School Visits:
Since To Catch a Killer has a basis in forensic science I have planned a few interactive activities, such as an actual demonstration of why eye witness testimony is so often flawed and a role-play game of Catch-the-Killer using fake blood. I also like to talk about the Locard Theory and the difference between detectives such as Sherlock Holmes and my character, Erin Blake.
Interactive Writing Lectures:
The following Film2Fiction segments are prepped for presentation, including Powerpoint visuals and current children’s literary references. These instructional segments can be presented the form of a lecture or as part of an interactive workshop piece. The beauty of these lectures is they are equally effective for both teen writers and adults wishing to write for teens. They are designed to get participants actually writing within 15 minutes.
ARCHETYPE NOT STEREOTYPE
Character Casting: Hollywood uses archetypes to quickly and succinctly set characters in motion. Master the archetypal relationship between the 2-character, 3-character and 5-character set-ups, as well as the different levels of classic villainy and evil.
GIVE ME THE MOVIE POSTER
This is a common question in a Hollywood pitch session. What it means is: bottom-line this story for me. Simplify it to ONE picture that SELLS it.
The “Movie Poster” pitch is an improvement over the this-meets-that pitch because The Poster conveys the promise of your story. Learn how to weed out the unnecessary details of your pitch and still keep your promise.
TOP 10 USES FOR AN ACTION SCENE
A great action scene is like cardio for the brain. It’s definitely a Hollywood staple – hello, motion picture. But there’s also a strong demand for action from today’s readers. How many novels have you started and then abandoned? Now, how many movies have you ponied up for tickets and then walked out of before the ending credits? Learn 10 different ways action scenes can super-charge your fiction and how to write them.
Aristotle’s 5 min. Path to 3-Act Structure (It’s not all Greek, honest)
Everyone teaches 3-Act structure – Robert McKee, John Truby, Syd Field… Save the Cat, Blake Snyder and even The Plot Whisperer’s Martha Aldersen. They teach it because it’s powerful… because it works… because it’s withstood the test of time AND because it’s the one-size-fits all solution to laggy, wandering stories with Act-2 problems. Any one of these books will explain Plot Points and their proper use in detail. Where they stop short, I keep going. With help from Aristotle and, using current examples from prominent fiction, I demystify 3-Act Structure by showing, not only plot points, but what part of your story belongs in which act … and WHY.
Contact Sheryl for more information and availability
References available upon request