From Denmark, Poland, New Zealand and North Hollywood
“We are thrilled with the enrollment for our first animation class,” says Debra Engle, the co-director of the Story Summit Writer’s School. “This is a live class event scheduled for 2 times a day for an entire week.”
The curriculum begins on Monday, March 22 and finishes on Friday, March 27 with a round table at night with some great artists. They have contributed to Disney’s Atlantis — The Lost Empire, The Lion King, and Beauty and The Beast.
“We have managed to create enough options in the class timeline to attract our first international group of students,” says Amy…
At 66 years old, I challenged myself to reach a big fitness goal. That meant creating the right mindset as well as increasing my physical endurance.
Step-Aware to Intrigued by a Goal
I wasn’t obsessed with my daily step count. Yes, I had a Fitbit. Yes, I had the step reader on my iPhone. But I wasn’t obsessed with it like my younger brother was. If he didn’t get his 10,000 steps in a day, after dinner he would walk around his neighborhood in Maine until he did.
But when I closed in on 65, I filed forms for Social Security and Medicare. And I did not want to start that long glide to the inevitable by bitching and complaining about “old age.”
I have seen it happen again and again. The…
Learn from the Best of the Disney Renaissance
What would the world be like without animation? What would it be without the adventure, excitement, humor, and fantasy of it all? From Blue Skies Animation to Pixar to Disney Animation, this genre is wildly popular with plenty of opportunity for aspiring and established writers.
How do you plot a populist animated story? What do producers look for in an animated script? What kinds of tension are expected between characters, and how can you introduce unique twists?
This five-day live course, a once in a lifetime experience, is for storytellers and screenwriters alike — and for anyone who wants a…
A Story of Covid-19, Persistence, and Love
My Facebook post from last week (October 29, 2020) had over 130 shares. It involved Allan Scott and The Queen’s Gambit recently released by Netflix to wonderful reviews (with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes- as of this publishing date.)
Facebook and other platforms have been dumped on a lot lately, and probably for good reason, and by Netflix, in particular, with its documentary, The Social Dilemma.
But this story is not about the shadow of Facebook. It is a sweet story. It shows the positive side of social tech and the human condition.
The First Post (October 29, 2020)
Interview with Directors, Amy Ferris and Debra Engle
On October 26, Story Summit Writer’s School Directors, Amy Ferris and Debra Engle, announced their new live, online school with a compelling curriculum for the 4th quarter of 2020. Both Amy and Debra are celebrated authors in their own right and have a passion, as teachers and coaches, to unlock the writing gifts in their mentees while creating a plan of action designed to help them finish their projects.
The first three classes announced are a powerful and unique mix of craft, genre, and joy, including a weekend intensive What a Character with faculty member, Richard C. Morais, author of…
Warren’s song, Io Si, is up for the 2021 Academy Award for Best Song
Written by Guest Blogger, Mariah Mayhugh
The Story Summit Writer’s School is thrilled to welcome songwriter Diane Warren to our upcoming and live “Telling Story Through Song” workshop. The workshop begins next Monday, April 26 and finishes on Friday, April 30. It is being conducted online. You can read more about it here.
Diane Warren’s songs have been featured in more than 100 motion pictures resulting in 12 Academy Award nominations, most recently for “Io Si (Seen)” performed by Laura Pausini for the Netflix film “The Life Ahead” starring Sophia Loren. Here is the music video of the song. …
Terrie! Thank you! This is so great and specific. I love Better Humans and what it represents. Thank you to you and Tony for all you do! D
My Happy Corgi Turned into a Monster
It was Christmas Eve. I had just gotten home from grocery shopping. Since it was the holidays, I had bought for the corgi, Arthur, 5 years old, his favorite treat: bones with marrow. He was a terrific dog: happy, playful, obedient and curious.
Normally, I stop at Noah’s Ark for his marrow, a pet-food place that has grass fed bone marrow, but I was running late, so I purchased it from a grocery food chain.
I place the five bones down on a plate so he could sniff them and chose one. …
The world is almost 8 billion. Ireland is but 7 million
The Irish Mystique
Every continent celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. There are Irish Pubs in almost every major city in the globe including Moscow; Paris; Beijing, Namche Bazar, Nepal; and Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
There are almost 8 billion people in the world. There are only 7 million Irish. What’s going on? Why is there such a big embrace toward such a small culture? It’s got to be more than whiskey, shamrocks, leprechauns, and bagpipes, although, that’s part of it. What does it mean and what is there to learn that could make us better humans?
Jane Sibbett, Jessica Hecht, Maggie Wheeler and Tate Donovan Join Table Readings of Participants’ Work in “Friends Week — The Art and Soul of Collaboration”
In Preston Sturges’ screen masterpiece, Sullivan’s Travels, the film director, played by Joel McCrea, sets out across America to find the secret of life. In the final reel of the movie, the director realizes it’s laughter.
David Paul Kirkpatrick
Co-founder of MIT Center for Future Storytelling, President of Paramount Pictures, Production Chief of Walt Disney Studios, optimist, author and teacher.
