Those Professors You See Around

As students moving through the Screenwriting and Playwriting Program, you meet and take classes from a variety of professors, but do you ever wonder who those people really are? They're not just gatekeepers or boss battles you have to get past in the adventure of college.  They're a talented group of writers who have rich creative lives beyond the hallowed basement walls of University Crossings.

They are so much more than their IMDB listings, which I've found to be the main way students try to get background on their profs.  Mostly, your professors are too humble (or too busy teaching) to talk about themselves.  So, I'm going to do it for them and periodically post about the goings-on of faculty in the Program because I think what we do is amazing.

So, the early fall 2014 SCRP Faculty update, which is, apparently, the season of Jeffs:

Jeff Cohen

Did you know Jeff Cohen has not one, but two mystery novel series running?  Yep, it's true.  The sixth novel in the Haunted Guesthouse series is due to drop in December.  It's called Inspector Specter.  Don't be confused if you follow this link; E.J. Copperman is Prof. Cohen's pen name and alter ego.  Sometime, you should chat with him about how that came about.

The first book in his new series should be available right about the time you're reading this.  It's called The Question of the Missing Head and features a detective with Asperger's.  Prof. Cohen also blogs on Mondays for the Hey, There's a Dead Guy In the Living Room mystery publishing blog.  I'd say you should follow him on Twitter, but all he does is talk about Yankees baseball and -- really -- why does anyone do that?  If -- sigh -- you like the Yankees, Cohen's handle is @JeffCohenwriter.

Jeffrey Stanley

If you see Professor Stanley around in Winter Term, you should really take the time to shake his hand, because he just received a coveted Amtrak Residency!  16,000 writers applied.  Sixteen THOUSAND.  You know how many they picked? 24.  And Prof. Stanley was one of them.  Talk about having the odds stacked against you.  Only my boundless happiness for his achievement masks my raging jealousy, because with that residency comes sponsored rail travel and time to write about it.  I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

You can find out more information about Professor Stanley and follow his brainwave broadcasts at Jefe's House.

Wake up... time to write!

SCRP Seniors -- the meetings are over, the pitches are done, the administrative stuff complete.  No more excuses to avoid starting to actually do some writing.  Your development time is precious, but limited.  Use it wisely to deal with character bios and treatments.

I've started to have the first blog links sent to me and you'll see them posted in the bar to the right.  If you haven't yet done it, why not sit down right now and create your own space for personal expression?

Meeting Reminder

Pitch meeting tomorrow!

SCRP 495 Initial Pitch Meeting

The meeting is set for September 30th, Tuesday, at 10:00-12, in the small screening room.

Screenwriting Seniors -- Doodle-up!

Seniors, we need to schedule an initial meeting for senior project, SCRP 495.  Please use the following link to submit your availability:

http://doodle.com/f35r4y6gcuwihgib

I'll be in touch directly once the date and time is set.

Welcome! (...or welcome back!)

On the cusp of fall term, the academic year sparkles with promise.  I'm looking forward to meeting all the new students and re-connecting with returning ones.  More information will be posted in the near future.  For now, note that I've updated the Internship page with news and info.

See you all soon!

Slow Summer Days

I hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing summer and you're getting in some fun, sun, and creativity.  Some of you are moving towards your senior year and I urge you to use some of your spare time over the summer to lay the groundwork for your senior project, to start thinking about the story you want to bring to fruition during your last year on campus.

In the meantime, I came across a couple of interesting things on the web this week and the links are here for you to check out, if you're interested.

5 Tips for Screenwriters

Inside the Writer's Room

Enjoy the sun and heat!  See you all in the fall.