My Top 5 Favorite Places to Write

What are your five favorite places to write? This is the general topic for today’s theme during the WordCount Blogathon that I am currently participating in, which caused me to really think about all of the places where I write and then compare them all to figure out which ones are the locations that I like the most. Here are my five favorite places to write everything and anything from blog posts, freelance articles, love letters and screenplays to grocery shopping lists, poetry and parody songs....in no particular order.

1. On the Bus

First, let me get something straight.....I hate buses. Now that we have this out of the way, I do find bus rides to be useful places to write in some circumstances. In fact, I wrote my Day 17 blog post (and a portion of my Day 19 post) for the WordCount Blogathon while riding a bus out of town......all on an iPod. I figured that I might as well write to pass the time since there is not much else to do while on a long bus ride.

2. A Family Member’s House

When floppy disks were still popular among computer users, I filled a lot of them with my writings and often completed the task while visiting relatives. I’ve written at least two screenplays using a family member’s computer and have usually enjoyed the process. In such a setting, I get the best of both worlds.....the ability to write in a remote location and also the comfort of a home-like atmosphere.

3. The Library

Since many public libraries are only open during afternoon hours, there is something about having this limited time-frame that I have found to be rather beneficial to my writing activities. Being allowed to work on a computer for only 20 minutes up to 60 minutes maximum can sometimes be the driving force necessary to make sure that I am being productive.

The small window of computer access does not leave much room for idle time, which is a great way to influence me to work on some of my writing in advance before visiting the library so all I have to do is type it up or produce a final draft. I also like to write at the library because it is like an automatic source for references and research material.

If there is a word that I am not familiar with or some historical facts that need to be checked before referencing them in an article, blog post, screenplay, etc. I need not look any further than a public library.

4. My Apartment

This is a no-brainer because if it’s raining or snowing or late in the evening and I do not feel like going out, all of my writing can be done in the comfort of my own home. Much like the public libraries, my home has a lot of resources and supplies that I can utilize during the writing process.....some of which other places, including relatives houses may not have available. These resources include notebooks, pens, pencils, highlighters, markers, magazines, index cards, my favorite books on screenwriting and other tools that help me get work done without needing to travel.

5. The Movie Theater

Okay, so this one is a bit distracting because the whole point of going to the theater is to watch the movie....right? However, I brought a notepad with me and wrote down notes about a movie that I had to write a review on (It was “Hanna,” for all of you nosey people, lol) in hopes of obtaining a weekly writing gig for a media company.

I did not think that I would remember some of the important points that I wanted to make or key aspects of the movie that I wanted to cover. So, while this may have been an odd thing to do and was certainly a little difficult experience because I had to write whenever there was a bright scene that added more light into the theater, it is productive enough to make my list of five favorite places to write.

What are some of the best places for YOU to write?

Does the ideal location to write depend on what is being written or do you think that people can and should write wherever and whenever they are inspired to do so?

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A 'Camp Casserole' Movie Review and Trailer

“Camp Casserole” is a behind-the-scenes documentary by Anthony Pedone that chronicles the making of “The Casserole Club,” which is a movie that one of the VISIONFEST directors calls Steve Balderson’s “best work to date.”

Forget about what you saw on those featurettes that filmmakers add to the special features section of their DVDs. “Camp Casserole” is nothing like that stuff and based on this alone, movie lovers and filmmakers alike should be thankful.

The opening credit sequence is so attention grabbing, viewers may start to wonder if they are either high on some type of drug or in a really tripped out dream. Nothing is off limits in this movie, which includes spontaneous marriage proposals, random sketch comedy skits on the set, breastfeeding, commentary on how Steve Balderson is a force to be reckoned with and thoughts on the state of the film industry by veteran Caltech professor, Eric Sherman and a glimpse into what independent filmmaking at it's best looks like.

The cast and crew become roommates while making "The Casserole Club" in Palm Springs, creating that summer camp experience combined with a little film production workshop....maybe, but without all of the drama, poison ivy, egos and mosquito bites. Leave your entourage, VIP cards and Hollywood baggage at the door because it's all about a group effort in this movie. Imagine attending a summer camp sprinkled with drinks, comedy, lots of love and a wild family reunion....this is what you get in “Camp Casserole.”

The filmmaking scenes appear to be casual with a laid back feeling on set and good rapport between Balderson and his cast and crew. One moment they are playing golf and the next, Balderson is getting some exterior shots of Kevin Richardson (yes, the former Backstreet Boys member) for the movie. Later, actress Starina Johnson is screaming in the mountains and the documentary reveals what the deal is behind this moment. Here is a hint: If that's not guerrilla filmmaking, then somebody tell me what is.

Balderson may be the only young filmmaker in the country right now who can actually get work done in such a relaxed atmosphere. Maybe Joe Swanberg (Hanna Takes the Stairs) would be the only other director to match this in terms of a casual production set, but Balderson is someone with a clear plan of action. His vision, talent and discipline is reflected in the amount of respect that “The Casserole Club” cast has for him, so much that they deliver on the performances necessary to make the story come to life. The quality results are not accident because Balderson chooses actors carefully during the casting process.

Some of the scenes in “Camp Casserole” remind me of old black and white home movies from the 50s or 60s that capture family vacations but not like any tapes from “Capturing the Friedmans”.....it’s more like the “The Wonder Years” TV show or something of the sort.....happy and fun!

The soundtrack in this documentary is also groovy as scenes change from candid interviews about the movie characters or inspiration for the story to still photographs and then to production set coverage that show how fun movie making can be without the need for makeup/hair trailers and several hundred people on site. Developing and maintaining a high level of comradery is among the biggest lessons that independent filmmakers can learn from watching “Camp Casserole.”

The documentary is a valuable companion to “The Casserole Club” and could be more entertaining than many making-of movies that were previously released for other Hollywood and independent films.

“Camp Casserole” is scheduled to be released June 1, 2011. You Can Request a Download or Streaming Copy of this movie HERE.

Watch the Trailer:

The premiere screening of “Casserole Club” is set to take place between June 22 and June 26, 2011 in New York during VISIONFEST 11: The Other Festival (VF11).

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My Top 5 Books on Screenwriting

Today’s theme in the 2011 WordCount Blogathon is on writing books and it’s been a while since I read books on writing but the last book was a reference book and a television script writing book. So, here are my top 5 screenwriting books that I selected....either because I already read them in school and they were useful so I favor them or because I read them in whole or in part but have nothing else to compare them to.

They are in no particular order and all of them are not 100% scripts from cover to cover, since I do not remember all of the books that I read nor can I find all of the books that I have merely on the subject of writing.....so the following list will have to do.

1. Writing Television Sitcoms by Evan S. Smith

This book was nice to read a few years ago when I considered submitting a spec script based on “The King of Queens” starring Kevin James, for a chance to participate in a television writing fellowship or apprenticeship or something of the sort that ABC had available at the time. Even though this TV show was on CBS, I believe that hopeful television writers were allowed to submit a script for any sitcom, so long as it was still on-air. I ended up not writing the script completely nor applying to the program but this book helped me learn a thing or two about scenes, characters and dialogue for funny TV shows.

2. Video Scriptwriting: How to Write for the $4 Billion Video Commercial Market by Barry Hampe

I read this book a few times and it has been a useful resource for creating scripts that are used for television commercials, instructional videos, corporate videos and infommercials. It covers different parts of the scriptwriting process such as writing treatments, writing a synopsis and script research.

3. 2008 Writer’s Market

I purchased this book to find freelance writing markets but the screenwriting and playwriting sections have also been nice to read through. I may not have bought the book if it did not have these sections but I’ve paid more attention to the periodical listings in there since payment for freelance articles from a magazine comes a lot quicker than payment for a script option or buyout. Still, it has useful information on writing queries, which is important no matter what is being pitched.....a magazine article or a screenplay.

4. $30 Film School by Michael W. Dean

Yeah, this book is not entirely dedicated to screenwriting but it has an extensive chapter that focuses on the topic. It’s more technical than some others, covering things like script assembly with brads, etc. but does touch on outlining, story structure, dialogue and creating action.

5. The Ultimate Fimmaker’s Guide to Short Films by Kim Aldeman

I’ve made more short movies than feature films. In fact, I’ve only made short films up until this point while trying to get one of my feature film scripts into production, so this book has been useful. There is a section called “From Concept to Blueprint” that covers the scripting process and the author stresses that simplicity is important and to think about the resources that are already available when creating the story for a short film.

So, there you have it! My top 5 Books on Screenwriting, or writing for the screen!

Disclaimer: After writing this post and visiting Michelle Rafter's (the WordCount Blogathon host) website, I seem to have been mistaken regarding the theme, which actually seems to be just "Top 5 Books" and not "Top 5 Writing Books." Oh well. Live and learn, live and learn!

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