Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
AuthorsharessecretswithaspiringNWTwritersARTSCULTUREWRITING16TuesdayMarch3120156.8103inx6.3125inByDALICARMICHAELItwasacrookedpathtosuccessforTo-ronto-basedauthorTishCohenbutwitheachpublishednovelsheisgettingalittlemorecomfortablewiththegig.CohenwrappingupthewritingprocessonherninthbooktouredaroundFortSmithHayRiverandYellowknifelastweekshar-ingtipswithaspiringwritershopingtocre-atetheirownbooksandscreenplays.ThelatterisnotherfortetheeditorturnedauthorturnedscreenwriterpickeduptheskillsonthejobafterhernovelTownHousewaspickedupbyHollywoodmanuscriptscoutsin2005.Fox2000decidedtotakeontheprojectandafewweekslaterherbookwasboughtbyHarperPerennialtobepublished.OriginallythelmadaptationwastobeproducedbyRidleyScottAlienanddirectedbyJohnCarneyOncewithascriptwrit-tenbyDougWrightMemoirsofaGeishastarringZachGalianakisTheHangover.HoweverthestudiowasnthappywiththescriptandaskedCohentowritethescreen-playherselfataskshecompletedinamonthaftersometrainingwithoneofNewYorkstopscript-writingteachers.NowlmingisexpectedtostartinthefallandwhileGali-anakisisnolongerattachedtotheprojectKirstenDunsthassignedon.JustbecauseCohensrstpublishednovelisgettingtheHollywoodtreatmentdoesntmeansuccesscameeasilyorquickly.Thebookwasonlypickedupbypublishersafterherrsttwostacksofpaperasshecallsthemwererejectedbyliteraryagentsandeditors.MytheoryisalwaysstartatthetopandworkyourwaydownCohensaidtoanaudienceattheMaryKaeserLibraryinFortSmithonMar.25.Iwenttothepopesagentbecausethepopehasanagent.HisnameisMortonJanklowandhesbasedinNewYorkandhesknownastheliterarylion.DespitebeingturneddownbysomeofthebiggestnamesinthepublishingindustryCohenkeptpushingforwardwithherdream.WhatIwasdoingthenaseveryrejectionwascominginwas-andifyouregoingtotryandgetpublishedyoullgothroughthisbe-causenooneskatesrightthrough-IwouldletmyselfweepforadayandthenIwouldpullmyselftogether.Iwouldtakewhattheysaidintheirlettersandapplyittothenextnovel.Iwasntgoingtokeeppushingoutthesamenovel.Cohensharedsometipsofthetradewithhersmallaudience.AfterreadingthesecondchapterofTownHousealoudshedoledoutscriptsfromherscreenplaytomembersoftheaudiencetodoaread-throughofthesamescene.Afterwardsthegroupdiscussedthedifferencesbetweenwritingfornovelsandwritingforperformancepieces.Itsverydifferentshesaid.Ithinkitsharderbecauseyouhavetosaymorewithless.Youcanblatheronmoreinabookbutascriptisgen-erallyabout120pageslong.AsabeginneryouneverdoanythinglongerthanthatbecauseHol-lywoodwontbuyitbecauseonescriptpageisaboutoneminuteofscreentime.Everypageisexpensivesoeverywordisexpensive.1Haveastrongplotthroughthechar-actersactions.Youwantthecharactersawstobedrivingthestoryevenifyourewritingareballmoviewithaction.2Haveaplotthatcanbedescribedquicklyinonesentence.Itscalledtheelevatorpitch.Thiscameaboutinthe50swhensomescreenwritermightbychancebeinanel-evatorwithastudioexecutiveandhehasthisoneelevatorridetopitchhismovie.3Describethesettingsquirkydetails.Any-thingthatmightbecinematic.Sometimesifyourwritingislongandtherearemanysceneswhereyouareseeingmanyofthesamechar-acterstrytoshakethemupandputtheminplacesthatmightbegreatwithacamera.4Haveapopeinthepool.Whenimpor-tantdialogueishap-peningthatmightbekindofdryfortheaudiencehavesomethinginterestinggoingoninthebackgroundtokeeptheirattention.5Makeminorcharactersmemorable.Tomakeyourstorymoreap-pealingmakemoreextrememinorcharacters.Makeoneofthemreallylazyorextremelysmartorextremelyneat.ThatappealstoHollywoodtoowheneverycharactercomestolifeinabigway.TrishCohenstipsonmakingwritingmorecinematic6Dontgetcaughtupinyourownindulgences.Justbecauseyoulikewritingabouthorsesanddressagedoesntmeanyouraudiencewill.Youcantbepreciouswithyourwriting.Evenwitheditingitscalledkillyourdarlings.AuthorTishCohenenlistsaudiencemembersinFortSmithtodoareadthroughofherscriptforTownHousewhichsheadaptedfromhernovelofthesamename.PhotoDaliCarmichael