The Creative Writing Life

This week Collin Lieberg joined Justin and Paul to discuss writing groups such as the Virtual Happy Hour (VHH), the Austin Film Festival, and Creative Development. Enjoy! 

https://twitter.com/collinlieberg

From Collin:

Due to being a nerd (before it was cool), as well as years living abroad and feeling out of place, I write drama and genre stories about outsiders struggling to fit in.  I have a background in academia, management, marketing, and retail that all inform my characters and stories. For two years I have run a monthly #VirtualHappyHour #VHH Zoom mixer to chat and connect with friends old and new.

Check out her movies, to include The Holiday Switch and Christmas on the Rocks. 

Her IMDb – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2605838/

ABOUT ISABEL:

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Isabel Dréan is an award-winning director/producer. Psychological thriller and suspense are her forte. Isabel's passion for thrillers and horror has pushed her to experiment with various contemporary themes in the genre, her favorites being female revenge, empowerment, #metoo, and women overcoming the impossible. As a director, producer, and screenwriter, she is currently developing a variety of projects, features, shorts, and series with a range of well-established and independent producers. Nothing excites her more than the creative process and the journey. "Every day is a creative adventure!"

Former Marine Mark R. Clifford wrote The Typhoon Coast and joined Justin and Paul to discuss writing historical thrillers and his other endeavors. Enjoy!

Website: https://typhooncoast.com/

The book: https://www.amazon.com/Typhoon-Coast-Mark-R-Clifford/dp/B0875ZKL2Y

About Mark: 

Mark R. Clifford is a proud fourth-generation San Franciscan. He is the second-born in an Irish Catholic family of seven, making him a self-declared expert in the pseudoscience of birth order characteristics. Mark served in the Marine infantry for ten years and as a Police Officer for over a quarter-century. His debut novel, TYPHOON COAST, is about what troubles him.

In the Marines, Mark rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He received Special Operations training while attached to the 3rd Marine Division in Okinawa and was operating in the Philippines in 1991 during the historic eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

His law enforcement career was equally eclectic. He rose to the sergeant’s rank and served in many assignments to include SWAT and undercover narcotics.

Mark still calls the San Francisco Bay Area home. He and his wife have been married for almost thirty years and have raised three beautiful children. He has written for the San Jose Mercury, Contra Costa Times, Military Experience & The Arts magazine, San Leandro Times, and read his works at the famous Cody’s Books in Berkeley. He is the current Program Chair for the California Writers Club.

Mark is passionate about inspiring leaders to turn their stories into service. In his retirement, Mark mentors veterans transitioning to civilian life at musician Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground.

James Moorer talks screenwriting as a gift, Roadmap Writers, why we write, and pancakes. He recommends DuPars at The Grove, by the way. 

Bio, from James: 

I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and from a very early age I loved books and fantastic stories. I wrote my first play in elementary school and performed it along with some of my fellow students. My desire to write went crazy after reading a Truman Capote story in Esquire magazine. I’ve since, had two books published and moved to LA to become a working screenwriter. I am also notoriously known for my love of pancakes and the go to authority on where the best places are in town to find them.

Visit his website: https://jamesmoorer.com

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3150339

Check out his Hammerjaxxfilms.com

This week we spoke with James Mason about loglines! He's putting together a book on loglines, so be sure to check out the episode and then stay tuned to hear when he publishes. 

https://www.facebook.com/screenrioter 

Join Justin and Paul in another episode of Creative Writing Life! 

Paul's book - GO AHEAD AND ASK - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WRFNMV5

Justin's book - CREATIVE WRITING CAREER - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YR2SHJ4

This week, Justin and Paul spoke with Chad Ayinde about making comics and writing screenplays, moving to Los Angeles, and attending the WGF Veterans Writing Project. Enjoy! 

The WGF Veterans Writing Project - https://www.wgfoundation.org/programs/the-veterans-writing-project 

Learn more about his comics -- https://www.battlebornecomics.com/battlebornebasics 

From Chad:

After a college wrestling career, 12-years as an Army Noncommissioned Officer, a brief stint as an Under Armour Director for Tactical Fitness, and a Senior Consultant for Human Performance Analytics... I decided to venture into my passion career. In 2020, I established Battleborne Comics: Creative content forged from combat, a veteran owned comic book studio with a mission of "establishing entertainment industry inroads for aspiring veteran creators". Since then, I've been blessed to write/oversee four comic titles, two Best Screenplay competition wins, and direct my first ever movie short (Chapter & Hearse: The Misadventures of the Mob's Most Mediocre Assassin).

An interview with Chad - https://medium.com/authority-magazine/how-chad-ayinde-of-battleborne-comics-is-helping-to-make-the-entertainment-industry-more-diverse-48747ec5898e

Justin Sloan shares his experience with the WGF's Veterans Writing Project - enjoy!

Justin and Paul look back at their writing over the first half of 2022, including screenwriting successes, books published, and more. Also, what's next? Come find out! 

Dave Chesson joined us to chat about his book writing and formatting tool ATTICUS. 

https://www.atticus.io/

Atticus is an easy, all-in-one writing and formatting tool that helps authors generate beautiful, professional-quality ebooks and print books. In this episode of Self Publishing Insiders, we’re chatting with Dave about the origins of the software, where it’s going, and more importantly, where it can take authors and publishers in the future.

You might also know Dave from Kindlepreneur.

https://kindlepreneur.com

Author Jason Vandevelde is a member of the Elder Tree NFT team, and has done writing on at least 20 NFT projects. He shares his experience working on NFT projects, writing for Fiverr, and more. Enjoy!

ELDER TREE NFT: Story nerds dedicated to taking your NFT projects to new heights through writing, storytelling, and consulting services.

www.eldertreenft.com