-opening experience. You don't need your inner critic to be sitting on your shoulder telling you the 100 things that are wrong with your scene. However, finding a way, via mentors, film school, reading, production process or workshops to open your eyes to all of the things that screenwriters and filmmakers can do right and wrong, is a powerful way to change your expectations of your work. And I think raising your expectations about your writing is one of the first steps in raising your craft.
I try to balance the in-depth analysis (
Dead Poet's Society
) with lighter stuff (
Costner article
, this column), and I am curious to discover what works best.
Email me
and tell me what your favorite craft article has been? What was your favorite career topic? What do you want to see more of? Less of? Thanks for reading... and writing.
Jim is accepting one or two new
coaching or mentoring clients
this year to begin after August. All of them will be invited to a free weeklong or three-day class near the end of the year.
This issue was late because I was in a week of casting sessions amidst a week-and-a-half of 18-hour days. But still, come on, Bruce is the guy who tells you to "
prove it all night
, every night." How could I let him down? How could I let the five readers of this column down? (Oh, yeah, I can count the click-throughs to Youtube. And the above link is not for the faint of attention.)
Would Bruce, i.e., the rock and roll archetype I carry in my head be disapointed if I didn't write my column this month? The fictional Bruce never lets anyone down. His passion is always perfect, his setlists long and his fans, by the end of the show, exhausted. What if I wrote only a short column? Would I forever be relegated to the Z-list, the Z Street Band, the black list of Bruce Springsteen story-craft columnists?
I have good excuses, imaginary Bruce. I had a busy April. Besides ending with the casting sessions for the movie I am directing this summer, it began with a week in Paris, followed by a weekend in New York City and a quick visit to Ann Arbor. Three of my favorite cities in the world.
From Jim's Camera Phone
But there in Zingerman's Deli over a Jay's BBQ Chicken (BBQ Amish chicken, Vermont raw milk cheddar on a Bakehouse bun), an epiphany hit me like a ton of cliches. Trust the art, not the artist. Especially not the made-up guilt-tripping saboteur imaginary artist from the depths of my subconscious who was telling me to write a really long column this month.
The art:
The night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real, trade in these wings on some wheels
Rain pourin' down I swing my hammer
My hands are rough from working on a dream
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost, I'll be there on time and I will pay the cost
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside, that it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
Yeah, I got a movie to make. With the little time I have, I gotta hang with friends and family for a bit to fuel up for two grueling months of production. Rock and roll has always been about living in the moment, living with passion and loving life.
Live my life or write about it? Do I write about rock and roll or do I live it? Well, Bruce, you know the answer:
Hey, ho rock 'n' roll, deliver me from nowhere.
This column will be be on hiatus in June and July, barring unsolicited guest columns.
iScript Becomes a Sponsor
Having spent the last week in casting and hearing scenes read aloud over and over (and over) again, I was reminded how powerful a tool this can be for writers to improve their dialogue. We workshop scenes with actors in the Champion Lab, but iScript gives you this experience on your own computer or iPod. iScript is giving away a professional recording of the Grand Prize winner's script and 15-minute recording of ALL of the top 20 writers. Here is a cut-and-dried FAQ for iScript. Check 'em out.
What is an iScript?
An iScript is a professionally recorded audio version of a script or screenplay (or book, short story, thesis, annual report, etc.) read by professional readers, similar to an audiobook. iScripts can be listened to on MP3 players like iPods, Blackberries and iPhones or on an audio CD.
How much does an iScript cost?
General text starts at $100 and is based on $10 per one thousand words for an MP3 which you cannot resell, or $20 per one thousand words including Master Resale Rights. An average-length script with one reader will cost you less than $300. See our pricing page for more information.
Why should I get an iScript?
Now that audio is a red-hot trend and more and more people are addicted to their iPods, having an iScript of your work could increase the chance that people will read or listen to it.
Listening to professional readers reading your work also helps you to evaluate it. When is it interesting? When does it lag? Are your characters coming across how you thought they would? iScripts help you get your writing in shape to sell.
How long does it take to make an iScript?
Short answer: 2 days or less for anything under 20,000 words (or an average length screenplay), 5 days for up to 100,000 words. Longer answer: Standard turnaround time is two to five business days when you order your iScript Monday through Friday before noon Pacific Time. If you choose a "Requested Reader" then we cannot guarantee a turnaround, since it depends on their availability.
Champion Screenwriting Competition's more than $40,000 in prizes is made possible because of the generous support of its sponsors: Virtual Pitch Fest, Julie Marsh, Truby's Writers Studio, The Writers Store, Rhona Berens, Ph.D., iScript and Its on the Grid. Stay tuned for more information about the contest or our sponsors.
Bookmark or sign up for the RSS feed for
The Champion Screenwriting blog
In This Issue
Analysis, Microanalysis and Psycho Analysis
Mercurio Interview with ScriptShadow
Attitude Adjustment with Brian Belefant
The Champion Corner: iScript
WWTBD? Lite
Quick Links
Story Analysis
of Craft
A-List Blog
Champion Sponsors
Virtual Pitchfest
It's on the Grid
Your Best Draft
John Truby
The Writers Store
Forte Dreams
What Would the Boss Do?
I had a fleeting thought during a couple of shows on last tour. I was a bit tired from the day of travel or the standing in line waiting to get the best seat possible. Maybe it was during one of the songs I didn't really need to hear.
Hungry Heart
, anyone?
I had this very anti-fan thought: Bruce is singing about passionately following
dream but I spent $1000 in travel and tickets and three full days on shows this month... is this cutting into my ability to follow
To Read More
Killer Endings
T-Word: Theme
A-List filmmakers with billions of dollars in box office have relied on Jim and his DVDs.
But more importantly for you, Jim will be offering classes in a few cities across the country where students watch the DVDs on their own and then come for an intense 2-3 day follow-up workshop.
Want to be ready for a class? Want to host one in your city? Grab these DVDs and stay tuned!
Get creative support to support your creativity.
Rhona Berens
PhD, ACC,
for a complimentary coaching session.
Check her
Read a cool interview with
Jim is directing a micro-budgeted feature in Michigan. Seeking a full time assistant on location in July and part time via web a few weeks before after.
Will be privy
to all aspects of the production. A great learning experience
For more info, email
Kevin Costner
If you enjoyed the article on Kevin Costner from last year, check out a video of the
it was based on.
Unless otherwise noted, all content is copyrighted by A-List Screenwriting, LLC or James P. Mercurio.
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Wow. I am just so excited right now to be typing to you in a blog! God is SO Good, and I am so excited for what He has planned!
First, I want to start off sharing with you why I have created this blog. It all started a couple weeks ago, when my amazing husband Michael and I were taking a long walk in the middle of the woods on South Alabama's campus, and then another long walk on the beautiful beach in Perdido Key, FL the next day (yes, even my hubby who hates getting his picture taken wanted to take a selfie during our walks because he said this may be the start of something BIG…also, his uncle who is an incredible photographer happened to take a few from the condo :)). We were talking about some good, deep, convicting, and exciting things together. It came up that I have had the passing thought of wanting to create a devotional book one day.
You see, when the movie War Room came out, everyone at my work convinced me that I HAD to go see it. In fact, I may not have a job still if I didn't go see it… 🙂 So, I informed my husband we just had to go see it for date night. And let me just tell you…that was literally the best movie I have ever seen. It was SO inspiring, motivational, and made me so HUNGRY for digging deep into God's Word and having a consistent, powerful prayer life. I am still on an adrenaline rush 6 weeks later from watching it. Not only that, but just a few days later I went to Beth Moore's Simulcast…which, you guessed it, was amazing and inspiring as well!! What really spoke to me and convicted me was when she mentioned that some people will choose 45 minutes of sleep over 45 minutes of time spent with the Lord. She was sure to make it clear that she didn't want to sound legalistic, or that sleep was not important, but she made the point that if we are willing to choose sleep over time spent with God when the devil is after us, our husbands, our children, our family, our everything, and we aren't willing to give up some sleep to fight against him with the power of God, that's not good. That spoke to me, because just about every day that is what I did. I have never been very consistent with my quiet time due to choosing sleep instead. Since I've gotten married, I have about an hour from the time my husband leaves for work, to when I need to start getting ready for work…and most of the time I may spend time with God for about 10 minutes, but then I would spend the rest of my time sleeping until I had to get ready. Yes, I had my first nap of the day at 7:00 in the morning…
All that to say is, God was telling me in more ways than one that He wanted me to be spending more time with Him. And through Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore, I was inspired and fired up to do so. My biggest fear was that this was one of those "temporary highs" that would eventually go away. You know the ones that you get after an amazing retreat, or mission trip, or whatever it is that gets you extra pumped up. Well, after seeing and experiencing the difference it made to spend an hour with the Lord in prayer and Scripture in the morning before work a couple days in a row, the last thing I wanted to do was go back to my old lifestyle and selfish habit. That was when I realized that I don't have to slump back into not having time with Him every morning. It is a DAILY choice to follow Him, and to get up early enough (and stay awake) to spend time with Him. The difference it has made in my daily life so far, I can't even put into words. He has not only answered prayers left and right, but has shown out big time in just doing life with Him. It is truly exciting, and something I never want to live without!
So the thought came to me how incredible it was that God used Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore to bring me closer to God…to jump start this LIFE CHANGING relationship I now have with the Lord…and how I haven't even met them! I know I am not the only person that was impacted by the movie War Room, or Beth Moore's simulcast. The fact that they are well-known by their love for Christ is exciting to me. I thought about how great of a privilege it would be to be well-known across the world because of my love for Christ. How amazing it would be to be able to inspire people I haven't gotten the chance to meet, to grow in their relationship with Jesus. THAT is what inspired me to start this blog.
While talking to my hubby on that walk, I remembered the main point in an evangelism study I had just gone through at work (called "Share Jesus Without Fear"), which was that silence is a sin. When we choose NOT to share Jesus with someone when God lays it on our heart, THAT is a sin. Well, I realized that so is INobedience. When God lays something on our hearts to do that could potentially bring Him glory, and then we don't do it, THAT is a sin too.
So, this is why/how this blog came to be. I have no idea what God is going to do with it, or if it will make any bit of a difference in anyone's life, but it's worth a shot. It's worth just trying it out and taking a step of obedience for Christ in the chance to make His name more known. I want this blog to not be my own…but to be God's. I want it to be whatever God wants it to be. If He wants it to go viral and reach tons of people, I know He will make that happen. Or if He wants to use it to change even just one heart, I pray and know He will do that too (which would be worth it!). So, since I know He has given me this idea, I'm going to run with it and see where He takes it! Thank you for going on this journey with me. I pray God speaks, and that everything I write on here would NOT be MY empty words, but HIS everlasting words that NEVER return void.
I love this verse that Paul writes to the church in Corinth. I couldn't say it better myself: "And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.
I have nothing to offer. I really don't. I don't have lofty speech or wisdom, I am weak and fearful, and my messages on here will not be in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the power of the Spirit. But GOD has LIFE to offer. I'm praying He speaks. I'm truly humbled at the thought of Him using me in any way, because I am just an ordinary flawed human. But praise the Lord that HE is EXTRORDINARY. He is Big. He is Powerful. He is Love. He is Perfect. He brings LIFE…and life to the FULL. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10. We serve an amazing Father, and I am excited to get to dig in His Word together and share with you what He is teaching me. I hope this blog is an encouragement to you, and that God would use it to touch your heart and draw you closer and closer to Him. I pray that through it you would get to know Him better, and that you would have a deeper and more personal relationship with Him because of it. And most of all, I pray that this would never be your only way of getting "fulfilled", and that this would never be used in place of reading God's Word, but that instead this would inspire everyone who reads it to get into His Word MORE, and to have a more personal and intimate relationship with the One who is pursuing YOU!


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Perron Rigot Cirepil Naturelle 100g
In Stock
€ 5,25
€5.25 per 100g
- Wax cartridge for depilatory use
- Low working temperature
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- Unfragranced for allergy-prone skin
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Why you ought to Purchase a PVC Table Cloth Rather of the Fabric One
Fabric and plastic table cloths are often common products in society. Although both look good, plastic cloths are quickly overtaking their plain fabric counterparts within the recognition stakes due to mixture of factors, as outlined below.
A typical fabric cloth may look wonderful, but that's up to now since it is going. It offers no protection for the table below as spillages can easily seep while using fabric and damage the most effective underneath, causing stains or causing wood to warp, for instance. The table cloth itself might also face exactly the same fate, with many different stains for example wine or tomato sauce showing to obtain permanent despite multiple washes.
A plastic cloth however is coated obtaining a apparent, impermeable layer of vinyl that's 100 % waterproof, and so not just a single drop of liquid will achieve to break the table below. Most spillages won't also leave an indication. Particularly strongly coloured drinks or foods may leave a stain however, this are simply across the plastic cloth itself as opposed to the table below, which Entertainment system . will agree could be a less pricey item to change if needed.
Simple to Clean
Thanks fot it special vinyl coating, PVC can also be much simpler to wash, as fluids simply sit initially glance as opposed to permeating deep towards the fabric. You just need to an fast and simple wipe obtaining a moist cloth to get rid of any spills, rather of the fabric cloth which will have to be increase the risk for washer. This will make plastic table cloths the best option for busy moms and housewives who shouldn't spend some time regularly washing and altering their diner table cloth.
Extended Lasting
The vinyl coating on PVC will not only help it's waterproof but in addition adds durability and sturdiness for that fabric, which makes it harder to destroy therefore it stays searching perfect for longer. It's difficult to tear a plastic table cloth in addition to if you're with it as being a waterproof play pad for kids to complete crafts on, it will be hard to reduce it with scissors too. Plastic table cloths typically cost under their non plastic counterparts, yet last considerably longer making them a lot more affordable as time passes.
Plastic table cloths are actually very popular that they're manufactured vast amounts, reducing production costs which reduces their purchase cost. Unlike fabric table covers that should be hemmed and take proper care of over the edges, a PVC cloth could be slashed within the large roll and won't fray. Meaning retailers can purchase one large roll and cut pieces off individually for every order, keeping their costs lower and passing this saving onto their clients.
Many Designs
Because of developments in laser printing, plastic table cloths has become printed rich in quality designs which are sharp and apparent it does not matter how intricate they're. Clearly, simpler designs are available right lower to plain block colours. So, whether you need dots, stripes, stars, flowers or maybe a practical underwater scene, your ideal plastic table cloth is supplied somewhere just waiting to obtain bought.
Finally, plastic cloths are available while using the benefit to become a lot more hygienic than traditional ones. Refreshments don't penetrate towards the fabric so bacteria aren't given an opportunity to reproduce. A spill round the fabric cloth however is the one other matter, because this should actually be result in the washer or germs will multiply inside the fabric, resulting in unsanitary dining conditions.


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13 Devilish Food Pranks For This April Fool's Day
The thing about tricks is that everybody anticipates that you will do them on April Fools Day yet nobody anticipates that you will do them on the day preceding or the following day. Remember that while perusing this rundown of simple sustenance tricks anybody can pull off on any day of the year. Here are some awesome pranks for this April fool's day.
1. Easter Eggs
The way that Easter Sunday falls on April Fools Day this year implies that it will be ready for tricks simply like this one, which requires a great deal of exertion yet isn't super mean.
2. Cookie Maybe?
This is really an extremely decent trick. It would seem that eggs and toast, yet indeed, the entire dish is made out of treats! That is a win-win.
3. Mintos Icecubes
This trick is marginally meaner yet in addition way more entertaining. Place Mentos in ice 3D squares and serve them to your pop adoring companions. Pop blasts will result.
4. Pudding Cake
This trick is adequate in light of the fact that it doesn't include any genuine mayonnaise. On the off chance that it was a different way place mayo in the pudding glasses, it would be unspeakably cruel. Click next for more.


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Some writers take never having a dry spell as a point of pride. "Oh," they'll say, smiling faintly with disdain, "I don't get writer's block. My imagination is always flowing. Writer's block is really just unwillingness to work."
My imagination is always flowing too. Right now, I am happily imagining those writers slowly sinking into a bog. They don't realise what's happening until it's too late. Their cries of despair warm my withered heart.
The thing is…I used to be one of them. I used to be smug. I was sure I would never have a dry spell. The stories were everywhere, right? They were, metaphorically speaking, ripe fruit hanging from the branches of a highly symbolic tree, just waiting to be picked. All I had to do was reach out and take them.
There are many reasons the metaphorical story fruit may vanish from the symbolic branches. Hell, there are many non-reasons too. Inspiration doesn't need a reason to disappear. But I'd like to focus on one of the fruit scourges many never imagine will be a problem. I'd like to talk a bit about what happens when a life-changing event comes along and, well, changes your life. What you may not realise at the time is that it can also change your writing.
My mother started exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's disease a few years before her diagnosis in 2011. In movies and TV shows, Alzheimer's is often portrayed in the early stages, with a character maybe forgetting a few words every once in a while, or in what the writers imagine are the late stages, with a character sitting at a window and staring blankly out of it for hours. The truth of the disease is much more complex and messy. I felt as if my mother were being taken away from me piece by piece. Horribly, as the disease consumed her, it also seemed to consume my memories of her as she had been. I still have a hard time remembering my mum before Alzheimer's. She turns up in my dreams sometimes, but she's gone in the morning.
The seven-odd years of my mother's disease comprised the longest dry spell I had ever suffered. It wasn't a complete dry spell—I wrote comics and music in that period, and I did work on novels and novellas—but it was a time in which the stories seemed to dry up. I couldn't finish a novel. The stories had beginnings but no endings. I would go for a walk, and instead of spending the walk dreaming up stories, I would find that my mind was a roaring blank. All the old stories, the ones that had occupied my imagination for years and that I had been sure I would get around to writing one day, seemed suddenly flimsy and juvenile.
This was all happening as what would become my first published novel was slowly working its way through the submission, acceptance, and publication processes. It felt sometimes as if Weave a Circle Round would be the last novel I would ever write: as if the stories were gone forever, just when I desperately needed them. I spent a lot of time in tears. I was losing my mother, and I was losing my creativity.
It's hard to see the cause of the dry spell when you're right in the middle of it. It took me until some months after my mother's death in December of 2016 before I even realised that my grief and my writer's block were connected. I'm pretty sure it was the realisation itself that started me writing again. I went back to a novel I had failed to finish during my seven-year drought, started from scratch, and wrote it all the way through. As I did so, however, I discovered something else.
Somewhere in those seven years, my writing process had changed.
Before my mum got sick, writing was easy. I would sit down at my computer, the world would disappear, and the words would flow out onto the page. I could write a novel in a month and a half. Now the writing was coming in fits and starts. I kept having to go back and rewrite chapters. One chapter needed to be completely reworked three times before I could move on; I later rewrote it twice more. I got to the end of the novel, but I had to delete the entire climax and try again. The story seemed to be fighting me. The words wouldn't obey. Where I'd once soared on the wings of poesy, now I was hacking my way through a swamp full of spiky, thorny words that wanted to hurt me back.
I discussed this with another writer on Twitter at one point. She was going through some devastating grief of her own and was struggling to come out of a dry spell. It was, she said, going slowly: she still hadn't finished anything, but she was inching along, writing two novels at once, something she had never done before in her life.
Maybe, I said, you're now the kind of person who writes two novels at once.
It was a lightbulb moment for both of us. Maybe we were both different people now. Maybe being a different person meant you also had to be a different writer. And maybe that wasn't a bad thing.
It's possible I've been struggling so much with my new novel because I've been trying to write it as if it's one of my old novels. I need to grab a clue from my beloved Samuel Taylor Coleridge and approach my writing as someone who has made it all the way through the Ancient Mariner's story and come out the other side sadder and wiser. The dry spells caused by traumatic life events aren't fun, but they may just be trying to tell us something.
So if you find yourself in this position, don't just sit there silently plotting to boil cheerful writers who never ever have writer's block in oil. Think about why the dry spell is happening. If it's just a random visitation from the Writing Gods, so be it, but if you're locked in a futile struggle with the ghost of your old self, pause a bit and try to get to know whoever you are now. The writing process isn't the same for everyone, and it may not remain the same for you throughout your life. You may eventually find you're the kind of person who writes two novels at once, or who needs to rewrite huge swathes of the story multiple times, or who approaches characterisation differently, or who needs stricter deadlines, or who has developed an unexpected love affair with enormously long sentences, or who suddenly does more subplots, or who leans towards science fiction instead of fantasy, or who is more interested in picture books than novels, or who has an overpowering urge to produce a musical about bees. Get to know the person you are at the moment, and listen to what she has to say.
You never know: someday, she too may be the kind of writer who soars on the wings of poesy.
Kari Maaren is a writer, cartoonist, musician, and academic who has no spare time. Her first novel, the Andre Norton-nominated Weave a Circle Round, was published by Tor Books in 2017. She has a completed webcomic, West of Bathurst, and an active one, It Never Rains, and she has produced two CDs, Beowulf Pulled My Arm Off and Everybody Hates Elves. She is fond of time travel and titles that begin with "W."


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Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon was expected to announce a more generous deal for war widows today, in the largest shake-up of armed forces pensions for a generation.
Mr Hoon was expected to come to the House of Commons to make a statement on a review of forces pensions launched in 1998 and covering all aspects of the benefits of ex-servicemen and their spouses and partners.
Among those expected to benefit were the widows and widowers of those killed in action, who were said by weekend press reports to be expecting a doubling in entitlements.
Rights to death-in-service benefits were also expected to be extended to unmarried partners of troops who die in action while on service.
The rule, which means widows lose their MoD pension if they remarry, could be scrapped, while all ranks will be able to start claiming pensions after 18 years' service and full pensions after 35.
The shake-up is expected to be included in the Queen's Speech in November or December.


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Laila majnun1933
"Laila majnun" is 1933 Drama/Romance film directed by B.S. Rajhans , starring M. Suki, Fatimah Jasmin and Syed Ali Mansoor Al Attas.
Who directed "Laila majnun":
Laila majnun was directed by B.S. Rajhans, a director.
What is the casting of "Laila majnun":
At the casting of Laila majnun we find M. Suki (La Montagna del dio cannibale (1978)); Fatimah Jasmin, Syed Ali Mansoor Al Attas
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1 message - ...whatever became of Laila Maley? I saw "The Littlest Outlaw" in theatre and am curious these 50+ years later....
relationship kristine hermosa
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( 1947 )My Favorite Brunette
Directed by: E. Nugent, starring B. Hope, D. Lamour, P. Lorre, J. Hoyt...
( 2004 )Jailbait
Directed by: B. C. Leonard, starring S. Adly Guirgis, M. Pitt, L. Robins, D. Zayas...
( 1990 )Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
Directed by: J. Abrahams, starring W. Ryder, J. Daniels, L. Robins, T. Wilson Brown...
Resources: Chisty, Motilal Chemical Company, Wikipedia and contributions from movie fans. Anyone can submit additionnal information and corrections, you can post a message into the forum, or you can contact me by e-mail. Information and materials are submitted by users and thus may not always contain up-to-date and correct information, so do not hesite to report mistakes, and submit corrections.Thank you!. Direct editing is no longer available, sorry.


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Different And Simple Beginner's Exercise To Get Fit
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Full Exercises – Lose Weight Quickly With Full Workouts
Full Exercises – Effective and safe Ways to shed weight and Burn Off Fat I must begin a string of…Read More »
Using Exercise To Ease Anxiety
Exercise has lengthy been found to stay individuals anxious ideas and feelings that may appear anytime during the day. Exercise…Read More »
Benefits You Receive From Only Regular Exercises
Activities for example walking, athletics and games, which might be grouped as exercises, are essential in upkeep of health whatsoever…Read More »
Selecting an Exercise Program
The most difficult and first thing to do inside your exercise program gets began. Selecting an exercise program is a…Read More »
6 Reasons Why You Need an Exercise Break
Either you've exercise just for fun, to lose weight program or toning the body, the exercise intensity ought to be…Read More »


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14th ANNUAL NEW YEARS AT NOON 5KJanuary 01, 2020 Sandy Creek Park 400 Bob Holman Rd Athens, GA 30607 View Map Organized by Classic Race Services
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About this event
Sandy Creek Park400 Bob Holman Rd Athens, GA 30607
Even if you stayed up late to ring in the New Year, sleep in and join us at Sandy Creek Park for the 14th Annual New Years at Noon 5K. The 5K will begin at 12:00 Noon sharp. There will be the "DAM HILL" this year!!! The course will be on paved roads throughout the park.
Event details and schedule
Packet pickup and race day registration will begin at 11AM
5K starts at Noon
Sweatshirts: This year we are giving Sweatshirts to those who register by 12/10/19. Those who register after that date and on race day WILL NOT GET A SHIRT. yOU MUST REGISTER BY THAT DATE TO GET A SHIRT, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Awards: Overall Male/Female, Masters Male/Female, and top three Male/Female winners in age groups beginning 10 and under through 75 and over.
Timing and Results: Finish line management and results will be provided by Classic Race Services with results posted to www.classicraceservices.com, www.active.com, www.athlinks.com
Run and See Georgia Grand Prix: The race serves as the location for the Run and See Georgia Grand Prix award ceremony. Pickup your 2019 awards before or after the race. A ceremony recognizing the overall winners will take place after the 5K.
Series Affiliation: The race is part of the 2020 Black Bag Race Series, 2020 Run and See Georgia Grand Prix and the 2019 Clover Glove Series.
Refreshments: There will be plenty of refreshments including homemade goodies!
Other Info: In case of rain, the races will go on. Delay of the start may happen in case of severe weather in the area at race time. If severe weather continues, then the race director or local authorities may make the call to cancel the race at that time. Sorry, no refunds.


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Student Jailed Seven Years for Defilement
An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced David Mensah a 20-year-old student to seven years imprisonment in hard labour for defiling an eight year-old girl.
Mensah denied the offence but was found guilty after trial by the Court presided over by Mrs Jane Harriet Akweley Quaye.
During trial, it came out that Mensah frequently showers on the victim biscuits and money.
The Prosecution led by Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said Mensah lured the victim to the back of their house where he first inserted his fingers in her private part and then had sex with her.
He said Mensah confessed inserting his fingers into the victim's vagina but denied having carnal knowledge of her.
The medical officer's report indicated that the girl's hymen was broken.
The Court found him guilty as charged and considered the fact that the convict was young as well as a student, hence the minimal sentence.
Chief Inspector Atimbire told the Court that both victim and convict lived at Nungua-Buade in Accra.
On February 27, this year, the victim's mother detected a change in the way the victim walks and questioned her.
The girl told the mother that Mensah had had sex with her.
The Prosecution said the girl's mother then sent the girl to the hospital for examination and treatment.
He said based on the medical officer's advice a report was made to the Domestic Violence and Victim's Support Unit at the Nungua Police Station and Mensah was arrested.
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Resilience, Issue 41- It Works! A celebration of Bill Zeedyk's 80th Year
August 2015
It is our great pleasure to bring you this 41st edition of Resilience. Not only is it a small token of our appreciation for the many ways that Bill Zeedyk has enriched our lives and work here at the Quivira Coalition; it is an honor to publish these original essays, each of which represents countless hours of fieldwork, documentation and analysis. We are especially pleased to present Bill's in-depth summary of his pioneering restoration project at Hubbell Trading Post in eastern Arizona, where he tested early ideas for Induced Meandering—to great success! We are honored that Bill chose Resilience to debut this important analysis.
To launch the digital edition, or download the pdf, click the publication icon to the left.
Quivira's annual newsletter, Resilience, has served as a source for producer-driven rangeland science, a place for stories and reflections from our community, and resource on implementation of regenerative agriculture on arid lands. If you would like to submit an article or story for Resilience, please email email@example.com.
Resilience, Issue 33 – Building Resilience Part 2
Resilience, Issue 33 - Building Resilience Part 2 October 2008 Welcome to Part II of our look at Building Resilience – the theme of our 7th Annual Conference. Human history is full of surprises, as well as stress, innovation and change. What is different this time,...
Resilience, Issue 32 – Building Resilience Part 1
Resilience, Issue 32 - Building Resilience Part 1 April 2008 "Building resilience – which the dictionary defines as "the ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change" – is a main focus of The Quivira Coalition. We've even adjusted our mission...
More Resources
Technical Guides
Open-source know-how on erosion control, monitoring, apprenticeship and more.
Quivira's annual newsletter.
Videos of speakers from past conferences
Down to Earth
The planet to plate podcast hosted by Mary-Charlotte Domandi


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Upstairs hallway, unfurnished
By corispice
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Don't laugh at my molding... I know it's not mitered correctly!
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Shopping With Cash is Still the Best Way to Save Money
When did you last hold a $50 bill in your hand? The new ones look strange … faintly colored, graphically random.
You should pick one up some time to reacquaint yourself with something called U.S. currency. Look closely. It still reads: This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.
Here's my question: Does pumping my own gasoline at Costco constitute a debt, either public or private?
Between the moment my gas tank is full and the moment I actually pay for the gas, I owe Costco some money. I have incurred a momentary debt, and it seems to me I should be able to pay it with my U.S. currency.
Just try. In fact, at Costco filling stations my only choice is to pay with plastic—even though there are plenty of human attendants readily available.


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Katie comes to Seer as an Account Manager with a passion for data-driven SEO. She previously managed the SEO department at an Ohio-based digital agency while building SEO strategies for clients in a variety of industries including healthcare and e-commerce. Her favorite part of SEO is bringing the data together to craft unique strategies that drive direct growth to support client business goals.
Katie graduated from Butler University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business. You can find her every basketball season cheering on the Bulldogs. After graduation, she got a full-time offer at an e-commerce company to learn and run SEO in-house. Katie quickly knew she wanted to be agency side for the fast pace environment and diverse client experiences.
When she's not watching basketball or crunching numbers, she enjoys staying busy through running, trying to cook a new recipe, or relaxing at a local brewery. Her life goal is to travel to outside the country at least once a calendar year with her soon to be husband.


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Threatened species conservation: featured projects
Learn more about some of the conservation projects underway around the state.
Let's find out about threatened animals that live in NSW
An Australian Curriculum education resource for years 1-6.
- 16 Aug 2018
Glossy black-cockatoo conservation
The Glossies in the Mist project aims to save the glossy black-cockatoo in the Great Western Wildlife Corridor.
- 13 Apr 2018
Roadside threatened flora: Windellama district
This project considers the location and conservation significance of 3 threatened plant species found on roadside sites in this district.
- 31 Jan 2018
Reintroducing locally extinct mammals
The NSW Government's innovative project to reintroduce at least 13 mammal species currently extinct in New South Wales is now underway.
- 15 Nov 2017
Restoring pollinator habitat
Pollination is a critical ecological process responsible for the healthy functioning of natural and agricultural ecosystems.
- 15 Nov 2017


text: Place Category: retail Map Offers the following products Other Retail Products No Records FoundSorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again. Google Map Not LoadedSorry, unable to load Google Maps API. Driving Walking Bicycling Public Transport Miles Kilometers Offers the following productsMaple Syrup: YesMaple Sugar Shapes: YesMaple Cream: Yesmaple hot sauce Previous Next Address: 271 Halls Corners Road Dover Plains NY 12522 USAPhone: (845) 264-3137(845) 489-8848Business Email: FacebookMark SoukupAdditional Business Hours: Fri 12-6 Sat 10-5 Sun 10-4


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LPG Storage And Filling Plant
Product Description
We provides comprehensive services on design, engineering & supply of LPG Bottling projects with Storage tank terminal. These plants can be designed as per clients' requirements for different filling capacities and varying degrees of automation.
Standard Installations comprise of :
– LPG storage tanks with Ladder Gantry & Platform and Safety Fittings
– LPG Pumps & Compressor
– Electronic LPG filling machine – Electronic manual or with Carousel Equipped with automatic cylinder centralizing system, 1 inlet and 1 outlet automatic, introduction and ejection devices, individual PLC for each filling post responsible for managing all operations, interconnected with central unit and other necessary accessories for perfect filling cylinders, monitoring all all process parameters of quality, weighing, repeatability, productivity and security
– Inline Electronic Check scale ,weight correction unit with conveyor
– Purging unit & evacuation
– Pneumatic Operating systems
– Safety fittings with Remote operated valves, Mass Flow Meter and fittings, Pressure Transmitter / Switch POP valves & gauges High level Cut off and Level Gauge, Gas Leak Detector & Mass Flow Meters.
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Notice Regarding ASAA Live Streaming of Provincial Championships
Three years ago ASAA first partnered with SportsCanada.TV to offer a streamlined live streaming experience for all provincial championships. Since then we've continued to stream more and more of our provincial championships online and viewers from across the world have tuned in to watch our championship events live.
We've seen a great buy-in from our schools and some tremendous examples of highly polished productions.
It has become an expectation of our hosts to stream more and more games each year and this has not come without its costs, such as camera/terminal rentals and costs of commentators/play by play, etc… Historically the provincial host schools' have had to bear all of these costs themselves - as of 2016-17 however, ASAA will be moving to a pay-for-access model for provincial championship live streaming, in turn eliminating the cost to hosts of the camera/terminal rentals.
Fees for viewers will be structured as follows
$10 for one day's access.
$15 for one month access
$30 for one (calendar) year access.
Streams will continue to be accessible via link on provincial championship websites and www.ASAA.live


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Happy SNES Classic Edition release day!
I hope most everyone who was really looking forward to getting one was able to!
I was 10th in line at my local Gamestop store today and was lucky enough to get this one, since I neglected to pre-order ahead of date.
I called my local Walmart before that at around 7am this morning and they had long since sold out of their supply since they started selling them last night at midnight, so I consider myself fortunate to have been able to get one at Gamestop this morning.
If you didn't pre-order, and still weren't able to get one last night or today during the first wave of releases, I was told that stores are expecting additional shipments over the next few months, so keep an eye out in the next month or three at your local retailers.
They are being sold at: Best Buy, Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, and Gamestop stores in the US, and online through the previously mentioned outlets as well as on Amazon.
Ask the clerks when you are in any of these stores if/when they expect additional shipments (dates, times the shipments will arrive, etc.) and if they don't have any information for you just keep checking back every few days so you don't miss a surprise shipment.
Some folks are more able to tell you about upcoming shipments and others might not have the information, so it might help to ask around to different people too and make sure you're chatting with the folks who would be privy to such shipment related info. Electronics department is usually a good place to start, but even then sometimes it can be hit or miss, so just keep trying until you have a breakthrough!
Remember though, the closer you get to the holiday season, the less likely you'll be able to get this kind of stuff, since loads more people are out looking for gifts come November and December especially! You can get some lucky finds then too, don't get me wrong, but your chances are a bit better of finding one sooner rather than later I would think.
For those who are curious, both Walmart and Gamestop had a "1 per household" limit on purchasing these, which at least gives more people a chance to get them at their retail price. I would hope that the other retail stores were using a similar policy as well.
It beats them all getting bought up by scalpers with deep pockets who turn around and sell them all online for 3x the price to desperate people during the holidays (which will still happen anyway, but it should hopefully somewhat diminish the necessity of that by being 1 per household.)
However for those who are looking for multiples of these for legitimate purposes like to give as gifts for the upcoming holidays, it means you'll probably need to buy them from different retail stores so keep that in mind when you are searching around!
This really is my childhood relived in a box honestly, which makes it very appealing to me. Many of my favorite games on what is one of my all time favorite video game consoles ever are included in this thing. I was really surprised and pleased with the breadth of quality titles on offer for a mere $80 here. Most of these games are just as fun to play today as they were 25 someodd years ago too in my opinion. They have aged very well in that sense, and people who have never played a Super Nintendo before can enjoy them just as well too!
If you still have an old Super Nintendo console from the 1990s lying around somewhere and you go look up the prices some of these games go for online today, you could get two or three particularly popular games included with the SNES Classic Edition like Super Metroid, Secret of Mana, Earthbound, or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and you'd already be going over the cost for the SNES Classic Edition with its 21 games, so the value you get and the quality of games on offer here are really something.
Even if you take into account the Virtual Console service on Nintendo Wii, Wii U, and New Nintendo 3DS systems, to buy these 20 games on it would cost you the same price as buying 2 of these SNES Classic Editions, so it's like getting a 50% discount, plus all the hardware and controllers needed to play.
And really it couldn't be easier. You just plug it into your TV via an HDMI cable and you're off and running. No lengthy setup times, no online patches to download before you can start playing. Just plug it in and pick a game and you're good to go! The simplicity of the old days!
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to try Star Fox 2, the brand new game from 20 years ago.


text: Though the weather has been dark and dismal, Ruby-crowned Kinglets totally "own" the boardwalk at Magee Marsh on the Eire shore during the first few days of the Biggest Week in American Birding. You could almost walk across the marsh on their tiny backs. They are feeding everywhere…mostly at or below eye-level. And the males are displaying their name-sake ruby crown. Kinglets are hard to photograph. They are constantly in motion, landing only long enough in one spot to be tempting…but moving on incessantly enough to be frustrating. You end up with a lot of empty frames, but occasionally you catch one. 🙂 Sony RX10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Polarr.


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About MDM Albania
Contact us
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Rrapo Zguri
The establishment of the first news websites in Albania dates back to 1999-2000. The creation of the first ISPs in 1998 (ISP – Internet Service Provider), such as Adanet or Abissnet led to the introduction of internet services to the market. As a result, this led to the increase in the number of users and in massive interest in services of the World Wide Web. Traditional media were among the first media actors to turn to the internet, not just to benefit from its advantages and services, but also to create their online space or windows.
...read the full article in .pdf
The professional routine of the Albanian journalist: A look at a day of work
Jonila Godole
In general, when speaking about the professional activity of journalists in their daily work in research, the focus is on the organization of the newsroom by hierarchy and beats. Analyzing journalism practice is important for several reasons. Among these, the most important is to identify who is really a journalist today. The one who moderates, the news anchor, the one who "uploads" information online, the one who selects and broadcasts music on Radio or TV rarely has journalism education.
...read the full article in .pdf
The era of "cross-platform" media and its impact on the mark
Thanas Goga
The Albanian media market is clearly dominated by the electronic media outlets, and particularly by the television broadcasting networks, while the daily and periodical print circulation figures continue to plummet. In addition to RTSH (ART, Albanian Radio Television) or Public Service Broadcasting, there are another two commercial privately-owned operators licensed for nationwide analogue television broadcasting, 75 local TV stations, 70 cable service providers, as well as two digital terrestrial and satellite broadcasting services. Additionally, there are three FM radio broadcasting stations airing their programs nationwide and 68 other local FM radio stations.
...read the full article in .pdf
Copyright: Albanian Media Institute - Instituti Shqiptar i Medias, 2012
The Albanian "Mapping Digital Media" report was published in February 2012 in the framework of the Mapping Digital Media project of the Open Society Media Program. The project examines in-depth changes in the media landscape in 60 countries, focusing on how these changes affect the core democratic service that any media system should provide—news about political, economic and social affairs. In addition to the country reports, the project includes background papers on key topics related to digital media. These papers form the Mapping Digital Media Reference Series.The country reports, the reference papers, and other related materials are available on this link:
The quick pace of developments in this area leads to the need for a constant and quick update of the most relevant and changing aspects in the media landscape. For this reason, this section also includes a series of follow-up articles on the latest developments and most relevant aspects of the Albanian case as identified in the "Mapping Digital Media" report. The series of articles will focus among others on the ongoing media reform, imminent digital switchover, reform to regulatory authority and public broadcaster, as well as any new developments of media landscape, etc.
Read the country reports
Read the Report (pdf)
Online media in Albania – an overview
Mapping Digital Media - Albania
Media ethics in the era of digitalization
Ardian Vehbiu
The internet became popular as a mass communication technology practically right after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, although it is not possible to establish any causal connection between the two epochal events. Nevertheless, the inherent inclination to democratize, decentralize, and make the systems massive is common for both cases, and it brings with it collateral effects.
...read the full article in .pdf
Public Service Media (PSM) and the double challenge of digitalization
Dr. Mirela Oktrova
The management of the digital future of the Public Service Media (hereinafter PSM) and generally the media in Albania is as much a perception problem as it is an application problem. So far, the perception of the process of switchover to digital broadcasting generally suffers from its understanding as a simply technological problem, although the law and the relevant strategy demonstrate care both in guaranteeing pluralism and in strengthening the PSM's public during and after this process.
...read the full article in .pdf
The lost revolution: New media and activism
Dr. Ermal Hasimja
The quick spread of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) in Albania brought about hopes on revolutionary experience of communication in other countries, along with hopes of revival of civic and political activism. This hope is not fulfilled today in most democratic contexts, but is strongly justified in authoritarian cases. In this paper I will try to show why the supposed potential of a revolution in communication has not led and will not lead to the expected effects in the Albanian case, at least in the medium term, against the current background of information technology.
...read the full article in .pdf
Running the Marathon: The Effort to Reform Albania's Defamation Laws
Darian Pavli
In early 2012, Albania adopted comprehensive reforms of its criminal and civil defamation laws, bringing them into much closer alignment with European democratic standards. The reforms were the culmination of many years of lobbying by local and international actors, spanning three consecutive legislatures. They are also an interesting case study of a long-term effort to generate political momentum for politically unpalatable reforms:
...read the full article in .pdf
Failure of the Audiovisual Media Law and the contradiction that holds public interest hostage
Raimonda Nelku
Albanian society is still finding it difficult to take the right path towards the European perspective and internal contradictions have taken hostage the will to take actions to establish a state that serves the rule of law. The law "On Audiovisual Media," approved several weeks ago, has been a true test for the people's representatives in the parliament. They proved they failed to pass the test. As a result, the law did not manage to give meaning to the solemnity that the Albanian Constitution bestows upon the Albanians' right to information, where freedom of expression is guaranteed by law.
...read the full article in .pdf
Switchover to Digital Broadcasting
Enio Haxhimihali
EU countries have progressed in their implementation of digital networks and switch-off of analogue broadcasting. Most of them have now switched 100% to digital broadcasting, excluding Greece, which has established 2015 as the deadline for switching off. Regarding Central and Eastern Europe region, its countries are currently in the process of transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. Most of these countries have drafted the strategies for the process,
...read the full article in .pdf