Stress is Good—For a Story
When bad things happen to good people, we always seem to ask why. Which is the beginning of every great story. For writers, the best advice is to continually say “no” to your characters. They are trying to get home …
Tag: Steve Martin
Nora Ephron, 1941-2012
Hollywood, all of us really, lost a treasure this week as Nora Ephron passed away at the age of 71. She was best known as an essayist, journalist, novelist and screenwriter. She wrote such screenplays as Silkwood (1983), When Harry …
The Usual Suspects
I love acting troupes—the small bands of “regulars” that perform skits and movies together and make the world smile. From my early childhood, I wanted to be a part of that family. I watched The Carol Burnett Show every week. …
Rain, Rain, Don’t Go Away!
It’s a beautiful cool morning, and the rain is coming down. It’s not too stormy—just overcast and wet. It’s the perfect weather to stay in pajamas, call in sick and put in a black and white movie. I think a …
Can We Be Silly for Just a Moment?
This morning I’m having a difficult time being serious. Last night our family watched Ladyhawke from 1985, starring Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer. Now when this film came out, nobody considered it a comedy—at all. It’s a tragic …