Do What You Love

Tags

creative life, do what you love, screenwriting, TV writing, Writing

Happy Sunday! Usually I blog on Wednesdays but I decided to toss in a bonus blog this week because this has been on my mind a lot! Here’s a little reminder if you are stuck in a rut!

DO WHAT YOU LOVE and accept nothing less for your life and career. 

 TRUTH ~ when my mother was sick with lung cancer about two months before she died when she knew it was growing again and she would need at least one more surgery that would probably leave her paralyzed from the waist down she said to me “if I make it out of this, I’m going back to painting. I hate graphic design.” I knew she wasn’t making it out of it. I hoped, but I knew she wasn’t going to, and this crushed me. I thought, “I don’t want to be dying and have regrets like that.” It changed the course of my life. You see, society tells us from the moment we are born that we need to do certain things. Get a college degree, get married, own property, pop out some kids, and have a steady career that makes money.Art and everything creative is fine for a hobby but not for a career. Why is that? EVERYONE enjoys art.

Yes even those who pretend that they are so above it all that they don’t own a TV, go to the movies, go to concerts, etc.. and yes all that POP CULTURE stuff? All the commercial films and TV shows, and books, etc.. all that is ART TOO.  I once had a friend of mine go off on an article she read about an actor on set who was wasted and he was caught from mandatory drug testing on that set. She was pissed off because she felt that it was a “nothing industry” and wasting money that should be going to something else.  I was like, “Um don’t you watch movies? Shouldn’t the sets be safe?” only to get an F you and delete from her FB friends list.  Movies are art. TV is art. Comics. Video Games.Books….etc.  This is all art! Sorry if I got distracted about this but as a creative, I’m passionate about it and I refused, and have refused my entire life to accept anything less for my career. Full transparency here—I don’t own a house and I don’t have kids. I always thought I would have those things but the kid thing didn’t happen because like in my career in my life I refused to get married just to get married. I watched my mother get divorced in her 40s and marry the man she really loved at 49. She didn’t love my father in the way she should have. I asked once when I was in my twenties, why she married him and she said, “because that’s what we did back then”  It made me sad so while I always hoped that I’d get married in my thirties and have kids, when I hit my thirties the universe had other plans and started killing off members of my family almost yearly, it was devastating, and at the time I was working in animation-which I did love-but it wasn’t my dream, it was a great job in the entertainment industry. But dating and marriage? That just wasn’t a priority as I had to survive.   Survive grief and survive my career.  *** BTW I met the man I love in my early 40s and married him in my late 40s and I’m so happy that I waited.I made it work because I always knew that I had to continue to do what I love. What is that? Working in entertainment. Being a creative. Storytelling and everything that goes with that.  

I have a chapter in a new book called She Did It And So Can You that explains what I did to make this work for me. And there are 16 other stories too. You can get that HERE it just hit number 1 on Amazon and is an international bestseller. 🍾❤️ I want you to really think about what you are doing 40 hours a week and ask yourself these things. Is it what I LOVE?Does it bring me JOY? If I was dying today would I have regrets?  Be honest with yourself. If the answer to the top two are no and the third is yes, please make a plan of action to do what you love.  A friend & colleague sent me this email today  “I’ve been studying all kinds of self help things lately, and they all boil down to what you said in your email about the book: Following what makes you happy.  I’m so glad you found that out while you are young!” It’s important to always do what you love!  In my upcoming career course, STORY CONCIERGE, for female writers who work in (or want to) film, television, and novels I go deeper into this and WHY it’s important to always follow your dreams. 

You can get on the waitlist HERE and by signing up for that list you will get access to free trainings that are coming this spring.  I want you to be happy and never have regrets. Do what you love always!  If that is writing, then write. If it’s painting, then paint. If it’s having a boring desk job, then have a boring desk job!  Don’t let society or ANYONE tell you what you need to do and or how to live your life.  Okay, that’s my extra blog for today. Come back on Wed for some writing craft or career tips to help you succeed and reach your dreams!!  xo Stephanie Here is a YouTube video I did from 2019 on this very subject CLICK HERE

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The 5 Stages of Becoming a Successful Writer

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fiction, fiction writing, screenwriting, TV writing, Writing, writing books, writing novels, writing tips

Hey everyone, I created a new e-book called the 5 Stages of Being a Successful Writer and you can grab it HERE

I created this to help you get past those mental roadblocks and limiting beliefs you may have around submitting your work and being successful. As a creative, we are taught to repeat the mantra of “I’m a starving…..” enter writer, artist, actor etc.. we have been trained to be the “broke….whatever” and I call BS on that. You can be a successful writer. I hope this is helpful to you!!

xo Stephanie

#writerslife #amwriting #writingcommunity #storytelling #screenwriting #TVwriting #novelwriting

It’s Been A While & I’m Celebrating

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screenwriting, TV writing, Writers, writers life, Writing, writing community

So I started a new blog that is on my website and I love this one so much that I promise not to go away forever but all my business coaches tell me that I need to focus on the one connected so I will do both!

Today I posted this

https://www.stephaniebourbon.com/blog/i-m-celebrating-the-positives

And I’d LOVE you to hop over and read it!!

More tomorrow, I promised.

Meanwhile, I’d love for you to come check out all the new things I am offering for writers just like YOU HERE

and please make sure to choose one and sign up so you will be on my list to get all the specials early for being a VIP.

Thank you for reading and being with me all these years!!

I couldn’t do any of it without you!

 

XO XO Stephanie

Are You Writing A Novel? The NOVELRY Can Help!

Tags

novel writing, screenwriting, TV writing, writers life, Writing, writing advice, writing novels

Hello fellow novelists!

As you know I am building courses to help you reach your dreams.

Part of my concierge service is recommending amazing courses and workshops with other coaches because I believe that there is enough to go around and not every course is for every writer. When I work one on one with you we go over in detail what your dreams and goals are but when I’m not with you I can still recommend GREAT places for you.

In my new workbook coming winter 2020 (so in a month or two, or three MAX) you will do exercises that help you get to your storytelling path that you create or we can create together when we work one on one.

In the meantime, I am going to continue to share amazing places for you. One of them is THE NOVELRY and you can find out more and sign up HERE 

 

I’m super excited to share my affiliate link with you and I wish you the best in your writing. Please subscribe to this blog so you will be up to date with everything I am building for you.

As well, find me on social media, and grab a FREEBIE here as a GIFT as a token of my gratitude for your support.

Story Concierge Main Course Website HERE

Please follow me on social media

Twitter https://twitter.com/stepholivieri

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and join the Story Concierge FB grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/StoryConcierge/

XO

Stephanie 

Writing Goals Aren’t Just Important-They Are Invaluable

Tags

Film, novel, screenwriting, TV writing, writers life, Writing, writing advice, writing goals, writing tips

Good morning writers,

I hope you are amazing!

I also hope that you are writing down your writing goals for the week ahead. I find that when I have my plans or goals written out in a list I tend to stick to them and actually make them much more than when I say, “I’ll write whatever whenever I have time.”

That’s why for me #NaNoWriMo is so great. I always get an entire novel drafted. It pushes me to stick to daily word count goals.

Here are some quick and easy tips to make those writing goals work for you so you will accomplish more and get that draft done faster.

1. Make daily goals-this can be word count or page count or scenes, whatever you need. Write them down somewhere that you can see them.
2. Get an accountability partner to check in with. You don’t have to check-in everyday-there are no rules but whatever you want just check-in.
3. Make the goals fun. Maybe you meet with your partner at a coffee shop every day for an hour, maybe you chat on the phone or via social media. Mix it up and have fun.
4. Cross them off as you do them-this is like getting a star in school-just feels good.

Now for some don’ts.

1. Don’t edit your writing as you go
2. Don’t compare yourself to other writers you see on social media
3. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t make the daily goal–today is a new day.

 

I hope this is helpful and that you all have a very productive week!!

BONUS for reading. I have created a writers GOAL sheet JUST for you and it’s FREE!!!

You can get it here, make as many copies as you want, hang it up so you can see it and check off those goals as you make them! 

Happy Writing!

XO

Stephanie

BTW I’m taking a holiday with my husband for our first wedding anniversary AND we are moving apartments this month so I may post less than normal but you can find me on social media and I hope you join the STORY CONCIERGE FB group!

How to Write A Strong Beginning

Tags

author, author life, author tube, how to find an agent, how to write a novel, how to write first pages, novel, screenwriting, TV writing, writers life, Writing, writing tips

New video today on YouTube all about writing a STRONG beginning to get readers hooked immediately. Even if you aren’t looking for an agent you still want your openings to be as great as possible. I have put together cheat sheet for you just for watching the video absolutely FREE as a gift for your time.

If you aren’t getting requests for your full manuscript or aren’t placing in those screenwriting contests your first pages could be the problem and with a few tweaks and revisions, you will change that. Trust me on this. The first page is the first impression, it’s the promise of the story and it’s why people keep going. It’s so important to nail it no matter what stage of your writing career that you are in. You don’t have time to get into the story because people are generally impatient and or just don’t want to read on if they aren’t hooked immediately.

Please watch, share, comment, like and subscribe. I put up new videos every week just for writers like you!

Check this week’s out HERE 

Thank you for swinging by!

Happy writing

xo Stephanie

www.judaniebean.com

www.youtube.com/stephaniebourbon 

www.twitter.com/stepholivieri

www.instagram.com/stepholivieribourbon 

www.pinterest.com/judaniebean 

Tuesday Tips~How To Find The Right Agent For Your Writing

Tags

author, author life, fiction, finding an agent, how to find an agent, literary agents, novel, publishing, query letters, researching agents, screenwriting, show business, TV writing, writers life

Cheers to all the writers & storytellers who are here today!

I want to talk to you about finding an agent because this is something I am asked about all the time.

“How do you find an agent?”

“I have no idea how to find an agent.”

“Where does one find an agent?”

“I heard that I need an agent but have no idea how to find one.”

and finally.

“Do I need an agent?”

Let me start with the last one and work my way back up.

The answer is both YES and NO. It really depends on what YOUR specific goals are for your books. 

If you want to be traditionally published by one of the big publishing houses in New York–then having an agent is definitely the way to go. Of course, like anything, there are always exceptions to this that will prove me and anyone else who recommends you get an agent wrong. Those exceptions might be when a writer meets an editor at a conference, or when a writer wins a contest, or something similar. Some publishing houses allow non-agented submissions too–that’s a horse of another color and I will do a whole blog post about that at some point.

The thing is, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, the reasons to have an agent far outweigh the reasons not to have one. 

Here is one example of a situation where having an agent is a good thing.

If you get an offer from a big publishing house–let’s say that you get really lucky and this happens–without an agent, you really are on your own to negotiate. I don’t recommend this for many reasons. Agents do these deals for a living. They know better than we do what is a good and what is a bad contract. They know the industry and they know what editors will be the best for you and your book.

***I have to stop and say–yes there are bad agents out there-but for the most part they are great to have on your side.

For the film and television writers out there-YES, YOU NEED AN AGENT. For all the same reasons that novelists do and more. The entertainment industry is so crazy competitive AND deals in Hollywood go south all the time. Your agent is the one who will have your back. Not only do they get your script in front of the right directors, producers, studio execs, they will also fight for you when you need it.

It’s the same as novels in that you could get lucky but it’s just not worth it in my opinion. I have worked in the film and television industry for more than 20 years and I have seen so many things go wrong that I would never go at it without an agent.

Yes, agents can make bad decisions too–they are humans, just like us but for the most part, they really are the best career partner you can have. 

“But aren’t all agents just there to make money?” 

Even if this was true and it’s not always true–that’s a good thing. This is SHOW BUSINESS. It’s a BUSINESS. Publishing is a business. The entertainment industry is a business. You want to make money.

***If you really don’t care or want money–you may be okay without and agent.

OKAY—now that we have decided that YOU NEED and WANT an agent.

HOW DO YOU FIND ONE? 

There are many ways to get an agent. 

Tomorrow my YouTube video on finding an agent comes out so please watch as a complement to this blog today!

Also on YouTube, I have a video all about why agents are rejecting your query letter and you can find that here.

Here are some of the ways that I have found to be effective for myself and others.

Join organizations for what you are writing. There you will meet other writers and most likely meet agents at conferences and events that are held within that organization.  Also, most of these websites will have a resource page that has agents listed.

*See resources at the end of this blog

Here is a video on attending conferences.

Writing conferences are great for meeting and making connections.

When you go to writing conferences there are often workshops or pitching events where you get to meet agents one on one. This is a great way to make a connection.  Keeping in mind that this isn’t the place to pitch to agents in the bathroom, hallway, in a workshop–unless they ask you.

Social Media is another great way to find and research your agent. Following them is perfect to find out what they like, want, who they already rep and if they are open to submissions. Don’t stalk them, but following them is really good. Many agents also participate in things like Pitch Wars on Twitter and use hashtags when they are looking for something specific-Manuscript Wishlist #MSWL. Then you go to their agency website, get the submission guidelines and submit.

Twitter and Instagram are both exploding right now (summer 2019) but Facebook is still a great way to make and create connections through groups and just being FB friends.

Social media is NOT a place to pitch unless asked to or as part of a pitching event. 

Trade books like Writers’ Digest Marketplace books—although with the recent bankruptcy, I’m not sure what will happen with those in the coming years.

Query Shark, Query Tacker, Publishers’ Marketplace are all great too.

Asking fellow authors and or writers who their agents are and getting recommendations to submit.

The most important thing to do is your research and take your time.

Don’t send out hundreds of query letters. Would you do that when finding a spouse or significant other? Or if you were hiring someone to join your business? No, you wouldn’t. Your agent is like a business partner, so you don’t want to rush it.

Be selective. When you meet agents at conferences, it’s a great idea to come home and Google them. Find their blogs, social media, and anything else you can about them. You may find that they aren’t a great fit even if you loved their workshop.

I will say that the biggest mistake I see writers making is being too broad and just submitting to anyone who will and or is accepting queries. Don’t be that writer.

This is an important step in your career. Whether this is your first or fourth agent, the process is the same.

I hope that this is helpful for you. Below are links to some great resources for your agent search.

If you have other resources that you would like to share, please do in the comments! 

 

For Children’s Book Writers

http://www.scbwi.org
http://www.kidlit411.com/

For novelists (any genre)

https://www.manuscriptwishlist.com/
https://www.authorsguild.org/
https://www.rwa.org/
https://www.writersdigest.com/
https://www.agentquery.com/
https://queryshark.blogspot.com/
https://www.pw.org/

Video for TV writers

For screen and TV writers
https://www.wga.org/
https://scriptwritersnetwork.com/
https://www.hollywoodscriptexpress.com/literary-agents.html
https://screenwritingumagazine.com/2019/01/25/7-ways-to-get-an-agent-or-manager/

 

Resources from Judanie Bean 

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New Video How to Beat Writer’s Block

Tags

screenwriting, TV writing, writer's block, Writing, writing community, writing tips

Hello storytellers! Today I have a new video up tackling the dreaded writer’s block. Check it out, subscribe, share with your friends! And please comment here or there, so we can talk about it and help each other out!

#writingcommunity

Query Tips

Tags

novel, query letters, query tips, screenwriting, TV writing, writers life, Writing, writing query leters

Writing queries is something that most writers find terrifying but I find it fun. A chance to get to talk about my novel??? AWESOME! 

I know that they seem hard, but really you can craft a perfect query with some very easy steps.

Remember always be personal to the agent you are querying and always FOLLOW the submissions listed on the agent’s website. This is super important.

Then your pitch needs to be quick and concise and contain a GREAT HOOK. This is what will sell your story.

I have taught writing queries for many years and worked 1:1 with writers perfecting theirs.

You can also find information just by googling. I have also included some links for you and please subscribe to my YouTube channel HERE because I’m going to be covering this in videos on my Story Concierge weekly show.

Eric Smith is an agent and writer who has given his expertise on his website. Check it out. https://www.ericsmithrocks.com/perfect-pitch

John Cusick is also an agent and writer who has given his expertise here. Check it out.

https://johnmcusick.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/a-pretty-much-foolproof-never-fail-silver-bullet-query-opening/

You can also find more information on QUERY TRACKER https://querytracker.net/

Thank you for reading and if you have any specific query questions please comment here or on social media. Please sign up for my VIP list and join my Story Concierge FB group.

Happy Writing xo 

Stephanie

I Hit 100 Subscribers on YouTube

Tags

author, Film, novel, screenwriting, storytelling, Television, TV writing, writers life, Writing, writing community, you tube

My brand new little channel hit 100 subscribers yesterday and YouTube sent me this fun little animation congratulations email. Hitting 100 is a big deal when you are brand new.

They are so cute!

I started this channel to help writers and answer all the questions I get via my business, at conferences, when I’m speaking, when I work 1:1 with writers and see in social media groups. It’s a channel dedicated to YOU–the WRITER/STORYTELLER.

www.youtube.com/stephaniebourbon 

WATCH. LIKE. COMMENT. SUBSCRIBE. & SHARE with all your writer friends. 🙂 

I would LOVE to have you there.

I am officially launching NEXT week. June 5th to be precise. I can’t wait.

THEN—there is MORE—in the fall I am launching my STORY CONCIERGE course—which you will love.

Everything you need to get on the right path with your specific and unique writing career will be in this course.

For a limited time this summer I am going to be giving the first writers & storytellers to sign up a lot of FREEBIES, including—-wait for it—–a ONE on ONE consulting package (WORTH $1500+) with me, AND FIVE FREE COURSES—yes, I am giving my course away for free. There are no conditions.

All you have to do is visit my new site www.judaniebean.com and sign up to be a Judanie Bean VIP to get all the news and when you do you will get the latest news BEFORE I post here or anywhere on social media.

It’s like a first class seat for stowaway prices—FREE–just sign up and you’ll be first to find out how you can get my new course for absolutely nothing.

That’s it for this week.

There are some more links below that I know you will love.

Happy WRITING!!

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