Author Archives: LeVack David

Looking for Writers

Pay: 25$ a script plus script published with art by top talent artists.
Percentage points available upon negotiation.

Submissions must be based on the logline provided to avoid any liabilities. This logline does not reflect any current or planned published projects. Submissions will be judged on how clearly, creatively, and succinctly they setup the characters world and motivation. So please take your time and do not rush. Don’t be afraid to go M.O.D.O.K. or Doom Patrol on this.

The Format:

SUBJECT line of e mail must read “WRITING SUBMISSION 2012″

Submission logline: A benevolent loner with fantastic abilities, and the only one of his kind, realizes the only way to unite humanity and stave off armageddon is to pose as a super villain.

Write 2 pages setting up character.
Write 1 page of an action sequence. Let the artist shine

Include NAME:
EMAIL:
send to quarterstonecomics at gmail dot com

Develop your perception – Helen Regan Smith

Returning to his home one eveming, an Indian discovered that his venison which he had hung up to dry had been stolen. His sharp indian eyes studied the surroundings, and then he began tracking the robber through the forest. Crossing a raod he saw a man driving a wagon and motioned him to stop.
“Have you seen a little old white man, carrying a shot gun, follow by a bobtail dog?”
“Yes, I passed him a mile or so north. He a friend of yours?”
“No.” The indian admitted. “I’ve never seen him. He stole my venison.”
“But how could you describe him, if you’ve never seen the man?”
“Easy. I read the signs. He was a little man because he rolled up a stone to stand on to reach the venison. His short steps showed him to be old, and his toes turned out as a white man’s do when walking. His gun left a mark on the tree where he stood it up. The dog’s tracks were small and close together and when he sat on the ground, his bobtail marked the dust.”
This is seeing with perception. You not only look at the thing itself, but you look at the signs that leave the telltale path behind. These are the things you must learn to interpret. Go to a cafe or bus station and watch people. Don’t listen to their words as much as you study their faces (and their body language.)

Too lazy to do an outline but itching to get writing?

At the very least, this is one thing you must do. Loglines are typically talked about in terms of pitching a screenplay and this often gets a logline confused with a tagline (a marketing tool.) However, the logline is an indispensable part of pre-writing for the simple fact it gets you thinking about the most important parts of your story.

The goal.
The conflicts.
and The characters.

The best loglines I’ve seen, and the ones that best serve the writing they are representing are loglines with irony. Irony IS conflict, and there is half your battle.

For example: A kid hating paleontologist must work with two children to escape an island infested with man eating dinosaurs. A bad pitch rendition of Jurrasic Park, but it describes the protagonist succinctly, it describes the conflict of both dealing with the children (and most likely not very well) along with the conflict of the dinosaurs and the goal of getting off the island.

This is a description by Blake Snyder:

“On the verge of An Emotional Starting Point Needing Change, a Flawed Protagonist Breaks Into Act Two; but when the Midpoint happens, he/she must learn the Theme Stated, before All Is Lost.”

Some more formula examples.

“An ADJECTIVE (describing a defect that must be filled in, your B STORY) NOUN (protagonist) must ACTIVE VERB the ANTAGONIST before THINGS ANTAGONIST OR ANTAGONISTS WILL DO TO STOP PROTAGONIST FROM REACHING THEIR GOAL.”

“Who is the Protagonist? (describe with adjective)
What do they want? (goal)
Who is keeping them from it? (and how.)”

Aim for 40 words or less to keep it succinct and exercise the superfluous writing elementary and high school creative writing classes ingrained in you.

Write and rewrite your logline, use those ideas that you didn’t plan out but started scripting from page one.  You may find you need to change some things!  This will get you in the habit of thinking with the goal in mind and the conflicts you need.  Remember, a story is meant to be an exaggeration of real life but still relate-able.  It’s the oldest form of sharing wisdom.  The parable.

After all, in your day to day, you don’t just walk outside and stand there till you figure out what you want to do for the day.  You decide to go to the grocery store, or hang out with friends.  Every slow person, every stray animals, every incompetent employee you encounter before you reach that goal is a conflict.

3 act structure for comic strips

Implementing 3 act structure in a cartoon with only 4 panels.

http://timstout.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/how-to-use-3-act-story-structure-in-comic-strips/