This week on other screenwriters' blogs...

"One of the most important talents a screenwriter can have is the ability to see a situation from every character's point of view - to make the decisions your character would make. These skills can be put to use on the business side by putting ourselves in the shoes of the potential buyers for our screenplays. If we can imagine what it's like to be the villain of our script, it shouldn't be all that difficult to imagine ourselves as a motion picture producer".

This brilliant quote is taken from Bill Martell's ScriptSecrets. Bill talks about the problems of the rich; when you get a producer's interest, and he just want you to change some things in the script. Making your character suitable for marketing as a doll, for example. The characters I love most, I wouldn't want to have any doll in their shape. Maybe only Craig from "Being John Malkovich". Yes, he would make a great doll!

John August tells us how to write those hard-to-write scenes. Since i now start to write the first draft of my script, I found his tips really usefull. What do you ask yourself about the scene you're about to write. Helpful screenwriting tips.

The above picture was taken by my good friend Sharon Casson during her short trip to NYC. I soon need to start prepare the material for my MFA applications. I'm slightly nervous about this. The chances are so low, at the NYU-USC-UCLA prestige programs. It feels weird, I was always accepted to anywhere I went. I guess I should focus on my writings than my fears.

I just posted my first 10 pages to the course at UCLA Extension. I'm very curious about the responses. I should also read what others have posted and write comments.

Dissolving into the first act: 10 first pages

Still on the UCLA Extension course. Actually I take two courses now, and it's a tough job. They both demand a lot, much more than what I do for my classes at tel Aviv University. They don't spoil you in those online courses. I guess they say that as long as they save you the travel, they can give you some extra work. Maybe they have a point.

It's great, now I have to write the first 10 pages of my script. It's great cos whenever I scratch my head for the next scene on my outline, I remember that writing the actual script comes easier to me. It's not very efficient, cos I can end up writing 15 pages of script only to find out that except to one scene they are all trash, but the important part is that it's like brain food, it makes me more comfortable with my characters, let them breath a bit.

it's an assosiative process and it works great for me. It's not the real writing of the script, it's more like trying scenes, let my finger go with the story (i type with 1-2 fingers, but still fast).

For the other course I need to write a coverage on "Dave" and on "Benny and Joon". I haven't started yet, I hope it will be easy, as I don't think I should be spending too much time on it. Teacher told us it shouldn't take more than 2-3 hours all together (after reading the script).

besides all that, the next semester starts next week. I'm already 6-month pregnant, so I hope it won't be too hard for me to stay in school for 8-10 hours. God, it sounds hard. I had to come up with an idea for a film and a tv series. I started working on it. I must say, writing in Hebrew comes much easier for me.

I can't wait for my courses to begin (besides my fear of being too pregnant to enjoy them) - I have 2 courses about Japanese films, 2 courses about film and philosophy, and 6 courses in scriptwriting. I'm real happy, I must learn time mngmnt better though..

My 100th post - mind writing from bed

The above polaroid is taken from a designer's website, squidfingers he's called (or Travis). I love his patterns, I use it sometimes when I build sites, and I wish I could use them for my floors. Don't you feel like the gap between the cyber world and the real world is sometimes just too great? If I could use google to find my keys every morning. Or use my finger to pick a color from my room for photoshop (i guess that this is actually a thing that can be done now, with a special pen scanner or something).

I'm on my vacation now, lots of graphic and programming and much less writing. I think I needed this break to return with a fresh mind. Scriptwriting needs to be done with a fresh mind. I already have some new ideas for my script. It's not going to be a linear story, but I guess this I already knew.