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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
"I DON'T LIVE IN L.A. NOW WHAT?"
I get a lot of email from writers bemoaning their fates because they don't live in L.A. The implication seems to be, I can't be a "real" writer or be involved in the business if I live elsewhere.
Are you kidding me?
If that's your thinking, stand up and give yourself a swift kick in the rump. Then, vow to change your attitude, because that's outmoded thinking.
Even ten years ago, being "involved" in Hollywood without living here was, indeed, a bit difficult. Today, thanks in no small part to technology, Hollywood is virtually next door.
Let's start with your computer. My best advice is, get DSL or a cable modem. That will allow you download speeds that will make the Internet work the way it was designed to work: Fast!
Speed means abundant research and rapid results. You'll need it to deal with the screenwriting info available in cyberspace. For instance, just this second, I did a search for "screenwriting" on Yahoo. The results:
*20 sponsor pages
*98 web sites
*91,700 web page matches
That should keep you busy for a while. Sure, some of the information is chaff, but a lot of it is valuable, and most of it is free. Get on the ?Net and dig around! Learn everything you can about your craft. And you can learn a great deal online.
If money is an issue, go to the library. Most have speedy computers with fast processors.
Better yet, upgrade your equipment and, most importantly, your connection. It's your career. It'll cost you a couple of bucks to stay state-of-the-art. But believe me, that's what the best in the biz are doing; it's what you should strive to do as well.
Next Week: More electro-Hollywood.
Keep writing.
BW
bigtex@loop.com
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