Time for another Writing Prompt contest. The February Challenge is to write a story or essay, based on the writing prompt: “Red.” There are lots of ways to go with this, so take the writing prompt and start by doing some free-writing, while you are developing your idea.

Write On! Online’s monthly contests are designed to encourage you to give those writing muscles a workout. Hint: The last time we did a challenge like this we used the color “green.”

PRIZES: Three winners will receive one of these books, thanks to Michael Wiese Productions.

- Hollywood Game Plan by Carole M. Kirschner
- Letters to Young Filmmakers by Howard Suber
- Writing the Comedy Blockbuster by Keith Giglio

Email your 200- to 400-word story or essay, using the writing prompt “Red,“ in the body of an email toDebra@WriteOnOnline.com by Thursday, March 1. Please also include your name, the type of writing you do, and prize preference, along with your submission. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, March 13, on Write On! Online, and in the March Newsletter.

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Please note: I will send an email confirmation within a few days of receiving a submission. If you submit and do not hear from me, please message me on Facebook, Twitter, or send an email to my alternate address. Thanks!

I’ve heard thousands of pitches in my 30 years as a screenwriter. What I’ve found is that the majority of pitches were too long, unfocused and boring.

First of all, you should pitch what your story is about, not what happens in your story. Pitching what happens in your story is a recipe for disaster. It becomes an excruciatingly painful unfolding of scenes that lack a cohesive core.

When you pitch what your story is about, your focus is sharper. Only essential details are included. Your logline becomes concentrated and condensed. You do not summarize your story from beginning to end. I’ll repeat that for emphasis. You do not tell what happens in Acts 1, 2, and 3! You are giving the premise or set up of your material. That premise should be intriguing and compelling. Pitching a unique premise draws the listener in and prompts them to ask to read the entire script. That’s what High Concept is all about!

The best practice for pitching is to pitch any movie in one sentence. Every film ever made can be reduced to a one-sentence logline. If you can pitch your material in just one sentence, you’re forced to include only essential information and nothing extraneous. Once you can pitch your script in one sentence, then you can later add a few more sentences for detail, color, and texture.

For more practice, choose three films you’ve seen recently and pitch each of them in just one sentence. It’s a great way to practice and hone your pitching skills.

Watch for Steve on Screenwriting the first Thursday of each month. Read the Your Screenwriting IQ series.

February 1: LA Mediabistro party at Falcon Hollywood from 7pm – 9pm. RSVP here. Be sure to say “hi” to boa-wearing cohosts Michelle Thatcher and Debra Eckerling.

February 3: New Write On! Contest will be posted!

February 6: Deadline to submit items for the February newsletter to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com.

Remember, post your February Goals on Write On Online before Monday to be entered in a drawing for an iscript. You can also post your Goals for 2012 and 2011 Accomplishments on Write On Online.

February 8: Join us for the February meeting on Blog Talk Radio at 1pm PST, 4pm EST. Special guest will be screenwriter/blogger Anne Lower. RSVP on Facebook.

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Am looking for reviewers, experts, and authors to interview in 2012. Please email Debra@WriteOnOnline.com if you are interested in contributing or participating in an Author Q&A.

Christopher Drozd is the author of FITNESS, Straight-Up: How to be a better athlete, or at least look like one. He is a fitness coach, as well as a freelance journalist and hypnotherapist.

Drozd shares his reasons for writing the book, as well as his process, in this Author Q&A.

Why did you write Fitness, Straight Up?
As I describe in the first section “Why You Need to Read This Book,” fitness is our birthright. Problem is we’re conditioned to believe otherwise, so our expectation is that we’re in a constant process of degradation, as a matter of course. There are some who prove otherwise, well into their senior years. In fact, Fauja Singh broke the world record for the oldest runner (100 yrs) to complete a marathon. The same week, he broke eight other track records in events between 100 and 5000 meters. My point is that fitness is ours to lose … or use.

What was your process for writing it?
Once I completed my hypnotherapist training (12 months worth) I immediately set to work on writing. I treated it like a job, paid myself an “advance,” and wrote and rewrote daily. If I were on a roll, I stayed up all night writing. I was motivated. I had something to say.

What was your favorite part of writing it?
I loved wrestling and re-wrestling even a single sentence into expressing exactly what I wanted to say. Then, sometimes months later, restating that same thought again, making it better still. It’s a stylistic thing.

The greatest challenge?
The hardest part of writing Fitness, Straight-Up was to stop writing. For a couple of months four of my friends had been saying, “You’re done!” But, I’d could still be re-writing now.

What are your three favorite tips from the book?
Fitness is our birthright. Because we live in this modern world of convenience where our culturally ingrained expectation has us buying into the errant notion that exercise should be quick and easy, as a society, we now tend toward being a bit too corpulent, soft, and weak. What if we were to realize that our health, fitness, and well-being are intrinsic to our humanity, instead of being dependent on some device, diet, or deceit in pill form?

Eat like your life depends on it. I presuppose that those reading my book are at least as smart as I am. So, aren’t we all intelligent individuals capable of making rational decisions about the foods we consume, rather than giving in to, or being controlled by juvenile or emotional impulses?

Align action with intent. Since we go into and out of hypnotic trance all day, why not use the self-hypnosis process to specifically harness it to get the fitness results we want?

What do fitness writers need to know about writing in this genre?
Quite a few fitness books are compilations of others’ research and some are ghostwritten. I think a personal account of fitness experience, successes and failures, can be a more authentic representation of the state of real-world health and fitness.

It took quite a while for me to gain the perspective that allowed me to write Fitness, Straight-Up, but it’s genuine. Fitness, Straight-Up is what I know to be true because I’ve done it, and because I’ve taught it. Find what you know to be true, and start writing.

Advice for non-fiction writers?
When I do a reading at a booksigning, I make sure to read the entertaining anecdotes. Reciting the nuts and bolts of strength training or aerobic conditioning is treacherous in mixed company. It’s not much better reading it. It’s probably useful to punctuate the dry information with humor, cynicism, and irony if you can.

I always say that writing is like exercise. Do you agree?
Yes, exactly, Debra. I came off of a year of study and had written about eighty essays on various aspects of hypnosis. I was “in-shape” so to speak, and was already in the routine. As well, last spring I had several adventure travel articles to write, and again, because I was already in the groove, I could just knock them out in a week. But, I recall, back in late 2007 or 2008, when I hadn’t been writing near as much, it took a couple of weeks to even get a passable draft of a single surfing story.

By maintaining a base level of writing fitness, that is, writing something—anything—every week it’ll be a much less jarring experience when the intensity is turned up.

Write On! The Quest to get Published
by freelance writer Danica Davidson

I’ve been telling stories as far back as I can remember and even as a child I knew I wanted to be a professional novelist. However, it’s one thing to think about being a professional novelist, and it’s another to make it happen.  I’m doing what I can to turn my dream into a reality.  Likewise, there are steps other writers can take, along with me, to make things happen.

1. Set a goal. Right now, my main goal is to publish my Young Adult novel.  I’d like to concentrate on writing YA and adult books, starting with YA. I’m querying agents, but I’ve decided to branch out beyond that with such things as networking and building my résumé. What’s your goal? Freelance? Novels? Memoirs? (Post your annual goals on Write On Online.)

2. Add to your résumé. The more you can show that you’ve written professionally, the more it helps. I’m a professional freelance writer. This does the job of paying my bills, letting me do something I enjoy, and getting my name out there.  I work on my freelancing every single day (yes, this includes weekends and holidays) writing three to seven articles, all of which are published.  I’ve published a few hundred articles now in more than thirty publications, including MTV News, MTV Geek, Booklist, Ms., Publishers Weekly, and About.com.  I also had an interesting job where I wrote the English version of Japanese books published in America.

3. Get yourself covered. The first place to cover my novel-writing was the Burbank Leader, and that was when I was in Middle School. Back then, I was finishing novels and had the same dream as I do now. After the Burbank Leader, the Los Angeles Times covered me as an up-and-coming writer. Both of these happened after teachers who’d read my work called the newspapers and suggested they contact me. Sometimes you can get people to help you out, and sometimes you have to do it on your own. Which leads us to the next part of the list . . .

4. Self-promote. Now that I am out of school, I write to various publications, describing what I’ve done and what I want to do, hoping they might be able to cover me.  Self-promotion is admittedly awkward, but it’s something writers have to do. Sheila Bender interviewed me for her online literary magazine Writing It Real, asking me questions about how I started and where I am today. Chuck Sambuchino let me write a guest column about my writing for his Guide to Literary Agents site, which gets around 100,000 readers a month. I’m also writing posts on other people’s writing-related blogs, such as Write On! Online. Figure out ways to get your name in print and people talking about your writing.

5. Do social networking. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. You meet more people or get a following on social networks.

6. Join writers groups—and/or websites. I’m not part of any physical writing groups, but I have joined some online. These sites include She Writes, YALITCHAT, JacketFlap, WEbook, Writer’s Digest Community, and the Write On Facebook Page.  But there are plenty more out there. I often post links to my latest articles on these places and do what I can to network and meet more people in the business.

7. Have your own website. There are website builders out there for people like me who need them or you can just create a blog.  On my website I have links to more than 200 articles I’ve published, sample pages from one of the Japanese books I rewrote, and of course information on my novels.

8. Hustle. I’d like to spend all my time writing. Yet doing that does not get me out there. And anyone who wants to be a professional writer has to get out there and hustle. I do my fiction writing, but I also get in my freelance, my social networking, my publicity, and my querying. That’s what I try to do every day.

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Freelance writer Danica Davidson has published a few hundred articles on numerous topics, some of which are linked at her website. She is currently seeking publication for her Young Adult novel.

Post your February Goals on Write On Online to be entered in a drawing for an iscript.

You can also post your 2011 accomplishments and share your 2012 goals on Write On! Online.

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Tuesday, January 31: Deadline to enter the January Challenge: Write Your Dream Bio. Write a 200- to 400-word bio, describing yourself with the life and accomplishments you want/plan to have. Submit your 200- to 400-word Dream Bio in the body of an email to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com by Tuesday, January 31st.

The 1st Place winner will receive a copy of Save the Cat!® Story Structure Software 3.0. The 2nd and 3rd Place winners will receive a copy of Save the Cat! Strikes Back by Blake Snyder. Prizes are courtesy of Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 7th and in the Write On! Newsletter.

February 1: LA Mediabistro party at Falcon Hollywood from 7pm – 9pm. RSVP here. Be sure to say “hi” to boa-wearing cohosts Michelle Thatcher and Debra Eckerling.

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Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards is now open for submission. Read instructions for  entering. Also, they are looking for judges. Interested authors, learn more.

Movie buffs, what do you think of the films nominated for writing awards this year? Check out this year’s Academy Award, Spirit Award and Writers Guild of America Award nominees.

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Authors, please email Debra@WriteOnOnline.com if you are interested in contributing an Expert Column or participating in an Author Q&A. Write On!

Today, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced the nominations for the 84th Annual Oscars.

Original Screenplay
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Adapted Screenplay
Nat Faxon, Alexander Payne and Jim Rash, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Chervin, Moneyball
Peter Straughan and Bridget O’Connor, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Half of these were among the Best Picture nominees: The Artist, The Descendants, Hugo, Midnight in Paris, and Moneyball. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, The Help, The Tree of Life, and War Horse round out the nominations.

There was a lot of crossover between the Academy, Spirit, and Writers Guild Award writing nominees.

For Film Independent’s Spirit Awards, The Artist and The Descendants were nominated for best screenplay, along with Footnote (Joseph Cedar), Win Win (Tom McCarthy), and Beginners (Mike Mills) were nominated for Best Screenplay.

Plus, Best First Screenplay nominees are Margin Call, as well as Another Earth (Mike Cahill, Brit Marling), Terri (Patrick deWitt), Cedar Rapids (Phil Johnston), and 50/50 (Will Reiser).

The Writers Guild of America Awards Original Screenplay nominees are 50/50, Bridesmaids, Midnight in Paris, and Win Win, as well as Young Adult, (Diablo Cody).

Adapted Screenplay nominees are The Descendants, Hugo, and Moneyball, along with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Steven Zaillian) and The Help (Tate Taylor). Check out all the WGA Award nominees.

Did you see this year’s best writing nominees? What do you think? Who will win?

First there was a book, and then a movie. Twenty years later, The Firm is now a weekly TV series on NBC starring Josh Lucas in the role played by Tom Cruise in the movie.

I caught up with John Grisham last week, who serves as an executive producer on the TV show. Here are five things that surprised me about the prolific author.

1. He doesn’t want to see advance screeners of The Firm. “I saw the pilot a couple of weeks ago, and Luke [Reiter, executive producer] has offered to send me each episode as they finish them, but I don’t want to see them. I want to sit back on Thursday night and watch the show with everyone else.”

2. He doesn’t have writer’s block … ever. “I’ve yet to suffer from writer’s block, but if one day I get a good dose of it, I may have to go back and resurrect some of these old characters and start writing sequels. But I hope not.”

3. He never revisits his books or characters. “I’ve never gone back and read The Firm. I’ve never gone back and read any of my books over the past 20-some-odd years, because when I’m through with them, I’m through with them. I’m onto the next book.”

4. He hates doing research. “I’d much rather just create something than have to stop and go do the research. I’m terrible at research and pretty good at fictionalizing things, so that’s what I do. You just make it up. That’s the world of fiction.”

5. He’s not worried about the book industry. “We’re always going to have book stores, and we’re always going to have books and films and movies. I don’t care what happens to the Kindles and E-Readers. People are always going to buy books.”

Read the full interview over at Reel Life With Jane.

Jane Boursaw is an entertainment writer and syndicated columnist specializing in family movies and TV. Visit her at Reel Life With Jane or email jboursaw@charter.net.

If you missed last week’s Write On Meeting with guest Jane Louise Boursaw, Reel Life With Jane and Write On’s Based on the Book series, you can listen on Blog Talk Radio. Remember, post your February Goals on Write On Online to be entered in a drawing for an iscript. You can also post your 2011 accomplishments and share your 2012 goals on Write On! Online.

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January Challenge: Write Your Dream Bio. Write a 200- to 400-word bio, describing yourself with the life and accomplishments you want/plan to have. Submit your 200- to 400-word Dream Bio in the body of an email to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com by Tuesday, January 31st.

The 1st Place winner will receive a copy of Save the Cat!® Story Structure Software 3.0. The 2nd and 3rd Place winners will receive a copy of Save the Cat! Strikes Back by Blake Snyder. Prizes are courtesy of Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 7th and in the Write On! Newsletter.

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January 18: Write On! member Anne Lower, writer/director of webseries They Live Among Us started her 72-hour Tweet-a-thon this morning, as part of a crowdfunding campaign. Sponsored by the Office Hooky Chat (#ohchat), Lower will issue live Tweets and recordings, interacting with Twitter account holders around the globe, taking questions about her project. To participate log into Twitter and search the hashtag #ohchat.

February 1: LA Mediabistro party at Falcon Hollywood from 7pm – 9pm. RSVP here. Be sure to say “hi” to boa-wearing cohosts Michelle Thatcher and Debra Eckerling.

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“Like” Ask Al A Carte’s Facebook page for Advice to Chew On.

Campus Explorer is an online resource that helps students of all ages plan for college. “Like” Campus Explorer on Facebook and follow on Twitter. Students, you can enter Campus Explorer’s $1,000 Scholarship Giveaway every month.

Download Top Ten Reasons Why its a Great Time to be a Filmmaker from Michael Wiese Productions. Just go to MWP.com and follow the links.

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Authors, please email Debra@WriteOnOnline.com if you are interested in contributing an Expert Column or participating in an Author Q&A. Write On!

Thanks to everyone who listened to the January Write On Meeting. Our guest was entertainment writer Jane Louise Boursaw, Reel Life With Jane, who writes Write On’s Based on the Book series. We talked about starting the year out on the right foot, creating the life you want through writing …. no matter where you live, writing a mission statement, embracing a theme song, and more!

1. Be accountable to someone.

2. Do one thing every day to move forward on your goals

3. Train yourself to ignore the negative voices in your head.

To join Jane’s entertainment email group, email jboursaw@charter.net.

Listen to our entire conversation:

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Post your February Goals on Write On Online and be entered in a drawing for an iscript.

Share your 2011 accomplishments and post your 2012 goals on Write On! Online.

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January Challenge: Let’s kick off 2012 with a fun contest: Write Your Dream Bio. Write a 200- to 400-word bio, describing yourself with the life and accomplishments you want/plan to have. Submit your 200- to 400-word Dream Bio in the body of an email to Debra@WriteOnOnline.com by Tuesday, January 31st.

The 1st Place winner will receive a copy of  Save the Cat!® Story Structure Software 3.0. The 2nd and 3rd Place winners will receive a copy of Save the Cat! Strikes Back by Blake Snyder. Prizes are courtesy of Blake Snyder Enterprises, LLC.

Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 7th, on Write On! Online, and in the February Write On! Newsletter. Read more about the January contest.