The View Up Here

It's been a momentous month, August has. Here are the highlights: I am now the Assistant to the Director at Ithaca College's L.A. Program , as of this week. This came out of the blue; a couple weeks ago I received a call from the ICLA program's Chair (a good friend of mine through teaching screenwriting at I.C.). They needed a long-term temporary Assistant to start ASAP, as theirs had accepted a job teaching first grade and would be leaving just as classes start up this semester. I jumped at the opportunity, because:   a) I know everyone there b) the work isn't tough but it also isn't boring c) I get to be around students and assist them in various ways d) it's 10 minutes from my apartment, and I don't even need to think about a freeway, e) I feel like I'm still part of the Ithaca College family. And there are bounteous perks to this job, which make it even more lovely. They will have to open a formal search to fill the position permanently, which I ...

Last night I attended a wonderfully inspiring event at the Writers Guild Theater: Beyond Words - A panel discussion with WGA and Oscar-nominated screenwriters, sponsored by The Writers Guild Foundation , the Writers Guild of America, West , and Variety. I went courtesy of Ithaca College's Pendleton Center (they take good care of me). I took notes - though I didn't see many students taking notes - this is because I've still got a grad student alive and well somewhere in my head. Here are some of the gold nuggets from the panelists: Tate Taylor - (The Help) - Write it long and cut it. Be fearless to write everything, then cut and slash later. "Don't be afraid to take a crap on your computer." (That got a lot of laughs.) You'll figure out what you were going for after the first draft is done. Don't over-think it while you're writing it. Stan Chervin - (Moneyball) - Get your pitch to two sentences so that anyone can see your movie immediately. Aa...

On January 5th, I'm headed back to L.A. to make dreams come true and further refine my driving skills. I spent two glorious weeks there, couch surfing, doing as much as possible, taking meetings, connecting with fellow R.I.T. SOFA alums, hanging out with Ithaca College's L.A. Pendleton program, hiking up to the Hollywood sign, lounging on Zuma beach, and yes, drinking mai tais in a tiki bar. Folks, I cannot describe the feeling (and I call myself a writer). A sense of belonging as I've never felt it before, at least since my childhood home. A feeling of well-being, of potential, of creative drive and inspiration. I spent a morning on the Warner Bros. lot, and I was moved to tears several times, knowing in the depth of my being that I needed to be a part of that world. I spent an evening at Disney Animation with my new friend TL, who is one of those soul sisters I will treasure throughout my life. There, at Disney, I saw people who engaged in their creative work, and t...

Today’s my fifth day in L.A.. I’ve spent most of my time going back and forth along 134 between Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Burbank and Glendale. The Steves at Ithaca College’s L.A. center were instrumental in helping me feel at home here, as have been Kristen Elizabeth and Katy Whiskey, both former students of mine who are living the dream here. I’ve also made a new friend, a project manager at Disney Animation Studios, who, as it turns out, is a fellow nerd girl, and a talented Shakespearean actor. She invited me to see the end-of-summer show for the Disney Animation employees’ arts classes, which were part of their professional development – only instead of taking a class to improve the skills they already used, they were encouraged to take something that was outside their comfort area. There was sculpture, digital photography, water color, creative writing, and five monologues from Shakespeare. My new friend played Viola from Twelfth Night (my favorite of the comedies I’ve seen or...

Hey y'all. I'm in L.A. right now, and I promise to write about that soon, but first I want to express my thoughts about the Rod Serling Conference at Ithaca College held Sept. 9-10, for which I served as Academic Coordinator. The week leading up to the conference was a bit nutty, as you'd expect, made even nuttier by the fact that the Northeast had just been slammed by a tropical storm (I forget who) that left flooding, evacuations, power outtages and destruction in its wake. Thankfully, the Ithaca, NY area was spared, but many of our attendees and presenters had to carefully pick their routes among roadways and airports not underwater. A few people did have to back out at the last minute, which was very unfortunate. Still, we were ready to go Friday morning, and as if to honor the mood of the Twilight Zone, the fog was intense and didn't let up until close to noon. Our presenters were wonderful, and the overall quality of work presented was by far the most academic o...

The semester, at long last, is finally concluded, and with it, much of my stress. Even the incessant rain and gray skies aren't going to get my kite string in a knot. No, instead, I relish in the freedom of mind, body and spirit that comes with that glorious period between end of Spring semester and beginning of Summer Session. Next week, I will be visiting The Land Where I Was Birthed and celebrating my great-nephew Aidan's first birthday with my family. Over the summer, I have plans, many plans, which include, but are not limited to: Teaching for Cornell's summer college Working on the Space: 1999 novel (thanks to Bill, my editor at Powys Media, for being so patient) Polishing two scripts with my writing group Getting a rough cut done of my doc on life as an EFL teacher in Korea Working on the Rod Serling Conference for Ithaca College Volunteering with The Ithaca League of Women Rollers as their Penalty Box Manager Lookin' for a jrrb I have a clip coming out later...

I am honored to be the Academic Coordinator of The Rod Serling Conference for this year. If you are interested in submitting a presentation proposal, please read on: “The Rod Serling Conference,” an interdisciplinary academic conference dedicated to the lasting works of Rod Serling, will be held at the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College, Sept. 9-10, 2011. Explore that unique “dimension of imagination” that was the creative work, teaching, and public conscience of Rod Serling where he taught from 1967 – 1975. Submit papers and presentations by APRIL 1, 2011 to the Rod Serling Conference Committee at serling@ithaca.edu. Include an abstract (max 250 words), A/V needs, short biography of presenter(s) with daytime phone number, mailing address, and e-mail address. More info at: http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/serling/

I've been working on a new screenplay, and this time I started with a step outline instead of a time-line. The difference is astounding - and I'm finding that this tool more than any other is made for me. The irony here is that all of our advanced screenwriting students at Ithaca College are required to do this as part of their writing process, but I'd never done it myself until now. I'd always eschewed it as a waste of time when I could be writing, but I now know that writing a step outline IS writing. Oh, this is like discovering a new country and planting a flag or something. Appropriately enough, I've found lately that the step by step approach to my entire life is a much easier, stress-free way of setting and meeting goals. I am feeling energized and excited about the momentum this year. In the words of Apolo Anton Ohno, who I've come to admire for his spirit, commitment and positive focus, "No regrets!"

This year I was honored to be a judge and to help lead the conference session for the Rod Serling Scriptwriting Competition at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. Rod Serling, creator of The Twilight Zone and Night Gallery, among other award-winning screenplays, was a professor for the Park School at Ithaca College. His collection of papers resides in the Rod Serling Archives at Ithaca College. The Serling Conference was held March 28-29. One of the most valuable sessions for me, personally, was a screening of the collection of Serling's mini-seminars on writing (and, inadvertently, the teaching of writing). Below is a photo snapped during the dinner on Saturday, with an image of Serling during one of those seminars. The genre he created with the Twilight Zone certainly influenced my imagination growing up, and has informed my writing. Now after my involvement with the conference, I am even more inspired by the man and his vision, creativity, and independent spirit. For more about the Con...