I used to own this book as a paperback and it was a beast to carry around. I have a good friend Jean, who was just breaking into screen writing about the same time I started The Spiritual Warriors. I gave it to him as a gift thinking “Why would i need a book on screen writing when I’m going to write novels?” I have learned a bit since then.
Screenwriters hone their craft BEFORE they begin getting into their field. Unlike many of us writers who prefer to accumulate stacks of rejection letters as some kind of badge of honor. I never enjoyed rejection letters and I got a few before going the indie author/ authorpreneur route. I did however learn some things. I needed to get better- much better, I needed an editor and I needed to get serious about honing my skills and learning my craft before putting my books out there.
So here I am coming back full circle with this book almost four years and five books later. This time I picked it up as a kindle read (much easier to carry around). I have also learned to view film as condensed labs for my writing. Yes in some cases it has ruined movie viewing for me on so many levels. While others are just enjoying the film I’m thinking to myself “Is that the inciting incident?” “That was a great opening hook!” or “That could have been better used later in the story.” “That was definitely third act material, too early.”
The transformation of my movie going experience aside, reading about screenwriting has strengthened my writing and I recommend picking up this book or Syd Field’s Screenplay as a view into a different type of writing that can strengthen your novel writing.
However if there is only one book you can get on screenwriting and more importantly storytelling, since we are all at our cores storytellers- Get Robert McKee’s book, Story. You wont regret it.
Let me know what you think? Did you get it? Do you own it? What are your thoughts on this book? Do you have other suggestions besides this one? Drop me a line in the comments below! I enjoy hearing from you.
To the untrained eye these hands looked wrecked. They certainly aren’t appealing or attractive. however if you practice a striking art, you would recognize these hands as lethal. These hands belong to Morio Higaonna who is currently a 10th Dan in Goju Ryu, one of the styles the art I practice derives from. I have seen videos of Higaonna Sensei practice his art and it still fills me with awe. He is now in his seventies and still trains. One of the videos I saw had him being interviewed and he said something which resonated deeply with me. He said that only now was he beginning to understand the depth of his training and that it was now that he was seeing the deeper aspect of Karate.(my paraphrasing) This is after 60 years of training.
This spoke to me as a person who has been training for less than half that time that it all comes down to staying on the path.Whether it is karate or writing or anything else in your life that requires excellence. This was brought home to me recently when one of my students, an advanced green belt(which in our school represents five years of training) shared that she was thinking of stopping her training. She is nine years old and quite fierce.
So we sat down and had a conversation as to why she wanted to stop her training. Her initial response was that it wasn’t “fun” anymore, which I understood. She has entered the phase of her training where more work is required and more is expected of her. There are less moments of “fun” and more moments of work and rigor. I told her I would respect any choice she made provided that she gave it some real thought and not just give me a quick answer. I requested that she go home and think it over and give me a list of pros and cons and whatever decision she made I would honor it.
She went home and gave it some serious thought I am told by her parents.
Here is her list written by her without any help:
Today I will be listing and telling you why the reasons I want to stay and not stay:
Pros:
I have made lots of friends at karate and I don’t want to leave them.
The karate staff and dojo has become part of my family.
If I leave now all my hard work will disappear.
If I quit now what if later I need to defend myself.
Karate grew into my heart.
Once I quit it I might miss it.
Cons:
I don’t exactly love kumite because I always get hit in the stomach at am out of air.
Karate isn’t always fun all the time like in class on Sunday.
When I read this list I was humbled. Keep in mind that this is a nine year old sharing these profound statements. It made me reflect on my own years of training.
There have been many moments that were not “fun”. But like this student my karate family has grown exponentially. More importantly, like her I know the importance of training. If we neglect our training or stop, all our hard work will disappear. Karate, our training, is no longer something we do. It is part of who we are. It defines and shapes us. If we remain on this path we will see, like those who came before us, that our training and our lives can only benefit.
As for her cons, I agree. Very few people “love” kumite. The day will come when you will get hit in the stomach and you wont be out of air. I can assure you. And yes karate isn’t always fun, but it is always good for you. Stay on the path, I look forward to tying a black belt around your waist one day and then speaking to your students about their instructor.
Many of my readers have been requesting this book. Its coming, I promise in mid to late June. However the request has been so strong that I decided to give you all the first chapter.
Let me know what you think, enjoy.
CHAPTER ONE
Her little legs pumped as fast they could. She ran faster than any child should have been able to. Her simple dress was torn and soiled from running through the undergrowth of the forest. Her hair was loose and trailed behind her, whipping about as she turned in sudden changes of direction. Around her neck a heavy steel collar dug into her skin, leaving red welts and as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked back several times, pausing as if listening to something on the wind. Then she would take off again at a dead run. She could hear them—they were getting closer. She crossed a small river, slid down a ravine and took off running as fast as she could, fear etched on her features.
Twenty seconds later, two figures appeared at the river.
“How did she get free, Hin?” said the first. He crouched down and touched the soil, lifting a pinch of it to his lips and tasting it. Nodding with satisfaction, he looked in the direction the little girl had run. They were dressed in black, tight-fitting gear. They wore masks that covered their faces, leaving only their eyes visible. Strapped to their thighs were short swords in their sheaths.
“I don’t know, Fen,” said Hin. “What I do know is that we have to get her back. Dead or alive.”
Yesterday my wife and I took the little ones to the Cloisters. I have to confess that even though I am a native new yorker, I have never been to the Cloisters, although I knew of its existence. Sitting atop Fort Tryon park the first impression you get when you approach the building is that of entering a castle( even though it is modeled after a monastery). Crossing the cobblestone driveway gives you the illusion of entering into another era. The fact that its tucked away in a park and surrounded by trees adds to this otherworldly feel. Continue reading Storming the castle→
I first met Terry in 2005. I had never heard of him before and myamazing future wife told me I had to absolutely read him. We shared a common taste in books and I wasn’t reading anything at the time so I said sure. What could be wrong with wizards and fantasy? This is my kind of book. The stuff of my childhood i was familiar with. I was in for a rude surprise.
Here was a writer who took the usual tropes and turned them on their head. In a fresh and creative way Terry gently shoved me into Discworld. I met characters I could relate to. Characters who were flawed but didn’t give up. Terry and I became fast friends. After going through my wife’s collection I hit my local bookstore and discovered that my new friend Terry had written a few more books. Over 40 more books. Terry and I were going to be amazing friends. Over the next few weeks I bought and read all of his books( this was PK-pre kindle). I had not started writing my own books yet. The idea was still far away, too large, I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Then I met Terry. Out of all my influences(and there are many) Terry looms as one of the largest because when I thought the concept of writing was too difficult, here was a writer showing me that it could be done in an intelligent, humorous and prolific way.
I cant say when it happened exactly. I know it was early 2010 when I finally chose to put words on paper. It had always been an aspiration. I do know that when I started I had two people next to me my wife and Terry. My wife( who was my first editor and transcriber) was the catalyst that spurred me in her special way. She would ask me questions or create a conversation about my writing, which back in those days I treated like a deep profound secret. She would say things like:: ” Did you write today?” or “Oh that part is great!” The words every beginning writer needs to hear, words of support and encouragement. Terry spoke to me in another way. “Did you do your research? That sentence can be tighter. That character needs to arc differently. That isn’t funny, cut it. Stop trying so hard and let it flow.”
I took my first steps in my life as a writer and haven’t looked back since. I realized something now several books later. Our words have power. I can reach countless people through my books. Writers and artists shape and influence our world and lives. I knew this on a deep level. I knew that the written word has shaped civilization since its inception, but it was something more. I now experienced it. I had people telling me that my book changed their lives. That my words impacted their life. The same way Terry’s words impacted mine.
So I wanted to take this moment to say thank you Terry. Thank you for being who you were. Thank you for taking the risk and sharing your amazing imagination with the world, with me. Thank you for showing me what was and is possible if I dared. I never met Terry personally, but through his books he and I shared many great afternoons laughing and reflecting on the state(and hilarity) of this thing we call life.
If you are reading this and wondering if you should embark on a creative pursuit, whether its writing or painting or anything that calls to you-stop aspiring and do it . Stop dreaming about it and take the first step, then another followed by another. I can say with certainty that your life will be transformed.
I enjoy hearing from you! Who was your inspiration? What got you started? Or why haven’t you started?
I recently finished Martin Crosbie’s book on marketing an eBook. In an effort to share the tools and knowledge I acquire I suggest you read this book. Its full of insight and practical steps you can take to get your book out there. Martin writes in a clear and concise style and provides real direction for those of us new to the self-publishing world. It may contain some things you know, but I guarantee it will have tools and methods you can use. In the near future I will be adding an Author Tools tab to the page to provide links and sites you can use to help you get your book out there and to find other writers you can join.
In fact my first book (The Spiritual Warriors was almost entirely written in the starbux my neighborhood. What I have realized with my insane schedule is that its not ideal to have only ONE place to write. for starters it sets me up to skip writing on those days when I dont “FEEL” like writing (another subject altogether). It gives me an out if I cant get to starbux to write. So I have decided to embark on a different writing journey for my second book which is now almost two thirds done. I call it guerrilla writing, which I’m sure is not a new nor solely mine.
Basically what it means is that I will begin to steal snatches of time and write wherever possible. The fact that I write longhand makes this ideal, but I’m certain if you have a laptop it can work as well. It means not buying into the whole ” I must write ten pages today or I have failed!” mentality and write snippets. A paragraph, two sentences even a very awesome word furthers your writing along by that much more.
I suggest this to all writers out there. This is not to say that your method doesn’t work. We all write differently, I am suggesting taking this up to see if it can make you freer about your writing, something like the difference between writing being a monolithic and ponderous THING that must be carried out in a set way and writing becoming mobile, nimble and free, happening wherever you may be. I will let you know how my own journey goes.
Fast forward three years and I no longer write longhand, even though I still think it’s a great way to write. However forcing anyone to edit my handwriting is a crime punishable by flogging. Now I walk around with a moleskine in my back-pocket everywhere I go to capture the story ideas that occur at the most inopportune moments. I have realized three years and six stories later that Guerrilla Writing is not a new or unique approach to writing. Every writer does it to some degree, some more effectively than others.
I was discussing this with some friends and family recently. They asked me when did i have time to write. I gave it some thought and came to this realization: I never have time to write. I have however become very good at stealing time from my days.
You have all heard it before. Writing is difficult. Writing is a long haul, its a marathon not a sprint. This is all true. There are days when you will question your sanity (what little you have remaining). There is a way around this. It doesn’t make it easier and it doesn’t shorten the time, but it gives the illusion of being easier and faster. This works especially well for those who believe in writers block. I don’t particularly, but that’s a topic for another post.
The method i suggest is what I all guerilla writing and much like guerrilla warfare where a small group of fighters take on a larger group using irregular tactics and strategies like hit and runs, ambushes and mobility. You can approach your writing the same way. Instead of trying to block out several hours to write, sit down and write for ten minutes and only ten minutes. Carry a notebook with you and jot down ideas or parts of your story like a hit and run. Carrying the notebook (or any other idea capturing device) is an example of mobility.
Many of the times when we say we don’t have time to write it is because we have made writing something exotic and special. Rid yourself of that notion. Make it plain. Make it everyday. Make it your new normal. When you do this you will find that it frees up your writing and the ideas generated. I especially suggest the small notebook. Before carrying one I was that deranged writer looking for a pen and a napkin to write my next great idea on. Now I swear by my moleskine notebook because they are impervious to almost anything and are stylish in the process. Plus when I’m writing in mine it feels almost scholarly and reminds me of my days in grade school.
We are all given the same 24 hours in a day. What you do with them makes all the difference.
