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| LEW HUNTER´S SCREENWRITING COLONY: Sally J. Walker has been there! |
TWO WEEKS OF HEAVEN
by Sally J. Walker
My idea of heaven is a place where I can dream, think, talk storytelling 24/7, a place where I am apart from the pull of daily life routine (family, bills, housework), a place where absolutely everyone around me understands and shares my passion for writing. Well, God touched the imagination of Pamela Hunter and she in-turn told husband Lew, "Build it and they will come." Thus, the Superior Screenwriters Colony was born in rural Nebraska, where the couple has semi-retired from the Hollywood whirl.
I had the incredible opportunity to live two weeks of Lew Hunter’s version of heaven in June 2002 and am committed to returning in June 2003. The cost of $2,200 makes a writer gulp, until one considers that pays for housing, daily breakfast, several evening meals, and hours and hours of lecture and 1:1 evaluation by one of the greatest creative minds of our time. I’ve been mentored long-distance by Lew since 1997, but this intensely motivational exposure has changed my writing and my creative process.
Anyone who is interested in the particulars of Lew’s Summer and Indian Summer Colonies can go to his website at www.lewhunter.com . My purpose is not to rehash what his site so succinctly depicts. What I want to do is explain what joyful madness can overcome a writer who experiences such bliss. Was that a bit of hyperbole? Nope.
Since we live in Omaha, my husband drove me the three hours through the rolling countryside to the small Nebraska community of Superior. This is a truly typical, quiet Midwestern rural town. ( I know. I come from one even smaller in Iowa.) Twenty-two writers arrived over two days from as far away as Finland, Jamaica, and Australia. One attendee was a prize-winning journalist, another a multi-produced screenwriter. Four in my Advanced/Professional group under Lew were enrolled in either the UCLA professional screenwriting program or their Master’s Degree program. Half of the attendees were totally new to script writing, but just as enthusiastic and enthralled with UCLA professor Valerie West, as we were with Lew.
The Hunters live in a meticulously restored Victorian house. That is where the ever gracious and adorable Pamela prepared and served elegant meals for a mixed group of invited attendees every night (when we didn’t have a party). Everyone at some point got to partake of this experience. The eclectic table conversation and Lew’s anecdotal stories of Hollywood made for a memorable evening.
Around the corner from the Hunter home is the hub of the Colony, the Day House (named for the original turn-of-the-century owners). Three stories rising from a wide veranda to the corner cupola’s witches peak. Painted white, of course. Sign on the door reads "This house is no shoes and no smoking." Since Pamela’s own hands refinished the flooring and wood work of this magnificent house, no one breaks those rules. The beautiful restoration is treasured by all who are lucky enough to key into the creative energy it contains.
The first floor features the modernized kitchen with a spacious island for congregating and cooking beside a big screen TV used to view the numerous interviews Lew has taped for his next book, NAKED SCREENWRITING. The voices of such greats as Oliver Stone and Billy Wilder frequently created a reverent silence amidst the socializing, except for the flurry of note-taking. Every morning the aroma of fresh-baked cinnamon rolls wafted up the staircase to the second and third floor bedrooms.
Following breakfast, attendees gathered in a living room rich with dark woods, red velvet, and original ceramic fireplace. Here Lew began each day with a lecture on some basic aspect of what the film industry wants from screenwriters. After a short break, the beginners settled in with Valerie, avidly absorbing her explanations and encouragements. The advanced folk gathered around the sizeable dining room table for a three to four hour sharing session. Lew made assignments that sent each of us on the journey to write a new script, just as Valerie nudged her writers along. Everyone returned to either their upstairs rooms at the Day House or the nearby Victorian Inn to write and write and write. Some scheduled 1:1 meetings with the instructors, while others immersed themselves in the challenges of the blank page. Each day we gathered in our groups, everyone shared their progress and gathered opinions from their peers and the instructors.
The "UCLA Process," as I have come to call it, simply works. A 25-words-or-less Log Line must tell the story succinctly enough to "sell" the idea. From that the writer must write a "Pitch Paragraph" of 100 words or less. Three totally new concepts had to be brought to the table and presented for peer review. A vote was taken on which of the three sounded the most interesting. Sometimes it was obvious, but some people had fertile imaginations with a wealth of innovative stories. Lew has a gift for identifying the story torn "from the burning asphalt of your life," the one story that HAS to be told. The writer always made the final selection for the Colony project.
We had one night to think out and document the 35-45 events of the step-outline. Copies had to be made for everyone at the table to read the next day. Lew ‘s critical eye picked up the story holes or character inconsistencies that had to resolved that evening.
Next, came the dreaded synopsis of approximately 450-500 words. I usually wait until AFTER the script is written to do this. Lew demands it up front "to give you focus so you know what to include and what to exclude."
Brief character profiling did not seem to be a problem for anyone in our group, but the challenge of writing a monologue didn’t always ring true. It is tough to force this "newly birthed" character to reveal history, attitude, and motivation. Some writers need to dive into story before their characters become multi-faceted and intriguing. The ultimate goal is to create personas that A-List actors want to play. Lew didn’t allow anyone to be disappointed. The exercise was intended to make us feel, not just think about the character.
After the lecture on the vital nature of openings, everyone of us settled at our laptops and pounded away, revising and refining over and over. Hopes high, we brought our first 15 pages to a "table reading." We also had to think through a cast list and assign parts to our peers and Lew (who is a hoot portraying an emotion-driven character). I think I can safely say this was one of the most enjoyable parts of the Colony for all of us. No angst. Pure fun with lots of laughter and a bonding that continues to this day on-line.
To prevent "burn-out" we had a lakeside picnic, excursions to the three local eateries, a pool party, and the opening and closing patio parties with sauerkraut pizza. From bagpipes to Ragae and frizzbees to bike riding, the Colony gave us the opportunity to share "living the moment" and return to our writing refreshed.
Words cannot adequately describe how stimulated I felt in the Day House, from the moment I awoke to the moment I turned out my night light. I even took photos of my white wicker room decorated in floral pastels of green, pink, and cream with the lace curtains filtering the sunlight. They are pinned to the bulletin board beside my computer desk. I look at them and am once again at my laptop atop a small wicker desk, my laser printer on the floor spewing out pages. I went through one and a half reams of paper as I produced the first half of an original feature film, "Paying the Piper." I also laid the creative groundwork for another script I will complete by Jan 1 and accepted Lew’s coaching on a third script pulled from my recently released literary novel, LETTING GO OF SACRED THINGS.
Knowing not everyone can make the journey to Superior, what is my point in giving you this sample of my experience? Teachers and writers NEED to have these escapes into hallowed creativity, totally apart from life’s demands. Just as attending religious services renews us, so does this sort of "Fantasy Island, Heaven-on-Earth" experience. Find a mentor and a bed-and-breakfast then go for it! Remember what Pam told Lew "Build it and they will come."
Sally J. Walker
Editorial Director, The Fiction Works
My Website: www.radiks.net/~ljwalker/Pg3.html
Don't manage your time; manage your appreciation.
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