Third Time's a Charm: Back to Normal becomes a Trilogy

Tolkein had his three. Recently Suzanne Collins had her triple play, and they are catching fire. And George Lucas had his three, well, at least originally, and then went back for another three (probably should not have).

Why am I rambling about thrices and such?

Trilogies.

Book series have them, movies have them. There seems to be something mysterious, magical, and almost magnetic about stories that come in threes. It just feels....um...right.

Just like every good story has three parts (Act I, II, and III), sometimes a big, big story can be broken down into three large chunks as well. Whether it is the verbose and almost-painfully-descriptive pages of a saga about a Hobbit and a dark lord's ring, or the emotionally charged journey of a poor female bow hunter fighting to be the last one standing, trilogies have a special place in our hearts and culture.

Sometimes I am a "go against the flow!" kinda guy. But, when it comes to breaking a huge story into three smaller, more manageable and memorable pieces...I am not going to challenge convention.

With this in mind, I am excited to announce the (current) plans to release the "Back to Normal" book series as a TRILOGY.
The huge series will tell the amazing journey of a group of people from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond, who find themselves mysteriously transported back in time to Normal, Illinois just after World War II. Plagued by the fears, differences, and prejudices from within, and hunted by both the CIA and the KGB from without, the group struggles to discover a technological breakthrough that can send them all back home. But in the process, the group will impact and change history in profound ways, including influences on Lee Harvey Oswald, the space race, the Bay of Pigs invasion, Global politics, and even the Kennedy assassination.

The historical and sci-fi trilogy will cover the entire tale, from Phil Nelson, the first jumper in 1946, to the potential return home for the motley crew well over a decade later, and everything in between. History will come alive and the characters and their hopes, fears, tragedies and triumphs will become familiar as family as you follow over a dozen time jumpers, and a handful of their opponents.

With all the intriguing elements of a James Bond global espionage thriller, combined with the rich complexity of an intense interpersonal drama, spiced with a smattering of romance in turbulent and often-forbidden love triangles, Back to Normal (the trilogy) will truly have something for everyone.

I would love to share more about this fascinating series, a series that may cause you to re-interpret and re-evaluate history, but...I need to keep writing i! The current (and very aggressive) schedule of release is as follows:

Volume I:    Back to Normal: Paradigm Rift    July 2014
Volume II:  Back to Normal: Tradecraft         January 2015
Volume III: Back to Normal: Crossover         July 2015

I am planning to release the first half of each book for FREE online, leading up to the release date of each book. The current plan is to begin trickling out the early chapters of each book, a few chapters each week.

What that means is that you may be reading the first half of Volume I as soon as late May. Not next year, not 2015, but this year, about 2 months from now.

I am in the process of building a new website for this aggressive new venture. The books will be released under my publishing company Moving Images Publications.

I will be releasing a link to the site in the next few weeks. Stay tuned...it will be an exciting ride, a challenging re-imagining of history, and a family of characters that you will believe are real.



It will be a fiction series that may challenge the "facts" of history.

Be ready to shake things up, be ready to see the past as never before, but above all...be ready for Back to Normal.

Back to Normal: A "Novel" Idea

I have a big announcement, but indulge me for just a moment...

They line our shelves.
They fill our backpacks.
They come in all shapes and sizes.

And they can change the world.

Of course, I'm talking about BOOKS.

Someone once said that the most powerful thing in the world, is an IDEA. Bombs can kill, politicians can rule, and money can amass all sorts of things...but ideas hold true power.

What is a book? A book is a collection of ideas. If an idea is a stick of intellectual dynamite, then a book would be an arsenal, a stealth bomber locked and loaded.

If we think cinematically, many, if not most of the great theatrical releases (even some television series) were books long before they were movies.

Lord of the Rings, The Notebook, Under the Dome, and Fight Club. All of these were delivered to the world as books before their rebirth on screens both large and small.

Over the past two weeks I had two conversations about Back to Normal with two completely different people, from two completely different industries, from across the country out of two completely different states. One was a talent manager from the left coast and the other was an architectural engineer from the Lone Star State.

Two different men but they gave me one-and-the-same advice.

They asked: Why aren't you writing Back to Normal, the book series?

To be honest, the thought had crossed my mind. I had a gentleman's backroom agreement with myself some time ago, that, if  I had not found serious interest in the Back to Normal TV series property by the end of June, that I would seriously consider writing a book series beginning July 1.

Well, these two men (and a host of other encouragers) pushed my timetable up a bit. So, on Sunday, March 9th, 2014 at 5:00 pm, I officially began authoring Back to Normal, the book series, Volume One.  This move makes sense on many different levels.

First, it allows me to really show readers everywhere the beauty, complexity, and rich characters of this "possible" world that I have crafted over the past three years. The 3 episode screenplays that are finished tell a shell of a story, but screenplays lose in intensity what they gain in efficiency. Screenplays are a taste test, books are a buffet.

Secondly, a successful book (or book series) has often been the stepping stone to a successful TV show (and movie). If Back to Normal the book series goes viral, or is even mildly successful, doors in Hollywood could go from "Go Away" to "Come on in."

Finally, this latest endeavor fulfills a lifelong ambition. As a child and teenager I started (and stopped) more "books" than I care to think about. I think the longest that my interest and enthusiasm could muster was a meager 20 handwritten pages. 20 pages. Wow. I am way passed that already on Back to Normal.

(If anyone knows a literary agent or publisher that I could contact please let me know...randymcwilson@yahoo.com)

Here is the world's first sample of a few pages of the current version of Volume One of Back to Normal, the book series. Let me set the scene: Denver Collins has fallen asleep on his couch in his Manhattan apartment in March of 2014. It is storming, and the electrical storm is intensifying. Denver is in the middle of a bizarre nightmare, and little does he know, with a flash of lightning, he will be inexplicably transported back to 1956.
ENJOY:
_______________________________________________

  The images, colors, and sounds pulsed with intensity. Scenes and memories, or fragments of memories, blurred and blended. Nothing made sense, yet everything seemed important. There it is again, children, the sounds of children. Are they playing?  The visual confusion and sensory overload escalated frenetically. The echoes of voices assaulted him with a haunting quality that made little distinction between playing and screaming.
   A flash, what was that? Is that blood? And then the pain, such pain. Wait...who is he? A frightened young boy passes before his mind's eye. He can't be more than five years old! Another face, an older face. A new voice, what is he saying? In low tones, words reverberated through the senseless vision.


Denver. Remember.
More pain, a knife flashes.
Rumbling and shaking.
More flashes.
Denver.
Remember.
Flashes.
Remember.
Rumbling.
Flashes.
Denver.

Out of nowhere, a pale child stood before him.
The young boy screamed in terror, blood on his hands.
A flash of white light grew brighter, brighter, blinding with the force of a hundred suns.
And then an explosive crash so loud that it would not only wake the dead, it would surely rend them out of their graves.

   Denver snapped awake and jumped to a seated position, bathed in sweat, as his heart pounded within a few beats of complete cardiac arrest. His head frantically spun about in the darkness, as the peal of thunder had just passed it's crescendo and was retreating into the distance with all the subtlety of a squadron of low-flying heavy bombers. The entire building rattled and reeled beneath the onslaught, but soon everything around him returned to a dead calm, with the notable exception of his nerves.

   His mind quickly assessed the situation: Lightning must've knocked the power out again. Looks like warm beer for breakfast. Terrific.

   He sat almost frozen at first, gradually transfixed by a new and unfamiliar sound. The curious sound of silence. That's odd. He made an educated guess about where his large, picture window would be and stared hard into the nothingness in that general direction. Whoa. Whole city must be out.

   He sat and argued with himself about the merits of simply going back to sleep, but was rudely interrupted by a tough question that refused to lie down: Where are all the cars? Where are the lights from the cars? He stared again into the best-guess window area. Still nothing. Lightning can knock out the power, but not car headlights. He rubbed his hands on the couch, something wasn't right. He leaned over and felt all around. This isn't my couch, it's my bed. When did I move to my bed?

  He rose up slowly, his heart rate and breathing just about back to normal.  His analysis continued: That's why I can't see the cars, I'm in my bedroom...duh. He attempted to look around in all directions, and then he spotted it.

A light.

   Not a city light, or a car's headlights, but a weak, warm incandescent glow.  He could make out a straight line, actually two lines, maybe a doorway, not far away. He moved along the edge of the bed, disoriented, but now fully awake. Something hit him in the stomach and he stopped cold, he felt it. A chair? Feels like a wooden chair. But I don't have a chair in my bedroom!

   He navigated around the out-of-place furnishing and progressed towards the light. It was a doorway, and the door was nearly closed. He pushed it wide and was stunned by the sight. The room both confused him and clarified his misgivings in the same instant. He had walked into a bathroom, but not his bathroom. In fact, not the bathroom of anyone he knew, or had ever known, for that matter.

   This bathroom was...different. A porcelain toilet, rusty sink, and a plain tub with a hideous shower curtain greeted him. That was pretty much it, except for a gradually sloping tiled floor leading to a filthy floor drain.
  He backed out and moved into what he thought was his bedroom. With some effort, he located a small switch on the wall and flipped it. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.

   He wasn't in his bedroom. He wasn't even in his apartment. And he probably wasn't even in Manhattan. He stared into a long, single room, complete with a bed, a small table and chair, a telephone, a green door, and closed curtains along the far wall.

   He was in a motel room.

   And not just any motel room, but a motel room that had been in desperate need of a remodeling since at least the Vietnam War, maybe even the Korean. He was fascinated by the large, black phone by the bed, and walked over to it. A rotary phone? He picked up the handset and listened to the tone. Just for fun, he spun the rotary dial, it clicked back into place, he hung up. He glanced around again. No television? I gotta be dreaming. 

   He moved quickly towards the thick curtains, and cautiously peeled the left side back a bit. He could barely make out a nearly empty parking lot through the dirty glass, a few lights, no activity. He grabbed the handle and the door opened under extreme protest. He stepped out onto the sidewalk along the building. There were about a dozen units along the wall, and a handful of cars, mostly parked to his far right. In the distance, straight ahead, there appeared to be some city lights, though he couldn't tell how far, but surely at least a few miles.

   He grabbed his cellphone to check the time, and hopefully his location. The display was a predictable disappointment except for the time, 9:34pm.  He pulled it closer.  Do I have a signal? How many bars?

No and none.


Great.

He put the phone away and felt his back pocket, relieved to find that he still had his wallet. He opened it and strained to see the contents. At least fifty bucks. Good. It might take all that just to get a cab home!

Chapter Five

July 17, 1947

SECURITY LEVEL: TOP SECRET

FOR:  Chief Howard D. Ross, Project SATURN
FROM: Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, Director, Central Intelligence
SUBJECT: Roswell Event

Per your concern, and at my specific direction, the Roswell Event materials at Los Alamos have been quarantined under additional security (including the two specimens). No one will have access to the materials until your arrival, or per your authorization.

I have taken your new facility draft proposals to HST. I feel confident that I was successful in convincing the White House of the utmost necessity of this expenditure. I anticipate a green light by week's end.

Submit an estimate of lab, office, and staff spaces, as well as preliminary equipment and vehicle requirements. Include a layout for a long-term incarceration/holding center, and an airfield diagram. Detail a plan for temporary operations/housing while initial construction is underway.

Regarding Roswell: contain, control, confuse. You are authorized to disseminate an alternate narrative implicating flying discs and alien involvement, through proper channels. Secondarily, release official statements implicating weather balloon experimentation to account for all phenomena. Notify law enforcement to categorically deny the flying disc alternative narrative to maximize confusion.

Do not neglect the pursuit of temporally displaced individuals. As we move forward in time, the leads generated by the Roswell Event will grow, of necessity, exponentially colder.

END

DCI/PS
______________________________________________________

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 2- Hold Out for a Hero

I have to admit something...something, um, potentially dangerous.

Are you ready?

I'm not a big fan of the movie Footloose.

Now, don't get me wrong, I love it in salad, I love it on sandwiches with thinly sliced tomato--I even like it on pizza (occasionally), but I don't like Bacon in/on/around Footloose.

But, for all my displeasure in the dance-dance-rebellion flick, there is one redeeming factor---a little tune on the soundtrack by Bonnie Tyler.

Her lyrics will reveal where Bonnie and my Bloggie intersect:

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?

Where's the street-wise Hercules

To fight the rising odds?

I need a hero,
I'm holding out for a hero.

We are now knee-deep in this second installment of my Screenwriting 101 series. As we turn and look over our shoulder we will see that our first encounter centered around THE SECRET FORMULA. We discussed that mysterious-but-not-all-that-complicated equation that nearly every good movie/story/television program/etc follows, more or less.   (if you have not read Part 1-CLICK HERE)

For those who need a quick refresher, this is our movie story formula:

H + E x (O1 + O2 + O3) - SB + RB x FB = M

So what do mathematics and an 80's British, pop-star have in common?

They both need a HERO.

Here is that magical formula again, a little more fleshed out:

Hero + Event x (Obstacle1+Obstacle2+Obstacle3) - Setback + Rebirth x Final Battle = Movie

Bonnie seemingly can't go on without one, and neither can a movie. Notice, even the formula itself STARTS with a Hero. Without the Hero, the whole equation will dissolve into just a...ZERO (OK, I admit it, that was cheap shot, but it works with a rhyme...all the time).

But, it's true...if you want to write a good movie, a good story, it has to start and end with a Hero, and not just any Hero, but a Hero with certain qualities. In the high-brow world of fictional literature, you will often see a different term--the Protagonist. Your good guy(s) are the Protagonist(s) and the bad guy(s) are the Antagonists. 

If we boil down all good stories to their essentials, their fundamentals, their non-negotiables, we see that all good stories could be summarized as: a Hero who "goes on a quest" seeking Something. The Something can be a girl, gold, or glory...but it is Something the Hero must have.

But what does a Hero look like? Heroes truly do come in all shapes, genders, and varieties. A Hero can look like a young farm boy (Star Wars), a poor female bow-hunter (The Hunger Games), a mighty Norse-god (Thor), or even a group of wealthy Austrian singers (The Sound of Music). There is not a single mold from which all Heroes must necessarily be cast.

A Hero can be bold as a lion, or as meek as a mouse. They can have a selfless heart of gold, or be completely devoid of any of the normal moral virtues. At this point some of you are probably thoroughly confused and frustrated. You might be tempted to scream:

"Enough! It sounds like there are no rules or guidelines for the creation of a Hero!"

Now, you probably feel better for yelling and such, but, good news:

You're right and you're wrong.

You are right---there are no rules, you are wrong--there most definitely are important guidelines.

Let's look at the short list of these important characteristics, just remember the word CROW: 

(C): Heroes must be able to CHANGE. They need to have room for growth, whether in their skills, or morals, or empathy, or humility. A static character that never changes can be a great supporting role, but it rarely works for the Hero. "Perfect" beings are not always perfect for heroes.

(R): Heroes must be Relatable. One of the great emotional victories of a filmmaker is when he/she makes the audience identify with the protagonist. When you are watching a movie, if you ever have an emotional response, whether fear, joy, or excitement as the Hero goes along their journey, then you have become emotionally-invested in the character. If you feel what the Hero feels, if you are scared when the Hero is terrified, if you are thrilled as the Hero overcomes, then that film has a relatable Hero. Viewers/readers need to identify with some aspect of the protagonist.

Obviously, none of us are a powerful Norse-god (Thor), but all of us can identify with his "human" experiences. Most of us have had (at one time or another) a strained and awkward relationship with our parent(s), or the loss of a loved one, or feelings of betrayal, or the joy of friends who come to us at the moment of our greatest need.

This is/was the story of the Hero Thor (at least Marvel Studios' version on the silver screen).

(O): Heroes must be Obsessed. A Hero must have a need, a goal, a passion, a Something that they are after. A Hero must have a Something to pursue, a Something that even life itself is not worth living without.

It may be physical, emotional, or spiritual, but they must have an Obsession. It could be the passion to defeat the evil Empire (Star Wars), the love of a desirable woman (The Notebook), or the insatiable quest to obtain a priceless and powerful artifact (Raiders of the Lost Ark), but they must have a goal, an endgame, a prize.

(W): Heroes must have a Weakness. As we alluded to before, perfect, flawless, spotless characters may be pretty to look at, but after awhile, that "beauty" becomes hard to deal with. If you are female, imagine going to the beach with the latest Mrs. Universe standing next to you all day long. Not fun.

Good Heroes need to have bad flaws. I am not saying that you have to make each Hero into a closet Nazi, but they must have areas of their character that are definite fixer-uppers. It could range from a proclivity to booze (Arthur), to a strong allergic reaction to Kryptonite (Superman), or a debilitating lack of humility (Iron Man).

Before we close our little session today about Heroes, there is a single issue to clear up:

The single issue is that Heroes don't have to be Single.

No, I am not speaking of their marital status, I am speaking of their number. Heroes can be individuals (Forrest Gump) or groups (Lord of the Rings).

Heroes can be lonely men (CastAway) or sweaty football teams (Friday Night Lights). Heroes can be duos (Dumb and Dumber), Trios (The Three Amigos), or even groups of animals (Homeward Bound).

Heroes: make them fun, make them real, make them flawed, make them human. As we said, there are no "hard and fast" rules, but hopefully through this blog your own personal adventure into screenwriting has been clarified, refined, and inspired.

As we began with Bonnie Tyler, let's let her cries bring us to a final thought:

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream of what I need.

She said that she is holding out for a Hero. So is your story. As a tortured writer, as one who cannot sleep until you have worked through that difficult plot point, or that one amazing plot twist, act like Bonnie and "toss and turn and dream" of what you need. And somewhere in the night, whether by fiery steed, or gentle breeze, may that perfectly imperfect Hero, a Hero beautifully flawed---may they ride, crawl, or fly into your pages. 

But whatever you do...hold out for a Hero.

CLICK HERE FOR PART 3

WGA Script Registration: Episode 2 and 3

We all like certificates. We hang them on our fridges, our office wall, or line them up and down the hallway upstairs. There are certificates that announce collegiate attainment, fishing championship exploits, and plain-ole-appreciation documentation.

Well, I received two certificates in the mail today, neither of which mentioned that I won the "Biggest Bass" contest, or that I had graduated Valet-Dictatorian, or that anyone actually appreciates any of my many minor accomplishments. But, nonetheless, these are important certificates.

In order to protect your "intellectual property" in show-business (scripts, screenplays, etc) they must either be registered with the US Copyright Office or the Writer's Guild of America (WGA). This allows you to demonstrate exactly WHEN you had specific show ideas/concepts in written form (a very important issue in the world of Hollywood--where ideas and pitches are passed around like frisbees).

I registered all three teleplays (a television screenplay) for Back to Normal. The registration certificates for Episodes 2 and 3 came in today. They won't be displayed on the ice box, or in my den, or down the hall, but they are here for all to enjoy.

An Agency Says "WOW"!

Everybody loves affirmation.

(and if you say that YOU don't---well then "Good for you!")
(and if that made you feel good, then you love affirmation)

I have been "officially" promoting Back to Normal since exactly 2:00 pm CST on Tuesday, January 28, 2014. (Yeah, I know, I'm pathetic)  So I am well over a month into this exciting, nerve-wracking, and sometimes frustrating process---and yet, I will admit to you, every time I check my email and see a new email with a subject line about Back to Normal...I still get Christmas-morning-butterflies.

Um, today, in fact just a few hours ago...I got those butterflies...actually, a belly full of them. And, turns out, with good reason.

Let me share some insight into the transformation you go through when it comes to reading emails while trying to promote a new TV show.

First, you don't just randomly click on the email to read it. There is always a pause, you kind of straighten up in your chair, adjusting yourself almost like you are in a face-to-face job interview (silly huh?). Second, you transfix yourself on the very first word of the message. Almost always, the first word is a tiny microcosm of the entire revelation. Often, you don't even need to read the rest of the email. The first word is often the last word.

Here is a short list of FIRST WORDS you never want to see:
1. Sorry
2. Not
3. Thanks (usually followed by BUT)
4. After (usually followed by "consideration we have to pass")
5. We (usually followed by "are not interested at this time.")

Now, here is a short list of FIRST WORDS you definitely WANT TO SEE:
1. Wow
2. wow
3. WOW
4. wow!
5. Wow!

Other words that are important (besides the coveted "first-word-status") would be: love, interests, speak, really, and you. With all of that in mind, let me share with you the email that I received today from a Talent Agency in Beverly Hills (look closely and see if you can identify which of the 5 Good First Words you can find, as well as other key words):

"wow. I really love the project. I have turned down most submissions, but this one still interests me. You know the production side of things can take a while to get a project on its feet. We are in the middle of this year's pilot season already. I would love to speak with you further. I am submitting actors currently for projects and I have a few production meetings today and tomorrow.  Perhaps the weekend will work."

If emails from talent agencies could be classified as a precious metal---this email is solid gold, maybe platinum.  This agency has over 70 years of combined agency experience, and they rep over 700 actors and professionals. I have been impressed by the philosophy and passion of this particular agent.

When you realize that people in the biz know that every word they say and type will be PARSED and analyzed, I doubt that many key words are accidental or hyperbole.

They have hundreds, if not thousands, of people submitting, pitching, and clamoring for their time and attention. They know how to freeze a dream with a word, and practically kill months of work with a single syllable. 

But, I will take this single syllable: wow. (Did you notice---first word status.) I will also take: love, really, interests, love (again), speak, and you.  

Speaking of single syllable words, here is a list of monosyllabic gems that I would like to use in that upcoming phone call, or at least, a phone call soon after that phone call.
1. Thank
2. You
3. Yes
4. I
5. Will
6. Sell
7. This
8. Script
9. To 
10. You
11. For
12. Big
13. Big
14. Cash
15. So
16. When
17. Do
18. We
19. Sign?
20. :)

SCREENWRITING 101: Part 1-The Secret Formula

We've all been there. The climactic scene of the movie brings everything to a nearly thunderous applause. The credits roll as emotions slowly ween off the thrilling high.

People haphazardly rise as the lights come up, and the reluctant exodus out of the theater begins.

And then...it happens.

As you walk out, a still, small voice whispers from the back of your mental recesses:

"I could write a movie like that."

Ok, maybe it didn't happen at the cinema, maybe it was during or after a great TV movie, or a favorite weekly episode. But, regardless, we've all imagined writing that great movie or TV show at one time or another.

I mean, c'mon---it can't be THAT hard! It's just stringing a bunch of exciting scenes together with some decent acting and a solid musical score and VOILA! A movie just falls out onto the floor, vibrant, living, and ready to make boatloads of ready-cash.

Right?

Right???

Well, you are right in one respect: when it comes to the STORY (and everything eventually comes down to the story) you are absolutely correct--it really isn't that hard. Notice that I never said it was EASY, or SIMPLE, or even NATURAL. But writing a screenplay (movie script format) or a teleplay (TV format) is not too terribly difficult. Once you have the initial idea (the AHA!), in a very real sense, the flow of the story follows a basic formula...more or less.

And don't worry, the "formula" is nothing like the quadratic equation or some scattered, alphabet soup covered with enough exponents to make the most-hardened engineering student cry. No, no--it is a fairly basic formula, a nice, predictable, tried-and-true, comfortable formula.

 Thousands upon thousands of people before you have used it, and you can use it, too. Everybody does. In this instance, it's really OK to go with the flow.

It works.
Plug-n-play.

Are you ready for the secret formula (that's not really a secret)?

Here it is, take notes, memorize it, Snapchat it, tattoo it on your sleeve:

H + E - V x (O1 + O2 + O3) - SB + RB x FB = M

Do you understand? Told you it wasn't so bad! What? You're what? Lost? Oh, the variables seem too random and meaningless? Gotcha, let me clear that up, here you go:

Hero + Event - Villain x (Obstacle1+Obstacle2+Obstacle3) - Setback + Rebirth x Final Battle = Movie

To put this into a more reader friendly narrative, I will elaborate:

A MOVIE is about a Hero (H), who has an Event (E) happen that causes a whole new direction in their life. The Hero then has to face some type of Villain (V) to navigate a series of ever-increasing Obstacles (O) in order to reach a goal. But just as they are about to get to the goal, they experience a huge Setback (SB). Shortly after the Hero has the appearance of total defeat, something happens leading them to a Rebirth (R) of strength, or of will, or of purpose. They then go on to face their Final Battle (FB) in order to achieve the goal.

If you will stop and examine about 95% of the movies or TV shows that you have seen, and peel back the layers of action, special effects, and emotion, you will see this familiar skeleton emerge, propping the whole thing up.

The secret formula is the foundation, the infrastructure, the framework upon which all else hangs and shines.

Wow, a little bit of mathematical-analogy and the daunting, heavenly, creative genius of the high-and-mighty silver screen becomes a thing of mortal man, well within reach of all of us.

In our next installment, we will look at H (remember, that's Hero--or Heroine, but not Heroin, that's a drug).

To go on to Part 2 - CLICK HERE

Over a 1000 Views!

Thank you to the fans (or the casually obsessed) for a real milestone for this blog.

We just PASSED OUR 1000th VIEW!

Just over a fragile two-weeks old, and this little meandering walk down memory lane and yet a focused gallop into the future is gaining traction and support.

It is my sincere wish that, by living vicariously through my struggles, triumphs, and tragedies, that the hidden creativity buried deep inside of you will rise to the surface.

I will be posting some "educational" posts in the near future of the process of writing for film and television. Trust me, it's not difficult (uh, I mean...I did it). If anyone is inspired to tackle a writing project due to this digital diary, then please drop me a note, PM, or email.

You are my inspiration.

Now, let's see how fast we get to 10,000.  

It Doesn't Hurt to Ask...

It was a fascinating contradiction last night. On the outside, a massive onslaught of ice, sleet, snow, and brutally cold air raged like a Midwest madman, but inside--the prospects for taking "Back to Normal" to the next level were really HEATING UP nicely.

A chance phone call from a local businessman (and long time friend!) during the height of the storm (and in the middle of the Oscars) prompted an opportunity. Before we hung up, I simply asked:

"Do you know ANYONE that you could connect me with that could help me get Back to Normal promoted?"

There was a tiny pause at the other end of the line, and then five magic words:

"Actually, yeah, yeah I do."

He then went on to relay the details of a high school friendship in the 80's that has continued until now. As I listened, my hopes began rising as quickly as my eyebrows. I think you will agree...this connection is solid gold:

His contact in Los Angeles served two terms on the Board of Directors for the Motion Picture Editors' Guild. He graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television. You may have heard of some of the films he has worked on:

Mrs. Doubtfire 

Speed

Down Periscope 

The Truman Show 

Snow Day

Vanilla Sky

Plus, many more movies, and tons of TV shows that have lit up our flat-screens over the past several years. With all the mouth-watering anticipation of a Pavlov Poodle, I implored him:

"Would you please contact him right now and get us connected?"

When you are desperate and passionate, you become strangely bold, and pride can take a hike. That is the question that I have asked just about everyone that I know. Everybody knows somebody...who knows somebody.

He encouraged me to reach out to his LA contact on Facebook and request Friend status. I quickly located him and did just that. Moments later, it was accepted. By the end of the night, as the piling snow took center-stage and the howling winds sang backup, I had messaged the exciting new prospect several times, and he agreed to take a look at my material soon. He said that tomorrow (now today, Monday) he had quite a bit of work regarding final edits on a movie he is working on right now, but that he would look at it ASAP.

It's interesting how it works...with 100% chance of snow, a chance phone call leading to a chance encounter that could provide a chance for a television show in a environment where the chances for success are less than one in a thousand.

It just goes to prove the old line, "It never hurts to ask." Nope, it sure doesn't.

UPDATE: Video Call Details

Almost to the exact second, right on time, the familiar beep-dee-boop of the unmistakable call-pending ring of Skype signaled the arrival of my video-conference-call with Max Freedman of Max Freedman Media (LA-based talent agency).

The call lasted nearly 1.5 hours, starting at straight-up noon local time.

The ice was quickly and easily broken as we shared interesting and opposite roots. I was born and raised in California and then was transplanted to Missouri...Max was born and raised in Missouri and was then transplanted to California.

There was no awkwardness, no pretense, and no dead air. We are both "gold medal champions" in conversational English, especially when it comes to matters of media, movies, and the like.

He shared quite a bit about his life story regarding his experience in the "bizness". He is affable, raw, unapologetic, warm, and colorful in conversation. Once we got past formalities and introductions and backgrounds, he discussed his "style." He offered that he will not read any scripts or watch any teasers/trailers, etc. until AFTER he has talked with a potential client in person (call or video). He said that if he can't stand someone's personality, then he is not interested in working with them either.

He talked about the unrealistic expectations of the inexperienced writer of today. He shared that people come to him with poorly written material, often improperly formatted or even downright-incomplete, and then expect him to "take it to the next level." He said that he is not interested in that model. He shared that he prefers to look at the process of promoting a script as a partnership, a joint-custody arrangement where everyone is pulling their load to carry the ball down the field. I gather that he is a bit unorthodox in this respect, and I would expect that it "works" for him. He has been in the biz long enough to earn the right to be outside the mainstream, perhaps.

He told me that his mailbox and emailbox are both filled everyday with query letters. (A query letter is a formal request from a writer to a potential talent agent in order to get the agent to "request" a copy of the script you are wanting them to read. The overwhelming majority of talent agencies will not, under any circumstances, accept "unsolicited scripts"--therefore the function of the query letter is to get them to "solicit" the script from you.)

He told me that he saw my query email, and that there was something different, something special about it. Now, it could be a tactic, a method of making you feel "special," or it may have been heartfelt. His unapologetic style inclines me towards the latter. At this point, it is really moot, though. I queried, he responded, and we spoke face to face. As our first conversation drew to a close, he got point-blank:

"What do you want from me?"

An interesting question, a leading question...a revealing question. I told him that I was a "veteran" in terms of the media industry (my career going back to the late 80s) but that when it comes to promoting a script, I am a "child." Just as children often need the experience of an adult to lead them by the hand...I need experience to lead me as well.

We had to end the conversation due to obligations on my part, and he asked me at least twice to email him back as soon as I returned home. He said he was going to now watch my teaser/trailer, and that he wanted to continue our conversation. We hung up and he immediately emailed me and said:

"Excellent discussion. Thanks very much for your time and upbeat energy."

It's exciting...it was my first video conference with a legitimate and established Los Angeles/Hollywood Media Insider. I doubt that it could have gone better. I am sure that with all the bad weather on the way (up to 4-6 inches of snow tonight and tomorrow) I should have plenty of time for another Skype call very soon. We may be frozen under a thick layer of ice, but the new friendship that has been forged with Mr. Freedman is refreshingly warm and cozy.