tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-119334992024-03-12T23:59:10.722-07:00the inglewood rude boyHey everyone, my name is Lawrence Ross and I'm what they call a pro-fess-ion-al writer. That means I get paid to write and hopefully enough folks buy my stuff. It's what I've always wanted to do, and I'm lucky enough to do it. Follow me on my journey.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.comBlogger668125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-39980768834565351332009-08-09T14:38:00.000-07:002009-08-09T14:40:04.005-07:00Facebook...Hey all,<br /><br />This blog is pretty much dead. If you want to follow me, go over to Facebook and friend me. Or you can follow me on Twitter (alpha1906) Thanks!Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-26947470817897456182009-03-22T10:17:00.001-07:002009-03-22T10:17:57.621-07:00Script...I just turned in my latest version of The Bestsellers. It's in the hands of the agent, so if it works, fine. I'm pretty much done writing it for no pay. Time to start on a new script.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-41639602455904970542009-02-05T01:21:00.000-08:002009-02-05T01:22:20.975-08:00New column...Hey all,<br /><br />I'm now writing a new column for TheExaminer.com. If you ever thought about writing a book, writing a script, or wondered what it's like to be a full time professional writer, then this is the column for you. Make sure to subscribe and check it out everyday. It's going to be a VERY provocative column!<br /><br />http://www.examiner.com/x-2948-LA-Writing-Careers-ExaminerLawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-80025215946909547842009-01-06T07:38:00.000-08:002009-01-06T07:39:20.027-08:00Book Proposal...Waiting for info from my agent this week. I'm hoping to finish two things this month: the novel and the script. That's pretty much it.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-57048746857177098022008-12-25T12:29:00.000-08:002008-12-25T12:36:14.777-08:00Merry Xmas Everyone!Just wanted to take time to say Merry Xmas to everyone. For 2009, I have a few specific things I need to get accomplished: <br /><br />1. My agent is now shopping my next non fiction book. We'll know if it sells after New Years. If it does, I'll be spending the next nine months or so researching and writing it. <br /><br />2. I'm in the middle of my latest rewrite of THE BESTSELLERS. Hopefully, it will be done before the end of January.<br /><br />3. I'm also in the middle of writing my next novel. I've put SLAVERYLAND on the backburner, even though it's more than half done. Instead, I started writing my former script, DAISY SUNSHINE, as a novel. It works wonderfully. That's something I hope will be done by mid February.<br /><br />4. And I don't know if I've mentioned this in the past, but I'd been searching for an artist to collaborate with on a comic strip I'd worked on during film school. I finally found a great one and my strip should debut in January. <br /><br />5. Lastly, I'm going to pitch a couple of shows to TV One and the Food Network. <br /><br />That's it. My mission for 2009 is to not get distracted and concentrate on my writing goals. They're pretty easy to accomplish, if I keep my mind organized and focused. <br /><br />Again, Merry Christmas everyone!Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-34084027913078671332008-11-17T03:54:00.001-08:002008-11-17T04:00:56.254-08:00The Blank Page...There's something beautiful about a blank Final Draft page. Before you type, you think about the story you're going to tell, obviously, but there's more. You think about how your script is going to sell for thousands, get made by the best people in the biz, and then win every award known to the human race. <br /><br />But I've got to resist the urge to start typing on that blank page. For the latest rewrite of The Bestsellers, I'm doing a long and detailed sketch of every aspect of my characters and their motivations throughout the script. If there's one thing UCLA taught me was that I can write a damn solid structual script. My characters hit their marks, just like an actor hits their marks. But what I need work on is knowing why my characters are doing what they're doing. For this script to work and the ICM agent to like it 100%, I better have characters that not only walk along the plot, but have a reason for going on the walk. Think the Wizard of Oz and the Yellow Brick Road. We all know the way to the Wizard, but that's not important. What is important is the motivation each has for GOING to the Wizard. Everything else are just obstacles. Maybe when I'm rich and famous, my book on scripts will be called The Yellow Brick Road? Nice. Then again, it's 4am and I'm rambling. I should sleep.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-53163646080511585142008-11-14T22:33:00.001-08:002008-11-14T22:38:50.059-08:00Nice news...As I said before, I'm taking my time on both my rewrite of The Bestsellers and my book proposal. I sent my agent the book proposal overview and he really liked the tone. So far, so good. I'm going to continue to work on it and make sure that it sounds as fascinating as I think it is. <br /><br />On The Bestsellers, I had to really just let it go for a second. Then I started rethinking about the story I wanted to tell. Basically, I want a discovery story between a young woman and an older woman. But while I had the structure down pat, my characters were basically flat and unemotional. This happened because I hadn't taken the time to flesh them out so I knew what their motivations were. Your plot can be a great map, but if you don't communicate to your audience (or coverage readers) why your characters are going on that road, they simply won't care. So I thought about who my characters are and about their motivations. It's script 101, but it's easy to miss. So I'm working on this background info before I start the rewrite. <br /><br />Also, I watched The Bank Job and loved it. I particularly loved the tight script and it taught be a number of things about giving the back story briefly and then getting straight to the present. I'm looking for that script because I want to analyze it for my next script.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-25701755918302360182008-11-14T00:22:00.000-08:002008-11-14T00:23:17.677-08:00Still writing the overview...I'm still writing the overview to my book proposal. I told you that I'm using all deliberate speed on this. No more rushing.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-82095458610724560632008-11-07T20:58:00.000-08:002008-11-07T21:01:20.007-08:00This Weekend...I'm taking meticulous care on this book proposal and I'm doing it in stages. This weekend, I'm working on a very captivating overview that WOWS, rather than just gets the story out. I have a nice topic that hasn't been done, and there's enough controversy with this book to have editors raise their eyebrows. So I'll do the overview and then send it to my agent and have him vet it. Once that's perfect, then I'll move on.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-87150543080323634462008-11-02T23:39:00.001-08:002008-11-02T23:41:25.110-08:00Dropped off literary listserves...For some reason, I've been a member of a ton of black literary listserves. For the most part, all they did was either a. suck up to bestselling authors on the list b. act as an endless promotion for books I'll never read. In other words, it was a constant clicking of the delete button on my laptop. In reality, it was a waste of time and resources and I haven't missed them in the least.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-9539606124953073972008-11-02T23:12:00.000-08:002008-11-02T23:23:15.723-08:00Book Proposal...Right now, I'm taking a more relaxed process toward writing this next book proposal. Hate to say, but I can't say what it's about. But coming from a writer who wrote a book about porn, let's say this is controversial too. One thing I can say is that this next book will break me out of the black book genre. Writing about African American topics is both interesting and rewarding, but it's also a bit of a prison. Your boundaries are set so rigidly that it makes it difficult for an author to expand into pop culture. This next book is a book aimed straight at pop culture. <br /><br />Gotta prep for a trip to Boston as I'm speaking on the 6th. Also, I'm about to start booking lecture dates for my busiest month, February.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-66623273587085426902008-11-01T00:25:00.000-07:002008-11-01T00:29:34.565-07:00Daytime/Nightime...It looks like I will be organizing another book proposal. My hip-hop book proposal didn't sell, mainly because hip-hop books aren't really moving that many units, and there was a competing book that came out that touched on my topic. Not good. So it's back to the drawing board. I have a good idea, my agent likes it, and I think I'll take my time on it. No rushing it. I'm going to spend this month researching the topic, and THEN writing the book proposal. It's quirky and interesting, but I need to find the stories that will captivate editors. <br /><br />SLAVERYLAND is still being written. I'm a bit closer to finishing and I want it done by the end of the month. <br /><br />THE BESTSELLERS is one step closer. Surprise, but I need to do yet another rewrite. I'm going to have a UCLA prof I trust to take a look at it. One note was that my characters weren't very likable. I don't really like likable characters, but I better learn to create them if I want to sell a script. <br /><br />More later...Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-55096838503031775742008-09-28T15:34:00.000-07:002008-09-28T15:37:57.690-07:00Project #2...This has actually been a great exercise. Before adding to the Slaveryland novel, I've been reading it and adding and subtracting. I really like what I've written. By the middle of next week, I hope to be done with the editing and I can start finishing it. I think I can be done by the end of the month. It was never about knowing where to go with the book, but clearing space from all of the other projects. This should be a lock to get done. Plus I'm getting itchy. I usually write a book every two years and I don't have anything coming out in 2009 yet. So I need to get to writing.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-25156056456665331302008-09-25T09:28:00.000-07:002008-09-25T09:31:44.938-07:00Treatment done...Now on to Project #2I sent in the treatment for the Sundance grant, and it's a pretty nice one. Too bad I didn't have time to write a script, but hopefully the treatment will impress. Now on to Project #2. Now is time to finish SLAVERYLAND, the novel I began three years ago. It's half way done, but now is the time to finish it and send it to my agent. I almost lost it because in an effort to clean up my computer, I think I mistakenly trashed my folder that had projects in progress. After a thirty second panic mode, I remembered that I'd back everything up on a portable hard drive. Crisis handled. So I'm going to concentrate on SLAVERYLAND for the next few weeks. If I can get it done by the end of October, I'll be happy.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-12571668341125153342008-09-22T22:35:00.000-07:002008-09-22T22:43:46.893-07:00Project #1In an effort to become more focused, I'm eschewing the big plans and conquering them one at a time. First up: I've been informed that my pitch to the Sundance/Sloan Grant has made it to the next round. This script is called ROUND BRAIN/SQUARE WORLD and is a fictional account dealing with the futurist Buckminster Fuller. They need an eight to twelve page treatment by Wednesday, so that's what I'm writing right now. From there, they will evaluate it and then make a decision in December to see if I get the $25,000 grant. This prize is a version of the Sloan contest I entered as a grad student. I was a finalist for that contest, but didn't win. I've been intrigued by Bucky since my senior year in high school when the last class I took was an architecture class. See geodesic domes got me thinking and I've always wanted to write about him. Now here's my chance. After I write the treatment, I'll continue the research for the script. <br /><br />As for The Bestsellers, I still haven't heard back from the ICM agent. I'll email her later this week. My book proposal still hasn't gained traction, which is disappointing. This is a tough market and tough economy for non fiction, so I'll just have to trust my agent to work it through the New York publishing houses.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-36352789630412914022008-09-21T13:00:00.000-07:002008-09-21T13:01:45.254-07:00Back blogging...It's been a packed two weeks. I went on a week long lecture tour and then we moved, so I didn't get internet at our new place until last Thursday. But I'll be back blogging this week.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-20221221261256122802008-09-11T21:17:00.000-07:002008-09-11T21:18:23.051-07:00On Tour...Hey all,<br /><br />I've been on tour all week, so I haven't had time to write much. Plus, we move when I get back. I'll be starting again on Monday.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-16519747977266890212008-09-07T02:46:00.001-07:002008-09-07T02:52:51.893-07:00Clutter...We're in the process of moving and you never know how much crap you've bought until you have to pack it up. The same goes for writing. A few weeks ago, I started cleaning up old projects, while trying to prioritize the ones I want to concentrate on. One thing has been tripping me out. After film school, I have become LESS efficient with my writing. My brain is geared to ideas and I always have a bunch of them. But for some reason, nothing is getting done in the way I'm used to. I did concentrate on The Bestsellers from March 07 until a few weeks ago, so I have that. But I haven't been grinding like I used to. I'm going to have to think of new strategies. Now that I'm not at Icono anymore, or in grad school, I really don't have any excuses. I think some of this will be solved if my agent eventually sells my non fiction proposal. Writing non fiction is my joy. But I have a number of scripts that I want to finish or rewrite, but I need to know how The Bestsellers comes out first. I don't write as a hobby. I write to express myself and make money. So my writing priorities are put in a very distinct order. We'll see.<br /><br />I'm about to head out to Virginia and North Carolina for a week long Divine Nine lecture tour. I really miss talking to students, so this will be fun. Plus, I love lecturing.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-85142181998664527092008-09-03T20:36:00.000-07:002008-09-03T20:39:28.641-07:00Palin works both ways...Sarah Palin has pissed me off. Okay, now it's on. This is a non shooting cultural civil war between the cynical Republicans and the party of the future, the Democrats. There's no way we can elect these destructive warmongers to another four years.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-44886046760532097592008-08-24T01:49:00.000-07:002008-08-24T01:52:31.181-07:00Still cleaning out and working on Harlem Treatment...I should have a treatment that should have been done months ago, finished by the end of the day tomorrow. I'm cleaning out my old writing projects that I started and didn't finish. It's a huge job.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-18369415487741977422008-08-21T00:43:00.000-07:002008-08-21T00:46:43.741-07:00Muddled...I've been wondering why my interest in each writing project has been somewhat muddled, meaning that I'll write a bit on this, and write a bit on that, but not really get into the weeds with anything. I think I have my solution. For the next thirty days, I'm going to do a spring cleaning. I'm going to toss the things I've stopped and started, but never finished. Next, I'm going to list out the projects that I do want to write and go back over their stories. Strengthen them. Next, I'm going to really work on the beat sheets for all of my projects, scripts and novels. By doing all of this, I think I'll be much more productive.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-82466385901566456402008-08-21T00:40:00.000-07:002008-08-21T00:42:20.796-07:00Further Schools for September...Right now, I have a number of schools that may book for September: Chapman University, Michigan State, Florida A&M, Northeastern and Hampton. I'll know more in the next week or so. The one thing I do know is that I'll be traveling a lot this year.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-81811024734661747372008-08-15T01:28:00.000-07:002008-08-15T01:41:22.123-07:00So what's next...With THE BESTSELLERS done, I resolved that this is going to be the final non paid version. I've been working on it since March 07, so if it's not right now, then I'll put it in the pile of "coulda been a contendas". <br /><br />I'm going to start working on DAISY SUNSHINE. I have the story all worked out, mainly because it's a remake of a forty year old film. But before I do that, I think I need to clean up all of the old fits and starts. For my scripts, I need to get on a concrete ten week schedule, replicating what I did in film school. <br /><br />But before I do that, I'm going to finish SLAVERYLAND, a novel I began in 2005. It's time to finish it and send to my agent. Let's see if it's any good.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-5636967450335443512008-08-14T00:22:00.000-07:002008-08-14T00:24:04.348-07:00Script finished...The latest version of The Bestsellers is done. I'm going to spend all day tomorrow going through it, and then send it to a friend to get an impression. She's going to read it over the weekend.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11933499.post-12930174526573442952008-08-13T02:02:00.001-07:002008-08-13T02:26:32.934-07:00The Bestsellers script...I turned off my phone today and got a lot of work done on the latest version of The Bestsellers. More than likely, I'll get mighty close to finishing either late tomorrow or early Thursday. After that, I'll do a once over and shoot it to a friend to evaluate. This draft took my eight weeks to finish and it was mainly because I wanted to think about how to make it better and closer to what the ICM agent wanted. I'll work on editing, the dialogue and any scenes that need redoing. After that, I'll send it to the ICM agent to see if she likes it. <br /><br />After writing the same script over and over for more than a year, I'd definitely interested in working on something different. I have various scripts in states of completion, but I'm going to do a rejiggering of where I place my priorities. <br /><br />Now that I'm away from Iconoculture, I can pretty much start thinking about my script career without being distracted. I had let that slip as the job took up my time, but I need to get back tied into the mindset I had at the UCLA film school. One step in that direction is my application for the Sloan/Sundance Foundation grant. Yeah, I know I'd said I'd never enter another contest, but this one gives a stipend and access to really good screenwriters who can help with your Sloan script. I could use that in 2009. <br /><br />As for books, my current book proposal is still out there. My agent emailed me to say that things look positive. The summer is a slow period for editors, but one editor called Manie to say positive things about the proposal. More than likely, we won't know if the proposal sells until September. <br /><br />At long last, I'm planning the first show from my development deal with TV One. The show will go on their websites first, to see if it gains traction. After that, we're looking to put it on their network schedule. <br /><br />As for their competitor, BET, I have to check on a show that I pitched them. The person I pitched, SR. VP of Development, let BET, but they told me that they're considering it. We'll see. <br /><br />Still booking more dates for my Divine Nine lectures. During September, I just might be on the road for two straight weeks. <br /><br />Anyway, it's 2:30am and I need some rest. I'm going to plow ahead and finish this script tomorrow, so time to go to sleep.Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07814822977297662188noreply@blogger.com0