Archives for 2004

My schedule for the Austin Film Festival

September 10, 2004 News

As I [mentioned previously](http://johnaugust.com/archives/2004/speaking-at-the-austin-film-festival),
I’m going to be one of the panelists at the Austin Film Festival this October 14-17. I now know my schedule, so I can at least pretend to be prepared to talk about the following topics of interest.

(Standard caveat: everything is subject to change.)

Saturday, 10/16

10:45AM – 12PM
Writer’s Block
When your mind and screen go blank. The painful struggle of writer’s block and how to overcome it. An inside look at how professionals stay focused and get the writing juices flowing.

2PM – 3:15PM
On Writing: Action/Adventure
Do you have to follow the formula? Does anyone even buy spec action scripts anymore? Or are they all studio-generated? Writing action-filled, violence-laden, explosion-stuffed films that don’t sacrifice story or characters. At least not their development.

Sunday, 10/17

9:45AM – 11AM
Editing Your Script
Congratulations! You’ve finished your screenplay. Now it’s time for the real work: Editing. How to take an objective look at your script and edit your own writing.

If you’re headed to Austin, maybe I’ll see you at one of the panels. And if you [do decide to go](http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/content/register/index.htm), remember that they’ll give you a 10% break on the registration fee if you tell them I sent you.

All the Feeds you can eat

September 9, 2004 Geek Alert, News

The [Feeds](http://johnaugust.com/site/feeds) section is now up and running, offering RSS and Atom feeds for all the content on the site. If you’re subscribing to one of the old feeds, update it now, because the old ones won’t be functional after this week.

Get yer Downloads here

September 9, 2004 News, Projects

I’ve moved all of the .pdfs from the old site into one handy repository: the new [Downloads](http://johnaugust.com/library) section, which is available on the right-side menu.

All of the scripts and outlines from Go, Big Fish and The Circle are there. You’ll also find the scripts for my first ill-fated TV show, D.C., which staggered through a few episodes on the WB back in 2000. Or was it 2001? The mind has a wonderful way of dulling painful experiences.

Transcript of my first meeting with Daniel Wallace

September 9, 2004 Big Fish, Projects

I first met [Daniel Wallace](http://danielwallace.org), the author of BIG FISH, on October 26, 1998. We met at an IHOP in Richmond, Virginia, and talked about his book and the prospect of making a movie from it.

I had this interview up at the old site, but it was kind of buried. So here it is, reformatted and reader-friendly.

John: What was your original intention with Big Fish? Did you sit down thinking, “I’m going to make a novel about this,” or was it pieces that came together?

Daniel: It started with bits and pieces. Originally, the very beginning was my interest in myth. I’ve always thought of myth as being a way to explain things that we can’t understand otherwise.

John: Like, why there’s thunder.

Daniel: That’s exactly right. It’s always easier to have some sort of explanation, even when you may know it’s not quite accurate or not quite real. It satisfies something. Anything’s better than not understanding. Even untruth sometimes is better than not knowing anything.

John: Did you write it from beginning to end, or did you write in bits and pieces?

« Previous Page