Sorry for a down week

Last week was a mess, had to do with a friend's screenplay, going over her script (or screenplay) I never really know what the words are. I often go through this book above if I get stuck. 

One thing about it is that it gives you some ideas when ideas aren't coming through. Yes, there's all the big books and instructors but this one is clear. This can help you out on certain days, weeks or even losing your mind.

Way long time I didn't even know there were books like this and I learned writing stories that weren't very long. Then I found a screenplay on The Deerhunter on line and when I got it I was holding a real screenplay (or script) and I read it over two times just to make sure I got it right.

It was the screenplay, but something was wrong. In the movie, Robert De Niro was the hero and Christopher Walken was the guy who blasted his head. So what?

Well, in my Deerhunter script it was the opposite. Robert De Niro shot himself  and died.

So what?

Well, one thing was that screenplays can be done over before they actually shoot it. It was an interesting thing, I wondered why. Maybe De Niro didn't want to be the guy who dies.

So... you can change your story around if it looks better. 

Then there's another book I like, Steal This Plot. It's an easy read and gives me a lot of ideas. And don't think it's stealing, it's basically gives you the story in simple things to fix when you get lost somewhere.

These people really makes it simple, and no, I don't know them, but I like what they do. Just honest and intelligent. They use the motivation, things like Vengeance, Love and Hate,  The Chase (I used a lot in my screenplay called The Chase (not the same story) that is going to shoot in France this fall I hope. 

I think I told you about Chase, it will be in French but I know a little bit of the language from high school.

There are 15 ideas to play with, and really it's not stealing either, just some ideas to help you when you get stuck. And you do get stuck. We all get stuck.

Anyway, I do not know the three writers of these two books and I just like to have their books around.

Or you can read Shakespeare. He stole from the Romans. They stole from the Greeks.

It's a hot Sunday up here. Not my fault.