Green Chair Pictures

Let's Abolish the NH Department of Cultural Resources -- NOT!

2012-01-18T14:38:00.001-05:00

Have you written the Honorable Committee members yet? Or your representatives? Feel free to try verbiage something like this, with your own personal touch sprinkled in. (And in case you need to, click HERE to look up your State Rep.)

The Honorable Representative Carol McGuire, Chair
House Committee on Executive Departments and Administration
Legislative Office Building - Room 306
Concord, NH 03301

Re: HB1274 (Vaillancourt) - Abolishment of the Department of Cultural Resources - Oppose

Dear Madam Chair and the Members of the Committee:

I am writing to register my opposition to HB1274, authored by Rep. Steven Vaillancourt.
I am an artist who has lived and worked in the state for nearly eleven years. Without the Department of Cultural Resources (DCR) my volunteer activities, ranging from helping kids and nonprofit agencies to assisting town departments, would have been nearly impossible. The DCR mobilizes resources in such a way that it is easy to reach out and ask for help when it is needed. I have attended workshops I would not have been able to afford. I have met other artists with whom I have collaborated.

In short, I cannot sustain my efforts without the DCR, nor can countless other artists throughout this state. And if the state loses DCR and the artists it supports, then the biggest losers are our children and our grandchildren.

Please help save the Department of Cultural Resources.

Thank you,
Dana Myskowski
Henniker, NH

cc: Representatives Mark Lindsley & Laurie Sanborn

- - - - -

Dana Biscotti Myskowski
Emmy-Nominated Producer
Green Chair Pictures
www.greenchairpictures.com

Volunteer in the following capacities:

Director, Screenplay Competition, New Hampshire Film Festival
www.nhfilmfestival.com
Board Member, NH Film Commission
www.nh.gov/film

Founding Member, Granite SoFFA, the NH Society of Female Film Artists
www.GraniteSoFFA.org

Green Chair Reader launches!

2011-12-21T10:56:00.000-05:00

It's been a dream of mine to publish a journal devoted to the art of the short screenplay since I first saw my short script PLAYING HOUSE in print in the Goddard College Pitkin Review.

And now it's here!

The Header for "Green Chair Reader," designed by Adam Karolian.

Thanks to my Managing Editor Patrick Witherell for kicking this project into gear.

And to our published screenwriters: Duncan Putney, Paul Rogalus, Kevin O'Malley, Gwen Wilson & Codie Harrision.

Also to our gifted artist Adam Karolian for designing the header and for contributing three of his pieces to serve as artwork for the scripts.

Hope you enjoy the issue!

Who will you spend the holidays with?

2011-12-13T18:25:00.000-05:00

I've been sick lately. So sick the doctor's aren't yet sure what it is. (I have a CAT Scan this week and an internal scope to look forward to early in the New Year...to see if we can find out what's been going on.)

I'm not looking for sympathy, though.

What I am looking for is what's most important to me right now. And the answer, naturally, is: Friends & Family.

So for Christmas this year, I asked my husband for two things:

1) To fly me mumsy out from California to be with us for the holidays. (She arrives tomorrow!)

2) To rent an off-season ocean-front house on an island in Maine for New Year's Weekend. (We found one and we've already signed the lease!)

I don't want *stuff*...I can't take *stuff* with me whenever it is that I check out from this game called life. It's taken me many years to realize this (what a shame).

But I'm also not looking for your judgement.

What I am looking for from you is:

WHO are you looking forward to seeing this holiday season or in the New Year? And, yes, if you'd like to share, please feel free also to share who you will miss this holiday season. I'll go first.

I'm looking forward to spending the holidays with my husband, a man I've been married to for nearly a quarter of a century (next year!). A man I almost left earlier this year. Oh, how clumsy relationships--especially the long-term ones--can be.

And to being with my daughter and my son. And their boyfriend and girlfriend, respectively.

My mom. But you already knew that. She had her own surgery just a week ago today. And an MRI last Friday. Lots of stuff going on for her, but you don't see her whining in some blog post about it. :)

And my husband's family. Christmas Eve is my favorite holiday celebration of all. I've been honored to join my husband's family for these past 24 years. (I actually told my husband that if we did split up, he could expect to see me at Christmas Eve, cuz there is no way I would ever give THAT up!)

And my friends. Those who can make the NH Film & Television Holiday Gathering. Those who will be joining me on the island. And the few in between who I'm not too tired to visit with on weekends.

And I'll miss: my father. Who died ten years ago, the weekend of the September eleventh catastrophe. His death was unrelated to that event, but it did cause significant hardship in getting the family together to be by his bedside.

And my friend Kathy. Who today I realized left us about eight years ago. I mark her anniversary with my friends' wedding anniversary. Not because I'm morbid, but because her burial service was the reason I couldn't join my friends for their big day.

We all have sadness in our lives, eh? Guess that's what makes the gifts all the greater. It's never easy, though. This thing we call life. Together though, I'm fairly certain we can make it all worthwhile.

Happy holidays!

“To the Power of YOU!” wins its category at New Media Film Festival in San Francisco

2011-11-08T16:11:00.004-05:00

“To the Power of YOU!” – the public service announcement(PSA) created for Big Sisters of Rhode Island in the inaugural 7DayPSA Competitionhosted by FLICKERS – took top honors in the category Trailers (which alsoincluded other shorts) at the New Media Film Festival’s San Francisco screeningon November 5, 2011.

The PSA, which has aired in the Rhode Island market since winningfirst place in last year’s inaugural 7DayPSA Competition and which was Emmy-nominatedearlier this year, screened before a receptive crowd at the city’s historicLandmark Lumiere Theatre.

“It’s been the ‘little engine that could’ for us,” said DanaBiscotti Myskowski, producer and creative director of Green Chair Pictures, whoentered the New Hampshire-based team Smoky Quartz Productions in the inauguralcompetition in January 2010.

“It was fun to hear the audience ohh and ahh when ‘PurpleGirl’ appeared on the screen,” Biscotti Myskowski said, describing the momentwhen one of the youngest of the 40 actors dressed in a plush purple warm-upsuit appears in a close-up shot about half way through the minute-long piece.

It took Biscotti Myskowski several seconds to process thather team’s PSA had been announced during the awards ceremony presided over by NewMedia Film Festival Founder and Director Susan Johnston. “I wasn’t surprisedthat our piece resonated with the judges, but I didn’t realize it was in juriedcompetition,” Biscotti Myskowski said.

The PSA was conceptualized, written, produced, and edited inseven days, in the competition that pairs filmmakers with charitableorganizations in regional and state contests. The National 7DayPSA Competition,conceived of by Rhode Island actor and Emmy-winning writer Duncan Putney, hasbeen expanding each year to include more areas of the country.

In addition to its overall awards for best piece, the PSAhas also been awarded three individual prizes, presented to some of the creativeminds behind the short: Adam Jones was recognized as Best Director at theinaugural competition; Gary Anderson received the Best Cinematographer award;and Best Editor went to Marc Dole.

To find more information on this and additional projects, please visit the Green Chair Pictures website.

2011-09-14T12:54:00.001-04:00

Plowing Up A Snake...

What would YOU do if your husband was

brutally murdered in a small town

where everyone knew who did it

but no one brought them to justice?

Stay tuned for more information on this feature film production.

Jumping off!

2011-07-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

Been busy at work pulling together a budget and business plan as I prepare to jump into feature film producing. More information posted at my Green Chair Pictures website soon!

2011-06-09T16:28:00.013-04:00

(Oops...should be
the 32nd Annual logo....)

"Matt's Story" wins two Telly Awards

In a field of more than 11,000, the team that volunteered to produce the seven-minute video for the Concord Boys and Girls Club wins both First and Second Highest Honors in this year's Telly Awards.

The New Hampshire production team that originally met in the Concord Boys and Girls Club to produce the Emmy-nominated Public Service Announcement for Rhode Island Big Sisters, has landed the top honor—a Silver Telly Award (Cinematography)—and the second-highest honor—a Bronze Telly Award (Fundraising Video)—for “Matt’s Story,” produced for the Concord Boys and Girls Club’s Breakfast of Champions fundraising event.

Since 1978 Telly Awards have been honoring the work of creative video artists from the 50 states and around the globe. Annually, more than 11,000 entries are judged by over 500 professionals and prior award winners, and rated on a scale of one to ten.

Those projects that earn a nine or ten are awarded the highest honor: the Silver Telly Award; only seven to ten percent of all entries earn this highest honor. The Silver Telly in Cinematography for “Matt’s Story” is awarded to Kent Rich of Granite River Studios.

Bronze Telly Awards are given to the projects that earn a 7.0 to 8.9 score. Roughly 18 to 25 percent of all submissions receive this Finalist Prize. The Bronze Telly in Fundraising Video for “Matt’s Story” is awarded to the entire production team.

The Silver rather than the Gold is the highest award possible in the annual Telly Awards, as originally directed by the award’s founder. The Gold Telly Award is reserved for Classic Telly Award Winners, an honor that, according to the company, is presented approximately every five years.

Last year's crew answered a call by the Concord Boys and Girls Club to produce the seven-minute video for the Club's first annual fundraising breakfast. The video featured Matt Anderson, a young man who grew up in the Club, and one of his counselors, Tom Parizo, plus interviews with Mr. and Mrs. Anderson about their son.

Many of the crew were pulled from the original Smoky Quartz Productions team, which earlier in the year produced the Emmy-nominated Public Service Announcement, "To the Power of You." That project won Best Public Service Announcement in the inaugural 7DayPSA Competition sponsored by FLICKERS in Rhode Island.

Joining us on the "Matt's Story" project were:

Executive Producer - Carol Morse

Producer - Dana Biscotti Myskowski

Director - Adam Jones

Director of Photography - Kent Rich

Editor - David Bradley

Art Director - Mary-Catherine Jones

Set Decorator - Susan Tinkham

Hair & Make-Up - Annette Sousa

Lighting Assistant - Tom Dooley

Production Assistants - Leo & Abby Myskowski

2011-05-12T16:06:00.000-04:00

A Classy Send-Off

Thanks to my Awesome Screenwriting Students who surprised me today with a cake and a card and lots of other goodies! Not sure if Amy captured a photo of the cake before it was cut into, so I thought I'd grab a quick pic before we sliced in for seconds here at home.

Thanks, Guys & Gals! See many of you next week at graduation!

2011-04-04T22:08:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Connie Rosemont,
Executive Director of Red River Theatres,
one of two recipients of
the 2011 Governors Arts Awards
in the Category of
Distinguished Arts Leadership!

2011-02-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

Bragging Writes...

She's done it! Abby was just accepted to SNHU. And received an academic scholarship that brings the total cost nearly level with the cost of in-state tuition at UNH. So proud of her!

She'll start as a business major this fall, transferring the credits from her Associate's Degree that she'll earn this spring. To top it all off: she'll be graduating from community college at the time when most of her classmates will be accepting their high school diplomas.

A mom can brag, no? Especially as the author of my own blog.... :)

2011-02-23T16:22:00.000-05:00

Fascinating Tales

Behind the scenes & on location at the Concord Boys & Girls Club's Suncook facility where we captured a compelling story told to us by a boy who is growing up in this remarkable organization. Today we sat with an alumna of the club, a "lifer" as she dubbed herself and her friends, who shared another intriguing tale of growing up with--and largely thanks to--the Boys & Girls Club.

(From Left: Kent Rich, videographer; John Albert, production intern; Kevin Mason, production assistant; Dana Biscotti Myskowski, producer/director. Photo by Susan Tinkham, set decorator & stills photographer.)

2011-02-18T13:13:00.003-05:00

Big stories in small packages

Study of a birdhouse; charcoal by Leo.

Next week I'm pulling some of the Smoky Quartz Productions crew* together to shoot the June 2011 Concord Boys & Girls Club video.

This year we're interviewing four club members from three locations: Suncook, Concord, and Hopkinton. Each of the kids and the one young adult who grew up in the club has a remarkable story to tell, though I'm not sure what those stories are yet as I prep my list of questions for them.

Thanks to all who are helping out on this project; look forward to working with you again!

Cheers,

Dana

* 2011 Crew:

Carol Morse, Executive Producer

Kent Rich, DP, Audio, and Editor

Susan Tinkham, Set Decorator/Art Designer

Kevin Mason & Patrick Witherell, Production Assistants

John Albert & Leo Myskowski, Production Interns

Dana Biscotti Myskowski, Producer/Director

2011-02-16T10:40:00.001-05:00

Great Idea - Three Word Wednesday!

Thanks to the Author of Three Word Wednesday for posting this writing prompt. This week's words are occasion, kind, and blink. The challenge is to use them in your writing. I chose to pen a bit of Twitter Fiction:

On this occasion he was actually kind to the guards. But in a blink he was gone; the last death penalty case of his state.

2011-02-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

Twitter as a Teaching Tool

I've been Tweeting for about a year, and I've found it to be an incredibly effective way to deliver a message quickly. Of course it can also add to the chaos and noise of Way Too Much Information, but when used as a tool to help spread the word about something--a beloved state film office on the chopping block, for example--Twitter can reach hundreds quickly.

I now depend on the NH Department of Transportation tweets to let me know of possible accidents on the interstates that I and my loved ones travel for school and work. And I enjoy reading daily Twitter Fiction at sites such as One Forty Fiction.

And when it's used during times of political unrest, as it is currently being utilized in Egypt, Twitter is a force of power for even the smallest voice. You can follow the Egypt Twitter news in realtime from many sites, including here where you can read The Latest Updates on Day 14 of the Egypt Protests by Robert Mackey of the New York Times.

Do you utilize Twitter? If so, is it for business? Hobby? Pleasure? Personal? Or a combination thereof? Please let me and my class know what you think of Twitter. Feel free to post your @ address so we can all follow your Tweets!

Thanks,
@biscottidana

2011-02-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Meet Sherman...

Our newest addition to the Myskowski menagerie. He loves snowshoeing. And eating. He'll fit right in.

Thanks to Sherman's family for sharing him with us. Allergies forced them to find a new home for their three-and-a-half-year-old Border Collie mixbreed.

2011-01-25T11:54:00.000-05:00

Inuksuk designed by Dana, built by Jan. Cliff Island, Maine.

It's the first day of Media Writing. And we're at the blogger again. Twenty students. Twenty new stories. Join us on a semester odyssey.

2011-01-13T20:55:00.000-05:00

Let it snow, let it blow, let it flow....

Our Christmas Tree, now retired to the backyard
where it provides shelter for the birds...when
they're not hiding from the blizzard.

Was trying to capture the image of the nearly
two-story snow pile for my California
family. You'll just have to trust me
that it's piled high and deep....

Snow can be a such a pain sometimes....

Yeah, that's a great deal of snow. We received
18 inches. How much did you get?

2011-01-12T14:22:00.000-05:00

BENEFIT COMEDY SHOW -- NASC REUNION

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Copperfield's in Boston

Show Begins at 7 p.m.

Tickets @ Door: $20 per person -- Cash bar

**Proceeds to benefit The Jimmy Fund & Special Olympics**

FEATURING COMEDIANS:

Cally Nye -- Boston's new and exciting comic

Andrea Henry -- from Last Comic Standing

AND

Wayne Soares '89 -- Gotham in NYC, Dangerfield's, The Comedy Club in LA, Currently entertaining troops at military bases around the country, & Featured on Armed Forces Radio & TV

**Special Appearance by Legendary NASC English Teacher and Beta Advisor**

HARRIS ELDER

R.S.V.P. Requested

Please Comment Here if You Plan to Attend (& number in your party)

Or e-mail myskowski@gmail.com

By Sunday, Feb. 27

2011-01-05T16:28:00.000-05:00

Missing my Italian Grandmother...

...and realizing I took her work for granted.

I just made 116 cheese ravioli. Like Grandma used to make...except nothing like hers at all. Mine are full of imperfections, which took me hours to complete. I had no idea the talent and work that went into her daily routine.

Grandma & Grandpa's house was a favorite place to visit. Just off their kitchen, in the basement that connected their home to my Uncle's, were a couple extra freezers, a back-up refrigerator, a third kitchen table, the washer and dryer, and a few other flat surfaces. I hardly recall ever seeing them bare. As we kids would cut through to our Uncle's game room to play ping pong, shuffle board, or pool, we'd race by these horizontal surfaces covered in towels and pasta. And loaves and loaves of bread.

It always smelled delicious at Grandma & Grandpa's. Every once in a great while, like maybe three days in all 23 years of my marriage, I've stumbled on just the right orchestration of spices that instantly take me back to my Grandmother's kitchen, where on two stoves she kept many kettles of sauce simmering.

She taught me and my brothers and my cousins to make homemade pasta just like her. One Christmas when we wouldn't be traveling to Cleveland to see her, my younger brother and I decided to make the pasta like Grandma taught us. We built a bowl out of several cups of flour on the dining room table and added the half dozen eggs to the center. As we gently massaged the flour into the eggs, we sprouted one, then two, then three holes, which led to complete collapse...and eggs and flour all over the dining room floor.

Our parents and our other brother returned home at exactly that moment. We begged them to leave again so we could have time to clean it up and to try again. This time we used a bowl. And though I hardly recall exactly how we managed to clean up our mess, I do remember that we were much more successful as we cheated with the bowl. Later, as we confessed our cheat to our grandmother, she congratulated us on our success, and told us she would have recommended we use a bowl the first time anyway.

When each of my brothers and my cousins and I were married, our grandmother gave each of us our own Atlas hand-crank pasta machine. And most Christmases my machine actually gets used. This year it seemed so "easy" making our pasta that I brought it out again on New Year's Eve and taught the Italian tradition to our friends. And today, overconfident in my abilities, I pulled it out once again and cranked out huge, flat sheets of pasta. I'd thawed extra pirogi cheese I'd made before the holidays, and figuring I'd be done with my task during a long lunch, I dove in.

The other piece of my low tech, but functional and reliable equipment, is a metal tray that reminds me of an ice cube tray with holes instead of wells. I stretched the dough over the tray, took a hard plastic dimpled tray and leaned that gently into the dough, fixed the couple early rips with extra dough, added a scoop of cheese to each of the dozen squares, stretched dough over that, and then pushed a rolling pin over it, forcing the dough to seal and cut at the same time.

Popping the ravioli from the tray was a bit of a challenge and didn't go at all well for the first seven dozen or so, but somehow most of them managed to retain their shape. I'm not worried about it though. I'm guessing they'll all pop pretty easily into our mouths once they're cooked.

But now what do I do if my family likes them enough to ask for more? I guess I'm going to have to improve my time....

2010-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

Oh, oh...the ice trucks cometh.

Figures. The one day I have to drive this week.

Be safe, everyone.

Happy holidays!

2010-12-15T21:46:00.000-05:00

“For sale: baby Shoes, never worn.”

--Ernest Hemingway

Please Join Us for

A Free Stage Reading of

Four One-Act Plays

Penned by New Hampshire Playwrights

Donald Tongue, Lowell Williams,

John Sefel, & Dana Biscotti Myskowski

Sunday, Dec. 19, 2 p.m.

Greenroom of the

Adams Memorial Opera House

Derry, New Hampshire

"Drag" a micro-fictionalized, recast excerpt of the screenplay adaptation PLOWING UP A SNAKE

"Drag" by Artist Lisa Rae Winant

Image used by permission of the Artist

11 x 17.5/oil on panel

It's an early-autumn day like any other in upstate New Hampshire: chilly, breezy, and fragrant. Well, fragrant if you happen to enjoy the scent of wood smoke billowing from every chimney in the village.

"You don't smoke," Clay admonishes his cousin's widow.

"Not those stale, nasty cigarettes Hatch likes," Marjorie responds. "But a smooth, carefully hand-rolled cigar..." She pauses as she takes a drag, "...is like the gentle caress of an accomplished lover."

A corner of Clay's mouth rises, though in truth he's uncomfortable hearing a woman speak so bluntly, so seductively. It is, after all, the mid 1950s and Clay's been a one-woman man in a small town all these years. Until now. But what’s adultery stacked up against the multiple murders that have recently plagued this sleepy hamlet?

He settles back into his chair and swallows his scotch--nearly choking on it. As he struggles for air, he manages to sputter, "Soda...there's no soda in it."

"There's supposed to be soda in it?" Marjorie asks.

Clay wonders if she's hurt by his reaction. Guessing she is, he says, "No, no. Scotch this good doesn't need soda." He sips gingerly the second time around.

And as he and Marjorie settle into their coy game, outside the razor-thin windows the first snow begins to fall, bringing with it an appearance of unearned innocence and silence echoing the eternal silence that has already frozen their river-bound valley town.

(A micro-fictionalized, recast excerpt of the screenplay PLOWING UP A SNAKE, an adaptation by Dana Biscotti Myskowski of Merle Drown's novel of the same name.)

2010-02-07T17:34:00.013-05:00

"Make-Up"
micro-fiction by dana biscotti myskowski

"Untitled" by Lisa Rae Winant, 28x12 oil on panel, used by permission of the artist.

The blood-red convertible was cold to the touch. She managed a smile for the cameras, but it was all fake. She’d just won this car on some silly game show her friend had dragged her to. She wished she could see him now, but even squinting didn’t work, she couldn’t see five feet beyond the stage, the lights were so bright.

She loved him. She wondered if he knew. Didn’t matter. He was gay from birth. That’s probably why she loved him so. No complications. Well besides his frequent feminine-like mood swings. He was probably nursing a wounded ego even now—hurt that she’d been called down to be a contestant instead of him.

Her fingernail caught on the side mirror and snapped. She looked at the jagged edge that instantly returned her to her first road trip across the country with GG, her great grandmother who drove despite being nearly legally blind.

It began as a blissful journey. She, then only fourteen, had already reached her adult height and, sporting a full double-D, looked every bit the part of a university co-ed. She enjoyed being mistaken for a college student whenever she told others she was a freshman. Wearing the logo of the college that held her small town together helped too. People were so quick to assume, never mind the warnings not too.

Somewhere on the journey GG nicked a goat that had escaped a farmer’s barnyard, sending them skittering to a jolted stop, one wheel dangling above the chasm of a drainage ditch. While the goat head butted the car in anger—or perhaps glee, she was never sure which—she and GG assessed their own wounds: a scratch for GG where an extra key had scraped her thigh, and a broken fingernail for her when her hand hit the dash at an odd angle. It seemed only natural that she should drive the rest of the way. GG never drove again.

But when more than a thousand miles later she struck the child who raced into the road, dashing from behind a taco truck while she checked her mascara—damn thick-lash lying bastards—GG never moved so fast, scrambling into the driver’s seat before anyone arrived. They attended the funeral and flew home again. Took a cab between local stops.

She climbed into the new car now, only because the Host insisted she should, but she knew she’d never drive the bloody car off the lot. Maybe she could sign it over to her friend to make amends.

(Note: Micro-fiction is an assignment this week for my Media Writing Class, which is why I am publishing this story I wrote for last year's New Hampshire Writers' Project Literary Idol Competition. I landed the coveted top spot; that's right, New Hampshire: I am your Literary Idol. Feel free to bow...tee hee.)

2010-02-03T19:07:00.000-05:00

It's a Wrap!

More than 40 Actors joined us for our afternoon/evening shoot for the 7DayPSA Competition. Thanks to all the patient actors, moms, dads, and chaperones!

And a HUGE thank you to our incredibly talented crew. Many folks asked how long we'd all been working together; when I looked at the clock to answer __X__ hours, people were surprised.

Also thank you to the Boys and Girls Club of Concord, which is where we shot. The folks there are incredibly friendly and generous. And the gym was a perfect set.

While I'm handing out shout outs, I want to say hello to a previously anonymous blog follower: Hey, Allison! Glad to hear you're stopping by occasionally. Looking forward to meeting you one of these days!

Okay...back to my paperwork and backseat editing here at Hatchling Studios.

Cheers!

2010-01-30T17:07:00.002-05:00

We're Casting for 7DayPSA!

Non-union Actresses - Ages 7-15 AND 20-n-OVER* needed for On-camera for 7DAYPSA competition project shooting in New Hampshire, exact place TBA on Tuesday, February 2 (likely from 3-6 PM). The winning public service announcements will be shown for one year on Rhode Island television stations and longer on the web site for Big Sisters of Rhode Island. For more information on the competition, go to www.7DayPSA.org.

*We need 10 to 25 PAIRS of Ethnically Diverse** younger actresses/older actresses (to represent Big Sisters/Little Sisters pairing groups).

(Photo above of Dana and her daughter Abby wrapping presents for Project Santa at Jan's lawfirm. Many families were helped this past December.)

2010-01-15T16:05:00.002-05:00

Calling all screenwriters!

It's nearly here: Green Chair Reader -- the on-line review dedicated to the short screenplay.

More information soon. For now, prepare to send me your best screenplay of five pages or fewer.

2010-01-13T17:33:00.003-05:00

Originally submitted at Roku

The best-selling HD Player (as known as Netflix Player by Roku) plays High Definition video and connects to surround sound audio.

Roku has ROCKED our house!

By Scriptwriting Prof from New Hampshire on 1/13/2010

Pros: Reliability, High quality picture, Built in Wi-Fi, Expands Viewing Opps, Great value, Compact, Easy to set up, Easy to use
Cons: Want more video choices, Wish Pandora ranTV off
Best Uses: Living room
Describe Yourself: Movie buff, Film Professor, Netflix fan

We have maybe 13 channels via our regular cable. Roku has turned our TV into a film and documentary haven. That Pandora is supported too was an unexpected bonus.

(legalese)

(What can I say? I love the movies. And now Roku and Netflix make them so easy to watch over my TV...saving me from having to unplug my laptop in my office and connect it to the TV in the living room. Who knew life could be so simple?)

Poster above for the script reading was from 2008.

2010-01-12T17:04:00.001-05:00

Write a Short Screenplay in 2010
Lesson Three:
Tag! Your Character is it.

What's a tag? It's the description of the character the first time he appears in a screenplay. It's the one time in screenwriting that the writer is permitted to write details that will only be read by the actors and director. Though if you've crafted your story correctly, the viewing audience will pick up on the characteristics that you outline in your tag.

What makes a good tag? It's the spot-on definition of character traits. Spoiled. Arrogant. Pissed at the world. Always in a hurry. Too good for mankind. Everyone's friend. Mild-mannered. A doormat.

And what of looks? Only tell us physical details if they are pertinent to what makes the character who she is. For example, you might write: BRENDA DILLON (13), the tallest girl in the school and painfully aware of that fact. She's also the best Center in the state of Nebraska, but that's hardly just compensation for the pain of always being the wallflower at junior high dances.

You wouldn't want to describe Brenda as six foot tall. Why not? What if the best actor for the part was five foot seven? You don't want to force your casting director to choose a runner-up simply because the actor fits the height requirement. This way you allow your casting director and production team to work together to make sure the supporting actors are shorter. Remember: filmmaking is a collaborative process.

The best way to get a good feel for how to write tags is to read them in screenplays. If they gave an award for best tag ever written, I'd argue loudly that it be granted to Mark Andrus, screenwriter of AS GOOD AS IT GETS, for his description of Melvin Udell (played by Jack Nicholson). Melvin is described as:

"...well past 50, unliked, unloved, and unsettling. A huge pain in the ass to everyone's he's ever met."

Now that's a tag an actor can sink his teeth into. See the movie if you haven't already; you'll witness how the screenwriter, director, and actor brought Melvin to life exactly as the character was tagged.

An optional exercise today: use the photos to describe what kind of character is behind them. I'll post my own ideas in a day or two.

Cheers!

2010-01-07T12:23:00.000-05:00

Write a Short Screenplay in 2010: Lesson Two
Dialogue: what's the big deal?

Bad dialogue annoys. Good dialogue scoots by undetected. Why is that? Because if the dialogue's spot-on, it simply becomes another production tool in the film. Keep in mind that filmmaking is a collaborative business, and part of that collaboration is making sure as writers we're providing solid material for our actors and directors to work with.

So what makes good dialogue good? Or bad dialogue not so good? Maybe we should visit our ol' pal Clint for the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the subject:

The good - well, duh, it flows. It's short. Or if it's an actor's wet dream of a monologue (think Oscar nominations, baby!), then it has both heart and heat. And no extraneous additives to slow it down.

The bad - it's easier to identify the dialogue that doesn't work. Perhaps it limps off the tongue like a piece of undercooked bacon, extra smarmy or with not enough contractions. Or it states things on the nose -- point blank. Saying what you mean is not all it's cracked up to be in the dialogue business. Hints and allegations are much more alluring.

The ugly - it just doesn't sound like a good fit for the character. Perhaps it's Tom Bosley trying his best to impersonate a downeast accent in MURDER SHE WROTE, which just comes off cheesy since no one in Maine sounds like he does. Or maybe it's Tom Cruise using an American accent to play a German spy. (Okay, that faux pas I fault the casting director for.)

So what can you do to help your dialogue succeed? Listen to conversations around you all the time. As I tell my students, since I have a more than slight hearing problem, if I can overhear a conversation, it is definitely not private. Listen to how people talk to each other when they're angry, when they're in love, when they're enamored, frightened, excited, bored, etc. How you speak to your mother is different than how you speak with your pals, which again is different from how you speak to a cop who's pulled you over for a traffic violation. And how do you speak to the telemarketers? Or to the cashier at the local mini mart? (Do you speak to the cashier?)

Keep that in mind as your characters interact with each other. In DEAD POETS SOCIETY (yes, I'm reaching back a bit, but it's a great film and should be enjoyed and studied by all film enthusiasts) the fellows speak freely with each other, but are formal and stilted when speaking with adults. Even the adults speak more freely with each other than with their students.

A few additional notes I've picked up along the way:

- Avoid introductions when possible, or at least be brief and clever with them.
- Avoid writin' in accents. They're god dern annoyin' to try to read in dialogue. Instead, tag your character with the accent you want to hear: JOSIAH SMITH (34) Southern from tip to toe, as evidenced in his syrupy, Georgian speech.
- Avoid hello's and good byes. Ever notice how characters on TV and in film answer the phone with a statement or a question and hang up before the good bye? We even tend to do it more in our hectic everyday pace, especially with the advent of caller id. "You got my money?" is a much more intriguing way to answer the phone then "Hello?"
- Write with contractions. And idioms. Unless your character is foreign and a stranger to our speech patterns (in which case your character may mix up common phrases).
- Keep your dialogue short and succinct. We do not normally speak to each other in term-paper lengths.
- Keep your characters LISTENING to each other. That means they should answer the question or comment that just preceded...not the one that was posed three sentences ago.
- Avoid the little lead-in words such as like, hey, look, well. Unless your character is a Valley girl, like does not like belong, ya know? If the dialogue naturally calls for such a throw-away word, the actor will use it deftly.

Okay, that's enough for today. What are you waiting for? Time to do some eavesdropping....

Cheers!

2010-01-07T00:25:00.001-05:00

Okay. It's 2010. Let's write a short screenplay together.

Now if I may presume you already have a premise of a story, here's how you begin:

FADE IN:

It's ALL CAPPED and Flush Left, followed directly by the obligatory colon.

Below that line is a space, and below that is a slug line that tells us where we are and whether it's night or day:

INT. OFFICE -- NIGHT

INT. = Interior. If we're outside, then you write EXT. for exterior. The Office location just happens to be where I am currently sitting, but you would use your imagination to place your characters wherever they may be: on the MOON, in a SUBMARINE, in an APARTMENT, etc. Then cap it off with DAY or NIGHT. Not EARLY MORNING or DUSK or any of the countless other descriptions for NIGHT or DAY. A camera operator once thanked me for sharing this bit of advice with a workshop crowd at a film festival; he said, "the camera only knows light or dark, so night or day is what we need to make sure we capture the image correctly." If you must convey first thing in the morning, do so with a simple prop like a Rooster CROWING or an alarm clock or a newspaper being delivered or what have you.

Next comes the action description line. Keep your lines brief, with few or no adjectives or adverbs. And yes, sentence fragments are acceptable. Sometimes even encouraged. Here's an example:

The bereft beauty, SCARLET (30s), typed in the stillness of a house asleep. Her eyes struggled to remain open as her fingers kept pounding the wrong keys.

If there's dialogue to be written, well, that's just another thing entirely, isn't it? We'll tackle dialogue tomorrow. That should give you time to conjure up a couple characters and to place them in a story. Hmm, character development. Guess we'll need to tackle that one too, eh? For now, focus on a strong protagonist (or hero of your story) and an equally powerful and completely opposite antagonist. Give your protagonist a do-or-die goal to achieve. And place your antagonist squarely in your protagonist's way. And to make it REALLY compelling, keep in mind that to the antagonist, he or she is the protagonist of the story. That means that BOTH characters should be well defined and three dimensional. (General rules here; always general rules. And, as with all rules, they are of course able to be broken. But first you must know the rule before you can artfully break it to achieve your goals.)

Make me the antagonist of your little drama if you must. But remember that I'll always be the protagonist from my own point of view.

Good night, all!

2009-12-14T11:20:00.001-05:00

Gathering Family Together at the Holidays....

So how does one entice older teens to the table and to spend an evening hanging out with Mom and Dad? Chinese take out and The Muppet's Christmas Carol, of course. It also helps if you invite their friends, especially the ones who have never seen the Muppet's version of the Christmas classic.

The entire evening was my husband's idea. I went to bed early Saturday night, exhausted from a day spent traveling to Massachusetts with my daughter to make tons of pierogi with the in-laws and her cousins, and awoke Sunday morning to a forwarded text alerting me of the evening's festivities.

It was a gift not to be planning the holiday get together. So after begging off from that night's monthly gathering of my playwriting group, I scoured the house for the holiday videos, which I so cleverly hid last year. While I never did find them (thank goodness for the local video store), I did find two snowboarding coats that went missing about three years ago and the pearl ring that my hubby gave me on our first Christmas together, which has been missing for at least three years too. I also located the papermache Santa my husband made when he was in grade school and the clay sleigh and Santa figurine I made as a freshman, plus tons of photos and cards from over the years.

And now that I've replaced our three must-have holiday classics* with a last-minute desperate order via Amazon dot com, I'm sure to find the treasure trove of holiday videos that have been watched multiple times over the years. (If I do, I'll simply have DVDs to hand out as presents...so if you're on my list, hope I find my holiday video box.)

Ah, the holidays. Such a crazy, magical, hectic time of year. Now where did I put the stockings? Oy. Who cares? As long as family's around to pass the rice....

* Our three must-have holiday classics include: Dr. Seuss's Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the original cartoon version), It's A Wonderful Life, and, of course, The Muppet's Christmas Carol. What videos do you watch every year?

2009-12-07T11:39:00.001-05:00

Ode to Four-Footed Friends

We lost a family member last week. Our greyhound, Ellory. Ellory McQueen “LL McBean” Myskowski, also known as “Elle,” to be precise.

She was our daughter’s pet; it was Abby who arranged the adoption. That was nine-plus years ago.

When Elle first moved in with us at the ripe old track retirement age of three, our daughter couldn’t walk her. Though Elle was the smallest greyhound at the kennel, she was still too large and too strong for our then first grader to handle alone. But eventually first graders grow into college students. And unfortunately dogs can only accompany us so far on our life’s journey.

While Elle’s loss is a keen blow to my husband and me, for we have lost a true and loyal friend, her death has left a profound hole in our daughter’s life. With time the pain may ease a bit, but no one can completely erase the loss of a pet with which you grew up, walked many miles, went on vacations, and too soon out lived.

Elle, you’re missed. Especially this holiday season. And this morning when you weren’t waiting for us to walk you. And tonight when you won’t be begging for your dinner. And all the days and evenings to come when—for just the teensiest, tiniest instant—we'll forget you’re no longer here.

2009-11-01T19:41:00.002-05:00

Being sixteen is hard. Being married is even harder.

Please join us for the Premiere New Hampshire Stage Reading of FREEBIRD, a screenplay by Hilary Weisman Graham, the winner of this year's Screenplay Competition sponsored by the New Hampshire Film & Television Office in partnership with Red River Theatres. Reading under the direction of Adam Jones.

Thursday, Nov. 12, 7 p.m.

$6 RRT members/$8 general admission

Red River Theatres, Concord, NH

2009-10-03T23:23:00.003-04:00

Awesome seeing our son's three pieces of artwork on display in Boston's Backbay today! Thanks AANE for displaying them. And thank you to Auntie Sandra for driving in to see Leo and his work. Thanks also to Abby for joining us on our soggy journey. :)

(NOTE: Silly Polar Bear in Negative sketch above done by me with a mouse as I tried to learn the computer's free art program....)

2009-09-18T10:09:00.005-04:00

Leo's Artwork to Appear in Boston Show in October!

("Gourds," graphite, 24.5" x 19.5")

LEO MYSKOWSKI

Three Works Selected

AANE Annual Fall Conference

Saturday, October 3, 2009

10 AM - 5 PM

John Hancock Convention Center

180 Berkeley Street

Boston, Mass.

Free & Open to the Public

(Untitled, collage & paint, 17" x 20")

("Skateboard Designs," ink, 17" x 17")

(All Leo's artwork is for sale. Please don't let my poor photography skills fool you; his artwork is much better in person!)

2009-09-07T21:07:00.002-04:00

Fair thee well...

We enjoyed a great day yesterday, walking about the Hopkinton Fair Grounds -- my first trip to the New Hampshire State Fair. And a superb evening tonight having dinner with friends. Labor Day Weekend should happen more often. :)

Cheers!

2009-08-03T20:10:00.003-04:00

Don't cry for me, overweight chicken...

I saw FOOD, INC. almost two weeks ago at Red River Theatres and I can't get the documentary out of my head. It's the first time I've felt like crying over a chicken.

Okay, well, not technically the first time. I think it was actually when we moved to a small, three-acre farm in Sharon Center, Ohio. When my mom placed our order for our new chicks, she and my father were delighted to learn that they would receive ONE FREE ROOSTER for every dozen chicks. ONE FREE ROOSTER? Wow. It was like they won the lottery or something. So a few months after the 72 hens and 6 roosters grew up, we learned first-hand why the company might ship us all these free roosters: they were fighting. And I'm not talking a little pecking here or there, but a blood sport. There's a reason cock fighting is illegal.

And so my father invited his old-country Italian parents out for the weekend. And as he and my grandmother slit the throats of four roosters, my mom, my brothers and I hid in the master bedroom and balled our eyes out.

Still, that didn't get me out of my chores of plucking feathers and gutting the meat.

A few days later, as we sat down to a home-made dinner of fried rooster with a family from Cleveland, my dad picked up a leg and asked aloud, "I wonder who this is?" (Naturally we had named EACH rooster.) That was it: while their family ate the "best fried chicken they'd ever tasted," my family and I ate greens and whatever other veges my mother had cooked up for us that evening.

Years later, I would learn to accept the "savage" side of farming. While it's easy to eat the picked and pulled veges from the garden, it's not always easy to chow down on the animals who so easily become part of your life when you take care of them daily.

Take our first two cows for example. The morning after receiving them on our next farm, a couple-hundred-old cool homestead on about ten acres located eight miles from our three-acre starter farm, my father left for work warning me not to name the cows. That night I told him the two heifers were "Clem" and "Tine." Get it? Dad didn't laugh. The next night he returned home from his day job as a manager in a steel plant and informed me that he'd sold three halves of the two cows. It took my eight-year-old mind a few minutes to grasp, but once I realized what that meant I left the dinner table and went to my room to cry myself to sleep.

Still, what we did on our farm--raising grass-fed beef and sheep, and horses (which we did NOT eat), and goats (there's nothing to eat on them, trust me), and pigs (more a pain in the arse then they're worth...which prompted my mom to finally donate them to Oklahoma State University's agricultural program when we moved to a 20-acre ranch out there)--anyway, raising these animals as we did with the personal touch, made me want to cry when I saw the fat chickens that could hardly walk in FOOD, INC.

And so tonight, as my husband and I talked about walking downtown to grab a bite to eat, I couldn't get FOOD, INC. out of my mind. By the time he jumped from the shower (after his 25-mile bike ride) I had broiled up some green tomatoes from our garden, cleaned fresh lettuce (also from our garden), microwaved some"fakin" (soy-made vegetarian bacon...while trying not to think too much about that evil empire known as Monsanto), and chilled some local micro-brewed beers. And thus we enjoyed a fresh dinner in our backyard garden.

Can I thank FOOD, INC. for tonight's repast? Maybe, but I'd like to thank my mom and dad instead: for showing me the charms and chores of growing up on a farm (and ranch) in the many middles of nowhere in America.

Bon appetite!

2009-08-02T06:27:00.003-04:00

Pare it down...

Can you write a complete, complex and compelling story in 25 words or less? It's called Hint Fiction and the best will tentatively be published in an anthology by W.W. Norton in 2010. Submit your two best Hint Fiction pieces by August 31; anthology submission guidelines are listed HERE. Good luck!

(Above is a picture I took of my Mother's Day Pear Tree planted in one of our several new gardens we put in this year.)

2009-07-29T14:35:00.003-04:00

Within Reach...

New events have unfolded in recent days, including the employment of my son (yes, THAT son, whom I searched for tirelessly only a few weeks ago). He's now the Art Techy for Alchemist's Workshop, painting sets and banners, designing flyers, and helping in any tech capacity on a series of theatre shows now through Sept. 30. The program is funded via an Obama initiative; sort of a Vista Volunteer or Americorps spin-off. Very cool, eh?

And Abby just officially qualified for loans and for the New England Regional Tuition break to attend Lyndon State College this fall. That on top of the seven credits that LSC accepted from her part time semester at Concord's NH Technical Institute.

All this "normalcy" has allowed me to again write and to return my attention to the NH Film and Television Office's Stage Reading Screenplay Competition (scripts will be read at Red River Theatres, as they were last year; more info soon!).

And I've also returned to my producing duties on the New Hampshire premiere of "Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark," the powerful play penned by Pulitzer Prize-Award Winning Writer Ariel Dorfman as adapted from the book by Kerry Kennedy. Photos in the book, which will also accompany the stage reading, are by another Pulitzer Prize-Award Winner: Photographer Eddie Adams.

The latest news - confirmed this hour: Poet Maxine Kumin (a former U.S. and N.H. Poet Laureate) will join us as a stage reader! Plus she will read three of her poems, one of which is from her next collection of poetry, Where I Live: New & Selected Poems 1990-2010, due out next April from Norton.

So our cast is taking shape! (The complete list is on the side of the blog with that great photo of all the kids' hands reaching toward the face of Kailash Satyathi.) More information will be available soon; I am headed now to a production meeting with the rest of the gang from Jayme's Fund for Social Justice.

2009-07-22T15:34:00.003-04:00

Am headed to Red River Theatres tonight for the screening of the winners from the New Hampshire 48-Hour Film Festival. (Read the excellent pre-review here.) Hope to see you there!

2009-07-15T08:05:00.003-04:00

If only we could see what's around the next bend....

But then where would the mystery lie? Or the desire to dwell another day?

In case you think I've become completely nuts (I can assure you, I have!) I am slightly philosophical today because when I opened my e-mail I found my words of a previous e-mail to a fellow mom of an Aspie kid staring me in the face. And you know what? I liked the words I'd said, the quote from my long and rambling response to one of her e-mails out of concern for the safety of my son and for the other runaway. In fact, at first I didn't recognize the quote as my own, which just illustrates how exhausted I was at the time I wrote it (and how completely nuts I truly am!).

In the interest of sharing what little nugget of wisdom I landed upon after my missing teen saga, here's the quote:

"Teens are just plain tough. And each household does what they can. I think maybe I should write a rule book, but I'd have to write one for each teen on the planet. ... Fight the good fight; love our kids like none other...."

May we each find peace in our lives, even in the crazy hectic moments and within the too quiet times of despair and worry. Thanks again to everyone who prayed for the safe return of my son and his friend. And continued thanks for the cyber hugs and real life hugs and well wishes that so many of you have shared with me.

Peace!

2009-07-13T09:50:00.003-04:00

Careful what you say around me...

...it may end up in one of my stories.

Recently a friend was lamenting his life's situation - a number of unfortunate circumstances brought on by the economic downturn. I, of course, suggested he write what he knows--after all, he's living a wealth of material right now. Instead he permitted me to use whatever I want from his life. And so I did. Today. In my newest ten-minute play for the stage. I've gotta say - I love it! It's a jolly fun-filled romp through an agonizingly painful reality. (I always fall in love with my words at first glance; we'll see what a few days cooling period does for me--and how I feel when I revise them at the end of the week.)

Yesterday after the excellent performances of several short plays and scenes from longer pieces at the New Hampshire Theatre Project, we authors joined the actors and directors on stage for a Q&A. Much of our discussion revolved around our characters and how we write them. Do we picture the stage as we write, one fellow writer in the audience wanted to know, or do we--as she's been doing lately--picture the characters in their real life circumstances and write with that in mind?

Each of us agreed that it's far better to picture our characters as real, multi-dimensional beings, tackling what life throws at them as best they can. And in the case of the ten-minute play, we may only glimpse their problem, but it's best to show us that turning point--or one of the main turning points in a character's life--that ten minute window into an "a-ha" moment for a character and how a character reacts when pressed into a corner.

By glimpsing that moment on stage, we create a life before and after the scene. Audiences can infer enough to build up what occurred before the curtain opened, and hopefully will care enough to ponder what comes next in our characters' lives.

While I don't always know if the audience is wondering over the future lives of my characters beyond the story's end, I often hear that my stories of family have touched someone and that they can relate because either they too have lived something similar, or they know someone who has.

What a gift to give a writer. That an audience member empathizes with any character you've created means you've shared yourself with others, and probably even created truly three-dimensional characters.

So watch what you say around me. It might end up as a piece of one of my characters' lives. Though if it touches and even inspires just one person in the audience, maybe that's good enough reason to share your stories with me after all....

(Pencil drawing above by Leo.)

2009-07-07T11:47:00.004-04:00

Summer Reading, Happened so Slow...

Not that life's returned to normal, but I am today able to focus (finally) on some ordinary summer hobbies. Thought I'd share, as I finally submit my last book request form for this fall's semester of teaching at UNH.

I picked up the Stephen King "On Writing" again - and am requiring it for my Advanced Scriptwriting class and for the Media Writing class - but would also like to suggest anyone who likes to write read it over the summer. It's unlike any other book on craft you've ever read. I know a few others who have read it too and agree with that assessment (including my son).

The other book, which was required of my last Media Writing class and which is again required of my class this fall, is Mignon Fogarty's "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." It incorporates silly examples, but is by far the easiest to comprehend grammar manual available today. Read it and keep it. Refer to it as necessary. Again, this is a light read and though it seems incomprehensible to say: it would make a good beach read. Or at least a great, quick, grab-me book for that next time you find yourself in a long wait line.

What else is everyone reading this summer? (Please, do share!)

I have about three books going now including two Asperger handbooks and a short story compilation by NH Humorist Rebecca Rule; I'll be re-reading the two "textbooks" mentioned above and all the others required for my classes ("The New Rules of Marketing & PR" by David Meerman Scott, "Little Miss Sunshine: The Shooting Script" by Michael Arndt, & "The Shawshank Redemption: The Shooting Script" by Frank Darabont).

I will also be reading four others: a new biography by Concord Novelist Merle Drown, a first novel written by a Goddard MFA dorm mate of mine (Bev Hamel's "Bethania: The Village by the Black Walnut Bottom"), the unfilmed original screenplay adaptation of "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry (I LOVE her stage play by the same name; apparently the 1961 film may have been based on another adaptation), and the play "Death and the Maiden" by Ariel Dorfman (I'm producing a play adaptation of his this autumn and wanted to read more plays he's written).

Of course I also have a couple more plays to read by that incomparable Irish dark humorist Martin McDonagh (who wrote the screenplay to the awesome film IN BRUGES) and, as always, I have a huge stack of books I'll probably never get to read, but will daydream that I might.

Happy summer reading (and movie watching), everyone!

2009-07-06T23:36:00.003-04:00

Safe HarborA note from Josh Allen's mom:

"Dear Friends (new and old),

I am VERY happy to say that after a week (almost to the hour) Josh has been found in North Conway and is on his way home!!!

I want everyone to know how much we appreciate all of the help, support, love and prayers that all members of our wonderful community have sent our way this week. It has helped to make this ordeal a little easier. I have always known that "it takes a village" and ours has proven that!

Thanks again, we are forever grateful and happy to have our very loved son home!!

Sue and Ted Allen

PS: If you were kind enough to forward the orginal email, I would appreciate it if you could forward this to those people as well. Thanks."

2009-07-06T19:38:00.003-04:00

And that makes two!!!

Josh Allen has been found and is on his way back to Hopkinton now!

THANK YOU ALL for your help, prayers, notes, calls, support, love, and cyber hugs! Our two families could not have done this without you.

Peace.

2009-07-06T11:37:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: As of evening, July 6, 2009 - he's on his way home!!!

CONTINUED HELP NEEDED IN THE SEARCH FOR JOSH ALLEN!

But there is one bit of good news: Josh texted home last night to let his family know he is safe and well. However, he won't disclose his location.

If you have any idea(s) where we might find him, please continue to e-mail or call:

Hopkinton Police: 603.746.5151

Missing Children's Hotline: 1.800.THE.LOST

My e-mail: myskowski@gmail.com

Or leave a comment on this blog.

Thank you for your continued prayers, hope, and support!

2009-07-05T10:59:00.003-04:00

UPDATE: As of evening, July 6, 2009 - he's on his way home!!!

Leo's home, but we're still searching for Josh Allen...

Rumors have the 17-year-old Josh Allen anywhere from hiding out right here in town (Henniker, NH) to staying with friends in northern New Hampshire to possibly heading out to California.

Please help us bring the 5' 11" tall Josh home. He's average build, brown hair and eyes, and usually wears his clothes baggy. His family and friends miss him!

If you have any information, please e-mail myskowski@gmail.com. Or call the Hopkinton Police Department: 603-746-5151. Or call the Missing Children's Hotline at: 1-800-THE-LOST.

Thank you!

2009-07-03T17:16:00.002-04:00

LEO PHONED HOME!!!

Leo called his sister earlier this afternoon and then called my husband just about 40 minutes ago. They had a long chat. Leo's near the seacoast traveling with a friend but -- and this is very important -- HE'S NOT WITH JOSH ALLEN.

WE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR JOSH ALLEN and need your help and prayers, please!

Leo will soon be at his friend's parents' house; the father called us to let us know. He will likely sleep there for the night and then may be home tomorrow.

Thank you, everyone, for your help, thoughts, and prayers. I could not have survived this without you.

Now, please, help us bring Josh Allen home to his family too.

Thank you. And please enjoy the video of Leo bombing Depot Hill in Henniker on his skateboard, if you like....

2009-07-02T13:59:00.002-04:00

Leo loves lobsters...

...and all things fishing.

Of course he loves skateboarding more. And, unfortunately, partying.

Latest news: he's apparently safe and staying and with a friend or friends. We've had two leads today on both boys that we thought were strong, but both turned out false. Still, we hope they'll turn up on more than just MySpace and Facebook soon. I keep imagining he's walking up our driveway now....

Thanks to Anne at Rachelfind for posting the video to YouTube and other sites. And to National Center for Missing & Exploited Children for all their help and support. Appreciate the help of the Henniker & Hopkinton Police Departments - they've been great!

And thanks to all of you: the many who have been sending notes of well wishes and spreading the word to everyone and anyone who might have seen my son or his friend.

--dana

2009-07-01T23:06:00.003-04:00

A long day. But we've heard via the teen grapevine that Josh and Leo are safe for now. And staying with a friend or friends.

If you're one of Leo's friends, please simply pass along that we love him and want him home. We miss him.

Thanks,

Dana

2009-07-01T16:27:00.008-04:00

HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON AND HIS FRIEND???

Leo Myskowski, 18 (with asperger suyndrome & ADHD), Henniker, NH

Josh Allen, 17, Hopkinton, NH

Both boys have been missing since 4:00 Monday, June 29.

Yes, the local police departments have been notified. Yes, we have been working on any and all leads we can think of. Yes, both boys are listed with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and also with Rachelfind.

The latest: they are reportedly with friends somewhere in NH, hoping to attend a party in Massachusetts Saturday night. They may have found someone with a car. They have been on facebook and myspace last night and this afternoon, so we moms feel relatively sure they are -- for the time being -- safe, together, and making equally questionable decisions, though Josh's myspace shows him as "bouncing to California, already in Boulder, Colorado (which we feel is a deception to toss us off their scent since they have little money and, we think, could not have traveled that far already).

Both boys have turned off their phones (or the batteries have died) since late Monday evening.

Descriptions:

Leo's photo is current; he is six foot-zero, thin build, dark hair, hazel eyes, and on a skateboard whenever possible.

Josh is maybe a hair shorter than Leo, average build, dark hair and eyes (not sure how recent his photo is, but he looks like this to me).

Both boys tend to wear their clothes baggy.

Also note: though Leo is 18, he was only recently diagnosed with asperger syndrome and ADHD. He should have his i.d. and his asperger card on him. He does not have his ADHD meds with him.

Thank you for any help, prayers, AND PUBLICITY you can offer.

2009-06-26T09:05:00.003-04:00

Am flying to Maryland today to finally interview a fascinating cartographer who worked on the DEW Line project up near the Arctic Circle in the 1950s.

I stumbled upon him, or rather his photographs, while researching my graduate thesis project, a spec script set in Nunavut, Canada—in and around Baffin Island. His daughter had posted her father’s photographs from his time there to her flickr account.

Our first correspondence was in February of 2008. And here it is June 2009 and I’m finally listening to the advice of William Zinsser and getting on that plane. “If a subject interests you,” he writes at the end of chapter 23 in his book On Writing Well, “go after it, even if it’s in the next county or the next state or the next country.

“Decide what you what to do. Then decide to do it. Then do it.”

I am so happy to have finally arrived at step three, even if I wonder if I might be subconsciously endorsing Nike.

- - - - -

PHOTO CREDIT: Bill McTigue, as posted to flickr by his daughter Terry (link to entire set of photographs above).

2009-06-23T10:11:00.003-04:00

Island Dreaming...

Led my last class today in UNH-M summer school (by attending the matinee at Red River Theatres!) and met with my independent study student for the final time before his next assignment begins this fall. So once my grades are in, I will be kicking back, uh, er, strike that:

I will be writing, redesigning my fall classes, weeding, lawn mowing, reading, visiting colleges with my teens, interviewing a fascinating fellow in southwestern Maryland, helping my son with his new challenges, dramaturging (if you'll allow me to make that a verb) a play for a New Hampshire performance this fall, helping to plan the next New Hampshire Film & Television Office Stage Reading, finishing up my duties as one of three judges for the 48-Hour Film Project of New Hampshire (if you don't like a decision, I was out voted by my two contemporaries...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!), and, of course: island dreaming!

Our last full week of summer we'll once again be visiting the Casco Bay region of Maine. Almost every summer for several years now we have driven up to Portland, unloaded our cargo at the docks, parked our car for a week or two in the Police Garage, and made the pilgrimage to one of the jewels of the Casco Bay region. This summer it's Chebeague Island - our first time there...and our next to last Casco Bay Lines-served island to visit.

To say I love our time away on an island that is so close, yet which feels so far away, is an understatement. I like that we are car free for a week. And we sometimes even go computer free, except two summers ago when I awoke and worked on my graduate thesis every morning, watching the lobstermen and the seagulls cull the bay. And I love the fresh lobsters, sunsets, and family time...even if we hardly see our teens who, along with their cadre of guests, fish, dive off the docks, and suntan every day.

Sweet dreams, everyone. I know mine will be. :)

2009-06-16T19:09:00.004-04:00

Don't Cry Over Bald Tires...

You know when you cry about one thing, but it’s really about another, larger thing going on in your life? That was me today as I pealed out of the tire merchandising lot where originally they were going to replace all four of my bald tires under warranty (which aren’t even a year old yet, doggone it!), but instead decided to point out some ridiculous miniscule text that apparently declared that my tires were TOO WORN OUT to be replaced for free. Say what?!

Okay, so fast forward about three miles. And I do mean fast. Too fast. And I’m sitting at this traffic light crying, feeling completely ridiculous, when it hits me: it’s not the tires that I’m crying over (though I am mad at that snow job and will NEVER buy a Toyota again even if they are the only car company left at the end of all this automotive fiscal mess…).

I’m crying because after weeks of reading and studying this thing called Asperger Syndrome, and trying to figure out how to help my son, I feel like I’m no farther than when I began. Like I’m stuck in my bed sheets trying to outrun the monster in my nightmare. And even though I read the part in the OASIS book last night that said if you feel like you’re stuck after recently having received the diagnosis for your kid: stop, take a breather, you’ll feel better in a few days.

So there I am sobbing and feeling self conscious, like everyone is watching me wondering if the crazy woman is going to be able to see when the light finally turns green. My worries were for nothing though as the ditzy woman next to me chatted on her cell phone and blew her nails dry. (I mean OMG – I thought I was the problem on the road at that moment!)

And so that’s my day in the life of a parent of a kid with AS. And it doesn’t even compare in the tiniest amount to what my son is going through. But if I think too much about it, I may go insane. So instead, I think I’ll heed the lesson in the book and take a few days off. Finally read that Rebecca Rule book that’s been sitting on my nightstand. She’s a New Hampshire humorist (and a great woman); I’m looking forward to letting her entertain me.

(Graphic above by my son Leo; he just had artwork accepted for exhibition at the Annual Asperger's Association of New England Conference in Boston this October! We're awaiting word which of his pieces was selected. Uh, sorry for the bad photo of a great piece of art; that's a mom for ya....)

2009-05-01T10:58:00.002-04:00

Walking a road less traveled but finally named...

...in comfortable, familiar boots. (Drawing by Leo.)

We have it: the confirmed diagnosis. For our son. Asperger's Syndrome. On the Autism continuum. Somewhere near full-functioning, but not quite. Not yet. But perhaps one day.

And with it a door has been opened. And a light switched on. And every other illuminating, "a-ha" style metaphor you or I can conjure.

So this is what is on my mind these days, and what I will likely most often blog about.

I'll begin with a link to a poem on the Asperger's Association of New England website. Bet you didn't know there was such an organization, did you?! Neither did I till an early diagnosis by another doctor sent me searching for answers to my hundreds of questions. And now I can't live without the comfort and support of the group.

The poem is "Because My Son Thinks Different" by Debi Baron. It reminds me of the time I went to collect Leo from kindergarten and the teacher met me at the door. She told me how, in honor of Earth Day I think it was, she handed each child a circle after talking about globes and maps, and asked them to draw Earth.

As she made her way from student to student, admiring their handful of green continents among the blue of water, she arrived at Leo's drawing. On it was one single land mass, surrounded by water. She complimented him on it, while trying to gently point out that there are actually several continents. "Now there are," he confirmed. "But this is before the continents shifted; it's Pangea."

The teacher was impressed, if not a bit alarmed. I was proud, and not at all surprised.

And so it was too with his recent diagnosis. And I'm relieved that it was he who prodded us to bring him to a specialist to help determine why school is so difficult for him--even though at 16 he knocked the GED out of the park and scored high enough on the SATs in seventh grade to never have to take them again.

He will be an adult next week. And while this new path still has a few potholes to weave in, around, and out of, I am happy to see signs that he is maturing. A college sophomore on medical leave of absence, he hopes to transfer schools eventually. First though he wants to take a couple community college courses to regain his self-confidence in his classroom abilities. And this week he began a job, which he landed through his own connections, so he's feeling a huge sense of accomplishment there.

And while we still have tons of questions, we're learning to take one day at a time as a family. Thank goodness life is about the journey and not about the destination, since--even wearing our comfortable boots--we'd likely arrive a wee bit late....

2009-04-23T03:55:00.003-04:00

Mini Ninjas...

...Crossing the Delaware?

I've been enjoying beginning my day with a blog post. But what to write? That's why I begin the blog with a photo - pick one that attracts me that day and riff off it. I have hundreds of photos, which means hundreds of writing prompts.... So here goes: fingers to keyboard, twelve or so minutes straight, as I attempt to find a story from the outrageous photo above. A warm-up to my real writing this morning: editing and revising my spec feature, TOPPLE.

"Tumble" by dana

They stand on the benches in the boat to keep their pajama feet dry. "I wanted to be first!" cries Lilac Ninja.

"At least you're not last!" whines Pasty Ninja.

"Shut-up both of you!" orders Orange Ninja. "I won fair and square. Rock smashes scissors."

"You said he'd choose paper," Pasty Ninja complains to Lilac Ninja. "He always chooses paper, you said."

"Well, I was wrong."

"But you said--"

"Shut up! I said I was wrong. If you want an apology too you'll have to wait a long time."

"How long?"

"Oh, do be quiet both of you!" sneers Orange Ninja.

"The power's gone to his head. I knew it would," says Pasty Ninja. "With ultimate power comes ultimate...uh, something."

"Oh, oh," says Orange Ninja. "I hear something."

"Rapidly approaching," adds Lilac Ninja.

"You mean--?" Pasty Ninja infers as the trio falls silent, listening with dread to the doom before them. "Is it the end?"

"Maybe it's just the beginning," guesses Lilac Ninja.

"Of a fantabulous adventure," mocks Orange Ninja.

"Who says fantabulous anymore?" asks Pasty Ninja.

"I do," says Orange Ninja. "Didn't you hear me?"

"I can't hear anything over the roar!" shouts Pasty Ninja.

And as their boat drifts with the current of the mighty Niagara, taking them tumbling head over feet, over boat, over rocks, through water and spray, we leave our whiny Ninja warrior would-bes to fend for themselves. Maybe we'll check back tomorrow.

Or not.

2009-04-22T07:12:00.002-04:00

They're coming!

The daylilies look like clumps of corn as they pop through the cold earth. It's always a miracle to me they reappear each year. Hardy beautiful little bastards. :)

And that's going to have to be my post for today. Spent what might have been my few minutes blogging instead editing my screenplay TOPPLE. Am on deadline mode now, as May 1 rapidly approaches - the deadline for the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting.

Never stop dreaming. Who knows? One year I might be as lucky as my flowered friends and finally find my blossom.... Oy. But not today. Too much reaching for springtime metaphors.

Cheers!

2009-04-21T07:17:00.002-04:00

Please be Patient...

...Beginner everything & anything.

Wouldn't it be sweet if we all would just give each other a break? I don't mean friends, because most of us do that already (or else we wouldn't call each other friend, would we?). But I do mean family and neighbors and strangers.

Last weekend at Skid School Advanced Driver Training for Teens with our daughter we heard from one instructor who suggested that the next time someone cuts us off, instead of growing enraged, we should give them a break. Think about the millions of reasons why that person cut you off - she was late, he didn't see you till he was already in his turn, she's driving to the police station to pick up her son, he's driving to the nursing home to see his mother who the nurses have just proclaimed on her last breath, there's a toddler screaming in the back seat driving the driver to distraction, she's craving chocolate frozen yogurt and the local grocers closes in five minutes, or -- yeah -- he might just be a jerk. But really, how many true jerks are there in our world?

So when I saw this magnet, I pounced: I wanted to let other drivers know that the reason my car was doing the speed limit or -- heaven forbid -- five miles below it was because my new driver was becoming familiar with the vehicle and the road and the rules and all the split second decisions that are or might come into play. And it worked, till it disappeared from our bumper. Now I'll need to take a picture of the outrageous new magnet I had custom made - but that will have to be an add on since I am running the risk of arriving late to class today. And I certainly don't want to speed in order to avoid that (do I, Skid School Instructors?!).

A funny aside: when the magnet above first arrived, my daughter and I placed it on my husband's bumper just before he drove to Brattleboro, VT, to meet up with a buddy of his. He didn't notice till he walked to the parking lot to return home. He had wondered why tailgaters suddenly dropped back off his bumper on the trip there.

Patience please. I'm new at this patience stuff myself. Just ask my family. Or my students. :)

2009-04-20T09:47:00.004-04:00

Prompt Writing....

What a memorable weekend!

Saturday was spent at the beautiful Derryfield School Campus in Manchester, NH, attending Writers' Day sponsored by the NH Writers' Project. While I caught up with friends and colleagues, laughed a ton, and even managed to write a few pages to compelling writing prompts, I also emerged victorious in the second annual NH Literary Idol Competition with my micro-fiction piece, "Make-Up."

I learned a ton from writers Joni Cole, James Patrick Kelly, and fellow Hennikerian Joseph Hurka. And I was reminded that I should blog daily, which given my new state of affairs may be complicated, but seems a laudable goal.

On Sunday my husband and I took our daughter to the Lovering Family Foundation's Safe Teen Driver Program/Skid School run by Stevens Advanced Driver Training out of Bedford, NH. In five hours she was able to climb behind the wheel several times as she accelerated to over 60 mph, slammed on the brakes before she crashed into the "wall of fire" (actually several traffic cones lined up to simulate the flames), slalomed through five traffic cones at 35 mph, learned to change lanes quickly and safely to avoid a deer--or a horrific driver, and participated in the tailgating crash exercise that taught us all a ton about our driving habits. It was remarkable! This week I'll return with my son, if I can drag him there....

I even managed to get a spot of spring gardening in: expanding one garden, weeding all but two of our other ones, and on Friday I dug up the sod for an all new garden that we'll plant once the threat of frost is past. (We actually awoke to it today--oy!)

Before I return to a day of class preps, grading papers, getting medical records forwarded for our son (my new full-time job - but more on that in future blogs!), contacting our latest local celebrity who volunteered to help with the Oct. 17th reading of "Speak Truth to Power" for Jayme's Fund (more on that too once we're ready to reveal our incredibly talented all-star cast!), and other items on my to-do list, I want to give a shout-out to Brendan Callahan who is running in today's Boston Marathon for Team Fox and for his mom. Apparently you can actually follow Brendan's progress on-line; his bib number is 25995 (out of 26000 runners). He'll be taking off when the front of the pack has passed the one-third mark! Good luck to him, his team, and his family - and to ALL the incredible marathoners today!

Run the good race, All. I'll try to be here again tomorrow. Cheers!

2009-03-26T21:57:00.002-04:00

I heart Boston Theatre Marathon!

Especially after reading that my short play, "No Skating," has been selected for this year's marathon performance on May 17. Congrats to the other playwrights too!

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,

The Elated Dana :)

(Photo above by my creative daughter.)

2009-02-12T17:16:00.004-05:00

Mind Melding 101

Since I can’t mind meld with you, dear reader, I will have to slam on the brakes before I’ve even begun. For before we can enjoy debating how character determines plot or vice versa, we must first discuss the mechanics of a screenplay. (This is where we sound our collective SIGH.)

Yet, by understanding that it is because scriptwriting is a collaborative endeavor, it should help to comprehend why formatting is so vitally important. What it all comes down to is this:

Money.

I know, you hoped I was going to say fame and fortune. Quick: name your favorite movie. Tell me who starred in it. Easy, right? Who directed it? Maybe that’s equally as easy. Now tell me who wrote it. Unless you’re like me and follow the published lives of favorite screenwriters and playwrights, you probably can’t name 50 percent of the writers for your top ten favorite flicks.

That’s how famous you can hope to be as a screenwriter.

Okay, so let’s steer back to money. This is show BUSINESS people. The quicker we understand that, the quicker we’ll understand why there are rules that are meant to be followed. (Some can be broken, but that comes MUCH later…once you’ve learned them all and can break an occasional one on purpose for a specific effect.)

When correctly formatted, one screenplay page equals roughly one minute of screen time. And in this business, even when a movie is shot on digital cameras, time is literally money. So, when a decision maker gets your script, one of the first questions is: how many pages is it? (Translation, roughly how much is this thing going to cost me to produce?)

Of course other variables affect the bottom line, such as special effects. Weather is a special effect. Really. But there are ways around costly weather events. For instance, if you need rain to produce the right mood, set the scene inside and let the window show us the rain. The SFX team can rig a hose or two above the window for much less money than it would cost to bring rain to an exterior shot.

So, here’s your primer on correctly formatting a screenplay:

Type face: Courier New

Size: 12 points

Margins: 1.5 inches left, one-inch all other margins

FADE IN: and SLUG LINES are left flush and ALL CAPPED

Transitions such as FADE OUT: or the final FADE OUT. are flush right and ALL CAPPED

Action paragraphs run the entire width of the page in upper and lower case. Fragments are acceptable. Ideally, paragraphs should run three lines or shorter; while an occasional four-line action graph is acceptable, any more than that slows down the reading too much.

CHARACTERS NAMES APPEAR CAPPED above their dialogue at three and a half inches from the left of the page.

Dialogue appears in upper and lower case indented on both sides at two and a half inches on the left, roughly the same to two inches on the right. (It’s ragged right, so do your best guess if you are not using FINAL DRAFT or MOVIE MAGIC SCREENWRITER formatting software.)

Screenplays are ALWAYS in the present tense.

A slug line is: INT. LOCATION – DAY It can be INT. (interior) or EXT. (exterior), any location you choose, one dash or two (just be consistent throughout your script), and DAY or NIGHT (since the camera only knows light or dark; if you need sunrise, mention something tangible that can depict sunrise in your action line—a ROOSTER’S CROW, an alarm clock’s BEEP, etc.).

There is a ton more to learn, but that’s a quick taste that I’ll let you savor until next week (or so). A good, solid formatting book that I require of all my screenwriting students is Paul Argentini’s “Elements of Style for Screenwriters, First Edition,” which is available at Amazon dot com for about ten dollars or so. Buy it if you’re interested in this field. And read it once. Then refer to it over and over again.

I’ll be back as soon as I can with more. Sorry, but I have a few more pages to cut from my latest rewrite of a feature-length screenplay. J

2009-01-27T18:31:00.002-05:00

107 stories to be told...

...and my intro scriptwriting class began by telling twenty.

Today was day two of intro scriptwriting. We each took a turn telling a tale from our past--all of which left us laughing WITH each other, not at. Really. While we learned a bit about each other, we also saw how the simplest idea can lead to a short screenplay, a short story, a play, a poem, an essay, a blog....

One script that we read began with a simple "What if?" twist. What if my father had taken that job offer with the mob boss in Cleveland upon graduating college? What would the responsibility of such a commitment do to an honest man? (For those of you who don't know the laws of the Mafia--had my father taken the job with the mob, since he was not already a member of the family he would have had to kill someone to both prove his loyalty and so the mob would always have control over him. He couldn't, but when I explore what conditions could make an otherwise honest man agree to such conditions--whala! A story is born.)

We also read a short excerpt from my PLAYING HOUSE script, a story based on my husband who actually tried to save a woman and her toddler...who wasn't a toddler at all, but was a DOLL. He was nearly run over by a car for his good deed. While his story shocked and scared me, it also yielded a poem by me, which I later turned into a dialogueless short screenplay.

So what is your story? Don't worry about whether or not it might make a great short script, with or without that "What if?" twist--simply entertain us.

Next week: the technical parts of a screenplay--a primer in how to draft the blueprint of a film.

Cheers!

2009-01-15T17:37:00.003-05:00

Pop open the champagne, baby!

If only I weren't too sick to celebrate. Still, I must sound my barbaric YAWP* over the [barn] roofs of the world, for I have hit FADE OUT again--this time in my latest revision of PLOWING UP A SNAKE.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of you who helped bring the October reading to life and/or who provided helpful comments afterwards.

Next step? Re-read it for continuity and typos...and re-read it again. Then send it off to yet another producer who has requested this latest copy. This is it: time for Merle Drown's timeless novel to finally make its way to the big screen. Wish us luck!

(The barbaric YAWP is, of course, verse originally constructed by Walt Whitman, used here in reverence to his indomitable spirit and undeniable genius. The photo is one of my crazy angles taken of the enormous barn on my friend Amy's family's place in Madison, NH, last autumn.)

2009-01-14T23:12:00.002-05:00

It's coming...

...I promise.

I will soon return to the original intent of this blog: to write about the short script. And help you through the many steps to writing that perfect and poignant poetry of motion picture writing.

First lesson: to be uploaded next week. After I teach my first class at UNH-M. Feel free to play along.

(Image above of a sticker on the back of my ride; I forget the name of the skateboarding company that provided it free with the purchase of my son's skateboard...but suffice it to say I liked it enough to use it both on my car and on my blog.)

2009-01-07T11:46:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

Apparently 2009 is the Year of the Ox in the Chinese Zodiac. I've been calling it the "Year of the O" as in President-elect Obama. It could also be called the "Year of Hope." Either way, we'll soon be in good hands. Thanks be to the voters. And, I have no doubt, a higher power--whatever name you may call Him (or Her).

I teach my first UNH class on Inauguration Day and plan to release my students early so we can each catch the swearing-in ceremony as it is broadcast live. While the communal lunch and viewing of the Inauguration at my favorite independent cinema (Red River Theatres) has just sold out, the good folks there have sent along word that the Concord Monitor is sponsoring a community viewing of the historical event at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.

So while I ponder returning home to watch it in the privacy of my living room or of joining others to experience it, I am wondering what you're planning to do for the day? (Survey to the right, or feel free to comment here.)

A happy new year it is! With or without today's lovely snow, ice, and freezing-rain event; captured above is evidence of the last icing. Beautiful. Magnificent. And such a pain in the you-know-where. :)

2008-12-22T12:21:00.004-05:00

Countdown to Christmas...

I just submitted my final student's grade for the semester, and only have about a half day's paperwork left to go before I'm officially done with this fall's university chores.

Then onto a grant application that's due January first for an organization I'm volunteering with, and writing press releases for the New Hampshire Film & Television Office's Script Competition for the Stage Reading Series.

Plus, of course, plenty of my own writing to do, and reading and editing to accomplish (yes, Kyle, your latest novel revision is on my to do list; actually, it's on my "can't wait to get to it" list!).

But the presents are wrapped and beneath the tree, as I sit in my newly created living room* listening to Frank Sinatra's holiday album and watching the birds eat the seed I just scattered for them on the stairs outside the sliding glass doors. (*I love shifting furniture around; the latest change has turned my dining room into my living room and vice versa.)

Okay, back to work. For me. You too, if it applies. Happy holidays!

(Photos above taken after last week's ice storm: a marble in a hanging sculpture thingy I once bought, and the gloves are my own garden sculpture design. Yes, I am that odd. Thank you for noticing.)

2008-12-15T18:40:00.002-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like brrrrrrrrr...

Can you guess where these icicles once hung?

I know: I should simply post these to my Flickr account since this is no more than a post of photos, but I'm in a hurry. On my way to a Town Water Resources Subcommittee Meeting. Seems ironic, eh?

A winter wonderland. Of course that's easy for me to say...now that we have power again. Spent the first 36+ hours of the storm cooking on the wood stove and helping ourselves to plenty of gravity-fed water. While we played Scattergories by candlelight and via built-in lights on the bills of our LL Bean baseball caps. Made some fun memories this storm.

Cheers!

2008-12-05T20:00:00.004-05:00

How do I procrastinate?

Let me count the ways.

Ever notice that when you have ONE thing you must accomplish, EVERYTHING else on your to-do list suddenly gets done? And then you blog about it....

And while I have not one revision to show for PLOWING UP A SNAKE today, I did read all my students' essays, grade them and the late papers and quizzes that came in this week, posted the grades, even submitted a final grade for one of my Independent studies, and answered all my e-mail that's been backlogged for a couple weeks today. I even answered today's mail. Oh, and I did the laundry.

And now as I place the final touches on my latest essay and on a short story I've been working on, I am peeking at the clock and worrying over the fact that I probably will not get to my screenplay. At least not today.

It's not so much the curse of the blank screen or writer's block. It's just been so long since the reading that I have to pull out all my notes, digest them again, and then plan my attack. Let's face it: writing's hard work. Anyone who says otherwise is either lying or one lucky you-know-what.

And yet occasionally writing flows easily for me. I have a couple new short plays that I'm partial to. Actually three new ones since the PLOWING reading. And the short story simply streamed from my consciousness, too. So why am I whining?

Okay. I feel better now. Hope I've helped you too.

Happy weekend!

2008-12-02T12:00:00.007-05:00

LIGHT SLEEPER wins my sleeper award for best original screenplay

Review by Dana Biscotti Myskowski

Part drug dealer, part counselor, all drifter, the forty-something character John LeTour of Paul Schrader’s LIGHT SLEEPER is both charming and captivating. We might despise what he does for a living, but because he genuinely cares about the people that surround him, other readers may find themselves as I did: rooting for this unlikely hero.

The script is a quick and delightful read because Schrader writes for his audience. Sure, ideally the screenplay will eventually serve as a blueprint for a film as this one did. But before it can make its way to the can it must first capture the attention, admiration, and accolades of the film financiers, actors, agents, cinematographer, studio execs, and more.

One of the difficulties in reading most screenplays is the inclusion of industry formatting. Instead of using standard slug lines, Schrader begins one sequence with the title “CONFESSOR LETOUR.” In the next line we learn when and where we are, but from the onset we understand the thrust of the story. Hence we read on anxious to learn about this remarkable character who is more than just a drug dealer to his clients, but a confidant, a counselor, an in-person hotline operator, and even—occasionally—a friend.

The dialogue is equally enthralling. Call me picky, but I enjoy hearing characters actually speaking to each other—listening or deliberately not listening—rather than diving into tangents as the writer suddenly realizes he needs to develop a plot thread.

Schrader also writes as people speak. In short sentences. Using nouns and verbs. One word, when necessary. Really. And an occasional simple expression, foul or not. It makes for a quick and enjoyable read, one that can easily fit into the hectic routine of just about any reader.

Grab LIGHT SLEEPER* and slip it into your beach bag, carry on, or glove box to read the next time you need to fill a few minutes. You’ll be glad you did, even if the subject matter falls a bit outside your ordinary world…or triangularly within it.

Schrader, Paul. Light Sleeper. London: Faber and Faber, 1992.

* Now you'll have to settle for the trilogy collection of Schrader works that includes the mesmerizing TAXI DRIVER, LIGHT SLEEPER and AMERICAN GIGOLO, also published by Faber & Faber. (Apparently they've discontinued the single issue screenplays of LIGHT SLEEPER and TAXI DRIVER, though you can score a used copy.)

2008-11-26T17:08:00.004-05:00

The State of Giving Thanks...

We moved to New Hampshire on my son's 10th birthday, leaving behind the rural Berkshires and moving to the somewhat more populated hill town of Henniker, home of Pat's Peak Ski Area.

"This is the worst birthday ever!" our son scolded us as we loaded up the minivan that morning. Two hours of pouting later we pulled into our new driveway and unloaded. "Can we play now?" my son and his younger sister wanted to know. "After you unpack your underwear," I answered, handing them each a box.

The kids plodded to their rooms, resentful of having to complete yet more work. Within minutes a screech erupted as they found not skivvies, but scooters.

They took to our suburban-esque street: a quarter-mile paved loop with about twenty or so houses facing an open green. Within three passes on their new scooters, they trailed kids like the Pied Piper. Stopping for a quick drink of town water from the tap--a luxury we well-users had never before known--my son proclaimed, "This is the best birthday ever!" and within seconds he returned to the street with his new posse of friends.

Moving to New Hampshire meant introducing my children to the Old Man. Fortunately, I wasted no time. Just days after I'd acquired my new "Live Free or Die" plates, we made the trek to that now infamously faceless ridge. All three of us marveled that the jagged rock really did resemble a man, before hopping back into the van and driving south to meet dad for dinner.

A couple years later I was tapped to write a climate change script for the state's Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. Upon interviewing scientists, I learned that the corridor of air mass that moves over the White Mountains and out to sea is charmingly nicknamed the Exhaust Pipe of the country, for all the pollutants that the wind currents carry our way.

As I stare at the back of our year-2000 state quarter, I speculate that perhaps the Old Man couldn't hack the air up there anymore.

Tomorrow as we greet refugees to our country in a volunteer holiday dinner at a church in the state's capitol, I wonder if they'll consider their first Thanksgiving their best day ever or the worst. I'll have to bring along a New Hampshire quarter and introduce them to the Old Man; I think he would have liked that, with or without a new scooter to cruise around on.

(NOTE: The above was inspired after stumbling upon NPR's State by State story that they did earlier this fall, and that they will discuss on Thanksgiving Day. The story on Blog of the Nation will focus on the book State By State: A Panoramic Portrait of America, compiled by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey and featuring 51 writers.)

2008-11-23T12:57:00.005-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just received my first e-greeting of the upcoming holiday. I responded with my own colorful e-mail that took me some time to construct, complete with a photo. "Give time, not money." It's a mantra that I've been hearing more and more of as we head into this holiday season. It's like the stay-cation slogan of the holiday season. And I must admit: I'm thankful to hear it.

Thanksgiving is the holiday when I most miss my father. It was his favorite holiday since the emphasis is on what we have to be thankful for, and spending time with friends and family, without any of the pressure of having to purchase gifts for everyone.

A few years ago, when our kids were much younger, we began a tradition: Thanksgiving Hands. We cut out hands--like grade schoolers do for their Thanksgiving turkey art projects--and give one to each person present at our dinner table. Each person writes what he or she is thankful for, places the hands into a hat, and once all the hands are collected and shuffled, we each take one, careful to avoid taking our own in the process, read it aloud, and try to guess who wrote the message on the hand. It's a fun way to get to know each other a bit better.

Do you have a tradition during the holidays that emphasizes the "give time, not money" mantra? Or a favorite recipe? Please feel free to share it here. Who knows? By taking a few moments of our time, perhaps we'll all develop new family traditions that will keep on giving for years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving, All!

2008-11-21T14:34:00.003-05:00

Time to take back my blog...I began this blog in a workshop sponsored by the NH Writers' Project. I didn't give much thought to what I intended to do with it then, but now, as I reflect upon the last few years, I realize my original intent was not so much born of desperation--just to get blogging during the workshop--but ignited from my passion for screenwriting.

I took a slight tangent as I covered the twists and turns of my four semesters studying in Goddard College's low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program, graduating earlier this year, in January. These past few months I've wandered all over the place, lost because my plans to turn my degree into a full-time teaching post did not turn out as hoped.

So, while I may still be puzzling out exactly what I might do in the future, I have decided to return to my original idea for this post: to share my love of the art of the creative process in writing screenplays.

We'll begin with the short script. And take it slowly, but steadily. One post a week is what I'm hoping to accomplish, begging your indulgence if I should become bogged down with another project or in my many volunteer or adjunct teaching commitments.

Since I'm teaching Intro to Scriptwriting again next semester at the University of New Hampshire-Manchester, I'll make it my early New Year's Resolution now to begin blogging about the art of crafting the short script in January 2009. I'll begin posting blogs when the UNH semester begins. See you then!

2008-10-20T10:51:00.011-04:00

Art His Story

Last week my daughter drove us north to pick up my son's art portfolio from a university art department to which he was recently accepted. We happened to catch the director of the program who gushed over his illustrations. Her compliments reinforced our

road-less-traveled decision to pull him from high school his sophomore year, help him earn his GED, and enroll him in a four-year bachelor's program in an art institute. He's now a sophomore in what should be his senior year, and doing great as he considers transferring to a university where he can double major in art and science.

And Her Story

Now our daughter is traveling a similar path. She is home schooling now and begins her college career next semester. When her classmates

graduate with their high school diplomas, she'll receive her Associates in Arts degree.

And she and he, and my husband and I shall each be the better for this decision to follow the grassy path wanting wear. Whether or not we later tell this with a sigh, only ages and ages hence will determine.

(Top: Study of Autumn Gourds by Leo, charcoal, 24.5" x 19.5"; Work Boots by Leo, graphite, 19.75" x 23.5"; Washing Dishes by Abby, water color pencils, 22.5" x 18.5"; extremely amateurish attempt to photograph my children's art work by Mom; sorry, kids.)

2008-10-14T18:04:00.003-04:00

Photographic Weekend...

I'm learning to use my husband's huge Nikon D70-S.

Many lessons yet to go, as you can plainly see....

Life is a road we can either choose to travel, or sit by the side and watch as others pass us by. "Get up. Get going," I try to remind myself daily. Now if I can only remember to grab the camera....

2008-10-07T11:14:00.004-04:00

A One-Stop Barnstorm...

Please join us this Thursday evening for the stage reading of Plowing Up A Snake at Red River Theatres.

Thanks for dropping by,

Dana

(Photo from our weekend trip to Madison, NH, to visit friends.)

2008-09-26T16:31:00.004-04:00

Poster Wild...

We're looking for that perfect photo that captures the story, the essence, and the mood of PLOWING UP A SNAKE for the upcoming reading.

Without more time, I probably won't find that PERFECT pic, but each of these is close.

Well, in that there are a couple on a farm, one on a river near a bridge, and the final one captures the ominous mood we need.

What we really need is a photo (or painting) of a foggy farm in winter with a snaking river and bridge beyond...and maybe a few dairy cows in the field.

I'd love to hear from you if you happen to have just such a picture. And if you'd be willing to share it for the reading. You'll get credit, naturally. And perhaps even a warm fuzzy feeling, though there are no guarantees.

(Photos above by me hubby: of a Quaker District farm in Henniker, of Gleason Falls in Hillsborough, and of gnarly trees off of Depot Hill Road in Henniker.)

2008-09-10T08:26:00.008-04:00

Drag

"Drag" by Artist Lisa Rae Winant

Image used by permission of the Artist

11 x 17.5/oil on panel

"You don't smoke," Clay admonishes his cousin's widow.

He settles back into his chair and swallows his scotch--nearly choking on it. As he struggles for air, he manages to sputter, "Soda...there's no soda in it."

"There's supposed to be soda in it?" Marjorie asks.

Clay wonders if she's hurt by his reaction. Guessing she is, he says, "No, no. Scotch this good doesn't need soda." He sips gingerly the second time around.

(A micro-fictionalized, recast excerpt of the screenplay PLOWING UP A SNAKE, an adaptation by Dana of Merle Drown's novel of the same name.)

2008-09-09T16:27:00.005-04:00

I've added a new blog for you to check out sometime soon:

PLOWING UP A SNAKE

It tracks the progress of my latest screenplay adaptation of the novel by the same name, which was penned by Merle Drown.

Our little New Hampshire yarn of murder and a town-wide conspiracy to protect the self-appointed executioners will be stage read in an event presented by the New Hampshire Film and Television Office in partnership with Red River Theatres on Thursday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m.

Tickets on sale now! ORDER HERE.

2008-09-02T15:12:00.003-04:00

Welcome Media Writing Students!

Today is the first day of a semester of blogging; hope you all enjoy it...and that we don't need to resort to using life jackets to stay afloat this semester.

Cheers,

Dana

2008-08-29T16:48:00.004-04:00

21 years!
It's our 21st anniversary today.

These days that seems a road less traveled, though a friend just e-mailed that he and his wife are celebrating 43 years together this year. And we recently joined our friends to celebrate their 25th. So maybe more of us are choosing the grassy path in want of wear; it's a conscious choice to continue to walk that path together. And it has made all the difference in my life.

Happy Anniversary, my love (should you stop by here). And thank you, Mr. Frost, for helping me find my words.

(Photo above taken last summer by me hubby. Even this post is a joint effort....)

2008-07-17T16:58:00.004-04:00

Summer...
...A time to try a few new things on for size. Or to sleep, if you're lucky enough to be the dog.

So this summer I've been gardening. (Yes, those of you who know my long history of killing plants--this girl who was [remarkably] raised on a farm and a ranch for the better part of her youth--has finally realized how to nurture green things.) And now armed with my new electric rototiller, my husband figures we'll be grassless by the end of September. My latest garden covers what must be 25 or so feet between two of our large maples. It's a gorgeous (if I do say so myself) shade garden full of huge leafy things. (I'm not much of a name dropper since I can't seem to ever recall what it is I've purchased or planted.)

And, naturally, I've been writing. Mostly working on the two adaptations I've mentioned in my "About Me" section. But I've also been writing short stories and essays again. I just can't contain myself!

The meetings have begun again, too. I'm chairing the committee to select screenplays for the NH Film and Television Office newest screenplay reading series venture with Red River Theatres in Concord, NH. News will be released in a few weeks of our upcoming reading scheduled for October. At the reading we will unveil the details of submitting scripts for consideration in future readings.

And I've begun work toward producing a few Fall 2009 Southern New Hampshire performances of Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark, a play penned by Pulitzer-Prize winning playwright Ariel Dorfman that features the incredibly true-stories of many remarkable Human Rights Defenders from around the globe. The one-hour reading is based upon the book written by Kerry Kennedy Cuomo and edited by Nan Richardson, which features stunning photographs by Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Eddie Adams. The NH performances are being sponsored by Jayme's Fund for Social Justice where I am fortunate to be working with the dedicated and passionate Caren Lipkin-Moore.

I am also serving as the secretary to the Water Conservation Subcommittee for our town, which is looking at both underground water sources and above ground resources and what we can do to encourage conservation and a commitment to keeping our waterways clean. As the only non-technical/scientific person on the committee, I'm learning a great deal in the process. And having a grand time while I feel at least a bit useful in the community.

We'll be looking at colleges next week. Our college sophomore is considering moving from his urban digs at the NH Institute of Art to a more remote setting. Top on his list (and ours) is the University of Maine at Machias; we're taking three days to travel there and visit the campus and the area. It's a mere one or two towns south of the Canadian border on the coast of Maine. We'll also be day tripping to Vermont where we have stops planned at Green Mountain College and a drive through of Castleton State with one of my girlfriends and her daughter who enters her junior year in high school this fall.

And of course, our week's vacation in Maine is almost here. Every year we head to one of the islands in the Casco Bay region, but this year we're headed inland to a cozy cottage on a lake. I was outvoted; this year the teens chose warmer waters in which to swim over lazy lobster dinners and crashing waves.

We are also changing our diet and our lifestyle a bit--trying to go greener and healthier. We no longer have a gas-guzzling riding mower, opting for the reel mower powered by human energy. We even have two so we can get the lawn cut sort-of quickly if we need to. And my hubby traded in his truck for a much more gas-friendly Honda Accord. He also added another bike to his repertoire. If not for the suit he needs to work in, I think he might be tempted to ride the 35-plus miles each way to work.

And while our daughter has gone vegetarian, the rest of us have left red meat behind completely, but not quite weaned ourselves from chicken and fish. Still, we eat much more leafy things and seasonal fruits and veges (some of which we grow ourselves!) and have added whole-grains to our diet. I even baked my first two loaves of bread the other day, sans the help of a bread machine! Better yet, my family loved it, even loaded as it was with whole wheat flour and oats.

So that's what's going on here. What are you up to this summer?

(Photo above of our rescued greyhound, Ellory, who turned 11 this month. She's an angel and a pro at enjoying the good life!)

2008-05-15T11:27:00.005-04:00

This just in from the Nunavut and Circumpolar Regions Yahoo Group Digest (number 861) posted by moderator George Lessard (as published by the Associated Press):

AP: Polar bear to be a protected species

Posted by: "George Lessard" media@web.net themediamentor

Wed May 14, 2008 4:29 pm (PDT)

Polar bear to be a protected species
Associated Press
May 14, 2008

(AP) -- The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday, saying it must be protected because of the decline in Arctic sea ice from global warming.

Interior Secretary Dir Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses. These declines, he told a news conference, mean the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.

Kempthorne also said, though, that it would be "inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.

Reflecting views recently expressed by President Bush, Kempthorne said the Endangered Species Act was "never meant to regulate global climate change."

He said the decision to list the bear includes administrative actions aimed at limiting the impact of the decision on energy development and other climate related activities.

"This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," said Kempthorne. He said he had consulted with the White House on the decision, but "at no time was there ever a suggestion that this was not my decision."

Kempthorne cited as support for his decision conclusions by the department's scientists that sea ice loss will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century.

Notwithstanding the secretary's disclaimers, this is the first time the Endangered Species Act has been used to protect a species threatened by the impacts of global warming. There has been concern within the business community that such an action could have far-reaching impact and could be used to regulate carbon dioxide.

Kempthorne proposed 15 months ago to investigate whether the polar bear should be declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

That triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects at a time when scientists predict a continuing warming and loss of Arctic sea ice. The Arctic sea ice serves as a primary habitat for the bear and is critical to its survival, scientists say.

"The science is absolutely clear that polar bear needs protection under the Endangered Species Act," said Andrew Wetzler, director of the endangered species program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

A decision had been expected early this year, but the Interior Department said it needed more time to work out many of the details, prompting criticism from members of Congress and environmentalists.
Environmentalists filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing a decision and a federal court on April 29 set a May 15 deadline for a decision.

Green Chair Pictures

Let's Abolish the NH Department of Cultural Resources -- NOT!

Green Chair Reader launches!

Who will you spend the holidays with?

“To the Power of YOU!” wins its category at New Media Film Festival in San Francisco

Jumping off!

"Drag" a micro-fictionalized, recast excerpt of the screenplay adaptation PLOWING UP A SNAKE

AP: Polar bear to be a protected species

Posted by: "George Lessard" media@web.netthemediamentor

Wed May 14, 2008 4:29 pm (PDT)

Posted by: "George Lessard" media@web.net themediamentor