It's Monday!!!

Hey readers and writers. It's New Eve's and I want to know your plans! Are you going to Times Square and watch the ball drop, or going to a party! As for me I will be in the house writing. Why, you ask? Well I have a book to finish and three more to write. I also have a sample to complete for a potential job. Anyway, how is your writing going for those who are writers? Are you meeting your daily goal if you do have one? I feel that as a writer it's important to have a daily goal. I know one can have a daily goal all day, but sticking to it is the problem. My daily writing goal is to just write. I used to give myself a word count and page count but i don't anymore. I feel that writing the story is satisfaction enough. What are your writing plans for the new year 2013? Let's talk. I want to know your  concerns, fears, goals, and hopes. Remember to always to be the best that you can be. Don't let ANYONE dictate your writing. You write what ever is in your heart. If I could give ANY advice for the upcoming year, it's to write until your heart is content. Never force writing. On days that you don't want to write, don't! As for me, I'm in school and I have to write a lot but I like to write. Let that voice inside of you be heard through your stories and your words. When your fingers get to typing, let it take you away, like Calgon. Ok, lol I know that was corny, but the concept is true.  For the new writers, I have a great book that would benefit you I think.

1. Bird by Bird by Anne Lammot

It's a GREAT read!! It has helped me a lot on my career.

Also check out...
1. The Little Brown Handbook
This book is a great guide for all KINDS of writers. It helps with grammar, punctuation, and it's a MUST have. It's a little pricey but it's so worth it.
Have a great monday and happy writing!

Write as if your life depends on it!
Krystol

Writing isn't just a hobby!

Hey readers and writers!  I pray that your Christmas holiday was great! Did you eat a lot of food and get everything that you wanted? As for me I did a lot of writing over the Christmas holiday. It puts me in a great mood to venture off to another world. A world of what I like to call, Writing Bliss! Yes, writing can be very therapeutic! To the writers who read this blog, I know it may seem like repetition but it's an essential tool that everyone uses. Whether you are a published writer or not, many writer's don't see the gift that they have. Some people write as a hobby or their lives may depend on it! But, i'm here to tell you that writing isn't just a hobby!! Writing can be a job, a way to escape from the worlds problems, or a reason to belong. As for me writing is a job. At least that's the way that I like to think of it. Every time I publish a new literary piece whether it be a novel,  script, short story, commercial, print ad, episode, whatever it's like a job. I do get paid real money to write. It may not be the six figure income that all writers pray for, but it does pay. Yea, we all want to make it as a writer, but are we really making it at all? Of course we are! Every time someone reads a script, or a book that you've published, you have made it! It's going from your finger tips on to someone's eyes for their reading pleasure. You see, readers and writers go hand in hand. I know you're thinking, How? It's simple logic, we as writers write as if our lives depend on it to please, who? Oh yes... the READERS!!!! Readers are like our bosses and some bosses can be very demanding in wanting the next " project" finished. Believe me, a lot of my readers always want to know when is the next book coming? Or what are you working on now? It's almost like they are a drug addict looking for their next fix! But, that's what makes our job that much more rewarding and fun. So i say writing isn't just a hobby, it's a job and we have to keep our boss happy or we will get terminated and they will hire someone else.  Believe me I know! Who has time to be in the unemployment line as a writer? Does it even exist? It does in our hearts and on writer EVER wants to be in that dark place of not having our literary voices heard. When you feel that you aren't into writing or have lost your "mojo" just remember tomorrow is always another work day. Write as if your life depends on it, I know I do! 

                                                                                 

Act One...It's a Wrap!!!

                                                                             




Hey readers, I know that I haven't posted here in a while. I will be posting more frequently though. So from all of my notes that I have posted on Screenwriting I'd say that you should just be finishing up Act   1, correct? If not, no worries!! Writing a script is a process. I don't expect anyone to finish this task quickly. Since I've been in school, I have been doing research on my script, taking notes from the readings, and learning the terminology that goes along with screenwriting. Trust, me it was times where I wanted to just say F this and quit. But one thing about me is that I'm no quitter. I am in the last week of my Film Screenwriting Class and I have finished my Act 1!! I'm super excited but I still have a ways to go. There is Act 2 and Act 3 to write. Act one is 30 pages. I thought it would be easy to write being as though I'm an author but nope, it's not so complex. When writing a screenplay your are bringing the visual. This helps me a lot because I was struggling with development in my novels so I have to be more visual then ever now! But, I'm loving it!! I never thought that being a screenwriter would be so fun. One thing that makes for good tv and a good read, is DRAMA!!! I try to incorporate as much drama as I can in my writing. People LOVE drama. So aspiring screenwriters, here are some books that have helped me thus far on my journey.

1. The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley
2. Fundementals of Screenwriting by Syd Field
3. The Screenwriters Workbook by Syd Field
4. Bird by Bird by Anne Lament
5. Dynamic Characters by Nancy Kress
6. Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell

These are the books that has helped me a lot!!! I highly recommend these books for those who are interested in becoming a screenwriter.

                                                                                        This is the ultimate goal!!!!!
Good luck everyone and Write on!!!

It's an update!

Hey guys, I got swamped with school work and neglected my Nano. I know I feel so bummed but what I'm going to do is make a schedule and keep going! I hope that those who did participate in Nano was successful because I wasn't! I feel so bad because I should have tried to stay on track, but it's okay. Things with school have been a little hectic. I've had to do a few papers on analyzing structures and everything! Was it hard? It was extremely hard that I had to stop doing my Nano. But, from now on I'm  going to make a schedule so that I can stay on task with everything. I know it's been since I've blogged but between my business and school, I haven't had much time for anything. But, school is going good thus far and I just purchased the Suze Orman, The Money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke! I'm about to read some of it. I hope it really helps because lord knows I need to learn to manage my money better lol. I'm sure that I'm not the only person who wants to be successful in life so I hope that this book can help me out a lot!!!!  Anyway, my plan is to finish the book Jawbreakers that I started for the month of December and then work on another book called I'll Never Tell. I know I have a lot on my plate but I will get it done. From now on I will make it my business to blog more with updates of what i'm doing, author interviews, writing tips,  and continue to take my notes on screenwriting for those who are interested in doing so.  Until next time readers and writers be safe and Write on!!

CEO/Author/Screenwriter/Ghostwriter/Interviewer: NanoWrimo Day 4

CEO/Author/Screenwriter/Ghostwriter/Interviewer: NanoWrimo Day 4:                                                                                 Hey Wrimo's! What I can say? It's day 4 and I'm ready ...

NanoWrimo Day 4

                                                                               


Hey Wrimo's! What I can say? It's day 4 and I'm ready to quit but I won't. I know a lot of people depend on me as I them! So, my current word count thus far is 7029. Not bad, right? I have a friend that has already hit her 10k mark already!! I know, and she's in grad school too! I'm writing a novel called Jawbreakers and I must say that I am loving the YA genre. I wrote a book called Tears of Joy which was my first YA book. I was very excited to try something different. I think that YA is my niche. But other's say that Erotica is. What genre do you like to write? I feel that the YA genre is SO under rated it's crazy. I started to read YA when I started my group on Facebook, Books the Young Adult way. There is an author by the name of Shelia Gross aka Sparkle and she wrote this book called Sade's Secret. My reading group had voted on her book. I wasn't expecting to love it. I mean I really never read books in the YA genre before so I didn't know what to expect. Thanks to Shelia, I've grown to love it.

Back to Nano! Sorry, I can be ALL over the place at times! But, I did the Nano that they had in August and I must say that it really helped me stay on track. My camp mates weren't worth a damn in helping me so I had to be my own cheerleader. Hey, it happens! Some people aren't as excited as I can be about writing. Look, I get it I have my days too! No harm, no foul. When I first started writing Jawbreakers it was called Back Stabbers. The more that I was writing I knew that I wanted to two main characters to try and go through a hard time in high school. With the bullying epidemic being so well known now, I wanted to have some hazing and bullying going on. What better way to have a group call themselves a bad ass name like " Jawbreakers". There is a movie out called The Jawbreakers but they aren't a gang or anything. They are a group of girls going around being school sluts and one innocent ends up witnessing them disposing a dead body of a classmate so she had to be sucked in. No, my novel won't have any gruesome things in it....that I know of, but with me you never know! I hope that everyone who is participating in Nano are having a good time. LOL....okay I had to laugh at that last sentence. Nano is horrible if you don't prepare yourself and work on time maintenance. Here is a calendar that HELPS me a lot, and it's funny too:

This is like a god send to me! I can stay on track with my word count and write ahead if I need too.

Here is my new baby that I'm working on:

Synopsis of Jawbreakers: 

Zoela Best is the new girl at school. Trying to get used to the new school and people she meets Vincenza Catucci. They are two peas in a pod until the "Jawbreakers" make their presence known and tortures the girls with bullying and hazing. Vincenza and Zoela are asked to be a Jawbreaker and the two are ecstatic. But, the leader has a trick up her sleeve to turn the two girls into frenemies. Will they see the danger ahead or will they put an end to the Jawbreakers once and for all?

Excerpt of Jawbreakers: 

It’s the next day of school and I decided to wear blue skinny jeans with a red shirt that said I’m awesome and some red flat shoes to match. I put my red hair up in a tony tail with some hair hanging down to the side. I was so excited when I was sitting in homeroom talking to one of the other students about The Great Gasby. 

“ Hey Zoe, do you think this book is hard?” Romana asked. 

“ It is a little bit but you have to take your time to read each chapter. What works for me that I take notes on each chapter so that I can understand it.” 

“ Ok, thanks Zoe.” She said smiling at me and looking at the book. 

“ Your welcome.” 

I sat at my desk waiting for the teacher to take role and I was looking for Vincenza. Moments went by and in walks my friend. 

“ Hey Zoe.” She said as we greeted each other with a hug. 

I was happy because for a minute I didn’t think that she was coming to school.

My first Ya Novel available on Kindle, Nook, BN.com, and Amazon: 

Synopsis of Tears of Joy: 

Arvind Jenkins and Joy Evans are a match made in heaven. These high school sweethearts are destined to be together forever, but Arvind has a secret that may bring Joy to tears. Will Joy fight for the love of her life, or will she end up alone?

Synopsis of Sades Secret:

There's nothing sweet about turning sixteen as three friends will soon find out. Fifteen-year-old Sade Washington has been harboring a secret from her two best friends, Crystal Jackson and Dena Bradford. Her secret is threatened to be revealed when she discovers she's pregnant. Once Sade's secret is out, it causes a wedge between her and her mother Joyce. Distraught at her mother's reactions, Sade toils with a love/hate relationship with her. Joyce struggles with keeping peace in her household. The relationship between her daughter and live-in boyfriend, Calvin has her in an emotional turmoil. Joyce is determined to make their home a happy one by any means necessary. Sade attempts to have a normal teen life, but as she turns sixteen, reality hits her head on. She must make choices that will not only affect her future, but that of her unborn child. Sade's Secret takes the reader on an emotional ride as it deals with a strong subject matter and the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships.

FYI: If you would like to join my YA group on Facebook, please do! https://www.facebook.com/groups/authorkrystolplace/

Nano's we can complete this journey together!! We can do it!! Don't give up!! Let the world read your creative mind through a book!!

CEO/Author/Screenwriter/Ghostwriter/Interviewer: Script Analysis and Criticism Class

CEO/Author/Screenwriter/Ghostwriter/Interviewer: Script Analysis and Criticism Class:                                                                               Hey readers! My next class that is up to bat is called Scr...

Script Analysis and Criticism Class

                                                                             

Hey readers! My next class that is up to bat is called Script Analysis and Criticism!! Let me tell you this class is a toughie! I have to analyze a movie script scene by scene which gives me a headache. I mean, what's the point? Can't I just watch a movie and tell if I liked it or not and explain why? Of course, not! I get it, I'm in graduate school and things are SO much more then just a " I liked it?" My only issue is that my instructor picks movies that I haven't seen before. I think if we were able to pick our own movies, I would be more excited about the class. Any WHO, I still read Syd Field's book The Screenwriting Workbook, which is awesome. It can be a little dry at times, but I find it best to read out loud when I have to read things that don't interest me. Not to mention there is  a WHOLE lot of reading for this class. I'm talking, articles upon articles, reading books, and watching trailers to some films. But, I'm not bashing Script Analysis and Criticism class, it's just something that is right now difficult to me. I'm going to stay ahead of the game as much as possible. I know that this will help me in the long run. So,let's recap! So far I have had:

1. The art of Visual Storytelling
2. Multimedia Terms and Genres
3.Literary Research
4. Character Creation and Development
5. Yours truly, Script Analysis and Criticism

Yes so that's five months and five classes!! I mean so far I really can't complain, I have a GPA of 3.33 right now and I'm happy. But, I'm definitely going to shoot for that great 4.0!! I must say that learning to write scripts is a challenge but it's a great challenge and I hope to be the best screenwriter in the world! Okay, I know I'm pushing it, but I really want to do well. I feel that being a writer I need to expand my horizons and try to write any and everything! I used to write for magazine called Raw Talent Magazine and in that moment I know that I loved to write in different genres. I don't want to subject myself to just being an author. Plus guys, Screenwriting is ACTUALLY fun!! My classmates and I have a blast with just coming up with ideas about our scripts and writing pieces here and there until we have THIS finished product:

                                                             
Then once that's achieved it's off the Writer's Guild we go (www.wga.org) to get that bad boy registered!  Yes, always get your work protected!! The fee is only $25 and it saves you time and energy of someone possibly stealing your script and ideas of ALL that hard work you put into it! Once you have done that the next step is getting an agent or manager! That's where I am now since I have a script already done.  It's from one of my novels that I wrote! Yea, I was going to get it independently filmed but then I said no. I want to work with the professionals only. FYI: Work with people who have been in the business and have done films before. Never make your baby some one's Guinea pig!  With that being said, happy writing and if we work hard, we will have a great screenplay that we are proud of!!  Remember a great LOG LINE is the start to an awesome film!