because we blank out too

Every writer has experienced this: you have an idea, characters swimming around in your head, plots thickening in your blood, and conflicts flowing through your veins. You become completely inspired by every moment you've ever experienced, every person you've ever met, every story you've ever written or read.

And so, you plop yourself in your office chair, turn on your computer, open a new document, and take that first, delicious sip of coffee. You stare at the blinking screen and you type a letter. Any letter. It doesn't matter what letter. Why? Because you have no clue what the next letter will be. So, how are you going to write an entire story? What happened to all those characters? Where did the plot go? And the underlying plots? Those symbols you carefully chose to illustrate an immensely deep message?

"Maybe I should take a break," you say to yourself.

So you take another sip of coffee. And then you get up to stretch. You return to your desk and drink some more coffee. And more. And more. And more. It's done. The coffee is done, your screen saver is in full mode and your ideas are somewhere.

How do you combat this block? Is it simply because you're not supposed to write right now? Maybe, but probably not. These are some exercises I do to rejuvenate my thinking:

Fill in the blanks:

What I mean to say is ______
X character's conflict is _____ and their insecurity is _____which inhibits their goal of _____

I then list some really good verbs, verbs that carry the bulk of the sentence's meaning.

Solidify, multiply, unfold, recede, slink, permeate, generate, correlate, etc.

I then organize the characters I want to write about and under each name, I answer the following questions:
Where did this person come from?
What's the one memory that has a profound impact on them today?
What's their biggest insecurity?
What are their strengths?

That almost always gets me going, oils my brain, and fosters smooth movement. Characters, plots, symbols, and conflicts re-emerge, stronger and with more meaning.

what would the world be like without writers?

When someone walks out of a movie theatre, they will most likely applaud the actor's performance, an innovative digital technique, or a beautiful set. These are, undoubtedly, wonderful aspects of a film that empower its message and purpose. Rarely, however, do you hear someone comment on the actual screenplay. When was the last time you said to your friend, "wow, that is a solid screenplay. So well-written. The words were loaded with so much meaning, I'll have to watch it again."

The actual writing of the film is one of the most under-rated aspects of cinematic art. What do people get most excited about when they watch the Oscars? Three things: best actor in a leading role, best actress in a leading role, and best picture.

There are definitely those that study the script when they watch films. Those are probably the same people that get goosebumps when the best screenplay winner is announced. Those people are probably writers, or people that have a deep interest in the literary field.

Let's stop and think for a moment here. What would the world be like without writers? No advertisements, no television, no films, no news, no books, no magazines, no instruction manuals, no menus...

Words are everywhere. On your cereal boxes, your aspirin bottles, your morning paper, your greeting cards. Someone had to get those words on there. The world needs writers for several reasons--to educate, inspire, and entertain.

So, this is my little tribute to all writers. Whether you're an advertising copywriter, a reporter, a magazine editor, a screenwriter, an SEO copywriter, or a novelist, you have an opportunity to communicate important ideas and messages to your audiences. The world needs you and your words. Happy writing!

funny words

Last night I went to The Great Canadian Laugh-Off where a good friend of mine was competing for a chance to win semi-finalist status, and then compete for the grand prize of $25,000. There were six comics in total and each had eight minutes to deliver a performance good enough to get them into semi-finals.

Each comic succeeded in eliciting laughter from the audience. All were different, projected different voices, and revealed different styles for one result: make 'em laugh. I sat near the back, sipping a gin and tonic, thinking about how solid comic writing can change someone's emotion, transform a shitty day into a great one, and temporarily allow someone to forget about their troubles. Laughing is powerful, but not as influential as its cause: those words that a comic pens and delivers on stage.

Where do hilarious stand-up comics get their inspiration from? Where do they find those ideas that are turned into situations and characters so funny, that people are able to forget their "bad day" and enjoy the present?

I did some research and found that most comedians find their inspiration in people. Many of them carry a notepad and pen or BlackBerry that they use to record funny or awkward situations and conversations fueled by family, friends, or strangers. A lot of behaviour observation occurs in the comic's life, as they are sensitive to details, interaction, and socialization, deepening their understanding of the human core. This makes me think that those with a natural talent of making others laugh are actually quite the introverts, watching all of us intently.

Here are some quotes from a few of my favourite comics that are (funnily enough) about people and human relations:

"Behind every great man is a woman rolling her eyes."
- Jim Carrey

"Inside every cynical person, there is a disappointed idealist."
- George Carlin

"Sometimes you can't see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others."
- Ellen DeGeneres

"There's very little advice in men's magazines, because men don't think there's a lot they don't know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, "I know what I'm doing, just show me somebody naked."
- Jerry Seinfeld

A movie review, the best I can do amidst pre-holiday craziness

It's been about a month. Wow.

Holiday planning, visiting, shopping, wrapping, visiting, visting, and visiting consumed my life more than I anticipated.

I had so many to-do lists that got buried at the bottom of other lists (ahem, bills). Those to-do lists always had "writing" at the top, usually written in a larger size than the other items.
Anyway, I did watch a great film I was asked to review for another site that I'd like to discuss. It's called Racing Daylight and it's fantastic. The switch in narrative structure and voice was rich, and I fell in love with all the characters, especially Sadie, who has one of the best opening lines in a movie. Ever.

"I always knew I would end up insane." Short and profound statement. Intrigued me from the beginning. I knew this would be a good movie.

This is pure storytelling, and what's interesting about the movie is that the story is told from three different perspectives, each perspective taking on varying camera angles, so that each angle signifies that character's unique voice.

The DVD was just released last week--it's definitely worth checking out.

Here's the F---ing blog

Over the weekend, I attended a screening of Young People F---ing, followed by a panel discussion including the film's director, Martin Gero, screenwriter and actor, Aaron Abrams, and Dan Lyon from Telefilm Canada.

Before the discussion started, I nestled in my seat and got ready to watch one of the most controversial films that helped ignite the Bill C-10 fiasco. By the middle of the movie, I realized I had forgotten to search for the controversy in the film. Sure, it was raw and liberal, but controversial? One, big, fat, "no".

The film was extremely well-written, well-casted, and as one audience member stated, "did not have that cliched "Canadian feel" to it. I think she was trying to say it shot well.

Anyway, I was genuinely impressed by the film--not because the Conservative Party made such a huge deal over its "controversy" but because I enjoyed all the characters and their respective situations. While some people may not relate to every one of those situations, the material in this film is highly-relatable, from the friends who are obviously in love with each other to the endless mind-games women and men tend to play with each other.

The panel discussion mostly focused on the edgy title and Bill C-10, some funny Conservative Party insults (presented in a very professional manner, of course), and a little chat about the Canadian film industry. The major concern with the Canadian film industry and Bill C-10, obviously, is that the Bill will only discourage many Canadian filmmakers from making those awesome, "edgy", Canadian movies in order to receive government funding. The result? A loss in what Canadians do best--embrace art, diversity, and originality, and therefore, a loss in films that emphasize those artistic values.

Who knows exactly what will happen to the Canadian film industry and aspiring Canadian filmmakers, but I'm banking on the crazy-passionate ones that say, "F--k you, Conservatives. I'll find a way to shoot the sequel to "Young People F---ing. I don't need any stinkin' government funding for "McVety Likes it F---ing Rough".

We're all stars now, in the real show

Being on reality TV makes you at least one of two things: more self-conscious and/or wonder how on earth you ever ended up on reality TV. Last September, I competed on BookTV's The Next Literary Superstar, a national contest I entered through encouragement from a good friend. I travelled to Edmonton, Alberta and lived inside a Chapters with 11 other final contestants where we were each faced with a feat: to write an entire novel in just three days.
The 12 of us constantly endured interruptions for interviews, challenges, penalties and prizes, and store shoppers. Which really ends up being a two-day affair when you think about it.
Anyway, lots of time has passed and this weekend (tomorrow), I'm heading back to tape the season finale. I've had a rough week dealing with work, stress, play rehearsals, and mentally preparing for this reunion.
It will be absolutely lovely to see the other writers again. We actually kept in touch in the last months, some of us even getting together for dinner.
This weekend is something we've all been looking forward to for a while.
Part of mentally preparing for this ordeal just reminded me of how it feels to be in front of a camera and acting like--yourself. I've performed quite a bit, but always "in character". Doing it as yourself is completely different. Probably because the cliched saying is true, "we are our own worst critics." So, when the opportunity allows us to "act like ourselves", we tense up even more than usual, in hopes of masking whatever it is we're embarrassed to show the world.
Off to bed-- tonight, dreamland. Tomorrow, "real world".

We are family...I got all my writers with me

Yesterday I received an e-mail from a former writing colleague of mine. She had mass e-mailed most former students from the Professional Writing program at the University of Toronto. I learned that another one of our former classmates had just suffered the loss of her home caused by a fire and that her mother and brother were in the hospital.

People responded to that e-mail with such warm words in an effort to show our friend support. That e-mail restored my love for that program and its students. From the first day of my first professional writing class, I felt a strong connection with everyone. Yes, everyone. My favourite professor assured us all that long after graduation, we would always be there for one another. "The writing world is one of community," he would always say. Gone are the days of the "hermit" writer. On the contrary, powerful writers know and value the need for human connection. After all, it is this connection with humanity--all its beauty and flaws--that shines in our writing.

Even after graduation, we care. We care about the milestones in our former classmates' lives: promotions, weddings, babies. And misfortunes. We can all relate to that drastic change--the one that swoops into our comfortable lives and replaces it with temporary turmoil.

And even in the midst of chaos and misfortune, I smile when I think of the writers--that special group of people in my university days that can always offer sincerity and support.

Their words count. A lot.