Dear Friend,

2 important announcements for you today.

First, let's congratulate Screenwriter's Success Newsletter contributor, mc foley. Her novel "The Ice Hotel" is now available on Amazon!

Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/ydj5hx6

Her article in this week's newsletter is a heartfelt letter dedicated to her friend Bryan Ariel Paz, whose death inspired the writing of "The Ice Hotel."

There are more details about mc foley's novel beneath her article in this week's issue of the newsletter.

Be sure to send her a quick note to congratulate her! (You can send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it — and we'll be sure to forward them to her.)

Second, entertainment attorney, Gordon Firemark, is an unbelievable legal resource who contributes to our newsletter — strictly to answer YOUR questions! So please take this time to really think about the legal issues that may be hindering your screenwriting success.

Send your legal questions to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Anyway, that's what I wanted to tell you today.

Now, without further ado, here's what we've got for you in this week's action-packed Screenwriter's Success Newsletter!

Screenwriter Questions (Part 2): is this week's article by yours truly. In this piece I address some of the most frequently asked questions that plague screenwriters. You may find that YOUR most pressing question is asked... and answered... here...

The Box Office Report: gives you the latest feature film releases as well as the opening weekend projections, so you can be on top of this critical information.

The Leaf and the Cloud: is this week's article by mc foley. mc is an active writer and regular contributor to this newsletter. The title of her column is "Lessons Learned: One Writer's Journey."

A Legal Perspective for Screenwriters: is our column by entertainment attorney Gordon P. Firemark. To ask your legal questions, email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If your question is chosen, it (and your answer) will appear in an issue of The Screenwriter's Success Newsletter.

Going for Gold: Oscars 2010: is this week's article from Director of Development for Clifford Werber Productions, Daniel Manus. The title of his column is "No B.S. for Screenwriters — The Executive Perspective."

A New Seat At An Old Table, Grab a Seat and Speak Up! (Part 3 of 4): is our column by entertainment technology/new media expert, Barrett Garese. The title of his column is "Moving Pictures and Technology."

Best Business Advice for Screenwriters: is dedicated to asking a top executive or successful screenwriter the absolute best advice they could give a screenwriter looking for success. This week's contributor? Writer of "Firewall," and producer of "Say I Do" — Joe Forte.

Digging the Well Before You're Thirsty: is our column dedicated to tracking the promotions and movements of Hollywood's Executives. Use this market intelligence wisely...

Great Journeys: is this week's article from our newest contributor — screenwriting contest judge and author of "39 Ways to Win a Screenwriting Contest & The Nine Mistakes New Writers Make" — Sean Hinchey. The title of his column is "Insights and Screenwriting Wisdom from a Veteran Screenwriting Contest Judge."

The Business of Show Institute Recommends: is the weekly screenwriting product or service that our staff has personally reviewed and feel you would benefit from. This week? The Shortcuts to Success — Meeting with the Masters Mentoring Program! Hollywood's only screenwriting mentoring program where Marvin V. Acuna and his network of industry contacts will help you achieve the success you desire and deserve.

That's it for this issue, but we are dedicated to making this newsletter THE resource for aspiring screenwriters.

If you enjoyed it, and would like to pass it along to friends, please have them go directly to http://www.TheBusinessOfShowInstitute.com and have them sign up there.

May Your Life Be Extraordinary,

Marvin V. Acuna

Screenwriter Questions (Part 2)

by Marvin V. Acuna

Part 2 of the screenwriter questions series continues.

For obvious reasons I will be unable to address every question still sitting in the queue, but I was compelled to offer my thoughts on the following which were chosen completely at random. Here we go:


How can I get my script to the right people if I am a first time writer without an agent?
Entering a notable screenwriting competition is one path to attracting attention from industry professionals. I wrote a piece (http://tinyurl.com/ls9qkl) on how to assess which ones will add value to your screenwriting aspirations. Richard Arlook (former head of the motion picture department at the Gersh Agency) of The Arlook Group, a literary representation company, offered actionable detailed steps during my last discussion with him as part of the Secret Weapon Audio series. Be sure to review it so that you can take the necessary actions.


Is there a specific time of year where one's chances are more apt to getting a script read/sold than any other? Or is it more catch as, catch can?
Yes, there is a general industry cycle. While there are exceptions to every rule, a screenplay has a much better opportunity for sale, or frankly to be read, during those key months. In fact, literary manager Jonathan Hung of Hung Entertainment, last month's contributing expert, specifically lays out the times during the year when a screenplay has its best opportunities.


Does a writer have a better chance of production if he/she shares in financial investment?
In my humble opinion, if you are investing your hard-earned dollars into a venture it communicates to others your belief in it and may compel them to take the ride with you. Obviously, other factors need to be considered but first dollars committed is one attractive element. Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner and Golden Globe Nominee, Nancy Savoca, discussed in our meeting her feelings on the subject. The video of the meeting is archived in the member's area.


How do you get the attention of an agent just to get some face to face time?
Networking, networking, networking. More importantly, effective networking! Uber-successful screenwriter Jessica Bendinger discussed how to effectively connect with industry professionals in my last conference call with her. I strongly encourage you to pull out the transcript for a review of this particular insight.


Do you need to live in the heart of New York or California to be a successful writer?
It's valuable to be in Los Angeles. That's why I chose to make the sacrifice and leave my home, family, friends, etc.. If you are willing to make the move, then go for it! But, is it absolutely necessary in today's internet-driven world? I don't believe so. This question was directed to Jon Brown of Ensemble Entertainment, a literary representation company, during the Q&A segment of the Screenwriters' Success audio series. He discussed his position on this and referenced how his non-LA/NY clients navigated this obstacle. Listen to it.

The Box Office Report

727~
author’s note:

"The Leaf and the Cloud"

a letter to my friend,
Bryan Ariel Paz

Bryan, after I got the call about you...

After I got the call, after my friend told me, my friend, who, like me, was still sitting on the other end, in his apartment, still breathing, still alive, I was on the road halfway to dinner.

I called a second number, hoping the first was a mistake, a bad joke, in bad taste, something stupid we'd forever hound you about, Bryan. Something we'd all look back on and say "remember that time..." and laugh about it over a beer with you... with you... close enough that we could tousle your emo-hair, throw an arm around your back, grip your shoulder and say "I've got you, man. I've got you."

The cement set in with the second call. "Is it true," my gut asked because I forced it to, already knowing the answer — "Yes," my friend replied. "I'm sorry."

no ... my mind gasped.

NO — screamed my heart.

A shapeless nothing filled the car, a cloud, a thief, and I could only respond to my driving friend with 'I don't know, my head hurts, find somewhere dark... empty.'

We drove in circles that Saturday night in LA, restaurants packed with laughing, talking, breathing people, liquored up crowds pouring off corners, some of them taking their life for granted, resenting the girl who didn't want their number, the drink that was watered down, some of them feeling the fleeting moment, this nightlife in full swing. You... Bryan...

gone.

We traveled up and down streets, my friend scrambling through the wheels of his car to fulfill the request ... somewhere dark... empty.

Around a corner, we found something — dim lights, half-empty, a womb. We parked, got out, I followed him, staring down at the dark spaces between sidewalk squares as we moved. We walked in. The hostess flinched as if I was rude to her when I didn't look her in the eye, didn't answer questions, wasn't really there. How could she have known.

Seated now, I drank each glass my friend gave to me — packed with vodka, built to numb. He ate quietly, too familiar. How strange a comfort, knowing he'd grown up in a neighborhood where entire groups of friends were wiped out by guns and drugs. Knowing he'd lost people in a flash, a blink, an overnight, a weekend.

Knowing he'd been robbed, like the rest of us.

A wooden twig shot from somewhere and sliced into a piece of bread on the plate between us, arching out like an arrow from its kill. We looked at each other, looked around, looked up, we finally noticed.

She'd sat us under a tree. It was a live tree. A tall tree. Well watered, lit by the sun. One, with so much strength it shot up to the skylight, breathing oxygen into the restaurant. Its roots rippled into the dirt square they'd shaped for it, surrounded by small plants, rocks, now surrounded by part of a cloud.

The cloud.

Our cloud.

My eyes burned — I turned and saw the shapeless nothing. It stared back at me. It had followed us into the restaurant. Taken a seat at the very next table. Spilled its cloud onto the floor and billowed right up to and around the tree.

We looked up again and saw leaves falling. Just two — one, withered, yellowed by seasons come and gone, long dead. Another one young, vibrant, forest green, its edges just beginning to pale.

Why was this one falling?

They landed on our table. I stared at the green one. The young one. A second ago, it was connected to the tree, bright green, alive. Here it was now, flattened on the table between broken bread and melted butter, cut off from the roots, fading away in front of our eyes. Just like that. Game over.

I glared at the shapeless nothing. It swirled its cloudy arms up now, around the tree to its top, the pinnacle where a green leaf lived a minute ago.

It caressed the greener leaves still up there. The ones in the sun, touching the bright glass nearest the sky. The ones with so much time stretched out before them, entire stories of their lives still untold. The ones surrounding an empty space.

The cloudy arms fogged up the skylight, scribbled marks across the glass: They all fall, my friend. We all do. Eventually.

My anger rose —
A threat?

"Then BRING IT ON!" I screamed.

"You took him! You stole him! You cheated us! It wasn't his time! How can some people live past a hundred years and others, you grab them by the throat in the peak of the carnival, all the colors still burning, all the music still thumping, everything full and rich and building up to everything he ever wanted to be!"

"You cut him off —

you lied to him you cheated him you showed him the world and the future and you ripped it away —

You're despicable — I hate you — I hate you — I hate you — I hate you — I hate you ... I ... hate ... I ..."

... can't ...

there isn't enough time
for this

there isn't enough time

there aren't enough days

it comes and it goes

we are a flash

a glimmer

dust

returned to the earth

reborn again

we are all connected by the roots, the dirt

the cloud

we are you, Bryan

we are the way

you continue on.


I love you, my friend.

I always will.


~mc foley

somewhere
in the folds of
foul, pathetic language
find me

somewhere
past the jokes we spit
as if the
venom mouths don't
bind me

somewhere
i remind me
that this love is
still inside me

and i
remember it

About "The Ice Hotel":

A family, reeling from their eldest son's ...death, escapes to the Ice Hotel, where an age-old, arctic magic connects this world to the next...

To twin siblings Izzie and Poe McGarity, big brother Rossa is not just the eldest of three children. He is a hero, a leader, a king. Or rather... he was a king. Before his mistake. Before he died.

Haunted by visions of Rossa wherever they turn, the twins and their parents accept an invitation to the legendary Ice Hotel, an enormous structure built entirely from snow and ice, thousands of miles to the north, in the Arctic Circle.

What the grief-stricken McGaritys don't know, is that the Ice Hotel will not only bring them face to face with frigid Arctic winds, powerful huskies built of fur and frost, magnetic fields, fluxes and levitation, mercenary Hunters, and a storm thundering towards the polar cap with the force of the cosmos itself; but also, it will bring them closer than they could ever imagine, to Rossa's last, greatest, and most impossible wish.

To order a copy on Amazon click below:

http://tinyurl.com/ydj5hx6

A Legal Perspective for Screenwriters

by Gordon P. Firemark

Question:
"I belong to a script development group in Hollywood. The group recently let a developmement executive in as a member and are talking about letting in other producers and development executives. I think this is a bad idea because even though they sign a non-disclosure agreement, there is no paper trail for individual projects and the script ideas can not be protected. The group argues it's a way to get their work seen and the producers/execs can give an industry perspective. I think it is a naive and desperate grab at selling a script and if the member's work was good enough to get representation, they woud not have to do this. I am now considering resigning. Am I being paranoid and is this a good idea?"

Answer:
I'm of two minds about this issue. I think you're right to consider resigning if you're concerned that you can't trust the other members of your group... regardless who they may be. There's nothing fundamentally riskier about having a development executive in your group, than having other writers seeing, hearing-about, and evaluating your work. The fact is, other writers are just as capable of 'borrowing' material from your work, and in-fact, may be more likely to do so.

I see the value, however, in having producers and execs involved in the group. It IS a good idea that the members of such a group sign on to a code-of-conduct and, preferably, a non-disclosure/non-circumvention agreement that has some legal teeth. Maybe the thing to do is to keep meticulous records (establish the missing paper trail) so everybody knows who's present for presentations, discussions, etc., and what material is discussed. This is really just a good idea anyway.

The bottom line, however, is this: At some point, you've got to let other people read your material, or it will never be optioned, purchased, produced and distributed. So, again I repeat what's becoming a mantra.... Only do business with reputable people whom you can trust.


Thinking of producing it yourself? Subscribe to the FREE e-course "6 Ways to Finance a Feature Film" by visiting http://firemark.com/minicourse.


Have a legal question? Email them to: legalquestions@thebusinessofshowinstitute.com

The foregoing is intended as general information only and does not establish an attorney-client relationship with Mr. Firemark. This information is not a substitute for a private, independent consultation with an attorney selected to advise you after a full investigation of the facts and law relevant to your matter. Neither Mr. Firemark nor The Business of Show Institute will be responsible for readers' detrimental reliance upon the information appearing in this column.

About Gordon P. Firemark:
Gordon Firemark is an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. For almost 20 years, he's helped creative and business people in the fields of film, television, theatre, music and new media achieve their professional and artistic goals. His practice focuses on negotiating and drafting entertainment contracts and business deals, film and theatre financing, corporate startups/operations, and intellectual property protection and licensing. Get more information at http://firemark.com/.

No B.S. for Screenwriters — The Executive Perspective

Going for Gold: Oscars 2010

by Daniel Manus

I will get back to the development process next week for the final part of the series, but I figured this week I should discuss the Oscars. After all, that's what we're all in this for, right? What...just me? I'm going no holds barred this week, so get ready!

As an executive, while I read many Oscar-caliber scripts, I've never worked on Oscar caliber movies (I know, "Sniper 3" was totally robbed!). Sometimes I know the behind-the-scenes stories or know someone who worked on some of the movies, but really when it comes to the big night, I'm just a fan like all of you! It's been a tradition for me and my friends to get together and fill out our ballots, discuss the fashion, the winners, the losers, the acceptance speeches, and throw it in each others' faces when our picks win. But I'll actually be in Vancouver this year teaching at the FTX Event — the first time I've ever been away for Oscar night. But that's not the only difference this year...

As you know, there are 10 nominees! But let's get serious — there are really only two that count! In fact, it's probably the first year in a while where 5 nominees would have more than sufficed. It's "Avatar" or it's "Hurt Locker." And actually, those were two of my four favorite movies of the year, so I'm okay either way. My other faves, for those keeping track, were "Inglourious Basterds" and "The Hangover." Now you can throw popcorn at me if you want, but it's INCREDIBLY rare that I want to watch a movie a second time — even on DVD — and when I watched "The Hangover" again, it still made me laugh my ass off, so in my world, that makes it great. I loved "Avatar," but I could never sit through it again!

Of the other Best Picture noms, I thought "Up in the Air" deserved the nomination, as did "Up" and "Precious." I haven't seen "A Serious Man" or "An Education," so I will refrain from commenting. But "The Blind Side"? Really? It was good, it was a HUGE hit, and I get the nod for Sandra, but Best Picture? How did the Academy go from Best Picture films like "Gone with the Wind," "Casablanca," "West Side Story," "Godfather," "Annie Hall," "Silence of the Lambs," "Schindler's List," "Forrest Gump," "Titanic," and "American Beauty," to pedestrian TV Movie crap like "The Blind Side"? I'm not saying it was a bad movie, I'm just saying without Sandra Bullock, that's a Lifetime TV Movie at best.

In fact, in terms of actual story, I don't think ANY of this year's nominees hold a candle to any of the previous winners listed above. "Avatar" was brilliant and visually stunning, but everyone knows the story wasn't exactly original. "Hurt Locker" was exciting, tense and powerful, but the actual story wasn't anything we haven't seen in 20 other war movies. And "Precious" was a touching and emotional story and the actors were wonderful, but if Precious had been 140lbs and white, no one would have given a shit.

But ya know what? Other than "The Hangover," I couldn't really think of a movie that should have taken the place of any of the nominees. And comedies are the drunken fat girl at the bar at 3am — they aren't winning any prizes, but they're the ones you take home and secretly enjoy.

This year is actually the first year where, other than Best Director, almost every category is already locked up. As has been reported, the Oscars are so locked up that studios and PR companies aren't even spending that much money on campaigns this year — less than HALF of what was spent last year when there was even less competition (in theory).

So, let's go through the other major categories.

Lead Actor — Jeff Bridges is a lock. So let's move on.
Lead Actress — Sandra Bullock is pretty close to a lock and I understand why — she's loved in Hollywood, she's an actual nice person, and she hasn't had a role where she's had to do anything but fall down, look pretty, drive a bus or make goo-goo eyes at some hunky actor since her first movie "Amazon's Fire." I personally love Sandra Bullock and I think she brings some fun and star power to this year's event. But for me, this category had the biggest snub — Zoe Saldana for "Avatar," who I thought was ferocious.

Supporting Actor — Christophe Waltz. I don't even know who else is nominated and it doesn't matter — this was the performance of the year for me.
Supporting Actress — Mo'Nique is a lock and deserves it, but I'd like to give a shout out to Anna Kendrick, whose career I've been following since "Camp" and quite frankly, I've got a crush. I also thought Sigourney Weaver should have gotten a nod.

Animated Movie — "Up" wins. No doubt. That dog was priceless.
Documentary Film — "The Cove." If you haven't seen it, you should.
Foreign Film — "White Ribbon." I haven't seen it, but it seems to be winning stuff and I like to play the odds.

Adapted Screenplay — "Up in the Air" will probably win because it's a consolation prize for critical darling Jason Reitman. Don't forget, before "Avatar" came out and became the biggest movie of all time, this Oscar race was between "Hurt Locker" and "Up in the Air"...but he'll have to settle for screenplay (tear...).
Original Screenplay — This is a good category this year. I'm gonna go with "Inglourious Basterds," though "Hurt Locker" could pull it out. I was rooting for "500 Days of Summer" to get a nomination here and many thought it would, but somehow "The Messenger" — which no one has ever seen — snuck in there.

This brings us to the biggest toss-up of the night — Best Director. It's the battle of the exes and the sexes and I give the slight edge to Kathryn Bigelow because quite frankly, she hasn't won one yet and she's a woman, and Hollywood would love for a woman to finally win. Now, she did a great job building tension, suspense and drama and she's a wonderful director (and deserves to win a hell of a lot more than Sofia Coppola did) but on a production basis, the movie isn't on the same level as "Avatar."

Now James Cameron is an asshole — but he's a visionary asshole who not only created a whole new world, but created a whole new way of bringing new worlds to life on film. And I think the sheer size, scope and beauty of "Avatar" — with its $300M budget and 2000 crew members that Cameron had to control — should earn him the Oscar. If only he didn't have a penis (go ahead — write your letters).

Okay, well those are my Oscar picks for this year. If I'm wrong, well, there's always next year. And in general, I'm hoping next year has more to offer. And as my No BullScript motto states — hate me today, love me in your acceptance speech! Happy Oscars, everyone!


About Daniel Manus:
Daniel Manus is the Director of Development for Clifford Werber Productions (Cinderella Story, Sydney White). CWP recently set up a family fantasy/adventure project at United Artists which Daniel is attached to co-produce. He is also attached to produce several projects independently including "Dreams of an Aspiring Romantic," starring Emily Osment and "Strange Fruit," written by J.S. Cardone (Prom Night).

Daniel recently started his own script consulting company - No BullScript Consulting, which can be found at www.nobullscript.net. He has been a freelance script consultant for years, working for companies such as ScriptShark and Script Coach and teaches courses to writers at conferences around the country.

Daniel was previously Director of Development for Sandstorm Films, which had a first look deal at Sony Screen Gems and a development deal with Top Cow Comics. Raised on Long Island, NY, he holds a BS degree in Television with a concentration in Screenwriting from the Ithaca College Park School of Communications.

Moving Pictures and Technology

A New Seat At An Old Table, Grab a Seat and Speak Up! (Part 3 of 4)

by Barrett Garese

Conclusions

1. Film isn't going away. It'll change a bit, and the home video market will go through some rough times, but the theatrical experience is too unique to disappear. I don't believe we're at the end of the era of the blockbuster film; I think that this can be a real boon for both the smaller and larger films.

2. Television is going to go through some real rough times over the next 5 years. Prepare for a lot more reality television (cheap to make, user participatory and thus timely) and other non-scripted content. Television ad rates will continue to drop, and license fees will too, thus further cutting the budgets for content. There isn't going to be another LOST for a very long time. In the first draft of this essay, I included the line "Maybe ever." but I hope I'm very wrong there.

3. I don't know whether the idea of a view online will come to be seen as equal from a monetary standard to a view on TV — at least concerning professionally produced content — but I sincerely hope it does. I don't see any logical or economic reason why it won't, but then again logic rarely has any place in arguments about art and commerce.

4. The larger media companies will remain; however, they'll never have the same power over the marketplace they once had. Since their competitive advantage is no longer distribution but financing and development, new competitors will come to market with Hollywood talent and outside money looking to exploit that more open distribution model. When scarcity is at play, it keeps competitors away. When "experience" is the driving audience draw, you get a lot more people banging on that door. Look to see more midlevel studios popping up over the next few years.

5. The new gatekeepers won't be WB, NBC, or Fox; they'll be Verizon, AT&T, and Time Warner Cable. As more and more is shifted to those pipelines (VOIP, VOD, TV, Internet, Fiber/Cable, etc.) they're now the most valuable real estate in the world. Remember, NBC, ABC, etc were able to take advantage of the airwave scarcity to become huge media companies. That scarcity now applies to online access. The last thing those cable and fiber companies want to become is a basic utility, so they're doing everything in their power to change the way they interact with (read: charge) the customer. Witness TWC's attempts at consumption-based billing (no more "unlimited access," you pay as you go) and the "tiered" access proposals which prompted the battle over net neutrality. They'll fight tooth and nail against any challengers because as long as they control the route to the end consumer, they're the most powerful companies in media.

Unless...


About Barrett Garese:
Barrett Garese is the founder of Spytap Industries, a company dedicated to advancing the knowledge and adoption of mobile, social and online media.

Previously, Barrett helped create UTA Online, the broadband content division of leading Hollywood talent and literary agency United Talent Agency, and the first major agency division devoted to the representation and monetization of online content. While at UTA, Barrett represented premier video content creators, bloggers and other elite digital artists on the internet, and worked to create a marketplace for online content and creators.

He can be found online at www.barrettgarese.com, facebook.com/barrettgarese, and followed on twitter @spytap.

Best Business Advice for Screenwriters

Joe Forte, writer of "Firewall" (starring Harrison Ford), and producer of "Say I Do" — on his best business advice for screenwriters:

"If you just define yourself as a screenwriter, and you have a bad day as a screenwriter, then, that's your whole world. And, you know, you're sort of building your life on this very, singular, pile-on. And it's important to remember, you know, that you're a brother, or a sister, or a father, or a boyfriend. But also that you have interests and hobbies that feed you and nourish you, and bring ideas in, and balance you out."

Digging the Well Before You're Thirsty:

Tracking the Movement of Hollywood's Executives

What do you do when a friend gets promoted or moves to a new position? You congratulate them right?

What else might you do? You might send them a card telling them how excited you are for their new position. Later, you might follow up with that person to see how they're settling in. Then, you might send them an interesting article once in a while.

Why would you do this? Because that's how relationships are nurtured and developed. (They're not developed by asking for favors before the relationship has matured)

So we'd like you to help us in congratulating the following executives who have just been promoted or moved positions.

The Business of Show Institute Congratulates the Following Executives in Their New Positions:

Ray Moheet
Manager, Levity Entertainment

Amy Suh
Creative Executive, Tom Welling Productions

Anne Woodward
Manager, ROAR

Insights and Screenwriting Wisdom from a Veteran Screenwriting Contest Judge

Great Journeys

by Sean Hinchey

In a previous article, Great Beginnings, we talked about how to grab the attention of the judges. While it is important to capture our attention, you need to keep it through the longest part of the screenplay; the Second Act.

This is often referred to as The Great Desert, because it can be such a long desolate stretch to write. It is appropriately named as there are many pitfalls where the reader can get lost and sidetracked, ultimately dying off before they finish your script.

Writing a script is as much a journey creating it, as it is for the judge to join in for the ride. But the task doesn't have to be an uphill battle if you've created interesting, three-dimensional characters and put them into an easy to understand quest. It's better to tell a simple story well than a complex one poorly.

Here are a few relevant and timely examples of good story telling. Many of you may have recently watched the Winter Olympics. In between the events and medal ceremonies, there were news packages profiling the various Olympic hopefuls. Their stories were a template that you, as a screenwriter, could use to tell a story. This isn't to say, "Go out and write a script about the life story of an Olympic athlete."

Instead, look at the structure of these brief snippets to understand why they are able to grasp the attention of the world. Short track skater Apolo Ohno's mother left him when he was an infant. Having to work long shifts, his father was concerned that his son would be a latchkey kid as he got older. Apolo did indeed hang out with the wrong crowd.

His father took it upon himself to get Apolo involved in sports, namely — you guessed it — short track skating. Despite being one of the youngest people accepted at the Lake Placid Olympic Training Center, he didn't qualify for the 1998 Winter Olympics. Apolo got serious and proved himself in the 2002 Olympics, performed even better in 2006 and with the recent Olympic events, he became a legend. Through all this, there were constant conflicts with the world-class skaters of South Korea.

This story has conflict, well developed characters, further setbacks and victory. Whose eyes didn't tear up when the cameras would switch to Apolo's father in the stands?

But Apolo's story wasn't the only interesting one. There was a Dutch speed skater who was on his way to not only a gold-medal, but setting a new Olympic record. He was disqualified for an improper lane change when his coach barked at him to take the inside lane. Talk about shattered dreams and hard feelings. This is a great Second Act moment. He'll go back and train, and the eyes of the world will be on him in four years at the Olympics in Russia.

A figure skater's mother died three days before she performed, but she secured a bronze medal; there were rivalries within the US Women's Ski Team; and a tragic luge death occurred on the first day of competition. The Olympics were full of incredible stories of perseverance. What did they have in common? All of them were simply told, enthralling and left you wanting more.

Again, this isn't to suggest that you run out and write a story about Olympic athletes so you can win the next screenwriting contest. You can if you want, but the point is this: write the story that has a second act full of setbacks and successes. Give them a small accomplishment, but knock them back a few steps. Have them dust themselves off, and do a little better so you can set them back again.

It's this ebb and flow of the character that makes the story so interesting. If Rocky Balboa had walked off the street and defeated Apollo Creed without breaking into a sweat, it wouldn't have been interesting. You want to see how he got to where he was.

As you delve into the Great Journey across the desert, keep the judges on course by showing them the gems that you've crafted. Make them interested in your characters, their efforts and who (or what) is behind their struggles. Sometimes the main character is their own worst enemy.

Although it may not be easy to write, the concept is just that basic. Keep the story simple, keep the struggle universal, and keep your writing concise.


Coming up Next Week: Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels? Ever get the sense that the whole world is against you? Read Why Can't I get What I Want. It's all about how you perceive your writing process and how you approach screenwriting contests that is the culprit holding you back from victory. It's more than focus; it's a new concept in how you structure your mindset so you can start winning, and stop whining. You won't want to miss this article!


About Sean Hinchey:
Sean Hinchey has been a script consultant for International Creative Management (ICM), Miracle Entertainment, Nash Entertainment, and Viviano Entertainment. He's also read the preliminary drafts of Michael Crichton's best-selling novels, State of Fear and Next and has performed extensive research for the stage plays and screenplays of writer/director Floyd Mutrux (American Hot Wax, Million Dollar Quartet).

Sean's expertise has made him a highly sought after judge for such prestigious screenwriting contests such as: The Big Break Contest, The Miramax Open Door Contest, Artists and Writer's Contest, Energy Contest, Smart Contest and The Chills and Thrills Contest. Throughout his career, Sean has read over two thousand scripts, giving him an insight into what it takes to become the winner of a screenwriting contest.

Three of Sean's screenplays have been optioned and one was a finalist in the Film in Arizona Screenwriting Competition. He won an award for his first non-fiction book, Backpacking Through Divorce.

Drawing from these experiences, he's written a book, 39 Ways to Win a Screenwriting Contest & The Nine Mistakes New Writers Make, set for publication in Spring 2010.

The Business of Show Institute Recommends:

After mentoring dozens and dozens of successful screenwriters over the past 15 years, I can honestly say that you're probably just 1 good contact away from achieving the screenwriting success you desire.

Just one good contact who can introduce you to the right network of people, and finally help you penetrate the infamous Hollywood "Insider's Club"... even if you don't live in Los Angeles!

And if you let me, I'd like to be that contact for you.

HERE'S what this is all about...