Diannasandora MFA Creative Writing Timeline

DIANNA SANDORA MFA CREATIVE WRITING TIMELINEEric MilesMastery: Personal Development and Leadership

Personal Development and Leadership

¨ 1. I believe the main strategy I used during this first month of class is what Robert Green (2012) calls, “find your way back—The life-or-death strategy” (p. 40). ¤ I believe by stepping into the role as Grad Student; I

made the final step from the past into my mastery journey.


¨ 2. Time management techniques: Time Management (The Brian Tracy Success Library) (Tracy, 2014 ) and Writing in APA (Writing Center, 2016) were the two biggest technical aspects of this class. I am thankful for learning these skills, and I am certain I will return to them time and time again.


¨ 3. Video editing with the MacBook was not as difficult as I thought it might be. I am, however, glad Video Editing: iMovie 10.1.1 Essential Training, was available at Lynda.com (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016). It made much difference by demonstrating what I needed to edit my first video assignment.

The Art of Visual Storytelling

¨ 1. As I move from Mastery to Storytelling, I must “trust the process” (Green, 2012, p. 75). I know as I continue my journey, there will be times of adversity and I cannot allow it to discourage me. I have to be like Cesar Rodriguez, who stood in the face of defeat and said, not today (Green, 2012, p. 75). For Cesar, “it was a matter of pride that he had conquered everything that had been presented to him so far in life (Green, 2012, p. 75). The same applies to me.


¨ As a matter of fact, sometimes I wear it like a shiny badge. Unfortunately, this badge also brings with it feelings of pride, of a different kind. The kind that doesn’t want to listen. I don’t know much about this class or the ones that follow, but I do know I cannot let my desire to overcome, cause me to be unwilling to move.


¨ 2. Storytelling is important to me. I love to read stories, and I love to write them. I am looking forward to learning more about visual storytelling. Lynda.com has a series called, Film Making Forum: Conversations every two weeks. On September 9, 2016, one of the videos focused on The Art of Storytelling in Film (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016d). I found it helpful to hear how successful screenwriters used specific techniques in their scripts, and I hope we will cover things like this during the class.


¨ 3. After I had come up to Orlando for my orientation, I downloaded a trial version of Final Draft, but I do not know much about it. I am pleased Lynda.com has a tutorial called, Using Final Draft (Lynda.com (Producer), 2015b). I am looking forward to using it.

Script Analysis and Criticism

¨ 1. As I look to this class, I am “moving toward resistance and pain” (Green, 2012, p. 78). The prerequisite for my Creative Writing minor was a class on criticism in literature. There were parts of the class I liked, but if my interpretation didn’t agree with the professor, I was wrong.


¨ Then during my summer semester, I made an attempt at script analysis and criticism, but the class focused on plays instead of scripts for movies. Once again, I struggled with the subject and chose to drop the class. I will not allow my fear and uncertainty from previous classes flavor this one. I will approach it with fresh eyes and look forward to learning about it.


¨ 2. I want to understand more about what are the requirement for creating a scene (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016h).

¨ 3. What is the “human connection” connecting the audience connect with the story(Lynda.com (Producer), 2016k)?

Character Creation and Development

¨ 1. I feel I’m pretty good at creating characters, but when it comes to taking those characters and placing them into the story, I feel a disconnect. I’d like to “choose the mentor according to my needs” and build up from what I consider a strength (Green, 2012, p. 109).

Character Creation and Development

¨ 2. Learn to create characters that drive their world (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016g).

¨ 3. Where do my characters fit into the world as I create it and them (Lynda.com (Producer), 2015c)?

Episodic and Serial Writing

¨ 1. Rely on my “natural powers” and abilities (Green, 2012, p. 219). I can see how a story can connect on multiple levels, and I will be useful when creating serials.

¨ 2. Examine different required elements of the art of writing for television (Blum, 2001).

¨ 3. Discover how episodic and serial writing differs from other types (Dancyger and Rush, 2013)

Film Screenwriting

¨ 1. I will “craft the appropriate persona,” so I portray a child of God (Greene, 2012, p. 152). It is important to me that I people see the love of Christ in all I do. Greene (2012) writes, the persona “we project to the world plays a substantial role in our success and in our ascension to mastery” (p. 155).

Film Screenwriting

¨ 2. Learn the basics of writing a great script and understand more about storytelling

¨ 3. Working with screenwriting software, and revising scripts (Lynda.com (Producer). (2016a)).

Writing for Games

¨ 1. I have to learn to recognize what Robert Greene (2012) refers to as “the Open Field” (p. 224) Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of the MFA degree at Full Sail is not a bad one. I will get experience with several different mediums and opportunities to discover what gets me excited.

Writing for Games

¨ Writing for games is one of those fields where the possibility is endless. By working with or creating a brand new game with a story, I could team up with others to “create [our own] space in a cluttered culture, claiming for ourselves an open field in which we can finally plant something new (Greene, 2012, p. 228).

Writing for Games

¨ 2. Learn about the opportunities available to work as a game writer (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016e).

¨ 3. Learn about the opportunities available to work as a game designer writer (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016f).

Storytelling and Storyboarding for Animation

¨ 1. When I think of stories, I can see the pictures in my head. Storytelling and Storyboarding will allow me to take those images and share them. I need to use what Greene (2012) calls “Alchemical Creativity and the Unconscious” (p. 242). I will “express … [myself] within [the] work … [to] create a powerful effect on others, making them sense unconscious truths or feelings that have been obscured or repressed (Greene, 2012, p. 245).

Storytelling and Storyboarding for Animation

¨ 2. As I am uncertain the tools I will use in this class; I can only make assumptions. However, I can see how tools like the Adobe Illustrator from Creative Cloud could be a useful tool for my storytelling (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016i).

¨ 3. Learn to cultivate skills to create visual stories.

Advanced Script Editing

¨ 1. This class will allow me to “transform myself through practice” (Greene, 2012, p. 285). Greene (2012), encourages practice, so we have “the ability to master complicated skills by building connections in the brain is the product of millions of years of evolution, and the source of all of our material and cultural powers” (289).


¨ I believe this ability is because God created our brains to be like super computers and practice allows our mind to function at a higher level due in part to repetition, but also our higher divine intelligence.


¨ 2. Have the ability to determine what is working in a script, what isn’t, and how to edit a story without deleting too much or not enough (Gallo, 2012).

¨ 3. Learning to “Bring the Funny” (DePaul, 2016). Hilarity is an important part of every well-written story. I hope to find out how and when to add humor.

Creative Writing Portfolio I

¨ 1. Create a portfolio to showcase my skills, talent, and personality. The first thing Robert Greene (2012) lists in his book Mastery that will help me with my mastery journey is understand “value learning over money” (Green, 2012, p. 65).

¨ The best way to show value is by demonstrating my attention to detail through my PLN portfolio located on Tumblr at wrtrgrl.tumblr.com.


¨ 2. I found this book from Safari Online called, The Creative Fight: Create Your Best Work and Live the life You Can Imagine (Orwig, 2015). It sounds like it will help me focus on my best work to place on my PLN Blog.


¨ 3. I need to “keep expanding my horizons” (Green, 2012, p. 65). I believe the best way to accomplish this task is by pushing myself to do more and work harder to demonstrate my abilities.

¨ I think a book titled Creating Your Skills Portfolio: Show Off Your Skills and Accomplishments will help me because it examines the types of things employers look for in a portfolio. Through the information in this book, I can post the sort of things to stand out (Straub, 1996).

Creative Writing Portfolio II

¨ 1. The topics, images, and work I’ve posted up to this point should demonstrate my abilities.

¨ 2. I’ d like to produce another video to compare with the first video I completed in week one of my Mastery class and compared the two (Lynda.com (Producer), 2016l).

Creative Writing Portfolio II

¨ 3. Each of the items on my PLN Blog should demonstrate my growth and should also spotlight “my strengths” (Green, 2012, p. 274). Because of the intense focus needed to complete weekly tasks for each class, I cannot wait to see where I will find myself on my mastery journey by month number eleven!

The Business of Creative Writing

¨ 1. I feel it is important to understand how show business works, and I love that Full Sail offers this class. When I was in financial services, there were so many people who didn’t understand the basics of their financial situations. I do not want to find myself in a rough spot because I don’t know this side of the industry. On Safari Books I found two books to help prepare me for this class. The Movie Business Book (Squire, 2016) and Understanding the Business of Entertainment (Bernstein, 2015).

The Business of Creative Writing

¨ 2. Because I have some financial service and over thirty years of business skills, it is important I allow myself to “submit to the other” while taking this class (Green, 2012, p. 298). When I first looked and saw this class, I thought oh, that would be easy. While this may be true, I cannot allow my past experiences to close me off from new information.

¨ 3. I hope to learn more about what it takes to become a member of the Writer’s Guild. wga.org

Six industry leaders for interview for a Mastery Journal blog post

Ø 1. Rick SpencerØ [email protected]

Ø 2. Jeanne SimonØ [email protected]

Ø 3. Tina Field HoweØ [email protected]

Ø 4. Jerry Jenkins Ø [email protected]

Ø 5. Carole Kirschner Ø [email protected]

Ø 6. Janet Thompson Ø [email protected]

Getting involved field through industry clubs and organizations

Ø 1. Join relevant clubs and organizations for supportØ Member of Sisters in Crime - sistersincrime.orgØ Member of Florida chapter of Women in Film and

Television www.womeninfilmfl.org Ø Attended the meeting in person at Full Sail on 9/23 with

Michael TabbØ Plan to attend all meetings either in person or through the

online Google Hang-Out

Getting involved field through industry clubs and organizations

Ø 2. Join American Christian Fiction Writers - ACFW offers benefits such as online training, resources, workshops, and mentorship - As I want to write Christian Mysteries, I feel this is the next organization I need to join. http://www.acfw.com

Expanding upon my PLN by following innovative companies/heroes

Ø Engage with others while I am on Tumblr. Ø Follow others as they follow meØ Regular posts on my blog to increase other’s interestNew blogs I am followingØ FILM COURAGE: Empowering Filmmakers and

Creatives. Sharing stories, experiences, and wisdom from the world of independent film.Ø http://filmcourage.tumblr.com


Ø Women Screenwriters - celebrating women screenwriters in film and TV, maintained by Erin Bowles.Ø http://womenscreenwriters.tumblr.com

Ø Screenwriters - A blog where fellow screenwriters can get a chance to submit their interests and have a small group where they can let their imagination fly and find inspiration.Ø http://screenwriters.tumblr.com


Ø Brooklyn Hudson - Author of International Best Selling Thriller: WISHBONEØ http://brooklynhudson.tumblr.com -

Ø Screenwriters On Screenwriting - Screenwriting advice, screenwriting tips, screenwriting techniques--useful info about how to write a screenplay from actual, working screenwriters.Ø http://screenwritersonscreenwriting.tumblr.com

Full Sail community involvement

Ø Attended the Florida chapter of Women in Film at Full Sail on 9/23 with Michael Tabb Ø Plan on attending as many meetings as I can in person

or through the online Google Hang-Out

Ø On-going connection with two women I met while on campus who are in my age group - Shannon Shay and Charity Gibson

Characteristics of a mentor my field

Ø Ability to see what is holding me back.Ø Provide insight what is working as well as what isn’tØ Help to determine focusØ Ability to feel safe while talking to him or her -

remove condemnationØ Am I connecting to the process of what I am writing?

How big is my well of information?Ø Vulnerability as a strength and not weaknessØ What are my goals? (Film Courage, 2016)

My Journey to Mastery

Visual Storytelling- “trust the process”

Mastery-”find your way back-The life-or-death strategy”

(Green, 2012, p. 40).

(Green, 2012, p. 75)


Character Creation & Development “choose the mentor according to my needs”

Script Analysis and Criticism – “moving toward resistance and pain”

(Green, 2012, p. 78)

(Green, 2012, p. 109)


Film Screenwriting – “Craft the appropriate persona”

Episodic & Serial Writing -“natural powers”

(Green, 2012, p. 219)

(Greene, 2012, p. 152)


Storytelling & Storyboarding for Animation -Alchemical Creativity and the Unconscious

Writing for Games – “the Open Field” (Greene, 2012, p. 224)

(Greene, 2012, p. 242)


Creative Writing Portfolio I - "value learning over money”

Advanced Script Editing -"transform myself through practice”

(Greene, 2012, p. 285)

(Green, 2012, p. 65)


The Business of Creative Writing - “submit to the other”

Creative Writing Portfolio II -spotlight “my strengths”

(Green, 2012, p. 274)

(Green, 2012, p. 298)

Summary

¨ My mastery journey is focused not only on the classes I am taking, but also specific strategies toward personal growth.

¨ The most important thing for me to do is place God first and “know I can do all things, through the Lord who gives me strength” Philippians 4:13 NKJV.

References

Bernstein, G. (2015). Understanding the Business of Entertainment. [Safari Books Online].

Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/business/9781138776432

Blum, R. A. (2001). Television and Screen Writing (4th ed.). [Safari Books Online]. Retrieved

from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/video/9780240803975

Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts. (n.d.). In (Comp.), Course Program Charts (p. 4). Winter

Park, FL: Full Sail University.

Dancyger, D. & Rush, J. (2013). Alternative Scriptwriting (5th ed.). [Safari Books Online].

Retrieved from

http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/communications/writing/9780240522463

DePaul, G. (2016). Bring the Funny. [Safari Books Online]. Retrieved from


Film Courage. (2016). What Stops Screenwriters From Being Successful? with Jen Grisanti

[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/STjaRXUp3Fs

Gallo, G. (2012). Screenwriter's Compass. [Safari Books Online]. Retrieved from


Green, R. (2012). Mastery. [Vital Source]. Retrieved from http://www.vitalsource.com

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016a). Creating a Short Film with Chad Perkins. [Video file].

Available from https://www.lynda.com/Word-tutorials/Welcome-series/129019/496404-

4.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2015b). Screenwriting with Final Draft with Roger S.H. Schulman

[Video file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/Final-Draft-tutorials/Screenwriting-

Final-Draft/408228-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2015c). The Importance of World Building and Narrative with Alex

McDowell [Video file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/3D-Animation-

Architecture-tutorials/World-building-narrative/362994/440386-4.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016d). The Art of Storytelling in Film with Ashley Kennedy [Video

file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/Video-Editing-tutorials/art-storytelling-

film/450906/488393-4.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016e). Careers in the Game Industry with Christian Bradley [Video

file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/Unity-tutorials/Careers-Game-

Industry/456825-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016f). Game Design Careers with Brenda Romero [Video file].

Available from https://www.lynda.com/Games-tutorials/Game-Design-Careers-Brenda-

Romero/411570-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016g). Character Development and Design with Mary Jane Begin

[Video file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/Illustration-tutorials/Character-

Development-From-Concept-Finish/408229-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016h). Filmmaking Forum: Scene Analysis with Ashley Kennedy

[Video file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/Video-Editing-

tutorials/Filmmaking-Forum-Scene-Analysis/450905-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016i) Illustrator CC 2015 One-on-One: Fundamentals [Video File]

Available from https://www.lynda.com/Illustrator-tutorials/Illustrator-CC-2015-One-

One-Fundamentals/373093-2.html?org=fullsail.edu

Lynda.com (Producer). (2016j). iMovie 10.1.1 Essential Training with Garrick Chow [Video

file]. Available from https://www.lynda.com/iMovie-tutorials/Welcome/487935/493818-


Lynda.com (Producer). (2016k). Universal Storytelling Frameworks - Shane Snow on

Storytelling - The Importance of Making a Human Connection [Video file]. Available

from https://www.lynda.com/Business-Skills-tutorials/Shane-Snow-Storytelling/491532-


Lynda.com (Producer) (2016l). Video Production and Post Tip of the Week with Richard

Harrington and Robbie Carman. [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.lynda.com/Filmmaking-tutorials/Video-Production-Post-Tip-Week/480113-


Orwig, C. (2015). The Creative Fight: Create Your Best Work and Live the Life You Imagine.

[Safari Books Online]. Retrieved from

http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/creativity/9780134078601

Squire , J. E. (2016). The Movie Business Book (4th ed.). [Safari Books Online]. Retrieved from

http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/current-affairs/9781317221586

Straub, C. (1996). Creating Your Skills Portfolio: Show Off Your Skills and Accomplishments .

[Safari Books Online]. Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/career-

development/1560523948

Tracy, B. (2014 ). Time Management (The Brian Tracy Success Library). [Safari Books Online].

Retrieved from http://ce.safaribooksonline.com/book/time-management/9780814433430

Writing Center. (2016, ). APA Workshop [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://orgsync.com/50931/videos/35947

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Diannasandora MFA Creative Writing Timeline

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