Hey, Onicia! So, I have been using Hemingway app for editing for some time. It has helped me get a lot together. But I can’t help but to notice, when I put a published pieced from a well respected writer that it is all kinds of mark-ups. Which app do you use, if you use one at all? I hear all the time to learn the rules then break them, but then I think there are so many rules to learn, lawd Jesus. I feel like I never will know all the rules, but I won’t give up. Hey  Onicia   is a series where I tap into my type-A side and answer questions from my friends about this starving artist life. These posts might contain affiliate links; at no cost to you, I might earn a commission when you make a purchase. If you find this helpful, share with your twitter homies or  thank me with ice cream . Want to pick my brain?  Holla at me !   Hey, Iris ! Yes, writing is an art. The rules are suggestions. So, learn the rules and then break them. Hemmingway hel...

The Haven written by Mia McCullough features Sage Lorinne Miskel as Tasha (daughter) and Alex Dauphin as Crystal (mother) What do you do when you have an original TV pilot that explores a world and characters different from traditional Hollywood scripts? You do like Mia McCullough and Elizabeth Laidlaw and create a web series! THE HAVEN  is a web series covering an extensive period in the lives of the clients and staff of a domestic violence center. The staff forms the main cast. The clients are secondary characters.  Web series is a great storytelling tool for exploring characters and worlds. Compared to a TV show, these short format made-for-the-web productions often require fewer resources to produce. These scripts, which are usually under 30 minutes/pages, allow screenwriters to tell stories by and about underrepresented communities. Best of all, the finished content is immediately available to that community — #RepresentationMatters.  Mia and co-pro...

Miriam Glaser  as Leah. 'Big Smoke' is written and created by Laura E. Bray and Miriam Glaser. Big Smoke is basically what my life would have been had things not worked out for me and Le Roommate.  About four episodes into this 6-part comedic web series about selling a TV show, I realized that Big Smoke is basically what my life will be once I work up the courage to actually sell my scripts. Here’s what Big Smoke creators  Laura E. Bray  and Miriam Glaser taught me about selling a television script. You can’t sell a screenplay if you don’t shop your screenplay. There are plenty of people looking to buy, so shoot your shot . Despite what LinkedIn profiles, IMDB pages, or company websites say, everyone is just blowing smoke and hoping for the planets to align . So, yes, go to that pitch meeting with a positive attitude. Don’t sweat it if things fall through. Don’t cyber-stalk your ex or creative competition -- especially not ...

Many how-to guides showcase one or two ways to do an activity. Iris Kirkland's straightforward journaling guide includes eight journaling ideas for self-development. Whether you're short on time, not too chatty, or planning long-term goals, My Journal Guide presents several ways to get into journaling. Iris even explains how those who don't consider themselves as writers can benefit from journaling. Here's why you should download Iris Kirkland's FREE journaling guide: Journaling is a great way to gain clarity. You don't have to do it forever. You don't have to journal every aspect of your life. "The more I journaled, the more I became clear about the kind of writer I want to be. To be honest, it's helped me to figure out what kind of person I want to be too." -- Iris Kirkland, My Journal Guide My two favorite exercises: the joy list and adding scriptures to written prayers. I usually run to ice cream when I feel sad. Having...

You know a series is great when you feel the same or more excitement when watching it a second time around. I had to wait about two years, but Tokens was worth the wait. Winnifred Jong’s Tokens is a masterclass in woke storytelling. As a viewer, Tokens was a fun ride with lots of surprises and instantly lovable characters. Jong’s storytelling is educational without feeling like an afterschool special. As a screenwriter, I was confronted with all the tired tropes that I’d picked up and unintentionally repeating in my work. Rewatching the series was a great study in how to flip the script on race and gender issues without being heavy-handed or preachy. In the eight 5-minute episodes were featured multiple storylines that came together for a fresh and fun viewing experience. I wish there were more Bettys (Shelley Thompson) in the casting world. After watching the series, I daydreamed about how much more exciting the storytelling world would be if there were more diversity in...

I'm alive and writing. Since my last letter, I've been diligently collecting stories about stories. Confused? Let me explain. Writing is more than the time spent actively stringing words together. Ideas are planted and explored during seemingly mundane activities within our daily lives; waiting at the bus stop, washing dishes, or even while zoning out during a sermon. I started drafting a "Hey Onicia" about my story journey, the process of taking a project from idea to writing the first sentences of the first draft. I abandoned finishing that article because I don't want to block my creative flow by pausing to analyze the process when I'm knee deep in it. I would, but I've been dealing with tendonitis in both hands and therefore have to be intentional about how I use my hands.  Shoveling mounds of ice cream? YES! Writing a newsletter? NAH! Shouting into the Twitter void? NAH! Writing letters to friends? YES! So yeah,  tendonitis and...

Tired of getting rejected by theaters? How about you just produce your own play? If you have about three grand, you can mount a mostly black-box show featuring 4 actors in eight weeks. You can even splurge for a director and stage manager. I highly recommend hiring them since you’ll be the producer, accountant, marketing manager, caterer, etc. You can produce your own staged production for less than money, but I always recommend paying artists. Here are 8 tips for mounting a play in 8 weeks. Hey  Onicia   is a series where I tap into my type-A side and answer questions from my friends about this starving artist life. If you find this helpful, share with your twitter homies or  thank me with ice cream . Want to chat or collaborate?  Holla at me ! SHIT AND GET OFF THE POT I am guilty of agonizing over scene actions and set descriptions. When I get tunnel vision, I shout “Onicia, just finish it. FINISH SHIT!” The theater is a collaborative ar...