Activity
Mon
Wed
Fri
Sun
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
What is this?
Less
More
Memberships
The Writer's Forge
346 members • $9/month
ZEN STORY AND FILM ACADEMY
11 members • $9/month
15 contributions to ZEN STORY AND FILM ACADEMY
10d •
Hey, everyone, CLICK here for the first six pages of my screenplay adaptation. A couple people in tonight's meeting said they'd like to see it...
Let me know how it helps you! Thanks!
1 like • 7d
On the edge of my seat already. Definitely some terms I’m not fully grasping, I’ll ask about them on Wednesday
1 like • 10d
EXT. Somewhere near Welwel A sweaty, crowded pre-WWII thatched roof camp for the Italian colonialist soldiers. Men are playing cards, lifting weights, etc. Leo is smoking a cigarette in a hammock, staring at a picture of his *girlfriend/wife/significant other?* longingly Alfa (Alfredo) Hey, come on, don't be selfish. We could all use a little material here. Alfa gestures so as to indicate sexual frustration, a scatter of chuckles amongst the ranks. Alfa tries to snatch the picture out of Leo's hands, but Leo makes an athletic move to effectively roll himself out of the hammock, conceal the picture in a convenient pocket and complete a lighthearted double leg attack at ~50% energy, landing in full mount. Circle forms with anticipation but the scuffle is broken up by a lieutenant. Lieutenant Save it for the enemy, will you two? Alfa We're just staying loose, sir. Leo Easy to stay loose when you're a fish. Leo imitates a fish in hyperbolic fashion and the whole camp laughs, roughhousing briefly resumes. Captain breaks up the fight/nudges the two in an encouraging way like father figures do. Marco is standing in the doorway, haven't seen each other in ~1.5 years. Marco Takes a fish to know a fish. The camp doesn't understand that they're brothers yet, the men feature furrowed brows. Leo is frozen. Alfa Who's this little shit? Leo That little shit's my brother. Marco, I can't believe it. The men cheer. Marco and Leo embrace emphatically. Alfa Oh, get a fucking room, Jesus Christ. The men chatter in amusement. Marco Heard you guys needed a little help. Marco scans the soldiers. Marco But I don't think any amount of help could save this sorry lot. The men erupt in laughter, roughhousing resumes. *Focus on the physical/psychological exchange between Alfa, Leo and Marco* Leo Marco, this is Alfredo da Costa. They shake hands Marco Good to meet you. Alfa Call me Alfa. Leo You'll have to forgive his disposition, he's from Naples. Leo and Alfa shadow box, then Alfa makes it obvious he is going to use the restroom, leaving Marco and Leo to catch up.
17d •
Zoom Pitch Meeting with David Stem + Pitch Notes
Great to meet you guys. Here's some thoughts I want to leave you with about story development and pitching: Key Takeaways At their heart, great stories are about what your character is avoiding dealing with emotionally. And the story comes along to kill or heal them. Start with the Lie, Not the Logline Your character's lie IS your story. It's not backstory or character development—it's the entire engine. Think about the greats: Tony Soprano believes he can compartmentalize—be a family man and a killer. The panic attacks that open the series? That's his body telling him the lie is breaking down. The entire show is the universe saying "you can't have it both ways." Walter White believes he's doing it for his family. That's the lie that lets him avoid confronting his real wound—being humiliated, overlooked, cheated out of Gray Matter. The meth empire isn't about providing for his family. It's about finally feeling like Somebody. By the end, he admits it: "I did it for me." Woody in Toy Story believes his worth comes from being Andy's favorite. When Buzz arrives, that lie gets attacked, and Woody has to discover that love isn't about being chosen—it's about choosing to show up for others. Graham Hess in Signs lost his wife in a senseless accident. His lie? That the universe is random and meaningless, so faith is pointless. The entire alien invasion is structured to prove to him that nothing is random—that his wife's dying words, his daughter's water glasses, his son's asthma, his brother's failed baseball career—it all means something. Their emotional avoidance drives the story, not the other way around. Here's Why That Is: Wound → Lie → Small Life This is your character's trajectory before the story begins: - The Wound: What hurt them? Tony's mother. The death of Graham Hess's wife. Walter White's humiliation at Gray Matter. - The Lie: What false belief did they adopt to protect themselves? - The Small Life: What limited existence are they living because of that lie?
1 like • 16d
Thank you again 😁 I now see these elements in everything I read/watch and I’m not mad about it
21d •
Happy first Saturday of 2026!
How is everyone? Let me know how you’re doing and what state your works-in-progress are in! Remember the big event this coming Wednesday at 6pm MST!
1 like • 19d
Same to you, Doc. New year, new ideas I’ll let the group decide the state of my work. Wanna workshop either or both of the scenes most of you would’ve heard by now - it’s all a bit different from last time(s)
25d •
Happy New Years, everyone! We will resume our meetings on Wed., Jan 7 for our big event!
I hope everyone has a great New Year's! Drink some egg nog! It'll be a GREAT YEAR!! I PROMISE!
1 like • 25d
🎉
1-10 of 15
