2007 College Pictures - Aren't they just gorgeous!

How is your story engine working?

I found a visual yesterday to help me analyze my story engine and I'm sharing this visual in hopes of helping other writers get started.

Know that the engine of the story must start immediately or else your readers will lose interest. The engine (for me) is the CHARACTER WANT fighting against the CHARACTER NEED. Visualize Cog A, like the small circular mechanism you find inside a watch. Cog A moves clockwise. That's the CHARACTER WANT. Now visualize Cog B, moving counter-clockwise. That is the CHARACTER NEED.

So, when I begin writing a story I first introduce COG A. How do I do that? The character will start speaking to me and tell me her want. This is what I share with readers.

COG B, I DO NOT share with my readers. Why? That's what the character needs to figure out. That's between me (her messenger) and my character's sub-conscience (what she knows to be her truth but is not ready to see).

For example, in my novel FREE STYLE, Idalis wants to revisit her past. But she really needs to let go of the past and move forward. COG A is put into motion immediately as she begins to think of the good old days and life before her separation. She hangs onto this past thinking that it will make her happy and that it will somehow come back to her in her present. COG B is her need for freedom. She doesn't know this yet but as her angel/messenger, I do. She only knows this instinctively, however she doubts herself. Therefore, her want is preventing her to move forward toward real happiness or the next step in her life.

This in fact is a spiritual law. We usually don't move forward because of fear of the unknown. We'd rather stay in the past or what we know rather than risk all and dive into uncharted territory.

Writing reference books will tell you to write the entire story first then go back and edit. Okay, call me a rebel, because I believe that if my engine in the beginning isn't functioning, then why bother moving forward? So I do what most books tell you not to do. I revise my first few chapters until I can get the engine in motion. THEN I move forward.

The best way to test this theory is to watch a lot of GREAT movies. I have learned structure by watching hundreds of movies. (Watch the bad ones too to see how you could fix the problems.)

Jerry Maguire - wants success but he needs validation (which comes by way of accepting love).
Thelma and Louisa - want some time away from their boring imprisoned existence but they need to be free to be true to themselves.

Now COG A and COG B are the basic foundation BUT cannot work without COG C - THE CATALYST.

Jerry Maguire set his intention when he wrote and sent to his entire company, an email outlining his concerns about the direction that the sports industry was going and how he wanted to change all the negative things about it. That was the CATALYST for change. Once they found out that Jerry wanted to change things, he was sent packing. He had no where else to go so he took his fish, an eager assistant (who thought he was cute) and left his past behind to begin his journey.

Thelma and Louise - sneak out of their houses to escape for a weekend. They go to a bar to have a couple of drinks and some fun and they wind up defending themselves from a guy who tried to rape one of them. What happens? They kill him. They can't go back home or else they'll get caught. There's only one way to go. Forward. I think Thelma and Louise is one of the best screenplays ever written!

Not every story has a strong engine. But every good story does. The engine is part of the structural process. You cannot lay a floor down without getting it ready first.

True inspiration comes every once in a blue moon. The rest of the time, it's hard work and technique.

Go on girl, with your baad self!

Sharing Memories

I've met so many wonderful people in the last ten years. I'll be posting photos regularly now that I found Kodak Galleries! Ahhh, the memories. It's all you have...

New Novel Idea

Hey Everyone,
I've been off Blogger for a minute because I've been revising a few chapters for my new novel. I'll be back as soon as I finish the outline and synopsis. Plus I have two new productions I'm working on at Latino Flavored Productions. So needless to say, we're all very busy here. The girls from YO SOY LATINA! have just come back from Emmnauel College in Boston, MA and are now off to Georgia Southern University! At the end of the month, we're performing in LAS VEGAS!!!! It's been an amazing season and we are now winding down and gearing up for next season. Can't wait until you see what we got cookin'!

I'm a presenter at this event!

Celebrities and Community Leaders Unite to Celebrate Latinas during CATALINA’s 6th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month event Actress Diana Maria Riva, The Today Show’s Natalie Morales, Entrepreneur Hilda Gurdian, Ballet Hispanico’s Tina Ramirez honored during the ‘Groundbreaking Latinas’ reception and award ceremony, in New York City

New York City, NY--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--October 9, 2007--CATALINA magazine and the National Association of Latina Leaders (NALL) today announced the 2007 “Groundbreaking Latina” Awards recipients, who will be celebrated at the off-Broadway theatre house Studio Dante, in New York City, NY, on Tuesday, October 9, 2007. Co-hosted by Cathy Areu, of CATALINA magazine, and Leonard James, of ExxonMobil, the Groundbreaking Latinas awards ceremony will honor Hispanic women for their outstanding leadership in their respective fields. A unique roster of celebrity presenters will complete the inspirational evening agenda.

For the sixth consecutive year, our Groundbreaking Latinas awards reception and ceremony is going to unite Hispanic leaders to celebrate groundbreaking Latinas, from coast to coast. “I am thrilled we are able to honor such a diverse group of Latina leaders, thanks to the support of our sponsors,” said Cathy Areu, publisher of CATALINA.

“¡Felizidades! On behalf of VOLVO Cars of North America, LLC, I am pleased to congratulate the honorees of this year’s Catalina Groundbreaking Awards. This event celebrates the significant contributions of extraordinary women who continue to make to our nation strong. We are proud to be a corporate sponsor for the fifth consecutive year. I hope this celebration will continue to inspire young women of every heritage to follow the examples of today's honorees in their pursuit of excellence,” said Sylvia Lopez-Navarro, Diversity Marketing Manager, VOLVO Cars of North America.

The following is a list of the 2007 Groundbreaking Latinas Awards Honorees:

VOLVO's Groundbreaking Latina in Leadership:
Tina Ramirez – As the Artistic Director for Ballet Hispanico, Tina started a free initiative for children called “Primeros Pasos” – a 15-week educational program which teaches over 1,650 students throughout NYC Public schools about Hispanic culture and the Arts.

ExxonMobil Groundbreaking Latina Entrepreneur of the Year:
Hilda Gurdián – Hilda is the creator, publisher and editor of La Noticia, a weekly newspaper in Charlotte – the first Spanish-language newspaper in her community. Today, her publication has one of the widest distributions in the area.

Groundbreaking Latina in Media:
Natalie Morales – Natalie is the only Latina co-anchor on the widely successful morning program, The Today Show. In 2007, she volunteered for the prestigious Heart Truth Campaign to promote good heart health for women in the U.S.

Groundbreaking Latina in Entertainment:
Diana Maria Riva – Diana is the only Latina star of the Lifetime show Slice of Life, named an important part of television's "new feminist movement" by the New York Times. Diana has consistently broken stereotypes in Hollywood.

Confirmed presenters include (in alphabetical order): Director Zetna Fuentes, Sesame Street’s Sonia Manzano, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Author Linda Nieves Powell, and NY1 Noticias’ Maritza Puello.

“We believe that talent comes in all colors, backgrounds, and genders. As we continue our efforts to make Exxon, Mobil and On the Run the most sought after brands in the industry, we use CATALINA magazine to explore ways to engage in more dialogue with Latinas interested in pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities with ExxonMobil," said Ben Soraci, U.S. Retail Sales Director, ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Company. “We are proud to sponsor the Groundbreaking Latina Entrepreneur of the Year and congratulate Hilda Gurdián on her business achievements as publisher and editor of La Noticia. We look forward to our continued collaboration with CATALINA to recognize Groundbreaking Latinas.”

Throughout the year, CATALINA receives reader nominations and suggestions for the “Groundbreaking Latina” awards. The NALL board chooses the final winners based on their groundbreaking work in their field, industry, company, or community. Since 2002, these have been the first and only awards of their kind.

“Deloitte is thrilled to be a part of CATALINA’s 6th Annual Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and we applaud the accomplishments of this year’s ‘Groundbreaking Latina’ award recipients,” said Redia Anderson Banks, chief diversity officer, Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. “Each of the honorees exemplifies the best talent in their fields and are extraordinary roles models inside and outside of the Hispanic community.”

All honored Latinas will receive an exquisite Gevril (http://www.gevril.net) timepiece, and other unique gifts.

The Groundbreaking Latinas awards are sponsored by the following companies: Volvo Cars of North America, Deloitte, ExxonMobil, Southwest Airlines, and Eden Foods.

About CATALINA magazine:
CATALINA, created “for the mind, body, and soul of today’s Latina,” is the official publication of the National Association of Latina Leaders, a non-profit advocacy group promoting Latina equality in the private and public sector. Since 2001, CATALINA has connected with millions of Latinas online, in print, and through national events. For more information, visit http://www.CatalinaMagazine.com.

Sometimes briliance is lost on the blind or the busy...

I know this is going to sound cynical however, know that it's actually meant to be inspirational. So, as you know, if you've been reading my blogs, I wrote a screenplay short called HARMONICA, inspired by the "snitchin" problem in urban communities around the country. This "snitchin" problem is worsened by the fact that rappers are endorsing it in their videos. Okay, with that said, this pissed me off and I wanted to do something about it and wrote HARMONICA, a 10-minute screenplay short about a boy who befriends a kind homeless man (who resembles Jesus) and then witnesses his older brother shoot the man. What does this boy do? Does he snitch or does he keep it inside him? And what are the ramifications of keeping silent?

I thought that the subject was perfect for the New York Latino Film Festival. So I submitted. Not only did I not receive a rejection, I didn't even receive a confirmation that the script had been received. And in 2006 they had rejected a short film of mine MIMI'S PORTRAIT, which made it into 7 other credible festivals. Okay, in their defense, my sound guy sucked...bad. But the story, message, direction and photography were strong enough to be considered. So needless to say, I'm not trusting them all too tough at this point.

So what is a writer to do? I decided to spend $400 on contest fees to see if my script held any weight among other screenplay writers. I entered HARMONICA in four popular screenplay contests. I have managed to continue to place high on two, the third's deadline is still not up and in the fourth contest I have been notified that HARMONICA is now a semifinalist:

American Gem and Write Brothers Announce SemiFinalists

American Gem and Write Brothers are pleased to announce the semifinalists in the American Gem Short Script Competition. American Gem's 6th Semi-Annual Competition attracted over 1200 entries worldwide.

THE SEMIFINALISTS ARE: (in alphabetical order)

2.5 Million Light Years Away...
BAYOU BOOTY
BITTERSWEET
Building Better Pumpkins
Burt's Used Cars
COMBAT MEDIC BLUES
DAMNED YANKEE
Five Strangers
FROM THE POLAR CRATER
Goggles
Harmonica
HEARD
HIT OR MISS
INNOCENT WHEN YOU DREAM
KILLER INSTINCT
Lancaster
Lo Scrittore
LUCKY DAY
NIGHT TRAIN
No More Spiders
One Last Breath
OUTRAGE
Parked
Quality Time
RED CARPET
REGRETS
RETURNING
Saving Grace of Numbers
Snake
Snap
Son of a...
Speak Up
STEPSISTER (THE MEETING)
Strange Isn't It?
TELL NO TALES
The Black Umbrella
THE CHOSEN
The Climb
The Harlot's Philosophy
The Memory Painter
The Moment
THE RECRUITING OF A KLANSMAN
The R-Word
The Sacrifice
THE SLING
The Winemaker's Wife
THIS IS NOT A CONSPIRACY THEORY
Ticket to Heaven
To Rest in Peace
Vise 34
Waking Dreams
WATCHING CLOSELY
Welcome Home Soldier
Wish
Yonderwindow Breaks
Younger Brothers' Union

So what's my point. There are industry people who are going to get it and some who won't. Never doubt yourself and your message. Keep sending it out and never give up. I find that Latino organization are notorious for having cliques. I call it masturbation by friends. Friends who know each other who endorse each other and all they do is run in circles with each other. That's nice. But then what about the outside world? There is an outside world. I know this sounds bitter and cynical. It's supposed to. Because sometimes I just hate it when I'm right. I'd rather be wrong and trust that organizations will give opportunities to real talent instead of giving it to someone because they are a friend of a friend.

So, even if HARMONICA doesn't win any contest, I'm fine with that. It has been proven to be a great script among a varied group of peers not just one group.

So when you receive your rejection or non-response, know that it may not even be about you. It's about something that usually has nothing to do with you.

Good luck and don't ever give up!

They Finally Got it Right!

Maybe it's just me but that book EAT, PRAY, LOVE is the best girlie book I've read in a long time. I absolutely adore that book. And I prayed they'd make it into a movie starring Julia Roberts. Finally they got it right! Unlike that stupid CAVEMAN series based on the popular Geico commercials. Who was responsible for greenlighting that mess? What an idiot! Amazing. Anyway, I'm super happy that Julia Roberts is set to play in the movie version of Elizabeth Gilbert's hugely successful memoir. And if that wasn't enough Robert Murphy (Nip/Tuck and Running with Scissors) will direct. By the way, that book (Running with Scissors) was hilarious and good too. But I tell you, this Eat, Pray, Love is a mini-movement (I think that's an oxymoron) among women. I'm so glad Paramount Pictures is doing it right. Gives me hope!

What I'm watching...

In my next life I want to be KAT VAN D! This chick is too cool! What I love about her? She doesn't give a crap about what anyone thinks of her. She does her own thing. Love her. But honestly, I couldn't be her if I tried. The one tattoo I got, almost made me sick. What pain! I passed out while they were giving it to me!