Deleted my other blog

Hey everyone, most of you were on my other blog as well, Script Concierge. I have decided to just stay on this one for now. If I get really busy then I’ll do another one at some point. Thanks heaps for reading and staying involved.

My online dialogue class for novelists starts tomorrow night, there is still time to sign up.

Happy Writing!

Todd Manning in Port Charles?

I have been watching General Hospital for 32 years! Yes longer than some of you have been alive. I started watching it when I was a child and no not because my mother watched it, she actually hated soaps, but when my friends Katie and Becky were obsessed with the Cassadines  I tuned in. I cried for days when Laura went missing and watched Lucky grow up and saw Brenda get involved with mobster Sonny Corinthos. I know these characters and their backstories better than they probably do.

Now, One Life to Live. My sister watched that one in high school, so I started watching that one as well and it soon became one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to do extra work and a couple small speaking parts on OLTL when I was in NYC in the early ’90s, and I watched it every day until it went off the air earlier this year. Which broke my heart by the way.

Soon after OLTL was gone some of the major players showed up in Port Charles, and I was skeptical at first, but now I LOVE it. Todd Manning being my favorite character from One Life, I was beyond happy when he made his way into Port Charles.

TODD MANNING BELOW: Roger Howarth top photo and Trevor St. John below.

Roger Howarth plays Todd brilliantly and I remember when I worked on OLTL, at the rape trial for Marty Saybrook, I met Roger and he was so gracious to a new actress. That said, Todd is a great character and Roger does a great job, as did Trevor St. John when he took over the role for many years.

The reason I bring all this up today is because the reason Todd Manning is such a great character all goes back to the writing. He has specific personality traits and ways of speaking that are uniquely “Todd”. I hate it when I see spoofs on soaps and they make all the characters sound exactly the same because in reality, they are usually all very unique and Todd Manning is a perfect example of great character development.

This from Wikipedia:

Originally, the character was conceived as short-term; Howarth is credited with “turning what was a day player role into a compelling, long-term characterTodd is initially designed to be a ruthless, cunning and one-dimensional villain, with significant trouble with the law. This began to change when the popularity of his 1993 gang rape of Marty Saybrooke, noted as one of soap opera’s classic, “most remembered and impactful” storylines.

If you don’t watch General Hospital, tune in for a few weeks and watch Todd closely, the way he reacts to things, how he speaks-the words he choses-they all show us who he is and what is behind those words.

I’m So Crazed…..Story of My Life

So since I’ve seen you all,  lots of things have happened.

I made it to semi finals in a writing contest, but not the finals. Didn’t make it into the semi or the finals to two of the writing fellowships I applied to. Didn’t get into the finals of a film fest, but received a hand written note on my rejection-and it did make sense.

I was approached by a couple agents—-fingers crossed—-need a new agent.

I got a writing job doing children’s stories for a mobile app-it’s part time, but always nice to be hired to write.

Continuing on other hired to work on projects.

As well as my dialogue class starts next week!!

And I was asked to submit my screenplay-one of them-to a producer.

AND I have been busy working tons of freelance gigs-hoping that will change soon as an awesome art job may turn into full time day job soon, which would mean, only 40 hours a week of work, and more time to write on the side. I have always loved both my day job and writing, but sometimes when I am on 100+ hours a week, and have no time to write, it can be hard. I am happy that a balance may be happening soon.

This all said, CONGRATS to all my fellow writers who have advanced in the fellowships. I have worked, briefly, on a couple of shows and been hired to create a show so maybe the fellowships just aren’t for me, I don’t know, but I do know that I am happy for everyone. I believe there is enough writing for all of us!

Okay, enough about me, how are you? Tell me!

Labor Day Discount on my Who Said That? Workshop

So a lot of writers have been messaging me asking for a discount on my online workshop and since I am also a writer, I get it. I am offering this, $50 off the full price of the workshop through this weekend. So stop by mywebsite

www.stephanieolivieri.com 

and sign up for the discount-note you can pay on either the homepage and or the Who Said That? page.

As well I am willing to work with writers who need to make a payment plan.

Happy September and happy writing!