Week six in my Drama Writing class, and we are making the transition from stage play writing to screenplay writing. As I have said from the very beginning, we are blessed with two great textbooks, and I am learning a lot not only about scriptwriting, but about novel writing as well. One of the words … More How Spectacular Are You?
“This above all: to thine own self be true.” –William Shakespeare I suffered through the typical teenage years. I was pretty insecure about who I was, and was eager to be accepted into “the inner circle.” And so I was constantly trying to reinvent myself. One week I would go for the cool surfer look … More The Trap of Reinvention
I spent a little time on Twitter this morning. My Reporting class is involved in an in-class writing exercise, which gives me time to play. Once again, as I surf through Twitter, I am amazed and floored at the thousands and thousands of would-be writers all saying the same things and dreaming the same dreams. … More Really, It’s Not the Lottery. Or Is It?
I’ve been enjoying studying the intricacies of writing stage plays with my Drama Writing class. Today we were talking about structure; specifically, the three-act structure. As a novelist, I will have to admit that my view of the three-act structure has been pretty elementary over the years: Act One, get your hero up a tree; … More Revealing Your Moment of Truth
As I mentioned last week, this semester I am teaching a class entitled Drama Writing, which involves entry-level script writing for both stage and screen. Since it has been years since I’ve written a script, I have told students that “we will learn together.” And this isn’t the first time they have heard those words … More What a Novelist Can Learn from a Scriptwriter
One of the most challenging parts of being a professor is also one of the things I like most about teaching. I teach in communication, mostly journalism. There’s a lot of people who think that journalism is dying or dead, but that’s not true. It’s evolving. Trouble is, no one is sure exactly what it’s … More New Stuff
I just finished completing my evaluation of a book by one of my former students. It was, all in all, a very good book. In fact, I hope to see it in print one day. But one of the questions I had at the end is the inevitable “So What? question. Sure it was entertaining. … More What Themes to Be the Problem?
My son, Matthew, was the kind of teenager that most parents dread. Obstinate, short-sighted, rebellious, he was a handful all through his teen years. A friend of mine, who was himself raising three daughters, told me, “I can’t imagine raising a teenage boy. It must be incredibly difficult.” And it did have its challenges, like … More Believing Is Not Enough
One of my students sent me a link yesterday that I have to share with you. I have already posted it on my Facebook page. The link is an 18-minute presentation by a fellow named Simon Sinek about what it takes for companies to succeed, specifically in the area of innovation. Of course, while I … More Passion, Vision and Faith: What Makes It All Work
If you’ve been keeping up with my blog recently, you probably know I was on stay-cation. Stay-cation is my feeble attempt to share a vacation with my wife on a limited (read nonexistent) budget. It wasn’t all stay at home; Monday and Tuesday we were down with my son and his family in Austin. Saturday … More The Adulation of Millions…or at Least Eight
The Great Adventure 