The Buddhist Treatment

Any good writer should never be at a loss for a good story. Most of us can rattle off a good one starting with a "what if..." or a "once upon a time...". But there are those moments when the gears just don't turn, the juice just doesn't flow, and the lake of ideas dries up. Of course, classic story lines have been rehashed so many times in Hollywood that visiting any one of them again would probably send your script on a short trip to the circular file.

Luckily, there are a collection of stories that have been around for hundreds of years, but don't seem to get much attention from filmmakers. These stories are ancient Buddhist tales - known as Jataka tales - and are very much like Aesop's Fables and Christian biblical parables, but with various morals that emphasize Buddhist concepts such as compassion, patience, and honesty.

Jataka Tales - Volume I
Jataka Tales - Volume II

Take some time and check them out and you just might find one that closely resembles the very story you're working on, possibly moving into a direction you hadn't considered. Or maybe you'll find a story to give you the spark for a new script.

Either way, Tashi Delek! ("good luck" in Tibetan)

A Case of the Gotties

As a part two to my previous post, I thought I'd let you all know just how good the holidays were to me...with a little help once again from Google and Yahoo.

Alan got a value meal of an apple pie.
...now they don't have to ask me at the drive-thru anymore...

Alan got a meal that came with a panini.
...can you see where this is going?...

Alan got a full time job working at a Youth Correctional Facility and Debra got a job as a telemarketer.
...I don't know which of us got the better deal...

Alan got a chance to ride the real thing.
...no more training wheels for me...now, what am I riding?...

Alan got a 40-foot whipper after nearly sticking the crux on his second try.
...hey, I could've gotten it on the first try if my foot hadn't slipped...

Alan got a check for $90,210.
...to pay for my private crux-sticking lessons...

Alan got a court order to have the name of my martini bar changed and have me evicted from my room.
...long story...don't ask...

Alan got a offer to go on the road with another local band, LABAMBA and the HUBCAPS.
...formerly known as LABAMBA and the ALL-CAPS...

Alan got a new briefcase and a new med bag.
...guess which one will come in handy at tax time...

Alan got a blackmail note asking for $10,000 ... warned him to stop seeing Hope.
...and if I find the guy who wrote it, I'm sticking a crux in him...

Hope you all had a great holiday, too!