Previously on Walking Downton: 1912 – Robert, the benevolent Earl of Grantham, owes his wealth to his forward-thinking American wife Lady Cora. Now, to secure a future for his family and estate, he must marry off his three daughters: aristocratic, outspoken Lady Mary, socially conscious young Lady Sibyl and, adopted from America, silent, katana-slicing Lady [...]
Just caught my breath from San Diego – check the horror panel video, I’ve enjoyed the responses on Twitter and FB but already deep into a new story, the ongoing Faust production stories and an exciting new branded content project. But, since I’m hungry, you get this… Chicken Choke Serves 6 Bakes at 325 degrees for [...]
And now, the conclusion of How to Tell Stories the Pixar Way via Faust! Read the beginning. Read the middle. Emma Coats recently tweeted 22 pithy Rules of Story based on her experience as a Pixar storyboard artist. To internalize Pixar’s wisdom in a personal way, I’m reviewing Faust: Love of the Damned through Emma’s craft [...]
If you missed my opening salvo “How to Tell Stories the Pixar Way and #FaustReturns!,” please check this out. Emma Coats tweeted 22 pithy Rules of Story based on her experience in the Pixar storyboard trenches; to digest this, I’m taking on Faust: Love of the Damned through Emma’s POV. #6: What is your character [...]
This month, How to Tell Stories the Pixar Way and, in case you missed it, #FaustReturns! Emma Coat’s recently tweeted 22 pithy Rules of Story informed by her experience in the Pixar storyboard trenches; it’s been making the rounds amongst those of us who craft corporate and/or creative fiction for a living. Because a writer [...]
At an uptown New York party in the early 90s, I met, well, the lyricist of this morning’s song – Robert Harris, though he introduced himself as Bob. Setting the scene: this wasn’t my party “home base,” i.e. a music and / or comic book business party, which makes the chance meet all the more [...]
I’m visiting my college for a reunion – the first formal one I’ve attended, though I made my way back there once before at a critical turning point, which I’ll detail in a bit. And it’s got me thinking about learning. Okay, I felt a lot of clicking away right there. But that’s cool — [...]
To make the writing life work, you simply focus on the work in front of you – in any weather. You get all the business lined up… for the pleasure and privilege of the writing itself. This week began with the weekend’s MoCCA Fest, a lively international alt-comics show in NYC. Besides seeing and working [...]
Shot to the bottom of this post to learn how you can meet The Littlest Bitch in person. Till then, this week features an excerpt from: I Know You Are, But What Am I? The Littlest Bitch’s Five Excellent Tips for Excellent Leadership People ask me how I, Isabel, demonstrate excellent leadership totally excellently. Well, [...]
These are the songs you hear as your life flashes before your eyes the instant you die. The carpe diem dance – live with all your head, hand and heart, ONE MORE TIME. “Instant Karma’s gonna get you Gonna knock you right on the head You better get yourself together Pretty soon you’re gonna be [...]
Made this week’s deadlines (all but a few contract reviews and administrative bits, sorry) minutes before my parents arrived for a long weekend – just time left to let you know that I am signing at Toronto’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre next week. Come say hey if you are at the show. Meet The Littlest [...]
“Hey, check it out – five foot tall classic Luke Cage, gaggle of Slave Princess Leias, Hello Kitty, Hulk, this is Cosplay Nirvana!” Road map note: the italicized quotes in this piece are all things I’ve said witnessing cosplay at comic book conventions. “Power Girl… Power Girl… talk about your double-take!” Well, maybe some of [...]
Like many born before the Apollo Moon landings, I listen to a lot of 20th century music. I’m not only old enough to have amassed actual vinyl. I’m so old, my own first record was released exclusively vinyl, ‘cause that’s what they sold at Tower Records through most of my college years. But despite what [...]
“Dizzy he was screaming Next to O.P. who was beaming Monk was thumping” That’s how the percussive, syncopated lyrics Jon Hendricks sang vocalese / scat style to Thelonious Monks’ In Walked Bud begin. Countless recordings of the song out there. Monk revisited it himself many times. Find a good example on a classic 1968 album, [...]
Hi, here’s part two of What If The Mouse Bought Marvel and No One Came? I was talking about Marvel in the 90s, a bloody time for comics: A superhero speculator boom cycled bust Marvel’s owners pushed it toward its bankruptcy Publishers shipwrecked the industry upon short-sighted exclusive distribution deals, costing thousands of people who [...]
