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Hi guys and gals,
Sorry, but today is a rant day. I’m pissed and I need to get something off my chest.
I belong to a group of screenwriters who meet every Tuesday morning in San Francisco. Generally, two people send out 20 to 50 pages of script over the weekend, and then we meet to critique both scripts. It takes about three hours to crawl through 50 pages, making notes and suggestions along the way. It’s a tedious and time-consuming process, and most of the writers in our group take the task seriously and come up with their best advice for improvement. I know I certainly do.
Last week it was my turn. I sent out 50 pages, asking for comments on pages 20 to 50. It was my first submission to the group in two months. I sent it out on Friday, so everyone would have plenty of time to read and comment.
We all met at 10:30 on Tuesday morning. The first session was taken by discussing the experience two members had while pitching their screenplay to producers at a pitch fest. The discussion ate into my time by ten minutes, so I was left with only thirty-five minutes to discuss my script.
When the group leader turned the conversation onto my script, one woman, a know-it-all who considers herself the queen bee of the group, started the discussion by stating that she didn’t have time to read it. I thought: no problem, I’m not interested in your opinion anyway. But then, she read the first line of my script, and proceeded to dominate the conversation for the rest of the time, going into such nit-picky detail that we crawled through only a few pages.
I was expecting a much higher-level discussion of how all the twenty or so scenes fit together, if it flowed well and made sense, and if there were any problems on a scene overview level. But no, every time I tried to steer the conversation to the scene level, this woman dragged it back down to page-one detail.
The just of it was is this was my one chance to submit these fifty pages to the group. Once submitted, we rarely critique a piece again. So this lady basically robbed me of getting valid feedback from the other members, just because she was unprepared to discuss it at a higher level.
I have no problem, Loraine, if you don’t want to read my work. I don’t care. But if you don’t read it, have the courtesy to keep your condescending mouth shut!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Book Review: Eye of Scota: Cinaed by Serena Yates
Reviewed by Alan Chin
Published by Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 202
The one thing that keeps the priests in power and the planet’s population from slipping into moral decay are the magical Slanach Stones. But when it becomes apparent that the current horde of stones are losing their healing power, The High Priest of Dalriata sends a young priest, Cinaed MacAlpin, to a distant land to gather more stones.
Cinaed’s quest leads him to the mystical Eye of Scota, a portal through space that links with Stonehenge on Earth, and the supposed source of the Slanach Stones. But instead of finding more stones, Cinaed finds Tadeo Banderas, the captain of a space ship from earth. Tadeo has been marooned on this planet, and is near death from an animal attack. Cinaed uses his only healing stone to bring Tadeo back to health, and in so doing, falls in love.
Through the Eye of Scota, Cinaed discovers that there is no need for more stones, because any depleted Slanach Stone will regenerate its power when a healing priest and a warrior, who are soul mates, physically bond. Thus, the only thing that can save the planet is the one thing the Council of Priest forbids under penalty of death.
Cinaed’s quest, with Tadeo at his side, turns into a pursuit to convince his own government to allow, even encourage, homosexual bonding.
I confess I have little experience with either Sci-fi or fantasy, and this story has elements of both, so I don’t know how this tale compares with others in the same genre. It is a light, fun, fast paced, delightful read. It is well written and often touching.
I found the character’s situations and their mystical world rather creative and interesting. The sci-fi elements were well conceived, but I felt the author holding back. For instance, the Eye of Scota is a portal to Earth, and I kept expecting someone to use it to travel to Earth, but that portal was never used. Instead it became an all-knowing voice with plenty of attitude. Another example was Tadeo’s phaser gun, which would have come in handy in the second half of this tale, but was somehow forgotten about.
The main characters are certainly likable, but didn’t have the kind of depth I generally look for in fiction. That could be because the characters’ internal arcs didn’t develop as they worked their way through the external challenges.
The issues I mentioned above are trivial, and didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this story. The one complaint I have is that the story felt a bit rushed. I saw numerous opportunities where the author could have expanded the story or gone into more depth, but chose not to. It seemed to me that situations were too quickly gotten into, but more importantly, too quickly resolved. I feel that this story could have easily been expanded into a much more satisfying read.
Still, that aside, there is much enjoyment to be had following these two lovers as they attempt to battle an established religion to bring about sexual freedom and equality, and save their world from decay. I walked away from this book hoping that the author has a sequel up her sleeve. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys highly creative tales.
Published by Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 202
The one thing that keeps the priests in power and the planet’s population from slipping into moral decay are the magical Slanach Stones. But when it becomes apparent that the current horde of stones are losing their healing power, The High Priest of Dalriata sends a young priest, Cinaed MacAlpin, to a distant land to gather more stones.
Cinaed’s quest leads him to the mystical Eye of Scota, a portal through space that links with Stonehenge on Earth, and the supposed source of the Slanach Stones. But instead of finding more stones, Cinaed finds Tadeo Banderas, the captain of a space ship from earth. Tadeo has been marooned on this planet, and is near death from an animal attack. Cinaed uses his only healing stone to bring Tadeo back to health, and in so doing, falls in love.
Through the Eye of Scota, Cinaed discovers that there is no need for more stones, because any depleted Slanach Stone will regenerate its power when a healing priest and a warrior, who are soul mates, physically bond. Thus, the only thing that can save the planet is the one thing the Council of Priest forbids under penalty of death.
Cinaed’s quest, with Tadeo at his side, turns into a pursuit to convince his own government to allow, even encourage, homosexual bonding.
I confess I have little experience with either Sci-fi or fantasy, and this story has elements of both, so I don’t know how this tale compares with others in the same genre. It is a light, fun, fast paced, delightful read. It is well written and often touching.
I found the character’s situations and their mystical world rather creative and interesting. The sci-fi elements were well conceived, but I felt the author holding back. For instance, the Eye of Scota is a portal to Earth, and I kept expecting someone to use it to travel to Earth, but that portal was never used. Instead it became an all-knowing voice with plenty of attitude. Another example was Tadeo’s phaser gun, which would have come in handy in the second half of this tale, but was somehow forgotten about.
The main characters are certainly likable, but didn’t have the kind of depth I generally look for in fiction. That could be because the characters’ internal arcs didn’t develop as they worked their way through the external challenges.
The issues I mentioned above are trivial, and didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this story. The one complaint I have is that the story felt a bit rushed. I saw numerous opportunities where the author could have expanded the story or gone into more depth, but chose not to. It seemed to me that situations were too quickly gotten into, but more importantly, too quickly resolved. I feel that this story could have easily been expanded into a much more satisfying read.
Still, that aside, there is much enjoyment to be had following these two lovers as they attempt to battle an established religion to bring about sexual freedom and equality, and save their world from decay. I walked away from this book hoping that the author has a sequel up her sleeve. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys highly creative tales.
To lean more about this book or its author go to www.serenayates.com
Sunday, September 26, 2010
October Events - A Different Light bookstore
Thursday, October 7 @ 7:30pm
EX-GAY, NO WAY
Dr. Jallen Rix
"Ex-Gay therapy is both ineffective and traumatizing and often leaves wounds which may feel impossible to heal. Until now, there were few books that offered hope for people who have endured this torture and brainwashing. In Ex-gay, No Way, Jallen Rix shares his inspiring story, the path that leads out of self-loathing and depression." --Darren Main, author of Hearts & Minds: Talking to Christians about Homosexuality
Monday, October 11 @ 7:30pm
EMPIRE: THE NOVEL OF IMPERIAL ROME
Steven Saylor
New York Times bestselling author and "modern master of historical fiction" (USA Today) Steven Saylor introduces his highly-anticipated new novel EMPIRE and focuses on the heavy homosexual undertones only at A Different Light. The Pinarius family witnesses the madness of Caligula and Nero, the eruption of Vesuvius, the burning of Rome, the spectacular opening games of the Colosseum, the persecution of Jews and Christians and much more.
Thursday, October 14 @ 7:30pm
ANNUAL MYSTERY PANEL
Anthony Bidulka, Ellen Hart, Greg Herren
Gay mystery writers Bidulka and Herren return to A Different Light and bring Ellen Hart along this time. The three authors read and sign from their 2010 books and discuss the state of gay mystery. Anthony Bidulka (Date with a Sheesha), Ellen Hart (Wicked Games), Greg Herren (Vieux Carre Voodoo: A Scotty Bradley Mystery).
Tuesday, October 19 @ 7:30pm
KRAKOW MELT - OCTOBER BOOK CLUB SELECTION
Daniel Allen Cox
This second novel by Lambda Literary Award finalist is an incendiary story about two pyromaniacs who fight homophobia in Krakow, Poland. Radek, a bisexual artist, is convinced that fire is the great stabilizer. Driven by rage, sexual curiosity and Pink Floyd, lovers will buck church, government and the LGBT community to find sexual freedom. Provocative and unnerving, Krakow Melt is at once a love letter and a fiery call to arms.
Friday, October 22 @ 7:30pm
GAY FICTION PANEL
G.A. Hauser, Alan Chin & Kage Alan
From erotic to campy, gay fiction comes in all shapes and sizes. A Different Light brings three authors to read and sign from their new novels and comment on their experience capturing the gay experience in book format. G.A. Hauser (Hot Rod), Alan Chin (Match Maker), Kage Alan (Gaylias: Operation Thunderspell).
ALL THE EVENTS ARE FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
For more info, contact:
Oscar Raymundo
Events Coordinator
A Different Light
489 Castro Street
San Francisco, CA 94114
(415) 431 0891
Friday, September 24, 2010
Author Spotlight on Alan Chin today
Hi Everyone,
Today, Saturday the 25th, from 1 to 6 EST, I’ll be in the author spotlight at Dreamspinner Press’s Facebook page.
Come by and say "Hi." Learn more about me and my new release, Match Maker.
Leave a comment and you could win a free Match Maker ebook.
Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/2co6phb
Today, Saturday the 25th, from 1 to 6 EST, I’ll be in the author spotlight at Dreamspinner Press’s Facebook page.
Come by and say "Hi." Learn more about me and my new release, Match Maker.
Leave a comment and you could win a free Match Maker ebook.
Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/2co6phb
Hope to see you there.
alan
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
The Decline of Religion Through Story
Humankind has an insatiable appetite for stories. Story is our most prolific art form, and each day we devour them in billions of pages of prose, the unending stream of television comedies and dramas, movies, 24-by-7 broadcast news, the internet, and even dinner-table bragging. We even experience stories when we sleep, through our dreams. And what compels us to experience stories? The need to know how to live.
Each and every day we humans seek an answer to the ageless question Aristoltle posed in Ethics: How should a man/woman lead his/her life. Strangely enough, even though we seem to spend most of our waking hours chasing after the answer, it seems to elude us. The harder we chase after it, the more it slips through our fingers.
Traditionally, mankind sought the answers to Aristotle’s question from philosophy, science, religion and art. But of these four wisdoms, religion held the most sway with the general population. It defined every aspect of how each man and woman was to live and relate to each other and to the environment. But religion, for many, has become an empty ritual that masks hypocrisy. As we are inundated with other forms of stories from movies, TV, books and media, our faith in traditional ideologies diminishes. We as a culture are turning to the source we now prefer to believe in: the art of story.
Film, novels, theatre, and television have become humanity’s prime source of inspiration as it seeks to gain order from chaos. As playwrite Jean Anouilh said, “Fiction gives life its form.”
So as we go forward into the void called future, fewer people are relying on religion to guide them, and more and more people depend on the writers – novelist, screenwriters, playwrights, journalists – to delve into the human condition and find meaning, then relay that meaning to the masses in the form of story.
Fiction then, is not a flight from reality, but the shiny new vehicle that carries us in search of reality, and the writers, or storytellers, are the new messiahs who lead the way. Some of them even seem to walk on water...
When you think about it, that puts a very weighty responsibility on the shoulders of writers, one that I don’t believe should be taken lightly.
Each and every day we humans seek an answer to the ageless question Aristoltle posed in Ethics: How should a man/woman lead his/her life. Strangely enough, even though we seem to spend most of our waking hours chasing after the answer, it seems to elude us. The harder we chase after it, the more it slips through our fingers.
Traditionally, mankind sought the answers to Aristotle’s question from philosophy, science, religion and art. But of these four wisdoms, religion held the most sway with the general population. It defined every aspect of how each man and woman was to live and relate to each other and to the environment. But religion, for many, has become an empty ritual that masks hypocrisy. As we are inundated with other forms of stories from movies, TV, books and media, our faith in traditional ideologies diminishes. We as a culture are turning to the source we now prefer to believe in: the art of story.
Film, novels, theatre, and television have become humanity’s prime source of inspiration as it seeks to gain order from chaos. As playwrite Jean Anouilh said, “Fiction gives life its form.”
So as we go forward into the void called future, fewer people are relying on religion to guide them, and more and more people depend on the writers – novelist, screenwriters, playwrights, journalists – to delve into the human condition and find meaning, then relay that meaning to the masses in the form of story.
Fiction then, is not a flight from reality, but the shiny new vehicle that carries us in search of reality, and the writers, or storytellers, are the new messiahs who lead the way. Some of them even seem to walk on water...
When you think about it, that puts a very weighty responsibility on the shoulders of writers, one that I don’t believe should be taken lightly.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Bob Lind Reviews Match Maker
Reviewed by Bob Lind, Echo Magazine
Published by Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 328
The revelation that they were a gay couple forced Daniel Bottega and Jared Stoderling off the professional tennis circuit four years earlier. In the interim, Daniel was marking time as the tennis pro at a quiet country club in San Francisco, while Jared pretty much crawled into a liquor bottle to drown his crushed dreams. When Daniel is approached to train Connor Lin, a promising young prodigy whose tennis game needs focus, he decides to gets Jared involved as well. Besides getting Jared off drinking, it reawakens both of their spirits of competition. Jared goes from just helping Connor workout to being his doubles partner, and both begin to move up the ranks on their singles tournaments.
When the press covering one of the midlevel tournaments gets tipped off about Daniel and Jared's relationship, it results in rumors that Connor is gay as well (He isn't), and the trio experience bias from homophobic judges as well as receiving threats of violence. Determined not to quit again, they continue to compete, supported by good friends and Connor's second generation Chinese-American family. As if the pressure of competition and the homophobia wasn't enough to deal with, all three suffer physical and emotional obstacles that threaten to shatter their dreams.
In a word ... Wow! After reading his previous two novels, I expect outstanding writing from Mr. Chin, but this raises the bar far above any expectations I had. The story will remind you a bit of the gay classic "The Front Runner" in its intensity and "we VS them" conflicts, but I believe the story and characters are even more realistic and relatable here. It's the rare novel you may want to read numerous times, and is a great gift for anyone facing adversity. Beautifully and skillfully done, I give it five match point stars out of five. Bravo!
When the press covering one of the midlevel tournaments gets tipped off about Daniel and Jared's relationship, it results in rumors that Connor is gay as well (He isn't), and the trio experience bias from homophobic judges as well as receiving threats of violence. Determined not to quit again, they continue to compete, supported by good friends and Connor's second generation Chinese-American family. As if the pressure of competition and the homophobia wasn't enough to deal with, all three suffer physical and emotional obstacles that threaten to shatter their dreams.
In a word ... Wow! After reading his previous two novels, I expect outstanding writing from Mr. Chin, but this raises the bar far above any expectations I had. The story will remind you a bit of the gay classic "The Front Runner" in its intensity and "we VS them" conflicts, but I believe the story and characters are even more realistic and relatable here. It's the rare novel you may want to read numerous times, and is a great gift for anyone facing adversity. Beautifully and skillfully done, I give it five match point stars out of five. Bravo!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Dumbing Down of America
I've blogged about the dumbing down of America on a few occasions, and even mentioned it in my new novel, Match Maker. And whenever I mention that topic, which I believe to be a dangerous epidemic in our country, I get pushed back from people believing that I'm being elitist.
So before pushing back, or merely brushing me aside as egotistical, watch this video and then tell me you want these people deciding who should be running our government: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE
Enjoy
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