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John August has signed on to write the script for a film adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark.

August frequently collaborates with Tim Burton. Two of those movies were created for child audiences, The Corpse Bride (2005) and Frankenweenie (2012). At the moment, no director has been hired for this project.

Here’s more from Deadline: “The three-book children’s series that’s sold more than 7 million copies worldwide began with 1981′s Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, continuing with More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark (1984) and Scary Stories 3: More Tales To Chill Your Bones(1991). The collection of folk tales and urban legends also memorably haunted generations of youngsters with its surreal and nightmarish illustrations by award-winning artist Stephen Gammell.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Are you having trouble writing the latest scene in your book or screenplay?

Ryan Rivard took some advice from screenwriter John August and consolidated it into a simple infographic (embedded above) that will help anyone write a scene. Here’s more from Rivard about how his storytelling tool went viral the last few days.

The response has been surreal. I never expected it to reach this many people. I hope everyone is finding the graphic helpful. It has sparked some interesting conversations in the Reddit community. But it’s intended to be used in conjunction with John August’s original post. If you are serious about screenwriting, I cannot recommend it enough.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

I recently wrote a blog post over at DAY IN COURT. I've been feeling the burn of sublimated anger at many of the letters to editors in our local newspapers lately. Accusations tossed about based on prejudice and personal bias, opinions designed to push racial and ethnic tensions higher, and advice that glosses over one's own counter-actions all have me wanting to caution readers --don't believe everything you read in the newspapers. Consider the source. Ask where's the verification.

I made a quiet reference to professionalism, and noted how it adds credibility and clarity. Without it, you have a lot of haze, and perhaps just smoke and mirrors.

And then I came across this guest lecture by the noted scriptwriter John August. It encouraged the Trinity students (and now offers the message to everyone who reads it) to be professional, not amateur, to be "aspiring," not irresponsible, writers.

It's amusing and insightful, and also filled with motherly advice. As I've said to my own daughter each time she writes another school composition, essay, short story, "Do your best, hon. Always do your best." Only now I can quote someone else, someone with more cachet, someone worth heeding.

So we can both be better writers--truly professional.

I recently wrote my monthly book review column, and included some blather about literary devices. One of the literary devices I wrote about was the "story within a story," which I loved in THE YEAR OF THE RAT.

Since writing that book review, though, I've been encountering this device everywhere. And I mean everywhere. The most recent was in the DVD of BIG FISH, which I wanted to watch because the screenplay is by John August, and I've been studying his blog for help.

Stop, please. No more stories within stories for at least a week, please! Please? Help.

Birthday Party, originally uploaded by crystal driedger.

Every year it is my goal to use the skills I developed while working full time at my last job (I was there for four years and the company sold gift bags, childrens books, greeting cards and other fun things to quite a variety of companies including Walmart, Costco, American Greetings and many a dollar store among other places). One of the downsides of selling to these big companies was that the end results of my work (the actual products) weren't sold or created in Canada. Now normally this wouldn't be a problem, but I am a very far drive away from our nearest border (which for me is Montana, a beautiful state packed with mountains and sweet smelling forests)... and for those of you who have had the wonderful experience of seeing your work in stores it's so so satisfying to see it being touched and admired by real people, even if they are standing on it while it's on the floor (this, by the way, happened to me when I was lucky enough to be able to go on a business trip to Nashville. In a dollarstore in the middle of the city people were frantically searching for the "perfect" Christmas gift bag all the while tossing things on the floor where the faces of my paintings were being covered by the mud on the streets beneath customers boots).

This story reminds me of the reality of commercial illustration, or perhaps illustration in general. We create art that is essentially disposable. Our paintings get admired for seconds, perhaps a few days at most then is thrown away or recycled. There are exceptions to this rule: Children's books can be cherished and read over and over, some greeting cards are saved for years and I've heard of people framing copies of art they've clipped from magazines.

While I know that not every child who gets a card I've created in their mailbox will treasure it I can't stop trying to make similar images than those I loved when I was little. Greeting cards and childrens books were the first things I could call mine and they were certainly evidence that an artist could influence and brighten my world. Not to mention it dispelled the idea that if you wanted to be an artist you had to be "starving". Someone must have been paid to create the cards I got for my birthday and there was no way the artists behind the Lion King weren't being compensated in some way (although at the time I would have licked dirt to have been one of their artists, forget paying me!).

So I'll continue to illustrate and create concepts that might, if I am so lucky, be turned into cards that are eventually thrown away (or at best recycled). Because heck, people might like my design so much that they will buy my card and fill it with money. If that doesn't make my card worth more to someone, I don't know what will!

It seems that my farmers market adventures might finally be paying off. I'm starting to take on a bit more fine art projects which have come from meeting the people who shop the market. This is all so very exciting!

I'm due to work some pretty big christmas shows (three day long events that occur in November) in which I hope to do a little advertising for my illustration business, sell some art and prints and meet some new people. I've been working on painting up bits of wood with snowmen to sell at the shows. Here's what I created this weekend:

"Danny" A snowmen on a stick (pole says "Let it Snow") pole measures 22.5x1.75x0.75". Snowman painting measures 5x8x0.75"



"Together" Another snowman on a stick (same measurements as above)Pole says "Merry Christmas"


Saucy Smoker 7x7x0.75"



Andy Snowman 15.5x5x1"

A few months ago I found a fun website that allows artists to sell greeting cards with their own images on them. It's one of three places you can buy my work online (the others being etsy and cafépress) because it's free to upload as many images as I like and I get a bit of a royalty every time something sells. This, I feel, has been a good opportunity to make a little money off of images that I have created that are not yet owned by someone else.

I just received a bit of a coupon via email for this site which I'd like to pass along to anyone interested in buying some cards from artists such as myself. The promo code you have to enter is FALL 199 (which you enter at the checkout). This makes each card only $1.99 US which currently is almost on par with the Canadian dollar.

Click on the title of this blog to go to Greeting Card Universe.

Also, all of the cards on my site are now available as free personable ecards.

Here's a sneak peak at my new BirdyBear Pin collection which will be up for sale for the first time at the Down town Edmonton Farmers market (104th and Jasper ave) this Saturday from 9am to 3pm. After this I will upload some of them (those left over) to my etsy page. They are handmade: woodburnt, original drawings which are painted in high grade acrylics then varnished. The pin is gold on the back. A couple of the pins are adorned by a gemstone which is inset in the wood. Too see all the pictures I've posted and probably lots you haven't seen from other projects I've worked on click on the title of this post (it'll take you to my flickr page).

Cheers!

Watercolors on Fabriano cold press 5" x 7"
$75 including shipping.
E-mail Me To Purchase

Tonight is the grand gala for Doctors and Derrieres II! If you're still interested in seeing the show or bidding on a few pieces (there are some really cool ones in there....) tonight at the Red Strap Market between 7 and 11pm is where you'll find a buzzing crowd, cocktails and of course doctors and arists to chat with.

I will be selling prints of the pieces that were for sale at the auction as well as the rest of my originals soon. I know a couple other artists are going to sell the rest of their pieces as well and we might set up an online store where you can purchase some of these splendid goodies. Hope to see you at the show!

Shown below (and please forgive the reflections on the glass) are artists: Adolfo Ruiz, Amanda Woodward and Gerry Rasmussen.

I sat down to draw a spy for this week's Illustration Friday, and ended up with this...

Enjoy!

This painting is available for sale. Price: $185. Email me if you are interested or have questions.

He's a pretty macho guy, isn't he?

This is a small piece I finished today. It is a 4"x6" mixed-media painting on paper.

I am putting this painting up for sale, if anyone is interested. The price is $175. Just drop me an e-mail to make an inquiry (my address can be found in my profile).

Here's a quick look at the making of this painting: