Advice — advice

The purpose of story, as I see it, is to guide us to our full potential and the nature of story is to conceal that purpose in an enticing sugar coat (the entertainment dimensions) that lures us into the experience. But if the purpose is concealed, then how does it do its work? The great story -- by which I mean the great myths, legends, fairy tales, classics, critical and box office successes -- does its work in several important ways: First, it stimulates our imaginations by provoking personal fantasies, which lead to the desire for actions in the real...

Originally an actor, Ray Gideon first took the turn into writing 20 years ago with fellow actor Bruce Evans, and the two of them have been working together ever since. It's a partnership that has yielded some impressive credits, first with short films then to feature films with their first sold script, 'A Man, A Woman and A Bank.' This first effort launched their career, which has included films such as 'Stand By Me,' 'Starman,' 'Made In Heaven,' 'Jungle' and 'Jungle 2' among others. Today, they work from their West Hollywood office, continuing their two decades of collaborative writing nurtured...

Kathryn Knowlton, Literary Manager and President of Creative Script Services talks with Bob Holman of Holman, Maybank and Live, a 'boutique' agency that represents screenwriters. Kathryn Knowlton: Bob, I know you've worked at both large agencies as well as so-called 'boutique' agencies. You are now a founding partner of a boutique agency. Can you tell our readers the difference between the two and why you chose to start a boutique agency? Bob Holman: The difference between a big agency and a boutique agency is that the big agencies represent all forms of talent: actors, directors, musicians, writers, technical people, among...

Karin Howard has written for nearly every medium: she's written film scripts and TV shows in English and German, she has several novels to her credit, she has a degree in journalism and has worked as a journalist and even hosted a television magazine. Her work as a writer and director on 'The Tigress' earned her a Merit Award, and she's received fellowships from both AFI (American Film Institute) and MAAPAS. A native of Germany, Howard now lives in Los Angeles, where she writes extensively for German and European films and television. Computers definitely make my life as a commuter...

It's hard to imagine television without the situation comedy, perhaps the most intrinsically American form of comedy today. From 'I Love Lucy' to 'Friends' the genre has taken many twists and turns, going from one-camera to three-camera setups, from black and white to color, filming stories that have touched us as much as amused us. Do you have to be funny to write comedy or can a good writer write any situation funny? What kind of person writes for situation comedies? One such person is Lenny Ripps, who has been hugely successful in writing for standup comedians, situation comedy writing...