The Reading: Do-It-Yourself Script Consulting

The end of this screenplay is so close I can smell it. I’m actually allowing myself to think I might finish it by the deadline (midnight tonight). As of tomorrow, one way or another, the project will be over.

Only three scenes are left to write from scratch. With any luck, I’ll have some time left over to tweak some of the literary motifs throughout. (Oh yes, even cheap horror / thriller flicks can have high-brow aspirations.)

For instance, doors are an important element of the screenplay. If I have an extra few minutes, I want to make sure that my use of them is consistent. Every time a door opens in the movie, it should usher in a sense of urgency. Every time one closes, it should conveys a sense of loss.

But that’s for a bit later this afternoon. Last night, two friends were kind enough to sit down with the still-rough draft and do a reading with me. I can’t thank them enough.

Any time I think a screenplay is finished, it is an enormous help for me to be able to hear the entire thing from start to finish. (While in the normal course of events, I would hardly consider this project polished enough to inflict on someone else, the calendar compels me to skip the usual editing process for the sake of simply finishing…) Some things a read-through helps me learn:

Does Each Character Have a Voice?
I usually assign the speaking parts to the people reading with me. It’s very helpful to listen to someone else speak the words. I try to pay special attention to whether or not each character speaks in a distinctive voice. It’s much easier to determine whether or not a speech characteristic “works” when I can hear someone else articulate it.

Is That How You’d Say It?
Hearing the words out loud as dialogue lets me know if the sentence structure is correct. Often, the readers will inadvertently “fix” dialogue to make it flow better. As long as their changes don’t alter the meaning of what’s being said, I’ll change the script to make the words seem more natural.

Can You See It?
I try to read as little of the dialogue as possible. Instead, I usually read all the slug lines (INT. JOHN’S APARTMENT – DAY) and action instructions out loud. That way, I know that everyone involved in the read-through has been exposed to every word. Not because I need to saturate them with my brilliance, but because I want to know if the actions are clear. I want to know if they can see what’s going to be on-screen. I also want to find out if it’s interesting enough to hold their attention, or do I need to find ways to ratchet the action up a bit.

Does It Make Sense?
This is The Big One. A read-through helps me find out whether or not I’m the only one who “gets it.” If a character’s motivation is contrived or muddy, it shows up here.

The trick is getting readers who will be honest enough to say when something isn’t clear to them. But if you can find them, they are invaluable. They don’t need to tell you how to fix something. All they need to do is point out what is getting lost in the translation from your brain to the printed page. If they’re exceptionally good friends, they might even let you bounce off “what if I did this?” scenarios, and tell you what would make the story stronger.

If you have a screen- or stage-play that you’d love to see performed, an informal reading might be just the thing you need. It will let you hear your words and analyze them. It can help you explore story strengths and weaknesses. And it might give you the key you need to make your script extraordinary. All you need to do is make a few copies and spring for the pizza. Not a bad price to pay for an in-depth story consultation!

For days, I've told myself that I will not watch “Batman Begins” until I finish this script. I've got the DVD ready and waiting. But first, three scenes demand my attention...

When “The End” is In Sight

Thanks to my wonderful, long-suffering husband who watched our daughter all day long, I was able to work all day – a WHOLE day! – on the screenplay. Technically, only a few pages remain, though the project still faces the same situation as it did 24 hours ago… It’ll take more than the minimum page count to get to “The End.”

But I live in great hopes that “The End” will come. Since I’ve been doing a lot of pushing to get to “The End” lately, some thoughts on finishing a project seemed in order:

You Can’t Reach A Goal You Don’t Have
If you begin a work without a clear understanding of where you want it to end up, chances are it will never be finished.

For one thing, you will never know whether or not the project is actually done. Furthermore, without a clear end goal, there is nothing to help you stay focused, and your characters are left to fend for themselves. When that happens, they tend to end up just muddling about, playing things safe and refusing to get into any sort of interesting trouble.

Enjoy Playing God
As a project winds to a close, you get to ask yourself all sorts of God-like questions.

Is there enough conflict?
Can anything more be done to escalate a character’s dramatic journey?
Do all events make sense, or do they appear contrived?
Is the original purpose / theme / motif well-served?
Are the characters real to you, or could they be more rounded?

Once the project is in its final stages of creation, it is important to ask these questions and others like them. If you ask them before “The End” is visible, however, often the creative process gives way to premature editing, which can lead to a real loss of inspiration.

Knowing that you have a complete version of the project to fall back on can free you up to explore various creative options and – hopefully – improve the work.

Revisit the Past
I generally find that my characters develop more distinctive voices and personalities as a project progresses. Once I’ve spent several weeks with them, I generally know their likes and dislikes, their speech rhythms and pet words. While I may “know” some of these things at the outset, they often seem arbitrary or contrived.

As I near “The End” – especially when I’m fighting to make each scene worthy of inclusion – I find it helpful to take an occasional break and re-read several of the opening pages. I sometimes find character traits I’d forgotten about. More often than not, I discover my characters saying things that are no longer consistent with who they have become.

Remember Your Audience
Never forget that the two most important parts of any project are its beginning and end. That is what the audience is most likely to remember. The beginning must drive the entire project and hold the audience’s attention. The end must be inescapable, unmistakable, plausible, and satisfying. Ideally, your audience won’t be able to predict it, but when it comes, they won’t be able to imagine a better means of closure.

Botching the ending lets your characters and your audience down. So spend the time it takes to get it right. Agonize over it. Make sure your loose ends are tied up. Make sure your characters remain consistent. Make sure you’ve explained everything that is necessary.

If you wish, leave the door open for another installment. But don’t spend so much time being clever, trying to hint at the start of a series or franchise, that you fluff the end. Give your audience what they want – a reason to read / hear / see the project over and over again.

With any luck, I’ll finish the screenplay today, leaving the weekend for editing it, and Monday for final nit-picking. To all of you who also embarked on this journey in August: The End is in sight!

Dealing With “The Wall”

Regular readers are probably aware that I’ve been working on this “challenge” screenplay (see “Let the Games Begin," from August 16). With five days to go, and only 10 pages left to write, finishing it looks eminently possible.

The giant foot tapping the brakes of my euphoria, however, is the realization that it will take more than 10 pages to tell what needs to be told. Which means writing until it makes sense to say “The End.” And then editing and cutting all those words and phrases that were so painstakingly crafted.

I can’t wait to start the edit, because that will mean that the writing is over. This is the hardest part of a project for me. It always makes me think of university, with finals week approaching and being tired from burning too many candles at too many ends for too long. I can look at my calendar and know when it will all be over. But I can’t for the life of me figure out how it’s going to be anything but a train wreck.

A friend watched my 2 year-old daughter so I could have 5 hours of uninterrupted time today. Bliss! I caught up on e-mails and quickly got to work. I actually envisioned being a powerhouse of prose and finishing the rough draft…

About an hour and a half into the morning, I hit The Wall. I’m not talking about Writer’s Block. I don’t believe that exists. It’s not that I couldn’t find something to say. I just couldn’t find the right something.

I wrote – and deleted – scene after scene, page after page. I knew the problem had been coming for some time now. I have the screenplay all mapped out – have my outline in front of me, in fact. I know what happens. I know how it ends. But there’s one segue that I’ve known was weak from the very beginning.

In other words, I knew A, B, and D. I just couldn’t figure out how to make C happen without it feeling so implausibly contrived as to destroy any suspension of disbelief that may have accrued throughout the movie.

Here’s hoping that my problem is an isolated one, plaguing only me. Here’s hoping that you have no idea what I’m talking about, and that you have never met a wall in your creative endeavors.

However, should you ever find yourself faced with a looming Writing Wall, allow me to suggest some tactics that work for me:

• Ask for directions. Talk to someone. Tell a friend, a spouse, or a Significant Other about the situation as it stands. Explain the characters’ motivations, briefly state the story thus far, and tell what happens later. Ask for suggestions for ways of connecting what is already written with what Must Happen next. Listen carefully. Do not shoot ideas down. Often, a fresh perspective can help find a plausible path through the obstruction.

• Talk to yourself. If possible, use a Dictaphone or Memory Stick so you can revisit your nuggets of inspiration later. Talk yourself through the problem. Explain why things have to happen in a certain way. Dissect the weakness in the story line. Is it a poorly defined character? Is it a too-obvious coincidence? It is a lack of conflict? Is it a too-easily resolved conflict? Nothing is carved in stone, at this point, so analyze your story from every possible angle. It is entirely possible that you will find a way over the wall on your own.

• Educate yourself. Today, my wall was caused by my lack of understanding of a particular protocol. “Write what you know” is a truism because trying to write what you don’t know invariably leads to holes in logic, or presents credibility issues. Thank God for the internet. Get online and research what’s giving you trouble. If you know of someone with experience in a related area, don’t be afraid to ask for a reality check. Learn enough to climb the wall – then get on with your story.

• Re-examine Your Characters. The best possible advice I can ever give you is to let your characters tell their story. Don’t try to force them into a story of your creating. If your characters are round, full-bodied, complex entities, they have enough hopes and dreams and secrets for several stories. Maybe they’d rather tell a story you haven’t yet considered. Taking a closer look at your characters may bring a whole new tenor to your work.

• Do Not Give Up. Keep working at the Wall, approaching it from different angles, and with different tactics, until you eventually just wear it down. Remember – you built the thing in the first place. You wrote the story. You imagined the events that led to the wall. You are certainly capable of leading your characters and your audience over it, and continuing the adventure on the other side.

A gentle reminder to all of you who took me up on the two month challenge in August. The FINAL DEADLINE is Monday, October 31, at 12:00 midnight, EST. Good Luck!

Rider’s Wednesday: Three Fall Gotta-do’s

Today’s musings are about those things you gotta do before snow flies. The things that are SO easy to put off till tomorrow. The things you keep telling yourself, “I really need to _____” soon. Those things.

And so, in the interest of efficiency, here are three items on a handy, easily cross-off-able list. If it’ll help, print it off, tack it up in the barn, and ceremoniously black out each item as you do it. Soon, you’ll be ready to put your feet up and sip hot cocoa by the fire – feeling smugly superior that you got your gottta-do’s done.

1. Weigh Everyone
As the season changes and your horses start to eat more hay and less grass, it’s a good idea to check their weight.

A cheap combination weight tape / hand measure is readily available at most farm supply and tack stores for under $3. (If you have drafts, opt for a draft horse version. Standard horse weight tapes rarely measure above 1600 pounds.)

Follow the instructions on the tape to find your horse’s weight. The tape may not be exact, but it will give a fairly accurate ballpark of how heavy your horse is. It’s a good idea to record and date the measurement in your horse’s vet file.

Periodically throughout the winter (every time the farrier trims, for instance), re-measure the horse and make sure he is maintaining his weight while temperatures are low.

2. Worm Everyone
Using your recent weigh-in information, purchase a good quality wormer for your horse – and use it. Resist the temptation to empty the entire syringe of wormer into your horse’s mouth. Dial the wormer to your horse’s weight and administer only the specified dose.

Many people like to use a product that includes targeted tapeworm medication when worming after the first frost. In any case, it’s a good idea to rotate wormers on occasion, so your horse doesn’t build up a tolerance to a particular product.

Remember to make sure there is no food in the horse’s mouth before administering the wormer. Once you’ve depressed the plunger, then elevate the horse’s chin for a bit, to ensure that the dose doesn’t just roll off the tongue and glop all over you. That doesn’t do anyone any good…

3. Clean Sheaths
Go ahead – make all the jokes you want about starring on the Farmyard Porn Channel. The fact is, if you have stallions or geldings, this is just one of those gotta-do’s.

No, I won’t go into detail here. Go to your local farm supply or tack store and buy a container of Excalibur, or similar product (under $10). Also pick up some disposable gloves. Bar anyone who threatens to videotape the procedure from your barn and get to work.

A few tips:
* Don’t use cold water straight from the hose. Have a heart!

* If you are having problems getting the cleaner where it needs to go, squeeze a good amount in one of the fingers of the disposable gloves. Poke a hole in the finger and squeeze the cleaner out of it when you’re in position.

* It’s not a bad idea to wear steel-toed boots for this job. Some horses enjoy this WAY too much. Others dance around and try to mash your toes.

* Remind yourself that you could literally be saving your horse’s life. Dirt and oil build-up can lead to all sorts of problems including abscesses and kidney failure. Somehow, the whole life-saving thing makes it all worthwhile.

Other Updates
Spent a lot of time on the phone and online today, tying up loose ends. Ah -- success. All that stands between me and the end of the month now is FINISHING this blasted SCREENPLAY. Got some good work done today. A friend has offered to watch the Little One tomorrow. The end is in sight... with 5 days left to write.

Foreword March! – How to Write a Fantastic Foreword

So, you’ve been asked to write a foreword to a book, hmm? To begin with, kudos and congratulations are in order. Forewords aren’t written by just anyone, you know. Generally, the only people who are asked to write such things are Those Who Matter.

The foreword serves to introduce the author and the book to the world at large. You have been asked to write it because you have paid your dues in some manner. Maybe you are a recognizable name within a certain field. Perhaps you have distinguished yourself in a way that is relevant to the book’s subject. Perchance you’re just the most famous person the author knows and he or she is calling in a favor.

So – yay, you! Now what do you do?

First, read yesterday’s blog. It explains what a foreword is, what purpose it serves, and why it’s good for you to write one. Go ahead. It’ll take you three minutes. It took me longer than that to write it, and it may help shave hours of painful head banging against whatever wall may be nearby. I’ll wait…

Next, if possible, get your hands on the manuscript you’ll be forewording. If you are the conscientious sort, and if it interests you, read it. If you’re not (or it doesn’t), at least skim the Table of Contents or read a random chapter on something you find worthwhile.

Then, write out a short anecdote about something that happened in your life that has some bearing – no matter how far-fetched – on what the book is about. If you’re not sure of the book’s purpose, write about something that relates to the chapter you just read.

Feel free to name-drop shamelessly here. If you won an Olympic medal, reference an Olympic event. If you defended a famous celebrity in a murder trial, mention it. Don’t hesitate to remind people why you are well-known in the first place – just in case they can’t remember why they know you. (The public is notoriously dim-witted, with a frighteningly short attention span.)

Now, tell me something about the author. Have you met? How long have you known each other (or known OF each other)? Can you relate a personal, non-humiliating anecdote about the author? What about telling of something the author did that affected you?

Remember, part of your job is to introduce the author to the world. Do your job as well as possible.

If you don’t know the author, rather than admitting that you’re writing for a total stranger, talk about the relevance of the project and rave about how much you believe in its validity. If you can’t do that, perhaps you’re not the one to be writing this particular piece of prose…

Finally, you will appear veddy literary and oh-so-clever if you can reference an idea from your opening paragraph again at the end. Think of it as bringing the whole foreword full circle.

If, for instance, you related a story that involves your mother, something as simple as “I know Mom would approve” will do the trick. If you talked about a particularly odious elementary school teacher, you might try something like “If you see Mrs. Schaffer, tell her I know who put the tack on her chair… and I ain’t telling!”

Remember, a foreword is like a letter of introduction from one friend to another. It’s best if it’s a bit chatty, engaging, and personal. Tell tales. Spin a yarn or two. Open a tiny little window into a personal moment. The more readable you make it, the more people will read it, rather than skipping it entirely and diving straight into the book. And that, of course, is the whole point!

Waiting for the Phone to Ring

First thing yesterday morning, I sent an e-mail to He Who Will Not Call, telling him that since I’ve been waiting over a month to hear anything of note from him, since the end of the month was approaching, and since I had put a few too many projects on hold for him which were now coming due, I was going to bump him from my list of Things to Do. I asked him to contact me at his earliest convenience so we could reschedule time for me to work with him on his edit.

It worked! I must have hit a nerve. After weeks of blowing me off, ignoring my e-mails and phone calls, and disregarding the publisher’s attempts to contact him, I heard from him in less than 20 minutes!

He’s been busy. (!) He’s sorry. He’d have some time free at the beginning of this week. Would it be all right if he called so we could work on the one question I needed for a particular chapter?

Well, it would have been all right if he’d called – which he didn’t. But I suggested that since he had two and a half days free, it would be best for his project if he got to work writing the major missing pieces rather than worrying about a single shortfall.

I wonder if he’ll take my advice.

I wonder if he’ll call.

I wonder if he knows how much his behavior reminds me of high school…

In Other News

I learned this weekend that Sharie's newest CD release, Let’s Talk About Heaven, which includes "Carol of the Horse," is getting airplay on some independent Christian stations. She's already had several calls from DJ's asking for autographed CD's to give away, and the project was just released a few weeks ago! Cool, huh?

On a purely "nifty" note, I went shopping in South Bend with a friend of mine on Friday. We went to Barnes & Noble and PetSmart. Both places had copies of Clinton's book in stock. I must admit, it was perversely gratifying to see! (One looks for excitement where one can find it.)

I’m on page 71 of the “challenge screenplay,” with less than a week to go to finish it. (It has to be at least 90 pages.) Rrrrrr! I will not watch “Batman Begins” until this screenplay is finished. I will not watch “Batman Begins” until this screenplay is finished… Ah, now THAT’s motivation!

Foreword Thinking -- An Introduction to the Introduction

Forewords are on my mind, as we are currently working on nailing down the exact verbiage of the foreword for Geoff’s book. Today – what a foreword IS.

The foreword is a strange literary beast. It introduces the larger work and / or the author – much as an emcee introduces a keynote speaker. It doesn’t contribute any additional information about the book’s subject matter, but it serves as a means of validating the book’s existence.

Often, the foreword of a book is written by someone that the general public recognizes more readily than the actual author. A foreword may be only a few paragraphs long – yet the foreword’s writer may share byline space on the cover. (“With foreword by Mr. Great Muckety Muck.”)

A foreword’s primary purpose is to boost book sales. It’s a means of introducing someone who may not be well-known via an expert in the field or a celebrity (who, by dint of being famous, is an expert on everything).

Forewords often have a personal, chatty feel to them. The foreword writer may reminisce about how he or she met the author of the main project, thus adding weight to the author’s credentials (“Oooh! He knows Mr. Great Muckety Muck! He must know what he’s writing about…”).

Forewords also tend to involve anecdotes that – ideally – have something to do with the work at hand. These generally serve as a practical or real-world example of whatever themes or ideas may be expressed later in the book itself. Again, they serve to simply reinforce that the writer knows his or her stuff.

But a foreword isn’t all about the book it introduces. If done correctly, the foreword can be as valuable a tool for the person writing it as for the author of the actual book.

To begin with, writing a foreword keeps the writer’s name in front of the public. This can be especially useful if there is significant lag time before another major project (book, album, movie…) that features the foreword’s writer is to be released. It is also a plus if the person writing the foreword is not known primarily as a writer. It can broaden the writer’s audience and, perhaps, appeal to a whole new segment of the population.

The foreword writer has the opportunity to remind people of why he or she is well-known – or at least qualified to write a foreword to a work – in the first place. A simple “author of 100 Secrets of the Super Stars” after the writer’s name at the end of the foreword serves as a frame of reference and solidifies credibility.

And that, in a nutshell, is all you ever wanted to know about a foreword. It’s a means of introducing an author and a new work to the world, while keeping the foreword writer in the public eye. Tomorrow, I’ll discuss how to write one.

Tying Up Loose Ends
Today is a "loose end" tamer.

Because of compatability issues with Maxell DVD's, the copying of "Carol of the Horse" did not go as planned on Friday. It pays to get Memorex. Or Panasonic. Now I know.

Anyway, they'll go out today, accompanied by many prayers and happy thoughts. One is going to my friend (who has a friend in acquisitions of the Perfect Publisher), in the hopes that she'll like what she sees enough to recommend a meeting. The other is going to my editor at Trafalgar Square. I know they won't publish the book -- they've already passed on the project. They don't do children's books, anyway. But I thought I'd let her see what else I've been working on, in addition to Geoff's book and the editing project for He Who Will Not Call.

I have one week left on the Great Screenwriting Challenge. My friend Paul, of course, is already finished with his Magnum Opus. Which easily leads an embittered writer to grump about people who don't have enough to do. But it's all good. I'm happy he finished. I'll just be happier when I do. Twenty five pages to go. Give or take. It's like Finals week in college. I know I'm not prepared, but by the end of the week, this will all be over -- one way or another.

I also need to work up some questions for the co-author of my next book to get working on. He's starting a two-week elk hunt next week, and I want him to have some things to think about while he's gone.

And, of course, there's the few little things left to do with Geoff's book. I need to send the word changes we've agreed on in to Trafalgar Square, wrestle with one short section that isn't easily fixed by changing a single word, and come up with ideas for improving the foreword.

But first... coffee!

Missed Opportunities

A friend of mine is an officer for a small organization that claims (or at least pays lip service) to want to grow its ranks. I belong to the organization because of its promise. It has the potential to become a great way to network with people who share similar interests but have different talents. It could… but it probably won’t.

What is holding this group back is not talent, or energy, or even vision. Rather, two roadblocks on its path to success may derail it before it can ever live up to its founders’ dreams.

Roadblock #1 is ego. This group’s got it in spades. People are so worried about having their contributions and their talents recognized that they waste valuable time worrying about how the credits will read.

“There is no limit to how far you can go or what you can achieve if you don’t mind who gets the credit.”

I don’t know who originally said that. I heard it years ago in a sermon, and was so struck by it that I wrote it down. It holds true in so many situations, on so many levels. If only this little organization would realize it.

Recently, the ego-trip was taken to the ridiculous extreme when a bit-player so brazenly plastered his credits over another’s project that the bit-guy’s name appeared more often than the project owner’s did.

What a missed opportunity. Instead of learning from the project leader and being grateful for the chance to be involved, valuable time, energy, and resources were wasted on worrying who got credit for what.

The unfortunate result?

What should have been a great way for the bit-player to showcase his talents and garner more clients, will dead end with this project. Since he was so worried about who got what credit, the project owner never wants to deal with him again. And he certainly won’t recommend bit-boy for future jobs.

Roadblock #2 is shortsightedness. The group makes grandiose, verbose plans for various functions and fundraisers. But few have bothered to learn much about the proper way to promote something. What happens are hastily thrown together events that fall far short of their intended purposes.

For instance:

• The group’s website is not up to date. It does not include a clear, easily referenced goal or purpose. Nor does it contain quotable material that could be easily incorporated into promotional articles or press releases.
• Group representatives and board members are lax about communicating important information in a timely manner.
• A free opportunity to learn how to contact local newspapers, radio stations, and other information media in order to get the best possible exposure for the group was lost when no one showed an interest in such a mundane thing as promotion.
• The organization is losing many potential members who could help it thrive and grow because regular meetings are held in a single geographic location. Modern ways of keeping people informed—such as on-line meetings, podcasting, or even e-mailed minutes—are not utilized, or even encouraged.

And so, an organization that could become an asset to its members is going nowhere fast.

What is true for a group is also true for an individual. Talent is rarely the deciding factor in success. Beware of missed opportunities. An overly large ego and an overly small understanding of the big picture -- and how promotion fits into it -- will only stunt your chances for professional growth.

On the Book Front
We got the foreward for Geoff’s book yesterday. It needs some additional work, but it looks promising. Geoff and I discussed “classical” terminology again. He feels that the changes made to the manuscript accurately reflect his theories, so that’s a good sign. If all stays on schedule, I’m going to send the changes to Trafalgar Square today.

I’ve begun drafting questions for the next book project. I hope to have a list to send to the co-author by Monday. It’s fun to switch gears from editing a final draft to starting from scratch. It exercises a whole different set of mental muscles.

Carol of the Horse Update
A friend has agreed to evaluate the DVD of our project. If all goes well, she will put us in touch with a friend of hers who is in charge of Acquisitions for the Perfect Publisher for our book. I understand about my friend wanting to be a buffer for her friend, who – no doubt – is inundated with submissions all the time. So I’m sending the DVD out today and praying that God takes care of the rest.

Public Enemy #1: Believing Your Own Press

In recent days, I’ve had several experiences with current clients, former consultants, and one complete stranger that have led me to ruminate on the very real dangers of believing one’s own press, and the resultant ego trip that accompanies the practice.

In a nutshell, a good, healthy dose of humility never hurt anyone. I’m not talking about the “aw, shucks,” groundkicking that people do when someone gives them a compliment, and they don’t know how to accept it graciously. If you’ve done something well, don’t pretend you didn’t when someone mentions it. Say, “Thank you,” and move on.

No – I’m talking about the pervasive, persuasive (but ultimately flawed) belief that if you can do a thing or two well, then you can do all things well – and anyone who dares to suggest otherwise is Not Your Friend.

(You might think that this blog is about to take a political bent. It would be SO easy to go down that road. But no.)

I’ll begin with The Stranger. I was mucking about online at some ridiculous time early in the morning, trying to wind down before going to sleep, and stumbled across a blog that was well-written enough to keep me reading a bit.

In it, a guy half a century old goes on and on about how he’s lost the love of his life because they live in different states. He won’t move for her, she won’t move for him, so never the twain shall meet. So he’s stuck – stuck! – with this woman he’s “not in love with, but the sex is good.” He says he likes her body well enough, “but her face just doesn’t do it” for him. (Made me wonder what his face did for her…) He repeatedly whines about feeling that he’s settling for her. Then he proceeds to list all of her faults, namely, she used to smoke (which means she might again), and she doesn’t go to church. Ah, but HE’s a paragon of Christian excellence.

Believing his own press. Not terribly attractive stuff in one’s personal life. Downright dangerous in the professional world. And it’s rampant.

Take this current book edit, for instance. Not only does the person who wrote the manuscript believe that he is God’s Gift to his field, shamelessly name-dropping and bet-you-wish-you-were-me-ing throughout the text, but he refuses to acknowledge that a.) he cannot write well enough for his book to go to print un-edited and b.) he must be available to provide the missing information in order for the project to progress any further.

His inability to respond to phone calls or e-mails has already stretched the project out a month longer than necessary. And there is no end in sight. Both the publisher and I have been reduced to hounding him via e-mail and multiple phone messages daily. We’re getting excuses from people who know him (everything from attention deficit disorder to house renovations), but at the heart of the matter, he just doesn’t think we’re important enough for him to respond to. He believes his own press.

Another example – I’m currently working on a dictated project that I am to scrupulously transcribe. No editing of any kind is welcome, other than making sure that all words are spelled correctly. No grammar check. No vetting for agreement, tense, or usage. No juggling of text for clarity. Absolutely no political correctness.

It was unexpectedly difficult at first, because I was unconsciously correcting the text as I typed. Now I just grit my teeth as each error splats onto the printed page, and plow forward.

In today’s hyper-critical world, the more successful you become, the more you must find qualified, competent people that you trust who have talents you don’t have, and who can present you in the most positive light possible. Unfortunately, success often brings with it a sense of superiority. A “master of my own destiny” mindset, if you will.

No man is an island, remember. No one can “do it all.” That’s part of the fun of success – it allows you to expand your network of knowledgeable acquaintances whose talents and strengths can balance and compliment your own.

If I find myself thinking that I’m all that and a bag of chips, I know that I have any number of friends and relations who will happily set me straight. See to it that you do, too. Ultimately, you will realize that you are not the only one who wants to see you succeed. When you surround yourself with capable, talented people and let them do their jobs, your continued success will only elevate those who helped you get to the top… and who will help you stay there.

Rider’s Wednesday: Courting Cadence

Not long ago, I got an e-mail from a friend about improving cadence. She is a Western Pleasure rider working on graduating to three-gait classes from the walk / trot division. She asked specifically about cadence beads and bells. She wanted to know if I’d ever used them, and what I thought of them.

Before I go any further, let me acknowledge that the terminology here may be confusing. As far as I know, there is no universally accepted generic name for cadence beads. Sometimes they are called “cadence bells,” “rhythm beads,” or “rhythm bells.” They’re all the same thing.

Whatever it’s called, the device in question is essentially a strap of some sort that fits loosely around the horse’s neck. A clip or buckle at one end attaches to the horse’s mane or to the saddle. A series of bells adorns the neck strap.

The theory behind them is that both horse and rider can tell by the bells whether or not the horse’s gaits are regular and rhythmic. Proponents claim that using the bells teaches a horse gait consistency faster. In my opinion, many so-called “cadence bells” are more ornamental necklaces than training tools. However, I’m not at all advising against them. On the contrary, I think they can be quite useful.

I've never used the necklace thing for teaching cadence, but I've used sleigh bells for years when breaking young ones. I like several things about them -- they get the horse used to hearing something move every time he moves, so they help desensitize him. And they also jingle in time and help the horse learn rhythm. It's similar in concept to riding to music with a very definite beat (two or four for trotting, three for cantering). I think they're a good idea. Besides – I like how they sound!

When discussing cadence, or rhythm, or consistency of gait, however, the key is not using something that jingles in time to the horse’s step. The key is “practice.” A horse can’t canter well until he gets the opportunity to practice cantering. And that doesn’t mean letting him go halfway around the arena and then shutting him down.

When teaching a horse to canter under saddle, give him plenty of exposure to it. In the early stages of training, canter him a lot. Let him get a little bit tired. Let him discover that he can’t just stop and start when he wants to. Let him realize that it’s in his best interests to conserve his energy, rate his speed, and pay attention to what you’re telling him to do.

In a very few sessions, you’ll find that you’re on your way to a smooth, consistent gait with perfect cadence – with bells on. ☺

In Search of the Perfect Word

I’m tweaking Geoff Teall’s book, which is at the publishers and in the middle of Trafalgar Square’s in-house edit. The issue at hand is the use of a single word: classical. As in “classical horsemanship,” “classical techniques,” and “classical riding.”

Those phrases, and others like them, occur throughout the book. But after in-depth discussions with both Geoff and the publishers, it has become clear that the word does not accurately reflect Geoff’s intentions. To make matters worse, the phrases that use “classical” as a modifier mean different things to different horsepeople, depending on the discipline of choice.

For instance, Geoff used the word to denote something timeless, that had stood the test of time, and that was not a modern affectation. He was talking about “correct” or “purposeful” hunt seat riding.

Persons with a background in dressage, however, think of Xenophon and ancient Greece when they think of “classical riding.” The rider’s angles and body position is considerably straighter in the “classical position” than in a hunt seat position.

And the search for the word continues. I’m now going over the entire text and analyzing how we have used the word “classical” throughout it. I’m also trying to come up with a better word that more accurately reflects what Geoff meant when he said “classical.”

If this seems nit-picky to you, think again. This is not mere word-play. This is our final opportunity to make Geoff’s meaning, teachings, and philosophy crystal clear to the reader. With any luck, the book will be in print for a long time. The last thing we want is for readers around the world to be confused about what is a central concept.

We’ve actually been down this road once already on this project.

Earlier (way back in April or May, I believe), Geoff and I had the same sort of exegetic conversation about the use of the word “equitation.” To me, it meant “proper riding.” But to him, it also meant a particular competitive Hunter division, and he didn’t want people to read the word and misunderstand its use. Of course, he was right.

What we did was define “equitation” right up front, from the very beginning. Then, any place within the manuscript where there might be some confusion, we used the more benign “riding.”

When faced with what you've written, the reader does not have the luxury of having you explain things that are unclear. So take the time when the project is still in manuscript form to make sure that every word you use means exactly what you want it to. It’s an obvious, but often forgotten truth: When writing, words are all you have. Treat them with respect and use them wisely.

And now, the search continues...

September Happens

The Long Story

A huge “thank you,” and an even bigger “I’m sorry” to everyone who has written, asking what happened to the blog since the end of August. Thank you for your concern. More importantly, thank you for reading! And I’m sorry for the unexplained silence.

To be brief: September happened. It wasn’t any one, pinpointable event. It was just the general overall “September-ness” of things that made writing the daily blog Too Much.

In the “missing weeks,” I conducted a Writer’s Workshop at our local library every Wednesday throughout the month. It’s something I try to do every year. Sessions are free and open to the public. I use the time to try out new material for other workshops and conferences. And I really enjoy being able to do something to give back to the community. The classes were fairly well attended, with a lot of repeat participants from last year. It was very rewarding, but also quite a drain on my time.

I’ve also been stretched thin trying to keep up on this screenplay challenge. So far, I’ve met every deadline, but it’s been close (one was met with only 15 minutes to spare…). As of today, I still have 30 pages to go, with the deadline at the end of the month looming.

[To those of you who took the 8 week challenge I wrote about at the end of August – how’s it going? Don’t back down! Hang in there!]

The good news is, I honestly think I will have the thing written in time. Then, not only will I have another script I can shop around -- a cheap-to-make horror flick, which is easier to sell than an expensive contest winner -- but I will also know that I can actually write one in 8 weeks. Without this challenge from my friend Paul, I wouldn't even be this far in the project. Still, I'll be glad when it's done. And I’m not entirely sure that I’ll try to do a screenplay in such a short amount of time again.

During September, I worked with Danielle Stephen, a very gifted fine artist, who completed the illustrations for the “Carol of the Horse” book. She finished by her self-imposed deadline of September 23.

Speaking of "Carol," we find out on November 5 whether or not my friend Sharie Conard, who recorded the song, won Female Vocalist of the Year and whether the song won Song of the Year for USAGEM. That's rather exciting.

Sharie is in Nashville right now. She went down on Friday. She was hoping to have a meeting with a representative from the publisher this week, but it's contingent on how her taping for a television special goes. Things are SO much different in the South than in the Midwest. Not that it’s a bad thing – it just takes some adjustment on my part. Further bulletins as events warrant.

As soon as the book was completely illustrated, Robert made a DVD presentation of the illustrations and the text along with the song so we can show publishers without having to lug original artwork around the country. While it was wonderful and selfless of him to do that, he needed my computer for much of the graphics work, so I spun my wheels and tried to think happy, positive thoughts, instead of obsessing over how behind I was getting in my work. Robert also updated the "Carol of the Horse" webpage. Check it out, if you get a chance (http://www.amihendrickson.com/carol.html).

The edit-for-hire for Trafalgar Square that began as a simple project has turned out to be the Project That Never Ends. The guy who wrote it won't return phone calls or respond to e-mails – from either me OR the publisher! The project should have been done by now. Actually, it was to have been done by the end of September (what a month it was!), but it's stalled because Himself cannot find it in his power to be in touch with me. Yeesh!

We're close to signing a contract for the back book. Much of September involved numerous revisions to the outline in order to come up with one that the publisher, the expert, and the writer (that’s me) are all happy with. Now that that’s agreed upon, we can all sign on the dotted line and get to work.

Geoff's book is currently undergoing an in-house edit at Trafalgar Square. It has a bit more tweaking to do (we're currently questioning the use of a particular word, and trying to all agree on a title). But, title or no title, the book is slated for a Spring publishing date. Yay! The fabulous Joe Fargis was kind enough to supply a foreward for the book. Geoff and I are very pleased with the whole project. To make the picture even rosier, I got the final advance last week. The check cleared. That's all it takes to make me a happy girl at this point.

It was a month of ups and downs. I had a birthday (One that ends in “9.” Not all good.). On the same day, we also received word that Robert’s disability claim had been approved. (Not all bad. At least we’ll be able to keep the house.) That one day was a snapshot of the whole, inordinately busy, month.

The Short Story
That’s the long version. The short story is, in September, I bit off a bit more than I could chew. Trying to juggle 5 projects (Geoff's book, Photo book, Back book, Carol of the Horse book, and the screenplay) at once, on top of the writer’s workshop and daily life here, was too much. I know that now... Something had to fall by the wayside, and the blog got the ax.

Frankly, I wondered if anyone other than the few dedicated friends who read daily would notice. It’s quite gratifying to see that some did.

So there you have it. The blog is back, and – barring another bout of September – here to stay. There’s a lot to talk about in the coming weeks, like contract concerns, editing ideas, training suggestions, marketing tips, and more. So, welcome back. Hope you visit often!