Comments on: Can Dracula’s son get a book deal? http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal A ton of useful information about screenwriting. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:42:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: XianE http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-25941 XianE Thu, 16 Nov 2006 08:01:52 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-25941 <p>Because I believe that this thread deserves to cling to life, or at least undeath, I think I saw somewhere that Roger Corman somehow or other owns the name Dr. Acula. So cease and desist and so forth.</p> <p>Also, Mr. August, I feel some crucial elements have been sadly overlooked by your list above: </p> <p>religious mania gender issues infidelity more famous and/or interesting friends, relations and lovers the horrifying effect of violent videogames a diet/support group/excercise regimen/spiritual advisor that fixes everything crime and possibly prison logrolling</p> Because I believe that this thread deserves to cling to life, or at least undeath, I think I saw somewhere that Roger Corman somehow or other owns the name Dr. Acula. So cease and desist and so forth.

Also, Mr. August, I feel some crucial elements have been sadly overlooked by your list above:

religious mania gender issues infidelity more famous and/or interesting friends, relations and lovers the horrifying effect of violent videogames a diet/support group/excercise regimen/spiritual advisor that fixes everything crime and possibly prison logrolling

]]> By: BumpOnnaHalfApple http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18720 BumpOnnaHalfApple Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:45:10 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18720 <p>Pretty goofy idea J. The Son of Dracula turns to a professional scribe for advice on getting a book deal. Got a giggle out of me.</p> <p>Then it just got me depressed.</p> <p>What do you suppose happened to the idea of stories about "an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances"?</p> <p>It seems these days that any "ordinary man (or woman)" character first has to have its "ordinary flaws" established before the story can begin, let alone stand a chance of getting picked up.</p> <p>These days it would seem that any "ordinary man" has to have a problem with alcohol or drugs, a overly needy and utterly self centered spouse, "troubled" children, an abusive boss, a dead end job, and severe financial difficulties to talk to his therapist about, LONG before you can get into placing this "ordinary man" into "extraordinary circumstances" in order to proceed with spinning a bankable tale.</p> <p>Do you think there's still a place for "the ordinary man" in storytelling any more?</p> <p>Or have we reached the point where an "ordinary man" has to border on being "The Son of Dracula" before he has enough "interesting flaws" as a character to warrant placing him in "extraordinary circumstances" in order to center a story around him?</p> <p>Bump.</p> Pretty goofy idea J. The Son of Dracula turns to a professional scribe for advice on getting a book deal. Got a giggle out of me.

Then it just got me depressed.

What do you suppose happened to the idea of stories about “an ordinary man in extraordinary circumstances”?

It seems these days that any “ordinary man (or woman)” character first has to have its “ordinary flaws” established before the story can begin, let alone stand a chance of getting picked up.

These days it would seem that any “ordinary man” has to have a problem with alcohol or drugs, a overly needy and utterly self centered spouse, “troubled” children, an abusive boss, a dead end job, and severe financial difficulties to talk to his therapist about, LONG before you can get into placing this “ordinary man” into “extraordinary circumstances” in order to proceed with spinning a bankable tale.

Do you think there’s still a place for “the ordinary man” in storytelling any more?

Or have we reached the point where an “ordinary man” has to border on being “The Son of Dracula” before he has enough “interesting flaws” as a character to warrant placing him in “extraordinary circumstances” in order to center a story around him?

Bump.

]]> By: sarah http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18625 sarah Sun, 24 Sep 2006 02:24:08 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18625 <p>this is all just really funny. Dr. Acula... Isn't that a gag in Scrubs?</p> this is all just really funny. Dr. Acula… Isn’t that a gag in Scrubs?

]]> By: Aleem http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18463 Aleem Fri, 22 Sep 2006 23:27:32 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18463 <p>There is, of course, a long list of directors who wrote one really good film (their directorial debut) before then going on to a career in which they did very little screenwriting. It seems like sometimes a director who doesn't love writing has to dig deep and come up with at least one good script because that's the way he can generate and have control of a wonderful project to make his directorial debut on. And of course many directors who we think of as not being writers contribute to revisions and even uncredited drafts.</p> There is, of course, a long list of directors who wrote one really good film (their directorial debut) before then going on to a career in which they did very little screenwriting. It seems like sometimes a director who doesn’t love writing has to dig deep and come up with at least one good script because that’s the way he can generate and have control of a wonderful project to make his directorial debut on. And of course many directors who we think of as not being writers contribute to revisions and even uncredited drafts.

]]> By: Kevin Arbouet http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18391 Kevin Arbouet Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:51:06 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18391 <p>If that post by Nicholas Acula is real then this was the funniest thread known to man.</p> <p>Ultimately, I agree that Jim McGreevy is a coward. Some people thought he was a hero because he "came out" but that's no hero. He's a man who got backed into a corner and admitted what was going to come to light anyway. I feel sorry for his wife.</p> <p>It's funny, I really enjoyed Brokeback Mountain but I also realized what horrible people they were.</p> If that post by Nicholas Acula is real then this was the funniest thread known to man.

Ultimately, I agree that Jim McGreevy is a coward. Some people thought he was a hero because he “came out” but that’s no hero. He’s a man who got backed into a corner and admitted what was going to come to light anyway. I feel sorry for his wife.

It’s funny, I really enjoyed Brokeback Mountain but I also realized what horrible people they were.

]]> By: FunkyPink http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18382 FunkyPink Fri, 22 Sep 2006 13:33:02 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18382 <p>Craig, some chicks dig gay guys. It's like dating prisoners or something. They know they can't get what they ultimately want, they're masochists.</p> <p>Then again, maybe some of them are just dumb, yeah.</p> <p>x</p> Craig, some chicks dig gay guys. It’s like dating prisoners or something. They know they can’t get what they ultimately want, they’re masochists.

Then again, maybe some of them are just dumb, yeah.

x

]]> By: Craig Mazin http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18340 Craig Mazin Fri, 22 Sep 2006 08:09:40 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18340 <p>This whole thing was worth the departing dart thrown at McGreevy. Truly, a bad man. Roy Cohn reincarnated. For whom does one feel worse? They gay folks McGreevy rejected? The citizens he lied to? The taxpayers he bilked? Or perhaps his poor (and stupid, honestly, STUPID) wife?</p> <p>One of these days, someone is going to have to write a book about all of these gay men who are married to women. I see them all the time. I know they're gay, because I know what gay is.</p> <p>And yet, their idiot wives...oh, their stupid, stupid wives...</p> <p>What IS that???</p> This whole thing was worth the departing dart thrown at McGreevy. Truly, a bad man. Roy Cohn reincarnated. For whom does one feel worse? They gay folks McGreevy rejected? The citizens he lied to? The taxpayers he bilked? Or perhaps his poor (and stupid, honestly, STUPID) wife?

One of these days, someone is going to have to write a book about all of these gay men who are married to women. I see them all the time. I know they’re gay, because I know what gay is.

And yet, their idiot wives…oh, their stupid, stupid wives…

What IS that???

]]> By: Tanya http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18331 Tanya Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:35:31 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18331 <p>Ahem, well there was a comment before the period that starts my last post (laughter) ... I forgot the web treats characters differently ...</p> Ahem, well there was a comment before the period that starts my last post (laughter) … I forgot the web treats characters differently …

]]> By: Tanya http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18330 Tanya Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:29:06 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18330 <p>. Ah, the importance of punctuation. Too bad this one was too late to make it in as an honourable mention in Lynne Truss' "Eats, Shoots and Leaves".</p> . Ah, the importance of punctuation. Too bad this one was too late to make it in as an honourable mention in Lynne Truss’ “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”.

]]> By: Nicholas http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18322 Nicholas Fri, 22 Sep 2006 01:41:33 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18322 <p>Mr. August,</p> <p>I appreciate your reply to my question, but I must confess that your response is based on a typo on my part. I didn't mean to say I am the son of Dracula, but rather of Dr. Acula. </p> <p>Dr. Frank Acula. </p> <p>Maybe you've heard of him? He's got a practice in Norman, Oklahoma.</p> <p>-Nick Acula.</p> Mr. August,

I appreciate your reply to my question, but I must confess that your response is based on a typo on my part. I didn’t mean to say I am the son of Dracula, but rather of Dr. Acula.

Dr. Frank Acula.

Maybe you’ve heard of him? He’s got a practice in Norman, Oklahoma.

-Nick Acula.

]]> By: Chris http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal/comment-page-1#comment-18316 Chris Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:50:52 +0000 http://johnaugust.com/archives/2006/can-draculas-son-get-a-book-deal#comment-18316 <p>Stephenson, actually (I'm eternally shamed by the fact that I remember Real People enough to know how Skip spelled his last name)</p> Stephenson, actually (I’m eternally shamed by the fact that I remember Real People enough to know how Skip spelled his last name)

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