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"The Writer's Building"
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"The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Kelly on
Dec-22-04, 09:23 AM (PST)
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Gang,These guys posted a notice on my message board about their website. I checked it out and they seem to have a pretty impressive list of visiting/contributing industry pros. KJC ------------------------------------------------ The Writers' Building This is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping aspiring screenwriters. You get a private office with your own discussion board, lots of active screenwriting workshops, great feedback on your work, and the chance to interact with industry professionals. http://www.thewritersbuilding.org Click on the front door to step inside.
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RE: The Writer's Building,
The Superannuated Man, Dec-22-04, (1)
  RE: The Writer's Building,
MCM, Dec-29-04, (12)
RE: The Writer's Building,
The Superannuated Man, Dec-30-04, (13)
 RE: The Writer's Building,
MCM, Jan-01-05, (16)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Mac, Dec-31-04, (14)
RE: The Writer's Building,
MCM, Jan-01-05, (15)
RE: The Writer's Building,
MCM, Jan-01-05, (17)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Mac, Dec-22-04, (2)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Brother Amos, Dec-22-04, (3)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Mac, Dec-22-04, (4)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Larry Brody, Dec-22-04, (6)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Larry Brody, Dec-22-04, (7)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Larry Brody, Dec-22-04, (10)
RE: The Writer's Building,
alX, Dec-22-04, (5)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Jeff K, Dec-22-04, (8)
RE: The Writer's Building,
Robin Reed, Dec-23-04, (11)
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1. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by The Superannuated Man on
Dec-22-04, 11:45 AM (PST)
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Jesus Christ, more conmen playing their games on writers and you're shilling for them.Nice going, Kelly. SAM
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12. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by MCM on
Dec-29-04, 08:21 PM (PST)
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Hi Sam, I'm far from a conman. Just an aspiring screenwriter like you trying to build something we can all benefit from. In regards to the pro directory, those that have green lights by their name are registered members, all the others have been invited. The invitations went out during the holidays so we're hoping many more will still respond. A follow up invitation goes out next week. The site and the concept are new, and it will take some time to grow into the kind of mentoring facility I intend it to be, but I am determined to make it happen. I'm not at all wealthy, so I can't fund the project alone. I have invested a great deal of my own money to get the site up and running and with the help of my members I can keep it going. That's the simply truth - not a con. All the best,
Michael C. Murphy
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13. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by The Superannuated Man on
Dec-30-04, 08:37 PM (PST)
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Ah, would that I were an aspiring screenwriter. Unfortunately I'm a superannuated television writer, as in forced out of the business because of the industry's ageism. I wish you well though. I really do. I think what I miss most about not being an aspiring anything is the energy that comes with having such aspirations. Instead, I just feel tired, and sometimes pained. SAM
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16. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by MCM on
Jan-01-05, 09:40 PM (PST)
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Sam,You have no feture film scripts? If TV doesn't want you, maybe you need to start making movies. Thanks for the well wishes. I expect great things to happen in the next few weeks.
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14. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
Posted by Mac  on
Dec-31-04, 08:52 PM (PST)
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>I'm far from a conman.Mr Murphy. I'll assume that you aren't TRYING to con anyone. But the simple facts are: 1. Potential customers are being deceived.
2. Your website is what is deceiving them. Kelly wasn't the only one misled by your term 'pro members' and your list of screenwriters. Look around the message boards where you've posted. You'll find posts where people are commenting how impressive your list of members are. You are asking them to join a screenwriting group, and people are looking at your site and believing that you have many famous members. There is a simple remedy. On your 'professional directory' list, simply state that: 'This is NOT a list of members. Only writers marked with a green or red dot are associated with 'The Writers Building'. The others are entries based on information collected from publicly available sources.' To continue your site's 'building' analogy - you are renting out space in a building. Potential renters are looking at the building directory and seeing many famous names. You aren't actually saying that those names are renting space - you've just got the list displayed in a way that looks like a building directory! >..Just an aspiring screenwriter like you ..
SAM has already commented on this. The danger of assuming that other message boards don't have professional members of their own ! >I'm not at all wealthy, so I can't fund the project alone. I have invested a great deal of my own money to get the site up and running and with the help of my members I can keep it going I appreciate that you are starting something new here. And as an aspiring screenwriter yourself, you know that there are many cons and services of dubious value that people are trying to sell us. And the major asset you need to build your new venture is people's trust. You've put your real name on the site and on communications - great. But when I tried to look up your email address on the site to 'cc' you in on my earlier message board post - no luck. (I'd rather give you a chance to reply and correct problems rather than just complain) You have the email address of the graphic designer on the administration page of your webste. You have the email address of the programmer, and the marketing consultant. But not yours - or even a standard 'admin@' or 'questions@' email address! How are people meant to trust you when you actively avoid giving them a method to have a simple conversation with you? Honestly, I hope your new community does well. But as you will have noticed, the vast majority of replies to your message board marketing campaign have been extemely negative. I look forward to seeing your website modified so that people aren't misled by it. Good luck, Mac.
(PS: Happy new year everyone!)
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I would rather be deceived by a friend, than live my life suspecting him.
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15. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by MCM on
Jan-01-05, 09:34 PM (PST)
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Mac,The explanation you ask for regarding the pro membership is at the bottom of every pro directory page. It always has been. The directories are a list of people who have been invited, and who I continue to seek participation from. I will make that more clear. I don't get around to the messages boards, so I appreciate you sharing the response you're seeing. Someone posted a message on my site regarding this board, that's why I'm here. There is an email link to me on the Terms and Conditions page. I'll add a more prominent link. That's an excellent point. My email address is screenplaynotes@earthlink.net. Thanks for your suggestions. Mike
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17. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by MCM on
Jan-01-05, 10:00 PM (PST)
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I just wanted to add, that all the pros in the directories have been assigned a personal password, which was mailed (regular mail) to them in an invitation to participate - to make it easy for them to get on the site. They will all receive a follow up invitation (regular mail) next week as well.This is only the beginning of the overall campaign to seek professional participation.
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2. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Mac on
Dec-22-04, 02:46 PM (PST)
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>I checked it out and they seem to have a pretty impressive list of visiting/contributing industry pros.Their list is impressive - but I suspect that they are being a bit deceptive here. I don't believe they really are visting/contributing industry pros. For example, if you click on their entry for 'David Mamet', you get a photo of him which looks like it was pinched from the 'Project Equinox' web page, which in turn was probably cut down from an earlier page. The bio is just the same you can find anywhere else on the web - so what exactly are they offering? I suspect that if I pay them the $25 USD so I can click on the button to get his 'advice', that I'll find a quote or cut down section of an interview - also culled from the web. In fact, if you have a look at the huge list of writers - only two are actually listed specifically as members: John August & Pen Densham. Thus I suspect that despite the fact that David Mamet is filed under 'Pro-Member' that he isn't, in fact, a member at all and probably hasn't even heard of this site. If you want to check out Michael C. Murphy's qualifications, click here. (He's the guy who runs the site) Ok, I'll admit it. The site looks nice, and doesn't seem to make any promises, so it might be very worthwhile... But if those writers aren't involved with the site, then they probably should have a standard disclaimer in their entry along the lines of 'This information was collected from publicly available sources. We are not implying that the person listed has any association with 'The Writers Building'. Mac.
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“In a false quarrel, there is no true valour”
- William Shakespeare
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3. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Brother Amos on
Dec-22-04, 02:57 PM (PST)
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There are a lot of sites on the web that have pro members in various fields. Some of them are honest enough to say "honorary pro member." I talked to one of the pros who was an honorary pro member of a site giving training and nutrition advice and selling nutritional supplements. Her picture was all over the place, along with her bio and even some "quotes" with training tips, but she had never heard of the site or the product. Are we supposed to know John August & Pen Densham? Bro A
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4. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Mac on
Dec-22-04, 03:23 PM (PST)
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I don't know much about Pen Densham but John August wrote 'Big Fish' & 'Go', and has been EXTREMELY helpful to newbie writers.His site has the scripts for these, along with the original Spec versions, revised outlines, some initial pitches for failed TV series - even some writing exercises he did to flesh out the characters. I've gotta admit - comparing early scripts to later ones is **REALLY** helpful for poor chaps like me who are learning what the difference between 'average' and 'great' is. Mac
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Q: How many screenwriters does it take to change a lightbulb?
A: Change !? The lightbulb doesn't need changing! It's perfect!
I spent months on that lightbulb scene! You must be an idiot if you
can't see the poetry of the whole lightbulb character arc !
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6. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Larry Brody on
Dec-22-04, 04:14 PM (PST)
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I love BIG FISH. It's the story of my life.Except that I really do know how I'm going to die. I'll be damned if I'll leave it to my son to write that ending! Time to go check out the site. 
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7. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Larry Brody on
Dec-22-04, 05:09 PM (PST)
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The Pen Desham site, not writers locker room or whatever it is.You can tell I'm a TV writer--I spell E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G out for you. LYMI, 
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10. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Larry Brody on
Dec-22-04, 09:03 PM (PST)
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Actually I meant the John August site, which I enjoyed.But-- Have you noticed how fucking PRACTICAL all the sites run by working writers are? How pragmatic--some might say cynical--the writers themselves sound in everything they tell their idealistic--some might say naive--visitors? Makes me feel like a kid again. Next time you're bemoaning the fact that you're an outsider in the TV or film writing business think about how miserable the insiders sound. (And think about what else you can do--what wonderful achievement you can achieve--if you decide to take your talent and energy and strength and love in another direction.) Want to know the ultimate post-ironic film title? It would be: THE HAPPY SCREENWRITER. Love You Mean It, 
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8. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Jeff K on
Dec-22-04, 05:38 PM (PST)
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>Ok, I'll admit it. The
>site looks niceLooks nice? Shit it took me 15 min to figure out where to click and open up the door. I've already got the kinda showbiz where I can't open the door. What do I need this for?
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11. "RE: The Writer's Building" |
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Posted by Robin Reed on
Dec-23-04, 06:01 AM (PST)
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Densham is the guy that brought back "The Outer Limits," and with a lot less success, "The Twilight Zone." I have seen quite a few "OL" episodes, but his "TZ" was not good.
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