Monday, January 23, 2012

CREATION POINT AND BEYOND

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor young writers:  sharing my knowledge and experience, teaching them about the vital basics of craft and encouraging them to grow beyond their comfort zones and embrace the art of story.  There’s no joy greater than creating your own tale, surrendering to the mysteries and metaphysics of storytelling; but there’s a unique pleasure to be found in helping others do the same:  to see someone’s personal vision take shape, to watch their creative selves transform and grow.  

In recent years I’ve continued this mentoring in new forms, first as editor-in-chief of Ardden Entertainment, then as a freelance editor and, most recently, through the launching of my Imagination 101 writing workshops.  Teaching the workshops has been a genuine delight.  You can’t beat sitting in a conference room for an entire weekend, working intimately with aspiring writers:  answering their questions, dissecting their ideas, enjoying the electric atmosphere generated by a group of enthusiastic, creative people.  

The workshops will continue—my next one is in Massachusetts in April and I’ve got more planned for upstate New York and New York City later in 2012—but I’ve also seen a need for a one-on-one mentoring program.  Toward that end, I’ve joined with two partners to launch Creation Point Story Consultation.  CPSC will provide anyone who’s interested with a chance to get feedback, analysis, hands-on editing and sincere encouragement as they build their imaginary worlds from the ground up.  Perhaps you’ve got an idea for a comic book that you’ve been wanting to develop for years, or a half-written graphic novel, a first draft screenplay, even The Great American Novel.  Creation Point Story offers you a chance to work with skilled mentors who will help you bring that work to the next level.  

Joining me in this endeavor are Derek Ivan Webster and Cody DeMatteis.  I first met Derek about a decade back when he was head of the story department at the Los Angeles based Acme Talent and Literary.  His job was to work with the screenwriters that the agency represented, dissecting their scripts and offering insights and analysis to help the writer’s vision manifest with more clarity and impact.  I was impressed with Derek from the start:  his understanding of the elements that make a great story was, and remains, powerful and impressive.  Derek and I have collaborated on several projects over the years—we’re working on a novel at the moment—and we hatched the CPSC concept together as a way to extend that collaboration.  I first met Cody when he was born.  Yes, he’s my son (and, as such, you could say he was my first writing student), but he’s also a highly skilled editor who’s worked in the trenches at both Boom! Studios and Devil’s Due, shepherding story and art through the entire creative process.  (As a result, Cody knows more about the day-to-day mechanics of producing comic books than I do.)  These days he works in the television business, on staff at Cartoon Network’s hugely successful spinoff, Adult Swim.  Cody’s got the kind of mind that’s always working outside the box.  His insights into story, and life, are funny, deep, unique and unexpected.  I’d want him as a partner even if we weren’t related.

We're working a few kinks out of the CPSC site—so, for now, if you're interested in our services, send an email to:


Maybe we’ll find ourselves working together soon.

11 comments:

  1. With your recommendation, they gotta be really good! Hope you all get lots of business! I'll place a link on my Facebook Pages!

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  2. Thanks, A. Jaye! VERY much appreciated!

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  3. "I've known him since he was born."

    That's a pretty stellar reference, JMD!

    --David

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  4. If there's one Justice League International member who I really want to see fight General Wade Eiling in a DC cartoon, it would have to be Rocket Red/Dmitri Pushkin.

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  5. Dmitri was a great character, Nelson. I always enjoyed writing his dialogue.

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  6. After thirty years of reading comics, I got my first letter published in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN 3. :)

    Next up: getting a comics script published!

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    1. Congrats, David! With your skill and talent, I suspect you'll take that next step. Keep going!

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  7. Is there a specific voice actor who has never worked in a DC cartoon, but you would love to see them work in one? For me I would love to see Christy Carlson Romano work in a DC cartoon.

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