Write Better Together

@andreaberting FOMO fr

Feeling deeply, deeply jealous of everyone attending #AFF this year!

@Cat_WritesSFF @jeannevb Hi Cat. I promised an update. Look what I found when on Weds when posting Ch. 3(So 10/7-21). Looked back to see which tags (keywords) I used. Novel, RomCom, Fiction, and WriteBetterTogether. Last one is my company name. No ^ in subscribes, so all just ppl finding it thru tags.🤷‍♂️

@WriteBetterTgtr @jeannevb That’s very cool - I’ve got a nearly empty Substack - wondered what to do with it- how do you think your audience found you#scriptchat

It's #SCRIPTCHAT O'CLOCK! Topic: #Screenwriting Survival 101: Share tips on how you stay in the game, survive the challenges of having a day job, & find ways to earn money while pursuing your writing career. Let's start by shouting out wins for the week! #WritingCommunity

EP 83) IN DEFENSE OF BOREDOM with Adrian Sanders Russo. #boresom #distractions #books #Writer #amwriting #creativewriting #selfpublishing #writing #poetry #hustleculture #noticing #WIP #mentalhealth #StolenFocus #johnprine #rollerderby #writingcommunity youtu.be/RT0KoFGT-Kc

@CindyBegel FBOFW, I think they're all on streamers. Only Murders In The Building has a Ganz/Mandel vibe, for instance. As for universal crowdpleasers, different vibe, but a lot of people love Adam Sandler (again, streaming). At the movies, I love Wes Anderson, but I get not everybody does.

Saw 2 movies this w/e & hated both. Where are universal movies everyone loves? Was thinking my mentors (Ganz/Mandel) wrote Splash, League of Their Own, City Slickers, Parenthood. Script doctoring on major comedy hits. This kind of career and films don't exist anymore. Too bad.

YOU SHOULD HOPE WRENLEIGH DUVAL AND RAE VENNA BRENNAN NEVER MEET a weekly serialized novel now on Substack. #FriendsToLovers #smalltown #smalltowngirl #romcom #companionsofconvenience substack.com/home/post/p-17…

BREAKING NEWS: We haven't had time to rerecord this vid, but we've decided to always offer 2 chapters free. Ch. 3 will drop this Weds, so you only have a few more days to read Ch. 1 for free. Link to our romcom serial on Substack is in the 1st comment. youtube.com/watch?v=oj9Hb9…

@PodcastMovement Authenticity > Perfection

If you had to sum up your podcasting philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

@Cat_WritesSFF @jeannevb @Cat_WritesSFF My sometimes cohost Signe (illustrator, did my last book cover) is taking a Substack class next month. If they teach her anything of use, I'll report back. Benjamin Percy (with S. King) is doing a SF serial on there now too (replicating a newspaper). #scriptchat

For research, I rewatched BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE (1972) 2 weeks ago. Entire film takes place in just over 24hrs. Goldie and Edwards Albert Jr. meet, fall in love, go shopping, sleep together, his mom shows up, G wins her over, G breaks up with EAjr., G moves in with a director, G leaves director and (spoiler alert) goes back to EAjr. 3 great arcs. I can't shake how much happens to them in a single day. All believable. #scriptchat

I'm a bit distracted bc I can't stop thinking about Hamnet. Has anyone here seen it yet? If not, what's the last film you saw that really sat with you for hours? #scriptchat

@jeannevb Thanks. Have a great week everybody. #scriptchat

Phew ... another quick #scriptchat hour! If you figure out some good ways to manage your time this week, shout it out with our #scriptchat hashtag and share the tips! Until next Sunday ... have a great week!

@jeannevb @KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson I know a writing coach who uses it and will not even take phone calls outside of her phone call slot. (1 exception: Publishers.) She has trained her clients to call during certain specific windows. Same with email. It will get answered during her next emailing slot. #scriptchat

@WriteBetterTgtr @KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson Oohhhh Sara! OK, I'm going to do a little research and figure this out. #scriptchat

I think we all agree "staying in the game" is a bit of a mindset. So, let's toss out ideas of how to write when you have a day job. How do you find the time? #scriptchat

@jeannevb @KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson For me timeslotting was a lifechanger. I dabbled but then Sara Wigal (who you met) was such an advocate on our show that I went all in. The hardest part is when something takes longer than you anticipated. Still, for me, that's not a reason to not do it. #Scriptchat

@WriteBetterTgtr @KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson I need to look into timeslotting. I've had multiple people recommend it to me. #scriptchat

@KieraHarvell @jeannevb Too funny. #scriptchat

@WriteBetterTgtr @jeannevb This should be your little bio blurb on one of your accounts. #scriptchat

@jryoumans @jeannevb Yes, all three... plus, don't forget the lifeguards. #hatonahatonahatonahatonahat #scriptchat

@jeannevb @WriteBetterTgtr I'd still love to see you write a sitcom or drama about the graveyard, theater and/or store. #scriptchat

@KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson @jeannevb I do timeslotting, but not Pomodoro. I do write SOMETHING everyday, so I have to stay fairly strict with my slots. Like you, I don't care about earning a prize. If I want a hot fudge sundae, I'll eat it whenever I want. 🙃 #scriptchat

@WriteBetterTgtr @P_Hendrickson @jeannevb I’ve tried Pomodoro as well, but I think I just do better when I designate periods to one single activity and treat that as an inviolate law. I don’t seem to care about prizes (at least if I’m giving them to myself haha), and that is too bad for me. 🙃 #scriptchat

@jeannevb When I fall asleep on my laptop, my forehead appropriately types a bunch of ZZZZZZZZs. #scriptchat

@WriteBetterTgtr I'd be asleep at my laptop haha. For me, I was most productive with writing when I stopped trying to write every single day and focused on blocking out time on the weekends to dedicate to writing. Now I have the store on Sat, so it's a little more of a challenge. #scriptchat

@KieraHarvell @P_Hendrickson @jeannevb Kiersten Modglin schedules her things that sidetrack her into her writing time. Like Pomodoro-on-steroids. SHe gives herself permission to be sidetracked by IG or whatever for X-amount of minutes, then gets back to writing. She makes her goofing off intentional. #scriptchat

@P_Hendrickson @jeannevb I’m also trying a new schedule tactic. I’m experimenting to see if I’m more of a morning writer or a night writer. Main rule I want to follow is that if I write try to do ONLY writing for an hour. I let myself get sidetracked far too much. #scriptchat

@Gilgamark @jeannevb 100%. That's what I was going to say. I'd rather meet 300 people in person, than have 300,000 followers online. #scriptchat

@jeannevb #ScriptChat And it's about the people you meet. Build a tribe. Who knows what project(s) you may all wind up working on together.

Re: topic of "staying in the game"—for me, it's not about winning the game. It's about staying inspired, keeping the love of writing alive, despite having some days you want to throw in the towel. Those days are natural, so give yourself grace then dive in again. #scriptchat