The Ties That Bind

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 -

I am always searching the web for more writing resources, and am often very specific about what it is I am searching for. I want real writers talking about writing, or at the very least, someone who understands what it is they are talking about, and are talking about writing. Once you have found one site, you can often find more through links. Knowing that trying to find sites as wealthy in information as these are can be a real task sometimes, it occured to me that I should share these links when I do come across them. I am very happy to do so, and here are some of the more recent sites and posts that I have found.

http://artfulwriter.com/
The web site of Craig Mazin. I had never heard of him until I came across this site, but am I ever glad that I ran across it. I can make no judgements on the mans writing skill, but this guy is the real deal. He's on the WGAw board and knows exactly what he's talking about. Take for instance this long exchange between Mazin and Josh Olson, who wrote the script for the amazingly great A History Of Violence. This is a copy of a discussion between these two guys on the WGA-member-only forum WriterAction. Part I, and Part II. I promise that the things you will read are things you will not find in any book, that is for damn sure. You need to read this.

In the future I will be putting up links and short descriptions of more posts by Mazin, as he is amazingly insightful and to-the-point, and every single post is a treasure trove.

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/9/15/102528/724
Just came across this one while searching for IRC channels related to screenwriting. I didn't find any, but I did come across this which is almost as good. Kuro5hin is not a website known for literately teaching, yet I found precisely that. I got just a fraction of the way through, and knew it was on the level.

"A friend of mine is a reader for a local production company. I once remarked to him that rarely do people outside showbusiness get to see bad screenplays, as the ones you find in the media section of your local bookstore tend to be very good ones. After offering me a few hundred, he commented that there is one thing that 99% of the bad screenplays have in common: They have no story."

http://complicationsensue.blogspot.com/
I don't agree with some of the things Alex has said, but I'm hardly qualified to argue any of them. I am in the process of reading every post on this page. Spec writers will find this page invaluable.

More on all of this later, when I hit more of Craig Mazin's stuff, Jane Espenson, and Lee Goldberg.

Technorati tags: Bitch What?, Writing, Screenwriting

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