(Español) Desventuras de una autora autoeditada

There’s life out there

Some people say writing is their passion, their life, their this and that, their everything. You hear it from well-known authors and amateur scribblers.

For others, however, making a living by putting words together becomes an unbearable burden, but these are rarely seen. It was the case of Frederica Sagor Maas,who died a few weeks ago at the amazing age of 111. Hollywood scripwriter since before the dawn of sound, her texts helped launch the career of several contemporary stars. Her memories, however, focus on the chauvinism, misoginy and discrimination that, as a woman, she had to suffer in that industry in the 20s.

Her filmography in IMDB lists many of her works as “uncredited”:

I would work so hard on some of the scripts and the minute I’d turn it in, someone else would take credit for it. You’d be ticketed as a troublemaker. Unless you wanted to quit the business, you just kept your mouth shut.

She finally did quit the business and took a job as a policy typist with an insurance agency in 1950, quickly working her way up to insurance broker. she never regretted her decision and in one of her last interviews she claimed that if she had the chance again, she would still quit writing and would rather clean floors.

Not sure if that’s some consolation for those of us who don’t make a living with our writing. Or as they say in Disney films, be careful what you wish.

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(Español) Publicar en iBookStore, misión imposible

Sorry, this entry is only available in European Spanish.

50 greatest novels for art students

Among the restless artists who gather here, not few of us care for more than literature. For those of you with a pictorial inclination, I present this list of “the 50 greatest novels for art students“, arguable as any list but full of gems, many of them little known, all of them crowded with painters, except for the presence as star guests of a duo of comic authors and an architect. There’s history and fiction, business and introspection. Explore, and let me know what your recommendations are. Do you miss any titles here?

(Español) Cedo la palabra

Straight advice

Carlton Cuse, father numer 2 for Lost, was recently in Madrid to teach a course on television.

If you have something to write, write it.

To the point, huh?

He insists that creativity is more important than technique. I guess we could say his best friend Damon Lindelof made good use of the lesson when he often came up with genial twists that, analyzed in retrospect, don’t really fit.

Although, depending on how we look at it, we might be forgiving:

While he [J. J. Abrams] finished 90 minutes of film, we made 46 hours. The really creative work is now on television.

To our desks, then!

Source: Lostphiles
Press conference videos here.