I was a full-time freelancer for years before getting on staff at Variety, and I’m still open to freelance assignments large and small. The making-of/art-of books I’ve done were freelance assignments, and my ghostwriting assignment (see below) was another. I’m also available for copyrighting and speechwriting.
Ghostwriting
One of my most interesting assignments was as ghostwriter for Simon Ramo. That name may not be familiar to you, but if you remember the aerospace company TRW, he was the “R” in that name. He is best known today for heading up the Eisenhower Administration’s crash program to develop the International Continental Ballistic Missile, but he had a long and remarkable life and career.
Si was 102 when he engaged me to help him write a memoir. I was probably the last friend he made in his remarkable life. He had written many books and had about 3,000 words in a manuscript but his health was beginning to fail and he needed help to continue. I interviewed him over a period of weeks, wrote up his thoughts and combined them with his existing manuscript. Sadly, his health declined still further and he was unable to further review and approve the book. When he died it went with his papers to the U. of Utah.
As someone who grew up with duck-and-cover drills and the feature of nuclear annihilation, I asked Si the question many of us wondered about the ICBM: “What were you thinking?” The short answer: They thought they were saving the world. The start of World War II in Europe (Nazi sneak attack) and in the Pacific (Japanese sneak attack) was fresh in their minds, and they were sure the Soviet Union would attack if it could. The Defense Dept. was planning for bombers, but when intelligence indicated the Russians were developing their own missiles, American strategists felt a crash program was vital to deter a Russian strike.
One of my most interesting assignments was as ghostwriter for Simon Ramo. That name may not be familiar to you, but if you remember the aerospace company TRW, he was the “R” in that name. He is best known today for heading up the Eisenhower Administration’s crash program to develop the International Continental Ballistic Missile, but he had a long and remarkable life and career.
Si was 102 when he engaged me to help him write a memoir. I was probably the last friend he made in his remarkable life. He had written many books and had about 3,000 words in a manuscript but his health was beginning to fail and he needed help to continue. I interviewed him over a period of weeks, wrote up his thoughts and combined them with his existing manuscript. Sadly, his health declined still further and he was unable to further review and approve the book. When he died it went with his papers to the U. of Utah.
As someone who grew up with duck-and-cover drills and the feature of nuclear annihilation, I asked Si the question many of us wondered about the ICBM: “What were you thinking?” The short answer: They thought they were saving the world. The start of World War II in Europe (Nazi sneak attack) and in the Pacific (Japanese sneak attack) was fresh in their minds, and they were sure the Soviet Union would attack if it could. The Defense Dept. was planning for bombers, but when intelligence indicated the Russians were developing their own missiles, American strategists felt a crash program was vital to deter a Russian strike.
Wikipedia
I have written Wikipedia articles as a paid editor, which is more meticulous and demanding process than most people realize. Wikipedia permits but discourages paid contributors, insists on full disclosure from such contributors, and scrutinizes their submissions with particular care. Wikipedia articles also forbid the use of primary sources and focus on a very specific definition of “notability” — it’s not about you or what you did, or even what notable people will say about you or what you did, it’s about what authors and the news media have written about you or what you did. So crafting a Wikipedia submission (whether as a paid editor or a volunteer) requires painstaking research and documentation. Contact me if you’d like to know more.
I have written Wikipedia articles as a paid editor, which is more meticulous and demanding process than most people realize. Wikipedia permits but discourages paid contributors, insists on full disclosure from such contributors, and scrutinizes their submissions with particular care. Wikipedia articles also forbid the use of primary sources and focus on a very specific definition of “notability” — it’s not about you or what you did, or even what notable people will say about you or what you did, it’s about what authors and the news media have written about you or what you did. So crafting a Wikipedia submission (whether as a paid editor or a volunteer) requires painstaking research and documentation. Contact me if you’d like to know more.
Communication Arts:
I profiled Elastic, the company behind some of the most startling credit sequences on television, including “True Detective” and “Daredevil.”
I profiled Elastic, the company behind some of the most startling credit sequences on television, including “True Detective” and “Daredevil.”
Script Magazine: From Script to Screen
I wrote Script Magazine’s “From Script to Screen” series for about 14 years, six articles a year, with occasional interruptions when I was unavailable. That’s a long time for a freelance gig, but I had a great relationship with the editors. I gave up the gig when the magazine changed hands, though the new team might have been willing to continue with me on the series. I felt like it was time for someone new to take it on.
I wrote about 80 pieces, of which 25 were expanded for my first book Screen Plays. It was a pleasure getting to know so many writers and to learn how the sausage is made, so to speak.
A note about this series and my book: A lot of people who read my book were horrified to learn how writers’ work is tinkered with, often to the detriment of the story, but always to the detriment of the writer’s vision. I never saw it that way. I approached these articles with two premises: First, any film getting made at all is a minor miracle, and should be celebrated; and second, that any writer whose script got made is a hero. Some might question the latter, but I’ve been through the mill as a writer and I know how hard and unlikely even fleeting success is. So I chose to set aside journalistic objectivity that far for these stories.
I wrote about 80 pieces, of which 25 were expanded for my first book Screen Plays. It was a pleasure getting to know so many writers and to learn how the sausage is made, so to speak.
A note about this series and my book: A lot of people who read my book were horrified to learn how writers’ work is tinkered with, often to the detriment of the story, but always to the detriment of the writer’s vision. I never saw it that way. I approached these articles with two premises: First, any film getting made at all is a minor miracle, and should be celebrated; and second, that any writer whose script got made is a hero. Some might question the latter, but I’ve been through the mill as a writer and I know how hard and unlikely even fleeting success is. So I chose to set aside journalistic objectivity that far for these stories.
“Winter’s Bone” - Daniel Woodrell and Debra Granik
May/June 2010
When I saw “Winter’s Bone,” my first reaction was “Jennifer Lawrence is a major actress.” (I felt the same when I saw Brie Larson in “Short Term 12.”) But I was also struck by how refreshing it was to see a movie rooted entirely in reality, shot in the location where it’s set (not Hungary posting as the Ozarks), and by how authentic it all felt, thanks to novelist Daniel Woodrell and screenwriter-director Debra Granik.
May/June 2010
When I saw “Winter’s Bone,” my first reaction was “Jennifer Lawrence is a major actress.” (I felt the same when I saw Brie Larson in “Short Term 12.”) But I was also struck by how refreshing it was to see a movie rooted entirely in reality, shot in the location where it’s set (not Hungary posting as the Ozarks), and by how authentic it all felt, thanks to novelist Daniel Woodrell and screenwriter-director Debra Granik.
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“City by the Sea” - Ken Hixon
Sept./Oct. 2002
The “Script to Screen” series didn’t always focus on hits, and not all the films I wrote about were good. “City by the Sea” was an interesting case study, even though the movie did almost no business. It was based on a non-fiction article, the characters were real people (the producers had to purchase their life rights), but no one called it a true story. Plus actor-writer Ken Hixon is interesting; check out his fairly mind-blowing story about how he was “discovered.”
Sept./Oct. 2002
The “Script to Screen” series didn’t always focus on hits, and not all the films I wrote about were good. “City by the Sea” was an interesting case study, even though the movie did almost no business. It was based on a non-fiction article, the characters were real people (the producers had to purchase their life rights), but no one called it a true story. Plus actor-writer Ken Hixon is interesting; check out his fairly mind-blowing story about how he was “discovered.”
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“Precious” - Geoffrey Fletcher
Nov/Dec 2009
This film, adapted by Fletcher from the novel Push by Sapphire, is an art in the truest sense: It encourages the audience to see things differently. With this film, Fletcher became the first African American screenwriter to win an Academy Award.
Nov/Dec 2009
This film, adapted by Fletcher from the novel Push by Sapphire, is an art in the truest sense: It encourages the audience to see things differently. With this film, Fletcher became the first African American screenwriter to win an Academy Award.
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The King’s Speech
Jan/Feb 2011
David Seidler was an old pro who found late-career success with a story tailor-made for Oscar voters. But it wasn’t a cynical exercise; Seidler himself had overcome a stutter and had counted King George V of England as a boyhood hero.
Jan/Feb 2011
David Seidler was an old pro who found late-career success with a story tailor-made for Oscar voters. But it wasn’t a cynical exercise; Seidler himself had overcome a stutter and had counted King George V of England as a boyhood hero.
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“Superbad” - Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
July/August 2007
So these two 9th-graders write this script, right? And instead of sticking it in a drawer, they keep working on it as they finish school and entered the entertainment business. And 11 years later, the script gets made with all these great actors, and the two guys who used to be the 9th graders, they’re now a big deal. Great pitch? That’s the story of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
July/August 2007
So these two 9th-graders write this script, right? And instead of sticking it in a drawer, they keep working on it as they finish school and entered the entertainment business. And 11 years later, the script gets made with all these great actors, and the two guys who used to be the 9th graders, they’re now a big deal. Great pitch? That’s the story of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
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“Thank You For Smoking” - Christopher Buckley and Jason Reitman
March/April 2006
Jason Reitman doesn’t like being told what to do, and he associated liberalism with political correctness and a kind of smothering authoritarianism. The breezy libertarianism of Christopher Buckley’s novel “Thank You for Smoking” hit a nerve.
March/April 2006
Jason Reitman doesn’t like being told what to do, and he associated liberalism with political correctness and a kind of smothering authoritarianism. The breezy libertarianism of Christopher Buckley’s novel “Thank You for Smoking” hit a nerve.
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“The Devil’s Rejects” - Rob Zombie
July/August 2005
There’s a kind of nostalgia for grindhouses, the sleazy, sometimes dangerous movie theaters with cheap tickets and sticky floors. If you miss them and the films they used to show, Rob Zombie’s your guy. Flying under the radar, far from the festival circuit and art houses, Zombie has staked his claim as a genuine auteur.
July/August 2005
There’s a kind of nostalgia for grindhouses, the sleazy, sometimes dangerous movie theaters with cheap tickets and sticky floors. If you miss them and the films they used to show, Rob Zombie’s your guy. Flying under the radar, far from the festival circuit and art houses, Zombie has staked his claim as a genuine auteur.
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“Into the Wild” - Sean Penn
Nov-Dec 2007
Sean Penn was a perfect fit for the story of Christopher McCandless, who’d rejected the materialism and corruption of American society but died in his quest for truth. Penn says he had the film in his head from the moment he read the book, but it took years of dogged pursuit to get McCandless’s family to let him make it.
Nov-Dec 2007
Sean Penn was a perfect fit for the story of Christopher McCandless, who’d rejected the materialism and corruption of American society but died in his quest for truth. Penn says he had the film in his head from the moment he read the book, but it took years of dogged pursuit to get McCandless’s family to let him make it.