Advice to Aspiring (Screen)Writers

Dear People Who Send Scripts to the Company I Work For:

Hi. Thanks so much for taking the time to send out your script. That takes guts, and I appreciate it. However, may I offer you some tips? Thanks.

I know that Final Draft does not provide a grammar check. A screenwriter friend of mine explained to me that it is because dialogue does not need to be gramatically correct, especially if it is in a certain dialect. I get that. I really do. As a writer who often slips Spanish slang into her work, I understand that spell check is not always your friend.

HOWEVER! you are sending out your script in a professional capacity. You would like to see it produced. You are sending it to very busy people who receive a bevy of scripts each day and do not suffer fools lightly. Thus, my advice:

"You're" means "You Are". It is NOT interchangable with "your".

"It's" means "It Is". It does NOT mean the same thing as "Its". Just because you want to use a posessive tense does not mean that an apostrophe is necessary.

"Get's". I see this often. I'm not sure what it means. However, I do know that the sentence "John get's the wallet from Mary" makes no sense.

Your character has probably not just "kilt" someone. "Killed" perhaps. However, if they are dressed in Scottish garb, please accept my apologies.

Not everyone reading your work is a "Sir". Please address your querey letter appropriately.

That's it for now. Good luck, aspiring writers! I truly do enjoy reading your work and I'm always looking for that diamond in the rough.

Happy Writing.

International Travel

I am an international traveler. Sort of. Okay, I've technically been to Mexico. But, I did get my passport and I hope to use it soon.

However, in between running errands, chatting up neighbors and fighting Los Angeles traffic, I did manage to go to Persia today. And I was in Japan last week. How? Books. They can take you to exotic places and teach you about new customs.

"Yes," I'm sure you're saying. "Yes, I know this." And I'm sure you do. But, itsn't it amazing? And wonderful?

Take the book I'm currently reading. "A Veil of Roses" by Laura Fitzgerald (no relation). It's about a young Persian woman who comes to the United States to escape from an opressive regime and find a husband. Except she isn't really sure that she wants one. Until I started this story I knew virtually nothing of Iran other than what I've seen on the news and we all know that isn't always pleasant. However, this story has opened my eyes to other traditions and ideas and the beauty of the Persian culture.

So, dear reader, where would you like to go? It's easy enough to get there. Just read.