The Thinking Writer – Page 4 – Classic Posts About Screenwriting….

The Atlantic Knows Post-Modern Adaptation

If you like literary criticism (and we at TW do), you will love The Atlantic’s column on adapting post-modern literature to film. They make it all so…intelligent.

Nice Guy Eddie

Screenwriter/actor/producer/blah-blah-blah Edwards Burns (“She’s The One”) is “excited to help fans discover my latest screenplay by making it easily available on Kindle”, or so says his publicist in a press release plugging his new film, “Nice Guy Johnny”, which was released today on DVD, Kindle (and its owner, Amazon.com) and his screenplay. That’s three plugs in one press release. Pretty good.

A History of Rejection

Studios began rejecting screenplays as soon as studios existed. Old Hollywood has posted a form screenplay rejection slip from Essany Film Manufacturing from the early 1900s. Back then, apparently they just checked a category – “Not interesting”, “Not our style of story”, “Weak plot”, “Idea Has Been Done Before”, etc. – and sent the damn thing back. What we’d give for a good old straightforward rejection.

New Feature: Regular Comic Strip

Rich Football Player Is Writing One, Too

What wealthy defensive end drives from his Malibu home in a rented Ferrari to take meetings in Los Angeles in his quest to become a working screenwriter/producer? Answer here.

Thirty Grand And A Hand Shake

Screenwriting Award — Photo: David Ortmann @ flickr.com

AMPAS announced the five Nicholl Fellowship winners:
* Destin Daniel Cretton, San Diego, Calif., “Short Term 12”
* Marvin Krueger, North Hollywood, Calif., “And Handled with a Chain”
* Andrew Lanham, Austin, Texas, “The Jumper of Maine”
* Micah Ranum, Beverly Hills, Calif., “A Good Hunter”
* Cinthea Stahl, North Hollywood, Calif., “Identifying Marks”
They beat out 6300 scripts submitted to win the award. Was yours in the pile?

Aaron Likes Improv, But Not With His Scripts

Our favorite uberwriter Aaron Sorkin is still hitting the airwaves hard in support of The Social Network. Here, BBC interviews him about improvisation. He says its great…as long as it’s in someone else’s movie. If you haven’t already O.D.’d on Sorkin, pretty good interview.

Huffpo: Every Writer Should Watch Jersey Shore

Jersey, baby. Jersey. — Photo: dougtone @ flickr.com

Huffington Post blogger and author Deanni Fei gives this earnest discussion of Jersey Shore as great storytelling and recommends it for all writers. From its clear character development, its honest depiction of gender and ethnicity, its use of tension in every moment, to its tightness and efficiency. According to Fei, the story has everything that makes great writing. Wow. Maybe even Jwoww. I had no idea.