John wanted to be a screenwriter. He was born to public school teachers in Longview, Texas and raised in Texas City, Texas. Eventually he earned an English degree from Baylor in Waco. Then after graduating from law school he became a lawyer in Houston. What are the odds of John making it as a Hollywood […]
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Archive for the “Screenwriting From Iowa” Category
Dec
21
2016
 
Writing Quote #63 (Anne Rice)Posted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“I write about outsiders seeking redemption in one form or another and always will.” Novelist Anne Rice (The Vampire Chronicles) 2016 Billboard interview with Alice Cooper Related posts: Hope & Redemption Storytelling Soul Game Fear, Pity, Catharsis (Tip #69) Broken Wings & Silver Lining ‘The Verdict’ Revisited Scott W. Smith Tagged: Alice Cooper, Anne Rice, writing “If you’re looking for an excuse, you’ll find one.” Actor/Director Denzel Washington 60 Minutes interview December 18, 2016 I’m not sure where this quote originated, but hearing it from Denzel Washington was the first time I heard it. He said it in reference to diversity in Hollywood. The two-time Oscar-winner Washington’s answer #OscarSoWhite was not […] “Most producers go years in between producing movies; in fact, most of our time is spent not making movies.” Producer Rick Schwartz (The Departed, Black Swan) This is a fitting echo post to my last post where writer John Grisham said, “It’s very, very difficult to get a movie made.” This one from the perspective of a […]
Dec
12
2016
‘It’s very, very difficult to get a movie made’Posted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From IowaNovelist John Grisham (The Firm, The Pelican Brief ) had a great ten year starting in 1993 where films made based on his writings attracted some of the finest talent in Hollywood: Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington, Matt Damon, Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Susan Sarandon, Joel Schumacher, Samuel L. Jackson , Gene Hackman, Claire Danes, Francis Ford Coppola, Sydney Pollack. But here’s how he explains […]
Dec
09
2016
‘If you’ve got an idea for a story…’Posted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“If you can’t pitch an idea — if you’ve got an idea for a story, whether it’s a book, a TV show or a movie, if you can’t pitch it in like 30 seconds and hook somebody and make them believe in it, you’re probably in trouble…Many, many years ago, I had just finished A […] “I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you might nudge the world a little or make a poem that children will speak for you when you are dead.” Oscar-winning screenwriter Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) The old Hollywood adage is “If you want […]
Dec
06
2016
Rejection, Dreaming & Hobby WritingPosted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“When I was younger and finally got an agent—I was turned down by everybody—finally an agent who said he would represent me I may have told my family there was a book in the works. I really don’t remember, it was a long time ago. I had read so much about how to get published […]
Dec
05
2016
John Grisham’s Writing RoutinePosted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“Routine is what it’s all about. You’ve got to get into a [writing] routine that is second nature. Something you love. I wrote the first two books real early in the morning because I didn’t have any extra time. Now it’s about 7:30. Same small office behind the house where I’ve been writing for the […]
Dec
01
2016
John Grisham’s Outlining ProcessPosted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa “I’m doing the outline [of my story] upfront so I always know where I’m going. I work on the outline for weeks, months, sometimes even years if I can’t get it right. But when I start the book on January the first to finish by July the first I’ve got a clear outline—I know […] |
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