Big News...Newbies! More Video Content Coming!

Hi Newbies,

Several of you have asked me for more video content similar to what I was doing at the beginning of my blog. Screenwriting with the Newbie did start out as a video blog, and those first 6 episodes are my special treasures to show me how far I have come as a screenwriter. I am so glad I documented my learning process in that way and was able to share it with all of you.

I've been continuing to share new things as I have come across them here, however, the format of bi-weekly video blog was a little too time-consuming for me alone. Shooting and editing video content was actually cutting into my writing time, and I had to follow my own rules. So I shaved that time back into my life by ditching the video element of my blog...or at least having it much more infrequently.

But recently, I was approached by a colleague who decided to create a show about independent female filmmakers and she asked me to be apart of the project. So the video diary will resume, with her lovely production team to edit all the footage, which means more video content will be coming to the site!

I can't wait to share episodes of show with you. More details coming soon!

I've Got My First Screenwriting Contract!

So two weeks ago I was approached by my internship coordinator, whose a great Director and taught me everything I know about being an office PA and set PA during my role at his production company. He asked me if I could help him out with a by critiquing his script. I read the script, took some notes and gave him some honest feedback including where I thought there was room for improvement.

From there, he thanked me for feedback and then surprised me saying he didn't have time to rewrite it, and asked me if I was interested in the gig.

I am sure I had a Macaulay Culkin Home Alone, YES moment--complete with dramatic arm victory swinging.

So I maybe seemed a bit over eager at that moment. I tried to real it back in with one of those understated professional statements...circa " I would be delighted to take part in this project".

But my joy was apparent and I think that actually may not be a bad thing at all. What's so bad about being passionate and excited about doing work that you love?

From there there were some steps to finalize. Newbies receiving an offer is not the end. I had to send him some writing samples ( which makes me so glad I did a feature and a spec ready), which my offer was contingent upon. Then there was a small bit of official paperwork to do concerning payment, timelines etc. 

I am excited to announce I have receive my first screenwriting contract. I am doing a re-write for a children's action adventure film. This is my first official week and I could not be happier and for my very first contract I would say I didn't do too bad.  

Being open, prepared and excited as well as staying keyed in with your network can lead to great results newbies. That is a lesson I have learned for sure over the last two weeks.

#KeepWriting

-DW

My Father Retired.... Which Means I Can Too

Putting an event together can be a massive feat! I am so happy I am done with the party. It was a great event and he really enjoyed it. My mother, sister and I transformed my parent's home into an island paradise complete with Jamaican Rasta rappers and a Hawaiin Hula Dancer.

Check out the video to be amazed and awed by the characters that make up the story of my life. After this experience, I think I am going to have to base a story off some true life characters in my everyday world.



Now that the party is done, the pictures and videos have been posted and the rentals returned, I have more time to write and I am so happy about that too. I took my own advice and carved out some writing time, even in the midst of a busy season in my life. I do have a little announcement: Minority Repore ( The Girls meets Girlfriends Project)  pilot is complete!



# KeepWriting





-DW

Today's Pep Talk for the Newbie Writer

Don't fall into the trap.  Don't so bogged down in the training, trying to massage your ego to get ready to write. Just write.

All right on the count of three pick up your typewriter, computer, or good old fashioned pen and notepad. One....two....three....WRITE!

#KeepWriting


- DW

Headshots Not Just for the Actors...

So I can't talk about what I am writing but I will talk about what else I am working on.... ramping up my personal brand.

Personal branding is key in the creative community. A head shot can create a personal ties through cyber space, distance and time. Since I am on the East Coast trying to get into a predominantly West Coast business this is especially key for me. While I have done a few head shots of myself using the timer function on my lovely Canon Rebel, I haven't yet had the experience of getting my photo taken where I receive instructions from a professional to help present me in the best possible light
(---double meaning intended). But I shall this weekend!

I can't believe I am just now about to get this done. Have I ever mentioned to you that I also own DWPV, a freelance creative brand focused on design, writing, photography, and video.  I am in the middle of a brand relaunch but customers are responding well to the new logos and focused mission. The website will be the next generation. I carefully designed my logo for that, because I knew it would be apart of my personal brand, just as my scripts are apart of my brand.  But all brands need a face too!

According to William Arruda, you should focus on the volume, relevance, purity, diversity, and validity of your brand. He refers to it as reputation, but I am a creative so I know better.


The shy girl inside of me often doesn't want to step out into center stage. I would prefer to stay behind the camera...which should be obvious as I have not posted a video blog message in months. There is a safety in being in the background with the camera in your hand, where as there is a vulnerability when your on the other side of the camera and your picture is taken.

Every freckle, scar or extra pound seems to stick out like a sore thumb to me every time in the past for graduations, family photos,  or networking events  so I got by with getting in the group pics.  It may be a side effect of looking at perfectly airbrushed images all day in movie posters and THR.

Headshots are coming my way. Who knows, a video presentation or self bio may be next. That would be a way to take this one step forward.

So does anyone have a recommendation for me in the Atlanta area for a place to get a killer headshot?

The Struggle is Never Ending

Dear Newbies,


I fell victim to the nothingness. I drowned faster than Bastian in the Never Ending Story into the depths of languid, luxurious moments couch potatodom. It felt so good to do nothing.  It was the highlight of my day...to return home from work after 8 hours at a desk, then sitting in 1+ hours of Atlanta traffic, to come home and do absolutely nothing! I even had a daily routine for it.  I would peel off the day, literally and figuratively, by changing into some long-awaited, sincerely anticipated sweat pants. This was followed by stuffing my face, then relaxing on the sofa while web surfing until it was time to go to bed. I loved it so much.  I still do. Being a couch potato felt so good.

But all good things must come to an end. Why? I felt like my original ambitions, were slipping further and further away. I don't want a pile of unfinished works. It is now beyond want, it is a need. My words need to be given life on the screen. I have to finish a script.  If I want to be a screenwriter, rule number one is to keep writing.

I know it. I preach it. I believe it.

Even with all the tutorials, tips, and best practices I have found to make the screenwriting process easier, it still goes to show that this process is a beast. Eventually, it leaves its mark. I fell victim to it and maybe this is the first of many times I struggle with this...maybe not. All I know is that I will always come back to writing, no matter what. That is my never-ending story.

What separates the true screenwriters and the want-to-be ones is the ability to get back on the horse or in this case, resurrect it.

So here I am admitting my short-comings and learning from them. Just like Bastian, it took a friend to help me dig myself out of woe-some routine. Thanks for being my Atrayu, @BellaWrites1.

Below I have included the encouraging video she sent me of Ava Duvernay that really got me moving forward again.  I hope it inspires you too.


#KeepWriting

-DW

All the Writing Before You Write....

So I have gotten advice from various sources on the pre-writing phase and everyone recognizes that you have to do something.  From alternate blogs, to screenwriting books, to Screencraft tweets to Film Courage videos....the verdict is all the same. Don't just start writing on a page. If you do, you will eventually go mad when your story goes awry.

For Blake Snyder's Cat People, it is all about a beat sheet that gets flushed out further in the form of a board full of notecards separated by your act breaks. Upon being placed in order on notecard, the story begins to take shape on the page.

For the Syd Field field-of-workbook dreamers, it is all about paradigm and structure. This camp of thought is also based on the Act breaks of old English theatre. But it focuses on the paradigm models at its core before the writing takes place.

What are some core parts in your process for creating a script? Do you like Blake, Syd or someone elses pre-writing process best?

Sorry for the Wait Newbies

This is one of the 10 videos I made for the #Sources2015 social campaign for the Source of Urban Educational Conference. Try to say that 3 times fast! 

...which is a video series I completed for GSU aka my 'day job'. They kept me occupied the last 2 weekends which is why my video post are delayed.  No complaints. It was fun and it was great to flex my directorial and editing skills.

Just wish I didn't leave my newbies hanging! Hopefully you took the time to do something constructive like, make some Beat Sheets and read some scripts.

I  promise I have not forgot about you or Lazarus or Minority Rapport. What is Minority Rapport you ask?  That is what I am calling my episodic narrative series project.

New video coming this weekend.

More #Sources2015 videos below if you are interested in learning more about the conference.


https://vimeo.com/127176275
https://vimeo.com/127176275
https://vimeo.com/127205994
https://vimeo.com/127221174

#KeepWriting

- DW

I AM IN FULL WRITING MODE

Hi Newbies,


Just wanted to check in with you and let you know I did not fall off the face of the planet. I have one week left of my screenwriting workshop left at Chez Studios and I am trying to write my little fingers to the bone before our last class so I have something to present. This 6-week workshop is brutal. Especially since the first 3-weeks are development!

I have a newfound respect for people who can write a feature script in 6 weeks. I only have to write one half hour comedy pilot episode.


#KeepWriting

- C. Danielle Wilcox

Lazarus Has Not Risen

Lazarus Has Not Risen...but He Ain't Dead Either!

Oh my gosh, I am so upset. I thought I was nearly done with my screenplay for Lazarus and when I printed it to do a read through I got all excited because last week when I checked it and it was around 85 pages. I did some revisions on my computer and it dropped down to 75 pages. I wanted to print it off to make editing it easier after my initial read through. I quickly scanned through the settings and realized that my pages had shrunk down to meek 49 pages. I am missing 25 pages worth of work.

I can't believe it! I am literally crushed right now. I just knew I was nearly done. I'm dumbfounded. I am reading the script again right now to see if in fact some pages mysteriously dropped out during the saving process or was the program giving me false hope in the print preview. It is possible I bumped one of the settings last week to make the script longer by accident, such as the skip a page between scenes function or choosing how many lines to skip between each scene, but I just can't say anything for sure right now.

 I did have an issue with saving last week. My internet connection kept timing out so the script kept saying it could not save, so I never shut down the program to keep my writing active. It is possible that is where the pages mysteriously disappeared to.

Lessons Learned:

1) When using Celtx check the word count to gauge your progress. Don't get excited until you have 2000+ words if you are writing a feature screenplay.

2) When you get ready print, make sure to check the settings to make sure everything looks right. I have used this program several times before when completing my shorts for school and have never encountered any problems before.

3) Save from cloud based screenwriting sites, by copying and pasting your work in Microsoft Word, when you suspect a system issue or a slow internet connection. Though once saved, they are saved for the life of your account, sometime the problem may be locking the information initially into your cloud.

The Silver Lining: 

 I have a full story within the 49 pages. Some parts are bare bones but the story is there. I can see what needs to be developed and what is spot on. I think my A story could use a little more development, the B story is very strongly developed. My A story is more sci-fi thriller, while the B story is a love story.

For those of you who have never watched my video blog, Lazarus is a sci-fi thriller centering around a widowed scientist who aims to finish her husband's research to expand the human life cycle, but the results of the Lazarus project turn deadly when a young mysterious boy enters her life.

I am going back to my index cards to see what happened. You may enter a set-back of your own so remember to just keep writing when the inevitable hiccup happens to you.

#KeepWriting



-DW

Must Use Tool Kit for Screenwriters

Here are all of tools that should be in your arsenal as a screenwriter:

1) Screenwriting Software
2) Index Cards
3) Organizational Board
4) External Hard Drive ( back it up)
5) Cloud Based Storage Drive ( double back it up)
6)  2 Inch Brass Screenplay Fasteners
7) Support Group ( screenwriter blogs like this one, family, Meet-Ups and community groups)


#KeepWriting

-DW

My Favorite Playlist for Writing: The Smooth Life MIx

Do you ever need some extra motivation to keep you writing? Maybe you are feeling sleepy? Distracted? Down in the dumps?

Try some music!

The mellow yet complex playlist below boast electro-beats and subtle soothing lyricist create a cocoon of creativity that envelops you in. I listen to this thing like four hours straight when writing. I hope you enjoy it. Is there any particular song or playlist that keeps you in the writing zone? Shoot it over, and you may see your track on the playlist!


"The Smooth Life Mix" is private on SoundCloud so you must have the link to access it.  I hope you enjoy it!

https://soundcloud.com/c-danielle-wilcox/sets/the-smooth-life-mix/s-dhlZV

Twitter, a Newbie Screenwriter's Best Friend: Check out the Top 25 Accounts to Follow

Twitter, a Newbie Screenwriter's Best Friend: Check out the Top 25 Accounts to Follow

I mentioned twitter in my last vlog video " Screenwriters Unite" and I wanted to expand upon it.  I cam upon this great list as a result of one of the accounts I follow on twitter.

Check out this list of the Top 25 Accounts for Screenwriters that +ScreenCraft posted. A lot of the resources I mentioned in the video made the list but there are even more resources than I could have imagined across the internet. What other resources from twitter would you add to the list?

I will keep posting them on the blog. Don't forget to follow me @danie11ewi1cox and the full 25 Accounts is in the link below:


http://screencraft.org/2013/10/24/top-25-twitter-accounts-screenwriters-follow/

Screenwriting With The Newbie Ep.3: Compelling Characters

The newest episode of #SWTN is available now! Check in with me and my journey as I create my first feature film.  Plus, pick up tips on how to start your brand new adventure in writing for film.



Share your thoughts, comments, and feedback with me as well. This is a discussion. I want to hear back from you. What is your favorite part of #SWTN Ep.3?



Some notes I took from this episode....



I think I am learning to be more comfortable as a public speaker and learning to be more comfortable in front of the camera. This is good because if I do end up having scripts sold, or movies made, then I will have to do my fair share of interviews so not only has vlogging become an extension in my writing process but it has also become an exercise in oration.