The Wonders of Solitude edited by Dale Salwak

By Kate Phillips 

 

 

          I picked up The Wonders of Solitude edited by Dale Salwak and read the inside cover flap. The first sentence:

In a world that devalues solitary time, this inspirational volume of quotations on the essential importance of solitude aids us in bringing contemplation and silence back into our busy lives.

I find solitude essential not only when I write, but at times during the day to stay centered. It’s comforting to know I’m in good company.

 

There is nothing either / or about being alone, because it is not a role. It is not a reduced way of life. It is a possibility for us to participate in a highly creative endeavor: the discovery of our whole selves.

                                                           --Phillis Hobe (page 39)

 

…that perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend, and a good library.

                                                   --Aphira Behn (page 53)

 

Every kind of creative work demands solitude, and being alone, constructively alone, is a prerequisite for every phase of the creative process.
                                                --Barbara Powell (page 59)

 

There is nobody else like you. The more you can quiet your own thoughts, fears, doubts, and suspicions, the more will be revealed to you from the higher realms of imagination, intuition, and inspiration.

                                                --Kenneth Wydro (page 65)

 

When we are in the act of writing we are alone and on our own, in a kind of absolute state of Do Not Disturb.

                                       --Eudora Welty (page71)

 

When I begin to sit with the dawn in solitude, I begin to really live. It makes me treasure every single moment of life.

                                                --Gloria Vanderbuilt (page 89)

 

To live a contemplative life is to be open enough to see, free enough to hear, real enough to respond... it is a life of grateful receptivity, of wordless awe, of silent simplicity.

                                                          --Sister Marie Beha (page 114)

 

Screenplay: Writing the Picture by Robin U. Russin & William Missouri Downs

By Kate Phillips

 

          Updating My Personal Screenwriting Class:

I just found the book I really wanted and needed for My Personal Screenwriting Class entitled Screenplay: Writing the Picture by Robin U. Russin and William Missouri Downs. Both graduates of UCLA School of Film and Television who wrote every day and eventually sold screenplays, their book is a truly useful and often funny guide that gives you the basics, excellent advice as well as stating mistakes to avoid.

The authors give examples of screenplays, formats, and discuss line by line what should be there and why. They give terrific explanations of what works and what doesn’t. Then they share what readers for production companies are looking for as they read screenplays.

This book is well organized and easy to read. At the end of each chapter are exercises that get you writing the screenplay you’ve dreamed about in the correct format.

Russin and Downs cover every genre with their suggestions. They presume you have a story in mind so they want to help you polish it as well as look professional when you send your screenplays out.

I wish I had found this book years ago. I can only imagine how many screenplays I would have written by now. However, the important thing is that I found it so I’ll be completing my screenplay sooner than I thought—and in better shape thanks to the authors’ wise insights.