Never Forget

Being raised a "Navy junior" is an experience many share. From as far back as I can remember, our lives were shaped by the military. We moved every 2-3 years (which was hard as a child but now I'm glad of it) and lived in several of the United States including Hawaii.

At the ripe old age of 5, I remember my father building a float for the Memorial Day parade in Columbus, Ohio where we were stationed. It was a replica of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This made such an impression on me. My little mind couldn't understand why we didn't know who was in there. In fact, there is no body in the tomb. It's so those who've lost someone (MIA) can imagine them in there.

My father (who'll be 91 this June) will be buried one day at Arlington National Cemetery. Those war years as a fighter pilot and the decades of service afterwards training pilots and flying super-connies during the cold war are times he'll never forget. His family won't either. We have many fond memories too. One of my favorites is playing in the surf with a giant airplane inner-tube.

It wasn't until I met my father in Paris in the late spring of 2004 for a Trafalgar Tour that took us to Normandy during the 60th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that I began to understand how deeply he remembers. As it happens, there was an elderly man on tour with us who'd survived the invasion. As our bus lumbered through the French countryside, we passed allied forces bivouacked, re-enactment style, in the hills and valleys - the Omaha Beach veteran narrated his arrival on the beachhead as his comrades-in-arms fell dead all around him.

We walked on that beach, which is now a kind of sacred park dedicated to the men who fought and died there. My father (who has never been one to share his emotions) did not speak about his war experiences on the bus. But later that day I saw him standing alone in the sea of white crosses overlooking the English Channel in silence. I think he was overwhelmed with memories of the friends he won't see again until he rejoins them on the other side.

My father graduated from Annapolis in 1942 and saw his first tour of duty the year after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. He was an Ensign on a destroyer that went down in the Guadalcanal Campaign (aka Iron Bottom Bay). Radar was primitive in those days. They were hit hard amid ship and sunk in a matter of minutes. My father says he and the Captain literally stepped off the bridge into the shark-infested waters. The Captain was never seen again.

My father was a champion swimmer and that's probably how he managed to stay afloat for 18 hours before he and a handful of others were rescued. I know he remembers sitting under a palm tree in a kind of daze and that at night a solo Japanese pilot would fly over the Marines encamped on the island. They called that flier Washing Machine Charlie because the plane sounded like a washing machine and kept them from a good night's sleep. But that's about all I know.

After that harrowing experience, the man who would become my father returned to the U.S. for flight school. The rest, you might say, is history. He met my mother at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station where she was working as a secretary by day and singing in an Andrews Sisters type trio at the USO by night. You can be sure that years later, when our family was stationed near Pearl Harbor, I was taken to visit the USS Arizona - an experience I'll never forget. Today we remember the fallen from all wars, past and present.

This is also one reason why I have a thing for a man in a uniform.

Photo Credit: Thomas D. McAvoy and John Moore for Time/Life.

Impressions of the Cave of Forgotten Dreams

Spent yesterday with my oldest brother, who is visiting from California, my karate black belt brother and my sister (aka the entire sibling clan). We ran around Austin in search of vegan dishes and unique places and, at the end of the day, landed at the new Violet Crown (a SoHo-esque art house theatre on 2nd street) and saw Werner Herzog's latest documentary, Cave of the Forgotten Dreams.



This film was inspired by an article that appeared in the New Yorker . Judith Thurman's New Yorker story documents the historical significance of the art and some of the conflicting views on its interpretation. It's worth reading before seeing the film (if you can manage that), so rich is the material it represents. I'd like to project this rock art on the walls of my apartment and live with them for a while.

Herzog does a fantastic job of capturing the wonder of Chauvet cave - preserving as much as possible the sense of climbing through a limestone portal and landing 32,000+ years in the past. The cave is severely limited to visitors to protect the integrity of the find, which dates to the Paleolithic Era. Although it contains the oldest known art on earth, Chauvet, like Lascaux and other rock art caves around the world, it was almost certainly used for ritual/rites-of-passage because there is no evidence of anything ever living there except cave bears and wolves.

The movie offers a kind of ecstatic truth that transcends the strictly logical mind. That sort of thing has a deep, resonating emotional appeal for me. And it appears to have a similar effect on the majority of audience members judging by its reception at film festivals and in theatres that still see the value in showing movies that aren't made for the blockbuster mindset. Here's Werner talking to students at AFI.

On Being Prepared - Explained

Just wanted to clarify that I do not own any guns, nor do I have any interest in owning any guns. They scare me because I don't know how to use them. I posted the following story a couple of days ago as a metaphor but then realized some might misconstrue its meaning out of the context in which I'd intended it - negotiating a deal. It's about being ready for anything.

When I go walking in the mountains of California I always carry a big stick (like a tree branch) - as a warning to any wild cats or bears. Those animals really are out there and will attack if they're hungry enough or if you stumble on their young. Carrying a big stick communicates. It says "don't mess with me".

Anyway, here's that story...

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A friend of mine (whom I've known for many years) sent me this story via email today. He said it sounded like me. I take that as a compliment. Thanks Hermann:)

On the way to a monthly meeting, a Texas lady was stopped by a highway patrolman. He asked for her drivers license and insurance. The lady took out the required information and handed it to the patrolman. In with the cards he was surprised to see she had a conceal carry permit. He looked at her and asked if she had a weapon in her possession at this time. She responded that she indeed had a .45 automatic in her glove box. Something, body language or the way she said it, made him want to ask if she had any other firearms. She did admit to also having a 9mm Glock in her center console. Now he had to ask one more time if that was all, and she responded once again she did have just one more, a .38 special in her purse. The officer then asked her what she was so afraid of. She looked him right in the eye and said, "Not a damn thing!"

Negotiating the Deal: The Softer Version

UPDATE May 27, 2011. It's a done deal. Work begins June 1.
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Today I'm negotiating the terms of a writing gig. This is all about being clear. Getting things down in writing and asking for what you want. Basically, it's when a decision has been made to work together. Both sides come to the table. The producer/publisher makes an offer. The writer mulls it over and makes a counter offer. That's where we are now. I'm mid-mull.

I'm taking this step very seriously because I got burned so badly a couple of years ago. I had come to Texas to look after the health and well-being of my mother. As her medical power of attorney, this was not only my deepest desire as her daughter but it was my legal duty. While here, casting about as to how to do what was best for her, a powerful figure in Hollywood asked me to come back to L.A. to help with story development.

Since I had worked with this person before at a major studio, I was confident that they would honor my contract with the Editors Guild. So I drove back to L.A. that weekend to accept the job. That was a huge mistake. I should've gotten a written offer on the table BEFORE leaving. When I got back to L.A., the deal was not what I assumed it would be and there was no opportunity to negotiate. I declined the offer they presented, worked for 1 week and never heard another word. It cost me thousands and set me back months in the caregiving progress I had made with my mother.

So here I am, doing a much smaller deal in terms of money and prestige but I am hammering out the details in advance. This way everyone is clear about two of the biggest parts of any such agreement: time and money. In this, at least, I am less naive than I have been in the past. Without my guild standing behind me with a big club, I need to do my due diligence.

Writers frequently receive substandard treatment because there are so many people out there willing to do the work. Because of this it's easy for producers/publishers to think of us as expendable. Without a contract or other written understanding of the terms of the agreement, lines of communication can get crossed up and opportunities (even relationships) are lost. This is why we need agents and managers, lawyers and contracts.

The pen is mightier than the sword. Here's something to think about. Producers and publishers don't have anything without content. ZIP. NADA. ZERO. So my message to writers is don't work for free - ask for what you want but be willing to negotiate. Ideas and stories, well told, are among the most valuable things in the world.

On Stranger Tides

Update#2: May 25, 2011. Pirates soon to set sail on television in the form of specials and a limited series on Fox. Deadline Hollywood has the story.
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UPDATE: May 23 2011. The latest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean was number 1 this weekend in the states, raking in 90.1 million domestically and a whopping 256.4 million overseas(which sets an international record for this pre-Memorial Day weekend) bringing the opening tally to $346+ million.
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Since I'm not the only one who has gone batty for pirate lore, here, my lovely readers, is a Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides spoof from some rum soaked mates in Honolulu. Pretty silly stuff but funny in a Wayne's World way. I love the idea of Jack Sparrow in present time. Watch out, it could happen!



All four (of the real) movies where written by the very talented writing team of Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot and a fifth movie script is already in the works. Say what you will, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most successful movie franchises in history.

If I'm not mistaken, POC is the only blockbuster franchise that has used the same writing team for the entire franchise. So why isn't anybody interviewing the writers? They'd be dead in the water without great scripts. Turns out, somebody has thought of that. Here's the link. Dated but interesting anyway.

Day of Rest - Update

Especially for my sweet commenter:) Business is booming. Although there's still no word on the travel writing job, since my last day of rest (5 days ago), I pitched that local weekly newspaper, am now working on a freelance story for said paper (who also offered me a steady gig) and had two businesses inquire about hiring me to write content for them.

Oh dear. What shall I do? This is a good problem to have. In fact, it's quite a bit of fun. The thing is, I'm a lot like the character in the Cole Porter song "Don't fence me in" . Even though most would jump at the sure thing, I'm inclined to take my chances on the wide open spaces. And yet, my analytical side isn't going for that either.

So a compromise would seem to be in order. It's so interesting that when you're not working, the world can feel like such a lonely place. Once you're working, people perk up, start asking you for your rates and offering you more work. This is human nature and it makes no sense at all that it should come as a surprise but there you have it. So things are going well. Very well. Thanks for asking.

Now, if I could just get the characters in my short stories to cooperate with as much enthusiasm. The White Hat appears to have ridden off into the sunset and I haven't seen hide nor hair of Mohimbu (a shaman who lives in another story) for weeks. You know what will happen. I'll get so busy my characters will start demanding my attention. That's another problem I definitely won't mind having.

April/May Literary Sales

The economy may still be floundering but Hollywood keeps on buying books, scripts and pitches for development. This report includes major feature film, independent feature and TV literary sales for the last month. Even at a glance it's obvious that the vast majority are packaged (e.g., have a strong producing/writing and or/directing team attached and in many cases star power). Business as usual.

Out of the 36 projects (and there are more if you count in-house development deals based on internal ideas and pitches and independent sales not reported to the media) roughly 40 percent are based on books or preexisting material and half are comedies balanced out by a mix of biopics, sci-fi, thrillers and reality series.

The Hatfields and McCoys
TV miniseries
History Channel, Thinkfactory Media
EP: Leslie Greif, Nancy Dubuc, Dirk Hoogstra
P: Kevin Costner, Herb Nanas, Darrell Fetty
W: Ted Mann
Historical drama chronicling the legendary family feud. Kevin Costner stars.

Gulliver Quinn
TV pilot
Disney XD, Turtle Rock Productions, Inc.
EP: Jon Heder, Dan Kopelman, Stan Rogow
D: Rob Schrab
W: Dan Kopelman
Comedy pilot about a man in his late 20s who enrolls in 7th grade after living apart from society for 15 years. Jon Heder stars.

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale
Feature
Columbia Pictures, Material Pictures
Based on the novel, Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale, written by Carolyn Turgeon and published by Three Rivers/Crown on March 1, 2011.

The Future of Us
Feature
Warner Bros. Pictures, Di Novi Pictures
Based on the novel, The Future of Us, written by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler and published by Razorbill on Nov. 21, 2011.

Twittering from the Circus of the Dead
Feature
Mandalay Pictures
Based on the short story, “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead,” written by Joe Hill and published in the collection, The New Dead, by St. Martin's Griffin on Feb. 16, 2010.

Turkey Bowl
Feature
Warner Bros. Pictures, Gary Sanchez Productions, Closest to the Hole Productions
P: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy, Mark Wahlberg
W: Robert Carlock, Scott Silveri
Comedy about two men leading rival teams in an annual football game. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg to star.

The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust
TV movie
HBO, Tribeca Films
P: Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal
Biopic about the infamous investment advisor who stole millions from his clients. Robert De Niro is in talks to star.

The Hauntrepreneur
Feature
Paramount Pictures, Platinum Dunes
P: Michael Bay, Andrew Form, Brad Fuller
W: Scott Rosenberg
Comedy about a family who hires someone to create a haunted house that will help them adjust to their new town.

The Flintstones
TV series
Fox, 20th Century Fox Television
EP: Seth MacFarlane, Daniel Palladino, Kara Vallow
Modern update on the animated series about the iconic Stone Age family. Series is expected to premiere in 2013.

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
Feature
20th Century Fox, Chernin Entertainment
Based on the novel, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, written by Ransom Riggs and published by Quirk on June 7, 2011.

Untitled (Cross Creek Pictures/Becky Johnston Project)
Feature
Focus Features, Cross Creek Pictures
P: Brian Oliver, Alisa Tager, Becky Johnston
W: Becky Johnston
Comedy about an unhappy man who fakes his own death in an effort to create a better life for himself.

Alcatraz
TV series
Fox, Warner Bros. Television, Bad Robot
EP: J.J. Abrams, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Bryan Burk
W: Elizabeth Sarnoff, Bryan Wynbrandt, Steven Lilien
Drama about a team of Federal Bureau of Investigation agents investigating the mystery of the sudden reappearance of prisoners who had disappeared decades ago from the famed prison. Sam Neill, Jorge Garcia and Robert Forster to star.

Inside the Machine
Feature
CBS Films, Contrafilm
P: Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson
W: Marc Maurino
Action thriller about an undercover ATF agent trying to take down a brutal drug cartel being run from inside a maximum security prison.

The Sheriff
TV pilot
Spike, Electus, 5x5 Media
EP: Ben Silverman, Craig Armstrong, Tod Mesirow, Rick Ringbakk
Reality program that follows a top law enforcement officer as he oversees the procedural makeover of struggling sheriff departments.

Sal
Feature
Rabbit Bandini Productions
Based on the book, Sal Mineo: A Biography, written by Michael Gregg Michaud and published by Crown Archetype on Nov. 2, 2010.

Bachelorette
Feature
Gary Sanchez Productions
P: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay
W: Leslye Headland
Comedy about three best friends who are asked to be bridesmaids for a girl they ridiculed in high school.

Modern Love
TV pilot
Lifetime, Sony Pictures Tv, BermanBraun
EP: Jenny Bicks, Gail Berman, Lloyd Braun, Gene Stein, Alan Poul
W: Jenny Bicks
Based on a New York Times column, drama will follow a science editor as he struggles to balance work and family while taking on his new role as a newspaper columnist.

Magic Mike
Feature
Nick Wechsler Productions, 33andOut Productions, Inc.
P: Nick Wechsler, Gregory Jacobs, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin
W: Reid Carolin
Drama about a veteran male stripper who teaches a young dancer how to hustle both on and off the stage.

On We Go
TV pilot
USA, Universal Cable Productions
EP: Nathan Lane, Douglas McGrath
W: Douglas McGrath
Comedy starring Nathan Lane, about an actor who is cursed by his resemblance to Nathan Lane.

It’s the First Day of School...Forever!
Feature
Gotham Group, Lookout Entertainment, Gemini Girls Productions
Based on the novel, It’s the First Day of School...Forever!, by R.L. Stine and published by Feiwel & Friends on July 5, 2011.

Untitled (Columbia Pictures/Wedding Comedy)
Feature
Columbia Pictures, Unnamed Matt Tolmach Production Company
P: Matt Tolmach
W: Scott Neustadter (pitch), Michael H. Weber (pitch)
Romantic comedy about an American woman who marries a prince while vacationing in Great Britain.

For Better or Worse
TV series
TBS, The Tyler Perry Company, Debmar-Mercury Entertainment
EP: Tyler Perry
Series based on Tyler Perry’s “Why Did I Get Married?" with Michael Jai White and Tasha Smith

Snake and Mongoose
Feature
Rhino Films, Storywise Productions
P: Stephen Nemeth, Robin Broidy
W: Alan Paradise
Biopic about the rivalry between legendary drag racers Don "The Snake" Prudhomme and Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen and how they revolutionized the sport in the 1970s.

Around the World in 80 Ways
TV series
History Channel, Original Productions
EP: Thom Beers, Philip Segal, Julian P. Hobbs
Reality series following “Boston Rob” Mariano and monster truck maker Dennis Anderson as they travel the world using 80 unique forms of transportation.

Untitled (Paramount Pictures/Anna Faris Comedy)
Feature
Paramount Pictures, Roth Films
P: Joe Roth, Palak Patel, Anna Faris, Doug Wald
W: Deanna Kizis
Comedy about a young woman whose charming new roommate turns out to be a stalker.

A Visit From the Goon Squad
TV pilot
HBO, Groundswell Productions
EP: Michael London
W: Jennifer Egan (source)
Drama series based on the Pulitzer prize-winning book that follows a diverse group of interconnected people over a span of 30 years, with the changing music scene as a backdrop.

Parker
Feature
Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
P: Taylor Hackford, Steve Chasman, Les Alexander, Sidney Kimmel, Jonathan Mitchell
W: Donald Westlake (source), John McLaughlin
Thriller about a violent anti-hero criminal who will go to any lengths to pull of a heist.

Hot in Cleveland Spin-off
TV pilot
TV Land, Hazy Mills Productions
EP/W: Cedric the Entertainer, Suzanne Martin
Cedric the Entertainer will play a minister in this spin-off of the TV Land comedy series, with his character debuting in a June episode.

How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack
Feature
Sony, ImageMovers
Based on the book, How to Survive a Garden Gnome Attack: Defend Yourself When the Lawn Warriors Strike (And They Will), written by Chuck Sambuchino and published by Ten Speed Press on Sept. 7, 2010.

Black is the Color
Feature
20th Century Fox, 21 Laps Entertainment
Based on the novel, Black is the Color, written by Alexandra Bracken and to be published by Disney Hyperion in Summer 2012.

Lust
Feature
Stone Village Pictures
P: Scott Steindorff, Peter Fruchtman, Dylan Russell, Craig Baumgarten, Scott Lastaiti
W: Joe Eszterhas
Erotic thriller about a young married woman who has a dangerous affair with a charming gentleman.

Woody Allen: A Documentary
TV miniseries
PBS, Whyaduck Productions, Insurgent Media, Rat Television
EP: Robert Weide, Brett Ratner, Michael Peyser, Fisher Stevens, Andrew Karsch, Erik Gordon, Susan Lacy
D: Robert Weide
This two-part documentary offers a rare glimpse into the life of the prolific, New York-based writer-director.

Eight O'Clock in the Morning
Feature
Universal Pictures, Strike Entertainment
P: Marc Abraham, Eric Newman
W: Ray Nelson (source), Matt Reeves
Sci-fi thriller about a drifter who discovers that aliens are using mind control to instill apathy and obedience upon the masses.

Jane by Design
TV series
ABC Family, Pariah
EP: Gavin Polone, John Ziffren
W: April Blair
A high school girl leads a double life after she is mistaken for an adult and is employed by a retail company. Erica Dasher and Andie MacDowell star.

Through to You
Feature
Paramount Pictures, The Montecito Picture Company
Based on the novel, Through to You, written by Emily Hainsworth and to be published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in Fall 2012.

Wings of Madness
Feature
WedgeWorks
Based on the book, Wings of Madness: Alberto Santos-Dumont and the Invention of Flight, written by Paul Hoffman and published by Hyperion in 2004.

WGA Writers Report

WGA News Release - May 18, 2011 - Latest Industry Stats Show Gap Widens for Minority and Women Film & Television Writers.

LOS ANGELES -- The Writers Guild of America, West (WGAW) has released the Executive Summary of the 2011 Hollywood Writers Report: Recession and Regression. The study examines writers’ employment and earnings by ethnicity, gender, and age from 2008 through 2009 in the motion picture and television industry. As in previous years, diverse writers face significant obstacles to employment in Hollywood.

According to the report’s author Darnell Hunt, Ph.D., director of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies and professor of sociology at UCLA,

“From the initial project pitch to project completion, each phase of the production pipeline has the potential to serve as a barrier to or facilitator of increased diversity among industry writers. The WGAW is committed to working with the rest of the industry to ensure that the production pipeline is shaped less by the former and more by the latter. Diversity is not a luxury, not even in tough times. The Hollywood industry, in the final analysis, depends on increasingly diverse audiences and on the stories to which they can relate.”

The full report will be available in late summer. Some of the key findings in the summary include:

•Women writers’ overall employment share declined, driven by a one-point loss in the film sector, where women writers’ share dipped from 18% in 2007 to 17% in 2009.

•Although the employment share for women television writers remained stable (still a very low 28%), the earnings gap in television between male and female writers widened again – an 84% increase from the previous report, issued in 2009.

•While the minority share of television employment rebounded to 2005 levels (still a very low 10% up from 9%), the minority share of film employment declined to the lowest level in a decade (down from 6% to 5%).

•Despite the gain in television employment, the television earnings gap for minorities widened to the largest level in a decade. The television earnings gap for minorities more than doubled since the 2009 report.

•The employment rate remained flat for the largest group of older writers (age 41-50) at 61%; however the employment group for the youngest group of writers (under age 31), declined by four percentage points. TV writers age 51-60 had a decline of 1%, whereas writers age 61-70 actually had an increase of 1%.

To view the 2011 Hollywood Writers Report’s Executive Summary, click here.

Neil Gaiman Talks Dr. Who

One of my favorite fantasy writers is Neil Gaiman - a novelist who has had numerous books adapted to film. His episode of the BBC's beloved sci-fi adventure series Dr. Who ran over the weekend and has garnered lots of buzz. In it, Gaiman personifies the TARDIS as a beautiful woman. The TARDIS is the Doctor's ship which, due to a glitch in the system, is frozen in the shape of an English police box. It's basically a Pygmalion story (a man who so falls for his creation that it comes to life) and will no doubt change the trajectory of the show.

Here's Neil talking to young writers (they've got a contest going for kids 9-14 in the U.K.) but it pertains to anyone wanting to write for an episodic. What he's describing here is the television writer's need to work with the characters' filters. That is to say, every established series has characters who act in very specific ways for their own personal reasons - however eccentric. If you want to write for a series you really must channel those characters through their filters. The better you are at doing that, the more likely it is you'll get hired.



Then here's Neil again, talking about how one of his favorite scenes ended up on the cutting room floor because, as Gaiman so eloquently puts it, "TV is a response to the limitations of budget and time - both time to shoot and time to tell your tale". I would've loved to have seen the planet of the Rain Gods. Maybe Neil will take that and make it the subject of a whole new book.

Seal Team 6

Although there is no press release, on May 3 just two days after the May Day slaughter of Osama bin Laden in his secret Pakistan compound, Disney very quietly filed three forms to trademark the name Seal Team 6. Savvy people those mouseketeers. Ever since news came that Seal Team Six took out America's public enemy number 1, Americans have gone crazy with Seal-mania. The Navy moved immediately to name a new Navy destroyer after the late commando Lt. Michael Murphy (aka"The Protector") - who died in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban in 2005. Even Obama's sagging ratings have improved.

It doesn't take too much imagination to figure out that Disney plans to create a video game, a full compliment of toys and most likely a movie, books (a water park?) and apps to exploit the accomplishments of the Navy's elite. Call of Duty: Black Ops is already the most successful video game of all time - so what's the angle? It will most certainly be squeaky clean and will literally contain "no dust" (as the famous memo once proclaimed).

Media Bistro speculates that the newly trademarked name Seal Team 6 may be used in conjunction with Disney's feature animation development project about a group of anthropomorphic seals. Now that sounds exactly right. Whatever storyline they WERE working on is probably being reworked to reflect the heroism of a seal with a protector-esque nickname, saving the world from a terrorist threat (killer sharks? or maybe killer humans?). They could also be a group of performing seals who do amazing feats at a SeaWorld type park who end up saving the day, or maybe an unlucky trainer, from the jaws of a serial killer-whale. Or maybe they'll use Rudyard Kipling's poem Lukannon (from the Jungle Book, which I think they still own the rights to) for a more sobering story. Somehow I think they'll go with something more upbeat.

We'll see. Anyway, that's the skinny from the jungle. Nothing like a landmark current event to create a new Hollywood franchise. The takeaway here is not to be cynical or make moral judgements but to notice the mindset behind this move. Disney has managed to purchase (for very little money I might add) a piece of intellectual real estate that resides in a phrase with worldwide recognition. That's huge and oh so smart. Pirates of the Caribbean operates in the same manner - laying claim to all things pirate from Davy Jones' Locker and The Kraken to Blackbeard and the Dead Man's Chest.

It's an added perk that the phrase contains alliteration. Seal Team Six rolls nicely off the tongue. By the time the entertainment franchise they're working on debuts in the market (it will likely be years from now) what will remain in most people's minds is, first and foremost, recognition and association with heroic, all-American values. This is a lesson in jungle warfare, Hollywood style. To learn more, pick up a copy of my book, Script: A Writer's Guide to the Hollywood Jungle.

Seal Photo Credit: Dr. John Gibbens

Day of Rest

After spending a good three weeks on back-to-back writing assignments, I am finished and, like God, am declaring this a day of rest. I'm happy to announce that on Friday I was short-listed as the possible winner of a travel writing contest (remember those Trazzler blurbs? They like my Edwards Aquifer entry). If I do win, they'll hire me to write a bunch more of those.

Yesterday I was hired to write a series of reviews for Zagat. That'll be fun - and they don't even know how much I love to cook. Imagine, getting paid to do three of things I love most: eat, shop and write. I always felt that way about working as a story analyst/editor in Hollywood - paid to read, write and offer my opinion. Lucky me.

Writing travel pieces for Trazzler and restaurant reviews for Zagat is a long way from working on some of Hollywood's greatest films but any professional, paid writing job is legitimate and I don't consider my work in film to be over. I'm focused now on my own writing. If I return to Hollywood, it will be with my own projects. Most of us do lots of kinds of writing to cobble together a living while working on our passion, whether that's a script or a book or something else.

There is also a serendipity that happens. While working on a piece for one client, I bump into other ideas and information sources. The work feeds "the work", if you know what I mean. For example, over the last week I got the idea to pitch a small weekly newspaper with a uniquely crafted entertainment column. I'm still brainstorming the "uniquely crafted" part:) but that's coming.

So these are meant as words of encouragement for anyone who might be reading this to take pride in even the small writing assignments. The more varied the forms of one's writing, the more valuable and flexible one becomes as an artist. All of it requires focus and discipline even if that focus/discipline differs with each form.

Last but certainly not least, I finally asked my father (who is out of the hospital and feeling much better) if he'd consider creating some drawings for my growing collection of original short stories. My dad is a retired fighter pilot/Navy Commander. He's enormously talented as an artist but seems very hesitant to let his creative self out to play. I told him nobody has to know (oops, let that one out of the bag) and he consented to doodle around based on some inspirational art I sent to him. Now if I know my father, he'll do an outrageously fine job. So this is something to celebrate. And who knows, maybe my dad's art will illustrate my next book. Wouldn't that be cool?

Alexander McQueen's Savage Beauty

Although it's no news to the fashion community, Alexander McQueen's studio gained worldwide recognition last week when Kate Middleton married Prince William in a gorgeous dress by Sarah Burton from the McQueen house of design. If you're like me, you want to know more about the artist.

Sadly, Alexander McQueen committed suicide last year just a week after his mother's death. Stella McCartney was a friend and colleague of McQueen's and characterizes his work as "dramatic, subversive and just plain beautiful". I'm still doing some background research but McQueen's life story would make a fascinating character study and lend itself exceptionally well to film. Chances are better than good that a book on Lee's life is "in-work".

To commemorate and celebrate his impact on costuming and the fashion industry at large, May 4-July 1 The Costume Institute of New York is hosting a retrospective on Alexander McQueen's 19-year body of work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. According to museum curator Andrew Bolton, "Birds were one of McQueen's greatest inspirations". "This hat (says Bolton in referring to the bejeweled nest-egg hat featured in the following clip) is a poetic manifestation of his poetic nature." Savage Beauty includes 100 looks and 70 accessories up through 2010 when, after McQueen's passing, Sarah Burton took up his work as creative director at the studio.

McQueen: Savage Beauty on Nowness.com.