To screenplay or not to screenplay?

For creative writing class I was assigned to write a blog about film and screenwriting. It can be about anything related to either topic, so i’ve decided to take this opportunity to write about the screenplay I have always wanted to write.

To put it simply, my dream screenplay would basically be Quentin Tarantino meets The Lovely Bones. Yep, I know that sounds nuts, but think about it. Dying and waiting to cross over isn’t exactly a beautiful thing, and waiting in limbo could be a horrifying experience. Of course, I wouldn’t really know, because I haven’t been there. But, I can imagine. My screenplay would be tragic and terrifying, yet artistically realistic. And that’s where Tarantino would come in.

Writing a screenplay is actually a lot of work. There are so many components involved, including a logline, a synopsis, and an outline. These aspects make it easier for a person to understand what the screenplay is about, but they are quite difficult to write. You pretty much have to dumb down the concept to the bare essentials, yet still be interesting so a person wants to read on. This may sound like the epitome of a journalistic writing style, and it is.

Putting together the actual script is also more work than I thought it would be. There is a specific format to follow, and a certain way to write out actions and scene changes. It’s very easy for a script to become boring quickly, because the writer becomes so preoccupied with formatting the whole thing correctly. I’ve learned from experience that it’s best to write all the dialogue first, and copy it into the proper document later. This method provides the freedom to be creative without stressing about how it’s supposed to look.

So will I ever have a chance to create my dark masterpiece? Who knows. Local filmmaker, Sean Garrity, seems to be doing quite well with his recent feature film, Zooey & Adam. I supposed anyone could be successful if they put their minds to it. But as fun as writing screenplays would be, i’m going to stick to print journalism for now. Maybe i’ll change my mind in the future, and if I do, you’ll all be in for the film of a lifetime!

I don't want to fuel the fire...

...but I want to make a few comments in regards to the Winnipeg Free Press article about the students who could possibly be punished for recording two teachers taking part in a lap dance at Churchill High School during a spirit event. I will not use the names of the teachers (because I feel they have received enough media attention). I feel the students should not be penalized for their actions, and would like to take a moment to explain why this is my opinion.

I checked this morning, and there are two videos of the incident on YouTube. The first has 69,695 views, and the second 17,064 views. By this time, most people in Winnipeg (and Canada, North America, and other parts of the world) have heard about the lap dance. The teachers have been suspended with pay - as of Feb. 19 - and no final decisions regarding their fate have been made. Now, instead of allowing the issue to become yesterday's news and focus on more important issues - such as the earthquake in Chile - it is being dredged up again as talk about seeking disciplinary action against the students who posted the videos has become public.

The Winnipeg School Division has a zero-tolerance policy on the use of cellphones, cameras, and other recording devices. I know all about this rule, as I was once a high school student in Winnipeg myself. I feel the students who posted the videos should have gone to the school principal with any comments and/or concerns about the lap dance, instead of posting it online for everyone to see. But, they put it online, and probably did so to be funny or to showcase the antics of their educators. I don't agree with the way the video was released, but no one can do anything about it now.

With that being said, I don't agree with talk about disciplining the students for this action. If a student caught a teacher on camera using CPR techniques to save a student, and posted that, I highly doubt we would be having this conversation. Or, if a student videotaped a violent act (heaven forbid) that helped find answers, I find it hard to believe they would be reprimanded. The reason why there is talk about the students violation of the policy is a direct result of the nature of the video. I believe a stern discussion with school administration should suffice, and I am sure a conversation - or multiple conversations - has already taken place. The students who posted the video need to understand that the way they went about releasing the video was wrong. But, I don't think stronger actions need to be taken against them.

Is it really worth continuing to talk about? The teachers at Churchill High School know by now that what they did was wrong. And, by students videotaping the incident, the teachers were caught. Would it not be better to decide whether or not they are allowed to continue teaching, and drop the subject altogether? I know that policies are put in place for a reason, and I understand that the school board is doing what they feel they must to ensure the policies are upheld, but disciplining the students will only give people more to talk about. It will also raise questions about whether or not schools are hiding any other inappropriate conduct that simply hasn't been caught on tape. I believe we should just let it go, and move on with our lives.

To end this post, I will not be including a link to the video. If you are interested in watching it, do so. It is on YouTube.

Oh, Jon Montgomery...

I just had to post this video. It cracks me up. And, he's a Manitoban!

The Novel Files: Lawrence Hill

Last night I finished reading The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, and it was absolutely fabulous! The man – who is Canadian, by the way – definitely deserved all of the hype and media attention he received after the novel was published. I especially love his attention to detail and the very obvious amount of research he conducted before writing. It is novels like this one that really make me want to continue trying to become a writer.

The novel is written in first person, and a woman named Aminata (“Meena”) Diallo is telling us her life story. She is African, and survived the slave trade. Meena was stolen from her village of Bayo, and transported to North Carolina. From there she lived in New York, Nova Scotia, “Freetown” in Africa, and finally, London. She was a very different slave, because she could read, write, and speak exceptionally well. It was these gifts that saved her life repeatedly. Parts of the novel are difficult to read, especially when Meena is on the slave ship heading to North America. It’s very difficult to read about people being thrown overboard, being branded, and being chained together, but it’s very important for people to understand how horrific the slave trade really was. Everyone should know what people suffered through in the past. Hill did a marvellous job of explaining the situation, and he did so in an honest and up front manner.

I don’t want to give away too much of the novel, but I will say that it is a marvellous story of love and survival. Meena exhibits amazing strength, and illustrates that the most important thing to do when faced with a horrible situation is to keep living. Pick up this book today, experience it, and pass it on to someone else. I think everyone should read it. It’s that good.

WARNING to female bus travellers...

Every once in awhile, one of my classmates comes to school and shares a story about a horrible experience they have had while riding the bus to or from school. Usually, I listen, comment on how weird their experience was, and thank God nothing out of the ordinary ever happens to me. Unfortunately, something happened on the bus on my way home from school Tuesday, and I was so scared that I feel I have a responsibility to blog about.

I was taking the bus all the way from downtown to the University of Manitoba, as usual. I am always on at the first bus stop, and off at the last bus stop, so I spend the hour on my Blackberry catching up on Facebook, emails, or anything else of interest. Yesterday I was doing the same thing, and didn't pay attention when a man sat down beside me. The bus started it's journey, and I peacefully zoned out.

As the bus ride progressed, I became aware that the man sitting beside me started moving closer and closer. Initially I wasn't concerned, as sometimes people need slightly more room to be comfortable. But, he didn't stop moving, and I gradually started to feel that he was invading my personal space. I politely asked him to move over a little bit, and after staring at me hard for a moment, he complied.

Around this time, many readers might be asking me why I didn't get up and move. I would have, but the bus was completely packed. I was stuck, and I decided to stick it out beside this individual who was beginning to set off warning bells in my head.

At a major bus stop, most of the passengers cleared out. There was only myself, the man beside me, and three other people remaining. Instead of moving away into a vacant seat, as most people would do, he stayed right beside me and started moving closer again. Just when I was about to ask him to move, he turned to me and said "hello." I didn't know what to say, so I responded curtly. He asked me if I was going to the university. Obviously I was, because that was the next major place the bus was stopping, so I nodded weakly.

Next, the man turned to me, and said "you are very beautiful." At that point, I was done. I loudly told him he was being inappropriate, and asked him to get up and move so I could sit somewhere else. Initially, he didn't move, but when I stood up he got out of my way. I quickly moved towards the front of the bus, pulled out my cell phone, and called my boyfriend.

This is where things start to get scary. He FOLLOWED me to the front of the bus, sat down across from me, and wouldn't stop staring at me. On the phone, I was able to convey to my boyfriend that I was in trouble. He said he was coming to my aid as quickly as possible. When the bus prepared to stop at it's final destination, I wanted to see if this man was actually following me. I stood up, as if I was preparing the exit the bus. The man stood us as well. I then quickly sat back down. So did he, and he was still watching me as I was talking on the phone. When the bus stopped, I got up and literally ran out the back door. I walked towards a group of people, moved off the sidewalk, and stopped.

The man walked by a moment later. I initially thought he was going to keep walking, and that I was being paranoid. Then, he stopped looked around, spotted me, and started walking towards me. I put out a hand, which basically said "get the hell away from me." The man took a step backwards, turned, and walked across the street. When he reached the other side, he stopped, turned back, and started staring at me again. I was terrified. Why was this man still watching me? By this point, it was clear that he was following me.

Thankfully, my boyfriend arrived a few moments later. I am fairly sure that as we were driving away I saw the same man walk by again, except he had taken off his hat and put the hood of his jacket on. Talk about scary. In hindsight, I know I should have told the bus driver immediately. I didn't, because when something like this happens a person naturally assumes they are being irrational. Most people also don't want to make a fuss, because it is possible they are wrong. I should have followed my intuition and said something right away.

I will be filing a police report about the incident, because it is possible this man has done this to someone else before me. He may also do it again. I want to stress how very important it is that women listen to their intuition. It's better to be safe and wrong than in danger and right. There are all kinds of people out there, and not everyone is a decent, honest person like you and me.

It is always an interesting experience when taking the bus. Make sure to pay attention to your surroundings, and always be aware of who is sitting beside you. I am lucky that nothing worse happened that day, but I was truly terrified by this experience.

End of an Easy-Bake era...

I can't cook. In fact, i've never been able to make anything that resembles food. When I was little, my mom bought me an Easy-Bake Oven in the hopes that it would prompt some sort of love of cooking. It didn't. I used that oven all the time, but never desired to expand my cooking knowledge. It was one of my favourite possessions as a child, and I was always ready to make little cakes for friends and family. If I still had it, I would probably still use it. Not a real oven... that would be crazy.

It is with sadness that I announce the death of Ronald Howes, the inventor who created the Easy-Bake Oven. He was 83 years old, and in addition to the oven he also worked for the defense department developing weaponry, developed a nontoxic Play-Doh, and created various glow-in-the-dark compounds. A pretty well-rounded resume if you ask me.

The Easy-Bake Oven was introduced in 1963. Initially it used a light bulb as it's primary heat source (which is what I used when I had one), but in recent years an actual heat source has been introduced. By 1996, more than 16 million ovens had been sold all over the world. The oven comes with small packets of pastry mix and round cooking pans, but tons of extra add-ons are available. I think at one point you could even buy an Easy-Bake mixer, but I wasn't far enough along in my culinary career for one of those. T0day you can buy the oven for $24.99, but of course, the ingredients packets range from $5-20. That's where it get's pricey.

Who knew that a light bulb-powered baking toy could become so popular! I remember that my friends always could make those crazy, double-decker cakes like the ones in the picture. I never could figure that part out. When I think back, I actually had many great times using that little oven! My childhood best friend - Allison - and I would get together on the weekend, have tea parties using my grandmother's old tea set, and of course, have cakes and cookies fresh out of the oven. I would make them for my family, and usually eat about half the cake batter before it even hit the oven. Thinking about it definitely makes me feel nostalgic. Rowland Howes stumbled upon a great idea, and I commend him for it.

However, I close this blog post with a very important question. I know many little girl's had Easy-Bake Ovens, but has anyone ever heard of a boy who had one?

Am I good enough?

At some point, every young person asks themselves the age old question: “am I good enough?” This question could be referring to anything. Maybe some guy is thinking about proposing to his girlfriend, and he has no idea if she’ll accept. Or, a woman could be applying for her first entry level position after university, and wonders if she will ever be able to compete against everyone else who has the same education and the same extracurricular experience. For me, the question of “am I good enough” popped up in my mind earlier today. I was working on a school assignment, trying to use reading week to get some work done, and it hit me. What if I never actually make it as a writer? What is all this is for nothing?

I’m sure some people are wanting to smack me upside the head and shout “grow up” in my ear right about now, but hear me out before you start to judge. It’s a hard, cold world out there, and no one really cares if i’m any good or not. One of the journalism instructors at RRC – Duncan – made a point during one of my first classes that really stuck with me. We were asked to write a biography about another student. My opening line was horrible, and I wrote down the date, time, and hospital where the person was born. Duncan told us that besides our mothers, no one really cares where and when we were born. It doesn’t mean anything to them. As harsh as that sounds, he’s totally right.

After I walk out the doors of Red River for the last time, no one cares if I succeed or not (I know you do, mom and dad, but you don’t count). There are thousands of other young people just like me who want the same thing... to make a living off of their writing. They might be better than me. So what do I do? Give up, hang my head and go get a “real” job?

I made a decision when I decided to take journalism in college. I said to hell with what everyone else thinks, and threw the safe route out the window. I’m almost finished my first year, and I have no regrets. Sure, i’m exhausted. Some days I am so tired I want to drop everything and run. Other days, like today, I feel that my head is so full of information it will explode. But I haven’t given up yet.

To answer my own question, this isn’t for nothing. Even if I don’t make it as exactly the kind of writer I want to be, I will find something that works. The world is hard, it is cold, but people make it every single day. I can be one of those people. I guess this blog is really no more than an attempt to talk myself out of being stressed out and frustrated. And... it worked.