Fish’s lyrics (the lead singer at the time) gave rise to my first handful of characters and a setting for my first creative writing site.

Since then I’ve often used quotes from songs to set the tone for whatever scene we were doing. When I started delving into writing novels I did the same thing. I’m sure you’ve seen many fiction novels and other books that used quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

Great idea, right? Many pop songs often set just the right atmosphere for a scene. Why not use them? Or anyone’s quotes? There’s plenty of them out there; other authors, movies, plays and so on.

We almost considered doing exactly that for our novel.

As long as you give credit to the person who originally penned the words everything is cool, yes?

Um….no.

Yeah! Shocked me too when I read about it on Joel Friedlander’s site The Book Designer. It wasn’t so much that certain aspects of Fair Use applied, but rather the price tag that came along with it when you do try to do things right.

What price tag am I talking about? The one Blake Morrison found after his editor decided to be safe and request for permission to use a few lines from popular lyrics in his at the time soon to be released novel.

Intellectual Sticker Shock

This is making me think I’m in the wrong business. All the money’s in being quoted. Maybe I should become a professional quote maker.

Seriously though, it may suck for you as a writer, but remember, Fair Use works both ways. Not only is it protecting everyone else out there, but you too.

If you’re a designer, illustrator, writer, film maker, musician or anyone else in a creative field, you’d do well to know and understand how Fair Use works.

Joel does a very good job of explaining it, so definitely go read his post. In short, Fair Use is using a quote or image, or a piece of any other copyrighted work in a review, for educational purposes, comments or in a parody. Basically, if you’re not going to make a profit from the use of the material used, you can use it.

Not only does this apply to the written word, it also applies to the graphics you buy on iStock or other royalty free sites.

But It Says Royalty Free…?

Yes, it does. And it is. To an extent. There are limitations. “Royalty Free” does not give you license to do whatever you like with the images. It simply allows you to use the images for informational purposes; like illustrating a point on your blog, or in a free ebook, or on your website design.

The keyword here is “Free”. When it’s for personal use, like on a website design for yourself, or informational as in illustrating your blog posts, you’re not making a profit off of that.

Now, if you were to find a sweet vector image (flat, 2D image that usually comes in an .eps file) for a logo, you can’t use it for your logo or a client’s logo unless you or the client spends the extra money to buy the license to do that.

Why? Because eventually you or your client is going to want that image copyrighted. Technically, that image still belongs to the artist who created it. Each time an image from a royalty free site is purchased, the artist is being compensated for that download. So while YOU aren’t paying the royalties on the use of that image, iStock and others are.

Unintentional Endorsements

Be careful when using live people for your products, too. Whether it’s an unknown model or celebrity, their image belongs to them. How would you feel if someone used your image to endorse a product you never heard of? Or worse yet, a shoddy product that could totally ruin your reputation?

Take for example this image of Alicia Silverstone on a garment bag. I doubt very much she gave her permission on that one. If she did, that company would be paying her a piece of each bag sold. The same goes for the models you see on iStock. Think of it this way; face you put on your product or in your ad already belongs to someone else.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due

Always give credit to other people’s work, and when in doubt, ask permission from the source. Don’t just assume because it could end up costing you. When it comes to the law, ignorance is no excuse.

Credibility.

Reality television is unavoidable these days and a guilty pleasure for many of us. I’m hooked on a couple of them and now my roomie is too (although I promised not to tell, so mum’s the word, k?). When I watch these shows I can’t help but wonder what the professionals in these various parts of the industry think of the winners.

I’ve read enough articles in Rolling Stone to see that many are surprised when one of the American Idols hit the top ten with more than just bubblegum pop. There have been a few singers I’ve heard on the radio over the last few years that made me sit up and pay attention when they produce a song I actually like and want to hear again or - gasp - even plunk down the cash on a whole album.

Fashion? I wouldn’t know if a Top Model winner or a Project Runway contestant hit the big time after the competition or got lost in the “Where Are They Now?” file.

Self-Published novels? This is where it gets trickier. If you go into a book store, you won’t find a little badge on the cover that says “Self-Published”. One book looks like any other book. It’s got a nifty cover to attract your attention and many pages of someone’s hard work sandwiched in-between.

All the books in that store or in your browser are competing for your attention and whether you read it or not isn’t going to hinge on whether the author went through a vanity press or has a contract. We now continue our discussion that started last week with Greg and Wendi.

I Am So a Real Writer!

Here’s where the eternal debate begins: What makes a writer a real writer? Is it the moment you publish your first blog post? Or is it the first time you get something other than a rejection notice for that manuscript you sent out?

Many people, when you tell them you’ve self-published, will turn up their noses and say it doesn’t count. You haven’t made it big time until you have a contract in your hand and you’re on Barne’s and Noble’s top ten shelf. They’ll say today it’s too easy for anyone to publish whatever they like, even if it’s crap.

That may be so, however, you’re the one with a published book in your hand. That’s got to count for something.

Majoring in BS

Some would also argue that unless you have a college degree, you’re nothing. And there is the other side of the fence that says the degree means nothing.

When it comes to writing a novel and getting it published, you certainly don’t need a degree in writing. Nor do you need a degree to do design, to cook, to be an interior decorator or a fashion designer.

Not mandatory, no, but it does help as far as honing your technical skills go. But that’s a post for another time. The connection here between degrees and self-publishing is credibility. Let’s say person A and person B go for an interview. Both are equally talented, have incredible portfolios, and have an amazing resume. What do you think the tie-breaker is?

That little piece of paper that says person B is a certified professional.

Sad but true, that’s the way the world turns.

There’s Always An Exception

Once in a while someone breaks out of the box. They take a chance on talent and skills alone. They manage to fight their way to the top and get noticed.

It’s a harder road, but not an impossible one. It just took a little longer and a little extra elbow grease.

And some collateral. Can’t forget that.

Or sheer luck. But don’t count on that alone. Keep trying to make your own luck.

Real success is born from ingenuity, knowing your tools and how to use them to your best advantage. On Wednesday, Greg gave some very good advice about self-publishing. In that post he posed the question: Why not do both?

Duh! Yes! Why not self-publish, get your story out there AND scope out a contract at the same time? Couldn’t hurt and makes all the sense in the world.

Personally, self-publishing to me is as legit as anything else. When I hear of a close friend self-publishing I’m happy for them. I also get warm fuzzies when they send me a copy of that book and I can hold it in my hands. I don’t just see paper and ink. I see a hard won accomplishment.

Freedom of the Press! That’s what it’s all about! This is your dream made real! There’s a big difference between “Anyone can do it” and “Anyone can do it, but can they do it right?”

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the dancer/actor/director/writer/producer, Gene Kelly:

“Everyone is born with two legs, but not everyone can dance.”

Nicely said, Mr. Kelly, and so very true. I would like to modify that a bit to say that while everyone is born with two legs, not everyone should dance. *coughElainBennettcough*

So, what do you think? Does self-publishing build or diminish credibility? Is it worthless because anyone can do it? Or is it a valuable tool that helps authors on their way to the Best Sellers list?

*ahem* My apologies to The Bard.

Take it away, Greg, before I hurt myself over here.

Ok ok, so I recently published a children’s book. Self published, that is. Here’s a quick reference for those of you who don’t know the difference.

Published = a big book company takes your manuscript and turns it into a book, gets it into stores, and then pays you money.

Self-publish = you pay to get your book made, it sits on your desk.

That’s an over-simplification, and not really completely true, because some of us don’t have desks.

The main difference is that a publisher will publish your book, market your book and pay you money based on sales. If you go the self route, you do the work yourself. The publishers just binds book for you and in some cases, help a tad with the marketing.

Years ago, if you were not one of the lucky ones to have a big company grab your manuscript, you could go to what was referred to as a Vanity Press. This was a printer who made books, but you paid them to do it. What you got for your money was a few cases of books that you now had to sell to make you money back. This kind of thing usually cost anywhere from around a thousand bucks up to several thousand.

Not very viable for the average writer. Plus, you had to do nearly all of the marketing yourself, which cost even more money. And on top of that, we didn’t have the Internets to do all the leg work, we actually had to use our legs and telephones and mail.

But fast forward about twenty or thirty years- and there are now many avenues open to authors to self-publish their work.

Why self-publish?

I know, we all want to be picked up by a “real” publisher, that’s true. But we write to be read, correct? And if the big dogs are not banging down your door, the alternative is self-publishing (SP). Keep in mind that SP does not mean you can never be picked up by one of the big companies. In fact, SP can help get your foot in the door, it makes a great calling card, and can generate interest while you slug away at those submissions.

Don’t wait too long – I wrote a children’s book over 20 years ago, and have tried off and on to get it picked up. And here I am now just starting to get it out. If I had been able to print this book years ago, I would have been way ahead of the game in having some advertising and fan base, not to mention still having energy to do the footwork.

You’re not going to get any younger; if you are able, take the plunge. We write to be read, get people reading.

How?

Self-publishing is not very difficult to do. You can get as involved as you want with many of the different publishers out there. You can simply hand over your manuscript to some, or you can create the book files yourself and simply submit ready-to-print files, or you can do a little of both.

Cost can vary from under a hundred dollars to a few thousand, depending on who you are going with and what sort of publishing plan you choose.

There are plans where you can print up a stack of books run on an offset press; or you can go with the POD (print on demand) plan, where your book is kept in a digital file and printed as orders come in.

This is the plan I currently use – it works for me because I don’t have to keep an inventory of books in my house and try to sell them myself. Though I can buy as many as I want at a greatly reduced price, and sell them at book signings, or from my website etc. It is a flexible plan, and works great for me. Find one that works for you.

Where?

Look them up – there are dozens of companies out there now that help writers realize their dream of becoming a published author. You will have to do the “footwork” to find the place that is right for you. Some things to consider with SP:

• Cost: Is it something you can afford. Remember, it isn’t just the initial cost of getting printed, it’s the cost of marketing as well.
• Time: How long will it take to get you published, are you on a deadline/time line?
• Marketing: Will this company simply print your book, or will they help you with some of the marketing?
• Format: What types of books does this publisher work with? I had to find one that did children’s books with a lot of color art inside; not all will work with that. (Deb’s Note: And many publishing houses have their own artists that they pair up with writers.)
• Quality: What will my finished book look like? It is hard to know exactly if you are not familiar with paper types and bindings, but a lot of places can give you examples that you can look up.
• Contract: Will this company put you on a contract that gives them the exclusive rights to your book, or will you be able to pull out at any time and go elsewhere? Some companies actually act as The Publisher and they own your book for the duration of the contract, others are extremely flexible and merely print the book.

If you know anyone who has been published before – pick there brains, look at their book, ask them how they like it etc. Then, pick the best company you can for what you can pay and what you get out of it.

Printed – what next?

As I said, there are some companies that merely print your book, and there are others that will go the extra mile to help you sell the book too. Try to find one that helps you out – whether they do the work themselves or at least connect you to those who can, or teach ‘classes’ on how to market.

I know to many writers it seems like finally getting the book printed is the toughest part – but trust me, marketing the book is where it’s at.

This is where all the work comes in – and quite frankly doing this yourself will give you a whole new perspective on what the big boys do.

Getting your book into the hands of the people is work. Hard work. But done right it can pay off. Get as much info/learning as you can on marketing a book, call stores and get guidelines, get creative about where you may be able to place your book – it can be fun, but make no mistake – it’s going to be hard work. Did I mention it was hard work?

When?
Do it now. Yes, you’re a great writer, and someone will pick up your book someday – but someday turns into years sometimes, and years turn into decades – if you believe in your book, and are tired of rejection letters, think seriously about self-publishing before your book self-perishes.

The Not So Shameless Plug from Sirius: Greg’s book, “Where Monsters Go When You Grow Up” is now on the market and available at Amazon. Now, there’s no family bias here when I say it’s a really cute book with a touch of truth to it. Makes for a very sweet bedtime story and one that your children will want to pass on to theirs. Congrats, Greg and much luck!

Last week Wendi alluded to the idea of editing our lives, specifically the time we spend frantically flirting with technology and non-urgent matters. My friend and I, both editors, have been talking about that very thing. She said that artists have to pay as much attention to that which they leave out as that which they include in their paintings. And if our lives are to be works of art, and “conscious creations,” shouldn’t we apply that principle as well? Shouldn’t we be more discerning about what we choose to include and disallow?

To what end, you ask? Well, if you’re anything like me, you’re having a hard time getting where you want to go. You have your goals in mind, what you want, where you want to be, what your dream job is, but you’re unproductive, distracted, and ultimately frustrated.

The idea of editing our lives is to carefully choose what to include and what to trash in order to focus. Just as you would edit out anything that doesn’t directly pertain to your book or post or article, and just as you would consciously choose what to include in your work to make sure it’s on the right track and not off on tangents, you can apply these very same tactics to your own life.

My friend and I first asked each other what we already choose not to include in our lives, and came up with things like smoking and drugs, TV subscription, spa treatments, regular hair appointments, meat, Twitter, physical enhancement, cell phones, etc. Without these things and things like them, our lives are made simpler, just that tiny bit more focused.

It also occurred to me that most of what I have or have been doing has been a quick fix. I’ve had thirteen jobs in Belleville since 2001, and only three of them have been related to books. The others weren’t even close by any stretch of the imagination to what I want to do, to what I’m passionate about. Why is this?

Taking that further, I wondered how I could purge my life of everything that doesn’t bring me closer to my goal of being the kind of person I want to be, the kind of life I want to experience, and also opening up Biblio, the bookshop tearoom I’ve been dreaming about and creating in my head for three years.

First to address is people. As callous as this sounds, there are people in my life who either hinder me or offer nothing beneficial. They are the negative Nancys, or those who feel like a heavy boulder tethered to my foot. It’s best to gently or firmly let those people go. Surround yourself only by those who either help you (in any way) or need your help and, in so being, bring out the best in you.

Then there is anything I spend tons of time on but that distracts me from my focus of self-improvement and Biblio. That is too much time on Stumble, answering emails that aren’t urgent, Facebook, and the like. Anything that wastes time or doesn’t move me forward in the direction I want to go. That also happens to include one of my jobs, and that’s going to be a challenge to discard, especially when I need it for financial reasons. But ultimately it has to go. I have to make those kinds of decisions sometimes. As long as I know that, and keep my goals in mind, I’m on the right track.

Then there’s going through my internal self. What emotions and negative thoughts am I holding on to that are keeping me from being my happiest? What should I be thinking, how should I be thinking to get me on the straight and narrow that has my dreams at the end?

You’re getting the idea of this editing process, I’m sure. But one important thing: I’m not talking about editing out stuff you don’t necessarily need but want, or bringing in only what you need. This isn’t about being stripped of everything completely, about being purist. You don’t have to get rid of your favorite shoes and handbags just because you don’t need them. Technically, you don’t. But for me, for example, my handbags make me feel…well-off, abundance, even happy. This is about being focused and happy, so that you’re in the right frame of existence to create more of what you want. So include both what you want and need but do try to make what you want focused, too.

Here’s a good way to start. For me, I’ve decided that the emotional part is the hardest. I’ve been avoiding it forever, as much as I have acknowledged it and am aware of and comprehend what’s going on. Right now I just become frustrated and tempted to quit when I try to change my thinking.

But I’m not someone who just sits around. So I’m starting with my house to get me in the editing mood. I am going room by room, editing out anything that isn’t used or doesn’t directly contribute to the house’s function or need or aesthetic. When I bring anything in, I’m not going for quick fixes anymore and buying stuff that isn’t perfect just because I don’t have enough money on hand to buy exactly what I want. I’m saving. I’m purchasing or allowing only that which is quality and reflects the lifestyle and decorative style I’m aiming for. And I’m purging to make room for new, even if it means being without for a while. This takes bravery, because I can’t be afraid of lack.

Do you see where this is going? This is my new project. Spring cleaning you can call it. Make it yours, too. Cut out the excessive time spent emailing and texting and doing anything that isn’t propelling you forward in your chosen direction. Cut out stuff and people to that end. Purge tangents. Then allow in only that which aids you in your quests.

Only you hold the reigns, or the red pen. Write a list of what you want, your goals, who and where you want to be. Make that list the title of your life. Delete anything that doesn’t directly relate to that title, that doesn’t forward the points. And allow into your life only what helps you, drives you toward success.

Be in charge. Be in control. Be fearless. Be ready.

What of it? Well, this means that your writing, whether an ebook, article, or blog post, has to be attractive in every possible way: simple yet professional and well-written. (If it’s an ebook, don’t forget great design!)

Sirius does offer an ebook publishing service, complete with writing help if you need it. At the same time, having something good to start with and getting to the finish line are not easy tasks. So here are five tips on how to write content people will want to read.

5 Simple Ways to Write Well

1. Write your title first.

Your title acts as your guideline to keep you focused as you write. If you find you’re going off on too many tangents or that you have too much to include, refer back to your title and remove anything that does not directly relate to it. You can also divide up your ideas. Perhaps there are another two or three ebooks or posts you could write, like a series. For example, instead of having an ebook on how to write a novel, divide it into shorter ebooks or workbooks on how to create great characters, how to form a solid plot, etc.

2. Keep your writing simple.

I’ve written about this before. The moment you start showing off or trying to impress on people that you’re a credible source of information, you lose that very credibility. It’s natural for us to want to sound witty and intelligent. If you can do that with simple yet elegant prose, the more power to you. Stick to your point and get rid of the clutter; flowery language is distracting. The way a clean and edited room can leave you feeling calm and refreshed, well-written prose can leave a reader feeling lucid, inspired, and satisfied. In short, choose your words wisely.

3. Curb the length of your sentences and paragraphs.

For example, never say in ten words what you can say in five or less (in other words, edit your work to delete all extraneous words, paragraphs, and topics). This tip is important because it makes for effective writing but also because our attention spans are not what they used to be in the 1800s. For ebooks, paragraphs can be a bit longer, but for articles and blog posts, try to keep your paragraphs to about three sentences. However, do break only where it makes sense, so as not to interrupt flow.

4. Watch the total length of your ebook or post.

As I suggested earlier, staying on track will allow your readers to remain focused. Likewise, keeping your ebook an approximate length of 20–40 pages, and your posts or articles shorter, will retain your readers’ attention.

5. Read your writing aloud.

It’s totally amazing how this can make weak areas in your writing much more obvious. In fact, this point is so crucial I’d say it’s probably the most important tip of all. Reading aloud can help determine breaks in flow, pinpoint what needs to come out or what is awkward, and give you an overall impression of how your reader will respond. Once you’re completely satisfied with how your ebook, article, or post sounds, you know you’ve got something good.

Apply these five easy tips and I promise you’ll see not only a great improvement in your writing but also, and most important to your goal, a loyal readership.

Psyche! No, it’s not Tuesday yet. I’ll be posting tomorrow. Until then, here’s Steph with part two in her How To Be Good series! – Deb

Last week we talked about how important it is to be able to edit your own work. The main reason is that good writing attracts dedicated readers. Personally, even if the content is good, I won’t continue to read something if I find the text convoluted, wordy, and/or full of grammatical and spelling mistakes, or if it sounds as though the author thinks too highly of himself. And there are probably readers like me: there are other places we can find the same material. What has to distinguish you from all those others is your accessible and credible writing.

Overwriting
One of the ways to get your audience to read and keep reading is to write shorter sentences and paragraphs. Attention spans aren’t what they used to be, sure, but most importantly, you do not want your medium to detract from your message. As a reader you’ll get a sense of when this is happening. You might think the writing is impressive, but then, what was that idea the writer was trying to convey? You aren’t quite sure, because you were too wrapped up in that incredible vocabulary and the brilliant similes. Contrarily, you might find yourself thinking, “Whoa, the writer is totally trying too hard.”

This kind of writing is generally typical of those new to blogging, particularly if they become overnight sensations, or new to writing in general. It’s a result of what is aptly dubbed overwriting. Defined by Merriam-Webster as writing “in inflated or overly elaborate style,” overwriting happens for several reasons.

Usually, the writer is focused on himself, on being clever and sounding great, rather than on his audience, or else he simply doesn’t know when to reign himself in while writing. Maybe he repeats himself; maybe he uses far too many adjectives because it sounds impressive. Whatever the case, if an author isn’t saying what she wants to say in the most direct and clear way possible, and if she’s not keeping her readers first and foremost in her mind, she stands to lose her audience altogether.

Tips

1. As we mentioned in our last post, step back from your pride in being a writer and put your audience first. Dedicated readers are attracted to authors who don’t let anything get in the way of their message. These writers come across as genuinely concerned about their readers; they are not posting or publishing in anticipation of being told how great their writing is. As soon as you become aware of an author’s ulterior motive in their writing, it spoils the content, doesn’t it? If something seems too purposeful, too forced (you may have noticed this in movies or theatre, too), what is being conveyed is lost. Our attention has been broken.
2. Put away your elementary-school teacher’s advice: you do not need to use all five senses and every adjective and adverb you can think of. Try instead to write like a poet: remove all unnecessary words and choose each word carefully and deliberately to say what you mean. This kind of prose needs no embellishment; simplicity makes it effective. And effectiveness—not flowery writing—creates your audience.
3. Once you’ve taken some time away from your writing and are ready to approach it critically, ask yourself these questions:

• Have I repeated myself anywhere? If so, where can I cut? Why did I repeat myself? Was the first time not effective or clear enough? How can I make the text more direct in order to make myself understood?
• Are all these adjectives and adverbs necessary? Do they help or hinder the reader? If I take this out, will the sentence read better?
• Does anything sound confusing or awkward?
• Do I sound as though I’m trying too hard?
• Am I telling instead of showing?
• Are there any words or sentences or even paragraphs a reader might skip, or is every word essential to the message?
• Am I underestimating my readers’ intelligence?
• Can I ditch these three words and use only one that says the same thing better?
• If there is time, ask someone if they think your writing could be simplified
• Picture a cluttered room. Because of the clutter, there is no focus on any one thing and something of significance may be lost. Our eyes tend to glance over things rather than take them in, in detail. But when that room is purged, or edited, and only the key pieces displayed, each piece has its own adequate space in which to command attention.

Remember, less is more. Why? Because then there’s nothing to distract your reader from your message. Putting yourself and the thrill of writing first only takes away from the reader’s experience, which essentially defeats the purpose of publishing. If you think what you have to say is important, let your reader know by the way you present it.
Next week we talk about five grammar rules that when followed will improve your writing.

Welcome to Special Edition Wednesday! Today’s post is written by a man with a name you’re already familiar with, but don’t worry; there’s no big revelations today. Greg is a Dorchak by blood, and living proof that talent is hereditary. He writes from Texas and a background in writing, producing and acting, make him a prime go-to guy for all the screenwriting advice you could need.

Greg’s advice applies to more than just screenwriting. In it are the basic tools for writing anything.

You’re welcome to try to get him to tell embarrassing stories from Deb’s childhood, but while we’re waiting for those, here’s some of the tidbits of screenwriting wisdom he wanted to share with the Sirius team and friends.

We’re proud to have for this week’s Special Edition Wednesday, writer and actor extraordinaire Greg Dorchak!

We’ve all done it. You go to see a movie and half an hour into the film you’re thinking to yourself, “Holy cow. I can do better than this!” The story has holes in it a mile wide, the dialogue makes you laugh–and not in a good way, the characters are boring, and… isn’t there supposed to be a plot?

To be fair, a lot of those problems can be attributed to many factors. But for the most part, the screenwriter is to blame for a really horrible film–and conversely to credit with a really good one. The reason being that if you start with a really great script, somebody else has to work overtime to screw it up.

Start With a Great Story

Let’s say you tell a friend, “Hey, you’ve got to see SuchandSuch – it’s awesome!” They ask what it’s about, and you say, “X.”

That “X” is the premise, and if that little blurb doesn’t interest your friend, they may not go to see the movie. That “X” is what you have to start with when deciding to write a screenplay. Let me give some examples of X:

• A psychologist tries to help a young boy who claims he can see dead people.
• A group of bachelor partiers wake up in a Las Vegas hotel room with no recollection of the night before.
• A journalist for a major newspaper goes undercover as a high school student to write a story on what a First Kiss feels like.

Now, whether or not any of those particular ideas interest you, these are what the screenwriters first comes up with – the story. This is the most important part of the writing process; the better your story idea, the easier it is to make a great script from it.

Once you have a solid story idea, flesh it out in 4 or 5 five broad strokes:

Story: A psychologist tries to help a young boy who can see dead people.

1. Psychologist, Bob, wins an award for helping children, but loses a patient the same night from neglect, career is ruined
2. A year later, Bob is given case of child, Bill, who claims to see and hear dead people
3. Bob tries to bond with Bill, finds claims are actually true
4. Bob learns Bill’s dark secret, figures out how to help
5. Bill is cured, Bob is redeemed

Once you have this rough outline of your story, then the real fun begins.

Flesh It Out

Flesh out your story by filling in the spaces between your broad strokes with more detailed information. An important thing to keep in mind here is that nothing is written in stone and unchangeable. Your story will start to take on a life of its own, the characters will do things you didn’t expect, and if you have an epiphany for a really cool twist at the end, go with the flow.

Remember–this isn’t going up on the screen yet. This is you putting together a story. More than likely, no one but you will ever read this rough stuff. Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to explore the possibilities.

After you have fleshed out your story and tweaked some of the broad strokes, you will use this fleshed-out outline as a guide when you are actually writing the script, referring back to it as needed.

Write The Script

Okay – you’ve done your outline, the story sounds really good, and you already have some scenes planned out in your head – go ahead and write those first to get you going. Don’t worry about writing out of order – the important thing is to get going, and a blank page can be quite daunting. So write those two or three scenes you see in your head. Write the end first if you want – just get going. All writers write differently, so don’t let this bother you.

As you start, you will probably be doing what I like to call Brain-Dump. This is where you just write and get everything out onto the page. Write what you can each day, and the next day read over what you wrote the day before, and then get into the new material. You can go back and tweak and rewrite later. Just get your story out.

When you’re done writing, put the script aside for a day or two. Don’t think about it; let it sit. When you do come back to it, you’ll do so with a fresh eye and brain, and then you can wade through it and edit as necessary. When you’re done with that edit, believe it or not, you will have what is called a First Draft. You’ll be proud of yourself, and think this is the awesomest thing ever written.

It isn’t. It’s a first draft, and as good as it may be – it can and will be better.

Take that first draft and have some friends read it, listen to their feedback. This doesn’t mean you have to do everything everybody says, but listen to the feedback. Sometimes you will hear the same thing over and over again, like: “the lead should not kill the puppy.” This could be something you want to change; if enough people don’t like it, it might need to come out. Listen to all thoughtful, constructive criticism, it helps you be a better writer.

Some Leftovers

This is all a very, very basic starters article. There is a lot more that goes into screenwriting once you decide to give it a go for real. But it all starts with desire and a good story. Most screenplays will average around 90-120 pages – shorter lengths for comedies, longer for dramas, and scripts tend to run about a minute a page. You can look online to find books and articles and classes, with info on how to properly format, etc.

Another thing you will need to do is find a site that has scripts to read; read as much as you can. Start with scripts of movies you have seen so you can see how a page comes to life. Once you have your script at about a third draft or so, it may be ready to enter into competitions–there are many very good ones. Find them online, submit to one or two and see how you do, maybe get some professional feedback and see where you need to put in more work and where you’re already doing well.

Don’t get discouraged. Write, and don’t judge yourself; let others do that for themselves. You just tell your story.

- Greg

Greg Dorchak is a writer, cartoonist, and actor living in Austin,TX. He was surprised to find another Dorchak in Las Vegas who is completely unrelated to him yet just as talented. He has been writing screenplays for 15 years and has also written and performed sketch comedy with improv troupes over the years. He is now starting to produce his own films, and is writing and illustrating children’s books. See more at www.blueyak.net. By the way, he and Deb are cousins.

But how many of you have read the book? Did you know that there have been two versions published? That Frankenstein’s bride is part of the original story? Did you know that Mary Shelley was nineteen years old when she wrote it?

I kid thee not. Nineteen years old. Wowee, right?

Most of us who grew up writing had plans to be published by the time we were in high school. I’ll admit it. I wanted my first bestseller out by the time I was sixteen. It didn’t happen, but that’s another story.

When I read Frankenstein, I wonder what it is that makes the work so unforgettable. It was a popular novel in its time, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know at least an outline of the Frankenstein story.

So what is it about Frankenstein that makes it worth remembering?

Big Ideas

Shelley was 19 when she wrote it, but the themes that she tackled in the book have hounded scholars for years. She makes the reader question the existence of God, ponder the dangers of science, weigh the essence of life . . . these are Big Ideas!

It’s the ideas that live on when the pages of work have decayed, so be a timeless writer by thinking big thoughts. Ask tough questions. Make your readers think. Be a writer that makes every piece a challenge to the generic work around you. When the questions you ask—or try to answer—make people think, your writing sticks in their memories.

And sticky writing is writing that lasts.

A Foundation of Learning

Of course, the big ideas and important questions that make your writing memorable don’t spring from your forehead fully grown. In order to think big thoughts, you have to cultivate a deep-thinking mind. And that, I’m afraid, is going to require you to have a wider basis of knowledge than what you can gain from your high school textbooks.

Mary Shelley spent most of her younger years reading books written by her parents. She was reading feminist theories at seven! To be a smart writer, you need to be a smart reader. You are what you eat, some say, but I say you are what you read. So read smart!

Culturally Relevant

So far it seems that all you need to do to be a great writer is become your English 101 professor, right?

Wrong!

Education and braininess only goes so far, because writing fulfills its greatest purpose when it’s read. You may be the brightest scholar on Subterranean Arthropods out there, but if no one cares about underground snails, your writing isn’t going to be read.

Mary Shelley was working up the idea for Frankenstein, her older half-sister lived with her, and annoyed Mary endlessly with nightmares.

What was it that made Fanny scream in her sleep? The books she read obsessively. Gothic horror was all the rage.

Sinister was in. Creepy was cool. People wanted to read stories that would make them wet their pants. They wanted to read books that dealt with dark, stormy nights.

Gothic was popular with the public, so it’s what Mary gave them.

I’ve talked to several publishers in my time, and the one thing that I hear over and over is that no matter how good a book is, if no one will buy it, it won’t get printed. The same goes for businesses and services—anything that depends on customer sales must take into account the demands of the masses. We can have the art vs. craft discussion (we can… promise), but at the end of the day, if you write for a living, you need to make sure that your writing keeps you alive.

Now Go, and Make Your Own Monsters!

It takes most people longer to figure out the key elements of timeless writing than it took Mary Shelley. Despair not! You may not be nineteen anymore, but that doesn’t mean you’ve missed your chance to be remembered. It’s never too late to learn how to write undying works.

Speak. Write. Put yourself out there. And see what havoc your creation wreaks upon the world.