Screenwriting/Scriptwriting in Chicago

ChicagoWriter Books has titles that cover book publishers, magazine publishers, multicultural publishers, young writers, professional writers, writing in the not-for-profit market, the zine scene--and now, the screen scene with the release of A Guide to Chicago's Screen Scene & Scriptwriting Market.

Think you need to head to LA to write scripts for a living? Forget about it!

Sure, they produce blockbuster action movies in California, but if you have a facility for dialogue and a knack for describing scenes in visual terms, Chicago’s screen scene can keep you busy full time!

Hundreds of theatres, ad agencies, and marketing communications companies routinely hire writers and buy scripts. They service corporations, associations, and educational institutions locally and around the globe. Specialize in a segment or write across the board and script writing success can be yours!

A Guide to Chicago’s Screen Scene & Scriptwriting Market lists names, contact information, and representative markets and specialties. Also included is information on professional organizations, staffing firms, industry publications, scriptwriting software, and local training opportunities.

No need to pick up and move to make your move in movies. Let A Guide to Chicago’s Screen Scene direct your career to screenwriting success.

Find out more at ChicagoWriter.com.

Art Challenge March Results

This challenge was more about the process than the results. I say that because I'm not especially thrilled with the outcome--and I want to believe that I gained something from my endeavors.

March's Theme was "Favorite Tales."
I started with a sheet of Yupo. That's the new polypropylene support created for water color techniques. I sponged thinned watercolor on to give the page four distinct backgrounds.

I then brushed on two coats of Golden's Digital Ground for Nonporous Surfaces. Using MS Publisher, I formatted four 4x4 text boxes with the first paragraphs of four of my favorite books. I ran the Yupo through the inkjet to print the text on the painted background. I then finished off with a coat of glossy gel topcoat. Note here that even allowing for 24 hours drying time, the ink still blurred a bit when I attempted to apply acrylic on top of the gel topcoat. I think Yupo was not the ideal surface to use with this technique.

Once all painted media dried, I collaged paper and found items, punched holes, and added ribbon. Once gel medium was added to the surface to tack down the collage items, the Yupo began to curl. (This is pretty expensive paper to be so tempermental.)

Finishing the challenge, I mounted the Yupo to matboard. No wet glues adhered--even those boasting plastic, wood, and metal staying power. The only adhesive that took on the first try was a good old glue stick. A frustrating process, but a finished challenge nevertheless.

And speaking of Favorite Tails, Darcy wasn't impressed with the challenge results either, but is always available for a photo op. (His brother, Paris, buried himself in the bedclothes this morning and could not be bothered to join us.)

Art Challenge February Results

Month two of my art challenge is ready to shine! This is such a fun--and educational--process. One would think that making tiny 4x4-inch artworks would only take the better part of a Sunday afternoon. But, no. Painting, staining, layering and glazing all take their own drying times regardless of whether you're working large or small. Plus there's the process of discovering just the right bits and pieces and found items for the composition.

Well, here it is. The theme this month in honor of St. Valentine's Day is "Billet Doux."

I started with plywood 4x4s faux painted in gemstone finishes of: malachite, lapis, topaz, and garnet.

The central technique this month was working with photo images and acrylic transfers. Clockwise from top left, I used a matte gel medium transfer, a hand tinted black and white photo, a clear gloss gel medium transfer, and a heat transfer.

Completed, the works include painting, image transfers, collage, found objects, and stamping.

I'm pleased with the results and can hardly wait to march on to next month's project.

Art Challenge 2009

As a writer and artist, I'm a member of a number of email groups that I subscribed to in order to keep in touch with interesting items in both industries. I read through most of the email fairly quickly, deleting subsequent posts if the thread is irrelevant to me. Last year, however, an assemblage artist (yay, Stacy) challenged herself to create one 3x3 piece of art each day. By the end of the year she amazingly created 365 stunning little masterpieces.

I was so impressed by this that I decided to challenge myself for 2009. I knew that there was no way I could even attempt a one-a-day project. (Truth be told, I'm still working on my 2007 to-do list.) But I did think that I had it in me to set a monthly goal. So here it is, my very own Art Challenge 2009.

Each month I will create four (4) 4"x4" pieces of art. It's my 4x4x4 challenge.
The parameters are:
1. Four pieces of mixed media art, each with a finished size of 4"x4".
2. Each month's work will have a cohesive theme and technique.
3. I will incorporate as many techniques as I can learn/implement throughout the year on a variety of supports.

Not overly complex, but enough of a goal to get my creative juices flowing. And create I did. Here are my January results.

January Series: "I Resolve..."

The paintings are ink and watercolor on paper. They are mounted on mat board covered with handmade paper and stamped in metallic ink.

The pieces were then spattered with metallic gold acrylic and sealed with semigloss gel medium.

I think I found a happy size to work with. Small enough to manage, yet big enough to actually try some media techniques. This might actually work!

Of course, I also have a list of goals for my writing, business, family, home improvements, personal life, social obligations, fitness, diet, reading list, education... You get the picture.

Hopefully next year at this time, I'll at least have 48 4"x4" little gems in my accomplished pile!

A Wrong Step in the "Write" Direction

"You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance." --Ray Bradbury

Except for career masochists, nobody likes rejection. We love to be loved, to be appreciated, to be lauded for our efforts. And writers, especially, love to be praised for their work.



Unfortunately, the universe doesn't always work that way. Our manuscripts get rejected, we lose freelance clients, others get hired for the jobs we want. How to deal with this?



Of all the possibilities, the right steps involve moving forward. Continue to write. Keep submitting your manuscript to appropriate publishers. Hone your skils, polish your resume, make those professional connections count. Take classes. Read. And, above all, write.



Don't give up. Don't give more weight to outside opinions than you do to your own. Don't let past stumbling blocks permanently impede your progress.



Believe in your talent and in what you have to contribute. Maybe you need to try a different genre. Maybe find a new niche. Maybe all you need is a change of surroundings, a new outlook, a fresh perspective.



There are so many things to try to get through to writing success.



You only fail when you quit trying. And that's a wrong step in the "write" direction.