Monthly Archives: January 2008

WGA Strike: Deal this week?

Ease yourself into your home theater chairs before reading this, but TV Guide.com is reporting there is a possibility – just a slim one at the moment – that the WGA Writer’s Strike could end this week. According to the site’s Ask Ausiello, at least two sources have said a deal is in place and …

January 31, 2008 – 12:25 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Research essential to good writing

Sometimes you have to know a lot more than what ends up on paper. Whether it’s a screenplay, stage play or a high school essay, it always comes across who knows their stuff and who’s flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to writing well on any topic. And you can be …

January 28, 2008 – 2:07 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in late night writing, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Spartans top box office

“Scary Movie”-style comedy “Meet the Spartans” beat out the return of Sylvester Stallone’s John Rambo character, laughing up $18.7 million at the box office this weekend, the movie’s debut. Rambo, meanwhile, wasn’t far behind, coming up with over $18.1 million to take second place at the box office. That’s not a spectacular debut, but it’s …

January 28, 2008 – 1:52 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Strike could end by Oscars?

TV Guide.com is predicting, based on talks on strike lines with striking writers, that the WGA Strike could be over in time for the Oscars, which are scheduled to air on February 24. That’s about four weeks away. While a bold prediction, there is evidence both in favor of, and against, such a resolution, so …

January 28, 2008 – 1:28 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

An old friend returns … tone-deaf!

An old friend has returned to television, still as tone-deaf as ever. That’s right, American Idol is back on the air and since it’s a reality show that doesn’t use writers, we can at least look forward to a full season of that! Even in a fully programmed season, American Idol is a ratings winner. …

January 17, 2008 – 11:52 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Writers and studios need the Love Boat

The WGA is trying to strike individual deals with studios since Hollywood producers aren’t willing to come to the table and negotiate; now studios are striking back by canceling contracts with a large number of writer-producers who are no longer producing any writing. The writer’s strike is getting ugly, especially in light of the fact …

January 17, 2008 – 11:45 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in 2007 WGA Strike | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Advantages of paperless writing

The paperless era of writing has at least one benefit: it has reduced the importance of owning dehumidifiers to keep manuscripts dry all year long, once they are in storage. Long gone should be movie scenes in which a strong wind robs a just-finished writer of his or her long labored-over work, destroying months of …

January 13, 2008 – 6:24 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

How to get published advice: Jump at every chance to write!

My last major point on how to get published our produced is based on the simple dictum that writers write. (Unless, of course, they live in Hollywood; then writers either write or strike.) But that’s the exception to the rule. So forget about the well-paid Hollywood types who live in condo hotels. This is advice …

January 8, 2008 – 11:09 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Tips on getting published | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

How to get published advice: Avoid self-publishing!

Some inexperienced writers are so eager to get out of their baby cribs that they often lose patience with the “submit, wait, get rejected” cycle that so often precedes an acceptance letter, that they turn instead to some of the most insidious forms of getting your work in print: self-publishing. Well, all I can say …

January 8, 2008 – 10:48 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Tips on getting published | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

How to get published advice: Electronic submissions

Some people can find help for improving as writers in college; others can’t handle that tuition wise and need to look more in the direction of local writers groups, many of which have free meetings to meet and critique each other’s work. But eventually you need to grow beyond that and submit your work to …

January 8, 2008 – 10:31 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Tips on getting published | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

How to get published advice: Make sure you can write!

Whether you’re writing the Great American Novel, or a DIY manual impishly titled Bonfire of the Bathroom Vanities, a lot of people wonder just how it is published writers get published and produced scriptwriters get produced. So I’ve decided to do a few posts with practical advice for beginners. Here’s my first tip: Make sure …

January 8, 2008 – 6:04 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Tips on getting published | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Car goes vroom, kids get help

Ever heard of Car Angel? Well, about 2.4 million kids know of their work. The nonprofit group looks for car donations that they can either fix up and sell, or sell as-is. It’s a tax write-off for the people who make the donation, and all proceeds get funneled into a video outreach to at-risk kids …

January 8, 2008 – 5:56 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)