Introduction: The Birth of a Book

In the very beginning, the book started as a conversation I had with my producer, Robyn Shneiders. It may have been a mistake, but when she pointed out that a lot of people were coming by my edit bay to ask for story advice, I asked her what kind of impression I made on her, as a person. “You’re like a teacher,” she said. Maybe she was right, and maybe mistakes are meant to happen. In any case, it set a series of events into motion that may not have happened otherwise.

The book that I am in the process of writing, began, in its first real form, as a twenty page guide for television editors. Robyn showed it around to help elevate the emotional impact of the show. The reaction was immediate. A few of these initial readers suggested that I expand the scope to include producers. I rewrote the booklet at thirty-eight pages and was told to inlcude writers, then film, and finally I came to realize that there is a broad audience out there who are interested in story.

“The Power of Story: A Modern Guide to Story for TV, DVD and Film” was the title of the book proposal, which gained the attention of the literary agent I wanted to sign. It was him that finally suggested that I broaden the market to include novelists, journalists, parents, bloggers, and pretty much everyone on the planet.

The Current Title attempts to capture the broader scope: “The Powers of Story: Seven Steps to Creating Irresistible Stories” (but it will likely change as I gain more feedback).

The most important skill for telling stories is the ability to listen. I hope I have listened and will continue to listen well. I hope the book finds a home in the hearts of authors of all kinds everywhere.

 

 

 

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Blog Entries (beginning with most recent)

Chapter Four Completed

July 4, 2006
Happy birthday, America! Chapter four is all about character and it is completed in it's first draft. Time for fireworks.

The Website has Launched

July 2, 2006
I designed it myself after getting some outrageous quotes from developers. My friend Franz helped me with some of the trickier parts. I think it turned out pretty well for the first version.

The Lecture is On

June 30, 2006
On October 7 and 8 I will be giving a two day interactive lecture at UCLA.

Choosing a Theatre

June 16th, 2006
It has been suggested by my agent that I should do a seminar. The overall response I’ve received from those who have read parts of the book, as it exists currently, have reinforced that point. So, today I went to visit the UCLA campus to look into reserving theatre space for a planned seminar to take place in October, or thereabouts.

They have two theatres, one called “the playhouse,” the other “the little theatre.” Both theatres are beautiful. The big difference is the size. One seats over 500, the other just under 200.

Research can be like pulling teeth

June 13th, 2006
I just completed research for the rest of the book. I can’t believe that this project started as a twenty page booklet for editors (see the first post to find out how the idea for the book came to be - January 2006).

Research is hard because at the end of the day there is no evidence of the progress you’ve made. No pages to count and feel good about. It is more important than the writing, however, and without it the book wouldn’t be very useful.

I have a new system for compiling my research, which makes it easier. I am posting the steps here so that you might benefit. 1.) I bought a new Apple laptop 2.) I loaded Windows XP on to the laptop using a program from Apple called bootcamp (free) 3.) I bought Dragon Naturally Speaking, a voice recognition software title. It is the only reason to load Windows on your Mac. If you already use Windows, then you don’t need a Mac. 4.) I set up the software, plugged in a new USB microphone from Sennheiser and opened MS Word. 5.) Finally, I picked up book after book, in which I had already written all of my notes in the margins, and began dictating words into the computer. After all is said and done, I condensed my notes from the margins of fifteen books into about fifty pages. 6.) I sorted the notes from their original order into the chapters I think they will inform with the most utility.

I don’t think I would be able to conduct the depth of research without using the process outlined above. Either that, or much of the research would be lost in the vast number of pages, or in the depths of my memory, or lack thereof.

Primary research is complete.

Chapter Three is Invisible

June 9th, 2006
I finished a rough draft of chapter three today, meaning I have also finished the introduction and chapters one and two. Only seven more to go.

Chapter three was particularly difficult because it deals with the metaphysical aspects of story, less than intangible, practically non-existent. It may be the best chapter. My wife, Bree, likes the idea of it as I explained it to her.

I am stopping writing now to conduct research for the rest of the book.

A Key Decision

April 14th, 2006
As opposed to selling the book to a publisher based on a proposal, which is often the case, I have decided to write the full book first in order to take the time to gain feedback from readers, which has been so very helpful from the very beginning. In conjunction, I am exploring other options for creating community around the book including a newletter, this blog, a website, and a seminar. I sent the paragraph that Michael requested, but asked him not to proceed with selling the book until it is complete.

Meeting an Agent

March 26th, 2006
I met with the literary agent, Michael, at a classic San Francisco restaurant called The Big Four this morning (Sunday). The restaurant is located on Nob Hill near Grace Cathedral. I used to live in San Francisco, where I met my wife who lived in a tiny studio on Nob Hill. So, the visit brought back good memories.

Michael was very excited and even went so far as helping me take off my coat. He said, “There’s no question you can write.” We exchanged stories and went through the book proposal. We ended the conversation with his request that I send him a paragraph about the book, the market for the book, me, and what I expect to be in ten years, then we signed the contract.

I have a literary agent.

What is a Sunset Clause?

March 10th, 2006
My lawyer, and friend, suggested a few changes to the agent agreement. We both agreed that it is difficult to sign your first agent and that new writers should expect to pay a high premium for the privilege. My friend has suggested changes to the contract to protect the current work I do for the screen.

One interesting suggestion he has is the addition of a sunset clause. The way the original contract is written the agent would receive his percentage of the book’s sales forever. He would also be able to pass on his percentage in his will. A sunset clause would allow him to receive his full percentage until the contract was discontinued. At that time the sunset clause would begin and he would receive a graduated percentage over a specified number of years until the clause ran out at which time he would receive none.

I sent the document with changes to the agent.

Reviewing the Contract

March 6th, 2006
I asked a friend of mine, who also happens to be a lawyer, to look at the contract. He says he will get back to me with suggested changes.

You can check out the link here

The Big Phone Call!!!

March 2nd, 2006
The agent called me today. He is interested in representing me and directed me to take a look at his contract. I will!

A Time for Crossing Fingers and Biting Nails

February 25th, 2006
I sent the book proposal off today to one publisher and one agent.