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Inside
the Cover Book Reviews Could
It Be A Movie? Is
there anything more masochistic than being a wannabe screenwriter?
No,
seriously. Let’s consider the facts: To be a fiction writer of any kind, you
have to be creative. If you’re creative, you’re also probably a bit on the
sensitive side. Undoubtedly, you have these wonderful, delicate wisps of ideas
floating around in your head, ideas that you’re sure you can coax into
fantastic stories that will speak with unimaginable eloquence about the vagaries
of the human condition. These stories are just aching to get out, and you feel
all of the anxiety and inner turmoil of an expectant mother about to give birth
to a new generation of life and beauty. So
what do you do? Do you pour your beatific vision into a novel or a short story,
creative works that are complete and can be enjoyed in and of themselves? Do you
become a poet and pen a series of haiku verse? No. You have a better idea. You
are going to spend the next ten years of your life repeatedly slamming yourself,
body and Sensitive Soul, into the unyielding Berlin Wall that is Hollywood
indifferentism. You’re going to become a wannabe screenwriter. Why?
Dear heaven above, why? I don’t have the foggiest idea. In fact, if you ever
figure it out, drop me a line. Meanwhile, let me brush the cement dust off my
forehead and tell you about a couple of new books directed at (surprise!)
wannabe screenwriters. Could
It Be a Movie? by Christina Hamlett offers a general overview of the
creative process as it pertains to screenwriting. The book blends structural and
creative advice with celebrity interviews, industry tips and marketing
strategies for the hopeful would-be movie scribe.
An
experienced playwright, screenwriter, and script coverage consultant, Hamlett
does not fall into the “paint-by-number” trap; she does not present a
one-size-fits-all patented “system” or surefire formula. However, her book
covers a lot of familiar ground – in a world where screenwriting “how to”
books are almost as common as screenplays themselves, it’s tough to say
anything about the craft that hasn’t already been said by others – but she
does adequately restate the basic principles of writing for the movies. Hamlett
is also gently encouraging even as she acknowledges the sobering realities of
life on the wrong side of the Hollywood razor wire. She’s a realist (“It
could be years before your dedication is ever recognized and rewarded by someone
who is in a position to change the status quo.”) but, ultimately she comes
down on the side of optimism (“There’s no reason in the world that next
story can’t be yours… all that remains is to draw upon the energy of your
most valuable resource: You.”). In
other words, dear wannabe, here’s a spoon – if you want to make it to the
free side of the Iron Curtain, start burrowing. Somewhere between sweet success
and the spoon lies our daily dig: the constant excavation of words, the search
for buried stories worthy of ink and paper, the creation of modest tunnels
within which we can entertain and inspire the eager audiences in our mind. And
perhaps – just maybe – if we persist long enough, one day we will push up
through the muck and mire to breathe the rarified air of screenwriting triumph. Could
It Be a Movie? tries to help us in our quest for literary liberation, and
for its assistance and encouragement, I give it a B-minus. Patrick Beltran is a screenwriter, independent producer, and freelance writer who works as an IT professional during the day to pay the bills. He lives in Virginia with his wife and three daughters. |
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