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These blog entries of yours become much less interesting, Ron, if you just dump them off here without ever participating in the discussion that follows.
What is your intent with posting these here if it is not to engage with those who read them and comment?
With all due respect Bert, I find Ron's blog's very helpful. Honestly, I could care less if he engages with other board members. The man's confident in what he writes. That speaks for itself.
Honestly, I could care less if he engages with other board members.
With all due respect, SR, I am glad you find it useful. I agree that some of his posts are good -- though a mixed bag, for sure.
But if you really get something from it, you can follow his blog. That's what it is there for.
These boards are not Ron's blog, nor are they here to advertise Ron's blog -- and if he is not going to participate (this is the part that bugs me), then it becomes nothing more than "The Ron Aberdeen Show" -- and he already has his own site for that.
Thank God this is a SCREENWRITING website and not a popularity contest.
...or is it?
As usual, you are totally missing the point.
The only thing I am jealous of is that I wish I had the time and energy to host a nice blog of my own.
And if I had such a blog -- and if I were to make weekly comments on Ron's blog saying, "Come read MY blog" -- and that was all I ever did over there -- I would expect Ron to grow weary of that.
In fact, he would likely delete such comments outright, don't you think?
Can you honestly not see that?
Anyways, my point is made and I am done. You just ticked me off a bit with that last post, SR. And it is "hint" -- a hint of jealousy.
Generating traffic to my site does not earn me an income, sell one of my screenplays, improve my chances with women or devalue the person who takes a look.
I enjoy writing, I enjoy discussing writing and if my experience can benefit just one person then the effort is worthwhile.
This week I had a 90 minute transatlantic call discussing with an Oscar winning writer a screenplay of mine that goes into production in March.
If a sixty year old fart who lives in a rural location 150 miles from London can go from never have written a screenplay to where I am today, then there are chances for everyone.
I just want people to know they can do it.
If I cause offence I’m sorry, not for causing offence but for the person who feels offended.
Generating traffic to my site does not earn me an income, sell one of my screenplays, improve my chances with women or devalue the person who takes a look.
I enjoy writing, I enjoy discussing writing and if my experience can benefit just one person then the effort is worthwhile.
This week I had a 90 minute transatlantic call discussing with an Oscar winning writer a screenplay of mine that goes into production in March.
If a sixty year old fart who lives in a rural location 150 miles from London can go from never have written a screenplay to where I am today, then there are chances for everyone.
I just want people to know they can do it.
If I cause offence I’m sorry, not for causing offence but for the person who feels offended.
Well, I for one enjoy these entries.
Responding to writing block:
I think one of the problems is losing faith. A blank page is extremely intimidating.
Worse than that though even is:
The full page. Full pages.... pages and pages and pages...
I think that bert made a good point. If Ron wants to advertise in the forums he should at least participate in the forums. Which means he should use his wealth of experience to comment on a few scripts and help a few writers. I don't think that is too much to ask of him. Is it Ron?
It's not like to anyone is suggesting that he become a marathon contributor, just that we see him in other threads - not just his own initiated ad threads.
And it's not like I don't promote my own stuff, so I can relate. But I do contribute beyond that.
Without reading Ron's blog, writers block can give one the opportunity to read old work and rewrite work with which we haven't had time to fix.
Also, it gives you time to watch films and so time to think of new ideas. Bad films can give also provide the opportunity to think of better ideas when the bad film doesn't get it right.
I have terminal writer's block - if I don't "think through" the idea or scene somewhere else and instead sit down with the intent to write? Nothing happens.
If I chase the idea down an alley and wrestle with it while I'm driving, or food shopping or whatever, and it clicks? Then I rush to the computer and get it down.
So I do a lot of thinking and very little "writing", until it's time to write.
Ron's most recent posts are, IIRC, the only time he's ever posted anything beyond his here's my latest blog posts. It would be nice if he contributed beyond this. It's not too much different from those who submit scripts, here, and never come back to it.
I have terminal writer's block - if I don't "think through" the idea or scene somewhere else and instead sit down with the intent to write? Nothing happens.
If I chase the idea down an alley and wrestle with it while I'm driving, or food shopping or whatever, and it clicks? Then I rush to the computer and get it down.
So I do a lot of thinking and very little "writing", until it's time to write.
Does this happen to anyone else?
I think that your approach is probably the best of all and it's actually one I've found helps me personally because my spirit is an active one (even if my body doesn't always want to cooperate).
As a child, I was always very athletic and busy playing guitar and cooking and doing crazy stuff like learning to throw a tomahawk. I wasn't a kid to really want to sit in front of the tube that much. That's why I love to challenge myself to write in different atmospheres, away from the computer, without keys. Sometimes, even without a pen and paper, but that is dangerous because forgetting happens very easily sometimes. Even when you think, "Nah, I won't forget", you still do sometimes.
The writer needs to learn to find out what works for them. I recommend becoming your own experiment and trying your best to forget about stupid stuff like "what's hot" "what's gonna sell". What's hot is what's in your heart and what's in the human heart. Keep writing and try and get better. I guess the only answer to writer's block is to do anything you can to break through it.
... I agree that some of his posts are good -- though a mixed bag, for sure... But if you really get something from it, you can follow his blog. That's what it is there for...These boards are not Ron's blog, "The Ron Aberdeen Show" -- and he already has his own site for that.
Sorry to bring it back to this, & good luck to you Ron, but I gotta say I'm with Bert on this one.
I, for one would love to read a critique by Ron. Someone of his experience could surely offer a few priceless gems of constructive criticism. A couple of 'shorts' would do, then maybe I'd be enticed to look at Ron's blog. As it is now, I kinda ignore it. No offence meant.
I have to agree with Bert here. You seem like a nice guy. Your heart seems to be in the right place about writing. I, personally, would just like to read some of your work. That's how I rank writers on this site. If I admire their work, i seek out their advice. Bert, well he puts his work up here for us to read and he's one of my faves.
I see on your site we can request the first five pages of a script. That's a cop out to me. It's far easier to write an intriguing opener then actually finishing a coherent story. The turns to act two and three are what I look for to learn from.
I just think you would win some love from SS members if you showed us some of your work. Or, maybe participate in an OWC once with us. As it is, your blog threads always seem to just drop down the portal immediately and are soon forgotten.
We love to have an industry pro on the site. But, til I read your work, I'm not going to take your advice.
Generating traffic to my site does not earn me an income
Quoted from Ron's blog
Hire Ron: I also mentor new writers, provide screenplay critiques for production companies, offer a script editing service and rewrite screenplays to order, in any genre.
I see on your site we can request the first five pages of a script. That's a cop out to me. It's far easier to write an intriguing opener then actually finishing a coherent story. The turns to act two and three are what I look for to learn from.
James,
I have left my two scripts that won Script of the Month and the script that was a runner up on TriggerStreet.
So pop over there if you want to take a look at my work.
So pop over there if you want to take a look at my work.
Quoted from Ron Aberdeen's response to critiques
Thanks for your comments and time committed in reading this little piece of mine. I deliberately made the protagonist a really unpleasant character, a bit like myself really.
This was my third screenplay and written in June 2005 along with another during that month simply as an experiment to see if I could increase interest in my work on InkTip.
I had placed my first two screenplays on their web site in April and May and wasn't getting many hits, so The Scriptwriter and The Box were written quickly and placed up on that site because my first two screenplays were large budget biographical yarns.
It did the trick and by the end of July I received my first commission, from Horror director David DeCoteau.
He commented on the line in The Scriptwriter regarding the dyslexic murderer getting the wrong victims out of the phone book. David said, he like the combination of humour with horror and that line was a premise for a screenplay, on its own.
It is not a script that is likely to ever be produced because of the copyright issues with the various characters who make an appearance, but it amused me at the time and still does to a degree.
But what it has done is get me work from three different sources.
You only use this site as a soapbox to stand on. You posted something, received critiques, and then basically responded with "Well, this script got me work, so therefore you can't critique it." You didn't respond to a SINGLE thing from any of the people who commented. So, why post the script? Oh right, it's for our benefit. Silly me.
At first glance, I thought this read 'Getting hits on his bong' and thought: Oh ya.. that can definitely help help with the writers block. hehe
Not that I condone any illegal activities. Ummm... or have first hand knowledge for that matter.
But hey, if having glaucoma can actually help break your cold streak, run with it!
"You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons." - Blazing Saddles - Jim AKA The Waco Kid 1 completed, 2 more under construction:
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Dealing with the dreaded Writer’s Block.
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As it is now, I kinda ignore it. No offence meant.
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